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Chapter Text

As dawn's first light shattered the blood-soaked darkness, the land of Hyrule breathed a collective sigh of relief. The Hero had prevailed. From the ashes of destruction, hope sprouted anew. The Calamity, the monstrous Ganon, had finally been vanquished, its reign of terror ended by the combined might of the Hero and the Princess. With the silence of their victory echoing through the land, nature began to stir once more, birdsong heralding the advent of peace.

Amidst this serene backdrop, the Hero of Hyrule, Link, his once-vibrant green tunic now weathered and chainmail damaged from the battle, made his descent. His paraglider cut through the crystal-clear sky, bringing him down to the verdant plains of Hyrule, the same plains where he had felled the beast. The world was as it should be once more.

The soft voice that had been his beacon during the storm of battle called out to him, compelling him to turn around. The anticipation in his heart palpable as he eagerly awaited his first glimpse of her, the one who had sealed the Calamity away.

A golden figure, radiant as the sun, materialized beside him, and within moments, he found himself captivated by the most beautiful maiden, no--Princess, his eyes ever had the honor of looking upon. She descended from the heavens like an angel, her stormy, green eyes ensnaring his gaze. As he beheld her, memories long forgotten flooded back, of a cherished friendship, of shared trials and triumphs, and the indomitable bond they'd formed.

Recognition dawned upon him; she was the one, the one he'd been yearning for since his awakening in the shrine.

The Princess, her golden hair billowing in the wind, turned her back to him, casting her gaze across the plains. As she placed a hand over her heart, a sigh broke the tranquility.

"I've been keeping watch over you all this time," she said, voice soft as a whisper. "I've witnessed your struggle to return to us, as well as your trials in battle. I always thought – No, I always believed – that you would find a way to defeat Ganon."

Her royal gown, time-worn yet majestic, danced with the breeze as she turned back to face him.

"I never lost faith in you over these many years."

She smiled, her hands clasped in front of her as if in silent prayer.

"Thank you, Link...the Hero of Hyrule."

The knight's lack of a response caused a subtle hint of doubt to cloud her smile. With more force than she likely intended, and perhaps a hint of fear, she spoke again.

"Do you...really remember me?"

Still meeting her emerald gaze, he found the only word he could muster.

"Yes."

"Link...," the Princess whispered. "There is so much I wanted to say before...before you fell in battle-"

"Do not worry yourself over it, my Princess," the Hero interjected, his hand raised. "The battle is won, you are finally safe, and that's all that matters now. There is time enough later for all the rest."

"Spoken like a true knight," Zelda replied with a soft giggle. "Duty until the end. Even after all these long years, you still haven't changed. I suppose some things cannot truly be forgotten."

Her face became suddenly downcast. "I fear...that I'm the one who might have changed...that perhaps I am no longer much like the Princess of your memory..."

The Princess' hand fidgeted as she looked away. Must she still feel so nervous just being next to him? It had been one hundred years! And yet...it again felt as it had in those later days, that too-short time after she'd overcome her bitterness to see the true quality of the young man before her. It was how she felt when she truly met him for the first time; when she got to know the real Link.

Zelda cringed a bit at the memory of the old her, that haughty royal who had looked down her nose at the commoner who thought himself superior to her enough to take on the mantle of the Hero and succeed where she had failed—

She fell deep in thought reminiscing old memories of when she first met the real Link.

It was just after that horrible run in with the Yiga clan all those long years ago, she thought back. It was then that she remembered how she felt just before she thought her end was all but certain. She had fallen to the ground, cornered, staring up from the dusty hot desert sand up the Tabi boots of her enemy dreading his Vicious sickle. There she lay out of breath, trembling and hands sweaty. She closed her eyes in absolute terror as the masked assassin slowly raised his weapon above her head just about to deal his killing blow when a selfless Knight appeared from out of nowhere.

With a thundering clash and with lighting speed the Knight's swift sword slain her foe before he could carry out his finishing strike.  There she lay and hesitated a moment in shock. Afraid, she slowly peaked her eyes open worried about what she might have seen. Amazed and stricken to her stunning relief she saw standing before her was a handsomely brave young Hylian warrior clad in Royal blue garb which was of her own making.

There her quiet guardian valiantly stood as a sentinel before the rest of her attackers striking bone chilling fear into their hearts. They scurried away from his fierce judgement that was certain to be dealt to them if they so much as touched her. It was then at that very moment the Princess begun to look at  her  Silent Protector with different eyes.

She remembered what happened that day over one hundred years ago.

"No."

She looked back to the Hero with a jolt, whose voice had so cleanly cut through her thoughts. On his face, her knight had a reassuring smile, warm as a new campfire.

"No, Princess," he repeated. "I think that, looking at you now, you are more the princess of my memory than ever before."

Zelda's heart raced, joyous at the words. Still smiling, the Hero, her wonderful knight, held out his hand to her. She took it slowly, the feeling of their hands meeting was like a jolt of electricity traveling up her arm. She met his smile with one of her own; but it faded away as she caught sight of the ruined castle in the distance.

"Well...let's have a look shall we?" She said.

Link and the princess made their way and walked the hallowed unkempt cobblestone roads of the once-great city where denizens of Zelda's kingdom had long ago gathered. It had been a happier, more prosperous time.

The land of Hyrule was once a shimmering shining jewel, the envy of the world, and blessed by the Goddesses with everlasting prosperity.

Now that Kingdom is no more, Zelda thought, as she looked upon the ruin.

There was no laughter of children to be heard playing in the great fountain, nor the roaring shouts of merchants haggling their goods in the marketplace. She recalled the famous opal trinkets from Zora's Domain, and the freshly-caught fish brought in daily by the quaint river folk who would ferry barrels filled to brim with the bounty of wild fishermen of Lurelein Village.

There was no familiar aroma of freshly-baked breads, nor the delectable scent of her favorite jam-filled puff pastries that once permeated the air as she walked up and down the early morning lit streets of town. Not even the noise of the annoyingly boisterous young postman, who would never miss an opportunity to sing the Princess' praises in greeting every morning when she walked the busy roads of Castle Town square. Even him, she missed.

But most of all, she missed hearing the strong voice of her wise, kind father, the good King of Hyrule.

There was nothing left of the home they once loved and remembered; nothing left but the foul stench of decay and the deafening sound of silence. It was a sad reminder to Zelda and Link both of the high price of their victory, and how hard-won peace truly was.

The two soon found themselves standing below the Castle's grand entrance, gazing upon the decimated and smashed-in portcullis, and captivated by the sheer destruction left from the siege a century ago. Blowing from the east came a chill wind, which waved the battered and broken sigils that once proudly adorned the castle walls; flags of a mighty kingdom brought to its knees, relics from an age long past. They flapped and drooped in the wind, holey and threadbare.

The princess and her knight used this moment to look toward the Castle keeps that still stood, offering silent prayers to all they'd loved and lost, and the sacrifice of those who'd tried to defend them.

The Kingdom was saved at long last, yet there would be no songs sung or parade jubilees that day. Too many innocent lives were numbered among the dead.

Silently standing there as the minutes passed, Zelda finally heaved a deep sigh of both relief and closure.

Turning to Link, she spoke. "We did all we could. Now it is our duty to show the good people of this world, of this age, that they are also not forgotten."

Zelda held her chin high, and with a look of firm resolve and determination, she smiled toward her knight.

"Come, Hero. There is so much more for us to do."

The pair made their way past the walls of Castle Town, stepping into the great, open wild of Hyrule Kingdom. Already the smell of the air here was more fresh and pleasant than in the reign of the Calamity, and the gentle breeze carried along a sweet scent of lavender. Despite the scent of the flowers, thoughts of the journey ahead caused Zelda to sigh in trepidation.

Link, perhaps noticing his princess' mood, stretched his hands outward. The princess caught the brief flash of a cool smile on her knight's face, as he gripped Sheikah Slate tightly in his hands, and seemed to mutter something under his breath. A spell? An incantation? A sneeze? Zelda wasn't certain.

Suddenly, a beam of golden light burst forth from the Slate, dancing upon the grassy field before them. Slowly, as a shining blue aura whipped and pulsed around the golden sparks, Zelda saw them all coalesce into an artificial mount –- a machine resembling a gallant steed.

The princess gasped with a delight at the display, giggling softly. "Haha, oh my! Well, now I know you certainly haven't been bored all this time that I've been gone."

"The Sheikah Master Monk, Maz Koshia, called it the Master Cycle Zero," Link explained, his hand reaching up to self-consciously scratch the back of his head beneath his green cap. "You know...for the Hero."

Suddenly, to Link's complete shock, Zelda leaped onto the Master Cycle zero, dress somehow staying properly in place all the while. She hadn't even asked his permission!

Then again, she thought with a grin, I'm the princess. I don't need anyone's permission, thank you very much.

Under normal circumstances, Zelda would never have dreamed of doing something so rude. After all, she was raised to be a proper young lady. In this case, however, she found she simply could not help herself. She had a deep fascination with all such mysteries and curiosities of the world, things that nobody quite understood.

Link understood this about her, of course, having accompanied her often enough on those research trips in that time long past.

Never come between the princess and her scholarly interests, he thought. Particularly the toys. No good can ever come of interfering with that

The princess' eyes were wide and shining with pure, childish delight at the sight of functioning ancient technology that wasn't trying to kill them.

What a wonderful feeling indeed, she thought.

These things were her passion. The cogs, the gears, the screws, all of it intrigued her. They were old, very old, yet they were also so very new and the mysteries they held called to her like nothing else. Such machines had been rare, even in her time, and even then it was usually only those ancient guardians that remained functional. But this device...so very curious!

"Well, what say you, Hero?" She playfully called to Link, as she began to seek out the machine's controls with poking and prodding fingers. "Shall we make for Kakariko upon the back of this fine steed? I've no doubt we can get there at great speed with this fine artifact in our possession. We must let Impa know of your victory!"

From the back of her new mechanical horse toy, Zelda sent a playful wink toward her knight, urging him to join her. Link, for his part, simply nodded, and he swiftly lifted himself onto the mount, positioning himself directly behind her on the seat.

"How do you suppose we get this boy to go?" she asked, looking over her shoulder.

She hadn't intended to lock eyes with him, yet she did, and the sudden knowledge of his closeness made her heart flutter. Her cheeks went red as a open hydromelon as he stared back at her, deep into the emerald green of her eyes. She very nearly jumped when he reached over to place his hands (warm, comforting, protective hands...) cozily over hers, and gently secured them to the mount's handles.

"Hold on tight," he told her firmly.

And with loud "Yah!" of command, her knight kicked the mechanism into gear, and they were off at speed.

He didn't seem to notice what happened, thought Zelda, as her blush faded away. Then again...what did happen?

Link hadn't noticed the effect his closeness had brought about in her, mostly because he was too focused on just what effect her closeness had brought about in him. His hands shook nervously, and his throat tightened up from the mere thought of her proximity in that moment. Fortunately for him, he soon found an adequate distraction from such thoughts in the sounds of the grinding wheels, the spinning and broken earth slinging through the air, and feel of the wind rushing against his face. They were the sensations of adventure, and Link loved adventure.

"Link, just maybe you shouldn't go so faaaaaast!" Zelda squealed, an unintentional smile of pure glee on her face even as she called for her knight to slow them down.

Catching the briefest glance of her joy from over his shoulder, Link grinned to himself. Slow down? He instead chose to floor the driving mechanism.

Zelda had no time to prepare herself, as the two of them shot high over the first hill, leaving nothing but mud torn grass in their wake.

Link! He did that on purpose!

It didn't really matter, though she thought. The ride was such great fun that she was beyond caring. Her face was lit up like a firecracker on midsummers eve. Instead, she decided simply to smile and enjoy the trip.

The two of them rode against the backdrop of the sunset, speeding through the grassy rolling hillsides and open meadows of Hyrule. The war was over but for them, their journey had only just begun. And at the end of this particular road lay Kakariko Village, where Impa awaited them...

Several hours later, after zipping through the tall brushlands and abandoned roads of Hyrule's inner kingdom, and bouncing over every hill between the castle and Kakariko, Link and Zelda felt the Master Cycle Zero begin to sputter as they approached a small gorge not far from their destination. It was then, with a growl of confusion, Link realized the controls had completely locked themselves!

Rather than slowing, the mechanical mount picked up more and more speed on the downhill slope with every passing moment. At this rate, with the machine all but dead, and the road slick and dotted with puddle from earlier rainfall, Link wouldn't be able to stop it from carrying them right off into gorge! He'd originally intended to leap the gap, certainly, but he couldn't do it without precision control!

Zelda's heartbeat began to quicken as she realized that they couldn't clear the gap. A frightful chill shot up her spine, her arms locked and her hands tensed, as she began to brace for the inevitable impact upon the no doubt treacherously sharp rocks that awaited them at the bottom of the gorge. It was grimly humorous, in a way -– after defeating the most terrible monster Hyrule had ever known, they were about to done in by a combination of bad luck a gravity.

"Link, what are we going to do?!" Zelda shrieked in panic, as her fear began to overwhelm her. "The machine isn't responding! We can't make the jump!"

With only just seconds left until they meet their doom, Link swiftly reached for the Sheikah Slate attached to his belt. Gripping the Slate firmly, he held before the him and the princess, and called upon the power of Magnesis - the ability to manipulate the forces of magnetism and bend metallic objects with the power of just his will alone.

By sheer chance, the knight had spotted an outpost off to his side. Likely it looked like it had once been the home of some small resistance force a century ago against the siege of the Calamity, though it now stood abandoned with dismembered Guardians. He cared not for its history, for the moment -– only that it might save him and Zelda. Not too far off into the distance, standing upright in the middle of the ruined fort, was a decayed monument pillar. Hoping for the best -– it would need to have something metal on it for this plan to work - he took aim with the Sheikah Slate.

The Slate cast out a small beam of glimmering energy, translucent and bright, taking hold of something attached to the pillar with a snap. Their anchor, their one chance to survive this, turned out to be a decrepit old flag pole stuck fast into the stone pillar. Lucky indeed that is had been made of metal and not wood.

Link grasped the Slate as tightly as he could, as its power firmly locked onto the pole, and the bond jerked and yanked them back counter to the force of the Autonomous Mount. The momentum flung around, turning and slingshotting parallel to the edge of the cliff. Raging through mud and scratching through tree branches, their wheels skipping alongside the edge of the cliff, the the riders and their machine slowed to a miraculous stop.

Regardless of the incredible save, the mount remained locked, its power drive fuming and steaming.

Zelda cautiously peaked one eye through her fingers to see where they stood,and sighed with relief.

Well, I think the worst behind us, she thought. Why are these wondrous machines that I love so much trying to so very hard to kill me, even without Ganon?

Quickly, she and Link dismounted, unsure of just what had caused their divine mount to fail, and shaken at the very close call they'd experienced.

"I don't understand," Zelda spoke. "Things were going just fine before. Hmmm..."

The princess gazed quizzically at the machine, hand firmly placed beneath her pretty chin, and one sleek brow lifted up high as she inspected the poor mount's remains. Before she could gather any reasonable thoughts as to why they were stuck, a gust of chill wind struck her. It was too much, soaking wet and only wearing a thin gown as she was, and she shivered visibly from the cold. She knew for certain now the worst was not over as her shaking intensified, her cheeks turned rosy, and she attempted to rub warmth into painfully stiff hands using the warmth of her breath.

Link could feel the fierce sting of the cold air, as well, but took the care to consider his princess' condition first. He reached into the satchel strapped to his back buckle. Inside, he found a trinket, one of the only sort that could of remedy this situation -– a ruby amulet forged from the burning foundries of the Goron smiths, a place where it was always hot as a simmering cauldron.

The knight walked up Zelda, who was too cold to notice his approach, and secretly slipped the amulet around her wrist. The special rubies mounted in the band held the power of warmth, and it was the light of Death Mountain's deep molten caverns that glowed within them. The Gorons skillfully learned how to tap into this raw unrefined power over the ages, and that mastery had led to the crafting of many fine jewels that hummed with the fiery essence.

It is unfortunate, Link thought to himself, that I have only one of these. She needs this more than I do.

Almost immediately, Zelda felt an invisible blanket of hot summer roll over her. Confused, and wondering if she'd perhaps shifted into a hypothermic state, she looked around to see what had caused the feeling. Noticing the fine piece of jewelry now attached to her wrist, she looked up to Link, and the heat of an embarrassed blush replaced the red of the chill air.

"Thank you, Link," she said with a soft smile.

It was a greater gift than simple warmth, though Link had no way of knowing. Zelda would never admit it, but the princess missed all the comforts of home.

What I would give for just one pleasant night's rest on my feather pillow beside the hearth, she thought with a sigh.

"You probably didn't think the princess was such a quitter," she said, looking away from her knight, "considering all those talks of Adventuring out on my own to study the world and all that from before."

Attempting to change the topic, she returned to examining the Divine mount. Wait a moment...

"Aha! That must be it!" the princess exclaimed, pointing enthusiastically skyward.

Link shivered against the cold. He wasn't going to complain, though. He'd dealt with these conditions before...but did she really need to do all of this analyzing now?

"Yes, it must be so," Zelda continued on. "The mount must have lost its ability to function after the threat of Calamity Ganon disappeared. The Guardians went inert, too. With no purpose apart from defending the Hero against Ganon, they must have reverted back to a dormant state. Of course, why didn't I think of this before?"

With a smile, the princess turned to face her knight once again.

"Well, Hero, it would appear that our mystery has been...solved..."

Her words trailed off at the realization that Link was shivering slightly, still battling the cold. Having been rendered immune to the weather thanks to the power of the bracelet, she'd all but forgotten that her knight wasn't himself shielded from the inclement weather.

"Oh, my goodness! I am so sorry, Link!" she exclaimed, face once again red with embarrassment. That had been happening to her a lot as of late. "Let us be off quickly! Certainly, Kakariko cannot be too far from here!"

Though her concern for his well-being was clear, Link had no desire to look weak in front of the princess. With a bit of effort and strength of will, he forced his body into compliance and shook off the chill. Immediately, his shivering halted, and the chattering of his teeth ceased. He grinned reassuringly at Zelda, who just stared in disbelief at his ability to casually shrug off the cold.

"I don't know how you do it, Link..." she said quietly.

As if in response, Link held out the Sheikah Slate, compelling the Divine mount to return to it.

Zelda immensely enjoyed watching the awesome power of the Sheikah Slate on display, mesmerized by the blue energy auras that materialized from every which way.

The mount now safely stored away, Link and Zelda worked to get their bearings on their location within the confines of the kingdom. Link spotted the path swiftly, and two made their way in the direction of Kakariko Village.

The southern hills off in the distance, maybe a mile or two at the most, he thought. The smokestacks in the air above them are a clear enough indication.

"You can make out the path if you look this way, Princess," the knight said, pointing toward the southern horizon.

"No need to call me 'Princess,' Link," Zelda chastised, looking at him with a playful glance. "You know, we were on a first name basis before all that ugly business with the Calamity. Remember?"

"Yes, Prin-I mean...Z-Zelda," the knight replied, fumbling to correct himself. His nostrils flared as he caught scent of something in the air. "Whoa! That's not just any old woodsmoke!"

Suddenly, Link crouched down to knee height, a look upon his face of the sort a wild wolf might make - one hot on the trail of some unsuspecting prey.

Zelda could not help but giggle at the sight.

"You truly are the Hero I remember, Link," she said through her laughter. "You never could resist a meal, regardless of whether or not it tasted any good."

The princess had to cover mouth to hide her face as her giggles turned into hearty chuckles.

"I sure hope your cooking has improved since I've been away," the princess remarked between gasping breaths. "So dreadful! Those poor pies never had a chance!"

"Actually, I have," Link countered, playful snark in his voice as he grinned at her. "And I just so happen to have learned from the best!"

"Oh, really? And who, may I ask, is the enchanting person responsible for this miracle?"

She placed her hands on her hips, and stared at him with a false pout on her face...though she found she couldn't quite meet his eyes.

"You really don't know?" Link asked, a charming smile on his face as he looked toward her. "It was you. I...remembered some recipes you made for us when we traveled together, just before the Calamity struck."

Link looked away, embarrassed at the admittance.

"For some reason, they were the first memories that came back to me," he spoke quietly, nervously reaching up the scratch at the back of his neck. "It seems my mind might have forgotten everything about you, at first, but my stomach simply couldn't. Heh heh."

"Oh, at least you remembered the important things about me!" Zelda replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I guess I should be grateful..."

"Yeah, for some reason I forgot my bad cooking habits and picked up where you left off in my memories. It sort of came natural to me after that. Luckily, I remember everything now."

At that moment, the unexpected happened, as the princess' stomach let out an incredible growl. The sound was such that even Link, walking a few paces ahead of her, noticed its roar. All she could do was look away, trying to hide the fierce blush on her face.

"Well, it looks like I'm not the only one hungry, here," Link said with a chuckle. "Let's hurry there and get you something to eat. It's definitely Kakariko up ahead."

The pair of travelers swiftly worked their way through the long corridor of grassy hills that turned into rocky mountainsides leading into the long gully entrance of Kakariko.

It was an old Sheikah farming village, peaceful, wedged neatly in the center of three canyons. A good position, strategically speaking, for a simple tribe to live in safety from outsiders who would have wished ill upon them. While martial prowess had been well-known among the Sheikah people of old, their truest natures were that of a tranquility and unwaveringly loyalty to the Hyrulian Royal Family.

As the two of them neared the village proper, Link could almost taste the sweet aroma fatted, piked pork wrapped in banana leaves, roasting buried over an underground fire. He prided himself on his keen sense of smell. No delicacy could escape his nose.

The Sheikah are culinary masters, well ahead of their time, the knight thought.

Link hadn't once skipped out on a chance to stop by Kakariko for a hot meal during his travels to free the Divine Beasts. He even learned a trick or two from one of the proud cooks who lived there. That particular lesson had been on how to properly fillet a wild salmon, and how to stew vegetables properly. The trick was to use minimal water, to prevent dilution of the flavor!

As a farming village, Link had always been able to count on them to have a steady supply of all sorts of tasty things, whether boiled in a pot, roasted over an open fire, or fried up in a scalding pan. Whether it be the savory, buttered swift carrots, or the sweet creme of pumpkin puree, and so many other delicious dishes! Link loved them all. Truly, his deepest pleasure in life was that of a good meal.

Zelda and Link finally made their way through the canyon corridor toward the tall wooden archway, where watchmen would greet passing travelers entering the village. The village itself was of an older style, with flat bamboo rooftops tied together with straw, along with curved, inverse arches that gave the homes a feudal feel, fitting with classic Sheikah tradition. The style was different than Hyrule Castle Town, to be certain.

As they slowly walked through the main entrance leading into the village, a hush fell over its people as more and more villagers caught sight of them. Stunned looks and murmurs of confusion could be heard among them as Link and Zelda trotted along toward the heart of the village and the home of its Elder.

"Who is that?"

"Is that...the princess?"

"She's been dead for over a hundred years!"

"It cannot be so!"

"I heard she died, and was buried alongside her knight at blachery."

"Are they back from the dead?"

"Could it really be them?"

"The foul odor of The Calamity has disappeared..."

"It must be!"

The voices were a muddled mess of disbelief, uncertainty, and the faintest glimmers of a hope long thought lost.

Word spread like wildfire throughout the small town, and a crowd began to gather as rumor got out of the possible return of the Princess and her Hero.

In front of the Elder Impa's residence, her attendants worked to keep the crowd from smothering their visitors, pushing them back as they continued to try and catch a closer glimpse of the Zelda and Link, who were nearing the long, creaking bamboo steps that led into the Elder's home.

As soon as Zelda placed her first foot onto the bottom step of the stairs, the double doors guarding the entrance to the home swung open, and a gust of wind fell over the crowd.

Everyone stood quiet, waiting eyes focused at the top of the stairs.

"I've been expecting you," came a voice from atop the steps. "I've been waiting an awfully long time."

