#zelda trusts link enough to be her personal assistant

[kaiju-dayo]

I’m rearranging the school au’s student council positions 🧍🏻‍♀️ Should Impa be the secretary, or vice-prez❓I still want Link to be Zel’s “right hand man” somehow but I can’t fit them in either role ahdhsjhf

[smilesrobotlover]

AO3

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Warning, this is a pretty dark one towards the end. A lil spooky if you will

Chapter 5- Something’s in Faron Woods

Zelda was exhausted. With the new problem of disappearances, her workload doubled. She was getting several letters from people claiming that they knew who was causing these disappearances, or people who claimed that they got caught and escaped. She was then dealing with the economy of Hyrule, then their relationship with Labrynna, then schoolwork for her daughter, and then trying to provide for the army. She’d barely gotten any sleep, but she supposed it would be fine. She’s had sleepless nights before, this would be no different.

She was eternally grateful for the resistance’s help, since she couldn’t do much on her own with the disappearances. She sent Ashei and Shad to help Hoz on his investigation, she requested Auru to ask around since he couldn’t do much in his old age, and she sent Rusl and Link to investigate Kakariko, knowing that Link’s wolf abilities would be useful. And she requested this all under her alter ego: Sheik.

She remembers when she first disguised herself as Sheik and went to help the resistance. They were dealing with straggling Bulblins who rebelled against their king. Sheik showed up to assist, and the resistance were rightfully distrusting towards her. It was difficult since Sheik wasn’t exactly a bubbly and kind person, but after a few years with her giving them correct information on situations, they started to trust her more, and she was grateful for that. It was nice doing more for Hyrule that she wouldn’t be able to do as queen, but it had made her twice as busy, and she almost had no time to do anything. Even spending time with her own daughter was severely limited, and even though she wished she could do more with her, she just didn’t have time. And she wasn’t willing to give some of her workload to Edmund.

They’d known each other since they were kids. her father was attempting to have an alliance with Labrynna and they saw each other often. They had a good enough relationship then, Edmund was very polite and kind, and even when they reunited he still was, but she couldn’t bring herself to trust him. He was never outwardly terrible, but she knew that if she gave him even an ounce of power, he would take it all and control Hyrule. She’d seen it with her father, she’d seen it with Zant, and she’d seen it with Ganondorf. All kings taking power from queens, why would Edmund be any different?

Despite her refusal to let him help her, she was exhausted, and sometimes she wished she could get help, but until she found more people she could trust, she would have to make do. Of course, it wasn’t easy to hide how she was feeling from everyone, and when she nearly fell asleep during a boring meeting, they all grew concerned for her well-being.

“My queen?” The representative for the Zora spoke up when she nearly fell over on the table, and she rubbed her face, sitting up straight.

“I’m alright,” she said quickly, and she glanced over at Edmund who stared at her with his brows pinched together.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m fine, just a little tired is all, we all get like that,” she waved their concerns away and looked down at the papers in front of her. She honestly didn’t remember what was being discussed, but she quickly skimmed over the details and caught up as much as she could. As soon as the meeting was over, she got up and left, with Edmund trailing behind her.

“Zelda?” He called out for her, and she groaned, turning around to look at him.

“Yes?”

Edmund let out a huff and put his hands on his hips. “What have you been doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. You look awful. You’re rarely eating, I hardly ever see you, and you’re never in bed when you’re supposed to be.”

“Maybe I don’t want to sleep with you,” she said coldly, but instantly regretted it. That was an inappropriate thing to say, and a hurt expression flickered across Edmund’s face. He looked away and ran a hand through his hair, frustration apparent in his face.

“Goddesses, Zelda. I— I didn’t want this arranged marriage either, but I’m trying to make it work for our kingdom’s sakes! It’s been ten years, why can’t you do the same?”

Zelda faced him fully and looked down, biting her lip. “I… I apologize for that comment, Edmund. It was rude of me.”

Edmund’s glare softened slightly. “So, what’s going on? Is it the disappearances?”

Zelda pursed her lips. “It’s fine Edmund–”

“No, it’s not fine. You’re clearly overworking yourself.”

Zelda turned away and let out a frustrated sigh, spotting the nobles and representatives getting closer to them. She grabbed Edmund’s arm and led him away to somewhere more private.

“It’s fine Edmund,” she reassured when they were tucked away in a corner, “these disappearances have been a lot of work to deal with, but it will pass. Besides, I have help from friends and Hoz to get to the bottom of this.”

Edmund stared at her for a moment, his brow pinched together. “Ok, so you have help,” he finally said after a moment of contemplation, “why don’t you let me handle the next meeting so you can… I don’t know… get some rest.”

Zelda’s heart spiked and she shook her head. “No, I do not need help.”

“Oh, so you’ll get help from Hoz and friends that I’ve never heard of before, but not from me, your husband?” Edmund’s voice raised a little, and Zelda sucked in a breath.

“It’s not your responsibility—“

“Yes it is! We’re supposed to have a partnership! We’re supposed to work together to keep our kingdom allies! That is why we got married! Why can’t you trust me?”

“Maybe it’s because you have no respect for my kingdom! Maybe it’s because you berate and criticize my people and my army! Why would I let someone who hates my kingdom try to rule it?” Zelda snapped. Edmund stared at her, surprised at her angry tone. She always spoke in a controlled tone, never letting her anger get the best of her since it was improper. Zelda took a deep breath and quickly composed herself, not wanting to escalate the conversation anymore. “Edmund, can we discuss this later? I have a meeting to attend to.”

“That’s what you say everytime I try to talk to you about it,” Edmund scoffed.

“Well I don’t have time.”

Edmund was about to say something, but he glanced up behind Zelda and his glare softened.

“Amber!” He greeted, and Zelda turned around to see her daughter walking towards them.

“Hello, mother and father,” she said when she walked up to them, her hands clasped in front of her. “I finished my studies and I wanted to catch you when the meeting ended!”

Edmund gave Zelda a look and he relaxed his posture. “Well, you caught us in time, my dear.”

Amber grinned at Edmund and gave a small curtsy to Zelda. Zelda nodded her head and forced a smile. The two stared at each other awkwardly, and Zelda looked down.

“I’m glad to see you, Amber,” she finally said, and forced another smile. “I take it your studies are going well?”

“Yes, mother.”

“Right…”

Zelda looked away and Edmund sighed.

“Why don’t you tell your mother what you’ve been studying, Amber?” He encouraged, and Amber’s eyes lit up. Zelda cringed internally, wanting so badly to stay and listen to her daughter, but she simply had no time…

“Well, I’ve been studying the founding of Hyrule, and I find it quite fascinating! I read that Hylians descended from the sky and made land here, creating alliances with the many species already living here. I just can’t imagine living in the sky! I heard that they flew on birds! Big birds that they would ride on and–”

“Amber,” Zelda cut in, forcing another smile, “I think it’s wonderful that you’re interested in history. I have a meeting I must attend, but you continue on with your studies.”

Amber’s expression fell which made Zelda’s heart twist in pain, and she looked down. “Of course, mother, sorry to keep you.”

Zelda couldn’t force another smile, and she simply walked away, trying to ignore the guilt creeping up on her. Goddesses she wanted to stay, she wanted to stay and to talk with her daughter. She wanted to ignore the meetings and to actually rest her eyes. But she couldn’t, there was too much to do, and she didn’t have the time.

Zelda couldn’t help but glance at the two when she turned the corner. Amber was still facing away, but Edmund was staring at her, and where she expected anger, there was nothing but sadness in his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Link watched the field around him carefully, sticking closer to Rusl this time around. Kori was no longer riding with him, and was inside the cart playing with his new toy, meanwhile Colin sat behind him on Epona. Talo was riding his own horse on the other side of the cart, grateful to no longer be alone on the trip back home. Link was also glad that they were with Talo as well, learning more about the strange disappearances have gotten him nervous. Rusl tried to make sense of it all, explaining how the scent probably got messed up, but Link supposed he couldn’t truly understand how bizarre the whole thing was. The scent wasn’t replaced, nor was it lost, it just vanished. The fact that he didn’t know why this was happening, or where to continue looking, chilled him to the bone, and he was anxious to get back to Ordon and out of the open field. Colin picked up on his nervous energy, and he rested his hand on his shoulder.

“Are you alright, Link?” His younger brother asked, and Link shrugged.

“I dunno, I just don’t like the open field,” he answered simply.

“I heard you and pa were investigating some disappearances, anything going on with that?”

Link sighed. “I don’t know, I tried to follow the missing people’s scent and I found nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Absolutely nothing. The scent just ends. Pa thinks that the scent was replaced or lost but… I honestly don’t think that’s the case,” he ran his fingers through his hair, letting out a breath.

“What do you think the case is?”

“I’m not sure, the only explanation is that the people got taken to… a different world or something,” Link felt the heat creep up to his cheeks as he said it outloud. The idea of different worlds wasn’t far-fetched to him, the temple of time literally took him through time to when the temple stood tall and proud, and the twilight realm was a world he could never forget. But to get to these places were nearly impossible, especially the twilight realm, so the idea that these people somehow getting taken to anywhere like that was ridiculous to him. Colin only hummed.

“You sure they’re not dead?”

“I’m sure Colin, I would’ve smelled it. Once we get home I’m gonna try to look further into it.” By the goddesses he was not going to let something like this continue. He was the hero for Din’s sake, he still had a responsibility to Hyrule. Link glanced over at the carriage to see Kori and Rela poking their heads out from the carriage, smiling at the nature in front of them. A protective feeling surrounded him as he watched them. He was going to make sure that his family, especially Kori, were never going to experience a dangerous Hyrule ever again.

They reached Ordon when the sun began to set, and everyone let out a sigh of relief as they got off their steeds or out of the cart.

“By the goddesses, it’s nice not being attacked every five seconds in the field,” Talo commented, stretching his arms after he got off his horse. Beth and Colin cheered in response as Link led Epona to his home, patting her neck and giving her a treat. Kori ran up to him and patted Epona’s snout.

“Thanks for getting us here, girl!” He said, and Epona lowered her head to nuzzle his chest, which Kori giggled at. Link smiled at the two and left them alone together as he went to help Rusl with unloading the cart. The kids stayed back talking and playing with the horses while Link and Rusl went to their home. When they opened the door, Uli set down her sewing project from the couch and met them at the door in seconds.

“You’re home!” She cheered, and gave Rusl and Link a hug. Rusl chuckled and pecked her on the lips.

“Hello, darlin’,” he said when he pulled away, and the two smiled at each other for a moment.

“How was it? How’s Renado?” She asked as they pulled away to put their stuff down.

“It was fine,” Link answered, plopping down on the couch. “Renado seems pretty overwhelmed, but otherwise it was ok.”

“What did Kori get?”

“A stuffed cat he named Jasper,” Link answered, stretching his arms above his head. Uli tilted her head and crossed her arms.

“A stuffed cat? If I had known that he wanted a stuffed cat, I would’ve made him one!”

“Yeah, kids are weird like that,” Link said with a chuckle, rubbing his eyes. “The moment they see somethin’ they want at the store, they ask for it even though you can make it at home.”

“It’s more special from a shop!” Rusl chimed in, leaning near the fireplace. Uli raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“Are you saying that if I made it, it wouldn’t be special?”

Rusl’s eyes went big and he turned away. “Of course not… that’s… you know what I meant!”

Uli gave a quick laugh. “I know what you meant darlin’, I’m just messing with you.” Rusl glared at her and she simply giggled teasingly at him. She turned to Link and her teasing manner dropped slightly. “Well, I heard you two were investigating some…. Disappearances,” she started, “were you able to find anything?”

Link looked at Rusl and shrugged. “Not really.”

“We didn’t find anything useful at least,” Rusl added quietly. Uli frowned.

“Are you going to continue investigating?”

“Well, I kinda have to. Kori wants everyone to return home safely for his birthday,” Link said with a small smile on his lips. Uli grinned and ruffled his hair.

“He’s a sweet boy. He reminds me of a certain someone.”

Link looked down bashfully and rolled his eyes as Uli began to dote on him. Kori was a sweet boy. So gentle and kind, despite being a little mischievous at times. He couldn’t take all the credit for it of course, or really any of it. Midna raised him by herself for his first two years of life, and even though she's not with them all the time, she’s impacted his life in more ways than one. Goddesses he missed her. He wanted to tell her everything about Kakariko, he wanted her advice, her comments, her support. He just wanted her here…

Uli clasped her hands together and sighed after a moment of silence. “Well, where are the kids?”

“Dealin’ with the horses. I think they’re a little stir crazy.”

Uli smiled and gestured at the fireplace. “I have some soup cooking if you wanna drag our little ones over here?”

The smell of the soup cooking above the fireplace hit his nostrils, and he wiped some drool that suddenly appeared on his chin. Uli let out a hearty laugh and ruffled his hair.

“I’ll go get them ma,” Link chuckled, slightly embarrassed, and jogged out the door to find Colin, Rela, and Kori.

The three were excited for the hot dinner when Link told them, and they quickly put their things away as the sun set behind the horizon. Kori wasted no time showing Jasper the cat to Uli, explaining the complex backstory he gave to the plush, and how it connected to Billy the goat’s backstory. Uli listened intently, and Link let out a laugh. He always talked her ear off, but she always listened. Link wondered if he was the same way when he was younger.

“So, I take it Midna didn’t go with you?” Uli asked when Kori finished his story. Link shook his head.

“No, she had other stuff she needed to do back home.”

“What does she do anyways?” Colin asked, his spoon full of soup inches away from his mouth. Link shrugged.

“Stuff.”

“You always say that,” he said, sipping the soup from the spoon. Link shrugged again.

“Y’all weren’t supposed to know about her existence anyways. If she wants to tell you what she does, then she will. It’s not my business to tell you.”

“Fair ‘nough.”

“Well,” Uli started, standing up, “I already ate, but I can dish up some food for the rest of you.”

“Nah, I got two strong arms, I can do it myself,” Rusl said with a smile, grabbing a bowl and hunching over the pot.

“Nonsense! You’ve been traveling all day,” Uli began to argue, and the couple began to fight over the soup. Colin and Link exchanged a look and smirked as Kori and Rela jogged over to the fireplace, trying to break up the battle for service between the two lovers. When Uli finally admitted defeat, Link got up to the pot to serve himself and Kori, smiling at his ma who returned to her sewing project. But as he began to walk across the room, he stopped, his ears twitching. There was a sound, it was distant, and out in the woods, but as it got closer, the sound became more apparent.

Screaming.

Soon it got loud enough for Uli to hear it too, and they both looked at each other in fear. Kori stared at the two, hearing it as well.

“What is that?” He asked, and the whole family grew quiet, hearing the sudden screaming. Rusl got up, grabbing his sword and gestured for Link to follow him.

“Stay here,” Rusl said to Colin and Uli, who were about to follow him. Uli walked towards the kids while Colin reluctantly stayed by the doorway, and the two swordsmen marched out of the house. As they got closer, Link was able to spot three figures huddled together. He recognized mayor Bo’s large frame next to Jaggle, who was consoling a hysterical Coro. Bo looked up as the two men got closer, and he let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank the spirits,” he said, stepping away. “I was just about to come and get you two.”

“What’s happenin’ here?” Rusl asked, staring at Coro who looked to be a mess. “Why were you screaming?”

Coro raised his head and stared at the two. “S-something’s out in the woods!” His voice shook as he said it, and he was shaking in fear.

Link frowned, feeling dread and fear creep up on him. “What was it?”

“I– I don’t know! I don’t know!”

Rusl rested a hand on Coro’s shoulder and kneeled down. “Take some deep breaths for me, ok? Think about what you saw and try to explain it to us.”

Coro swallowed and took a deep breath. “Ok, you are all gonna think that I’m insane, but I promise I’m not! I know these woods, I’ve seen all sorts of plants and animals! But I was putting my things away f-for the night, and I heard somethin’ behind me and… I saw a black creature staring at me!” Coro wailed and buried his face in his hands, and Rusl gave Link a look. “It tried to kill me! I swear!”

“Did you have a light to see this… black creature?” Jaggle asked skeptically, and Coro gave him a glare.

“I didn’t hallucinate it if that’s what you’re implying! Trill saw it too!”

As if on cue, Coro’s bird, Trill poked out from his hair, staring at the men. Link expected him to begin chatting, but he was uncharacteristically silent as the men observed the bird.

“Can you… Uh… describe the creature again?” Jaggle asked, and Coro let out a frustrated huff.

“I know it sounds ridiculous, but it was a big, black creature with long arms! It almost swiped at me but I didn’t wait around! I thought something was off about the forest, Trill came to me a few days before talking about a bear, so I-I thought that he just got spooked! There hasn’t been a bear in these parts in ages so I assumed he saw a wolf! There’s been wolves around here right? But this wasn’t a bear, I don’t know what it was but it was no bear!”

Rusl, Jaggle, and Link all glanced at each other as Coro continued to ramble, and Rusl scratched the back of his head. “Sounds like you had a scare, Coro. But let’s think about this, it could’ve been a tree or something. They look scary at night, right?”

“Trees don’t try to swipe at you!” Coro yelled.

Jaggle glanced at Rusl and sighed. “You can stay with us if it makes you feel safe, we’ll be sure that the gate is locked extra tight, but–”

“No! You need to find that thing, now!” Coro grabbed Rusl and shook him slightly. “A gate won’t stop it if it found us! It’s too big! Don’t you remember what happened ten years ago? When a green monster burst through the gates and stole all the kids?”

Rusl’s expression grew dark, and Jaggle pulled Coro away.

“Now you need to calm down!” He yelled. “It’s gettin’ late, and it’s too dangerous to go out at night, we’ll hunt down whatever it was you saw tomorrow—“

“Jaggle,” Mayor Bo interrupted him, staring at the entrance, “perhaps we should find whatever Coro saw.”

“What? Bo are you crazy?”

“I don’t want anything attacking us at night when we’re most vulnerable,” Bo explained, his hands raised defensively. “We at least need to be prepared for something!”

Jaggle opened his mouth to say something but Rusl stepped up. “He’s right, it’s not dark yet, me and Link will check it out, the rest of you will make sure nothing happens to Ordon.” Link looked at his father in shock, but he avoided his gaze. “We’ll find whatever scared you, I don’t want anything to attack us at night either.”

Coro looked relieved and nodded. “Thanks, sorry to bother you folks–”

“It’s fine,” Rusl waved his apology away, “me and Link will investigate, Colin, Talon, and Beth will look after the village in the meantime, if it ain’t a bother.”

Jaggle let out a loud sigh and shrugged. “Don’t think Talo would be bothered at all.”

“Good. There’s still some sun left, once it gets too dark, me and Link will return, ok?”

Jaggle seemed more comfortable with that and nodded. Rusl nodded back and turned to head back to the house, with Link reluctantly following.

“Are you sure this is a good idea, pa?” Link asked softly as Bo led Coro to his home. “We don’t have a lot of time before it gets too dark.”

“We’ll be fine, Link. I take it it’s nothin’ serious,” Rusl said, but he didn’t seem too confident in his own words. “Besides, if something is out there, I don’t want– I don’t want another attack on Ordon.” Rusl’s voice grew quiet, but he didn’t turn to look at Link.