The Elder, usually so old and frail, now seemed filled with a youthful vigor, as she stepped from within her home. She spoke from above the masses in a powerful, commanding tone. Cloaked in an ancient robe and wearing her wide straw hat, she triumphantly held her head high for all to see as she made her way down the steps. Upon reaching the bottom, she smiled at the princess and her knight, a kind and familiar smile, full of wisdom.

"You sure know how to keep an old woman waiting. The suspense nearly killed me, my dear princess."

Her words were swiftly followed by a sudden and certain bend of the knee, a long overdue gesture of respect to her returned liege, and one she'd long hoped she would still be alive to offer.

"We have faithfully tried to guard the Kingdom in your stead," spoke the old woman. "I give you the realm. May it shine now in your care, and may your smile grace us and anoint this great land of Hyrule once more. I have missed you and your smile in these many long years of darkness and despair. Now, when hope seemed all but lost, when our hour was at its most dire, you come to us and fulfill the prophecy of legend. May the clouds of doom depart away, and may your light shine upon us all once again."

As she bowed, a commotion behind them took Link and Zelda by surprise. All the people of Kakariko, young and old alike, bowed with reassuring reverence, now convinced unequivocally that their princess had indeed returned to them.

Link, caught off guard by the sudden display of respect, and suddenly remembering his duty as Zelda's knight, quickly bowed as well. It was, of course, no less an honor than his princess was due.

The silent display of fealty was short-lived, interrupted by a whistling song that could be heard just beyond the doorway where Elder Impa stood.

Paya, apparently unaware of what was happening, absentmindedly stepped out of the doorway...only to immediately notice everyone in the village bending the knee to a stunningly beautiful, blonde young woman standing in a tattered dress among them.

"Eeek!" the girl yelped softly, dropping the platter of fresh fruit she had been carrying, and quickly falling to her knees, face low to the floor in supplication at the realization that this woman standing beside Link must surely be the princess. A woman one hundred years lost, a woman she'd only heard stories of her entire life, now returned at long last.

The village was so quiet in its reverence, that when a lone apple from Paya's tray continued to bounce from every step of the stairs, every impact sounded like a deafening crash, echoing throughout the entirety of the area.

"Oh, no. Oh, no, I'm so stupid...," Paya stammered under her breath in embarrassment, though the words were still loud enough for Zelda and Link to hear. "I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me."

Zelda, without a moment's hesitation, reached for the fallen apple that come to stop just near her toes. Picking it up, she made her way up the steps, halting only after reaching Paya. Crouching down so that she could meet the shy girl's eyes, the princess offered her a soft smile.

"Hello, Purah," she greeted her, holding out the apple like a friendly offering. "I must say, it's been a very long time."

Face immediately reddening, even as she instinctively reached out to take the proffered apple, Paya waved her free hand in front of her to explain the case of mistaken identity.

"Oh n-no, I'm not P-Purah," she stuttered out quickly. "I'm P-Paya. P-People do say I r-resemble her when she was m-my age, though. I'm s-sorry."

"Oh my," Zelda replied, her smiling only widening. "Of course you're not! Silly me, that would make you over a hundred years old. I truly need to get used to the missing time. Forgive me, Paya. I am pleased to meet you."

With a gentle hand, Zelda eased Paya from her position on the floor, and motioned her down the steps, where she joined Impa, Link, and the still-bowing villagers.

Her heart warmed and her spirit humbled, Zelda addressed the waiting crowd from atop the steps.

"I'm am so pleased to have met you all!" she declared. "You honor me far too much, for it is I who owe my allegiance to all of you! Stand, my people! The day is yours!"

The people rose at her command, and a great cheer erupted for the return of the princess, and to the new Era of Prosperity that surely awaited them, for the Calamity was vanquished and all things should be restored to their former glory.

Impa, having slowly made her way to stand next to Zelda, called for the people's attention, silencing the crowd yet again with her firm wise voice.

"Hear ye, all friends of the Royal family, watchers of the realm!" she shouted, face positively glowing with ecstatic joy. "The Princess has returned to us! The Calamity has been slain and banished! The Hero walks among us, and we have much to celebrate this night!

"Let us partake of food and drink, and remember well this day as the day death challenged us at our gates, and was left wanting! We were, mere moments ago, already preparing a feast to celebrate the blessed harvest pulled from our soil! Now, let us celebrate something much, much more!

"Let us rejoice in the return of the Chosen One! Let us rejoice in the return of she who carries the blood of the Goddess, the one who is destined to lead the future, not only of our people, but of all the free peoples of Hyrule into a golden age once again!"

A single tear streaked the face of the old woman as she closed out her speech. At last, her century-long war had finally come to an end.

A roar of cheers filled the air. Men of the village rushed to prepare tables, chairs and comforts for their noble guests of honor. Women ran to finish the decoration and preparations for the feast. Meanwhile, amidst all the commotion, a 4 year-old little girl in a yellow dress, hair wrapped with a bow and held up with sticks, snuck behind Princess Zelda to tug at her still-muddied dress.

Zelda turned at the sensation, and the sight of seeing children again filled her heart to bursting with love and compassion. Slowly, she lowered herself to her knees show that she stood level with the face of the small, bright-eyed child.

"What do you have there?" Zelda asked in the cutest tone she could muster for the girl.

Slightly apprehensive and shy, the little girl carefully revealed what had been hidden behind her back, tightly clasped in her tiny hands. It was a flower, but not just any flower; it was a flower of such significance to Zelda, that her heart skipped a beat the moment she saw it.

It was a Silent Princess, the most delicate and beautiful of any she'd ever seen. The flower's pedals were in perfect bloom, with a strong, bright green stem, and petals that coursed with shades of ocean blue and purest white. The colors blended together so wonderfully that one couldn't tell where one began and the other ended.

Those who were so lucky to have looked upon its reflection were graced with a smile from the goddesses themselves, as the legends say, the princess recalled. A most treasured and rare flower indeed.

With a glance toward Link to see if he noticed as well but he was preoccupied with helping the others ready the feast. Zelda reached for the gift.

"For me?" she said, smiling.

"For the pretty princess," the girl chirped sweetly, handing Zelda the flower. "Mama says you saved us and blessed us."

A tear fell from Zelda's cheek as she grabbed the flower.

"Thank you little one," she said, voice husky with emotion but only loud enough for the child to hear her. "It was love that saved us."

Gently, the princess wrapped the child in a hug, and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead. The little girl, perhaps embarrassed, shyly ran back to her mother, a woman who was preparing one of the banquet tables just a few steps away.

"The feast is here!" Impa declared, as men bustled out from around her home, the lot of them carrying platters loaded up with all manner of food.

Link looked toward the group just in time to see what could only be his most anticipated prize - the fire-roasted piked pork –- which immediately set his mouth to watering. Two enormous Sheikah men ushered it forward on branches thrown over their broad shoulders, carefully leading it toward the center of the table. Everyone soon found their place at the table, Zelda having the place of honor at the center of the largest table, with Link to her right and Impa to her left.

Despite the fact that the whole village had turned out for this grand feast, all sitting at a multitude of tables placed out for the event, their numbers seemed so few to Zelda's eyes.

I'd estimate this at only about one hundred and fifty people, Zelda thought. She had hoped that more survived the Calamity.

As if she could read the princess' thoughts, Impa turned to Zelda and said in cheerful tone, "Don't worry yourself, Princess. Many survived the destruction of one hundred years ago, they simply do not live here. Some are in Hateno, others scattered throughout the many provinces of the land. Many, many lives are now safe, thanks to you."

Reaching out with her aged fingers, Impa took Zelda softly by the chin, lifting her head. The girl sighed softly, as the deep, familiar comfort warmed her soul. Something about Impa's words always had that effect over her. No matter how dark things might seem, Impa always had the ability to lift her spirits.

"Let the feast...begin!" Impa declared toward the eager gathering.

With nary a second thought, nor a moment of contemplation expression, Link attacked the piked pork with the ferocity of a starved beast. Zelda could not help but laugh at the sight of him slicing, ripping and tearing at his slab of meat.

It was only natural, she supposed. Link's family might have been members of the Royal Guard of Hyrule's Royal Family, but they were mostly conscripts, commoners of low birth. Link would never have been raised to possess the sort of etiquette expected of a typical royal feast.

Zelda payed that no mind. She didn't care in the slightest; she loved that Link was that way, so very different from her. He made her laugh, and he was wild, adventurous and fun. Castle rules and formal things had always bored her - step this way, sit that way, use this fork, not that spoon. Trivial, meaningless things, as she saw them.

Nightfall came, and the feast carried on in much the way it began, with echoing laughter, plates clattering, and the noise of song from wonderful musicians - Sheikah who played traditional drums and melodic cymbals to fill the hearts of the feastic people with joy. The old men of the tribe sat back and lit up long pipes, and blew intricate, multicolored smoke rings across the sky that twirled around the stars with such shimmering beauty as to leave the princess breathless.

Zelda felt at peace, Link by her side. Slowly, the icy feeling that had long haunted her, from a time when she once thought all hope was lost, was melted away by the friendly hands and warm smiles of the company of people she celebrated with.

The hours passed by that way for most the night, and many things conversations were shared, and more and more colorful stories were told of the Princess and her brave Knight battling the Calamity, until all such talk had devolved into little more than bawdy jokes made to see if Link or Zelda would faint from embarrassment first. Paya had beaten them both to that, but who could expect any less from the timid girl?

As they laughed into the wee hours of the morning, dawn rapidly approaching in but a few hours, things mellowed considerably.

The once-roaring fire was now composed of barely-glowing embers, soft orange light twinkling as the smoke rose up past the rooftops and into the clouds.

"Perhaps, just one last song before bed," Impa said, getting the attention of everyone who was still present.

Across from Link and Zelda on the other side of the table, still as statues and leaning against a wall, stood four Sheikah men. The area quieted to such a low hush, as the men began to sing their low tune...

((In the melody of Zelda's lullaby.))

" Rest- your head,

Princess, come to bed,

The hero will come once again."

"You are young,

Your time will come,

Goddess shines blessings through this song."

"Wipe all your tears away,

He'll come and save the day,

He, Our  he-ro of Light"

"You are young,

Your time will come,

Goddess shines blessings through this song."

"Rest your eyes

Calm your heart tonight

Love will win in this ending fight"

"Sleep all your fears away

He'll come and save the day

He, our he-ro of light."

Zelda felt power in that song that she never heard or felt before; yet somehow it was familiar. Feeling her eyes growing heavy and tired, she looked toward Link, who was already fast asleep. She smiled at the realization of just how busy he had been all this time, just like the song had said.

He has been fighting so hard, overcoming adversity, besting trial after trial, continuously devoted so selflessly to his duty, she thought. After all he has been through...he's earned a quiet rest...

As the song vibrated in her soul and echoed throughout the village, she rested her head upon Link's shoulder.

"At last, all is well that ends well." She whispered to herself as she couldn't find the strength to keep her eyes open a moment longer. She finally felt safe and at peace and fell fast asleep resting alongside Link.

Impa saw them both hunched, still sitting on the bench. Even though they were hunched against the cold stone of the wall, she could not bring herself to wake them. Instead, she simply placed a cozy, knitted blanket over them, and left them to their rest.

End of Chapter

Chapter Text

Chapter 2

Rumors and Ramifications 

Zelda abruptly woke, flinging the hand-stitched blanket that covered her clear across the room where she'd slept. She was surprised to notice the soft bed she lie upon wasn't her own, nor was the gown she wore, when the memory of the previous night's festivities returned. She had fallen asleep outside...right next to Link!

"What time is it, where is Link, and what am I wearing?!" she exclaimed, swiftly sitting up in the bed as she attempted to get an idea of her surroundings.

"It's eleven o'clock in the morning," came the voice of Impa, who sat idly rocking in an old, creaky chair at Zelda's bedside. Apparently, she'd been watching over her the previous night.

"And, if you must know, Link is just outside this humble abode," the elderly woman calmed the girl, placing a hand upon Zelda's shoulder. "The boy carried you ever so gently to this room after you fell asleep. A rough wooden bench is no suitable bed for a princess, after all. And, before you worry your pretty self over your state of dress, you should know it was Paya who swapped your gown. After a century keeping the scourge of Calamity Ganon at bay, you must have been quite tired indeed. You did not stir once during the whole process. A Jester's firecracker could of went off next to your pointy ear and you would not have noticed, I'd imagine."

Impa handed Zelda a small bundle of fabric. It was clothing in shades of blue and black.

"My...adventuring clothes?" Zelda asked, tears in her eyes at the happy sight. "You kept them all this time?"

Impa chuckled at the question. "I certainly did! A difficult task, too. The moths in this region can be rather tenacious. Nevertheless, I kept them as perfectly preserved as possible. They should still fit you."

Zelda moved about in a spellbound fluster, quickly washing up with a rag and a bowl of warm water that Impa had left on the nightstand. In a flash, off came the dull brown Sheikah gown she'd been given for bedclothes, and on went her new outfit. Well, new in one sense, yet old at the same time. The black leather journey pants hugged tightly to her legs, emphasizing and complementing her figure. The pants were paired with a rugged but stylish royal-blue jacket with gold lace. A sturdy pair of boots completed the ensemble. Comfortable clothes for a journey across all the lands of Hyrule.

Still a perfect fit, too, Zelda thought as she studied herself from head to toe, enjoying being out of the rags she had been wearing just a day prior. She wasn't vain, of course, but deep down she was still a princess.

"So, where again is Link, Impa?" Zelda asked, turning to face the woman with smile, proud of her new outfit.

"He is right outside," Impa replied, ushering Zelda to the doorway. "A true warrior always trains his body and mind, Princess, even in peacetime."

"Thank you, Impa. You've done so much for me. Thank you for keeping what little remained of me in the past intact. And thank you even more for never giving up on me, nor on this Kingdom. I am truly in your debt."

Zelda bowed deeply to the woman, then turned and walked out the doorway.

Making her way passed the furniture, eagerly heading to the front door, Zelda nearly bumped into Paya, who was again carrying a silver platter. This time, the Sheikah girl was much swifter to prevent the fruits and vegetables she had on the large rounded plate from dropping, catching every piece like a juggler, and doing a quick spin to avoid falling into Zelda's arms.

"Oh, my goodness, I need to start watching where I am going," Paya said with a nervous look. "Link is right outside, waiting for you. He's been training in the yard for most of the morning."

A faint blush colored the girl's cheeks as she made her way back to the kitchen. "That Master Link is a very talented swordsman!"

"Indeed he is, and a good morning to you, as well," Zelda replied, smiling back as she headed out the door, though a subtle glint of jealousy shone in her eye.

The princess walked outside to the delightful sound of the birds singing, and giggling children playing a game of chase with a cucco. She inhaled the fresh air deeply, taking in its scent of dandelions and water lilies wafting on the warm breeze from the nearby ponds.

A good morning, indeed, she thought as she strolled over to where Link practiced.

Zelda approached Link slowly, halting roughly twenty feet away on the small grassy hill behind Impa's home. The young man had freshened himself up after last night, it seemed and wore his sky-blue Royal Champion's tunic, though without the rugged chain mail this time. He dashed and danced about in front of her, swinging his sword in graceful motions, totally focused, dealing strike after strike, each with enough force that the wind he tore through could shake those watching nearby. Impa's attendants, the keepers of the village peace, stood with their mouths agape, astounded by the knight's display of speed and swordsmanship. They watched his training with eager eyes, hoping to glean what they could from the experience.

Zelda, too, was in awe of her knight's impressive ability. Walking closer to where he practiced, she decided to try and get his attention.

"Ahem," she began with a polite cough. "Good morning, Link. I do believe the war is over."

She said the words with a joking smile, but he seemed not to even notice her. Realizing that she'd failed to attract his attention away from the mock battle, the smile faded from her face. Her pretty brow began to furrow, ever so slightly, into agitated frown.

"I said, 'Oh, Hero! The war is over now!'" Zelda called again, hand cuffed over her mouth, nearly a shout, but not quite. It seemed to do the trick, and Link snapped to attention, facing away from her.

"Finally," she whispered to herself. "Now that I have your–"

Zelda had a raised finger and her eyes shut and been prepared to enter a long diatribe, but was caught off-guard by Link's erratic change of behavior, as the knight spun around and darted away from her. He hadn't halted his training because she had called...but because he'd caught the scent of food.

Was that the scent of fresh cucco eggs tossed together in a savory mushroom omelet, paired on the side with sweet, succulent Mighty bananas? He thought. He nearly did not notice the princess at all as he ran past her.

Fortunately, the young man did notice her, along with her dumbfounded expression that he would pass her by without so much as a 'hello or good morning'. Stopping as fast as he took off, Link paused, suspended in front of her almost in mid-air before immediately attempting to rectify the awkward situation. He turned back to face her and bowed so hard and so fast that his knees seemed to split the earth open. Zelda couldn't help chuckling to herself at his foolish antics when teased with the prospect of food.

Finally, possessing his undeniable attention, she spoke. "Link, good morning! We should-"

Yet before she could utter another word from her mouth, Impa stepped into the doorway to interrupt them. Zelda sighed. It seemed she couldn't get a word in edgewise if her life depended on it.

"Zelda, Link...about what was said last night," the wise-woman spoke, motioning them to come to the morning picnic that Paya laid out beneath the tall willow tree on the other side of the house. "Let us have breakfast and we can get you both on your way, there is so much work for all of us to do. The realm cannot wait a moment longer your highness."

Sitting next to the wonderful spread Paya had graciously prepared for them, the four began to speak of the important matters mentioned the previous night.

"My dear Princess, you must begin the long journey of healing your kingdom," Impa said to Zelda, squeezing the girl's hand.

Link, seated beside the princess, was too busy eating than listening to the conversation. It had always been the case that Link would got lost in discussions of politics, or when made to listen to some long-winded speech. Those sorts of things tended to bore him.

"Impa, how do you propose we begin?" Zelda asked with a nod. "The people here have been through so much, and I don't think anyone can spare the sort of resources necessary to help rebuild the Great Kingdom as it once was. How could I ask that of them? Everyone has lost and sacrificed so much, as it is."

"Don't worry, Princess," the wise woman continued, "I've already sent word through courier to the three greater Noble Houses of Hyrule. I would have you know they were unscathed by the terrible claws of the Calamity. They should be able to help us. The letter I sent to them joyfully proclaims that their princess has indeed returned, and that they must remember their oaths and keep their pledges to the Crown. They must send men willing, rupees, food, and whatever other aid that is necessary to help in the rebuilding of the heart of the Kingdom.

"It would be the least they can do for the princess who saved them, after all, whether they realize it or not. Were it not for you, Ganon's malice would have covered the world in desolation and darkness, and all would have succumbed to the same terrible fate."

"Thank you Impa," Zelda replied, hands pressed against her chest, "but I still need to help the people who are here right now. It will take many, many days before they could even receive word of what has taken place here. And that goes without saying if they even remember they had a princess at all; it has been over one hundred years."

Link paused, his voracious eating momentarily halted as he noticed the princess' voice shake with doubt and fear. He slid back from where he sat and placed a firm grip onto the handle of the legendary blade of evil's bane, lifting his head to speak.

"Then perhaps I should go and remind them of their honor," he calmly declared.

"That is okay, my dear boy," Impa said, calming Link with a simple gesture as she turned to address Zelda. "Such drastic action will not be needed. Although, I shall tell you truthfully, Princess, that it will not be long now before rumor spreads of your return. Not just to your friends, but to the enemies that hide among those friends. They will soon know the truth of your existence."

"Enemies?" spoke Zelda, incredulous. "What enemies do I have?"

"My dear child, so long has the presence of your divine leadership been away from these lands that envious eyes have descended on what remains. And where the light does not shine, evil dwells in darkness, if left alone long enough to fester."

"Who?" the princess asked, worried at the prospect.

"I do not know. Such motives are always hard to decipher when so much deception clouds the air. We must hold onto the truth that we know, and trust in those we know are loyal. Stay vigilant, even in peacetime, like this young lad."

Impa turned to face the Knight. "And you, lad, must remember that your duty is to the princess. She will need your strength, now more than ever, to lift her up. Guide and protect the way for her, as you've always done, for you are the only one she shall be able to trust."

Impa looked back to Zelda. "And I do recommend you trust in him, your Grace."

"Um...," Paya softly interrupted, "is anyone in need of a slice of pumpkin bread pudding? Perhaps you, Link?"

The girl offered him a warm smile. With a salivating expression on his face, the knight nodded in approval. They all laughed at how quickly he snatched the bowl, and began to wolf it down.

"You should both make for the town of Hateno, and the other close provinces of Hyrule," Impa continued with a subtle urgency to her voice. "They must see you in person if we are to garner support. I trust that support shall eventually come. We will await any word of the other three distant Houses in the Greater Hyrule Kingdom to the north, your grace. I do believe you will be well pleased to see more of your kin in Hateno. Praise be to Link's brave sacrifice a hundred years ago, for the old fort there still stands, never having fallen into shadow. Many innocents were spared from certain doom that day."

The group soon headed back inside to gather their belongings, while Impa and Paya helped them prepare, scurrying about to fetch horses, packs, and all other sorts of supplies for the journey across Lower Hyrule Kingdom.

Zelda had been in the midst of packing some clothing Paya had laid out on the bed for her, when she happened to notice a notebook of sorts curiously lying open upon the nightstand. Not being one to overlook such things, the princess picked it up out of curiosity.

Perhaps it is a recipe I might share with Link, since Paya turned out to be a pretty good cook, if I do say so myself, she thought. Or maybe it is an old Sheikah mechanical manual? Perhaps left behind by Purah, and kept in Paya's care? She hoped that was so even more.

To her shock and surprise, it was neither of those things. It was Paya's diary! Intrigued, she couldn't help but read what was left so brazenly out in the open for anyone's eyes to see.

One peak couldn't hurt, she considered. I won't even turn the page.

As her eyes flowed over the page, line after line, she heard creaking steps begin a swift climb up the stairs toward the room. Her hair sprung and stood on end, and she thought for certain that she'd been had. In a quick flutter of embarrassment, she moved to toss the journal across the nightstand. Unfortunately, Zelda just so happened to be an incredibly well-learned individual, taught as she'd been by the best scholars and wise men in her era. While they were certainly lost to the Calamity long ago, the princess' reading talents were not. And so, though she caught only a glimpse of it, the first passage of Paya's diary was now burned into her mind from beginning to end, reciting itself to her in a loop.

'Master Link looks so gallant! He is the very picture of the hero I always imagined. His blonde sideburns flow like a golden waterfall over his dignified, pointed ears...and the way his hair is so perfectly parted to the side, wow! I don't know why, but my heart won't stop beating faster and faster! I must admit that I'm still not great at interacting with young men, but I think I am finally able to speak to Master Link while looking him in the eyes. Those wonderful eyes...naturally I still get a little embarrassed...but I can't help it! I always follow his gaze with my own. I blame his beautiful blue eyes. Ugh! This is all so strange...'

The door barged open, just as the diary took flight through the air! With not a moment to spare, it found its final resting place in a nook just behind the dresser stand. Paya entered the room then, in what seemed to be quite the hurry, clumsily stumbling and stammering into the room. Zelda stood there, looking disheveled, her eyes wide, one hand in her pack while the other pressed firmly upon the mattress of the bed. Surely, this did not look suspicious at all! The princess' heart drummed as though it wanted to burst from her chest and do a dance alongside the two girls.

Did Paya see that I was reading her diary?! I couldn't bear to be caught doing such a dreadful thing! she thought, feeling guilty even as her jealousy piqued at the words written by Paya about her sworn protector.

...what more is there to that story I did not get to see? she pondered.

"Paya!" Zelda exclaimed, voice all but dripping with suspicion as she tried to hide her guilt and jealousy simultaneously from the Sheikah girl. "Thank you again for everything you've done! And the clothes, too! I am so grateful!"

"Um...of course, your Highness," Paya replied, pressing her index fingers firmly together in nervous embarrassment, even as she was taken aback by the princess' peculiar behavior. "Um, Princess, may I ask you something?"

Zelda, prepared for the worst, and dreading what she might hear come from her lips, braced for her heart to shatter into a million pieces.

That she might come to find that Link had already chosen...Am I already too late? Zelda thought despairingly.

"About Link...," the Sheikah girl began, "I had never seen him so happy until last night. In fact, I don't recall ever seeing him smile before now. He is probably so relieved, what with the fate of the world finally off his shoulders...He is so brave...Do you think he would be interested in...? Oh, never mind. Please, forget it." The girl looked away sheepishly, letting out a wistful sigh.

A shadow of puzzlement fell over Zelda's face. She didn't want to be forward with her feelings, but the idea of anyone else with Link would surely break her. Even so, she had to know! "Would he what?" the princess asked intently.

"It's not important, just a silly thought," responded Paya. "I'm sorry if I overstep myself. Sometimes I say things I don't really mean when I'm nervous...What is important now is helping you both on your quest!"

"Do I make you nervous?" Zelda asked.

"Well, no. I mean, yes, you are the princess, after all...but you are quite different than I had imagined you would be."

"How so?"

"You are much more beautiful than I was told by grandmother. It's such an honor to be in your presence and to have you stay in my room! And grandmother said now that you are back, you are to fulfill your royal destiny. That means you must be married when you are eighteen, does it not? Will you be looking for a suitor now that peace has been established? Though I should say, your Grace, that you would be hard-pressed to find a suitor more wonderful than Link, I should think. He is truly amazing!"

Zelda scoffed at the suggestion by pure reflex. "Thank you for the compliment, Paya, but don't be absurd! Link is a wild ruffian! I'm hardly the type of girl that he would have eyes for. And if you must know, Link and I are just friends! He is my knight attendant, nothing more. Not that it could be more even if I wanted it – which I don't! The old law forbids such things. Even I cannot undo such an ancient law from the foundation of time."

And, from pure memory, caught up in the moment and trying to bury her own feelings, the princess began to expound upon the nature of the law she spoke of. "The law states clearly that a princess can only be promised to a man of noble blood or, barring that, a man from the lost Holy Order of KNIGHTS, of which none exist, and haven't existed in over an age."

Paya gave her a questioning look, confused as to why Zelda would feel the need to go into such a long-winded explanation. "But Grandmother said the law must –"

"I know what you would have me say!" Zelda interrupted. "But I don't have the luxury of sorting out such feelings, nor filling my head with those kinds of thoughts...Peace has not yet truly been established in my kingdom. Yes, Calamity Ganon is gone, but there is so much more that needs be done. Healing my kingdom must be my only concern, for now."

Zelda had been caught off guard by Paya's insinuation. Only a moment ago, she'd thought herself caught red-handed, reading the girl's diary. And even though she'd tried to drive the conversation away from revealing the affections she had in her heart for Link, her own facial expressions might very well have been betraying her at that moment.

"You're right, of course," Paya said bashfully, looking down at her feet in apology. "I'm sorry for prodding or implying anything, dear Princess, especially when it comes to Master Link. You could have any nobleman of your choosing, your Grace. Forgive me."

The girl smiled and bowed deeply to the princess. "You have my help whenever you might need it, Princess. Whatever it may be, I am at your service."

The world, and most of all Link, mustn't know just yet, Zelda thought.

Zelda did feel relieved to know that Paya and Link were not seeing each other in that way...but it might still be good for her keep a close eye on the girl.

Perhaps there is still hope for me yet, she thought.

Zelda flung her bag over her shoulder, feeling slightly guilty for being so harsh to the Sheikah girl. She smiled over to Paya, and took the time to give the girl a short hug. She then proceeded to march down the bamboo staircase, into the main living room and out the front door.

The princess didn't want to admit outright, but it felt nice to know that Paya seemed to be someone she could count on. She had lost so many friends from a century long ago. Yet, still thinking about what she said to Paya moments earlier, she knew that the law is the law, and even her authority has its limits when it comes to the laws said to be strictly ordained by the Goddesses themselves. Even so, the possibility that she might not be able to one day be with Link held no appeal for her. Her heart ached at the very thought of it, so she decided not to ponder on the matter anymore.

Walking out into the midday sun, Zelda noticed that Link had already prepared them horses at the drinking trough, packs loaded and adventuring gear ready. The knight was taking the time to feed the beasts fresh apples, when he saw her start to make her way towards him. He gave her a sweet smile in the blowing wind. Immediately, all thoughts of the old law fled Zelda's mind, and she was determined not to worry about it anymore.

At that moment, Impa came up alongside the princess, swiftly laying out last minute details before the two were to set off on their quest. "Now, my dear Princess, be mindful. Not everyone is going to take kindly to your return to the land. In the meantime, we will keep our ears close to the ground. As soon as we hear word back from Houses Draene, Tarble, and Illiastar, we will send notice to you."

Link gently gave Zelda a boost up onto her steed, followed by him leaping onto his next to his own at her side.

Zelda's face then seemed to light up, full of excitement at some stunning revelation. "It has occurred to me that if we shall be needing rupees, the treasury deep within the bowels of Hyrule Castle should still be intact. Great wealth, priceless treasures and heirlooms beyond measure are gathered within. Ganon had no need of such things, after all. There is certainly more than enough to help the people and get the kingdom out of the destitute state it is in now, I'd imagine."

"Not many have braved the Castle since the Calamity and lived to tell the tale, your Grace," Impa spoke, and the simple logic that followed put a damper on Zelda's high spirits. "Perhaps only our dear Hero in all of the last century. It may still be too dangerous to venture deep into the depths within the Castle walls. Ganon is gone, that much is certainly true, and so are the guardians...but his allies and hordes still linger, and haunt these lands aimlessly. I wouldn't think it wise to go lurking about there, at least not until his forces have disbanded completely, and cowered away back to the burning lands from whence they came.

"Perhaps when we receive some word from the Noble Houses, they may be called upon to send reinforcements to help clear out the heart of the kingdom. Only then, I think, would it be safe enough to look deep within the Castle for the old wealth that lies hidden. For now, you should both make haste towards Hateno, and then to all the inner provinces to visit the loyal clans and villages, so that they may see you. By that time, word and help might have already arrived from Greater Hyrule."

Impa smiled as she placed a comforting on each of theirs. "Now, don't you fret, my dear Princess. All will be made right soon enough. You will see. Now be off, the both of you, and take good care!"

With that she gave a hearty smack to the behinds of the horses the pair of adventurers sat upon. The horses took off at a gallop before Zelda even had a chance to say goodbye. They were now well on their way, back out in the open wilderness, heading toward Hateno village.

Hateno was a small Hylian settlement, the new home of the many descendants of refugees who fell victim to the Great Calamity that decimated the great capital city of Illuminor, a name long since forgotten to the memory of this age. It was known better in the common tongue and of it's people as Hyrule Castle Town. In truth, it had never been a town at all, but a grand city of Kings. The jewel and light of all the civilized world, leading in all aspects of culture, wealth, and prosperity. Only after a century, it had been left in ruin and decay, with its remaining citizens scattered to the four winds of the kingdom. They were once doomed to remain as pilgrims in their own nation. Now, finally, the lost princess and her knight were on their way to grant restitution to those citizens, and right the injustices done to them.

The hours passed by, and the sun hung low in the west, leaving a burning red glow upon the horizon. Zelda and Link had already ventured many miles away from Kakariko. Link, tramping alongside Zelda on the trail not far from Hateno Village, had the sudden realization that he still carried the Sheikah Slate. He reached for the device strapped to his belt, and leaned off the side of his horse to offer it to the princess.

"Here," he said, curious as to what her response would be. She'd loved these sorts of things, once. "I almost forgot that this actually belongs to you."

Zelda turned to look at the offering. She loved gazing at the magnificent craftsmanship that was put into such a wonderfully small piece of technology. She could hardly imagine what sort of mysteries surrounded the Slate and how it functioned. Imagining all sorts of magical powers that must have been bestowed in such a gift to allow it to do the marvelous things it could do. All the more it intrigued her. She couldn't wait to study it further.

"Wow. Thank you, Link. I mean, if you insist I carry it, then I will most certainly oblige you," she said, trying to hold back her childlike curiosity.

"Well, it is yours, after all. I was merely watching over it until after I saved you. Which was bound to happen anyway, I reckon'," he replied, trying to get a rise out of her.

"Ha! Saved me!? So, that's your version of the story now? I guess I had no part in having saving you, as well? Hmm, Hero? Sealing away Ganon was merely a conjurer's trick, a silly trifle?"

She playfully snatched the slate from his grasp, quickly tossing it into her satchel.

The knight gave his princess a teasing look. "Ha, no, don't misunderstand. I'm sorry…I was just pointing out that I had the largest role to play. You helped I guess, kind of like how that slate helped."

She gasped, mouth agape at his silly attempt at a joke. "Hmph! I think I preferred you better as a mute! At least then you could be counted on to simply stand there looking handsome and – " She stopped herself abruptly, realizing that she was getting too carried away.

"Go on, Princess," Link responded playfully.

"You...you are terrible! And stop calling me 'Princess!' Do as I command, will you?!" she exclaimed in a comedic fluster, worried she might very well have been tricked into saying how she truly felt.

"Well, for someone who doesn't like to be called 'Princess,' you sure do love giving orders like one," he said, cracking a slight cool smile. With no way to rebuke his claims, Zelda elected to escape, yawing her horse forward.

"Ha! Have it your way then 'Mister Legendary Hero!' See how far you get without any of my help!" She galloped ahead of him, darting toward the gates of the small town ahead of them. Link, not wanting to lose sight of her, spurred his own horse on to give pursuit. He was after all charged to keep her in his care at all times.

Riding through the entrance of the small settlement village, Link sped past a few of the watchful sentries at the gate, trying in vain to flag him down.

"Hey, you there! Halt! No rough riding through the Village!" They could be heard yelling behind Link as he left a trail of dust in his wake.

It was no use giving chase, since they wouldn't be able to catch catch up to stop him. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, Link seemed to have lost track of the princess. He only looked back toward the sentries for just a moment and he must of lost sight of her then in that moment. Now he was concerned that the game of chase had probably gone a bit too far. With a groan, he continued his search of the village.

Nightfall quickly arrived as the hour passed, and Link began to get a little concerned for Zelda's wellbeing. Mist began to blanket over the village, and thunder cracked overhead as rainfall started to drizzle down upon him. The whole situation left him feeling quite uneasy.

"Where could she have rushed off to?" he whispered to himself.

After making a round of the village, he decided to try somewhere indoors, beginning with the small inn and tavern.

She probably went up ahead to acquire us lodging for our stay in Hateno, she was a sharp minded girl after all, he thought.

He dismounted and quickly made his way up the stairs into the old inn, where he heard muddled voices shouting from inside. He stopped at the edge of the door to listen for half a moment.

"He~ey, little missy. Wut a fancy toy you have there! Wouldn't mind if old Nod had a looksy at it, right? Could be worth a pretty rupee!" Times aroun' here be tough for the likes of us," said a freakishly tall, overly round, slack-jawed Hylian man to Zelda. The man swiped the Sheikah Slate right from her hands, and was casually passing it around the rag tag bunch of obvious ne'er-do-wells accompanying him.

"Hey! I demand that you give that back! You, sir, have no right," declared the princess. Rather than acquiesce to her demand, the man chose instead to dangle the Slate over Zelda's head, chuckling at her futile attempts to reach it.

"Ha hah! She looks kinda cute, this flower, when she's made red, doesn't she boys? She's almost in full bloom! Perhaps ya do a little dance for Ol' Nod and the boys, and maybe we be handing your shiny toy here back to ya? What do ya say? How 'bout it?"

"Yeah! Do a little twirl for us!" one of the other lanky and slouched men shouted at her from behind Nod.

"I would have you know," she said to them all, her chin up high and with serious eyes, "that if you do not relinquish what is mine, I'll have no choice but to have my sworn knight put you in your place."

She chanced a glance around at her own words, somewhat stressed given that she'd entered the tavern alone. Attempting to maintain a confidant appearance, she pointed a finger at the men. "A-as soon as he arrives, Link will see to it that you're all taught some manners! And he will arrive, mind you! He never fails to answer his princess' call!"

Her threat fell on deaf ears.

"Ha hah! Listen lady, we don't care who you think you are!" Nod replied, him and his accomplices laughing heartily at Zelda's display of authority. "Just cuz yer dressed in yer fancy outfit don't make ya royalty 'round these parts. Ain't no such things as knights, only things. Things for sellin', and things for thievin'. Now, why don't ya go ahead and hand over whatever other things you might have that're worth somethin', aye?"

"Enough! You heard the young lady!" Link shouted, slamming open the door in dramatic fashion. In a flash, he moved between Zelda and her attackers, sword out and at the ready. Zelda's eyes lit up with relief at his timely appearance, and her heart pounded in her chest.

"Listen, I should really warn you guys," he said, glaring about at them while ushering the frightened Princess behind him. "You don't stand a chance against me."

"Ha hah! Look who thinks he's the Champion Beam-Splitter, and Guardian Urn-Crusher of old!" Nod mocked him as he and his group of scoundrels began to close in eagerly. "Kid, there's nine of us, and one of you."

"I could take on fifty of you, and still wouldn't break a sweat," Link retorted smugly, eyes focused.

Suddenly, one of the goons lunged at the knight with his fist.

"Fair warning," Link said, gracefully dodging the strike and knocking the man out of the melee with a perfectly placed elbow to the ribs.

Another man darted from behind Link, while two others attempted to rush from the front.

"Link, look out!" Zelda screamed.

The knight's perception of time slowed to a crawl, and Link swiftly knelt to avoid the first blow. The attacker from behind missed, his punch sailing over Link's head only to accidentally knock out one of his would-be accomplices, and leaving the last goon open to Link's counterattack. Not wanting to seriously hurt these roughnecks, the knight carefully swung the blunt end of his sword into the chest of his final attacker, knocking the man to the floor in a wheezing, panting heap. Nod looked to his remaining men, only to see them skulking away in fright at Link's superior martial abilities.

"Why you...!" Nod growled, and readied his burly hands for a brawl, intent on bringing this upstart hotshot down. Before he could properly strike, the tavern doors burst open, a flash of lightning from outside lighting up the entire room. Standing before them all at the entrance was a mysterious cloaked figure. A woman? No, perhaps it was a young girl? It couldn't be certain.

"Silence! Seize yourselves! And SNAP!" she exclaimed as she paced through the doorway. With a crash and a flash, golden light bolted up from a device on her waist, shooting out her hands and through the air into Nod, shocking him with the fury of an electric current. Zelda and Link stared, confused as to exactly what had just happened. Unfortunately, as quickly as the girl sent her lightning bolt at Nod, the device she was carrying began to smoke and shake, going completely haywire.

"Eyyaaahh!" the mysterious girl screeched in pain, shocking herself as she tossed the small tablet into the air. It hit the wooden floor with loud clatter, its light blinking out as it bounced along the ground, cracking and popping as it shot hot sparks all over the place. It was then Zelda noticed that the device...appeared to be another Sheikah Slate! It was fashioned differently than hers, a more rudimentary design that seemed more of crudely crafted knockoff than an original like her own.

Could it be possible? Zelda thought.

The device twisted and vibrated on the ground, sizzling with an electric current until finally exhausting itself of all its power. With a tiny explosion, the knockoff Slate was left a ruin on the floor, small flames burning away its remains.

Nod, mostly unharmed if somewhat fried, immediately scurried to what beaten friends of his still remained in the tavern. The tavern itself was an absolute mess, with chairs broken and splintered, tables flipped over, and drinks spilled all over the floor. The bartender and innkeeper had huddled together behind the front booth since the argument broke out, praying to the goddesses simply for the noise and commotion to quiet down. All in all, the place looked as if a hoard of Bokoblins had sacked it.

"Big Sis! So, so sorry! We didn't know!" Nod wailed, before the stress and injuries caught up with him, and he fainted in the arms of one of his companions. The pair of them collapsed onto the floor, Nod's friend attempting to fan the man's face so that he'd wake.

Zelda calmly walked over to the unconscious Nod, retrieving her Sheikah Slate with a huff of annoyance. "Hmph! Serves you right, taking what doesn't belong to you!"

The mysterious cloaked figure, meanwhile, was still hopping about, blowing on her burned hands in some hope of soothing them. With a flourish, she ceased attempting to soothe her wounded hands, and pulled a notebook from her pocket.

"Slate number one hundred and thirty two – yet another failure. Core doesn't appear to stabilize after using the blue essence of ignition," she muttered under her breath, furiously scribbling into the note pad. She looked up then at Zelda. "Apologies, dear Princess, did these clumsy fools try to strong arm you?"

The cloaked girl kicked at pair of men on the floor. "You jokers are more trouble than you are worth! I told you to find me ancient parts, not rob helpless girls who you happen to come across along the road!"

"Helpless?!" Zelda interjected, her face scrunched up in annoyance at the notion anyone would think of her to be helpless.

The cloaked figure then revealed herself. Throwing the cloak to the floor, she quickly spun around and snapped a her fingers at Zelda, shutting down any complaints the princess might voice in an instant.

Zelda's might have gone aghast at the prospect of being so blithely silenced, until she noticed that the little girl snapping at her was the spitting image of a young Purah, the chief scholar and researcher of Ancient Sheikah technology. At least that is what she thought of herself to be. Well, depending on who you asked. Some might very well argue that master Robbie of the Akkala Observatory was the leading mind in the field of lost technology. It was anyone's guess, really.

"So sorry, Big Sis," Nod apologized, as he stirred to wakefulness on the floor and stood up. "Ya told us to do whatever was necessary to find ya these broken pieces of Sheikah machines, and we saw this little lady had such on her person. It's dangerous to be venturin' to the castle these days to look fer such things, especially with all the missin' folk 'round those parts. They say nobody comes back from such journeys."

"I meant hunting for you to seek the parts out in the open! Not going about like a bunch of thieves!" Purah scolded the group of men. "Now, you owe these two a big apology, and a debt of gratitude that young Master Link here didn't simply gut you like a fish! And just so you fools know, you have the honor of being in the presence of Princess Zelda of Hyrule! As in THE PRINCESS, along with her appointed bodyguard!"

"Bodyguard?" Link asked, confused by the term.

Purah snapped her fingers toward him. "Excuse me, knight, or whatever. You lot owe them your respect and allegiance. This whole town does. Besides, if they are here, that means Calamity Ganon is no more, and neither are the guardians. Which further means you can all hurry over to the castle and fetch me some wonderful tech to study!"

Purah seemed positively delighted at the prospect.

"Purah? Is that really you? What in the world happened to you?" Zelda asked, awestruck by the woman-turned-girl's tiny stature and childlike appearance.

"We don't speak of it...but since you are the princess, I guess it wouldn't hurt to let you know," Purah replied, a hint of smugness in her response. "It was Sheikah Slate number thirty-three that created the stunningly beautiful image of youth that your eyes see standing before you now!"

The diminutive researcher still had that same quirkiness about her that always seemed odd to Link, though being so instrumental in repairing his Sheikah Slate to full functionality on his quest had helped the knight to warm up to her antics a great deal. Her fashion sense, however, had always made Zelda feel awkward around her, even a hundred years ago, and the woman-child's current cutesy dress and mismatched Sheikah cloak (though that was currently on the floor) made her stick out like a sore thumb among the rest of the tavern patrons. Not the sort to blend into a crowd, that Purah.

"We are so sorry, pretty little lady – I mean, Princess!" Nod said, him and his group dropping to their knees at Zelda''s feet. "Beggin' yer pardon, your Grace. Please, forgive us. We are forever in yer service. We had no idea who ya was."

"That won't be necessary. All is forgiven," Zelda replied in a serious tone, though she winked at Link and Purah. It was refreshing to frighten a group would-be robbers with her position as the Princess of Hyrule. "Just don't be going about terrorizing people or trying to steal from anyone again, else I will be forced to lay a harsh judgment upon your heads."

"We won't! Never again, we promise!" Nod agreed, bowing to Zelda, and looking over his shoulders to nudge his men to do likewise. "We are honored to be in yer presence, ain't we, boys?"

"Yes, ma'am! We are at yer service!" they all shouted, bowing their heads.

"There! The matter is settled. You may all rise now that we have that messy business out of the way," the princess spooke with a smile, motioning with her hands for them to rise. "Oh, dear me. Innkeeper! It is quite alright for you to come out, now. I do believe this lot won't be giving you anymore trouble. And to compensate you for the damage, we'll pay triple the going rate for a night's stay."

At the girl's words, the bartender and innkeeper sluggishly made their way out from behind the counter.

Link, in the meantime, wasn't so certain of their ability to hold to Zelda's claim of triple the going rate. He scrounged in his pockets to see how many rupees the pair of them had. He came out with fifty-seven, hardly enough to cover a single night's stay, let alone a triple rate. Perhaps the princess forgot that she wasn't in the company of her royal caravan, and didn't have the luxuries of endless money at her behest. She'd made a deal that she would have normally been able to keep, but with Link's resources drained after battling the Calamity, he had no way to cover the expense.

He felt a nervous sweat beginning to bead across his forehead. He didn't particularly want to interrupt Zelda with the bad news, and tarnish her reputation in the process. Fortunately, his saving grace came in the form of the innkeeper's own humble generosity.

"Dear me, you honor me too much, fair Princess," the innkeeper said, waving his hands and bowing to Zelda. "It is I who is blessed just to have you under my humble roof. Please, stay as long as you like. We'll bring food and drink for you and your strong friend."

"Well, we must still pay you at least what the room is worth," responded Zelda, looking to Link with a smile. "I wouldn't want anyone to think I was taking unfair advantage of such kind folks such as yourself. Link, please pay the good man his price."

"Heh heh. Well, if you insist, your Grace. The standard rate for the room is fifty six rupees for a night," the Innkeeper said, skulking over to Link rubbing his hands together as the young man emptied out his purse. The knight handed over the rupees, tossing the last remaining green gem back into his wallet.

"Phew, that was close. I guess I'll just have to hunt our breakfast before she gets up," Link whispered quietly to himself, grateful that he didn't have to tell Zelda that they were already out of money just yet.

"Now, Princess, what brings you to Hateno?" Purah questioned Zelda, curiously. "More importantly, what brings you to me?"

"Actually, Purah, we came to see the people here, and to let them know that it will be safe to return to the capital just as soon as word reaches the remaining Houses and Clans of Hyrule," Zelda replied, a glimmer of hope shining in her eye as she gazed at the growing number of people gathering in the tavern. "Everyone may now begin making preparations for the journey home."

"That sounds wonderful and all, Princess, but a lot of the people here couldn't afford to make the trip," Purah said scratching the back of her head. "Most folks can hardly rub two rupees together."

"We are already working on that as well. Link will be leading a company of men from the other Houses, and will clear out the Castle as soon as they arrive," she spoke with joyful glow to those in the room. "There should be more than enough rupees to help these dear people of the village return home. Which reminds me, Purah...is there truly a way to travel great distances instantly with use of the Sheikah Slate? I recall Link mentioning such thing, but that it only worked for a single traveler. What's more, it has not functioned since the Calamity was defeated. Do you think you can tell us what's wrong, and is there a chance the function could be repaired and for two?" Zelda gleamed over to Link.

Purah quickly snatched the Slate from Zelda's hands as she was distracted looking the other way towards Link. The tiny scientist adjust her glasses to get a better look at the Slate, poring over it for a long moment while muttering to herself. Whatever she was saying was too quiet and jumbled for Link or Zelda to make out. With questioning looks, the pair of them crept closer to better hear her, yet again she turned to snap her fingers at the both of them. She shooed them away with hands, before suddenly spinning and shouting.

"It's no good, no good at all!" Purah exclaimed, the look on her face declaring it all but obvious why the device refused to work. She continued looking around the room, seeing nothing but blank stares.

Amateurs, she thought with an exasperated sigh.

"You see, Princess," the researcher began, "ever since the Calamity was defeated, what your people would call the Sacred Fires of Din...well, they've gone out. The 'divine' Blue flame has been mysteriously extinguished, and without its glow these fine artifacts don't work properly. Not to mention that I just don't have the necessary materials, no thanks to this lousy lot, to fix your Slate."