Link pursed his lips, but said nothing. When the two reached the house, Rusl quickly explained the situation to Uli and Colin. Uli protested against it while Colin grabbed a sword, determined to protect the village. With enough reassurance that they were going to be ok, the two bid their farewells, collected their swords and torches, and headed into the woods.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The forest was quiet save for the rustling of the leaves as they blew through the wind. The moon was full, which thankfully gave him and Rusl more light to work with. The sky was a deep purple, making the forest much darker than what Link would like. Sure there was some sunlight, but it wasn’t enough to investigate. It was uncomfortably silent between Link and Rusl, both listening intently to whatever could be out here. Link’s eyes were darting back and forth, his heart beating against his chest as they got closer to Coro’s house. He’s never liked the dark, but after the twilight invasion, he’s grown to hate it. Anything could be hiding in the shadows, watching him and his father as they walked by. It made his hair stand on its ends. Rusl seemed to be more relaxed than him though, a determined look on his face as he observed the trees illuminated by his torch and moon. When they reached Coro’s house, Link lowered his breathing to hear whatever it was Coro saw. His sword was raised in front of him while Rusl looked around the house. The silence was deafening, and the night air sent a chill up Link’s spine. He studied the ground around the house for a moment before looking at Rusl, who put a hand on his hip and sighed.

“Do you see anything?” He asked, and Link shook his head.

“I haven’t seen anything unusual, but something isn’t right.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I—I don’t know, something in the air isn’t right.” Link pursed his lips as he watched the trees around them. There was a good chance that he was just spooked, but the feeling of dread wouldn’t leave him. Rusl clicked his tongue as his head turned behind him.

“What do you think Coro saw?”

Link shrugged. If it was anyone else he wouldn’t be so worried, but it was Coro that got scared. He wasn’t scared of anything. Even when he saw Link as a wolf he seemed calm, even when monsters were right outside his home he didn’t care much. The only time Link has seen Coro frightened was during the twilight invasion, when shadow insects were crawling all over his home. A sinking feeling rested within his stomach as he thought about the missing people, but he shook his head. There was no way that there was another twilight invasion. The only Twili that were left in the world was Midna, and how she was able to be in this world was a mystery to him. No, it had to be an animal or a tree or something. Coro wasn’t afraid of anything, but everyone gets spooked every now and then.

“He probably saw a bear,” Rusl said softly, his brows pinched together.

“If it was a bear, then we should head back and hunt it tomorrow. It’s too dangerous to be out here at night.” Bears were rare in Ordon, but they showed up occasionally, and Link had heard too many horror stories from Rusl about them that he knew that they were a serious threat. But regardless, the idea of Coro seeing a bear scared Link less than any alternative. Rusl pursed his lips and stared at the ground.

“I’m not seeing any footprints though,” he muttered, kneeling on the ground and tracing his hand across the ground.

Link looked over his shoulder, the sudden feeling of dread overwhelming him as he stared at the darkness. Something was out in Faron woods, something dark and evil.

“Pa, we should go,” he said, trying to keep his voice from quivering. “We can lock the gates and look for it tomorrow, but we’re at a disadvantage here.”

“I know, Link. But it’s not too dark yet.”

“It’s dark enough for this to be dangerous!”

Rusl stared at the ground blankly for a moment, before looking up at Link. “You think he saw something out in these woods?” Rusl asked, and Link tilted his head.

“You don’t believe him?”

“I-I’m not sure. I’m not seein’ any footprints or anything around here. Nothing was by his house, I think he saw the shadow of a tree or something, but… I don’t want to take any chances.”

Link frowned as Rusl went back to staring at the ground. He didn’t want to risk a potentially dangerous monster attacking Ordon either, but Link knew that they wouldn’t last against a black creature at night. He looked behind him at the entrance to Ordon, shifting his feet nervously as he felt eyes on him from all sides. Rusl picked up on his nervous energy, and he stood up, eyeing the house.

“I’m just gonna look around some more, then we’ll head back, ok?”

Link nodded and watched as his father marched to Coro’s home. He lingered near the trees, watching them intently as if something would grab him. It was silent for too long, and he occasionally glanced over his shoulder to check on his pa, who was barely visible from the torch he was carrying. It was getting too dark, his patience was wearing thin, and his anxiety gnawed at his insides. He couldn’t wait out here any longer, they needed to head back now.

A snap of a twig caused Link to jump ten feet in the air, and he had his sword drawn out defensively in front of him as he glared at the darkness in front of him. His heart beat furiously against his chest as he strained his eyes to see what was lurking in the dark.

Was it a monster? A bulblin? A lost traveler? Several possibilities ran through his head as he searched the woods in front of him, fear nearly paralyzing him so much he couldn’t even speak. Another sound was heard, along with rustling, and something dark emerged into the light Link’s lantern emitted. Link jumped, yelling out as soon as he saw it, and when it was fully in the light, Link saw that the creature that spooked him so badly was a fuzzy rabbit, staring at him as its nose twitched. Link stared in shock, his breathing quick and his heart beating a mile a minute.

“Link?” Rusl called out worriedly, and Link heard his pa jogging towards him.

“I—it’s— a r—“ Link let out a sigh of relief as the rabbit hopped away, and he started giggling. Loud.

“Uh, Link?” Rusl sounded much more concerned as Link doubled over laughing.

“I—it’s a rabbit— a rabbit,” Link wheezed out between giggles, and Rusl raised an eyebrow.

“Ok…?” Rusl gave him one more look before returning to the house, his head shaking in confusion. Link let out a breath and stared at the ground lit up by his lantern, feeling slightly more relaxed. He picked up his lantern and stood up, but as he got on his feet, the light moved further into the darkness, and that was when he saw it.

A black hand, clearly human shaped, standing out in the lit up grass. It quickly disappeared into the darkness, but Link was able to see it. He felt his blood run cold as he shot up, his sword shaking in his trembling hands, the relief gone in an instant. Did he imagine that?

The feeling of dread began to overwhelm him, and he spun around to his father.

“Pa—“ he was interrupted by a familiar shriek. A shriek that paralyzed him to the bone. His body trembled as his heart beat so hard against his chest it felt as though it would burst. His senses were clouded, he couldn’t see, he couldn’t hear, he couldn’t feel. All he knew was fear. Until the strong paralysis went away.

Link gasped as he was able to move again. His head felt light, his heart continued to race, but he felt conscious again. He looked around, shocked that he himself was left untouched. His lantern was left on the ground, standing upright, still emitting light enough for Link to see. The sky was black now, the moon emitting barely enough light for Link to see beyond the lantern. He shakily picked it up and looked around him, his heart sinking into his stomach as realization hit him.

Rusl.

The other light that came from Rusl’s torch was put out, and Link’s father was nowhere to be seen.

“P-pa?” Link called out weakly, tears pricking at his eyes when he was met with silence. He ran to Coro’s house and searched the ground, but there was no sign of Rusl, all except his torch which was laying on the ground. Link wasted no time turning into a wolf and sniffing the torch, but he was only met with the eye watering scent of smoke and fire. Goddesses, how could he find him?

Link noticed some scuff marks on the ground, and he saw the footprints. They weren’t human, there were no toes and they were much too small, but he knew that whatever they belonged to, it was what took Rusl. Link took off running, using his wolf senses to see in the dark. The footprints went into the dark caves, and Link plowed through, luckily remembering where to go from traveling through them hundreds of times. He ignored the rats and keese that tried to hurt him, and he emerged from the other side. At the end of the cave, Link spotted something glimmering in the moonlight. Rusl’s sword. Thank the spirits.

With no smoke to cloud his senses, Link was able to pick up on Rusl’s sent. It led deeper into Faron woods, through the thick trees that used to hold poisonous gas. Link sprinted through, the feeling of deja vu of hunting down the missing tailor and Goron making him more and more anxious.

Please don’t be too late.

Link was so focused on running that he barely noticed that he actually passed the scent, and he skidded to a stop, spinning to where the scent stopped. The scent didn’t seem to end abruptly the same way the tailor and goron’s did thankfully, but the feeling of dread kept any feeling of relief shining through. The creature was here, and it was watching him.

Link growled at the darkness in front of him, and he heard something shuffling. A dark mass silhouetted by the moon revealed itself, growing more and more until it stood up straight, and Link felt his heart drop.

It was a shadow beast, but it was different. Its skin was black as the night, blending into the dark trees around it, all except the red Twili mark on its chest. Black tendrils jutted out of its body, mostly from its head. Two arms were laid awkwardly on its back, instead of a mask there was a mouth that snarled at him with yellow teeth, and it was huge. Bigger than any shadow beast Link had seen. How…?

The creature snarled and rested on its two front arms, the arms on its back hanging menacingly. Link’s growl got more low, his fear replaced by fury. This thing did something to Rusl, and he was going to make it pay.

A hand suddenly swiped at his side, and Link was barely able to move before it hit him. He barked and jumped at the beast, biting into its shoulder as hard as he could. The beast shrieked and threw Link off of it, slamming him into a tree. Link sucked in a breath, scrambling to his feet as his back ached from the impact. He shook his head and snarled at the beast. It snarled back. He moved back and forth, trying to figure out where to begin on fighting this thing. If it was similar to a shadow beast, then fighting it shouldn’t be too difficult.

Link charged at it again, sinking his teeth into the shoulder of the beast. It let out a cry, but Link continued biting, ripping it apart with his claws and fangs. Eventually he was thrown off again, but before the beast had time to recover, Link jumped at it again, this time aiming for the stomach. Link went much deeper into the soft flesh of the torso, and he was able to rip a good chunk of it out. The creature shrieked in pain as it slammed its fist down onto Link, but he dodged just in time. The beast hunched over, holding its stomach in pain as black goo fell out. Though this creature was much bigger and stronger than a shadow beast, it was simply too easy to fight.

Link went to charge again but the beast made a strange noise that stopped him in his tracks. It stayed on all fours, hunched over, gagging. Link could only watch as it gagged, his confusion holding him in place. He only came back to reality when the beast began to vomit, and soon he saw a hand flailing around from its mouth. Rusl!

Link quickly turned back into a Hylian, reaching out for the hand. He felt relief when Rusl’s hand quickly gripped to his own, meaning that Rusl was still alive and conscious, and Link pulled with all his might. The beast remained still as Rusl was slowly pulled out, and Link’s father let out a gasp as his face emerged from the mouth.

“Pa!” Link yelled out, and Rusl struggled to pull his other arm free from the throat of the beast. His face was covered in the black goo that poured out of its stomach, covering his eyes and hair. As Link pulled him out more, he noticed the teeth of the beast ripping up his clothes, but he didn’t stop pulling.

Rusl’s other arm was pulled free, and it flailed towards Link’s arm, and he weakly hung on as he was pulled out the rest of the way. But just as he was free, the beast suddenly bit down on Rusl’s leg, and Link gasped as Rusl’s grip went limp and he was pulled away from him.

“PA!” Link screamed as he was dragged away, and the beast snarled at him, leering over Rusl as if he was its prize. It scooped up his pa in one of the hands on its back and it took off running, deeper into the woods. Link cursed under his breath and turned into a wolf again, ignoring the pain that shot through as he transformed. He took off running, following the beast through a gate to where Coro’s bird’s shop was. Link pumped his canine legs, and was able to catch up to the beast and Rusl. When he was close enough, he bit down on its leg, attempting to drag it to the ground. The creature shrieked and spun around, ripping its leg from Link’s mouth. The beast snarled at him as Rusl hung limply in its hand, blood and black goo dripping down his feet and hair. Link barked at him, but he didn’t move. The beast backed away from Link as he tried to wake his pa up, its back arching like an agitated cat as it growled at him.

Link made sure he was merciless this time around. He attacked relentlessly, aiming for the arms resting on its back, trying to get it to drop Rusl, but its grip was tight around his father, so it never let him go no matter how hard Link bit into its arms. The beast smacked Link a few times as he attacked the arms, but he fought through the pain, fiercely biting and scratching the beast. Link had severely underestimated this creature, with it not giving out anytime soon. Shadow beasts normally would die after having their throats ripped out or being clawed to death, but it seemed that this thing was invincible. He didn’t know why, but it was stronger than any Twili creature he’s ever fought.

Link was smacked against a tree again, and he staggered slightly as he got on his feet. He was growing exhausted, he felt like he was doing the same thing over and over again to no avail. Though he’d just ripped part of its stomach out, it didn’t seem to be bothered by it. What was this thing?

The creature snarled at him again, having a more confident pose as it faced Link, and all he could do was growl at the thing. He didn’t care what happened to him, he just needed to make sure Rusl was safe. The beast charged at him, and Link braced himself, but it suddenly stopped, shrinking back into the shadows, making strange noises that sounded like pain. It looked up at the sky and to Link’s surprise, it dropped Rusl and sprinted away, leaving Link alone with his father. He quickly turned back into a Hylian, staggering at the sharp pain in his back, but he stood up, pulling out his sword. He ran to Rusl, standing over his father protectively in case it returned, but it did not.

Why did the thing run away? It was winning, it wouldn’t have dropped Rusl like that. The sun rising in the sky answered Link’s question, and soon the forest was lit up. Relief swept over him as he was able to see, and he knew he was safe. For now at least. It seemed that the—Twili beast— hated the light.

Link relaxed and put his sword away, exhaustion beginning to overwhelm him, but he couldn’t rest, not yet. He looked at his father who was still unconscious, and he turned him over. His entire body was covered in black goo, and some of it mixed in with blood from small cuts on his skin, possibly from the creature’s teeth. His leg looked the worst, with a bite mark circling around his calf and shin. It had stopped bleeding it seemed, but dried blood mixed with black goo made it look much worse. Rusl was breathing, though it was shallow and sounded wrong. Link hoped that his ribs weren’t bruised or broken, he wondered how tight that thing held onto him. Link took a deep breath and shook him gently, brushing his clumpy hair out of his eyes.

“P-pa?” He whispered, shaking him a little harder. Rusl seemed to be reacting to being shaken, so Link tried harder. He needed medical attention, and his mind thought of the spirit springs. He remembered fairies appeared at each one after he faced a trial from the great fairy, he wondered if they were still there. “Pa,” he repeated, a little louder. Rusl’s blue eyes began to flutter open, and he stared at Link confused.

“L-Link?” He croaked.

Link smiled a relieved smile and started to help him to his feet, but Rusl stopped him quickly, hissing in pain as he held his side.

“Somethings wrong,” he rasped, sinking into the ground. Link frowned and looked him over. His ribs must’ve been broken.

“C’mon, pa. We gotta get to the spring. You’ll feel better.”

Rusl stared at him, wheezing and holding his side painfully, but he didn’t stop Link from helping him to his feet. Rusl leaned heavily on Link’s side, and the two slowly walked to the spring. It felt like hours until they finally made it, at some point Link had to pick up his pa to carry him the rest of the way, despite his protests. He set him down in the spring water, immediately feeling comfort in the warm water. Rusl let out a sigh of relief as he rested in the water, but the relief melted into panic as he looked at himself.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Link asked, calming down his father.

“‘Don’t want to dirty the spring.”

“You’re not gonna dirty the spring, the spirit’s light keeps it clean,” at least he assumed, the water never seemed to get dirty no matter what was put in it. Rusl relaxed again and stared at himself, his brows furrowed. Link began washing the goo and blood off of himself, helping Rusl occasionally. Rusl was uncomfortably silent while the two cleaned themselves off, and Link wanted to bring up what had happened, but he couldn’t bring himself to talk about it either. After Link finished washing out his wounds, he stood up, limping towards the bushes to see if any fairies were hiding. Luckily he found two and he returned with them both, noticing Rusl staring at him with his brows furrowed.

“Some fairies,” Link said, handing them both to him.

Rusl silently opened his palm where one fluttered onto his hand, and it healed up his bleeding leg and bruised ribs. He let out a sigh of relief and stared at Link who still held the other one.

“You need another one, pa,” Link pressed, but Rusl shook his head.

“You’re hurt too.”

“Not as bad as you.”

“I don’t care, my leg is healed, you use it.”

Link was taken aback at his intense tone, but he was too tired to fight back. He held the fairy gently in his hand and it floated around him, healing up his aching back. It rested on his head when it finished healing him, and Link let out a sigh of relief. Fairies were wonderful creatures.

The two sat in silence, staring at the crystal blue water they were in, soaking in the sun as it rose higher and higher in the sky. It didn’t feel like they were gone all night, but with Link’s tired body, he supposed it made sense.

“Link,” Rusl broke the silence, continuing to stare blankly at the water. “We need to tell the resistance about this as soon as possible.” Link stared at him for a moment, and he opened his mouth to say something, but Rusl continued. “That… thing… it has to be responsible for the disappearances. We need to tell them about this.”

Link nodded. “We oughta tell them when we all meet up then—“

“I’m not waiting until the date Sheik set, we need to tell them now.”

Link stared at him for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, ok, I agree. I’ll send a letter, then we can move out tomorrow.”

“Link—“

“We move out tomorrow, pa. We need rest though, we’ve been up all night. Besides, we gotta tell the folks around Ordon to stay away from Faron at night, ok?”

Rusl glared at him for a moment, but it softened when he had no rebuttal. “Yeah, ok. We need rest.”

Link nodded. He was no stranger to staying up all night, but as he’s gotten older, it’s been much harder to deal with. He stood up, his legs feeling weak as he walked around, and Rusl followed, being careful on his newly healed leg. Link stared at his leg for a moment, then faced him.

“Are… are you alright?”

Rusl stopped walking and looked up at him. “I’m… fine. Thanks to you. Are you ok?”

Link pursed his lips and nodded. “I’ll be fine, pa.”

Rusl’s gaze softened and he wrapped his arm around Link’s shoulder. “Let’s head back then. I bet everyone is worried sick.”

[dreamyourselfxbackagain]

Look who just woke up- is that ALI ONER? No, I must have been mistaken, that’s REVALI from ZELDA BREATH OF THE WILD. I heard they are 23 and stuck here just like everyone else. Even in the 20’s, he still give off a HEAVY BURDEN FOR YOUNG SHOULDERS, HAVING TO BE THE BEST, CONTROLLED BY INSECURITIES, TOUGHER ON HIMSELF THAN ANYONE ELSE IS, NEVER MISSES A TARGET impression. But here, they are working as a PILOT They’re known to be quite CONTROLLED & RESPONSIBLE, but have a tendency to be ARRAGANT & INSECURE on their bad days.

Gender/Pronouns : Male / he/him

How long have they been in Sydney : In his memories, 10 years. In reality, 1 month

Which suburb do they live in? Liverpool

Personality description : Revali comes over as an arrogant arsehole. He'll rarely actually lose temper, choosing to remove himself from the situation rather than actually snap at someone, but he can be very passive aggressive. However, the reality is he has a lot of insecurities. From a young age he was expected to protect his home town, and if he failed for a moment, anything could happen. He has a deep fear of not being enough, and is rude to cover that. If you do get close enough, he does care deeply.

Memories of their real life : 

Born in Rito village, from a young age Revali was good with a bow. After winning many archery contests, he became the pride of the rito. It was a burden, the attention causing him stress though he'd never show it. Eventually he was able to get a archery training ground, and he could work on ariel strikes.

He eventually created Revali's Gale, a way to send himself upwards. Then the stories of Calamity Ganon started, and the Royal Family were looking for the one who'd seal the darkness. With his village always putting pressure on him, he had believed it would be him. But it soon became apparent it was Link. Instead he was asked to pilot a divine beast. Much as he disliked having to play sidekick, he agreed, wanting to save Hyrule. But the thought of having to trust someone else to save Hyrule... save Rito Village, that was harder.

To become a champion, he had to face the trails, which he did with ease. Despite how it appears, the truth is he disliked ceremony and uniform. He didn't think it was worth it, they had yet to win.