She shot a fiery glare at her hired mercenaries before continuing. "In truth, I must admit that even I cannot replicate the wonders of the Slate anew. I've tried over a hundred times, all to no avail. Its mysteries evade me, and even though I hate to admit it, I haven't learned all there is to know of these machines."

With that, Purah returned the Slate to Zelda, a defeated look on her face.

"Well, below the Castle –" Zelda began, but was quickly cut off by Purah.

"Yes, we detected there to be wells of energy down there, possibly rivers flowing with the sacred fire," Purah said solemnly. "However, try as we might, we never could reach the source before the Calamity struck. I feel it's all connected, somehow."

"I see. Then I am afraid we are left with a conundrum," considered the princess, fingers cupping her chin in contemplation. "We will simply have to wait until help arrives."

Nod made his way over to the two of them, while Link assisted the innkeeper with cleaning the mess in the tavern. "Big Sis, what do we do now?"

The moniker jogged Zelda's memory, and she cocked her head in curiosity. "That's right, these men have been calling you 'Big Sis' this whole time. Why do they call you that? As far as I recall, your only younger sister is Impa."

Before Purah could respond, Nod clumsily blurted out an answer. "It's because she's been keepin' a watchful eye over all of us. She's been watchin' the whole village since I could remember. And..."

Nod paused a moment to look about the room with an apprehensive stare.

"And...?" Zelda asked, tense with anticipation.

"Well, because she never grows old. She's been tamperin' with strange, old magic, some say," Nod explained, nodding his head in a way that implied the rumors absolutely had to be true.

"Move over you! And it's not magic! There are no 'magical' phenomena that cannot be explained by science. Ah, what am I saying? It's not like the likes of you would understand anyways!" Purah shouted, shoving Nod out of the way, and giving Zelda a formal-looking bow. "Princess, if it concerns you, I'll be at my study at the top of the hill. We may address the town formally in the morning. Many blessings on your long-awaited safe return to us, and I bid you good evening. Come along, all of you! The princess needs her rest!"

Zelda hardly had a chance to respond before the room cleared out.

Zelda and Link finally made it to their room, and were about to turn in for the night when Zelda began to rant about Purah's earlier words.

"Need my rest? As if I was just a helpless little girl, foolishly wandering about!" the princess vented to Link from behind a dressing curtain. Link, for his part, was firmly focused on a dimly lit corner of the room in the opposite direction.

"Well, sort of. Definitely not tonight, though," he whispered, quietly laughing to himself as he caught glimpse of her silhouette flailing about as she threw off her day clothes, replacing them with a nightgown.

"Ha ha, very funny!" she shouted, peering around the side of the veil to look toward him. "And don't think I'm speaking to you again, either! I still haven't forgotten about what happened on the road earlier!"

With the princess now properly dressed, the knight turned to face her. Zelda quickly hopped into the rickety bed the inn offered, and speedily threw the lone brown goat-hide blanket over herself. Immediately, she turned away from Link, still stubbornly annoyed from losing the debate on the ride over.

"Well? Go do whatever it is you do at this time of night!" she called out to the young man, blowing out the candle near bed with a sharp breath. "I'll see you in the morning. Good evening."

Link, feeling that it probably wasn't proper for him to stay in the same room as her, particularly with the mood she was in, quietly left her to rest alone. He made his way outside the inn, to a nice spot beneath a tall apple tree. The night sky was clear of the storm clouds that had raged before, and the air was surprisingly comfortable.

The knight thought it best to rest alongside the old, proud tree until morning, rather than sleep somewhere indoors. It was just below Zelda's window, anyways.

Perhaps she does need her rest, Link thought to himself. As he looked up at the stars, he very gradually slipped off to sleep.

" Volley!" screamed a man from the top of his lungs, perched on the fortress walls and yelling down to other soldiers below. The men frantically rushed to form lines, lighting up their arrows and firing them deep into the stormy skies above them in the hopes they would rain down upon their encroaching enemies.

" It's no good, their armor is too thick!" one of the men shouted to the others, the fear of inevitable death in his eyes.

" What news from the castle?! What's happening?! Is this all the people you could save?!" the Captain of the Garrison roared, questioning all the subordinates around him. "Get them within the gates, quickly now! There's no time!"

"It's no use! We need more men!" a lieutenant shouted back to the Captain just above him on the lookout.

Screams of men could be heard atop the wall-tops, firing barrages of arrows down into the canyon below. Unfortunately, the enemy was unaffected by their ill-attempted drive to keep them back, and continued to charge toward them, faster and faster. Time slipped away, and soon the great citadel that had stood for over a thousand years in the light would be tested by the punishing power of the darkest shadow it ever faced that night.

Soldiers could be seen, leading frightened women and children across the open plains up the tall slopes that led to the citadel. The road was puddled, and the knee-high mud made it nearly impossible to make way up the steep hills. Their fortunes took a sad turn for the worse, as the heavy deluge of rainfall flooded the way down the road they were climbing up. Running for their lives, they scattered in every direction in a crazed effort to reach the safety of Akkala Citadel, Hyrule's strongest fortress and the last bastion of hope.

" Get the women and children into the barracks! They will be safe there!" the Captain shouted to the men stationed at the gate.

Just behind the people running up the cliffs, terrible explosions overturned rock and stone, and shattered boulders could be seen soaring through the air. Scorching bright blue beams of death shot toward the fleeing people from all directions. The noise of the onslaught horrified all those who heard it. Soul-piercing screams of terror joined with loud crashes of thunder, and blasts that shook the earth beneath people's feet only to be followed by an eerie silence.

The terrible noise of war quickly came upon the citadel.

A group of soldiers leading the last group of survivors from the capital city could be seen rushing through large gates of the towering fortress.

" Sir, they tore us to pieces!" the panicked soldier panted to the Captain, hunched over and trying to catch his breath. "Before we realized what was happening, it was too late...and the city fell. We were split, and just when we thought all hope was lost and we were about meet our doom, your son appeared! He saved us...he saved us all..."

" And where is my son now?! Where is he?!" The Captain shouted, grabbing the man by his armor and shaking him about in a panic.

" We do not know, sir! We were flanked and split. He alone drove the enemy back, and he had her Majesty the Princess with him, along with a few other men of the Royal Guard and some civilians. They couldn't follow us, and fled south. The way was shut."

" Goddesses be with them, then...," Link's father whispered, disbelieving what was happening around him. His ears rang with the noise of war in every direction. "Goddesses be with us all..."

" Eyahhh!" A woman's screams cut through the commotion, piercing through the armored gates, and the Captain's eyes widened as he came to. He pulled himself together with quick resolve as he heard the scream again, and several times after. He knew he had to save her, whoever she was, outside the gates...

"Eyahh!"

Link was torn from his nightmare at the sound of a loud shriek coming from Zelda's bedroom. An intruder!

In Zelda's room, a gangly man in hooded assassin's garb moved atop her as she lay, defenseless and panicking, in her bed. At that moment, she deeply regretted acting so foolishly earlier that night, and childishly pushing Link away. The man held her wrists with one hand, covering her mouth with the other as she attempted to claw her away out of his grip. She tried to screech out a call for help, but couldn't move or let out a breath. Her eyes looked up at the man in horror at what he might have planned.

"Where is the book and the staff?!" the hooded, ninja-like assailant demanded as he as squeezed his grip over her mouth tighter. "Where are you hiding them from us?! We know you know where it is! Where is the rod?!"

Zelda could only stare, terrified and confused. She had no idea what he was talking about! She shook her head in terror, tears beginning to flow down her cheeks.

"Squeal, girl. Your boy knight won't be able to save you, now. He's long gone...," the man gleefully whispered as he took his hand from her mouth to draw out a threatening dirk from his belt. He gently feathered the edge of the knife down her cheeks and to her neck.

Suddenly, Link came bursting through the window, swinging into the room in a blaze of fury, and kicking the man off the princess with both feet. The assailant flailed through the air, slamming into the opposite wall of the room, splintering the wood with a crash. The intruder quickly found his bearings, hurling a trio of bladed throwing stars at Link, who'd taken up a defensive stance at Zelda's bedside. Despite the speed of the throw, Link was faster, having already snapped off the legs of an old chair near the bed, and using the broad piece of wood as a makeshift shield against the weapons.

The throwing stars plunged deep the wood of the chair with startling force, sending splinters showering over the princess and her Hero. Link tossed it to the ground, and in one fluid motion drew the Master Sword from where it rested under the bed and hurled it at the assassin. The blade buried itself with a meaty 'THUNK' deep into the chest of the masked man, impaling him against the door to hang like some tasteless ornament.

The room fell silent as the attacker, firmly nailed too the bedroom door, gasped out three faint breaths before the lights in his eyes went out.

Zelda rushed to Link then, burying her head in his chest and sobbing. "I'm so sorry, Link! I was...so frightened...I guess I truly am helpless..."

He wanted to wrap his arms around her in a warm embrace to soothe her, but that would not be proper as she wasn't properly dressed and was wearing just a simple night gown. So he kept them stiffly at his sides, and hated that he had to do so.

The princess continued, her tears soaking the front of his tunic. "Please, forgive me...I should never have said those things to you...You were just trying to cheer me up...I've had so many things weighing on my mind, and I took it all out on you. Link...I..."

She lifted her head up from his chest to stare deep into the blue of his eyes. She was mere inches away from his face, perhaps even ready now, in this moment of heightened adrenaline, to bare her soul to him, finally. She could feel his breath mingling with her own. But before she could utter another word, Link interrupted her as he went ahead and wiped a few tears from her face.

"It's alright, Zelda...You're not helpless...Well, maybe just a little," he said, smiling in softly in the hope of lifting her spirits. "I am...I mean, we are...all here for you. Impa, Paya, Purah, me...everybody."

Their long gaze into each-others eyes broke a few moments later, as the two of them looked over to the corpse of the failed assassin, still hanging on door. Suddenly, said door swung open, revealing the innkeeper.

"What in the names of the Goddesses is happening in here?!" the innkeeper shouted, confused as he avoided the blade of the Master Sword poking out the outer side of the door. The man looked around the door, only to regret it when he caught sight of the dead man hanging from it.

"I'm not quite sure..." Link answered. "Though it appears the Yiga Clan is involved."

"Iga? What's an Iga?" the innkeeper asked with a lost stare.

"Yiga..." Zelda restated, turning to face Link."Are you certain?"

"Definitely," he replied, motioning at the man's garb and the emblem on his shroud. "I've encountered many of them in my journey to free you and defeat Calamity Ganon. But I thought I'd put an end to them when I bested their leader..."

"Then why did this man strike at me here?" the princess asked.

"I have no idea, but Impa was right. Rumor has already spread of your return. First light will be upon us soon. You should try to get some rest before dawn. We have a long journey ahead of us."

"And what about your rest?" Zelda retorted, genuine concern for his well-being clear in her voice. "You won't be so invincible for long, if you do not keep up your strength."

"I slept for one-hundred years," the knight replied with a grin, pulling the Master Sword from the corpse and door with a heave. "I think I'll be alright."

The innkeeper's mouth hung low and confused at what was happening, but he dared not try and interrogate his guests after seeing the aftermath of their scuffle and clearly what Link was capable of. He even went so far as to help Link drag the corpse from the room. It was probably for the best simply to wait until morning to ask questions.

Zelda, meanwhile, fell back onto her bed, though she could not bring herself to close her eyes again. Her mind and heart raced. Daybreak, and the ramifications of that night's events, would soon be upon them.

Authors notes: This story will be a long epic. Big shout out to my cousin who helped me edit this great work. Most of it is done and in its editing phase. I took some minor liberties on expanding the size and scale of Hyrule Kingdom trying to tie in as many aspects from the actual games and their canon as much as possible for accuracy. I written this story as if Hyrule was in fact, an actual flourishing fantasy kingdom that had existed throughout the ages since Skyward Sword. That being said this is meant to be a Breath of the wild direct sequel and I written it as such. I am trying to keep true to those characters and to that game, all the while still expanding on the great foundation of a story that they have laid down. I always imagined throughout playing the entire series as a whole that it was indeed an actual Kingdom even if we never had a chance to explore all its settlements; either due to hardware limitations at the time or just because of story progression of the games in general. Also, I will be posting regular chapters at two-week intervals and smaller break chapters weekly from the previous released chapter. Thanks and enjoy!

Chapter Text

Authors Note: This is brief chapter in regards to Link's memory from one hundred years prior. Don't fret, the next chapter is rather large and more to what you are used to. Also, Chapter three will resume after these two memory chapters are posted. This will also be the formula going forward in regards to past events prior to the current story. Thanks and Enjoy

Chapter

Recovered lost Memory - The Silent Knight

Sven got a good hit on me, the first ever actually. It was hard to believe, yet I couldn't stay focused for longer than a minute at a time. What was happening to me? What was so distracting that I couldn't even fend off Sven in a duel. I mean, it was Sven. He wasn't even classed in the top ten among us in the Royal Guard.

Was she really so captivating to me that she was occupying every free thought of my mind? Oh, but she really was. I couldn't stop thinking about what transpired between us recently. There was no way I would ever be able put into spoken words how I truly felt.

What was crazier still was me, to even entertain these absurd ideas, or to dare believe the hope that she might want anything to do with a commoner like me. It was all nonsense allowing myself to hope for, nor could it ever be allowed to exist. It was forbidden. Besides, she would never have eyes for my sort. It was probably for the best for me to let it all go. I was just her knight, nothing more; a glorified bodyguard.

Still, I felt something. At times, I'd catch glimpses of her staring back to me differently, with those green stormy eyes she has, and I would feel something more. I was probably overthinking things, going mad. Perhaps all the stress of things to come finally caught up to me, sinking into the back of my mind.

Everyone believes me to be this great warrior, come at last to save them. I don't feel special. Sure, I'm quick when I need to be, and better with a sharpened end of a blade than most...but hardly the stuff of legend.

I didn't want to let them all down. They were depending upon us both, with baited breath. Most of all, above anything else, I didn't want to let her down.

I noticed, more and more as of late, the way those around the castle have been treating her. I'd see her frown, and hold back tears from them all, more than I would care to see in a lifetime of me. Could I really be feeling this way about her? Maybe it's because of all the time I've been spending with her lately? That must be it. I just need to focus, clear my mind, and think about the task at hand. At that moment, it was beating Sven and the others in this training yard.

The morning dragged on, and Sven would never let it go that he bested me in a matchup. I had to snap out of it. I felt a snap, alright; the snap of Sven's wooden baton. It cracked over my back, splintering into pieces all over the grassy hill we sparred on. It stung, but not nearly so much as the ache in my chest that yearned for her. I couldn't believe I was actually missing her company.

"Hey! Why didn't you try to dodge?! Are you alright, Link?" Sven called out to me, rushing over to get me off the ground. His strike had landed true enough, and I dropped to one knee at a smack from his phony blade.

"I'm...alright," I said quietly, not caring for his concern. I waved my hand for him to stay back.

He stood there, bushy brows lifted, clearly puzzled as to why I had been missing my cues all morning.

Sven was younger than me by two years, and looked up to me. The boy had lied about his age when he applied for the Royal Guard, getting away with it thanks to his unusually tall height. We joined up together, training under the careful eye of my father. My father, who had been training me for a day when I might take up a Guardsman's solemn oath. It was his proudest day, and he'd directed me toward that goal since the moment I could first remember standing.

Though Sven and I shared an aspiration to be great warriors; my motivation was different than Sven's, I think. Unlike me, Sven had loved hearing the old legends over and over again; grand stories from so deep in the histories, they were more whisper on the tongue than actual written word. He'd always wanted to be a hero. I on the other hand, had to become a hero. All I could ever remember, even from a young age, was being taught how to wield a blade. My father was determined to make a great hero out of me.

Sven's family had always been close to mine since before I was born. Since losing his father at a young age, my father embraced his inclusion into our family most of the time while we were growing up. That held true even though he still had his mother, a sweet old woman who baked the best pies. I suppose he was like a younger big brother to me in that regard.

"Link, I don't understand. You are the best in the Guard, and I've never landed a hit on you in my life," Sven said, pale with worry. As if my lack of confidence and skill translated over to his own combat abilities. "Don't tell me you're getting cold feet about this Hero 'Champion' business! You're not doubting yourself, are you? I don't know if I would be able to take it!"

"I'm alright," I replied, gruffly.

"Well, it sure doesn't seem like it. It's like you're someplace else all the time, lately. It's kind of got the regiment a little worried, to tell the truth. You've been so quiet these past two months, hardly saying a word. It's even got your father worried! Look, you can tell me what's going on. How long have we been friends, Link?"

It seemed Sven didn't want to let up. I didn't much care to, either. "It's fine. I just have a lot on my mind. Don't worry about me, and just focus on your training."

"But you are my trainer! How can I focus if you aren't taking this seriously?!"

"I am, Sven. More than you know...Look, I'm sorry...I just...never mind..."

"In that case, you won't mind if I tell the others I took down the great Link himself in a duel, fair 'n square! They aren't gonna believe it!"

"Fine by me. Besides, I won't be the one that'll have to convince them it actually happened. In any case, I couldn't care less about what they think of me."

He clasped his hands over his mouth in shock, aghast at my words. Sven cared more deeply about his position and status among the other men of the guard than I did with regard to my position. Truth be told, he'd barely made it through the prequalifying trials. So I guess he needed all the pull he could get with the other Guardsmen, which was one reason I always lent him my support. From day one, I had his back. He was like my brother, after all. I couldn't let him fail, nor let the other men have a laugh at him. Honestly, he had more fighting spirit than the entire lot of them combined. Probably more than myself, at times. He had the heart, he only lacked the skill.

But for some reason that I couldn't seem to shake off, I wasn't feeling supportive of him that day. I had other pressing things on my mind. Perhaps it was just the unnatural heat we were having in the city that clouded my thoughts and dulled my senses. It drained me of my desire to spar. Perhaps that was the source of those untimely delusions I'd been having as of late.

It was at that moment that I heard an uneasy commotion brewing over by the main gate, near the castle. It wasn't too far off from where we were sparring.

I saw her.

Escorted by her castle guards, she seemed upset and disheartened as they lead her toward her carriage. As if she was just a mere rancher's pony being thrown back into its pen. I told Sven I needed a break, managing to walk away from him before he could hit me with twenty more questions.

"I'm just hungry!" I called to him. "I'll be back in a hour!"

I had to get a closer look at her, and see why she was so upset. Was she being forced to do something she didn't want? Who could be so callous to try and force her to do anything? What was this all about?

I ran over to just behind a stone wall, a mere shout away from the main castle entrance, where her carriage parked. I tried to hear what all the fuss was about, but it seemed I was too late. She was already locked into her wheeled prison, which began to move as her young driver slapped the belts hitched to the team of horses. They swiftly made haste into the noisy city.

Her escort consisted of four Royal Guardsmen, the two of whom at the front I didn't see eye to eye with. They were much older than me, and didn't like the idea of some young upstart besting them in mock battles. It wasn't my fault their skills were lacking. If they would have just spent more time in the training yard, and less time at Romani's milk 'n brew, they might have been better contenders.

I couldn't just trail behind the carriage. My cover would be easily blown if either guard recognized me, so I decided to turn back around and head back to the training yard. I'd been considering that it was probably for the best, when I ran smack dab into someone. We collided hard, and both fell to hard stony ground. It was a girl, panicked and clearly in a hurry to chase after Zelda's carriage, while I was in a rush to get back to Sven and the others. I recognized the flustered girl as Adeline, one of Zelda's most trusted handmaidens.

"Sorry, miss. I didn't see ya there," I said, offering a hand to help her to her feet.

"It's quite alright," she replied, rubbing her head, and squinting back up at me into the noonday sun. "Oh, my! Link! Master Link! It's you! This is perfect! Were you trying to see the princess, as well?"

The girl sprang up from the ground, face glowing with visible relief, as if I was some angel with an answer to her prayers. It was probably just the sun in her eyes. Or this delirium-causing heat. Perhaps it was affecting everyone, and not simply me.

"I uh...," I wasn't really certain how to respond to her question. "Actually, I was about to- "

Before I could say another word, she answered for me. "I knew it! This is rather splendid! You must save her, Link, you must!"

"Save her? She's in danger?!" I exclaimed fiercely, grabbing her by the shoulders by sheer reflex.

"Oh, dear me, no! Not like that, silly. She needs saving from the priest and her father."

I loosened my grip. "The King?"

"Of course she's safe," the handmaiden explained. "It's just that they're leading her from here to there and back again without a care in the world for how she feels! Poor thing hasn't smiled in days. As a matter of fact, the last time I saw her even lift her cheeks was when she got back to the castle after spending the day with you. Something you must have done worked a miracle on her, even if it was just for a day. If anyone can save her from this unholy alliance of unhappiness, it's you, Link!"

"Well, I- "

Again, the Goddesses cursed me with slow speech.

"I knew you would be able to help!" the girl interrupted, joyfully. "You cannot fool me, Link! I'll go fetch some extra clothes, and other things that you will need for her. In the meantime, you go to the Sanctuary to free her from her captors. Hurry, now! Not a moment to lose! I'll meet you once the deed is done!"

She always had an awkward way about her, that Adeline. The girl had a keen liking for mischief, and a tendency to stick her nose into everyone's business. Even so, she was a good and loyal person. Zelda liked having her by her side, which was all that mattered to me.

"Well, I guess I don't really have a choice," I said to myself as I scanned the city for a better view, shielding my eyes from the bright light of the sun with one hand.

From my vantage point, I could see most of the inner city. How was I supposed to save Zelda from the clutches of the priest and guards? Furthermore, how was I supposed to go against her father's orders? That would be treason for a knight like me, right? Well, I supposed not, if the princess was alright with it. Maybe. Ugh, the politics of things was just so confusing.

I headed stealthily over to stables, where they kept the horses for us Guardsmen. It was near the training yard, and I had to be certain Sven and the others didn't see me. I would need a good horse if I was going to pull off this stunt and live to keep my head on my shoulders. They wouldn't put the ax to their Champion before his task was done, right? It was probably best not to think of failure. Zelda needed my help, and that's all that mattered.

I trailed behind two fellow Guardsmen, who had just left for a break at the canteen, having likely just finished a sparring session of their own. The coast was clear at the western end of the castle, the area where the men engaged in mock battles and strategy. It was no surprise they all wanted a break from this ungodly heat we'd been having.

It was now or never, so I ran to the main stables next to the chariot house. What luck I was having! The Goddesses must have truly been having a great laugh at me that day, for the only steed left was the savage beast, Storm. More Lynel than horse, that one, or so it would seem to any poor soul who dared to approach to try and mount him. Even I, who had a very good way with wild-hearted stallions, had difficulty with this one. No one was ever able to tame him before. Many have suspected he must of been the steed of the Demon King Demise, himself.

"Easy there big fella," I whispered softly, creeping along toward him, and doing my best to keep both his face and his broad legs well within my sight. "It's going to be alright. I just want to make a deal with you. No need to get hasty- "

I continued pacing cautiously over to the wild beast, only to be flung through the air as he swung around to broadside me with his powerful hind legs. I took the strike hard, even fading out of consciousness for a short moment.

I came to on the stable floor, spitting out straw that had ended up in my mouth. I clenched a fistful of dirt from the ground, and jumped back to my feet. Panting hard, I was certain my face was red with fury. But I couldn't let on that I was mad, nor could I afford to frustrate the accursed animal any further. I had to keep a cool head if I were to make a truce. So I decided to go for another attempt.

"Look, I need your help!" I pleaded with him as he flailed around, kicking and thrashing about in his pen. "The princess needs your help! I know you don't like being cooped up in this hot barn they call a stable, and you don't like strange people trying to ride you. I wouldn't like it either. But if you help me now, just this once..."

I decided to bet all the luck I had on bargaining with the estranged steed. I couldn't be certain if an animal such as that even understood a word I said. If anyone saw me be acting this way, they'd have certainly thought I'd gone mad. Talking to a horse indeed. Nevertheless, it was my only option. "If you help me, I promise to set you free. Nobody will ever lock you up again. All the freshly plucked apples you could ever want, and all the tall grasslands and rolling hills you ever dreamt of roaming. It's all in your hands...er, hoofs. I can help you. So...what say you, friend?"

The chestnut-colored stallion backed away a couple of steps. His old eyes locked on to mine with a fiery glow. His stare was apprehensive, but eventually seemed to give way to trust. He shook his head erratically, and sprung up on his hind legs. Just as I braced myself for another stern kick to the chest, the horse stepped back. Then he snorted as loud as he could, as if he was in agreement. It seemed we had a deal, at last.

I quickly leaped over to him, securing the saddle I had in my hands over his back before he could think of changing his mind. I mounted him as quickly as I could, running my fingers through his thick mane to soothe him. I followed it up by giving him a friendly pat. A horse handshake, if you will. Within moments, we were off.

As we galloped toward our destination, I whispered into the stallion's flicking ear, "Alright, Storm. Let's go save a princess."

I made my way atop Storm's back, deep into the bustling city. The pair of us turned down the path to the Sanctuary quarter, where most of the commoners went to make their penance to the Goddesses by offering up prayers and rupees to the High Priest. Being well known by most in the city thanks to my more recent achievements, I needed a clever way to shield my identity before heading in. I couldn't just barge into the Holy Citadel, demand Zelda be freed, and expect everything to be right as rain afterward. I needed a diversion - a good one.

My fortune turned for the better, and I spotted the High Priest Galivan, himself. The man was short, even by Hylian standards, and thin at the waist. Though his stature was diminutive, the man could easily be spotted in a crowd thanks to his constant need to overdress. He must have been wearing every possible talisman imaginable on his hands and around his neck, and his robe was one of the finest in the land. It was a gaudy outfit, trimmed in gold, with fine rubies that gleamed like roses dotting his cloak. It was as if he had to alert everyone within a league to know that he was present.

I clutched my weathered hood close as I approached, trying to hide my face as best I could from anyone in the thick crowd that might recognize me. Storm led me in, and I rode him at a brisk trot. I avoided all eye contact of any kind. I didn't want the High Priest to know I was approaching, nor the guards in the area for that matter. They all knew me too well, given there was only one Hylian Champion, after all.

As usual, Galivan was trying to induce laughter, and getting rather handsy with some of the maidens in the street – the man was a horrendous lech, always on the prowl for the young ladies. Didn't seem to matter to him that he had a wife. A fraud with no shame.

It looked like he was taking his precious time entering the Sanctuary, which made it a good moment for me to act. I ran to a nearby market man's trolley, piled with linens and other more...delicate garments intended for the fairer type.

A crazy gamble of an idea plopped into my mind. An idea so crazy, it just might work. I'd long ago sworn to myself, and to every goddess that there was, that I would never stoop so low as to do such a thing as this again...but it was for her sake. If it meant a better chance at helping her, I had to do it. A fancy trick taught to me by the Gerudo Champion, Urbosa, never before would it have crossed my mind that I might have to use it twice in a lifetime. This would have to be the last time! I cursed the sky under my breath. Such an embarrassing display...

With no other choice but to go through with it, I dismounted Storm. Shielding myself from prying eyes, I hurried to haggle with the man selling the clothing in the square. Reluctantly, I gave up three hard-earned red rupees. Half a month's earnings in the Guard, but I had no other choice. I had to keep telling myself it was for my duty to the princess.

...but was it really? Last time I checked, knights didn't go around sneaking princesses out against their father's orders. Was it really for my duty as her knight...or was this something more? Ugh, I was going mad! What sort of spell could I be under that made me so willing to openly commit treason for this girl?! What was this new feeling burning inside me? Yet I proceeded onwards, even after all those very rational thoughts.

The overly round, bushy-haired merchant man cocked an eyebrow, looking me twice over from top to bottom. "You sure you want this, lad? You do know what sort of clothes these are, right?"

"Yes, just hurry and hand them over. Quickly now," I said to him, still hiding my face in my cloak. I looked over my shoulder to make sure no one else had noticed me in the marketplace.

"Fine by me, I was only saying. Whatever suits your fancy, now. I don't be judgin'."

I responded to his statement with a glare that would have woke the dead. He flinched, turning pale at the sight, as I hastily grabbed my new garments and fled to a nearby alleyway. I made certain no one could have seen me, and Storm followed close behind. He may have been a mean horse, but he was also a smart one too.

More to my good luck, I saw some small melons cradled in a thatched box left out on someone's doorstep not too far off. Yes, surely they wouldn't mind. It wass for official castle business, anyway. Perhaps the Goddesses were smiling down upon me, after all, though it was an odd way to show their favor. I went and snatched up two of the melons. They'd be useful to my plan.

Keeping a keen eye out out for witnesses, I scanned the area good and well. Taking a deep breath, I rolled my eyes, and did what needed doing. No use delaying the inevitable. Putting my speed to good use, I changed out of my training gear, and made sure to remove anything that might give me away as a knight...or anything that would give credence to me as a man, for that matter. Swiftly wrapping myself up in the fine, flashy-colored linens, I tied a pretty blue veil over my face, and planted the two plump melons under the blouse I had arranged.

Storm hopped around and snorted, seemingly delighted at the sight of me that way as if he just won the Galloper's gold medal. I could have sworn he was laughing and having his sport with me.

"Shush! Are trying to let the whole neighborhood know what's going on?" I scolded him with a sharp whisper, grabbing his reins and pulling his head close to mine waiving a stiff finger at him. The horse simply neighed again, defiantly, and spat onto the stone street.

I was certain I looked absurd, truth be told, so I was beginning to feel it wasn't even going to work. Even so, it was my best and only shot at flagging down that worm of a man who called himself a priest. Urbosa once said I looked nice as a vai, their word for a woman in the Gerudo tongue. I wasn't sure if that should have been taken as a compliment, though. She'd noted that it only really worked if one wasn't too close. Which meant I'd need to lure Galivan in from a distance, to someplace I could get him alone...

Trying to keep proper form, I finally got Storm to settle down with command to wait for me, and look out for my signal. Heading back out to the main square, I saw the Grand Priest once again, prancing about as if trying to court every woman in view.

"This will work," I told myself. "This will work."

"My, oh, my, aren't you ladies hot wearing such thick and heavy clothes in this weather? Perhaps a change of attire is in order!" Galivan shouted, drooling over the maidens who tended the gardens outside the Sanctuary. It was common for ladies-in-waiting to perform service to the Sanctuary in the hope of attaining a blessing from the Goddesses, often times with a wish to have true love find them in their lifetime.

"Such a hot swell we have here today, unlike anything we have ever seen in quite some years," the man continued to taunt with a nasty grin that stretched across his whole face. "I do believe the Goddesses wouldn't mind any of you showing a shoulder or two! I'll - I mean, they'll allow it. With this heat and all."

The young girls rolled their eyes at his obvious suggestions, and continued working as if he wasn't there at all. He was much too old, and married too boot, and everyone in the city knew it. Though he was a man of high standing, and did have more rupees to his name than most lords of the kingdom, few would be persuaded by that alone...

...but to me, a desperate and ambitious foreign girl...why, a man like that could be handy for a girl facing rough times. It was time for me to make my play.

"Ohhh yoohoo! You, there! Could I get help?" I called to the priest, batting my eyelashes as I stood near the alley, and waving a red sash at him in the wind. I had to pitch my voice into a falsetto, and decrease my height by hunching just a bit to properly give the illusion of being a young, eager lady.

"Hmmm? And who is this beautiful maiden we have here today?" he replied, calling out to me with wide eyes. "You are not a gerudo, yet you are dressed as one? New to this part of the kingdom? I may be willing to give you a tour of the sights, if you are unfamiliar with the area."

The lecher marched closer to where I stood near the alleyway, and I slowly backed away, setting up for the next stage of my game.

"Oh, dear me, sir," I piteously begged, "could I get some help from a powerful, strong man, such as yourself? I need help loading that crate of melons over there, and these little arms of mine are too tired and- "

"No need for a long-winded explanation, my dear. I'm always free to help a fine young woman such as yourself, no matter the cause. First, let me get a nice look at you..."

His stare was easily as perverse in its intent as his words. I couldn't tell which was worse, the he must have scared every fine maiden in this quarter of the city from here to Hateno...or that his gaze was now level at me. He openly seemed to salivate at the sight of me, as if he hadn't eaten in years and was about to dive into a midsummer's eve feast. My stomach turned at the thought, and even with my face covered, I considered that perhaps my disguise had worked a bit too well.

I kept walking back two steps for every one he took to close the gap between us.

"Aw, come now, I don't bite. I just want to see that pretty face of yours," he said, his small form lunging toward me in an attempt to grasp at my clothes. "No need to hide such beauty. I love the exotic ones."

Of all the nerve! And we'd only just met! I made a show of delicately swatting away his hands and giggling as I continued to walk back. The mmove only seemed to excite him more, though. This man was incorrigible.

"Teehee! It's just that my face is, uh...hot! Yes, that's it! Hot from the sun!" I explained, trying my best to maintain my high-pitched impression at this much closer distance. "That's why I need to wear the veil, heehee."

Now that we were within a couple feet of each other, my voice had begun to crack with the nervousness of being caught. I wasn't sure if he'd noticed or not, and I still wasn't in position.

Just a few more steps..., I thought as I continued to lure the man further into the alleyway.

"Where are these melons you needed loaded, hmm? I want to see my prize, already. Busy day, today. I would love to get to help you, to get to know you...but I am a very busy man, with no time to spend on a tease."

The jig was up, but it was too late for the pervert. He was right where I wanted him, just far enough away from anyone's eyes to see what was about to happen. Spinning around in a flash, I revealed myself to him.

"Eyahh! A man!" He groaned in disbelief and disgust.

"That's right!" I confirmed. "Sorry to disappoint you, 'good sir,' but I'm going to need your help now!"

No sooner were the words out of my mouth than he clutched his fine necklace in terror, and turned to flee as if I was some mere back-alley thief. I gave the signal, and Storm moved to block off the man's escape with his large body. With nowhere to run, the helpless was swiftly seized. Holding my arm firmly around his throat, I held him until I felt his body go limp with unconsciousness.

"Good, work Storm!" I praised the stallion, as I dragged the unconscious priest further into the alley. "I wasn't sure how much more of that abuse I could take. Now, you wait here and stand guard for a moment, while I make my next move."

I searched the High Priest's robe for anything that could be of use. Turned out he was carrying the Royal Scepter, which bore the Royal Crest. The scepter was a symbol of status among the devout, something the King himself could bestow upon someone to grant power to act on behalf of the kingdom. Anyone under the purview of Hyrule law, from commoner to noble, could recognize such a symbol of authority, which would make the item most useful. It was a fine looking artifact, too, a gold baton crowned with a beautiful pearlescent orb that seemed to actively swirl in the light. I'd never actually seen such a nice treasure .

I took the priest's clothing for my own, and quickly threw them on to wear. With his lavish hood now draped over my head, I was beginning to believe I was getting quite good at this sort of trickery. Now in the guise of the High Priest, and armed with the Royal Scepter, I was ready.

I carefully hid the High Priest inside an empty barrel for safe-keeping, before leaping onto Storm. With an easy kick to the horse's thick sides, we slowly began to trot away.

"Don't worry, Storm, this will work," I whispered into his ear. "He'll be alright in a few hours. Probably won't remember a thing, if we're lucky. And even if he does remember, he'll only recall being robbed by someone dressed as a woman. The shame alone will keep him from saying anything."

We patiently made our way over to another haggler, this one selling parchment, as well as assorted dyes and inks. I faced the salesman, leaning over to speak to him from atop Storm. "Pardon me, sir! Do you know any scribes?"

"Yes, I do," came the expected reply. "I am a scribe, milord. Are you in need of my quill?"

"I certainly am, my good man!" I boldly stated, putting a deep huff into my voice to mimic the High Priest. "Though, if you don't mind, I'll just borrow it quickly to write the letter myself. I'm away from my, uh...wing of the castle, and need to write something of the upmost urgency and secrecy!"

"Well...alright, milord. I understand. This way, then."

The man gave me a questioning stare, but then shook it off. Probably from a desire not to stir up trouble with somebody of noble status, let alone a holy man, by prying too deeply for information. I rapidly dismounted, following the man into his shop just behind the market stand. It was clear the man was a local artisan, and his shop was filled with examples of all sorts of signs and calligraphy done for commoners and nobility alike.

"Here it is, milord," he said, withdrawing a long feather from within a cluttered desk. "I'll leave you alone to your private matters. No need to pay a rupee. We here are always willing to do service for those devoted to the divine."

"Thank you, and many blessings to you as well," I spoke, hiding myself deeper within the shadow of my hood, and rolling my hands out before him in an elegant manner, acting as the Priest would. This was something I could get used to, being treated like a Royal. As the man left the room, I knew my plan would work. He hadn't questioned my disguise at all. Now, it was just time to pen up something.

Grabbing the quill and ink, I made short work of writing a note. I wrote as if it was on behalf of the King's orders to release Zelda from the Sanctuary today. I felt proud of my sly self. This was too easy. The High Priest had the Royal Scepter on him today, for whatever reason, and the High Priest was one of very few that could work on behalf of the King, and permitted to give orders throughout the kingdom so long as he'd been granted the Scepter's authority. The other fortunate thing about the artifact was that it doubled as a Royal Seal, a stamp present on its heel end. I dripped some melted wax upon the letter to form a proper seal, and plunged the insignia onto the parchment.

As I made my way out of the shop, I waved a pleasant thank you to the happy merchant, mounted Storm, and headed off to the Sanctuary. I was now ready to save the princess.

Chapter Text

Authors Note-  This is one part of three for this chapter. All three parts will be released this week. Also, this is a memory chapter and although it takes place one hundred years ago, I didn't keep the italics because it was hard on the eyes. Thank you and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter

Recovered Lost Memory -The Silent Princess

Part-1

Lost Diary Entry-

The sunlight seemed to pierce through the castle walls directly into my room, and I thought there would be no escape from its burning rays. That morning was more unbearable than most, not because of my responsibility as the Princess of Hyrule, but because of the miserably hot and humid weather. Even for summer, it was a day like I could never have imagined, a heatwave unlike any the land had experienced in ages. Those in the capital, so often blessed with sublime weather year-round, were particularly upset.

Perhaps it is an omen of sorts that the Goddesses' influence in these lands might have begun to wane. I can't be certain. All I know is that the air was thick and heavy, and the very act of breathing chokes me.

I thought, being so high up in the western tower, that I might be able to get a reprieve from the harsh beams by letting in a breeze. Yet even the breeze was cursed that morning, a hot summer wind that only served to exhaust me further and leave me lethargic, and the sun scorched the stone of the castle walls so thoroughly that the building had become as a baker's kiln. Or that's how it felt to me, at least. Try as I might, there was no comfort to be found.

I remember these details vividly at the time of writing this, having been fumbling about in an uncomfortable daze trying to find this confounded diary of mine. I frequently seem to misplace it, tending to lose it among the countless other books and papers I have lying about my room. One more example of my own tendency to 'hurry up and wait,' always ready to leave at a moment's notice for some excursion planned out by Father, or a survey to continue my research, something I dearly love.

My thoughts clouded, I scrambled to locate my journal but I couldn't find it. Eventually, having lost the will to continue in the face of the rising temperature, I decided to simply temporarily jot down my ideas on one of the many loose sheets of parchment strewn about my desk. Anything to get my mind of this intolerable heat, since the other researchers won't be at the castle, having gone out to conduct a field study. Father wants me to take a break today from my studies, too, because I will need to pay a visit to the Sanctuary to offer up more prayers to the Goddesses, or anyone who might listen.

But I must admit that all I can really think about, what I keep reminiscing on, is how Link and I spent the other day together. It's five days since I last saw him before returning to the confines of the castle. And yet, all I can seem to do is think our time spent together. I must be losing my mind.

If you'd asked me about him a month ago, I'd have said, "Link? Who? What about him?"

But he is nothing like the person I once judged him to be. I couldn't have been any more wrong about him.

Link is the appointed knight chosen by my Father, and charged with keeping me in his care at all times. He was selected because of the exceptional display of bravery he had shown when one of the magnificent Guardians we were researching went haywire, blasting devastating blue beams into the busy city crowds without warning.

Link, by a happy turn of chance, had been training outside the nearby castle walls. With neither hesitation, nor a thought for his own safety, had sprung into action and leapt into the path of the rampaging guardian. He distracted its deadly gaze from the crowds of innocent people, and made use of a pot lid of all things as a means to take it down. Being a trainee at the time, he didn't even have a proper shield. But that didn't deter his bravery. We're all still amazed by his feat, and aren't quite sure how he did it, but he was able to deflect the blast back at the malfunctioning mechanical menace, immobilizing it.

It all happened so fast. If it weren't for him that day...a tragedy would certainly have occurred. The people are already uneasy about these marvelous artifacts we uncovered. Most look upon these Guardians with suspicion and apprehension, because they are such mysterious and powerful relics from a time long since forgotten. However, Link preventing any loss of life that day went a long way toward preventing even greater mistrust. We are very fortunate for that indeed.

Our research is the most important thing right now. Especially because, although it pains me to no end to say this...I haven't been able to summon the great sealing power of my ancestors. Try as I might nothing happens at all. That is, if there even is such a thing as the sealing power. For now, the guardians, are our best hope. And I have Link to thank for that. Preventing any undo mistrust among the people that day from the malfunctioning machine.

My father too witnessed this and knew, then and there, that Link would do great things in the Royal Guard. He saw something in him...he saw a hero. At the time it even had me raising an eyebrow. But I was still unconvinced. After all, it could have been a simple stroke of luck. And as much as I regret to say this, I didn't give Link any benefit of the doubt back then. Oh, how much more wrong would I prove to be. If only I could go back in time...

From that moment on, he was chosen to be my sole protector, my knight attendant, and was given the title "Captain of the Guard." It was a first title of its kind given to someone of only seventeen years of age.

Though I had not witnessed it for myself, rumor spread that he'd bested even well-seasoned soldiers, men with many years of experience over him, as if it were just mere child's play. I'd been told it was quite the spectacle to witness. Even so, regardless of claims to his talents, I seethed at the thought of having to be under guard at all hours of the day.

One day, shortly after he left with little warning, he came back from 'a long and tumultuous journey.' Just about all the maidens of the city were throwing lily pedals and roses at his feet, and soldiers cheered upon his return. The whole capital roared in celebration of the marvelous gift he brought back to us all – the Sword of Evil's bane, our ancient blade of legend.

He'd gone and done what many had long thought to be impossible, including myself! He'd freed the legendary Sword that seals the darkness from its sacred pedestal. The very same legendary sword forged from the burning golden anvils of the Goddesses themselves, or so the old legends tell us. It had been hiding from mortal eyes for centuries, to the point we all started to believe such a blade was mere myth, and didn't actually exist. Yet, he managed to have found it. But, not only that, he freed it from it's long slumber and legends say only a true hero can free it from its stone pillar. For it serves no other master.

Link at the time was living up to his end of the Legend where I the Princess, sacred guardian of the Sealing power of the Goddesses, was amounting to nothing. My studies were going nowhere, even the Sheikah researchers were at a lost most of the time. Whatever progress we thought we would make would always take us steps backward, leaving more questions than answers.

(Zelda Sighs) If I am within the castle's walls however, it isn't always necessary to have him by my side, Link that is, seeing that I myself had a small army of soldiers just a whisper away from my bedroom. For even when I am alone, I am not truly alone. That is how it felt at least with guards just outside my door ever since I could remember.

(Zelda leans back...Sighs again) It is hard for me to put into words what took place between him and I recently. Link I mean. Things were different from before when he was just my knight and nothing else. Feelings I never have felt before in my life were beginning to bloom within me. A wonderful warmth in my chest. Just hearing his name spoken on someone else's lips had my skin turn red and flush. I couldn't help myself but think about him more and more. I must be going crazy.

And wouldn't you know it, it was a miracle! Link can speak! Come to find out. Well I mean of course he can speak, but I finally got him to say just a few more syllables other than 'Yes or no, Princess.'

He actually has a cute way about him and a nice smile too, if he would only just wear it more often. My mind is always racing with what he is thinking about. Because I would be talking until the cuccos came home to roost about almost everything; and all he would be doing is just standing there, behind me, with his usual stoic stare neither agreeing or disagreeing with me.

I think I would have rather him disagree with me then say nothing at all! It used to drive my mind wild at what he was thinking and more importantly what he thought of me.

I used to think he despised me. A princess who was shun by the divine. And that thought filled me with contempt for him when I first met him. Who is this goddess gifted and talented commoner? One where everything came easy to him think he was by judging me? Oh, I was so wrong about him.

He wasn't thinking any of those awful things that I concocted up in my mind. It was I who was judging him before even getting to know him. I wish I could just undo all the terrible things I may have said to him from before, or the way I took out my own frustrations on him.

However, I slowly made my amends since that unfortunate run in with the Yiga clan and I got him to open up to me. Little by little. He selflessly saved me even though I was being so cold to him. I didn't deserve his protection. I didn't deserve to have him. I didn't deserve any of it.

But he did so anyways. By putting his own life at risk for mine. Regardless of the way I've been treating him before.

I wonder if it was more than just his duty to him. Perhaps it was, or perhaps it wasn't. I would like to hope it was something more. Perhaps, I'll never know. Which is fine because I can wait. I can be patient. For Link that is, it is worth a shot.

He wasn't anything the person I judged him to be from before once I got him to open up and after I reconciled with him. There is no urgency or any unreasonable and impossible expectations in his eyes when he looks at me. He even let me use him as my very own test specimen! He knew I aspired to be a great scholar because I would talk about it over and over to him when we made our treks across the lower territories of Hyrule. It was during our continued preparations. Which proved to me, that he must of always been listening to my never ending rambles of thought. And I think that's what I love about link the most. He listened to me, and cared as if every word I said mattered.

He just made me feel at peace when we he was around. As if everything truly is going to be alright in the end. After all this with Calamity Ganon that was going to happen to us supposedly. That both of our destinies were bound to the same fate of fending off the Calamity.

When we were alone him and I, I didn't have to be the Princess of Hyrule. Everyone is so desperately looking up to me to perform my duty and to save them from this ageless nightmare that is coming for us all. I had not the slightest Idea of where to begin or how to do what they were all asking of me. But it was still expected of me just the same. The Goddesses were deaf to my devotion and all the while everyone's eyes were on me, looking to me to save them. I feel so powerless. Even as I write this. I still have the hope that soon I may be able to manifest the divine gift. They all truly deserve a real princess. One worthy of the Goddesses.

They all looked passed me though. As if I was mere painter's portrait or idea of what a princess should be. All they see is my responsibility and duty to the realm and nothing more. I could of screamed at the top of my lungs in a crowded room and nobody would of heard a thing. But Link...he saw me. He heard me. My voice.

To him, I was different. He didn't look at me with the same eyes as everyone else did. Neither did he judge me the way they did too. To him I am just Zelda. I am allowed to be just me.

He isn't all brute either as he had led on in front of the others. He is gentle when he wants to be, even though I know he thought I wasn't paying attention when he secretly was. The way he moved so strong and fierce in a fight yet so sweet at times as to not pull or damage the roots of a flower. There is an unspoken tenderness hidden within him that I want to find.

I laughed when I was with him because I didn't think he would of actually gone through with it too! But he actually did! That Link is devoted to his duty as my sworn knight regardless of the nasty task laid before him at hand. Or perhaps it was more than just duty. In either case the results from the test were quite pleasant to say the least.

I told him of research we had here at the castle that I was leading with a few of the Sheikah scholars and self-proclaiming scientist. Preparing for the Calamity has been put in the forefront of all matters. The realization of it becoming all too real was becoming fact to everyone. Speaking of the Calamity, even my father scoffed at such stories of its existence until she came into our lives. It happened shortly before my loving mother died. I was just a small child.

The traveling Oracle they called her, but truth be told she was just a mere fortune teller. A peddler of sorts dabbing in children's stories and magic. Or so I thought back then. I was so wrong. She was for real.

She knew things that nobody could of just learned or known by mere happenstance. She presented undeniable evidence of Ganon's inevitable return to the kingdom and things around here have never been the same since. Some things I can say changed for the better but mostly for the worst.