The group had been to Mount Lanayru to try and see if Zelda could unlock her powers. It was then that Ganon attacked. The Champions rushed back to the Divine Beasts to try and do their part. But it was too late. Ganon had overtake the Beasts. Revali was attacked by Windblight Ganon, and though he fought back, he was loosing. He tried sending an SOS, but no one was coming. He lost the fight, and died trapped inside the Divine Beast.

But there was no peace, his spirit was trapped. Hyrule lost the battle, Zelda was trapped in the castle, in a constant fight with Ganon, whilst Link was placed in the Shrine of Resurrection.

A hundred years passed, and Link entered the Divine Beast. Revali was able to assist him enough, and Link was able to kill Windblight Ganon. Revali gave him Revali's Gale. He piloted the Divine Beast to wait for Link to attack Ganon. He was well aware that now, there was no one left in his home that would actually remember him, and he was just a story.

Eventually Link attached Ganon, and Revali played his part. With that, his spirit finally was able to rest.

What was their fake life like:

Open for plots

Optional, please pick at least three and interpret them however you wish ::

Theme Song: I Can't Decide

Quote: How is Rito Village faring? Everyone seems to be doing well, as far as I can tell. I can't fathom that it's been 100 years... There's no one left who would even know me. But even so, it will always be my home.

Wanted Connections: FWB/one night stands Co-workers Friends Family

[awkwardspontaneity]

The heavenly Sword and the "Ballad of the Goddess" prompted me to another request. How would the Champions from Botw react to the fact that the reader is a goddess, and she is Hylia's sister. She owns the precious triforce, which passed to her long ago after the death of Hailya as an inheritance. Thank you again ( ╹ ▽ ╹ )

Heyo!! Sorry this took me so long school and work has been a lot lately. Anyways this is a joint headcannon for the Champions as a whole so enjoy!!

I'm gonna make this an age of calamity timeline sort of because some things will change with you around

First of all, you were a wandering goddess, helping out where you could without using your full power. Without the Triforces power you were strong but you preferred to allow humanity to solve their own problems. With a little heavenly guidance

Your main power that you used was music. You could play a melody on your flute and it would guide a person's soul, helping them to understand their desires and purpose.

With calamity rising once again you decided to investigate the castle where you knew Ganon would strike. What you weren't prepared for was the organization of the Champions to be in the castle and for the princess to notice you.

You had snuck to the lowest levels of the castle with your little egg friend to try and place a seal that would hold Ganon back as long as you could when you felt her.

This girl looked so much like your beloved sister, but the aura told you all you needed to know. This was her. Your sister reincarnated once again

Behind her stood a member of each kingdom scattered across Hyrule. You easily connected them as the elite guard you had heard whispers of.

It took some convincing but with a show of your powers and carefully sharing your aura with Zelda, although you had to approach like they were scared animals when faced with the protective circle around the princess.

Zelda was the first to trust you, although your little guardian may have seriously helped with the process. You allowed her to spend all the time she wanted with it and you got to know eachother.

Zelda confessed to you about her struggles with her powers and you declared you would do everything in your power to help unlock hers.

It took time but you managed to help her learn. It came down to her accepting a lot of emotions she had pushed down and finally allowing herself to be free of expectations. Yeah. Not an easy task. But you managed to help her feel confident and your efforts were greatly appreciated by her and the ones who cared for her.

In the beginning you would have to play your flute to allow her to find that inner harmony and then she could use her powers of light

Urbosa was someone who came around pretty fast. She has this mom instinct and despite you being thousands of years older her brain saw you and Zelda giggling as you did research in the fields and her brain went ah yes. Another child to take care of.

She also has a really good judge of character and do she knew immediately you only had the best intentions.

Mipha loved to hear your stories. You once found her talking to Vah Rutah and you mentioned that her ancestor Ruto would be proud of the Champion she became. Mipha asked to hear about stories and you gladly obliged with her wishes. Telling her all about the young Zora sage and how she had fallen in love with the hero too.

Mipha saw you as a mentor person and you would share your knowledge of her kind and you would help her perfect her ability with her trident. With your help she learned to defend against any attack and to carry that confidence into her life outside of battle.

Revali was a tricky one to get close to. He didn't trust you and the closer you got to the other the more he came to resent your presence. It wasn't until he found you atop Hebra peaks playing the flute when he finally allowed himself to get close.

The Rito are a musical people, not that Revali would ever allow others to witness his incredible prowess (yes that's a quote). But seeing you nestled in the snow playing that melody, each snowflake twirling around you as if by your command. He understood why everyone was so in awe of you.

Soon enough, Revali would meet you in the highest peaks of the Hebra mountains to play together. He would confess how he wished he could do more than play the side character but you would remind him that without his assistance Link and Zelda would never be able to defeat Ganon. His role was not small or unimportant nor was he.

Daruk may have been the easiest to befriend. You visited Death mountain and there was a rockslide. You punched one of the rocks splitting it into pieces and the big man was your new bestie.

Not to mention that super spicy marinade for a tasty rock made him know you were as stand up as they come

Honestly you and Daruk could be a dangerous combination. Super powerful dirty meets indestructible shield. You once blasted his shield with you powers and sent him bouncing down the mountain. He was fine but you were both banned from hanging out without supervision.

Link was one person who could not be that supervision. He tried his best to be the stoic hero everyone expected of him but if you three were alone together, the brain cells ran away fast.

To be fair it was a great combination in battle. You could use stasis on Daruk and Link would hit him as hard as he could creating a meteor of mass destruction barreling into your enemies.

After a battle you all would have a camp out where you and Link would work perfectly together to whip up something mouth watering. You had millions of recipes from your time wandering and just as many stories to tell around the fire.

It took time and convincing, but you managed to get each champion to bring along an instrument and play through the night. Sometimes Daruk would get a little crazy with a drum solo or Revali would get snarky if he felt like he was being stared at but eventually you would all relax. You would lead a melody and they would all fall into step bringing forth a tube that could bring a year to your eye or convince you to dance.

It wasn't long before Ganon came forth, malice reaching out across the land and taking hold of guardians and Divine Beats alike

Using the power of the Triforce you placed protection on each of the Champions. They would be unable to die until the sun rises

With your divine blessings and the power of the Triforce you were able to grant the Champions a boost on their strength and powers. You focused all you had on protecting them from injury and fatigue.

Unfortunately the sun would rise soon

With the help of your little Guardian you tapped into the warp pads on each Divine Beast and teleported yourself, Link, and Zelda to them.

Each battle was draining on your powers, you had extended you halo of protection to all of Hyrule. No citizen would die while you were watching over them.

Finally the Champions we're ready to face Ganon. Together you and Zelda merged you powers to trap him in a bubble of light. The Champions locked the Divine Beasts onto the beast and blasted him. You forced him into his beastly pig form where Link and Zelda together could finish the battle

Powered by the Guardians blasts you created a gate around the fight keeping him contained. Using your flute, you played a rythm to confuse Ganon.

With the Master sword and the bow of light, Ganon was finally defeated.

Hyrule was saved and you were finally done with your goal. You giggled as your egg teleported the Champions together to celebrate.

You were tired from the long battle but happy nonetheless. As you watched the Champions celebrate- even Revali grudgingly allowed Daruk to ruffle his feathers- you smiled. You thought of your sister as you watched over her creations and you knew she would be proud.

[powdermelonkeg]

Chapter Seven: The Bazaar

The Bazaar was an amazing place, full of vibrant colors, cheerful music, chattering shoppers, and beautiful lights. But, amazing as it was, Rune found it a little...overwhelming. There wasn't anything like this that he'd encountered in Hyrule so far; the closest experience he'd had had been visiting the Outskirt Stable on horse catching day. Part of him was excited to see new people and new things. A much bigger part of him, however, wished that he could experience this in...smaller doses.

Maybe he just wasn't a people person.

"Alright," Groose said, walking alongside him as he looked over his list. "We've got a laundry list; we need stamina potions, heart potions, a couple of good shields, bomb flowers, and food."

Rune looked up at him in confusion. "I already have bombs."

"Yeah, you do." Groose pointed a thumb at himself. "I don't wanna have to need you to be able to use them. Besides, don't you need those for like...flying or something?"

"I can make more than one."

"Not the point." He turned his attention back to the list. "You wanna get the food for us?"

Rune's ears perked. "Yes," he signed. "How many days' worth?"

Groose hesitated. How many did they need? "...A week's," he finally decided. Link had been able to come back to Skyloft for restock, but Groose wasn't counting on being that level of lucky; not below the clouds. "Get stuff that'll keep. And stuff that's edible."

Rune squinted at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I'm not gonna trust the guy that eats bandages to be able to know what good food is." Groose folded the list in half and whapped him on the head with it. "So don't go buying what looks appetizing to you, go with stuff you know other people eat. Got it?"

Rune rolled his eyes, waving his hand dismissively. "Where's the food market?"

Groose pointed him across the bazaar, then handed him a few red rupees. "Here, that should get us enough."

Rune stared at the gems incredulously. "In what world," he signed slowly, "does 60 rupees buy an entire week's worth of food?"

"It's called budgeting, pal." Groose crossed his arms. "I'm not made out of rupee ore. You deal with what you got."

Rune huffed, then headed over to the diner corner, trying to do math in his head over the noise. If eggs are 12 rupees and hearty truffles are 24, I can either get two truffles or five eggs...or a truffle and three eggs. He sighed. Hyrule can't be too different from home, right? I can forage. A glimmer caught his eye, and he stopped walking noticing a sparkly amber bottle on display.

The cooking lady, Piper, looked up from the dishes she was making with a smile. "Oh, pumpkin cider!" She set her plates down and slid over to the counter. "That just came in. Kina's delivery, it's top shelf quality."

Rune looked up. "What is it?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You don't know what cider is?"

He shook his head, giving her a puzzled frown. "Is it a cooking ingredient?"

"If you use it right. Most people just drink it straight, though; it's a good social drink."

He considered the bottle carefully. He wasn't interested in pumpkin-made Chateau Romani, but if it had worth as an ingredient... "I want to know how to cook with it. What do you use it for?"

Groose examined the shield selection critically, looking for faults in the woodwork of them. He wasn't taking any chances; not with this, and not with his chances of saving Zelda.

"If I can suggest this model?" Rupin said, approaching him with a pricey silver and purple shield. "You look like the kind of man that could use something a bit higher in quality."

Groose side-eyed the merchant in annoyance. "Don't try to upsell me," he warned. "I know what I want."

Rupin put up his hands defensively. "Of course, of course! Just don't hesitate to ask for assistance if you need it."

The student knight gave a grunt of acknowledgement then turned back to the shields. He couldn't stand family Arpignon; all they ever did was flaunt how much money they had and buy more useless porcelain to hang up. What's the point of money if you spend it on trophy trinkets, anyways?

Barely resisting the urge to mutter under his breath, he picked out his gear—two decent quality wooden shields, a bomb bag, and a pack of bomb flowers—then dumped them on the checkout counter and leaned on the edge. "How much?"

Looking ridiculously pleased for a moment before putting on an air of professionalism, Rupin quickly rifled through the items. "Hmm...let's see here..." He whipped out an abacus and slid the beads back and forth as he did his math. "This comes to aboooout...270 rupees."

Groose's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me?! That's nuts!"

"That's business, my friend!" The merchant said gleefully. "Two 50-rupee shields, 20 rupees for 10 bomb flowers, then a 150-rupee bomb bag."

Groose scowled. "Keep your overpriced sock, then. I'll carry the bombs myself."

"Ah-ah-ah; not on Skyloft grounds, you won't." Rupin gave a smug grin. "It's quite illegal to carry around open explosives on residential isles, you know. You could get—dare I say it—expelled for such an egregious transgression."

"How much money do you think I have?!" Groose exclaimed. "I'm a student, I get 40 rupees a month!"

"Not my problem, my good sir," Rupin said, voice dripping with saccharine sympathy. "If you can't afford the merchandise, I'm afraid I'll have to relieve you of my wares."

The redhead bristled, glaring at the offending bomb bag. Shields were a necessity, and he did want bombs; the surface world was terrifying, and bomb flowers had saved his hide on more than one night out in the wild isles. But he couldn't afford this, and potions, and fixing Rune's dumb sailcloth-on-frames at the gear shop; he'd be almost broke after this alone.

"...Fine," he finally conceded after a heavy internal debate, carefully counting out his rupees so as not to give him one green gem more than he deserved. He dropped them unceremoniously onto the counter. "Take your dumb money, I've got a girl to rescue."

"Happy doing business with you, sir!" Rupin bowed with a flourish, scooping up the hexagonal gems in a smooth swipe.

"Tch. Whatever." Groose grumbled. He grabbed the items that had taken out all of his savings and stormed off, sitting by the wall to sulk.

...Now what? He couldn't afford medicine. He could probably pick a bouquet of heart flowers, but those wouldn't last long or store well, and that was assuming Rune didn't eat them first. And Rune's sailcloth...he couldn't get Gondo to do that kind of work for free, especially on something that had to support a whole person's weight. He actually respected that shopkeeper.

...Could he fix it himself?

"Excuse me?"

He looked up, only to find Sparrot looking at him with those huge, unsettling eyes of his. "You look troubled," the fortune teller observed. "Would you like to have your spirits lifted and your fortune read?"

Groose rolled his eyes. "Out of cash, old man. Try someone with money to lose."

"I'm not asking you for your money, sir, only your time." Sparrot gestured to his face. "Do these eyes not bear sincerity?"

They seem like they wanna skewer me like a ripe pumpkin, Groose thought, but kept it to himself and glanced at the crystal ball. It was...sparkly, sure, but that didn't mean it did anything. If anything, it probably just added to the guy's image.

...On the other hand, though, what did he have to lose? It's not like he could do the shopping he wanted anymore, and he was still waiting on Rune. And it wasn't actually gonna cost him anything, for once. "...Alright, sure." He relented, scooting closer to the purple stand. "Show me what you've got."

Sparrot clapped his hands in delight and sat down. "Wonderful! Now, tell me what on your cloudy path you'd like revealed. These eyes shall surely behold the answer."

"Tell me if I'll save Zelda," he said without a moment's hesitation. That was information he could use.

"Ah, a question of the gods themselves. Let me see what I can see..." The fortune teller focused on his crystal ball, murmuring in foreign words as the glass lit up eerily. "Ydobyreve ot terces a s'ti..." He closed his eyes. "Hmm...I see...a young woman, all in white, under a darkened sky. A black hand reaches out for her, then casts her aside...she falls..." He gave a small nod of approval. "She is caught. Rescued in the nick of time. I see green, red, navy blue—" He stopped abruptly. "And it is gone."

Groose stared, a hand slowly going to his choker. "...She's okay?"

"That's what the future holds, so long as it's permitted to run its course."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Sparrot said, opening his eyes, "that while the future is mostly formed, it is fickle. I can foretell someone dropping their favorite cup and shattering it into a million fragments, and that is what will happen if they take no action. But once they know the information, it's up to them to react to it in time."

Groose frowned. Fortune telling was...weird, at best. "...What about something nicer?" he asked. "Do I get to marry Zelda?"

"Oho, jumping ahead, are we?"

"I wanna know." He leaned on his knee. "After all that's been happening, I want something to look forward to."

Sparrot considered a moment. "...Let me see." He refocused on his magic crystal, murmuring under his breath again. "Oolagoob cirtcele owt terces...Mmm..." He frowned. "It's...fuzzy, but..."

Groose straightened up, eyes wide. "What is it? What are you seeing?"

"...A young woman in a dress made of the sky itself. She stands among a field of sky-mirror flowers..." He frowned. "I'm sorry, it's too faint. I don't know exactly what this means."

"...Bouquets."

"I'm sorry?"

"I bet it means bouquets!” Groose lit up, snapping his fingers, a genuine smile on his face. "That's what I haven't tried, I haven't given Zelda a bouquet! She'd love that!"

Just then, Rune came over, travel bag packed full, carrying two plates. He lifted one up and balanced it on top of his head, freeing a hand to fingerspeak. "Did you get what we were looking for?" he signed.

The question made the redhead snap out of his date plans with a scowl. "No," he said bitterly. "I got scammed out of 150 rupees." His attention shifted to the plates, each one with a small pumpkin sitting on it. "...Did you buy cooked meals? Those are pricey."

"Everything's cheap here. They're more expensive where I'm from." Rune took the plate from his head and set it on the floor in front of Groose. "Don't worry; I got enough supplies. Tell me who took your money."

Groose raised an eyebrow, then nodded to Rupin, who was triumphantly dusting his empty shelves. Rune studied the man, then gave a thumbs up, downed his stuffed pumpkin at lightning speed, tossed the plate, and strode over to the gear shop.

Rupin looked up as he approached, eager for another pricey sale. "Ah, a customer! Welcome! What can I do for you?"

Rune held up a finger, then pulled the slate off of his belt, quickly busying himself with tapping various buttons. The merchant's beady eyes glittered with interest, and he leaned forward, trying to look over his shoulder. "Ooh, an artifact. It looks quite rare, yes? I'd love the chance to take it off your hands-"

SHING!

A flash of yellow chains, and the shopkeeper was frozen in place. Everyone in the vicinity stared, frozen in shock as Rune swiped a gold rupee from behind the counter and bolted out the door.

Not two seconds later, Rupin unfroze, gasping for breath, then vaulted over the counter. "STOP THAT THIEF!" he shrieked. The knights of Skyloft snapped out of their shocked daze and abandoned their lunch table, racing after the newly made criminal.

BANG!

Groose just sat in his corner as he heard the bomb noises and shouting outside, watching numbly as people ran past him.

Rune was insane.

Groose was NOT bailing him out.

He took a deep breath as the indoor commotion died down, then looked at the meal he'd been left behind. It was...kinda cute. The pumpkin had a little happy face carved shallowly into its side, and the top of it had been cut like a lid. When he opened it, a puff of steam billowed out, and the tantalizing smell of ground guay, sauteed onions, and roasted peppers hit his nose. His mouth watered, and he lifted his spoon to try a bite.

This was...good. Like, REALLY good. Like, he wished Rune had brought him seconds kind of good.

...Yeah. Maybe he should bail the guy out.

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

This chapter, 100%, ran away from me. I love my crime child.

If you want to be added to the tag list when new chapters go up, drop me a comment and I’ll put you down! Also, friendly reminder that I read all my tag comments and love all of you people for giving them. ❤ It really is the highlight of my day.

Thank you all for reading!

Fanfic Net | Ao3

[deiliamedlini]

WIP Wednesday!

OKAY! This is part of a Zelink childhood friends to lovers mini-fic I’m doing whenever I have time. Everyone’s parents are alive (for now) which might be the most shocking thing about this so far 😂!

So in this section, Zelda is either 11 or 12 (haha oops I forgot), and she has her first real crush on two of her friends (guess who one of them is). But the adults in her life are so intent on protecting her from everything that they never help her understand anything about her life.

One night, Zelda dug through the messy drawers of her desk that she’d been asked to clean. There were books and papers shoved in haphazardly, crinkled pages and stacks leaving everything a mess. But she liked the mess. She knew where things were in it.

Still, Nanny wouldn’t stop demanding she clean it because Princesses were never a mess.

So, Zelda rummaged through her things until she found her stationary set. It had been given to her as a gift, one that was proper but that no one expected her to have any practical use for. What would a child do with such things?

They’d underestimated Zelda.

Instead of letting them gather dust, she had sent nearly everyone in the palace a letter for one reason or another, even the soldiers that guarded her door and hallway; she’d thanked them for, well, watching her door. She’d once requested her favorite cake from the palace cooks, but rather than sending the letter and leaving, she sat outside the kitchens, smelling the batter as it baked in the ovens. When the cook had found her, she’d laughed and invited Zelda to sit inside and help with batter for a different dessert, letting her stir the contents and eat the spoon afterwards.