Where was I? Oh yes! Link and I were taking a short rest heading back to the castle from the Gerudo highlands and that's where this little adventure of ours began. It was a beautiful morning unlike the one we were having now. The grassy hills were like an artist's painting. It was filled with dashes of yellow, blue and pink blooms of flower pedals that dotted all along the luscious open meadows, as far as the eye could see. A wonderful day indeed.

I just needed an opportunity to gather some of these flowers for my research that I was conducting at the castle and that's when I spotted it from the corner of my eye. It thought it could have escaped my quick reflexes. But I snuck up and snatched it as fast as I could move my legs on my knees. I can be quite fast when I want to be. Perhaps not as hasty as Link during a spar, but you get the idea.

It was a hot footed frog. It was named so because it has been hypothesized that if one could manage to get a hold of just one of these little guys and happen to ingest or even just taste their rubbery hide; it could possibly make the unlucky person who had to bare such a foul taste in their mouth, gain a sudden enhance of their movement speed.

And with Link's level of physical fitness he would have made a perfect candidate of the study. Or the very least he would have made for my good laugh. Both ideas amused me greatly. A princess has got to do what she's got to do to get things done.

So, I put my best face on for him and asked him to help me in this endeavor. I can be quite persuasive when I want to be. Not that I would use it to any unfair advantage, of course.

You should of seen link's face, If only I had the slate in my hands to capture such a moment. His eyes widened, and face went red as a mighty thistle at the thought of it. At first, he seemed frightened and appeared to back off. And just when I thought he wasn't going to do it, out of nowhere he found the courage and just went for it.

Without any warning at all he just threw the poor critter whole into his mouth, cheeks puffed out and face pale. I guess I should have told him, it only needed just a lick or two. But I couldn't let a good laugh go to waste, so I relished in his discomfort for the time being. And kept the facts to myself. My side ached for an hour after from laughing so hard at his wild behavior. I always knew he was an outdoorsman and was one with the wilderness, but that Link took it to whole another level of devotion...

BAM! BAM! BAM! (Zelda drops her quill)

The door rang with the slamming of the fist of the Guard who kept post outside my bedroom door.

I was torn from my happy daydream and shot up out of my chair from writing. I heard the thundering march of footsteps follow towards my bedroom door, getting louder and louder.

Chapter Text

Recovered lost memory- The Silent Princess- Part 2

BAM! BAM! BAM!

The door rang with the slamming of the fist of the Guard keeping post outside my bedroom door. I was torn from my happy daydream, shooting out of my chair at my writing desk. I heard the thundering march of footsteps towards my bedroom getting louder and louder.

Can I ever get any sort of break? Will they ever let up, just for a moment? I thought to myself as I braced for the door to barge open bearing the guaranteed misfortunes of my nonexistent promise of the Divine Gift.

It was as I predicted. In walked my father, the good and honorable king, along with a retinue of yes-men following close behind. They piled into the room, one after the other, in a grandiose display of orderly fashion. They were so proud of themselves, thinking they could hide the way they secretly scoffed at me. I knew them, though. The look of their condescending eyes alone were enough to reveal the truth behind their fake smiles. I never could have lived up to their vision of what a proper princess should be.

Keeping to herself amid the throng of attendants, however, was one person I trusted. Impa, the lean, silver-haired Sheikah woman had also entered my room. Among that group's number, she was the only person with whom I shared any kinship. Whether due to both of us being younger than the rest, Impa had never ceased to support me, and I was deeply grateful. Beyond any roles of advisor, though, what I appreciated most was that she was my friend.

"Zelda, why are you still lingering over those books?" He questioned me sternly, his hands shuffling about to fix a non-existent problem with his coat. He was awfully concerned with appearances while speaking in front of his advisors these days. "There is no time for for frivolous reading when the day of reckoning may be soon be upon us."

"It is still quite early, Father," I calmly replied, though I was very nearly at my wit's end, and could feel the tightening of my fists. This period of imprisonment in my home needed to stop. "I've done as you asked, repeatedly and without question, for as long as I can remember. Are there not even a few minutes during the day that I might keep for myself?"

"You are the first and only daughter of the Royal House of Hyrule," Father spoke, his voice stern. "Your duty comes above all other temporary desires. Just as I must fulfill my duty, so must you fulfill yours. I know we are all asking so much of you, but you are the only one that can accomplish this task. I know you can do this. You are my daughter, and you have your mother's..."

His voice trailed off at the mention of Mother, as if all memory of her had come flowing back into his mind's eye at once.

It had been years since we last spoke of her to each other, and what had happened to her. It was so sudden, the time when she left us alone in this world. He never said a word about it to me, but I knew that the pain of losing her was more than he could bare at times. The wound in his heart left from her passing was as fresh then as the day it happened. At that very moment, my hands loosened and my heart began to ache for him. I missed her dearly, too, and I wanted to be strong for him.

He cleared his throat and continued, "Now, there is a carriage waiting for you. Don't delay them, and spend today at the Sanctuary. Perhaps more time praying and devoting yourself to the Goddesses, and less to your books, will do more to earn us their grace."

Ignoring my attempt to speak up, Father proceeded to walk out of my room, along with his attendants. The others looked back to me as they left, but only Impa's glance offered any sort of encouragement. The rest were content to simply frown back at me, as if knowing I'd failed my task before it even properly began. I wanted to scream as they stomped their way out of my quarters.

I couldn't take this emotional carousel anymore. I tried over and over, begged and pleaded to the ancient gods to hear my plight, but to no avail. They were either deaf, or they too despised me just as much as everyone else. Perhaps it was all just a divine prank...

I just wanted to get away from it all. I wanted to be left alone to do my research or better yet, just forget about the Calamity altogether. Even if it was just for one day. But, before I knew it, I was already being whisked away into a carriage outside the castle, with an escort of soldiers surrounding me. I felt like a broodmare getting ready to be sold at an auction with the way they just shuffled me from here or there without a moment to my own or even a thought of how I felt.

I just wanted to breathe again. Was that too much to ask? The scorching heat of the day wasn't making it any better either. Every time I was forced to go to the Sanctuary, I had to wear this ceremonial pompous dress. For some reason, the high priest from the castle thought it would double the strength of my prayers. If such a thing were even possible. I guess at that point they needed every word heard from the Goddesses that we could afford ourselves, I most of all. I could always imagine hearing him talking down to me with that pumped up tone in his voice. He would always stand there, all short as he was, looking up to me with that long and pointy cherry nose of his.

"Per our tradition throughout the ages, a princess must always look and behave the part as one and must show pure devotion to the divine at all times," he would say. I could just hear him now in my head as I sat idly by in my carriage.

He was as dull as they came. I think he even believed his own act, with his sermons of self righteousness, I truly did. I'm pretty sure his own wife dreaded the thought of him coming home every night, with the way he acted. However, things were not always as they seem, rumor had it among those who knew him best that he wasn't all that devout to the divine as he led on to most in public. Or at least, that is what I have heard on the lips of the castle yarn spinners. In any case, it is neither here nor there, and I try to stay away from such mindless gossip.

The illustrious dress I had to wear by his and my Father's decree was double laced white and stitched thick. It had an impossibly tight blue corset with shiny gold adornments hooked at every hem. I cursed the master tailor and artisans who made that dress. It covered me from head to toe and choked me at the neck. Its strangle hold on my throat made it near impossible to utter words to pray or breathe for that matter. It was truly a misery to wear, it made me feel faint and weak when I walked around in it. How was I to offer any sort of penance to the divine, if I can hardly gather two thoughts together from this unbearable, heat soaking, and choking excuse of a dress?

"We are here your grace. The Grand Sanctuary!" called out the squeaky voice of the young moppy haired stable boy, who happened to be driving my chariot. He was well on his way on becoming a man soon, I could tell by the awkward crack in his voice that popped as he spoke. He was a nice young lad and I've known him since he was just a small boy. The horses slid their silver shoed hoofs to a halt. The two royal guards then opened the double doors to my carriage as they graciously lifted me out by the hand, onto the sun scorched cobblestone road.

My only temporary protection from the abusing rays of the sun was a thinly veiled white umbrella. Fortunately, one of the guards was kind enough and held it over my head. I thanked him with a smile. It was the least I can do. The other guard then led me to the grand entrance of the Sanctuary. That was where I was to try and save the world. Or at least, that what's they all thought I would be doing in there. Secretly though, I think I wished for it even more than all of them. I truly wanted to be free of this impending doom that was coming for us all.

"Here you are your majesty, right this way. The clerics are waiting for you inside and have already prepared the Holy Pillar for your arrival, " the guardsman said as he shoved open the heavy and towering main entrance doors.

"Thank you...bye Desmond!" I called out waving a goodbye farewell to my young driver. He then trotted off to wait further orders from either my father or the high priest. He was always to be at the ready that young lad, at a moments notice. As I walked into Grand Sanctuary I thanked the guard who led me in who stopped to wait at the entrance. I was now alone.

The Sanctuary was a large and magnificent building. It was nearly empty in its main worship chapel. The clerics and high priest must of just cleared it of all the common folk who usually gathered there; so I can be in total reverence for when I arrived. This was where I was to lay my offerings and prepare sacraments to the Goddesses. The Chapel was so empty in fact, that even the faintest whisper could be heard clear across the great chamber of the Sages of old. It truly was a beautiful building. Centuries of stories most certainly could be told hidden within its old architecture and hallowed grounds.

But, for as grand a spectacle as it was, it still couldn't keep the unbearable heat of the day at bay. There was no escape from that, not even in one of the holiest of hollies. The dress continued to choke my neck even more. Somehow by some miracle, I had to be able to repeat the traditional holy rites and prayers of my mother. Not just her prayers, but my mother's mother; and all those who have come before them wearing this unbearable dress!

Just minutes after I knelt to offer up a solemn prayer, a loud and distracting commotion started to brew outside. I tried ignoring it the best I could, but it got so loud to a point where I just had to investigate. What on this good earth was all the fuss about? So, I tip toed over to the partially stained-glass window that overlooked the vista of the main entrance. That is where the guards stood. There I watched and listened intently.

It was the High Priest! It was strange because as far as I knew he just left the Holy Citadel just moments before I arrived. I wonder what could have brought him back so soon and why was he having such strong words with the two guards outside. He looked different. I couldn't quite put my finger on it but he was talking in way where he was constantly shuffling about. He was tossing and turning his head hiding it in his heavy cloak. Quite strange to be certain.

"My Lord, what brings you back so soon?" said the taller guardsmen to the priest who stood in a pompous stance.

The priest leaned back with his arms crossed. "I am here to acquire the princess and she is to return with me to the castle at once!"

"Sir, what do you mean you are here to gather the princess? I don't understand, it was you who told us at the Castle to bring her here in the first-place. That you wanted us to keep watch and make sure she is not to be disturbed in schedule. Did you not?" the taller guardsman questioned as he leaned onto his pointed spear. He then jolted and shot a look to his compatriot for some help but received none.

"Are you calling me a Liar!? Or the king for that matter!? Do you wish to defy the King's orders man!? Here you, show your dim-witted friend the orders and let us pray you have better sense than him," the priest shouted to him as he threw a scroll into the face of the shorter guardsmen. The guard desperately flailed around. He was pinching his fingers in the air for the piece of parchment just before it landed on the ground.

They both hunched as the smaller man unrolled the scroll and read from it. It was all there. And I could see it from the window. It seemed the Priest was having a bit of fun watching them squirm. I chuckled from the show of my window seeing them behave that way. Acting so foolish as they did when nobility was present. They were both fumbling, one over the other trying to make their pardons.

"So sorry my Lord, forgive us for doubting," they begged.

"Better not happen again, or I will have you both on...on uh..."

"On what?" the taller guard said.

"On stall duty! For a week or worse! That's what! And don't you interrupt me again you hear?! You just be glad we will keep this whole incident to ourselves alright. We wouldn't want the King to know of your defiance, would we?!" the priest scorned with a stern finger raised to their faces shaking it erratically in his over-sized robe. He then jerked himself to the side and with his other hand dusted off his shoulder, as if he was cleaning them of his presence. So peculiar indeed his behavior, I couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes sir!" They said frantically bowing to him.

"Well, don't just stand there, get her you fools!" the priest said. He then stamped on one foot in front of them, hands at his waist. The taller guard shot up and bolted towards the main door and just about tripped over himself. And just as he opened it I was already making my way out.

"Your Highness, the priest-"

"That's, Grand Master, High Priest and Lord of the Citadel to the likes of you!" the high priest interjected, cutting him off as he was about to greet me.

"So sorry my Lord...beg your pardon...Your majesty, the Grand Master, High Priest and... Lord of the Citadel is on orders from your father the King to take you back to the Castle," the guardsmen said to me as he mumbled desperately, trying to keep his words clear. He then did an embarrassed tilt of the head looking low to my feet. There he stood ushering his hand down the walkway for me to follow so I can greet the High priest.

It was all so strange, the priest's behavior was acting sort of funny in a way that I have never seen him behave before. He was much friendlier with me today. It was almost as if he was eager to see me. He never liked me; not that I knew of from before. In fact, we never saw eye to eye on anything. He was always trying to pin my father against me. I was never good enough in his eyes as princess of the kingdom, with no sign of the divine gift within me and all that from before.

Without warning, the high priest ran up from behind the guards, shoving them both out of the way, with one guard falling over on his face into the garden. He then did a strong bend of the knee in front of me. Which was most peculiar seeing is that he has never done so before. He has never honored me as such in the past, at least not in private. Just as I was about to meet up with him, he then stretched out his hand like a prince and twirled it in the air offering it to me. From his bowed head, he barely and carefully lifted his hood to only where I can see it. From the shadow of his hood a wink and sparkle shot up from his eye and I saw his face.

It was Link! Not the high priest at all. He tenderly grabbed me by the hand and held it in his. It has been five days since I saw him last and the touch of his skin electrified my whole body. I felt the sudden rush of blood to my head and butterflies filled me at the revelation of him being Link. What a wonderful surprise.

He came for me! But why? Or how? Oh, It doesn't matter, he came for me and that's all that matters now. I could barely contain my excitement from exploding with laughter. It was all I could do to lift a hand and cover my smile at how ridiculous Link looked wearing all those priestly fine garments layered over him. Ridiculous still, is that he knew just how to look away at the right moments to fool the guards to not notice him. Could they be so dumb?

"Your grace, I am on orders to take you from this place back to somewhere more to your liking, the castle." he winked under his hood again and said continuing his puffed up priestly tone. The guards behind him were still stewing about what just happened looking to themselves confused.

"Say goodbye to the men, we are off now. No need for an escort my lads, it is quite alright. She is in my care now and my own men are waiting just around the bend. Stay here and wait further orders and mention this to no one you hear?"

"Bye…" I said gleefully holding back the laughter as I waived to the two fools of a guardsmen who were left at the Sanctuary door. I was free at last. He held and led me by the hand as we skipped away from the sight of Sanctuary and the guards.

We made it back out into the open market square of town. He had it all figured out, by what seemed like an elaborate plan. Link was such a mystery from before when we didn't speak to each other. And now I think I'm finally starting to break through to him and get to know the real Link. He was really beginning to open up to me.

He had a horse tied up to a simple common two seat carriage. But to my eyes, it was a grand chariot, the finest in all the land. He boosted me to the padded seat and leaped right beside me with reigns in one hand and mine is his other. He probably didn't realize just yet he was still holding my hand. The warmth of his hand filled my whole body with a swell. My throat tightened being near him again. Upon Noticing my hand in his, he embarrassingly loosened quickly and reached for the other set of reigns.

"So where are we off to? Grand Master, High Priest and Lord of of the Citadel-Or should I say— Link!?" I said to him with a playful unconvinced look at his disguise. "And is that your idea of how Nobles behave?" I said with a chuckle.

He realized then that his trick was caught for sure and shuffled nervously in his seat. "No, but did you see their faces?...and...I'm Not quite sure where to go...but anywhere is better than here! Definitely, not the Castle though...ha ha," he said smirking. He joyfully flung the fanciful priestly hood off his head and slapped the reigns to the horse. We were off in a gallop, free at last as the wind kissed our faces. We both laughed at our miraculous escape. It was all so exciting, fooling the guards and being free. My skin felt warmer than ever but I couldn't tell if it was the heat of the day or because of sitting so close to him in that carriage.

"But Link, are you not worried we will get caught or that you might land in some serious trouble?" I said to him genuinely concerned.

"I think I'll be alright. And..."

"And?" I said leaning towards him. He paused and then continued glancing over his shoulder to me as he drove the carriage.

"And I don't think we will be caught...And besides, I was hoping, that you would be the one to give me...a royal pardon," He said back to me with a friendly stare.

"Ha ha. Oh my, of course!" I said shaking my head holding back the laughs. "So where are we heading to now may I ask?"

"Your handmaid Adeline said she would meet me somewhere with some of your things but, she failed to mention just the place . Or perhaps, I just forgot to ask."

"Oh?! Well, I know just the place then...Just the spot where she'd go for a rendezvous! The forbidden pool. It's just north of the castle, in a secluded holy place. Nobody goes there, not even my father."

"Yeah, but isn't it...well...forbidden to commoners like me?" Link asked, pulling the reins close to his chest to slow the trot of the horse. There we sat in the carriage at a dead end stop that forked in the middle of the city road. Townspeople were rushing past us on the busy noisy street.

"Yes, but like you said before, you have me right? And that means, you have a royal pardon, my knight. As many as you will need for today." I smiled again at him.

"Only for today?"

"Oh, you're terrible!" I retorted.

"Well, then...onwards Storm!" He declared to the stallion. The horse kicked at the command and continued to pull our tiny wagon.

"So, that's this boy's name, hmm? He cannot possibly be that grumpy old stallion that kicked the Master of Horses, right? The one that has been causing all that trouble around the Castle?"

"The very same."

"My my…I know they've been trying for ages to get him to heel. You surprise me, Link. But...how did you...?"

"Well, this fine stallion and I came to an agreement."

"Really now? And what might that be?"

"I promised that if he helped me, just this once, I'd set him free once and for all," Link proudly declared with a quiet laugh.

"And you think he...really listened to you?" I said chuckling a bit, picturing the thought of Link talking sweet to a horse. It was a silly and amusing notion indeed.

"Of course. How else do you think he would have helped me? But, to tell you the truth, I told him it was...for you..."

I quieted and fell still in the carriage. I couldn't understand why, but my face glowed warm at the sound of those words. I quickly composed myself and in lady-like fashion, I leaned over to speak directly to the steed himself.

"Thank you, Storm. You may receive a full pardon as well," I said, laughing again at the idea of talking to a horse. Upon hearing my words, the steed neighed in delight, seeming well-pleased at my royal decree. He stamped and pulled harder on the reigns in Link's hands, driving the small carriage even faster through the streets.

"See, Storm! I told ya we would make it out of this alright!" he proclaimed. The steed then raced us through the busy city streets leading up and behind the castle. We would be there in no time.

Chapter Text

Recovered Lost Memory- Silent Princess part 3

We made our way around the castle and miraculously nobody of importance saw us. Not that it mattered, Link did have a clever disguise after all if need be. I was more than willing to play along if we were questioned along the road anyways. We were heading to the courtyards on the far side of the castle. There lied an entrance road that led to the Sacred Goddess Pool.

The Sacred Pool was a place that was forbidden for commoners. Even those of noble birth needed special rights granted by the Royal family to access there; not that many would want to visit anyways, except in name, it was just like any other ordinary spring. Though to me it was special. And being of the Royal family, I used the pool as my safe place where I can be alone. A place where I can get away from it all. Adeline knew this about me and I knew she would be there waiting for us.

As we passed the northern end of the castle perimeter, we rode through the courtyard grounds. In the distance not too far off, Purah and Robbie were engaging in what seemed to be a field study out on the pavilion nearby. And without me! It looked from my vantage point that they were testing out some sort of small machine on the hillside. However, I couldn't be too sure just as of yet.

We were just about to pass by them un-noticed as they were preoccupied fussing with each-other and that was when they saw us. Then all of a sudden, in mid argument with each-other, both their faces caught glimpse of our carriage. Purah then shoved Robbie so he would lose his footing so she can get an unfair head-start as she sprinted towards us. By that time we were already casually rolling along the small castle roads trying to not draw any unwanted attention. But, attention found us nonetheless.

Purah was already heading straight for us. "Hey! Princess! What brings you back to the castle? We thought you were offering sacraments to the Goddesses today at the Holy Sanctuary? If I would have known you would be at liberty to wonder about today, I would have invited you out with us?!" Purah called out.

Link, taking notice of them on the move towards us, slid the carriage to a halt on the dusty road. He quickly adorned his priestly hooded robe, just in case. He wasn't too sure of what their reaction would be if they found out he stole me for the day. Robbie caught up just behind Purah ready and poised to interrupt her. Both were acting more eager than the other to give me a status update of their research for the day.

Link now disguised again turned his hood to face the other direction while I leaned over to face the two sheikah Scholars. "Shhh! Purah, are trying to let the whole castle know I am here!?" I said back to her while cautiously looking around in all directions.

"Why would it matter? You're with High Priest are you not?" Purah said. She then took a long hard stare at the not so fine carriage I was in and at Link; who I know was just about to burst from his robe from all the suspense. "Wait a minute...that's Link! Hey Linky! How is it going!? Oh My, what have you done? Why are you wearing the priest's clothes!?" she said with a flabbergasted stare on her face.

"Purah! Shh!" I said.

"Ohhh, I see... Linky here snuck you out against your father's orders huh? Atta' boy Linky, I never liked that priest anyways….now who are trying to fool with that disguise Link? It's not that convincing now that I have had a look at you...besides, why would you ever want to cover up that pretty handsome face of yours?"

"Purah!" I snapped.

"I know, I know, I'm just fooling about...Linky knows. Don't worry princess, your secret is safe with us...good of you to sneak the princess out too Link. Next time though, Let us know so we could have prepared a better field study...we are already done for today, sadly enough."

Robbie took a step forward to interrupt. "Hey Princess, Sorry we didn't inform you of our study today, it wasn't too successful. This little friend of ours still has a whole lot of kinks to work out I'm afraid," he said pointing over to his machine he had on the bluff.

Purah lifted her eyebrows in dissatisfaction. "Yeah, he's been messing with his toy all morning…wasting my time!…using broken Guardian parts, bugging me to supervise and assist him... the nerve! Me?…assist him!? He should be assisting me!" Purah exclaimed.

"What exactly is that?" I asked leaning over the rail of the carriage perplexed by his machine.

"He's trying to perfect what he calls an autonomous carriage," Purah said as she rolled her eyes. "He calls it an... 'Automobile' of all things and says it will replace all our normal carriages someday, wouldn't you believe that?…we have a real big dreamer here," Purah scoffed.

Robbie took a few steps forward to defend himself. "It's just a side project, my first and foremost priority is learning the Guardians and their architecture. This side project of mine has given me a-lot of information for my research, allowing me to reverse engineer their intricate design. Which of course, will aid the Army for and if, Calamity Ganon strikes. Though, I admit progress has been pretty slow, I am going in for the day, it is far too hot to be out here in this swell and I have all these notes to pour over and classify...tomorrow we should be ready to test the guardians with what I learned today, I hope," he said as he wiped the sweat of his brow with a handkerchief.

Robbie then bowed and turned to walk back over to the broken autonomous carriage, which was not too far off from us. It looked like an overturned miniature guardian but stretched out like a carriage. It had four mechanical arms which it used to move around, similar to the guardians. Since it was just an early prototype, it was quite small and probably only had enough room for one person to be able to sit inside of it. As it stood at attention awaiting instructions, it was still fuming and spewing out charcoal smoke out of what appeared to be its joints. Its husk which made up its body, also had the same candle like flicker of blue light that the Guardians had when activated.

Purah then gazed over to the mechanical contraption and continued. "Yes, the machine hopped around for only a few moments before it started to dance erratically in all directions. We quickly had to shut it down before it got out of hand…luckily, nobody saw or more importantly, was around to get hurt..." Purah confessed. She was about to continue her speech when she was interrupted by an untimely sight in the distance.

Suddenly, a small entourage of people were exiting from the side portcullis of the castle. It was not too far from where our carriage was in the road. We must have been in clear view of them. It was the castle court of my father! Surely they would see us and all our plans for that day would be forfeit. They must of just adjourned free of a meeting with my Father. Perhaps it was too hot to continue within the castle walls and they wanted to move their session to the breeze of the courtyard square. Whatever the reason was, we needed to escape, and quickly.

Purah saw them coming from just behind us, getting closer as they marched along the path. She then sprung into action and took this as her cue, without a moment lost she waived farewell to us and bolted over to them.

"Good luck Princess!…hurry Link, I'll hold them off!" she said throwing back a wink over to us both as she sprinted backwards towards the small crowd.

Robbie too saw the court that was heading our way and decided he also wanted to help in Purah's diversion. Perhaps, it wasn't because he was so interested in helping us escape per se, rather he wanted to outshine Purah in distracting the attention away. Anything he can do to get a win over her. Those two were quite the rivals. Though, if truth be told, Purah was the one who set Robbie on the path of science that he was on now.

Robbie smiled up at Link and me. "Don't worry princess, I have just the idea of what to do... hurry Link, get her out of here!" he said as he ran over to his small machine, his autonomous carriage. Link slapped the reigns and we continued moving along the path. We couldn't move too fast and gallop ahead because it would draw too much attention if we were to storm off in a hurry.

I leaned over the back of the carriage to catch one last glimpse of Robbie as we were trailing off. He seemed flustered while fidgeting with his pocket. Suddenly, his face lit up and he revealed some sort of makeshift controller in his hand. With a firm press of the switch the machined fired up and vibrated loudly. The spinning of gears could be heard from where we were.

And just as Purah mentioned happening before, it bounced high in the air, in doing so it knocked him over and pushed him aside as it leaped uncontrollably. It then hopped and clawed towards the honorable host of the court who was Impa. Impa was who was leading the court outside, was already being delayed by Purah who caught up to them.

Link winced over his shoulder too and saw that we needed to make haste. So he tugged on the reigns even harder and Storm obeyed. Storm cantered leading us over the grassy pavilion and out of view. The machine Robbie had with him was charging straight towards the caravan of the Castle court .

The noise of it popped as it smoked from its joints. As it got closer to them it paused suddenly, as if it lost track of what it was doing. It then spun around towards the crowd and suddenly made a huge and final calculated lunge over to them. Landing in the middle of the crowd, Impa and the others were all caught by surprise, with some of advisers jumping out of the way in fear for their lives. Oh, the last sight of their terrified once dignified faces was enough to make this whole day of escape worth all the trouble I would be in. Robbie's face turned pale and in a panicked rush chased after his mechanical wonder to try and calm my father's cabinet before things got too carried away.

I smiled and thanked the gods as I returned to lay back in my seat. Certainly, they wouldn't be able catch up to us now. The danger of being caught was over. My body relaxed sitting alongside Links as the comforting thought of being free from the worry from before, flowed over me. He too seemed more calm as he lifted his lips to throw a pleased smirk at me. We got away.

The road we were on winded back and forth through a meadow of grassy hills. The perfume of flowers in full bloom wafted in the breeze almost as if was leading us exactly to where we needed to go. As the castle road continued on, it slowly faded into a wild trail. We were coming upon the edge of the woodland which was home to the Forbidden Pool.

As Storm brought us closer, we saw someone standing near the end of the official road . It was Adeline, my handmaid, and she had her pony and my horse alongside her waiting for us. So she did know to come here and wait for us after all. That Adeline was always so intuitive, perhaps that's why I enjoyed her company so much. She was willing to risk anything for me, as I was for her. Though, I must admit, it was usually her risking herself more often than not for my sake. We were the closest of friends. We shortly made our way to her and Link commanded storm to heel and wait.

After leaving her pony and my horse tied to a dead end post, Adeline walked her way up to the brim of our carriage. "Hey Princess! You made it after all. I wasn't sure if Link was going to be successful or not. For a moment there, I was worried...but seeing you now, he sure has squashed any doubts that I may have ever had about him. He is quite the Knight that I have heard so much about….very resourceful in a sticky spot this one…and cute too!" she said.

"Adeline!" I blushed at her compliment. "What did you bring for us-I mean, me?" I said quickly correcting myself.

"Well, first things first Princess, let's get you out of that ceremonial blanket the priest has you all wrapped up in, that he calls a dress. It is far too hot a day to be covered up wearing that fancy thing," She said back to me as she cocked her head to the side looking me twice over from head to toe in an evaluation. "Thanks again Link for bringing her here. You are quite the young man and brave too…Not many Knights are willing to go against their king's orders…but we won't tell if you won't tell," she said as she shot a wink at Link atop the carriage.

"Adeline!" I scorned with a grin.

She then reached out her hand to help me off my seat."Come along with me princess so we can get you all fixed up for the rest of the day. I brought everything that you will need…EVERYTHING…stay here Link while I take the princess just around corner here to those nest of trees and bushes not too far off…no peeking!" She glared at link with a flirtatious smile, while leading me away.

"Adeline!" I looked at her incredulously.

"What?" She questioned defending her stance. "Can't be too careful, at least not with young men such as his sort..."

"And what sort is that?" I asked poking at her insinuations. I leapt towards her and we both walked away, out of earshot of Link. He was left with a confused stare still sitting in the carriage.

"Well, the undeniable handsome sort of course! Or have you not noticed?...Link is far too fetching of a prize for a sweet pretty princess such as yourself. I wouldn't want there to be any unwanted temptations caused here today on behalf of me." She said.

I rolled my eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "Link is quite the Knight and he is very honorable," I said reaffirming to her as I gazed to the heavens to forgive her for her sacrilege.

"Indeed, I have no doubts that he is all those great things and more, and that is the very reason why I am being so careful with you today, my dear princess," She said back with a smile. "Come, let's get you changed out of those choking garments that you hate so much."

It wasn't long but I was finally out of those ceremonial clothes that I was bundled up in and now in a far more relaxing state of dress. She had a makeshift dressing station set up in the middle of woods. That Adeline was always so intuitive and never ceased to amaze me. It was my favorite outdoor gear that I was wearing now. Much easier to move around, and breathed a whole lot better. The sun was very unforgiving that day and this allowed me to counter the heat well enough.

Adeline and I made our way back over to Link who already had untied storm from the carriage.

"You will both have to trail on horseback now I'm afraid. The trail gets a little rough here on out and a carriage wont do," Adeline said while she saddled her pony for the ride back. "It is not too far off into the distance. I'll head back to the castle and try to see how I can keep them all preoccupied looking for you in all the wrong places," Adeline said to us both. She gave us both a wink and kicked her pony onward as she made her way back down the road to the Castle. Me and Link were finally alone.

Link turned to face me. "You do know how to ride horseback, right princess?"

"Well of course I do!" I said back to him unequivocally.

"Oh alright, I was going to say if you didn't know, you can always ride alongside me on top of storm," He said gesturing me politely.

"That wont be necessary, I am fine thank you very much. And besides, I have my own horse. And please, no need to call me princess when we are alone...please, just call me Zelda." I said.

Though outwardly I appeared confident in my horsemanship, inwardly I was terrified at the prospect of trying to mount my horse by myself. He was quite temperamental and not once has he ever let me ride him before. He would always either shoo away from me, or try to knock me off of his back, to the point I no longer made it a priority to learn to ride him. Oh dear, I hoped that this day was the day he finally would decide to cooperate with me. Not that the prospect of riding alongside Link was a bad idea, but on the contrary, a very nice one. But I don't know if I'd be able to contain my feelings being so close to him on top of Storm. I had to get my horse to obey, just this once.

"Are you ready...Zelda?" He said already mounted on top of storm staring at me questionably as I hesitantly approach my white stallion.

"Uh..yes.. just a moment..." I called back to him. I inched myself nervously closer towards my horse, apprehensively reaching for his reigns. The leaves crunched under my feet as I made my approach and my horse jerked back at the sound of my steps. Link dismounted again and must of noticed the tension between me and my stallion. But I didn't want to be proven wrong. I had a reputation. So before Link could make his way towards me, I moved in closer near my horse. Link stopped mid step watching me as I tried to calm my mount.

The steed stared long and hard at me as he shuffled his hooves standing in place. But, I decided to go for it anyways. So I hoped for the best and made a tall leap on top of him. But before I had the chance to saddle him properly I was already being flung high through the air.

"Eyahh!" I cursed as I was thrown skyward. Terrified, I waited to feel the inevitable crash to the hard ground. Instead, I felt my self being caught and lifted up. Link caught me as I fell but in doing so he took tumble as well. Link must of bore most of the fall. As I dared to peak one eye open, I found myself safely held in Links arms, the both of us were laid out on the grass. He too was caught by surprise of what happened.

As we both came to on the ground, our faces met each-others just inches away from touching. My heart raced at our accidental gaze into each others eyes. By pure reflex we both laughed it off and I took that as my chance to quickly turn away from him. So I stood up out from on top of him and he too also sprang to his feet putting some respectful distance between us. If I didn't know better I'd say he was blushing too.

"You alright?" he said gently leading me by the hand back up to my feet.

"Yes, thank you Link...I'm sorry for you to have witnessed that poor display of horsemanship," I said bashfully.

"Here, let me show you….like this," he said as he grabbed my hand and pulled me to face my mount again. During the excitement my horse made off a short ways away from us. But, like a magician's trick, Link did a sudden roll of his arms and shoulders and out appeared a freshly plucked red apple. There he held it in his palm. The stunning use of slight of hand had me surprised indeed.

"Where did you-" I asked but was shortly cut off by Link.

"Shh..." he said smiling placing a single finger over his lips trying to quiet me down as we both made our approach. He led forward with me tip toeing right behind him as he led me by the hand. As we got closer, he then stretched out his other hand as if he was making a divine offering up to the disobedient stallion. I could see that the apple gleamed in the horse's eye. It was most certainly an irresistible treat that he could not refuse.

Link with the use of his tongue had made a few calling gestures to the horse. "Here ya go big fella…that's it..." He said as he displayed the succulent apple right before the beast's nose. Its fresh aroma couldn't be resisted. The steed took a few short sniffs of the sweet morsel and then quickly obliged Link. In one fell swoop he snatched the apple in his mouth and made short work of it by gobbling it down. Link used this as his opportune moment to reach over with his other hand to the horse. There he glided it over his mane and ran soothing fingers through his long platinum hair. Link continued to calm the horse and whispered in a warm gentle voice. In that same sweet voice he turned and faced me.

"Here, give me your hand, Like this..." Link said to me with his eyes wide placing my hand cozily under his over the horse's soft fur coat. A minute passed as he held my hand in his, he was softly leading me with caressing strokes through the horse's thick mane. Again, my whole body tingled and went warm by being touched by Link in that way. I bit my lip at his gesture. Surely he did not notice did he? I thought. Now it was I who was soothing and talking sweet to a horse in Link's place.

As I moved in closer in-between Link and the horse, Link carefully took a few steps back from me, releasing his hand over mine. Now I was the only one petting the horse and calming his nerves. I continued Link's gestures of comfort for a few more moments longer.

"Be sure to take the time to soothe your mount, that's the only way it will know how you truly feel, "he said. Now satisfied at my display of affection, he tilted his head and motioned me that it would be alright for me to mount. So he leaned over and gave me a boost onto the mount and wouldn't you know it, I was finally riding my horse. At long last I was finally able to ride my beautiful pale stallion. He was a magnificent beast and I always wanted to be able to ride him on my own.

"I can't believe it! I'm actually doing it!...Link, thank you so much!" I called out to him holding back the child in me. He then graced me with a sweet smile as he leaped back onto his right beside me.

I smiled again happy at the thought. "Now that we got that out of the way, let us be off to the Goddess pool!" I declared. It wasn't too far off now. So we pressed onward down the trail towards the Spring.

We finally made it to the wonderful entrance of sacred spring. Link and I have only been venturing on horseback for probably just shy of an hour now. After we crossed the last thick grove of trees, it seemed to have just magically opened up as if to reveal a lost hidden world. It was beautiful serene and open meadow which was home to the Forbidden pool.

As we made our way over the final rolling hill through the meadow we were greeted by an array of little rivers flowing into a small bank. There they all pooled under a large grove of tall willow trees. The trees and their ageless branches stretched out over the small gathering of natural pools, almost as if they were sheltering them from the outside world. It was a magnificent place. The noise of the castle and the city could no longer be heard, as it was replaced by the tranquil natural music of the woods. Birds were singing their songs in the thickets and small critters could be heard wrestling nearby. The soft breeze shimmered over the cooling waters of the pools and brought a refreshing mist which cooled our faces from the hot of the sun. This was my favorite place to be when I wanted to be alone. It was my sacred place.

It was just after mid-day, Link and I made it to the bank of the sacred waters. We dismounted our horses and he tied them both to a lone tree not too far off from where we were.

"Well, this is it...Link." I said to him facing the cool calming waters of the spring.

"So this is where you go to be alone hmm?"

"Yes..."

"Well it sure is a beautiful place, fitting for a beautiful…" his voice cut off and there was a silence. He then turned away and proceeded to look towards the waters of the spring as well.

I then faced him and smiled but couldn't help myself but wonder what he was about to say. I leaned over to him to hear more from him but he motioned me for a walk to find a good place to set up for the day.

We continued strolling along the bank of the pool. I decided to say something that might have peaked his interest. "How about we cool off a bit?" I said cheerfully, and he didn't contest the notion at all. So we both kicked off our boots and decided to venture to our knees into the clear refreshing waters of the pool. That would be okay as long as we didn't swim entirely, surely the Goddess won't mind, I thought.

"So Link, do you like to fish?" I said trying to get more information about the mysterious young handsome man that had taken me for the day. We had already spoke much on the road leading here but at his last comment he fell quiet again. Perhaps he thought he was getting too carried away earlier. No matter, I just had to get him to come back to me.

"Well of course, I am actually quite good at catching fish," he said.

"Oh really? Care to demonstrate?"

"Certainly..." he smiled. "Which fish should I try to catch?" he asked tilting his head to the side facing towards me and the waters.

""How about, that one, the red salmon there!" I said smirking. The water was so clear here that you could see the fish swim right up to you and down through its currents quite easily. I then turned away from him and faced the deep yonder of part of the pool, waiting for him to make his play. Perhaps he was going to ready some sort of trap for the fish. But before I knew what was happening as I waited to hear Link's response, suddenly I heard him coming towards me at a full brisk run. He then leaped clean over me into the deep end of the spring. My eyes lit up as I was taken a back by his method. He dove straight towards the slippery fish.

Link was swimming in the forbidden pool! Not only was it a revered holy place, but a commoner no less was now swashing around and splashing deep into its waters, clawing for fish as if it was just a mere ordinary pool. The idea of it excited me, I loved it. Link was so daring and free. I too wished to be free and when Link was alongside me, I felt free, for once in my life. Pompous and overblown tradition didn't hold him back. He did what he felt was right no matter the circumstances. Was Link serious and respectful when he needed to be, yes, he had the proper balance.

"Haha, oh my Link..." I said to him still amazed and shocked at his methods. Link splashed out of the water and was slightly frustrated that he was left empty handed. I must admit he looked cute with an agitated frown. I covered my mouth trying to keep my composure from breaking into laughter.

"Darn, he got away…almost had him.." he said looking back frustrated towards the runaway fish.

"Haha, here Link, come...let me show you another way..." I said chuckling a bit at how foolishly he looked while being drenched and upset. Luckily for him he took off most of his outer layer of clothing prior to lunging into the spring. He was just wearing his trousers and his undershirt. Not that he would be wet for long in this heat we were having. He would be dry in no time. As he came ashore, I found a long twig of a tree branch nearby and grabbed me a long strand of some reed grass. I quickly fashioned a makeshift fishing rod and tied to the end of the line a small sliver of fig cheese that Adeline had so graciously packed for us.

"Aha! Here we are...this ought to do it. " I said shrugging a shoulder to him proud of my nifty self. He just stood behind me curiously waiting for my next move. So I carefully lifted my line and gently plopped the end of it into a shallow part of the pool where some of the fish were gathered wading. Only a brief silence fell before us as I waited for a bite.

Just after a minute or so I was greeted by a surprise. "I got one!...you see!?" I said as I jumped up. The rascal of fish was putting up quite the fight, he pulled fiercely as I tugged trying to pull him ashore. I grinned. My prize was within my grasp at last. Link will soon see!

As I was just about to claim victory over this triumph of a catch, come flying just over my shoulder came an arrow! It struck hard and true right into the fish, a clean shot from Link's bow which were he stood. He must of moved over by the horses while I was preoccupied with my tug of war with the fish. The arrow caused it to fall limp in the water immediately.

"Now that's how you catch a fish, Princess...er, Zelda!" He said smugly letting out a tiny chuckle, standing a ways behind me, with his bow in his hands.

My face was surprised, I was nearly speechless. " haha, Link! That was my fish! I had him!..."

"Are you sure, he looked like he was about to get away...besides wouldn't you agree that my method is the better one?" he said proud of himself as he walked back closer to me near the edge of the bank.

My mouth hung low at his jokes. "Do you always carry your bow everywhere with you?" I asked.

"Well of course I do, and besides...I have a princess to protect, you never know what sort of villain may appear and a Knight should always be at the ready," he said with a slight smile.

"A villain? Here? Ha!…At sacred spring of Hylia? My goodness, there couldn't be a villain five hundred leagues from here I'd imagine," I said back unconvinced. He then stepped closer towards me.

"Shall we try and catch another fish?…here you try!" he said to me offering me his bow.

"But..I never used a bow before... Link..." I said sheepishly to him.

"They don't teach fair young maidens such as yourself that in Princess school?" He said having a bit of sport with me.

"No!...haha," I said as I smiled with my eyes wide at his silly preposterous notion.

"Here, I'll show you then," he said as he daringly leaped over towards me. He then helped me back up to my feet from where I sat upon the log with my line cast.

"Link, I couldn't possibly...Link I..." I said to him as he gently placed the bow into my hands and stood me up in the proper posture. My heart fluttered in my chest. He was very close to me now. The closer he got, the more I craved him near me. He then sweetly placed one of his arms over my shoulder so he could properly hold my back hand in his to ready the bow string. Gliding his back hand over mine he shaped my fingers into the correct form. It was if our hands were one. We were now standing side by side nearly hugging in a strong bow stance facing the spring. He continued to coach me with his soft but strong voice of his.

"Just breath…softly….let your eyes focus…imagine yourself as the arrow, you are your arrow and your target..." he softly whispered to me as he held me and led me to aim at a school of fish passing by in the water. "Forget everything around you, only you and your target exist now..." he continued slowly maneuvering me to get a square aim at one of the rainbow skinned Voltfin trout. "Now... when you are ready..." he glanced quickly at me waiting for my cue. "We will slowly release the arrow when ready...NOW!" he commanded and I fired the arrow straight through the air, skewering the slippery fish dead on.

"I did it! Link! That was…amazing! Did you see?.." I said letting my firm grip loose of the bow ecstatically. In the excitement I turned into him. He was still holding me in my bow position, our faces nearly touched only a breath away from his lips. We both gazed into each others eyes both wearing smiles. There was a sweet silence that passed, both of us looking at each other and then looking away, then back to each other again. I felt the blood rush through my entire body and I bit my lip again like before. Did he notice? I thought.

Link making the first respectful move, stepped back from me and cleared his throat. "See!...there's nothing to it, and that will be one hundred rupees for today's lesson M'lady! And... I am no longer available for lessons, I'm afraid," He said with a slight smile stretched across his face.

I laughed. "One hundred rupees!? Why, that's highway robbery!?…and why wont you be available may I ask?" I said to him standing there with hands perched at my waist gleaming at him.

"Because..." Link then leaned over to my ear and whispered. "I'll busy too with a princess..."

My heart skipped a beat and my cheeks glowed red. " Link..." but before I could continue he interjected.

"Now, Shall I fetch your prize?" he said as he walked backwards heading towards the cool water. He then performed a humble bow facing me, spun around and then launched himself into the spring in magnificent dive yet again.

As he was in the water swimming towards the two skewered fish, I couldn't help but ponder just how much he has opened up to me recently. He was so quiet from before and mysterious, especially when we were in the audience of others or on official castle business. He was always so serious and rarely spoke. But since I made an effort after he saved my life, he's been showing me another side of him, a hidden side, one that he had saved just for me. I was really starting to cherish of our alone time that we were having lately. It was my only comfort, that and my research. More so his company. Almost selfishly, I wanted it more and more. Times like these where we can just be ourselves, away from the worries and nightmares of this world.

Link then splashed out from within the pool and carried along with him two fish. I must admit he looked even more handsome when he was soaking wet because I was afforded a slightly better view of his physique under his shirt. He then laid out a small blanket underneath a tall willow tree where our horses stood and gathered a few rogue branches with some brush to get a fire going.

The sun gleamed low in the western sky into a gorgeous fluorescent sunset. We laughed and talked about many of things. The warm twilight shone through the woods and illuminated the willow branches and their blooms which caste a burning glow to them. Arrays of pink, orange and blue shimmered within the hanging tree tendrils.

We both sat next to the small fire on our blanket and Link was roasting the two fishes over the hot embers as I talked. The mood of things mellowed and I wanted to know more what lain beneath those calm waters that Link had hiding his emotions. I wanted to talk to him.

"So Link...I was wondering…why are you so quiet when we are not alone and why were you so quiet from before? Before that terrible day….which I want to thank you again for by the way..." I said.

There was a silence with Link and he just continued to poke at the two skewered fish seemingly hesitant to answer. And just about when I was going to speak again he sat and faced me.

"No need to thank me...Zelda…as your knight, it is my honor to do anything for you," he said.

"Just only as my Knight—" I asked but he quickly interrupted.

"It's just, ever since I had this sword on my back, I wasn't sure if I was truly capable of doing the great things the old legends tell of. It has weighed heavily on me...I still have a hard time even believing them to be real, the legends I mean... It's just, everyone is looking to me to be this hero and I don't want to fail them...and now…ever since meeting you... things have changed...my situation has changed...It's no longer a matter of winning for myself or the people... I would never be able to forgive myself if any harm came to you. I suppose that's why I have grown silent around the others, this burden is mine to bare and I think it's been my driving focus as of late...to show no weakness for what's to come..I can't fail, I mustn't." Link said as he rose up from where he sat, there he slowly squeezed a fist in the air.

"Link…I…didn't know...I'm so sorry again for how I treated you before I got to know you... I never knew you shared the same demons that had haunted my dreams...we'll fight them together okay?" I said placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. He turned and smiled.

"Yeah..." he said.

As the twilight glistened we began to share a short meal of the two roasted fish, and luckily Adeline packed me some simple pleasantries from the castle to help with the flavor. I also wanted to lift his spirits.

"Just before you bite Link, try this!" I said sprinkling some shaved rock salt and acorn pepper. Link was intrigued by my gesture of seasoning first, then again it was food, he always was intrigued. I do believe that was his only weakness. I think Calamity Ganon, all he needed to win was entrap Link with a savory roasted pork and he would be done for!

The sweet charred aroma filled the air as the salt melted into the fillets of fish. And as another surprise that I had for Link was a real treat indeed. It was my favorite from the castle kitchens. Adeline knew me all too well, I'm sure Link never tasted such sweet delicacies before in his life. I loved seeing his face light up when he tried new flavors. It was succulent fruit cake, the best in all the land. There was only one slice so I decided to share it with him.

"Here Link, this is the finest cake you will ever have. I promise! " I said waving the dish that carried the sweet morsel. His nose flared and eyes glistened as he leaned over at the sight of it. But just as he was about to claw at it bare handed, I pulled away. "Just a second... here...I know you are used to that sort of manners and I usually wouldn't mind, but cakes are meant to be eaten with forks," I said smiling. We only had one fork so we had to share piece by piece, bite by bite. I cut a sliver of it and handed the fork over to him to taste. His face was in love. I do believe he would have done anything for that slice of cake indeed.