She’d even once left an angry letter to Edric about how she was mad at the way he’d taken her favorite sand seal plushie and thrown it out the window, claiming sand seals could fly, but that she didn’t know how to tell him just how upset it had made her while in person because she didn’t want him to be mad at her. He’d been gone with one of their guards for the rest of that day, but the next morning, he was at her door with a toy hawk that they could throw at each other and it would soar through the air so her seal was safe. She’d sent him a thank you note for being the best brother.

Her ‘covert’ method of sending most of the letters included her sliding them under the small crack at the bottom of doors.

Now, she was desperate for someone’s assistance understanding something, and there was only one other person she could ask. There was no way she could ask her parents, and she definitely couldn’t ask Edric.

Dipping her quill into ink, she began scrawling the words onto the paper—using the fancy connected handwriting she was currently being taught, of course—and set her thoughts to the page.

Nanny,

I need your help. There is something wrong with me and I don’t know how to fix it, and I don’t want to ask mother. Please, please keep this a secret. I keep getting sick and nervous around Van and Link. It’s like there are flutterflies in my stomach. Sometimes, I want to play with Edric just to see them and that’s rude to Edric because they’re all his friends first. I think they’re both really nice, and they always let me play with them, so I think there’s something wrong with me because I get nervous around them now. What do I do? Did I do something wrong?

Love,

Zelda

Sealing it into an envelope, Zelda nodded, proud of herself for actually doing this. She was embarrassed enough just at the thought of telling anyone how confused she felt, but she trusted Nanny.

She also trusted the guards in her hall. They escorted her to Nanny’s room so she could slide the letter under the door, and then asked them not to tell, as if the letter could have come from anyone in the castle, as if the childish scrawling attempts at cursive and the fact that she was the only one with the flowery stationary didn’t immediately give her away. They heartily agreed, and never said a word about her deliveries.

“Princess,” one of them said the next day when she’d woken and stepped out with a yawn. “This letter was left for you.”

She smiled and took it before skipping into the study, curling her legs up onto the leather couch so she could peel the envelope open in comfort.

Zelda,

It sounds like you have a crush on them. That’s understandable, especially after they saved you, but really, sweet child, you are so young. Nothing serious will happen with either of them, and one day, you’ll feel this go away. For now, just play with them as you normally would, but don’t say anything to them about it. When you’re older, your mother and I will talk to you about these things, but not now. Not while you’re still a child. This time of your life doesn’t last forever, so enjoy it. There is nothing wrong with you, but you shouldn’t linger on this. You’re not even a teenager. You don’t need silly boys. They can come later. For now, just try to forget about that feeling and enjoy them being your friends.

With Love,

Nanny

Zelda’s shoulders slumped and she laid sideways across the couch with her legs draped over the armrest as she reread the letter again and again until the words were burned into her brain until they twisted and contorted and burrowed into her very subconscious.

She was the foolish one. She was the unnatural one. She was the child.

But no, it didn’t make sense. How could she like two of them just because they’d saved her? Link and Edric had jumped into the river for her, while Van and Nolan had protected them from the wolfos. She didn’t like Nolan, and she most certainly didn’t have a crush on her brother. That logic didn’t make sense. Nanny was just looking for an excuse. She had to be.

Or was Zelda really just that foolish?

A knock on the door snapped her out of it and she slid the letter behind her back as her mother came into the room and sat down.

“Good morning, Zelda. Did you sleep well?” But when Zelda simply shrugged, Hilda pressed on. “I hear you like a few of Edric’s friends.”

Eyes widening, Zelda felt all the breath in her lungs burn, just like the rest of her body. She shook her head ‘no.’

“No? Not Van or Link?”

“No,” she croaked out, feeling tears welling up behind her eyes.

She’d only told Nanny.

While she’d felt lied to before after catching someone bending the truth to her, this was the first time she tasted the rotten tang of flat-out betrayal. And it hurt worse than the time she’d twisted her ankle after falling off her bed.

“You’re my baby, Zelda. You’re too young for things like that.”

Zelda swiped at her eyes under the pretense of scratching her face. “I know that. I don’t like them, I said.”

“Okay, baby. Come get breakfast.”

But Zelda shook her head again. “I’m not really hungry.”

“You need breakfast. Come on.”

Her mother urged her to take her hand, but Zelda simply balled the letter into her fist behind her back and brushed past her mother.

They were both liars. They both kept things from her because she was too young.

She was stupid to think she could trust them. She was stupid for feeling this way, just like Nanny said.

So, when Zelda played with Edric, Nolan, Van, and Link that day, she steeled herself and repeated over and over just how stupid she was for liking any of them more than friends until she started to feel more embarrassment over feeling any kind of way in the first place. Despite them being her closest friends as well, she distanced herself from them all, opting for reading books in the shade rather than chasing the ball around the grass with her brother and their friends. The more she threw herself into the words, and the more she repeated her mantra lessened the two boys’ appeal.

Zelda did this every day until she’d stamped it out completely and they were simply her friends again.

[zeldaelmo]

In yesterday’s post, I told you that I’m writing another piece for the ‘make faerie sad’ challenge and I figured, I could post a snippet of ‘shadows’ for today’s wip wednesday.

I have no idea if I will publish the fic or if this part stays how it is and it is not proofread. 😆

Link’s part of the story centers around the feeling that he and Zelda’s appointed knight are not the same person anymore.

He never kissed her when she slept. It was enough that she trusted him to lay with him, both awake and asleep, and he would never take advantage of that trust. She didn't want that from him. It was hard to resist, sometimes, when the moon was hidden behind a straying cloud and only the stars sparkled their glow on her face. Transparent, vulnerable, just here in his arms and yet so far away. 

It was just a trick of the light, anyway. She was strong, so strong. She didn't need him as her sword and her shield, maybe never had.

That's why she had told him that she didn't require an appointed knight anymore this afternoon at the kitchen table when her smile was wobbly again. What she had meant was that he had failed to fit back in that role. That he wasn't her knight anymore.

They would go to Kakariko tomorrow. She wanted Impa's assistance to take the first steps to reclaim her throne.

He didn't expect her to come back. 

"You are free, now," she had said and not even the wobbly smile had made it to her face anymore. He wished she had asked him something. Anything. But she was used to do the talking with her knight and hadn't even considered that he would answer if she asked. Maybe he would have. Some things were difficult to predict and if he found words adequate enough for her was one of them.

"You," he would have answered in his head and maybe aloud, no matter the question. "Always you."

[quillandink333]

Scarlet Carnations ~ Part VI

BotW Link X Zelda ~ Detective AU

Rating: T

Word Count: 2.4k

WARNINGS: death, murder, loss, trauma, blood and gore, terrorism, organized crime, self-harm

Summary: Inspector Zelda Hyrule, assisted by the faithful Constable Link Fyori, is infamous for cracking the most confounding of cases in a town dominated by crime. Her latest assignment is to solve the murder of her own godmother, Impa Sheikah, the late CEO of Sheikah Tech. Incorporated, while staying under the radar of the dreaded Yiga organization.

Part I • Part II • Part III • Part IV • Part V • Part VI • Part VII • Epilogue • Masterlist

By the time I was finally let into the crime scene the day after making my little forensic discovery, the sun had already come down to kiss the horizon. It had taken a great deal of stubborn persistence, but in the end, I had managed to convince the chief detective to grant me access by proving the effectiveness of my method.

As for the name of this method, I had decided to dub the chemical “luminol” due to its distinguishing chemiluminescence, as well as for the sake of succinctness.

Though the chief himself had taken to this well enough, there was yet another hurdle that I’d had to overcome. The estate’s residents. That process had been a bit more difficult, and delicate. At first, my adoptive family were, naturally, apprehensive to let me do as I wished. But when I gave them my solemn apologies and told them that this might allow me to make up for all I had done to hurt them, their trust in me seemed to have been somewhat restored. And I had no intention of letting them down again.

I had to admit, though, that being here on my own was more than a little bit strange. I’d done each one of my investigations side-by-side with my partner ever since I’d freed him from the psych ward and gotten him in with the force a year ago. Every time he wasn’t there to lend me his insights or hold onto something for me or put a hand on my shoulder if ever I got myself overly worked up was like the pang of being slapped across the face. But each of those times, I would straighten up and remind myself, “I’m doing this for him.”

According to Link, he’d found the key near the foot of the fireplace. And so that would be the first place I’d search.

But before I could begin, the parlour was bathed in harsh, orange light.

The officer charged with supervising me had his finger on the light switch. “Ah, actually, could you keep those off for me?” The man gave me an estranged look, but granted my request all the same. “Oh, and close the blinds for me while you’re at it, will you? Ta!”

Now that the room was dim, I’d more effectively simulated the conditions of my apartment that night.

With no further ado, I made my way toward the mantel. Its polished, stone surface couldn’t possibly have the ability to conceal any amount of blood, one might have thought. In which case, one would have been wrong. And my new formula was going to prove just that.

All it took were a couple of spritzes to cover the entire width of the mantelpiece. I waited. Then after a few seconds, the luminol set in, and I had my results.

On either end of the shelf, there was a statuette. These frog-like figures stood guard here as guardian deities to the Sheikah family, or so I’d been told as a seven-year-old. But now, the truth would be revealed to me that what they protected was not the family but a secret. And on the night of the murder, evidently, they’d failed to do even that much.

On the right-hand figurine’s forehead, there had appeared an array of fluorescent blue spots. They were shaped and positioned like fingerprints—a thumb, index, and middle, gripping the creature by its painted skull—but unlike fingerprints, they were completely filled in. I recalled dusting these statuettes for prints on the second or third day of official inspections, and I’d found nothing. The person who these bloody prints belonged to must have been wearing gloves at the time. The same method they’d used to leave no prints on Link’s revolver.

With caution, I aligned my fingers with the prints and gave the figurine an experimental wiggle. To my surprise, it wasn’t fixed to the mantel as I’d thought, but rather hinged to it. It tilted back, and underneath its feet, a small, round keyhole glowed orange in wait.

This was it. I took the unassumingly sized key from my pocket and dropped it into the hole, whereupon both key and keyhole went from orange to brilliant sky blue. A perfect fit.

I couldn’t believe my eyes with what occurred next.

When the key fell in place, the mantel itself split down the middle. Then the two halves began to shift independently away from one and other. As this was happening, the inner wall of the chimney had broken apart into individual rows of stone brick, which then swung backward into the wall.

The two halves of the mantelpiece, having scraped along all the way to either end of the fireplace, collapsed and folded down against its outer legs with a decisive klock. All of this had transpired in the span of just ten seconds.

Behind what had once existed in my mind as a solid, stone-brick wall, there was now a small, cylindrical hollow, just big enough for one or two people to stand inside. The floor of the hollow, beyond the hearth, bore the symbol of the Sheikahs and glowed with the same blue hue that had the key upon being returned to its home. I looked down and noticed the key in question on the floor, having fallen out when its side of the mantel had lain itself vertically.

When the mechanisms in the mantelpiece began stirring to life again, I realized I was on a time limit. With haste, I retrieved the key, placed it in one of my coat pockets, and entered the tiny room.

For several moments, nothing happened, save for the wall of the fireplace closing back up behind me. During these moments, I wondered, what purpose could this room possibly serve? There were no shelves or drawers or racks that one could use to hang one’s clothes on, and it was far too small to be used as storage.

Then all of a sudden, the floor began to lower, all by itself.

The farther and farther I descended into the depths of the unknown, the harder my heart pounded. Just how deep did this elevator go?

And for that matter, how in the world was it even going? The ceiling above me remained where it was, so pulleys were out of the question—and there were no gears or anything moving the floor downwards, from what I could tell.

My confusion turned to shock when the platform I was on defied gravity itself as it entered the chamber that seemed to be its destination.

“What in the blazes...?” I breathed aloud. I had half a mind to suspect that what I’d just witnessed was the result of paranormal influences. Of course, the Sheikah crest beneath my feet told me there had to be a scientific explanation as to how these endless technological mysteries operated. Auntie Purah was sure to know. Though, come to think of it, had she even been aware of the existence of this secret passage?

I now found myself at the start of some kind of corridor. The sound of my heels touching the floor as I stepped down from the levitating platform echoed in the darkness. The only sources of light came from the pulsing, blue runes lining the baseboards of the cold, polished walls, the similarly pulsing Sheikah insignia adorning the archway that marked the start of the hallway ahead, and the mounted sconces that, rather than fire, contained lightbulbs of the same blue that emitted no heat.

As enthrallingly curious as all this was, none of it was relevant. Right now, I was retracing what were likely the steps of the true killer. All I had was to keep moving forward.

But doing so was going to be far easier said than done. Not only was this place exceedingly dark, so much so that I could only just make out the edges of each wall, but it seemed to go on forever. The twists, turns, ups, and downs were so frequent that after five minutes, I hadn’t the slightest idea which way I was facing. The one bright side to it all was that there was only ever a single path forward to choose from.

But to make things worse, there were traps set up along the complete length of the labyrinth. Things like cameras, pressure plates, and even lasers, all of which were inventions that I and the general public were already familiar with, unlike that impossible “elevator” that I had discovered. One thing was for certain: whoever had carried the corpse of their victim through here had to have known their way around this place. For I was barely even able to get by without unwittingly tripping the alarm.

By the time I was finally nearing the end of my journey, and thoroughly drenched in an anxious sweat, I spotted something lying on the ground where a few stray rays of moonlight were seeping in from the outside.

Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a letter of sorts. It wasn’t until I examined the back of the envelope that I realized this wasn’t just any letter. It was addressed to none other than Impa Sheikah, and it bore no return address. Not only that, but it was stained with splotches of what appeared to be blood.

The sheets of parchment inside were old and yellowing, and the envelope had what looked to be the remnants of a broken wax seal on the flap. The letter itself was handwritten in the same elegant cursive in which the address had been written, with some kind of nib pen and ink. Aside from murder, whoever had sent this must have had a deep affinity for the old-fashioned.

“My dear friend,” it began.

“It is with great sadness in my heart that I am writing to you. The last time we spoke was far too long ago, but even so, I am afraid this will be one of the last times you shall ever hear from me. You see, I have held off on this for as long as possible, but you have forced my hand. I can no longer allow you to meddle in my affairs as you have been.

“I am certain that you are aware of this by now, but I have been keeping watch over you from the ashes of the afterlife for a number of years. I must say, you have done a fine job of raising my darling Zelda in my stead. She has grown into a fine, young lady thanks to your efforts. Though I admit, I do wonder if she has what it takes to ‘solve the mystery’ of which she has been so steadfast in her pursuit ever since my unfortunate, yet necessary, departure.

“The night grows late, and I find myself carrying on. This letter has strayed far from its original purpose. Allow me to get straight to the heart of the matter. Meet me in the secret garden on the twenty-first before daybreak. Surely I need not tell you what would happen if you were to decline this simple request of mine. You were once my nearest and dearest friend, after all, and to allow malice to fester between friends such as we would be a tragedy, to say the least.

“Please deliver my deepest and most heartfelt affections to the rest of the family.

“Yours faithfully, Hilda”

By the time my eyes had dragged themselves along the sweeping lines of the signature, by hands had started to shake so severely that I nearly couldn’t read what was written there. In fact, not just my hands, but my entire being was trembling out of control. I fell to my knees, the sheets of paper scattering in every direction.

Now I knew the reason why this writing had seemed so familiar. I’d used the very same to confirm the nonexistence of the tooth fairy at age five by writing “her” a note and analyzing “her” reply the next day.

My mother was alive. Not only that, but...

I rose to my feet so quickly, my head started pounding. But I paid no heed to it. All I could think in that moment was how impossible it was.

At the end of this long hallway, there was a small set of stairs leading up to a trapdoor, carved from the same stone-like material that made up the walls of the labyrinth. It was incredibly heavy, but it wasn’t locked. With a bit of effort, I managed to heave it open.

The scene into which I would then emerge would change my life forever.

I found myself in the middle of a section of the estate’s gardens that I had never seen before. Behind me was the garden wall that I was familiar with, but rather than the rest of it being properly walled off, it was lined with dwarf evergreens. Beyond those, however, the thicket of the woods seemed all but impassable.

At the centre of it all, there was a place where the flowers were trampled and wilting. From afar, these flowers appeared a deep red hue. But up close, they were white. Something else had turned them red.

Then it dawned on me—these were carnations. I looked around. The secret garden was fit to burst with carnations.

“I observe the world as I hide in a cage. In my youth, I am weak, but I gain strength with age. I both give life and take it away. When one tries to pluck me, I make them my prey. What am I?”

“A carnation.”

It was all flooding back to me. My mother’s fondness for the species, how she had been born on the streets, the great fire that had devoured City Hall, the uprising of the Yiga...

Everything I had been led to believe was a lie.

The head of the organization was my mother. And Auntie Impa had known it all along.

When I looked up toward the starless sky, it felt as though I were plummeting head first into its insatiable, black abyss. My lungs seized up, and I couldn’t breathe. My very soul, being pulled in two opposite directions, was doomed to be torn apart.

Then the clouds parted, and behind a veil of shadow, the full moon was revealed.

The phantom of a hand belonging to the boy I called Link came to rest upon my shoulder. It was soft and nostalgic, in tandem with the frail light of the moon. I felt my chest brimming over with a courage most profound. At that moment, I harboured not even a wisp of fear for whatever it was that lay ahead of me.

[strawberry-science]

The other history of Hyrule (Evil AU)

I was originally going to wait with this until I have more about the main AU, but since @red-gekkouga brought it up...

(Warnings: A lot of manipulation, gaslighting, murder, some child abuse, and what depending on your sensitivities could be considered an underage relationship due to the circumstances of how it came to be, even though the character in question is old enough when she acts on it.)

~

After they were betrayed by the very people they were sworn to protect, the Sheikah didn’t just take this injustice.

They retreated to their hidden villages without a fight. When the labs were reopened, they complied with the royals’ demand for their assistance. But unbeknownst to them, they had continued their tech research in secret and their knowledge was far, far more advanced than anyone could imagine. Their predisposition to unconditional loyalty makes it easy to shape their descendants into tools for their cause. Their loyalty to each other ensures there will be no disagreements. With every new generation they focus more on their single shared goal, until they have no personal ambitions left to get in the way.

Hyrule’s biggest mistake was to assume they were a threat before. They are one now.

For the longest time, nothing seems out of the ordinary. High-ranking Sheikah get sent to serve the royal family for centuries. No one suspects there’s more to them, no one notices some of the scientists are a little more skilled than they should be without any official access to research outside of King Rhoam’s very narrow guidelines.

After Zelda seals the Calamity, the moment to strike has come.

Zelda will become queen soon, but she’s still a lost girl trying to come to terms with how her father treated her for the sake of saving the kingdom. The monarchy is the most vulnerable it’s ever been.

The murder of the king comes completely unexpected.

It’s a shock to everyone, but what gets to Zelda the most is that one of the servants saw Impa near the throne room, covered in blood. Impa can clear that up very fast, she caught the real culprit commiting the act and got injured. A scientific examination comfirms that it is indeed her blood. But Zelda can’t get the mental image of bloody Impa out of her mind, and it comes up whenever something strange happens.

And strange things do happen. People investigating the murder go missing. Meanwhile, Zelda's friendship with Purah and Robbie grows stronger due to her spending all of her free time with them trying to get to the bottom of this mystery. Then the lab’s supply chains are targeted, and most projects, including the security cameras zelda was working on with Purah, must be put on hold.

It’s their support that keeps Zelda going. They reassure her that everyone, including Impa, is on her side. They have explanations for all those small things that don’t seem to add up.

Robbie in particular gets close to her. Soon, Zelda trusts him with all her fears and feelings about her father that she could never tell anyone but Link. Who has also mysteriously disappeared after investigating the attacks on the lab supplies.

Over the years, people start losing interest in finding Rhoam’s murderer, and most of the attacks stop. Zelda is doing her best to rule the kingdom by herself, but it’s taking a toll on her, and there's increasing pressure for her to marry. Though she has been working on better relations with the Sheikah, the rumors surrounding Impa don’t make it easy for her to gain their trust.

Purah makes a bold suggestion: Zelda should marry one of them. And it’s then that Zelda realizes her feelings for Robbie, which she has been denying for years out of her sense of duty to her kingdom, may work in her favor. And after all she’s been through, she deserves a little happiness. Her remaining friends encourage her to do what feels right to her.

If there are people who feel uneasy about this, the memory of the disappearances is still fresh enough to keep them from speaking out. Robbie adapts to his new role with surprising ease, and all is well.

Their daughter, named Zelda after her mother, is an odd child. Quiet and observant and very eager to learn all she can about the history of her country. Both of her parents encourage her curiosity. Her sealing powers awaken much ealier than her mother’s. Then she starts asking questions about the Sheikah, and Zelda answers them as best as she can,. Something seems off about the questions, but Zelda can’t quite place what. She starts feeling unsafe in her own castle.

She starts having nightmares of Impa and the night of her father’s murder again, and feels more and more threatened. Robbie is very concerned about his wife’s condition, but doesn’t know how to help her. He does reprogram Terrako to be more alert to potential dangers, excluding her family of course.

Little Zel keeps asking questions about how the Sheikah were wronged by the royal family, and it becomes increasingly apparent she did not stumble across the details of their oppressive history in some book she read. Zelda begins to see her own child as a threat. She’s convinced someone has to have put these ideas in her head and she demands to know who. Robbie happens to stop by just in time to keep her from hurting the terrified girl. Something has to be done.

Zelda is horrified that she almost attacked her own child. When Robbie returns after comforting their daughter and having Terrako watch over her, Zelda breaks down. She doesn’t understand what happened to her to turn her into this. Robbie reassures her they will find a way to work things out, but they should leave it alone for today, everyone is stressed out and he’s going to make her tea and then they can go to sleep and figure out what to do tomorrow.

Later that night, Zelda wakes up, and something is very wrong. She’s feeling incredibly weak and is barely able to move, but just conscious enough to notice Robbie is watching her—and now, he reveals to her what's truly going on. She was right about Impa killing the king, of course. Purah was the one ordering the Sheikah to murder anyone who was a threat to their plan. Zelda begins to realize Purah was also the only one who directly pushed her to get married.

That was their true plan—they could overthrow the royal family, but with the possibility of another Great Calamity in the future, it’s necessary to keep the bloodline of the goddess alive. The goal was to ensure the birth of a Sheikah princess with sealing powers, and having accomplished that goal, there will be no need for Hylians in the royal family anymore.

Robbie was the one who has been teaching Little Zel about their history and the evil royals, feeding into Zelda’s paranoia and slowly turning the girl against her mother. Like all Sheikah children, he made sure to push her into the mindset that murder is necessary as early as he could. In her warped worldview, her father poisoning her mother is justified.

Maybe after Zelda’s death, people finally catch on that something very sinister has been going on all these years. Maybe it takes a few generations of the royal family being Sheikah-exclusive now. But while everyone was busy celebrating their peace, the Sheikah studied enough ancient tech to build their own guardian army that no one knows how to fight because all the information the kingdom has is what the Sheikah chose to spoonfeed them, and when the Calamity comes around again, they have a chosen hero hidden away in a shrine that keeps them alive indefinitely, to be resurrected whenever they need to fight again.

Until someone decides it’s worth the risk to oppose their new rulers, life goes on.

[song-of-storms162]

Warrior’s letter

After a talk with Princess Zelda, Warriors receives something he didn’t expect to see in Wild’s timeline. Originally for the prompt Warriors week but I wasn’t able to finish it within the time alotted and the new prompt already came out so i thought i’d kill two birds with one stone. Prompts: this week’s ‘Unlikely Friendship’ and last week’s ‘Warriors’

They were all in the great library of the newly rebuilt Hyrule castle. The sounds of gently rustling papers filling the air, the tall towering bookshelves dominating the room with their presence , the handfuls of people milling about...

It was hard to believe that no one dared go near this place, what with the calamity so throughly infested here.

But, Warriors supposed, that things could change. And Hyrule castle of Wild’s timeline was one of the most contrasting changes he had seen. And after his years in the service, Warriors had seen a number of things change.

He himself included.

How a soldier would cope with loss, how power had changed people he thought he knew, how death would perch on the chimney of one’s soul and suck the life and happiness out of a person. Warriors had walked on bloody battlefields and seen flowers and plants grow from the ashes and tainted dirt.

And Hyrule Castle, at least this Hyrule Castle, would’ve been the beginning of numerous changes in Wild’s Hyrule. Good ones for sure.

Blood moons were happening less frequently, and Wild’s Zelda had set up a team of astronomers to keep track of the moon’s phases. So far they were accurate, Wild would lead soldiers into rooms and corridors he remembered which were full of monsters.

But after a while, it had become mostly nine of them going against the monsters. Wild had said his Hyrule had no standing army, the population wasn’t enough for that and like the self-sacrificing heroes they were, they had graciously offered their own solution.

They themselves would take down the monsters.

Princess Zelda had protested against this but Wild told her to reconsider.

They had no army.

Their population was scarce enough.

And the heroes who held the triforce of courage were more than capable to handle a number of monsters.

And besides, the level of monsters they were facing was decreasing as well. Warriors remembered Wild talking about a Lynel, a silver one at that, being in one of the rooms. But as the blood moons came and went, the Lynel’s level dropped significantly. It became a blue Lynel after the first blood moon that appeared then the level of difficulty got lower and lower.

But aside from slaying monsters, the Links had other jobs. Wild was the unofficial head chef of Hyrule Castle: while there were cooks and a growing number of servants in the building, Wild would be found in the kitchens cooking something all while being surrounded by the castle chefs, the latter watching his every move.

Twilight and Time would be found in the stables, talking with the hands on different ways the horses could be comfortable. Four worked on smithing, making weapons, cutlery and other items for the ever growing staff. Sky would be with him at times, carving on a piece of wood, and if not, he would be found in the library; bent over a piece of parchment with a quill in his hand, trying his best to write down history from memory. The latter being something that all the heroes did, translating and writing history texts.

Today Warriors was free, usually he’d be in the barracks, training the newbie soldiers and making formations and drills. But today well yesterday actually, they had improved significantly and Warriors had told them to take today off. So he had strolled around, told Time he was going to wander and Wild that he would keep an eye out for any monsters. So far he had encountered none and now he was nearing one of the castle towers.

The view from up here truly was amazing, the thought passed through his mind as he paused on the elevated walkway. One could see the planes of Hyrule field, the lazy clouds that billowed by and casted shadows on the roads that looked like ribbons of gold from so far.

Warriors neared the railing, before draping his arms across the metal rail and propping his chin atop his palm. He closed his eyes, the passing breeze tickling his blonde hair and eyelashes, relief washing upon him. This was nice.

“Sir Warriors?”

Blinking out of his thoughts, the lone captain turns and finds himself standing few feet away from Princess Zelda. The Zelda of of Wild’s Hyrule.

Cheeks slightly flushed and no accompanying knight or sevant to be seen, it almost seemed that the Princess had run a few miles before meeting him. Princess Zelda smiles at him before nodding. “Your Highness,” the soldier bows after stepping away from the view. This elicits a chuckle from the princess.

“I have told you all that formalities are one thing we can do without,” says the Princess before her eyes take in what Warriors was enraptured by. “The view up here is beautiful is it not?”

The Princess steps closer to the railing and just as Warriors had done, her eyes take in the view of Hyrule and a light breeze sweeps past her golden hair. Warriors joins her in gazing at the land before replying softly. “Yes it truly is.”

“Do you ever miss home?” The princess’s eyes turn to him as Warriors shrugs. “Missing home comes with all the traveling your highness. Even more so with the numerous timelines now.”

“I am sorry.”

Warriors starts and his expression changes into one of surprise. “Whatever for, Your Higness?”

Princess Zelda sweeps her hand across the view. “Your family, maybe your descendants could’ve been living here. And sometimes I wonder, would Hyrule have not changed if my power came quicker?”

Warriors goes silent, wooing women was one thing but comforting them on such a subject?

“Li-Wild doesn’t remember much, and he only recovered his memory of Castle Town after another journey. And even then, it showed a vague image of the land.”

“In what way was it vague, Your Highness?”

Though he and the princess stand mere feet from each other, Warriors watches the princess’s eyes and thoughts sweep back to over a century. “The kingdom was happy, that was all really.”

“Your Higness,” Warriors speaks up and Princess Zelda turns to face him, her green eyes unreadable. “Hyrule here is changing. There is good change and there is bad change but trust me when i say that this Hyrule is merely beginning a journey of good change.”

A soft smile reaches the Princess’s lips and she nods. “I see, thank you for your words, sir Warriors.”

“Anytime your highness.”

Warriors bows once more, not seeing the princess’s expression change into steely determination.

“Sir Warriors, i have a task for you.”

“A task, Your Highness?” Confusion slips into his tone, and Warriors wonders what the Princess would need him for. “And what might this task be?”

The Princess brings out a piece of parchment from the pocket of her dress. “I require your assistance in translating this.”

Warriors cocks his head to the side as his hands take the parchment. “My assistance? Of course, your highness. I’m assuming it’s written in my Hylian?”

“Yes it is.” Princess Zelda bites down on her lip, her eyes not meeting Captain’s. “I was translating some of it but the rest of the words were too hard to decipher.”

“I see,” replies Warriors as Princess Zelda hands him. Another piece of parchment, the part she had translated. “In that case, I’ll pick up where you left off, your highness.”

That evening after dinner, Warriors sat down with the parchments he received from Princess Zelda. Opening a bottle of ink and readying a quill, Warriors took out Princess Zelda’s translation.

Usually he’d check the princess’s translation first before looking at the original work. He found it easier to find mistakes this way. The princess’s penmanship was fine from what he could see as Warriors began reading. But his heart nearly stopped when he saw his name.

Link.

Brows furrowing, Warriors continued to read the Princess’s words. And when the words abruptly stopped, he grabbed the other parchment that was in his own Hylian. Word after word, Warriors felt his heart thunder as realization sank in.

This was a letter from her.

Warriors checked the date, it was after her last letter to him, one he remembered all too well. Harsh words and pleading and fear was is that now second to last letter but this one...Her last letter to him, had somehow found its way to Wild’s timeline.

Her handwriting, her letters that he kept and read before a battle, the words that he always heard in her voice, her smile, her lilting laugh.

This was a letter from his lover.

Not the string of ladies he chatted up at inns or bars nor were it the women who pined after the affection of the captain of the guard. This was his best friend, his confidante, the woman he bantered like siblings with.

This was his lover.

The woman who would quite literally flip the world around if he were to ever go missing. This woman who pined after him wholly, scars and triforce and all. Unlike the other women in his travels, he would always always protect her while knowing she had his back and would go against tooth and nail to defend him. All while keeping up with his antics and pulling his ear if he got too far.

The princess, Warriors realises with a start, she read this letter and gave it to him after deeming it ‘too hard to translate’.

Warriors chuckled at that, ‘too hard’? He should’ve known what Wild’s Zelda was up to. The princess knew words in his Hylian that he didn’t know existed. Warriors traced the words at the end of the letter.

I love you. I love you. I love you.

He could hear her voice, that loving tone, and a smile unfurled on the strategist’s face. Tomorrow, he would ask Wild what his Princess preferred as a gift.

He needed to thank her after all.

It was a surprise to see Warriors and the Princess get closer. To the point where Wild drew his sword at the older’s face but Zelda had quickly calmed her attendant down. It was common to see Warriors helping the Princess with make up, or the former attempting to make the Princess her favorite cake after a particular day of researching. Warriors would be seen with the princess if Wild wasn’t around, accompanying her on strategic meetings. Wild was thankful for an extra hand in accompanying and took the extra free time to make the group’s favorite meals, particularly the Princess’s and Warriors’. Now not only did Zelda have one accompanying knight with a glare that could kill, she had two. And the Princess promised she would find more.

More letters from his lover, from his family and comrades and deliver them all. To not just him but to the rest of them.

And thus was the beginning of an unlikely yet beautiful friendship.

[katedoesfics]

Breath of the Resistance: Chapter 4

The drive from Goron City to Rito Village was much longer, even if they took the most direct route, which wound its way through northern Hyrule towards the west. Without the benefit of the main interstate, the drive was slower, and it would have been late in the night by the time they arrived. This only caused in argument between Link and Zelda.

“We should just drive straight through,” Zelda said.

“It will be the middle of the night,” Link argued. “We won’t be doing anything until morning, anyways, so we might as well stop now.”

“Where? At some sleazy motel on the side of the road?”

“I’m sorry if that’s beneath you,” Link snapped. “But I’m tired and I’m not driving any more.”

“Then I’ll drive.”

Link laughed. “I don’t think so.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It means I don’t trust you enough to stay awake through the night.”

“Yeah, that’s what you meant.”

“Why are you so against sleep? I’m exhausted.”

“Fine,” Zelda muttered. “But I get my own room.”

“I’m not paying for that.”

“I want my own room!”

“You’re being ridiculous.”

“I don’t need you trying to take advantage of me.”

Link rolled his eyes and pulled into the lot. “Don’t flatter yourself, Princess.” He stepped out of the car leaving Zelda inside as she stared after him.

“Excuse me?” she said stepping out and trotting after him. “I’m attractive. I could be taken advantage of.”

“Then I guess you’ll want to stay with me so I can protect you.” Link strode across the lobby and to the front desk. “One room.”

Zelda pushed in front of him and leaned against the counter. “Two rooms.”

The woman behind the desk blinked blankly at them as they argued.

“One room,” Link said as he stepped around Zelda.

“Is this the kind of place where an attractive woman like me would get taken advantage of?”

“Uh… the doors have their own keys…” the woman said.

“Deadbolt?” Link asked.

“Both.”

“It’s easy to pick a lock,” Link said.

“No one even knows I’m here.” Zelda hesitated and turned to the woman. “You won’t tell anyone, right?”

“I can’t?”

“This was a bad idea,” Zelda muttered. “I told you we should have driven right through.”

“Give me a damn room!” Link barked.

The woman scrambled quickly to the computer, assigning them a room and practically throwing the keys at Link. With a satisfied grunt, Link made his way through the halls and to their room. Zelda followed closely, giving up the fight she knew she would not win.

“You could have been nicer to her,” she snapped at him as Link opened the door.

“You should really have a different alias,” Link said.

“What? Why? We’re not doing anything suspicious or even dangerous. I travel all the time across Hyrule and never had an issue.”

Link let himself fall on top of one of the old, twin beds and sighed. “Someone could be following us.”

“Who would follow us?”

“The Yiga Clan.”

“Then I guess you’ll just have to do your job and stop them.”

Link rolled onto his side, his back to Zelda, and yawned. “As long as they don’t bother me tonight.”

“I’m sure they’ll take the night off just for you. They’re pretty considerate like that.”

Link ignored her and closed his eyes. He listened as she moved about the room, sighing lightly. The bathroom door opened and closed, then a few minutes later opened again. The bed squeaked as she shuffled the blankets about and settled in for the night. The light turned off, but there was a slight glow on the ceiling that Link assumed to be from her phone. After a moment, that light went out, and the night was still.

*****

The drapes provided no relief from the early morning sun, shining right in Link’s face the next morning. He groaned and turned over hoping to catch a few more minutes; he had never been much of a morning person. In fact, as a child, he often hid in the hay barn to escape his morning chores, only to be caught napping in the hay.

Link lazily opened one eye and looked across to the next bed. He bolted up right when he noticed Zelda was not in it. Frantic, he pocketed his gun and bolted out the door, bumping into her just outside in the hallway.

“Oh, hey,” she said, holding a cheese danish to her lips. “Danish?”

Link stared blankly at her, his mouth gaping slightly. “Danish? What? Where the hell did you go?”

Zelda blinked at him for a moment. “I was hungry.”

“You can’t just fucking leave like that,” he shouted at her.

Zelda held a second danish out before her, offering it to him. “I… got you one, too.”

Link snatched the pastry from her angrily. “Don’t ever do that again,” he growled at her before stuffing it into his mouth. He turned away from her and made his way back inside the room.

“Aw,” Zelda said as she followed him. “Were you worried for me?”

“No,” Link snapped. “I was worried about my own life. If something happens to you, I’m a dead man.”

Zelda snorted lightly. “I guess you’re not very good at your job then, since you didn’t even hear me leave. I could have been kidnapped and you never would have known.”

“Unlikely,” Link said, finishing off his breakfast.

“Hey, can we change our plans?” Zelda said between bites. “I want to head home after we’re done in Rito Village.”

“What for?”

Zelda shrugged. “I have a few things I need to get done before we head to Gerudo City.”

“Fine,” Link said, unwilling to argue with her any more than he had to. Maybe he could take advantage of their time back in the city to try to get more information on Dorian.

Link didn’t waste any more time in the motel, pushing Zelda out of the room and checking out. He was eager to get far away from Revali as soon as he could, and even more eager to get back to the city.

The drive from the motel to Rito Village didn’t take long. Like Goron City, Rito Village was nestled high in the mountains, and road access was narrow and limited as the Rito naturally prefered to travel by flight. They arrived in town by mid morning, and Revali didn’t waste a moment to greet them in his typical over embellished way.

“I could smell that horrible thing from a mile away,” he said, making a face at the car.

Link leaned against the hood, his arms crossed. “Funny, I was just about to say the same thing about you.”

“Link,” Zelda warned.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you over that obnoxious engine. Which I also heard from a mile away.”

“You must hear that a lot considering any vehicle could out drive you in flight.”

Zelda shook her head, her fingers on her temples.

Revali leaned forward, making sure to get in Link’s face. “I don’t need speed when I have deadly accuracy with a weapon.”

“Are you finished?” Zelda muttered, but still, she was not heard.

“You’re all talk,” Link said. “But I have yet to see you backup your claims.”

“How about a little wager, then? We’ll settle this once and for all. But, where?” He stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Well, how about up there?” He pointed a wing towards the Divine Beast that perched on top of the mountain. “Atop Vah Medoh. Oh, wait.” He laughed lightly. “How could I forget? You have no way to get up there on your own, now, do you?”

“Enough!” Zelda shouted. “Honestly! Is this how you act in front of me? I’ll have both your damn jobs.”

“My apologies,” Revali said with a bow to her. “Just some friendly teasing between friends, hm?”

Link rolled his eyes at the Rito.

“Save it,” Zelda muttered. “I need to get Vah Medoh activated.”

“I would be happy to assist you with that,” Revali said. “You’ll need help getting up there, of course. I suppose I could bring you up, then.” He spread his wings, inviting Zelda to climb onto his back.

“How am I supposed to get up there?” Link asked.

Revali narrowed his eyes at Link from over his shoulder. “I will gladly help Hyrule’s Princess, but I don’t make a habit of carting people around,” he hissed. “I’m not a damn animal.”

“I’ll be right back,” Zelda said to Link as she climbed onto Revali’s back.

“You’re not going without me,” Link said stubbornly, but it was becoming clear to him that he wouldn’t have a choice. Revali would not help him win this fight.

“What’s the matter, Link? Don’t trust your own comrades?” Without waiting for an answer, he flapped his wings and took off into the air.

Link watched as they soared into the sky towards Vah Medoh. He slunk back against the car and waited.

[mavda]

Melted

Ch.1 | Ch.2 | Ch.3 | Ch.4 | Ch.5 | Ch.6 | Ch.7 | Ch.8 | Ch.9 | Ch.10 |

Ch.11: In his name. 

Zelda saw Cade walking away from her as soon as he saw her. Gaebora had assured her that the boy was just really spooked by the tension within the castle, but Zelda knew better. Cade always enjoyed seeing the nobles be stupid, he was always ashamed when he failed her.

The letters were still either in transit or in the post office and Cade had no heart to tell her. He was adorable.

Zelda sighed, things were escalating within the castle. They had tasted power in her absence and it was hard to take it back. It had been hard enough to try to rule before, when she had all the right to it, but now they were actively shutting her off. If she could leave without feeling like a complete failure, maybe, just maybe, she would do it.

She had kept on writing letters, all to Link, fewer as she realised they wouldn't arrive. And though she knew that maybe Link wouldn't even know about them, she slept better knowing that at least he was able to be tranquil back in Ordon, surrounded by people who cared for him.

One of them could at least rest.

"A rupee for your thoughts?"

Zelda looked back, saw Mikau walking towards her, a smile in place. He was attired with expensive clothes, and his hair was fixed with gel.

"What about a rupee for yours?"

He gave her a loop-sided grin, "Wouldn't you like to know, your Highness," he stood next to her, eyed the guards around the garden, "you look lovely today, princess," he crouched to reach her ear, "as always, of course."

Zelda gave him a smile, they exchanged looks and she started walking, "What is your fight with Kafei about?"

Mikau huffed, shook his head, "The dumb fool can't see that Anju is smitten with me," Mikau gave her an annoyed look, "and really, no one can blame her, have you seen me?"

Zelda walked away from a suspicious guard, "Really, now? Isn't she his fiancé, though?"

Mikau laughed, followed her, "Doesn't that make it more gossip-worthy?"

"You evil man."

Mikau moved his hand in an affected manner, "The worst, apparently, and yet women can't help but see me as attractive. Mysterious beings, you are."

Zelda touched the flowers as she walked, they were walking near the fountain, "Was it really that bad?"

Mikau offered his arm, "Two more months and they would have pronounced you dead, evil bastards."

Zelda locked arms with Mikau, he gave a sharp turn, "They are being really stubborn."

"Don't give in," Mikau whispered, "some heavy cavalry has arrived, it seems. We're still checking if he is in our side, but at least it will give us time. Resist."

Zelda scrunched her nose, looked away, "Really, Lord Mikau, you know I don't appreciate those types of conversation."

Mikau cocked his eyebrow, changed his tone to overly jovial, "But, my Lady, you are the most beautiful, fairest, wisest of them all, you can't blame a fool like me for falling this hard."

A guard appeared in front of them, looked at Mikau with contempt. Mikau smiled, his handsome face shining with grace.

"Oh my, it seems that someone doesn't like what he's seeing," he let Zelda's arm fall, guided it towards her side with his hands, squeezed, "do forgive my rudeness, your Majesty."

Zelda sighed, acted bothered, "It is of no importance, Lord Mikau."

Mikau gave a bright smile, winked at the guard, "Well, then, I'm off the hook, it seems."

He bowed towards Zelda, patted the guard's shoulder.

The guard looked ready to kill, he sent daggers towards Mikau's back, stood still until Mikau was out of sight, he squared then, "Your Highness, Sir Gaebora asked for your presence."

Zelda hummed, "Let's not make him wait, then."

She walked slow, each step a measured one, she let herself stop at every flower that catched her attention, counted more guards than before, more eyes on her than this morning. She saw the irritation filling the guard, as he tried to get closer to her and pressure her into moving faster.

She wanted to punch him. She cut one flower, smelled it, then gave it to the guard, "Great scent, is it not?"

The guard feigned a smile, took the flower and thanked her, "Yes, ma'am."

As soon as the princess started walking again, the guard crushed it and threw it to the ground.

When she arrived to her workroom Gaebora was still, crushing his hands. There were guards stationed outside, but they couldn't hear a word from there.

"Gaebora?"

The man started and looked apologetic, "Your Highness, there are, uhm, people that want to have an audience with you."

Zelda nodded, her curiosity piqued, "Why are you so nervous?"

Gaebora wouldn't meet her eyes, "They say they were sent by a person named Link."

Gaebora didn't pry further, he lowered his eyes, tried to bite down the dread that was filling him. He had his assumptions about the young man, but whatever the boy meant to his princess meant nothing; the boy had left and was gone, - not something Gaebora should worry about - but now there were people in Link's name waiting in the hall, clearly coming to help the princess, clearly changing the rules. Gaebora dared to steal a glance.

Zelda was smiling, a tiny, completely controlled smile, like the ones he had taught her to show. And then she frowned.

"Are you certain?"

Gaebora sighed, took a piece of parchment out.

Zelda took it with care, it was hastily written, it read 'Trust them, I do. They will help. Link'

Zelda was out of the room clutching the paper to her chest.

Ashei glanced around the room, ostentatious and grand-looking, if it weren't for the clearly battle-earned damages, she would have called it beautiful; as she stopped at Shad's nervous hand movements, - in an attempt to iron even more his already ironed outfit - she let her weight fall to her left leg.

"Think she'll come?"

Shad made a whining noise as an answer.

Ashei huffed, "Come on, calm down. She won't bite, yeah?"

Another whine.

"And you were so excited when Link asked you to do this."

Shad flattened his hair, mumbled, "It's different," through clenched teeth.

Ashei ignored him, she made to touch her sword, but they had taken it from her. She frowned, "Well, it would suck if she didn't even gave us a meeting, yeah?"

Shad agreed with her, but he sounded almost relieved.

Ashei looked around her for the umpteenth time, chewing on her cheek to stop herself from telling Shad to please, for the love of Hylia, stop moving, when the door behind the throne opened wide and in came a young, beautiful woman, who was clutching a piece of parchment to her chest. Looking at them with way more enthusiasm than Ashei would have exptected.

And it clicked.

Princess Zelda gave them a quick look before sitting on the throne. She had called for no guards, and had left Gaebora outside the room.

Ashei noticed as much.

"Your Highness," greeted Ashei, she bowed and Shad followed with robotic movements.

Zelda stilled herself, controlled her breathing, breath in, breath out, don't give out what you think. She sat on the throne, looked at her guests, "Welcome to the castle, I have received a letter from..." Link, say his name, Link, "a friend of yours, I presume?"

Ashei straightened, nodded, "Yes, ma'am, the letter you have received is from Link Orden, from the Ordona Province. He was...is, a part of The Resistance, a group of people who fought agains Zant's invasion. We are here in his name, to be of assistance to you, your Highness."

Zelda pinched her thighs, tried to supress her smile, "Well, that is most welcome, but I can not give you positions within the castle without going through my council. May I know in what area you want to work in? That way I can present it in today's meeting."

Ashei smiled, "No, ma'am, there is no need for you to go through such hassles. We are," she motioned towards herself and Shad, "what you would call undercover agents, we are here to let you know we are on your side, but ours has always been an undergroung battle."

Zelda opened her mouth, "Oh," Ashei was giving her a satisfied look.

"There is also other person with us, but he is as slow as he is old, which is why it took us so long since Link's departure to come see you. He is on your side too, but he was rather fishy about coming back, something about me not being secretive enough, and something about how it was better for him to enter from somewhere else. He will show himself soon enough, though, don't worry."

Shad coughed, gave Ashei a look, "Maybe you could tell her Majesty about him, Ashei," Ashei raised an eyebrow, confused. Shad gestured towards the throne, "You haven't even told her his name, Ashei," he whispered.

"The old man wants it to be shocking, or whatever-"

"To others, Ashei!" Shad whispered, he went from Ashei to Zelda and felt his face go red.

Ashei scoffed, shook her head as she shrugged off Shad's meddling, turned to Zelda, "Your Highness, I am hereby offering my services to remove any impertinence out of your way with the swiftest, most untraceable method. Worse comes to worst I'll go back to living in the wilderness."

"Excuse m-?" Zelda couldn't find the words.

"Ashei?!" Shad was horrified.

"Also, this man here is Shad Colins, he's a noble from Hyrule, he'll go back to his family and be a spy, or something."

Shad shook his head, incredulous.

"Thank you?" tried Zelda.

"You're most welcome, your Highness."

Shad made fists with his hands, told himself over and over that he could do this, "The other man is Auru Po'hra, your Highness, he will come see you when-" Shad gave a nervous once-over to her Highness before going back to the ground.

"Excuse me?" Zelda scrunched her eyebrows.

Shad stopped dead in his tracks.

"Auru Po'hra?" asked Zelda.

"Yes, ma'am."

"My father's advisor? That Auru Po'hra?"

Shad bowed his head, "Yes, your Highness," he squeaked.

Zelda straightened. Ashei was standing with her hands on her waist, proud of herself. Shad was unable to look Zelda in the eye.

"What?" Zelda asked.

[zeldahijinks]

Hi! I love your writing and I was wondering if you would write something for your flock sideways fic. If Revali goes to Link and asks for his help for asking you out/hitting on you. And Link (knowingly) gives him TERRIBLE advice like, "she loves pickup lines. Yeah, the really cheesy cringy kind." "Have you talked about yourself enough? She swoons every time." "Trust me Revali. Im her best friend." Hijinks ensue.

[A/N: Sorry this is super long, but I loved the idea so much and thought it’d be a great way to celebrate my birthday and having 200+ followers! Also i’m really sorry there are no puns, I am so bad with puns ;A;]Revali/ReaderWord count: 1715

Link is a decent guy that most would agree on.  Despite that he is a glutton and an occasional airhead, he worked his way to become the appointed Knight of Princess Zelda and the one chosen by the Goddess to keep evil at bay. He was resourceful, strong willed, and the kind of guy that allowed anyone to cry on his shoulders.  Most folks would even say he has a natural charm, and women crawl after him like starve wolves.

Revali felt violently ill thinking of Link like that.

As he stood from afar of the group he watched as you laughed and shoved Link’s shoulder, and Revali had to control himself from rolling his eyes too hard out of his head. He never understood how the two of you got along so well when it took him forever to even get on your good side, and not like Revali was totally ignoring that fact Link and you had known each other since childhood.

After months of struggles and dangerous missions Revali had found himself growing attached to you and thinking of you in a different light. These elated feelings brought him to the moon and back, but he felt hollow being unable to express himself in a way to let you know he wanted to be something more.

But as charismatic and talented as he was, Revali’s courting techniques fell….well, flat. He never had any interest in anyone before, not like now, where he felt his life would improve by taking you under his wing.

 However, he felt you were not the conventional person and that is why he is stewing like the dinner in the crock-pot you all were surrounded by. The closest person to you was Link, no one knew you better, but Revali’s inside felt like they were disintegrating. Did Revali really want to stoop so low by asking for his help?

When you turned around and caught Revali’s gaze, your smile made his heart thump against his ribcage and he looked away feeling bashful. Okay, he thought, perhaps for you it would be worth going through all the trouble. His moment arrived when you waved and walked away with Urbosa. It seemed like the two of you will be gone for a good moment and once you were out of sight Revali was hovering behind Link.

Link crunched his shoulders feeling a presence behind him and turned around to only be scared out of his wits. Revali looked at him feeling completely disinterested and spiteful, “I would like to make this quick, but I have predicament that requires your assistance…as poor of a choice that it already is.” Link only rose a brow and gave Revali a sour look. Revali grabbed the scruff of Link’s shirt and dragged him away from the campsite. Link fumbled around like a fool while Revali grumbled aloud, “Honestly.”

Revali made sure the area was clear of prying ears before glaring at Link. “You are well acquainted with [Name]. I believe they have mentioned knowing you since childhood, is that correct?” Link only nodded, and rubbed the area where his shirt had choked him. 

Revali only hummed, looking Link over and started pacing around him. One wing tucked behind his back while his other one waved around to emphasis his words, “Very well. I supposed you will do. As you know the Princess has been pairing [Name] and I together. Although there have been…hardships between us the truth of the matter is… I have grown fondly of [Name] and wish to swoon them. However, despite all my talents and charming personality; I lack, oh what is the word I am looking for, a certain finesse when it comes to expressing delicate sentiments.”

Link had zoned out halfway through Revali’s speech and was dozing off waiting for him to finish. Revali finally stopped in front of Link, his back turned and gazed into the stars, “It brings to my attention I do not know what will win them over. That is why-” Revali sighed heavily, “I am asking for advice. Your advice. Perhaps, I can bring some use out of you in the process.”

Link stared a moment, one hand holding his chin and hunched over. Now, there wasn’t many things that got under Link’s skin, but something about Revali poorly asking for help didn’t sit well with him, and, as your best friend, Link knew exactly what would woo you and what would not. Link had to prevent a smirk sneaking on his face as he realized Revali was giving him complete control. Would Revali listen to everything he said, he wondered, and stood up crossing his arms while nodding.

Revali coughed and straightened out his ascot, “V-very well then. Perhaps I shall start with the basics…” He rubbed the back of his neck, the feathers fluffing from the action. “What compliments would be suited for them?”

Link could feel his resolve slipping and tried his best to suppress the smirk that threaten to make its way forth. For the next hour, Link explained and gave suggestions while Revali, although he loathed to admit it, hung onto every piece of information.

Attempt 1: [Name] likes pick up lines

You had been sitting on a fence laughing away with Zelda and Link not having a care in the world while Revali was working up the nerves to speak to you. He’ll be damned if he allowed the Princess and Link prevent this opportunity and marched straight over. All the laughter came to a stop as Revali stood dignified next to you. You smiled and patted him on the shoulder, “Hey, Revali.”

Revali felt butterflies in his stomach and nervously spoke. “My, [Name], did you know you make me feel like a Lynel?”

Blinking, you just said, “What.”

“B-because when I see you I come charging.”

There was a silence between all four before Link turned around with his shoulders shaking. Revali felt himself starting to choke but he remembered Link told him that no matter what to keep going and no matter what you did it really meant you liked it. He tried to regain his confidence, opting to lean on the fence to get closer to you. “You know of my gale, correct?”

Fearing you’ll regret it, you asked, “….Yeah…Why?”

 “I am not the only thing it can bring to new heights.”

Link’s choking could be heard while you stare incredulously, “What the fuck, Revali. Ya weirdo.” You gave him the stink eye, lifting yourself off the fence and walked away with Zelda who was having just as a hard time like Link. Revali stood there his jaw to the ground.

 It hadn’t worked?? He looked over to Link questionably. Link only shrugged, trying not to let the smile be too pleased. Huh, Revali thought, on to phase two.

Attempt 2: [Name] dreams of flying

You bristled each time Revali approached. He had gotten some strange delusion that you wanted to go flying, but not on your glider.

On him.

Sweat began to form at your brow, crouched, and ready to spring away when an opening presented itself. Revali was exacerbated throwing a wing on his hip and the other covering his face, “Honestly, [Name], you are overreacting. There is nothing to be afraid of.”

“‘M not afraid!” You screeched,” I am just trying to point out all the reasons why that would not be a good idea!” He gave you a flat look, his wings held up in disbelief.

“I am much more reliable than that pathetic excuse of a glider!”  “It’s not the glider I’m worried about!” Revali just rolled his eyes and swooped for you, and you screamed bloody murder as your body lurched over his. What Revali was thinking you have no idea, but you weren’t even on his back properly, your legs choking his neck while the rest of your body flung around. Link was fishing on the other side of the hill when he looked over and seeing Revali and you spiraling to the ground. The poor boy couldn’t catch his breath when heard the screams of agony.

Attempt 3: [Name] LOVES music, especially banjos.

Revali was irritated to say the least, none of the previous courting methods worked at all. He was going to give it one more shot before he called it quits.

 Link had courteously let Revali borrow his banjo, and as Revali stood outside your yurt in the moonlight he wasn’t sure if this was a good idea at all. Revali knew you were a light sleeper and got absolutely irritated being woken up.  However, again, Link had mention that there was nothing more than you wished for then being serenaded awake. A deep fantasy, Link had claimed.

Revali glanced at the instrument and strummed the strings nervously. He wasn’t completely horrible at playing, but he was no master musician. He was dressed in his best Rito garbs, free of his chest plate and warriors’ kilt. He hoped once you looked outside you’d be enamored by him playing under the moonlight.

THRAAANG

A rude sound tore you from your deep sleep, and in the midst of waking into reality you were confused by what you were hearing.

THRUNNNG

Oh no, you paled.

No, no, you knew that sound. You rubbed your hands across your face when you heard singing accompanying the dreaded banjo. To your surprise, it wasn’t Link this time, and you were thrown into further confusion hearing Revali’s voice.

You flung yourself out from the yurt marching toward Revali. He was still playing when he noticed you approaching, and despite the nerves the threaten to freeze him, he kept going. It must be working! ….But then why did you look like you were ready to murder…?

You ripped the banjo from his feathers and thrashed it against the ground. You kept smashing the bloody instrument until it was in unrecognizable pieces and Revali had taken a step back. Huffing and wiping the sweat from your brow, you handed the neck of the banjo, the only thing left intact, back to Revali. He was left dumbstruck holding the broken instrument and watched you drag yourself back to sleep.

He stood there when a string curled off the neck, “W-why?”

[quillandink333]

Scarlet Carnations ~ Part I

BotW Link X Zelda ~ Detective AU

Rating: T

Word Count: 2.9k

WARNINGS: death, murder, loss, trauma, blood and gore, terrorism, organized crime, self-harm

Summary: Inspector Zelda Hyrule, assisted by the faithful Constable Link Fyori, is infamous for cracking the most confounding of cases in a town dominated by crime. Her latest assignment is to solve the murder of her own godmother, Impa Sheikah, the late CEO of Sheikah Tech. Incorporated, while staying under the radar of the dreaded Yiga organization.

Part I • Part II • Part III • Part IV • Part V • Part VI • Part VII • Epilogue • Masterlist

A deafening blast jolted me out of my slumber. I snapped upright.

As a member of law enforcement, I was painfully familiar with the sound of a gunshot, and that was exactly what I’d just heard.

I strained my ears with bated breath, trying to hear over my own thundering heartbeat.

Loud, frantic footsteps raced down creaky, wooden stairs. Then a terrified scream filled the halls of my childhood home.

I tore away the sheets and rushed to where the scream seemed to have come from. When I reached the parlour was when I stumbled upon the scene. There, right at the foot of my mother’s memorial, was my godmother’s cold, lifeless corpse. Kneeling beside her was her granddaughter, Paya, weeping into her open palms in shock.

Only a minute or two had passed since I’d awoken at the sound of gunfire. “Wait here,” I ordered, then made a break for the front entrance, the nearest and most instinctual escape route.

But when I threw the doors open, there wasn’t a soul to be found.

I returned to the parlour with my tail between my legs. Then my toe hit something heavy and metallic that clacked underfoot. When I looked down and saw what it was, I froze. With caution, I ever so slowly stepped away from the weapon.

“Great...” I muttered, seeing as now it would have my toe prints on it. But the longer I looked at it, I realized I’d seen this revolver somewhere before.

Then it hit me. It hit me like a two-ton train car.

I quickly made sure Paya’s head was turned. Then with terribly trembling hands, I did what I had to do and carefully tucked it away in my nightgown.

I’d feared the precinct wouldn’t allow me to participate in the investigation seeing as I’d been on the scene at the time of the crime. However, it seemed they trusted me enough to even appoint me as the lead investigator. Granted, I had done a lot to earn their trust over the past three years, but this was unheard of.

Nevertheless, I decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. The next morning, at seven o’clock sharp, I returned to the scene of the crime equipped with all the necessary tools of my trade.

I looked out the window of the cramped police buggy at our destination in utter astoundment. There were already droves of officers there, awaiting the arrival of me and my partner. The sight of the place I’d once called home being chained off and hidden from the public like this was jarring, to say the least. Of all the strange crime scenes I’d seen, this was the strangest. I never could’ve imagined I’d be returning here, not to eat Auntie Impa’s delicious pork buns or to hear Auntie Purah talk about her latest technological endeavours, but for work. How could I have?

“Zelda! Good—good morning!” greeted a rather skittish Paya when she opened the door for us.

“Good morning, Paya.”

She nearly lost her smile when she noticed Constable Fyori standing beside me. “Please, come in.” She stepped aside, and he and I entered into the low-ceilinged yet stately vestibule, removing our shoes and leaving them by the door. “Can I get either of you anything? Some tea, maybe?”

My assistant opened his mouth, but I raised a hand, silencing him. “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary. We have important business to take care of.”

“Oh, yes, of course! Silly me,” she chortled. “I’ll let you get to it, then.”

The first order of business was to examine the body. In most cases, a specialist would be needed to perform an autopsy, but unlike most inspectors, I had the forensic knowhow to take care of it myself. One might have said this was a side effect of my hobbies and my avid interest in all things related to science that I’d harboured since grade school. However, a full autopsy complete with the weighing of the body and the removal of the organs would come later. For now, it would suffice to determine two simple things: the time of death and the cause of death.

But before I could even get close to the body, I was stopped by my assistant, who grabbed me gently by the arm.

“You don’t have to do this,” he uttered in his typical, mousy tone. “I can call for someone else to come and take care of it for you.”

The look of real and profound concern seated deep in his aquamarine eyes pulled at my heartstrings. It had been a year, roughly, since he’d first begun working under me. He was always so worried for me, and I always felt terrible because of it. I unhooked his hand from my arm, putting on a warm smile. “I’ll be okay, Link.”

He looked at me as if to ask, “Are you sure?”

“Really, it’s fine. Don’t worry,” I insisted. “Thank you, though.” This finally got him to return my smile, albeit only briefly.

I already had a decent estimate of the time of death. The period we were looking at was between half ten at night, when the last person awake (which had just so happened to be me) had gone to bed, and three in the morning, when the gunshot had given me that rude awakening. Really I should have examined the body as soon as I’d discovered it. In most other cases I worked on, I even wished I’d been the first on the scene, before the stiff had yet to even go stiff. Of course, the one time I happened to be one of the first to discover a murder, it had to be like this.

And yet, until I knew who was responsible for this atrocity, grieving could wait.

Right off the bat, I could tell that this had been a homicide. This may have seemed obvious to someone like Paya, but as a detective, I’d had to forcefully train myself to assume nothing and question everything. Based on the characteristics of the hole running straight through her neck, however, I determined that the gun had been shot from too far a distance for it to have been suicidal. Auntie Impa’s arms simply weren’t long enough.

But for a death caused by hemorrhage from a severed jugular vein, there was a shockingly small amount of blood. The rush-woven mat beneath her was nearly spotless, and I knew from experience how difficult it was to get stains out of these mats. Even when I checked underneath the mat, there was still nothing. No blood, and no bullet.

With a final nod, I stood up and signalled the other officers to take the body away.

“Now, let’s see here...” I said to myself, scanning the area immediately surrounding the corpse before approaching my mother’s altar. But when I laid eyes on the damage it had sustained, I stumbled back.

Though she hadn’t been a follower of the same faith held by the Sheikahs, my mother’s memory had been enshrined here because, like myself, they’d been like a second family to her.

With all due caution, I picked up what remained of her photograph. The glass was shattered, and a bullet had completely erased her face.

If this wasn’t a sign of the Yiga organization, I didn’t have a clue what was. Who else would’ve borne such ill will toward Hilda Hyrule, the town’s beloved last mayor who’d been dead ever since the tragic “accident” at City Hall eighteen years prior? That massacre had been what had ushered in their age of power, and with no one left to stand in their way, they’d been terrorizing the city ever since.

Before I’d even had the chance to begin my analysis, I heard Paya’s timid footsteps shuffling up to me. “Zelda?” she whispered, obnoxiously tapping her finger on my shoulder. “Excuse me...”

I turned my head and forced a grin. “What is it?”

“Umh, I didn’t know he’d be accompanying you today.” I didn’t even have to follow her gaze to know who she was eyeing.

I suppressed a sigh. “Constable Fyori is my partner,” I reminded her politely. “I take him with me on all of my investigations.”

“Yes, I know, but...” Now her gaze was nervously flitting back and forth between me and Link. “I-I wasn’t prepared to see him again after so long. What if—what if he says something to me?”

“He won’t,” I huffed. “Now, if you don’t mind.”

“Oh my, I’m so sorry,” she fretted. “I’ll get out of your hair.” I gave her a nod of the head in thanks, and she kindly stepped back and out of my space. But even after that, I could still feel her intense stare from across the room. I let out the sigh I’d been holding in. Sure, Paya was irritating, and I was going on maybe four or five hours of sleep at most, but there was no excuse for me to be irrational, especially since it would get me nowhere in my line of thinking. What I wouldn’t have done for a nice, hot cup of chamomile at that moment.

Based on the extreme angle of the bullet’s trajectory, one could tell at a glance where the shooter had to have been positioned. They’d have been standing above the altar with very little space between the two—definitely not enough for an entire person. Therefore the bullet that had taken the victim’s life had to have been a different one. This was backed up by the absence of any blood around the hole or anywhere else on the shrine. So why had I only heard one gunshot that night? And where in the world was the bullet responsible for Auntie Impa’s death if not on the scene of the crime?

After photographing the hole and scribbling my thoughts and observations down in my notebook, I began the procedure of extracting the bullet from the altar. This was a delicate task, one that I admittedly had a hard time trusting anyone else in the force with. Once I’d succeeded in retrieving the bullet, I determined it was of the same calibre as the one that had passed through the victim’s throat, meaning it was likely that it had been fired from the same gun. Unfortunately, all these facts corresponded with the weapon I’d found on the scene mere hours ago, two chambers of which were empty. There may have been no prints left on the trigger, but even so, I simply didn’t have it in me to run a striation comparison.

Standing up straight and taking a quick, deep breath, I turned to my assistant, who seemed to be investigating the mantelpiece. “Right, then, Fyori.” He turned his head as I approached him. “Anything to report?”

“No, madam,” he replied solemnly, avoiding my gaze and peering straight ahead over the top of my head.

“Is that so...?” I tapped the end of my pen against my chin habitually. “We seem to have a dreadfully diligent killer on our hands.” I gave the room another once-over from where I stood beside him. “You’ve been thorough in your search as always, I presume?”

“Of course.”

“And you found nothing? Not even a fingerprint?”

“No, I’m afraid not.”

“Then let’s move on,” I sighed, turning toward the doorway leading out into one of the building’s many corridors. He followed, just a few paces behind me. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to check since we got here.”

“That’s strange...” muttered Auntie Purah as she jumped through the footage captured by the front entrance’s security camera. “Symin, did I miss something?”

The Sheikah estate’s security supervisor shook his head. “Not that I could see.”

“Let me check it again.”

But even when she rewound and skipped through it a second time, the only person to appear was still myself on my initial search for the killer. Link gave me a furtive glance. I smiled at him in reassurance.

“Perhaps the other cameras caught something,” I suggested. “It would make sense that the culprit wouldn’t want to simply waltz right in through the front door.”

Auntie Purah looked to Symin. “Well, there are three other cameras, but two of them are so far removed from the scene that I doubt they’d be of much help.”

“And the third?” I asked, reaching for my notebook and something to write with.

“That would be the courtyard camera.”

“Ah, perfect!” The courtyard was located at the very centre of the property and served as an intersection between the four main hallways. “That one’s bound to have caught something. Let’s see.”

But this, too, would turn out fruitless. Throughout the night, there wasn’t even the shadow of a clue as to the killer’s movements.

“This...” I gaped. “This is impossible.” I knew for a fact that this particular model of camera was designed for the very purpose of protecting its footage from being altered or obstructed. Could the killer have made themselves invisible somehow?

“I don’t believe it.” Auntie Purah shook her head creakily. “Our company takes great pride in the reliability of our security cameras!”

Enraged, the tiny, old lady tried to stand up from her seat. Then a loud crack resounded throughout the cramped surveillance office. She screamed.

“Miss Purah, please calm down,” urged the kindly Symin, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright?”

“Yes,” she seethed, adjusting her glasses. “Thank you.” I didn’t know the man as well as I did the rest of the family as he had become a part of it a few years after I’d left the nest. However, it seemed like he would make a fine successor to Auntie Impa’s role of keeping her elder sister’s enduring impulsivity in check.

“There’s no reason to worry, Auntie. This is no fault of yours or your company’s,” I said, hoping to ease her pain a little. She’d suffered a terrible loss, and it was taking a great toll on her. It was difficult to watch such a brilliant mind come undone because of something like this. But after hearing my words, she looked up at me with a wrinkly smile. “My partner and I will just have to do an even more thorough inspection of the property tomorrow.”

The ride back to the precinct wasn’t a pleasant one. By the end of the day, my own mind had deteriorated into a swirling whirlpool of confusion, resentment, and woe. The investigation so far had borne so little results, it was hard to imagine that tomorrow’s search would be that much more successful. Of course there was still so much more that needed to be looked into, but right now, I just couldn’t see this turning out well. I still hadn’t solved the mystery behind my mother’s death in eighteen long years. Why, in this case, would I prove to be any less of a failure?

I curled my fists against my legs, trying my hardest to forget about the empty feeling in my stomach. Despite this, I knew I didn’t have the energy to do much more rational thinking today, if any at all.

Then my colleague broke the silence. “She was important to you, wasn’t she?” he asked, but such a personal question was strangely out of character for him.

“Yes.” I smiled sorrowfully into my lap. “I never really thought of her as a mother figure,” I admitted, “but she did put a lot of time and effort into raising me, in my actual mother’s stead.”

“She must’ve been a wonderful person.”

This made me laugh, to both his and my surprise. “Well, she would often scold me and Paya with the strictest attitude you can imagine, but I suppose she always had our best interests at heart.”

The longer I thought about Auntie Impa, the more I mulled over who could possibly have wanted her dead. She had already been getting on in age. Had the perpetrator’s need to kill her really been that dire? The only time people ever went that far was when their victim’s life would’ve put them in danger somehow if they’d have allowed them to go on living. But then again, there was the Yiga organization. They went around committing murders a couple times every week for seemingly no reason other than to flaunt their power. Perhaps Auntie Impa really had been just another one of their prey. Even so, I couldn’t shake the suspicion that there was more to it than that.

“Don’t you think it’s strange?”

The constable cocked his head, but kept his eyes on the road.

But then I stopped myself. There was still no proof of the Yiga’s involvement, so there was no point in bringing it up now. “Well, all of it is quite strange, frankly,” I amended. “The lack of blood, the missing bullet...”

“Could the killer have moved the body from somewhere else, perhaps?” he tentatively suggested.

“Very good, Link. That’s exactly what I’ve been theorizing.” The tips of his ears flushed, and he seemed to shrink back into his seat a little. “Oh, but then...wouldn’t that make it more likely for the cameras to have caught something?”

“That is true,” he concurred. “And there’s still been no sign of the murder weapon?”

I swallowed hard. “No...” My eyes flickered down toward my briefcase. “None.”

[quillandink333]

Scarlet Carnations ~ Part VII

BotW Link X Zelda ~ Detective AU

Rating: T

Word Count: 4k

WARNINGS: death, murder, loss, trauma, blood and gore, terrorism, organized crime, self-harm

Summary: Inspector Zelda Hyrule, assisted by the faithful Constable Link Fyori, is infamous for cracking the most confounding of cases in a town dominated by crime. Her latest assignment is to solve the murder of her own godmother, Impa Sheikah, the late CEO of Sheikah Tech. Incorporated, while staying under the radar of the dreaded Yiga organization.

Part I • Part II • Part III • Part IV • Part V • Part VI • Part VII • Epilogue • Masterlist

It took me far too long to recover from the discovery I’d made deep beneath the foundation of the Sheikah estate. Who knew how many more had been forced to suffer at the hands of the Yiga over the course of that period? It was high time to end this era of tyranny and grief, and to have anyone but myself take the lead was not an option. Whatever truth was waiting for me at the end of all this, so be it. I had to see it with my own two eyes. I had to see her.

To help set my plan into motion, the only person I had left to turn to was Prosecutor Sigatur, and though she had once held my mother in the utmost respect, she had benevolently volunteered to present my findings to the courts in my stead. As confident as I was in my argument and as desperately as I desired to be there for Link, I couldn’t quite stomach the thought of taking the stand and exposing myself to the discrimination of the public eye again.

And so, as the proceedings went on for the following few days, I spent my time back at the apartment, making myself useful by poring through my mountainous collection of data on the eighteen-year-old incident that I’d amassed over the years and had been keeping in my office until now. Now that I had been let go, my flat was practically overflowing with newspaper clippings, copies of investigation reports, and whatever else not. Every time I would open the door upon arriving home, I’d get hit in the face with the musty stench of dust and old magazines that I had nowhere to properly put away.

Though my collection was indeed vast, it was far more so in physical volume than in information. Most of the documents in it were no more than different accounts of the same basic facts. All the useful info I could glean was that the fire at City Hall had taken the lives of most, if not all, administrative officials who had been there working at the time, and those members of council who may or may not have been killed had never been seen nor heard from again, their bodies left for ash. And according to my sources, Mayor Hyrule had been amongst them.

There was a certain line in her letter to Auntie Impa that had tipped me off to her current whereabouts. “...I have been keeping watch over you from the ashes of the afterlife...” The imagery laced so intricately into those words had struck a nerve. There was only one place in this town that both would’ve been of any significance to her and was covered in ash: the crumbling ruins where the former City Hall had once stood.

Having reached the point of culmination in my plotting, I invited the newly reinstated Constable Fyori over for tea. The two of us meeting in my office would have been preferable, but we’d just have to make do with this for the time being.

“If my hypothesis is correct, then I am about to enter the belly of the beast,” I deliberated. Seated on my settee and restlessly tapping the floor with his heel, Link listened with both eyes and ears as I paced about the room. “Ideally, I’d have some sort of backup at my disposal. Maybe I could phone Urbosa and ask her to lend me a hand, just once more...”

“If I may,” he butted in, “why are you speaking as though you’ll be on your own?”

I hadn’t been nearly as prepared as I probably should have been for such a question. “Well...” I stammered, forcing the shame of admitting that I was too afraid to confront my own mother alone down my throat, “would you happen to know someone who’d be willing to accompany me?”

His mouth gaped at my answer. Then jutting his neck out and laying his palms across his chest, he stood up. “Me!”

I took a step back. “Link, what are you talking about?” If something happened to him as a result of this, which was more likely to occur than not, then his last moments would surely be filled with nothing but fear and regret. Not to mention, I would never forgive myself. “I really shouldn’t have to remind you. She’s the reason your family—”

“I know,” he snapped. His eyes were burning a hole straight through me. It was almost frightening. “Believe me, I’m not about to go forgetting it again any time soon.”

“Then why...?” I half-whispered in the most deathly serious tone I could muster.

“Because I’m tired of hiding.”

A harsh breeze rattled the blinds against the window frame. It took me by surprise, but he wasn’t phased by it in the least.

“I’m tired of turning a blind eye and acting like none of the horrible things she’s done ever happened.” I tried to think of a snappy rebuttal, but none came to mind. He’d said these words as though they’d been burning on the tip of his tongue for an untold number of days. He’d had a lot of time to reflect between his false conviction and his acquittal, so it seemed. He and I were of the same mind, of course, but... “And, because...” He stopped himself. Some of the fire in his gaze had gone out in smoke. I got my hopes up when he broke eye contact for a moment or two, and I could all but sense the resolve in him dying, just a little bit.

But then, emitting a slight sound of frustration, he stepped closer. His hands gripped my shoulders, and he pulled me in with the force of a hurricane.

When his lips made impact with mine, my eyes flew open.

He kissed me with what could only be described as reckless abandon. His mouth scraped across my own, and I could feel every ounce of his aggravation in the way his fingertips bit down on my skin alone. It was rough and clumsy and pressed, as if this were sincerely the last and only chance he would ever have.

All of a sudden, we were seventeen again, and standing in the middle of our secondary school’s greenhouse. The scent of dust was replaced with that of lush flora on all sides of us, and sunlight shining in from above caressed the top of my head with its warmth. This was the very scene that I’d used to daydream about time and time again, wasting more hours of each day than I’d have liked to admit at the time.

Now his fingers clung to the corners of my face like I was made of paper, his lips brushing mine almost imperceptibly as his bated breath fanned out against them. When my eyes opened and met with his, his complexion had turned a delicate rouge, and his faultless aquamarines had been clouded over by doubt. In that moment, all I could think to do was to make that doubt vanish. So I ignored the distant sense of guilt that yet lingered and seized the navy blue tie around his neck. Our forms collided, and a sigh like trees swaying at the mercy of a light breeze in summer grazed my cheek.

With Ms. Sigatur’s aid, the constabulary had been more than willing to cooperate and construct a perimeter of officers around the old City Hall’s charred skeleton. Just the fact that the vicinity wasn’t littered in tarps and rubbish and other evidence of homelessness was proof enough of my theory. And yet, the way the wind howled and that the only signs of life were the crows circling up above filled the pit of my stomach with an unease that I could not ignore.

“You know what to do as soon as you sense any sign of danger, I trust?” Urbosa had both her hands planted firmly on my shoulders, bending down to meet my gaze with that same, old look of worry.

I gave a firm nod, never breaking eye contact. “Of course.”

“And you have Fyori and the others looking out for you, so don’t be afraid to call for them if—”

“I’ll be fine, Urbosa. I—”

“No, you will not.”

All I wanted was to get this over with, but she just had to go and remind me of the risks. No matter what I wished for, it wouldn’t change the fact that this was, in all likelihood, a suicide mission. Which was why I’d been so adamant in refusing to allow Link to come along initially.

Said constable was watching the two of us out of the corner of his eye, ever the vigilante as he stood facing the stronghold a mere half dozen paces away.

I heaved a constricted sigh and looked the prosecutor earnestly in the eye. With a deep breath, “I understand how worried you are for me, but please, don’t try to stop me. I’m aware of the risk and I’m prepared to face the consequences. I wouldn’t be doing this if I weren’t confident in my ability to succeed.”

Her stance softened, if only just slightly. “If Hilda weren’t still alive, her spirit would haunt me for letting any harm come to you.”

“But that won’t happen, because she is alive and she would never try to hurt me.” This much I was certain of, for if she had harboured any such intentions, she would have acted on them already, with how the Organization typically operated.

Urbosa’s lips tightened, and the out of place worry lines permeating her expression faded incrementally. She cast her gaze toward my stubborn guardian in silence, and he offered her a calm, yet resolute, nod of the head.

After a quiet embrace that seemed to go on endlessly, she sent me on my way. I looked over my shoulder as she grew smaller and smaller, then turned my focus ahead of me.

Staring up at the towering columns before me, I fell into an unnatural combination of wonder, nostalgia, and loss. (For whom or what was I still mourning? At this point, I didn’t even know the answer to that.) For the most part, the only parts of the building left standing were those invulnerable to fire, and even a great portion of that had fallen victim to weathering and decay over the years. Many of the brick walls had crumbled, leaving little in the way of places to hide a single person, let alone an entire crime syndicate.

The wind was unrelenting as it whipped and thrashed my hair about my face. Yet somehow, even as we drew nearer, the air remained as deathly still as ever.

As we finally came upon the scorched remnants of the main entrance, a gust from the north sent a whirlwind of ash in my direction. My arms rose to shield my face in the nick of time.

After taking a moment to collect myself, I took my first step since childhood into the domain of my mother’s workplace. Surely when I crossed that threshold, I’d thought, surely that was when havoc would finally be wrought upon us. But I was met yet again with stillness. Was nothing but my own breathing able to break this seemingly impenetrable silence?

Just then, my question was answered.

I felt my soul jump out of the confines of my body when the caw of a crow reverberated throughout the government building. If my heart hadn’t been pounding hard enough already...

I jumped again seconds later, though not nearly to the extent at which I just had, when Link’s hand came to weave itself between my fingers. We locked eyes, and he gave me the kindest of smiles. It made me want to melt right into his arms and to never let go, lest I lose him a third, and very likely final, time.

But a clearing of the throat from one of the other nearby constables reminded me of the ever present need to stay alert.

I elected to have the group split into two: one to search the ground floor of the ruins and one to search the upper floor. It was hard to say for certain how stable they were, but the stairways connecting the two stories were still almost fully intact. The upper floor itself, however, was another matter. Though its foundation hadn’t been constructed from any organic material, much of its structural integrity seemed to have been lost. About a third of it had broken off and landed square in the middle of the ground floor, leaving a vast chasm between the two sections of the upper floor that remained. The police had come prepared and equipped for the traversal of rough and uneven terrain, though there was still the danger of stray pieces of rubble raining down onto our heads from above.

I adjusted the strap of my helmet, which was beginning to chafe at the skin underneath my chin, before making my way around the monstrous hunk of brick flooring lying along the length of the grand foyer. Beyond that, as I’d remembered correctly, was the hallway leading to where her office had once been. But the scene I would discover there was a far cry from what I recalled.

What I found there wasn’t unlike what we’d found in the other offices up until now. Any furniture that had once filled the space had been destroyed. I could only just make out the contorted pieces of an old, blackened writing desk, its legs collapsed and the only thing relaying the tale of its former shape being the lamp lying shattered beside it. This I’d only noticed after hearing the crackling of shattered glass underfoot.

A clipped, nasal exhale sounded from behind me, where Link was taking in the scene with an expression similar to my own set into his face. He’d been clinging to my side since we’d begun searching, whether out of a desire to protect or to be protected, I did not know. A question rang in my ears that he’d posed to me during our meeting at my flat. “What will you do once you find her?” It was a simple question, one that I reasonably should have been able to answer, but the only one that came to mind would have sounded beyond foolish if said aloud. In the midst of such an era of power, what crime boss in their right mind would be swayed by a meagre plea to stop? But if not try to reason with her, there wouldn’t be many other options at my disposal.

This supposition only applied given that my mother would be found. My inspections so far had yielded no signs of Yiga activity, or for that matter, any activity whatsoever. Everything here seemed to have been here since the very incident that had levelled the place. In a way, this only added onto my already existing restlessness. The longer this search went on in vain, the less likely we were to find anything of worth, and the more likely it was for this endeavour to end in yet another failure. The moment I would finally give into my fear and call off the mission was steadily approaching.

A shadow flickered in my peripheral vision, followed by auditory pandemonium.

I just barely withheld my yelp. Link had turned toward the source of the sound with his hand on his holster.

But it had only been a piece of debris coming down from the floor above. I sighed furtively.

Between how Link’s shoulders had tensed up to meet his ears and the way his hand twitched as he lowered it from his hip, it was plain to see that I wasn’t the only one who was shaken up.

There was one more area of the ground floor that I had left to search: the conference hall. If the Yiga were anywhere to be found across these vast burial grounds, it was there.

What was left of the wood flooring creaked underfoot at a much greater volume than I’d been expecting. The ceiling, though just as high as that of the rest of this floor, somehow felt even loftier. Out of all the rooms we’d visited, this one was the most intact. Half of the risers, though scorched, were otherwise undamaged, and even the podium was still standing tall. But of course, being more intact meant giving sharpshooters more places to hide. One misstep and—

Crack

The floor fell out from beneath me. I let out a shriek, feeling the realm of death open its big, black maw and swallow me whole.

Then I landed with a calamitus crash.

If I hadn’t managed to curl my limbs around myself in time, the concrete flooring I seemed to have landed on surely would’ve cracked my head open, or given me a severe concussion at the very least. My whole body ached from the impact, and it felt as though I may have sprained my ankle, for when I tried to stand, it throbbed in the most violent pain I had ever experienced. I fell to my hands and knees, reeling.

The spot in the floor that I’d placed my weight on must have lost much of its hardiness to the fire. In all the times I’d been here as a little girl, it had never once occurred to me that this place had housed a basement.

“Zelda...!”

I looked up to see Link peering down from the hole in the ceiling that I’d made, his expression poised with worry. My body, covered in scrapes and bruises, cringed when I realized he had borne witness to that pathetic spectacle, making the pain tenfold.

“I’m fine,” I whisper-shouted up toward the only source of light in the room, and some of the fear in his face relaxed. He glanced around him, then looked back down in my direction before standing up and disappearing.

I could only hope he’d find his way down sooner rather than later. In the meantime, I shifted into a position I hoped I’d have more luck rising back to standing from, and I did. Though, maimed as I was, I’d still have to find some way to take some of the weight off my right foot.

The first thing I latched onto was rusty and sharp. I winced and pulled my hand back, looking blindly to see if my palm was bleeding or not.

As my eyes adjusted, I was relieved to see that the cut had only just grazed the surface of my skin. I scanned the room, seeing that the thing I’d touched was a piece of an old oil drum. In fact, the room was full of metal scraps resembling it.

A vision flashed before my eyes. Of City Hall being engulfed in flame within seconds, and the criminal mastermind hiding the evidence in a cellar, where no one would ever find it until the better part of two decades later.

The rest of the basement was still a cluttered mess, but somehow it felt a great deal more lived-in than what I’d seen up until this point. There wasn’t a soul to be found in any of the windowless rooms I came across, but the few things I found lying around with the help of my pocket torch, like an unopened pack of cigarettes and a deck of cards left strewn across a small table, gave me the distinct impression that I wasn’t alone. The numerous corners provided by old, metal bookshelves and file cabinets did little to slow my racing heart.

Eventually, I came upon an open doorway, beside which a small sign on the wall read, “Archive A.” Beyond the barrier, unlike the pitch darkness I’d been wandering through for I’d long lost count of just how long, a few threads of light were trickling in from above, presumably through a crack in the flooring above that I’d failed to notice before.

I stepped through the doorway, turned to face the yawning expanse of the former archive, and saw her. Dressed in pale white and standing radiantly in the center of the room.

My mother. The very image of my ever vivid memory of her was right there.

My feet carried me, with newfound purpose and with minds of their own, toward her. I wanted to reach out and feel her next to me. I wanted to ascertain that she was truly there and that I hadn’t actually hit my head and wasn’t now seeing things. I wanted to run at her, arms outstretched, more than anything in the world.

But then my ankle throbbed violently in protest, and my reason for being here came back to me at full force. I swallowed down my longing and stopped in my tracks. Her smile—that warm, glowing, congratulatory smile that held all the hope and light of the sun within its corners—wasn’t making this any less difficult, however. I was reminded of the simpler times, when at the end of each day, there was someone back at home waiting to hold me close and make all my worries melt away.

She held her arms out to me in a gesture that made my eyes well up with the tears of a child. It felt unspeakably wrong, but for what reason I could no longer place. Why shouldn’t I? What harm could it possibly do? It was only natural to want to wrap my arms around her as tightly as I was able, and to never let go again, wasn’t it?

A gunshot ripped through the peace.

Her face turned still as stone. Square between her harmless eyes had appeared an inky black-red orifice—an exit wound—from which a spray of crimson had decorated her visage.

Time slowed almost to a stop as Mother careened forward and fell flat onto the cold, hard floor. A hollow thump echoed throughout the empty space.

Before I’d had time to react, I looked up and met eyes with a painfully familiar pair of icy azures, which thawed in an instant as the owner lowered his weapon. I glanced down at the body, which had landed just two or three paces in front of me, then back at him. Then my own body started to shake.

No matter how I tried, I couldn’t control the violent tremors that had taken hold of me. My knees hit the floor, my bad ankle being wrenched one way in the process. This tore a scream from the depths of my lungs as the tears began waterfalling down in spiteful defiance against my will. I couldn’t bare to look at her—lithe arms strewn out limply at her sides and golden hair scattered in every direction—so I hid like the coward I was behind my stinging palms.

A metallic clack, followed by footsteps pounding the cement one after another as they neared. When his arms cradled my head into the shelter of his chest, I didn’t stop him. Nor did I when his hand began its gentle stroking up and down the curve of my back. He could have said something, anything, but he refrained. Instead, the silence surrounding my cries did nothing but amplify them.

A resounding clatter broke the air.

My vision was fogged up like a window pane in the dead of winter, but as I blinked away the tears, I began to make out the shape of an assault rifle lying on the concrete, at the feet of a person who hadn’t been there before and whose face I was unable to make out from this distance. In the figure’s hand was a bone-white mask, which they turned over in their grasp before dropping it onto the floor as well. It shattered upon landing.

In every corner, assassins were emerging from the shadows, each one of them laying down their weapons and turning to face the cooling corpse resting at the axis point of it all. Somehow, the room seemed even more devoid of daylight than ever before.

[quillandink333]

Scarlet Carnations ~ Part V

BotW Link X Zelda ~ Detective AU

Rating: T

Word Count: 1.9k

WARNINGS: death, murder, loss, trauma, blood and gore, terrorism, organized crime, self-harm

Summary: Inspector Zelda Hyrule, assisted by the faithful Constable Link Fyori, is infamous for cracking the most confounding of cases in a town dominated by crime. Her latest assignment is to solve the murder of her own godmother, Impa Sheikah, the late CEO of Sheikah Tech. Incorporated, while staying under the radar of the dreaded Yiga organization.

Part I • Part II • Part III • Part IV • Part V • Part VI • Part VII • Epilogue • Masterlist

“‘Justice is Dead’: Inspector Hyrule Loses her Badge for Lying in Sheikah Murder Trial”

This headline, alongside a photograph capturing the catastrophe that had been Link’s trial, was what had made the front page of the Times not long after it had all transpired. And it wasn’t the only one of its kind. Far from it. It seemed every publishing firm in town had released an article covering my epic blunder in court.

My name wasn’t unfamiliar to the masses either. As the daughter of the last pre-Yiga mayor to stand in office, anyone who read the paper regularly knew who I was. Until now, I’d been known all across town as the prodigy detective dedicated to keeping the streets free of crime, but now, all those people would look upon my face and see nothing but a filthy, lowlife perjurer.

I could live with my name being ground into the dirt by the media. What made me truly bitter beyond words was that the few individuals whom I’d once trusted and looked up to would now think the same of me.

I’d tried reaching out to Prosecutor Sigatur countless times in the hopes that she could in some way continue the investigation in my stead, but every time I called, she would never pick up. She probably saw this case as closed now anyway. I had managed to get a hold of Auntie Purah, but all she’d been willing to say to me was that she needed time to think before hanging up. As for Paya, I couldn’t even bring myself to try to contact her.

It wasn’t something I took pride in. Clearly the best thing for me to do would be to apologize to them all for my actions, most of all to Paya after all the needless grief I’d caused her. But I simply couldn’t do it. Just the idea of it felt wrong. No words that I could possibly say to them would be of any use in bettering the circumstances. I couldn’t bring Auntie Impa back. I couldn’t undo what I’d done. I couldn’t do anything. There wasn’t a single thing I was good for other than making a mockery of myself and disappointing those who’d once dared to put their faith in me. Nothing at all.

And now, to put a cherry atop the sundae of darkness and misery that my life had come to, the one person who mattered most to me, the one I’d dedicated myself to protecting, was gone, forever. Just when we’d finally found each other again. There was still so much I’d wanted to ask him, and even more that I’d wanted to say, but...

What I wouldn’t have given just to be by his side at that moment. What we did didn’t matter. Even if he and I were simply in the same room together, I’d feel more at ease. But who was I to wish for such things? I was the one who had failed him. I should’ve just testified that I’d been the one behind everything. I should’ve been the one on death row right then. Not him.

I thought recalling a happier time would perhaps help to restore me to my rational self, before it was too late, but in the end, it only proved to pour more salt in the wound.

“Alright, I’ll see you around.” Both Paya’s and my own ears perked up at the familiar, jovial voice down the hallway. “Great time catching up with you!” No sooner than we’d heard those words did Link come striding out of one of the classrooms on the left.

“Uhh...!” I turned toward Paya, who was suddenly as red as a raspberry. “I j-just remembered I had something to ask one of my teachers about!”

Just then, Link’s eyes landed on the two of us. Paya gave him a wave and a sheepish smile, both worth no more than half a second.

“You two have fun!”

Then she started to turn on her heel.

My outstretched arm just barely missed the strap of her school bag. “No, wait!”

“Bye!”

I gave a disgruntled snarl as she made her hasty retreat. She was far enough now that if I tried calling out to her, I’d only be drawing attention to myself.

“Everything alright, Zelda?”

“Link!” The boy in question was right there, just a foot’s distance or so behind me. “Oh, yes. Quite. Paya’s just...”

“She seemed busy.”

“Yes, yes,” I grumbled. Busy putting me on the spot, more like. As always. “Who was that you were talking to just now?”

“Oh, you must mean Sidon!” he exclaimed. “He and I knew each other in elementary school. He just transferred here last week, or so I’m told. What a small world we live in!”

He spoke animatedly, gesturing with his whole body as he told me tales of the mischief he and his childhood friends used to get up to. Though he himself had only been enrolled here since the start of that year, it seemed he already knew everyone on campus. Even the members of faculty were fond of him.

“So I heard you got in touch with my father again the other day,” he said as we rounded the corner of the building’s exterior on the way to our usual lunch spot.

“Oh, yes, I did!” He took a seat next to me on the concrete bench in front of the greenhouse.

“How’d that go?” he asked, then tore a massive bite out of his sandwich.

I winced in a mixture of worry and amazement. “Well, he didn’t really have much to contribute to my case, but I appreciate his hearing me out all the same.”

“Ah’m thure you ‘o.” He swallowed his mouthful of food before continuing, to my relief. “But he doesn’t take time out of his busy schedule to talk to just anyone, you know.”

“Oh, certainly. If it weren’t for Urbosa, I’m sure he wouldn’t even give me the time of day.”

Then a teasing grin lit up his face. “Aren’t you forgetting about someone?”

“Oh! Of course. My apologies,” I bowed, swivelling in his direction. “You’ve been a great help as well, Link. Thank you.”

A faint crease formed between his brows. “Come on now, I was only joking.” He gave my shoulder a light shove, nearly making me drop my lunch tray. “You should try being less prim and proper all the time. No one’s counting on you for anything, are they?”

“No, I suppose not.” No one amongst the living, anyway. Besides, he already had me eating lunch outside the cafeteria. How much more improper did he expect me to be? “I think it’s just the way I’ve been brought up.”

He gave a slow nod. “That’s understandable.” No doubt he could imagine how strict the CEO of Sheikah Tech. could be with her daughters sometimes. “Still, if you want my advice, try lightening up now and then. Trust me, you’ll be loads happier that way.”

My heart swelled at his kind words. If it were anyone else, I probably would have dismissed them as just another naïve optimist. “You think so?”

He shook his head, correcting me with, “I know so.”

I’d bumped his knee with my own when I’d turned to face him a short while earlier. It was then that I finally took notice of our sustained bodily contact, which in turn made me notice how little distance there really was between where he and I were now sitting.

He must’ve realized this as well. While I was still in a flustered rut about what to do, he caught me off guard and scooted even closer, until our thighs were just a hair’s breadth away from touching. I, of course, was a gawking, red-faced mess at this point, but he didn’t seem to mind. He simply kept looking at me with that disarmingly sweet smile of his.

Never in my life had I met someone more determined to keep smiling in spite of all the world’s cruelties than he was. It wasn’t ignorance; his father was none other than the district’s chief detective. He was simply, genuinely, fearless.

“Hey, so...” His mannerism had shifted out of nowhere from confident to slightly less confident. “Will you be coming back here for the horticulture club meet this afternoon? I just remembered you mentioning that the other day, and if you are going, it’d give me a reason to go.”

A rush of giddiness took hold of me, causing my heart to thrum wildly within my ribcage. “Really?”

“Oh, wait. Did I just—” He laughed into his palm, then groaned. “Did I say, ‘a reason,’ just now?” I nodded, perplexed. “I meant, ‘more reason.’ That’s what I meant to say, obviously, because I was already thinking about going before you mentioned it.”

He seemed to be telling that more to himself than to me. I did my best to reciprocate his forced chuckle. “Alright.”

“Yep...”

The bell rang in the distance, signalling five minutes until the start of class.

“Oh, dear. I’d better be off.” In a rush, I stood up and gathered my things. “My next class is on the other side of campus. Bye for now, Link!”

“Wait, Zelda!” I halted. “So...are you going?”

I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my lips. “That’s what I had planned for today, yes.”

“Oh, spiffing!” His crow’s feet appeared adorably at the corners of his eyes, making my own smile grow. “I’ll see you then!”

By the time the memory had reached the end of its reel, there was a knife situated in the trembling grasp of my hand. Though the cuts were already a great deal in number, I’d barely even felt them until now. Now they stung like venom. In truth, it was most likely a result of the tears that had begun to fall upon the marred surface of my inner forearm. With this realization, my silent tears were only magnified into sobs of insurmountable extremity. The blade in my grip clattered mercilessly onto the desk. I was never going to see him again, was I?

As the salt of my tears mixed together with the little puddles of red that had formed, I caught myself staring blankly at the ball key sitting on the far end of my desk: the one Link had found at the scene of my godmother’s killing and had kept secret until the day before his conviction, when he’d entrusted it to me. Its dim, tangerine glow was just another painful reminder of how hopeless this situation really was.

Of course, being the spectacular mess of a person that I had become, I’d made the oh-so-wise decision to cut myself at the place where I carried out my chemistry experiments. With grandiosity, I oafishly spilled an entire beaker’s worth of fluid just as I’d finished wiping away the blood.

But just as I was about to go and fetch the mop, something happened that I never could’ve expected.

In the darkness of my apartment, the area on my desk where there had once been blood was glowing a strikingly brilliant blue.

I picked up the beaker that I’d knocked over. It bore the handwritten label, “5-Amino-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione.” Scanning the desk’s surface, something else caught my eye—something that could potentially be the “key” that I’d been searching for since the moment I’d discovered my dear godmother’s dead body.

The orange glow of the ball key, which had just so happened to find itself square in the middle of the splash zone, was being obscured by spots of blue light.