We then both ate the cake and sat watching the sunset melt away into the darkness of the night. The early night brought us a stunning display, fireflies surrounded us and danced as they twinkled like stars on the tranquil waters of the spring. With Link by my side, my soul felt truly at peace, even if it was just for a day. We sat next to each-other quietly and watched the magnificence of the moonlit night and all its natural wonders that came from it, as if from a magical world.

Some time must have passed and I found myself waking from resting alongside Link's shoulder. He awoke me gently.

"It's starting to get late... perhaps, It would be best to get you back to the castle...I don't want to cause them any panic at you being gone for so long," Link said as he stood up softly lifting me by the hand.

"Oh Link, the day was wonderful... I do wish it didn't have to end," I said.

"I know, but we should get going. You have a big day tomorrow after all. Robbie said he finally has one of the guardians able to follow orders...it will be the first trial run."

"You're right...I'm so excited, finally we are getting somewhere with these mysterious machines. Hopefully, it isn't as hot tomorrow out on the research bluff."

"Well if it is, perhaps after the test we can come back here if you'd like and cool off again?" he said with a shine in his eye from the dim-lit embers. He then kicked out the fire and we saddled up to head back to the castle.

By some Goddess blessing Link managed to sneak me past every guard and gate-man, all the way back to steps leading up to my keep. He was quite stealthy and I was learning his tricks, watching how he easily fooled the guards with either sounds in the distance or other distractions he concocted. He would then cue me to follow when the coast was clear. It was such a rush, I loved the pounding in my chest of my heart and the excitement of getting away from them. As we made it to the last gate which led up to my steps, it was locked and stood tall. However, that was no obstacle for Link, he made short work of it and jumped it with ease to let me in from the other side.

"I guess this is goodnight Princ-Zelda," he said correcting himself, softly leading me up the spiral staircase to my quarters.

"Goodnight Link…thank you for today...I will never forget this night," I said as my heart was beating a mile a minute. We took a moment to look into each-others eyes one last time before he broke away from my presence and bid me farewell. As sure as he was there by my side just a moment ago, he was now gone, slipped away into the darkness of the night. With only the memory of his last smile still reminiscing in my mind, I walked over to my room. As I closed the door, Adeline was sitting on a creaking chair near my bedside awaiting my arrival.

"Sooo? How was it!? Details!?...judging by your face it must of been all you have hoped for and more my dear princess," she said to me eagerly rising up from her chair.

"Oh, it was Adeline...it truly was...Link is wonderful," I said to her while leaning back against the door, slowly sliding down, pondering on what has just taken place today."But I'm not sure he should know just yet...not yet...please mention this to no one."

"Well on one condition I wont tell, you will have to tell me all about your day with him then," Adeline continued as she walked over to me with a grin that stretched ear to ear.

"Okay, I will, but for tonight I just want to rest, I'll tell you tomorrow."

"Fair enough princess, I'll leave you to your rest. And don't you fret about your Father, we will think of something to tell him tomorrow...I'll tell him you are safe and are home now...Sweet dreams and good night princess," She said slowly exiting my room. She had already prepared my bed for me.

As she left I laid upon my bed swirling with emotion. I let out a joyful sigh, "A good night indeed.." I whispered to myself as I fell asleep full of dreams.

End of Chapter

Author's Notes- Chapter 3 will be released within two weeks that continues the story in the modern time. Thank you and Enjoy.

Chapter Text

Chapter Three

Revelations

The next morning came as sure as the sun rose in the east. Miraculously, Zelda found herself awaking from a pleasant night's rest, despite the harrowing events that unfolded during the night. Link, the good knight that he was, was focused, wide awake and never left her bedside after the failed intruder made the attempt on her life. Finding comfort in the peaceful serenity under his careful watch that night, she managed to close her eyes and fall asleep again.

As the morning sun lit up her eyelids, she awoke full of dreams, forgetting for just a moment the stark reality of what happened just hours prior. Fresh on her mind was all the fond memories she had with Link from a century ago. But, she couldn't help but wonder to herself, was he truly the same knight of her memory? Did he indeed recall all the tender moments they shared together? Was he truly her link? She feared that maybe not all that has transpired from the distant past between them, was remembered by him. And that perhaps, a piece of him may have been lost for good, to the sands of time forever. Her heart ached at the thought of it. She needed to know, but how?

"You're awake..." Link said to Zelda rising up out of his chair.

"You waited there the whole night?...Did you get any rest at all?"she asked as she sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes.

"I'm alright...besides, I needed some time to clear my head and think," he said.

"About what?" she asked, with her senses one by one starting to come back to her as she slid out of bed.

Link continued on pacing in the room, looking away from her respectfully as she dressed behind her partition. "I'm not sure how it can be possible for the Yiga to still be lurking about in the shadows. I defeated their master and burned their hideout to the ground. I left none..." he said with his words quickly fading into silence.

"None what?" she interrupted moving herself out from the cover her curtain.

"Alive..." Link said back with an uneasy look stretched across his face. His brows were bent and his eyes were troubled, locked in thought. " I don't want you to worry... and besides, we still have much to celebrate, Ganon is gone and you are safe once again. We will take it one step at a time...The people will need their Princess now more than ever," he said trying to deflect.

"And what is it that you need? hmmm?" She said as she poked her head out from behind her dressing curtain. Zelda felt her stomach pit with uneasiness at the sight of Link's demeanor and had a suspicion that there was more to his worry.

"I am a knight, I already have all that I need...C'mon, let's go show these people a princess," he said as he shook his head free of the worry from before. He then lifted up his chin to throw a quick smile at Zelda, trying to reassure her all is well.

Zelda and Link, having already made their way to the main pavilion, were about to address the people of Hateno. There she was to give a speech to the people on the makeshift wooden platform they had readied for her. Most of townsfolk were already gathered in the main market square, awaiting anxiously nearby.

"Stop your shouting and shoving! All will be able to see and make hands with the princess soon enough," called out a raspy voiced, older Hylian man, who had scrawny long arms and two helpings of neck. He was just below the platform and could be heard shouting down the over eager crowd that was trying to trample over him . The people were trying to get a better view and ear of the princess. He was the last line of defense between the two mysterious travelers and the over eager crowd.

The towns-people have never witnessed a princess with their own eyes in their lifetimes after all. So it was natural of them not to know what to expect and if she would be able to live up to any of their expectations. A grumpy old fellow the pursuivant was, and was attempting to manage the people as their self appointed organizer. Poorly at that.

The old man turned. "They will right? Get to make hands with her?" he whispered back questioning Link and Purah with his caterpillar brows raised. He was carefully leaning over to them, as to not let the crowd hear their answer just yet.

Purah raised her head up slowly and gave a begrudge stare back to him. She nodded back to him 'not a chance'.

"Well that settles it then, y'all will have to waits your turns!" the man said as he resumed to shout at the crowd as if he had last minute tickets to an auction.

Zelda tip toed nervously to the podium they had prepared for her. She felt a cold sweat bead down across her face, for the moment she has been dreading her whole life, has finally arrived. She now had to lead the kingdom on her own. It was the one duty she's been molded for ever since she made her first steps. But she never imagined this would be the way it would end up for her.

She was the last living and sole survivor of the royal house of Hyrule now. There would be no one else for her to turn to who's degree of responsibilities to the kingdom were above her own. She was at the pinnacle of hierarchy and she felt the immense gravity of that begin mount atop of her, weighing her down. She felt her knees begin to buckle at the pressure of what she should say to the people. She never had to lead the kingdom by herself before and began to feel an icy emptiness engulf her. It filled her with fear.

One fatal wrong decision and the kingdom could easily fall back into peril. The very thought of that knotted her tongue, and kept her from speaking.

Her father, who at that time of his reign, always had the luxury of his entourage of trusted advisors and cabinet. With the help of his court and chancellery, all matters of state back in those days were easily managed by his capable hands. He had a natural talent for it too. Or so it would of seemed to her.

She never had to concern herself much with that sort of thing back then. Her main focus during that time, was to be the princess of Hyrule, and that meant preparing for her sacred role as Hyrule's next queen. Which even the queen, hardly dealt with the politics of things. Her only responsibilities were ceremonial at best, except being that she would be the one entrusted to carry on the Divine Gift.

That gift which was the birthright from the goddess Hylia herself, or so the old legends say. The power of the sacred crest, the golden triangles themselves; the Holy Triforce it was once known as. A name now lost to memory from an age faded into myth over the many thousands of years.

Very few were actually even aware of it's existence prior to the rise of the Calamity. To most of the denizens of the land, it was just thought to be of a legendary tale of hearsay and of pompous grandeur. It was more akin to something told in children's stories rather than anything real that existed ages ago.

However, to Zelda and those intimately tied to the Royal Family knew all too well of it's true existence. The Sacred Sealing power they have come to call it throughout the long eras of peace, through the changing of words from one generation to the next. Only the royal line of princesses carrying the blood of the Goddess were ordained with this holy gift. It was the most treasured gift of all the land and of the highest importance.

However, its existence couldn't be hidden for long and became all too real to everyone after the prophecy marked the impending return of the Calamity. An ancient, otherworldly nightmare that stoked terrible fear in the hearts of all the people. It even got to a point that everyone was so on edge in the capital just before its dreaded return, that fear began to consume the people. All because she couldn't harness this so called, Sacred Sealing Power. She was the key to their salvation, and with every passing day, no sign of the power within her, the people lost faith. Those who lived at the capital at the time began to doubt her abilities and questioned if she was in fact, even blessed from the Goddesses at all.

A paper princess the gossip mongers called her, forsaken one, and heir to a throne of nothing. Those words stung her and loomed clouds of doubt that followed her all her life. It wasn't until her sealing power awoke in the dead of night did she ever feel that she was indeed a princess at all.

It came to her late in the hour, when her need was most dire and when all in the world seemed lost, destined to fall into shadow. It didn't come to her after the fall of the Kingdom, nor after loss of all her friends and family; not even the loss of her beloved father could awaken forth the sacred Golden flame that surrounded her that terrible stormy night at Blatchery.

Only the soul stabbing pain and thought of losing her one true love in this world. One that fate would have it that she only would have come to have known by mere happenstance. The one she realized she couldn't live without. The one person who stood by her side through it all, that never lost faith in her even when all seemed lost, just as when the flickering fires of hope were doomed to burn out forever. To his dying breath he believed in her. Her lowly chosen knight, Link.

Her holy blessing manifested itself to her like a fiery phoenix burning new life within her, after witnessing him fall in battle. It swallowed up her eternal enemy's Malice as water extinguishes a flame. However, even with the sudden revelation of her Divine power being bestowed upon her that fateful night, she still felt woefully unprepared to lead the kingdom on her own.

Even her father still had an unfair advantage over her when he ruled. He had his advisers, a chancellery, and a cabinet at his beckoning to help him make all the proper choices for the kingdom. She would have to be twice the righteous ruler he was, if she was to be any sort of successful at fulfilling her duty to the realm of Hyrule. That thought filled her with a dreadful worry that sank low into her chest and turned in her stomach.

She didn't want to fail as being the princess and the leader of her people. All she wanted was to not let her people, nor her father's memory down. She could hardly remember that far back as it was and wanted to lead as if her Father was still by her side, guiding her steps, like he always did, as she was growing up learning to be a royal daughter and princess of Hyrule.

Trapped in thought, she stood there among the people, desperately trying to recall and relive any memory that would come into mind of her being taught by the castle scholars so long ago. They, who from a very young age would drum formalities and protocols into her head on how to behave as princess. Her memory drew a blank of any lessons from before. Nothing they could of taught her then would have prepared her more for this day; and for her time as the sole ruler of the realm.

However, she did have Link. And that to her was her only comforting thought indeed.

Standing there while ready to address the people, she shook out of her unpleasant daydream as the minutes slipped away. She was still reeling to herself about what just happened last night in her bedroom. So many worries were pouring into her crowded mind, each of which were trying to take center stage in her thoughts. It was all so overwhelming, everything all at once.

Distracted while staring into the sea of faces, she could have sworn she caught glimpses and flashes of her attacker standing in the crowd. She became frightened again. She couldn't be sure what tricks her mind was playing on her. It filled her up with a fleeting feeling.

With her head drowning in thought about what she should say to crowd, the words evaded her lips still. But she began to speak nonetheless. She couldn't delay them a second longer.

"Dear..." she said as she paused looking into the distance, past her people and above the rooftops of the village cottages. Her tongue tightened and her throat went dry but she managed to muster her lips to speak a few syllables more. "My dear people of Hateno, hearty, humble and well remembered folk of the realm of Hyrule. It is I your Princess, who comes bearing good news to you all..." she said to them with a phony cheer that cracked in her voice as it wavered in the wind. She hesitated and with an uneasy blank stare coming over her, she froze standing above them.

The people gathered below were unconvinced and all could tell something was eerily queer.

Secretly, she felt dishonest in speaking that way to them and it made her question herself and her own words even more. Was everything truly to return to the way it was before? She thought to herself. Can I really do this? She continued pondering behind the boxed pulpit.

She was unsure what was unfolding around her as of last night. She wasn't sure of anything anymore. What staff and book was the late night assassin after? What does this all...mean? She thought.

But she knew she had to say something. The crowd became restless and higher pitched voices started to cut through the silence. Link and Purah tried to mellow the crowd alongside the gimpy man that was in front but the would have none of it. The uneasy roars and murmuring doubts among them became louder and more demanding.

She trembled just as the crowd started to get louder in anticipation. The noise of them began to ring in her ear, her eyes became blurry and her memory started to fade. She felt the blood rush up to her temples as she became faint.

It was all too much for her to bare. She had no choice and did what she thought she could only have done in that moment. She turned and bolted away from the pulpit because of the immense weight of responsibility on her shoulders. It crushed her soul with the fear of failing. As she spun around, she accidentally collapsed into the arms of Link who just happened to be right behind her. It was all she could do.

She fell into his arms and cleaved to the safety of his tunic. She slowly lifted her head up and gazed deep into the calming blue waters of his eyes. For a brief moment she was taken away to a far away place. A place where she can hide herself from the world. He spoke no words but instead gave her an encouraging sweet smile back to her. It was all she needed.

The world could have been falling asunder to depths of Demise's hell and ending around her, but in the arms of his warm embrace for that small moment, nothing else mattered. The way she felt as he looked back the way he did melted away all her fears. So much was depending on her, and even though she didn't believe in herself, Link had faith in her. That to her, was enough to squash all her doubts.

She felt an immediate calming wave of comfort, courage and strength overflow from a pool deep from within her; a steady stream of strength she never knew she had until that day. With sudden conviction as her duty as the princess, she spun back around to face the people of the down trodden village who were disquieted.

They were worried what all of this meant and the dismayed chatter started to bellow out louder and louder. However, her once mellow and meek voice that she kept hidden away for so long to her responsibility for so many years, began to resonate loudly like a trumpet horn, one of which like of her father's court and started to soar over all of theirs.

It was as if she always knew what to do and say. She knew she couldn't let her people down. Not this time.

"My dear people of Hateno, the kingdom of Hyrule will once again be restored to its former glory and you will all soon be able to return home," she said with vested authority in her voice. She continued to speak to them with her face lit up like a beacon of hope. Unafraid of the uncertainty that lies ahead . If there were to be challenges to be made for them, they would overcome them together she believed.

"For it be because our dear Champion, lo the very same Champion from one hundred years ago, the one who is the hero of your songs and of your tales that have been passed down these many years, the one you all thought fell at Blatchery, has indeed returned and saved us all. It is true...Through their holy power and grace, the Divine Goddesses themselves, gave him back to us in hour of need, breathing new life within him, saving him from his fate at Blatchery."

"It is he, the hero Link who stands before you here today, who was victorious in defeating that wretched and most terrible Calamity of our age. Fear no more, for he continues to protect us all and serve the realm," she said as she waved her hands showing off Link to the crowd, diverting from herself to bide time in what she would continue to say next. The gathered people looked onwards in awe of Link.

Link shuffled himself behind her and was trying to act modest reverting attention back to her by fanning down the people. Because he felt it was because of her Sealing Power, is what truly saved them and they ought to know it.

With her eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope she continued her speech. "Behold that same Calamity which has robbed you of your lives, destroyed your homes and ruined any hope of a future for your children for so long has been slain.

"For this day forward I say to you all; fear no more, have hope again fill your hearts, for in this day evil has been truly vanquished and the hope of a new day will now shine upon us.

"Let it be proclaimed throughout all the land, in every corner, in every village, and in every tongue and people; that peace shall reign once again, and all things shall be restored to their former glory and...beyond.

"There is so much for all of us to do, I believe that if we help each other and if we trust in one another; all things are possible if we would only believe.

"All who can begin to prepare should prepare for the long journey home...Link and I, as soon as we return back from our quest, will bring back with us help and aide in assisting the heart of the people who need assistance.

"I as your Princess stake my claim on it and swear my allegiance to all of you the people; and I will see it done to it's end or mine.

"Farewell now, for I go to fulfill this covenant I make to you...peace be unto you all, until we meet again and make for our journey home together as one," She said with prayer hands against her chest. She was speaking to the people but it seemed more as if she was swearing to the Goddess in a solemn oath. Before she stepped away, she looked vaguely into the yonder part of the village. She couldn't see the face of her assassin anymore. Her mind and heart was at ease yet again, even if it was just for a day.

The crowd fell quiet pondering her words and Purah quickly used the still moment for her own mischievous benefit. With her face grinning she proclaimed loudly to them. "Also, before you all scatter; Anyone who is ready, able and willing to go to the castle now, may so at my request!...I'm looking for the adventurous type, those who want to make a shiny rupee or two!" She said declaring to the audience as they were about to side step away. "Always in need of trapped things from around the Castle," She said gleaming.

"Purah! It is far too dangerous for anyone to be trekking those lands just yet!" Zelda scolded her quickly, turning over to her.

"Well geez, it was worth a try...A girl gotta get tech somehow you know. And besides, it can't be THAT bad," Purah said back to zelda, quieter than before as to not let the people hear their quarrel.

"It is THAT bad...I cannot afford to endanger anyone. I'm responsible for everyone now Purah. We will make our way back to Kakariko to let Impa know what happened here last night and then onwards to Zora's Domain," Zelda said back to her not having any of it.

"What happened last night?" Purah questioned her. She then frowned and gave a look one would make who doesn't seem particularly keen on being kept out of the loop of things.

"As soon as the people make way, I'll tell you. Just hurry along over to Stables. I don't want to frighten or cause any unnecessary worry to anyone here," Zelda said slightly crouching down with her hand cupping her voice low to Purah's ear.

The Innkeeper jumped up at her words. "I'm already frightened! There was dead man hanging on my door last night!" Exclaimed the Inn Keep who was standing next to the four of them.

"Shhh!" Zelda said quickly back to him.

Link took that as his cue and shot up over to the short Innkeeper and covered his mouth.

Zelda leapt herself towards the Innkeeper. "We cannot afford to cause a panic here today...These poor peoples' hope dangles from a thread as it is," Zelda said.

Link realizing he was too forceful with the man loosened his grip over his face.

"We will pay you for your troubles; and for the disturbance of last night,"Zelda said to the Innkeeper.

"About that! This lad here says you don't-"

Link hearing what was about to be said returned to his tight grip of the mans mouth blocking his confession. He didn't want Zelda to know they were out of Rupees just yet. Link nervously smiled farewell to Zelda and Purah while he drug the man away grumbling. "Alright, the Princess has had enough of you for one day my friend. Let's go talk about your payment somewhere else, shall we," Link whispered to the man. Ramblings of him and the disgruntled man could be heard as they both stomped off back to the Inn.

Zelda and Purah both watched over the sight of them trailing away with questioned looks. "That was rather odd. I wonder what that was all about?" Zelda said to Purah who stood next to her.

"Well whatever it was, it doesn't seem important. What's important, is you telling me what happened last night Princess. Why didn't you come to me sooner?" Purah scorned.

"Ok, but let's go over here next to the horses."

"Alright, but then you tell me what happened."

Zelda grabbed Purah by the hand and led her to the back of the stable house where Link and her horse were tied.

"Well, go on! Spill it! What happened!?" Purah said to Zelda stomping one foot to the ground with arms crossed.

"I didn't know what to tell you earlier, I was still pondering what happened myself...I didn't want to give any wrong information," Zelda said. " A strange masked assassin came into my bedroom last night."

"Yiga!?"

"Yes, Link was absolutely certain it was one of their kind. I still don't understand why the Yiga Clan is so hell bent on hurting the kingdom...their master is gone for good, what more could they hope for?... If it weren't for Link's clever prowess and experience in dispensing of unsavory types such as them, I might have been done for. Fortunately, he saved me yet again before that man could of carried out his evil wishes," Zelda said.

"Hmmm...That Link is starting to build up himself quite a tally of saving you. You are most fortunate to have such a nice young man watch your every step...Don't let that one get away Princess," Purah said with a grin.

"Purah, Link was just fulfilling his duty as my sworn knight."

"Was he now? The last time I checked...Ganon is gone...anything tying him to the past has been done away with for over a hundred years...And up until five minutes ago, we didn't have a princess or a kingdom for that matter...Tell me, what obligation is he under to guard you now? He served his duty faithfully, he fulfilled his end of the bargain and completed his task. Most knights, after all that would have been released from their servitude and have been given their lands and titles."

"Well, I haven't released him of his oath as of yet, that's why." Zelda replied.

"And why do you think that is Princess? Hmmm? Is it really because you need him as your knight following you day and night, or could it be because you need his company? I wonder..." Purah said smiling to Zelda with yet again another mischievous grin.

Just as Zelda was about to talk back to her with a dodgy reply, an ear piercing shriek of a young girl was heard not too far off, somewhere nearby in the village. It rang out loudly followed by an eerie silence afterwards. Something terrible was the matter and Zelda and Purah only looked to each other once before they both ran towards the direction of the scream.

Making their way over to the source of the god awful sound, it was a little Hylian girl, no older than the age of four. She was crying in the middle of the main road. Link too upon hearing the noise from where he was, must have ran over to investigate the matter firsthand as well. Also, he had to make sure that his princess was safe. Several townspeople also gathered at the sound of the frightened child.

The young girl was crying at the sight of a tall overly round Hylian man that was pulling a decrepit old hay wagon. One of the rickety wheels spun off the axel as he pulled it along the muddy road. And in the process, the load he was carrying slid out from under the weathered tarp that was over it. There it revealed before the innocent eyes of the bright eyed child, a corpse, and not just any corpse, the same Yiga assassin from the night prior. The burly man who was none other than Nod himself, was on his way to dispose of the body at the request of the Innkeeper and Link.

The Innkeeper, who was alongside Link rushed over to Nod. "You clumsy fool, I told you to keep this quiet and get that...that-thing, far away from here!...Now the whole village knows!...And to make matters worst, nobody will stay at my inn now...certainly not after seeing something like THAT took place there!" the Innkeeper yelled at Nod.

Nod in a fluster quickly tried to rectify the situation and reached over to cover up the dangling body of the hooded assassin before anyone else saw. "I'm so sorry little missy for you to have seen this," Nod said as he rubbed his head hurrying to hide the body.

That was when Link stopped him. "Wait!...Hold on, don't cover him...That's it!" Link said sprinting over towards the lifeless body. Upon noticing the Yiga emblazoned shroud only partially covering his face, Link ripped it off. The girl screamed at the horrible sight yet again and the Innkeeper fainted at his guaranteed loss of revenue. The crowd around them was in shock and awe of why Link would do such a dreadful thing out in the open, for everyones' eyes to see, but he had no choice.

Link's face lit up with clarity, as if he just solved a mystery. "I knew it... I knew something wasn't right...I remember now, Yiga men don't use straight blades or throwing stars...Those weapons are too crude for them..." Link said to himself but loud enough where Zelda and Purah could hear him. Both of their faces were confused by Link's revelation to them, unsure of where he was getting at.

Link, with his hands fixed on the dead body. "Look here, the eyes..Notice anything? They're not red...Sheikah and Yiga were one and the same, once upon a time...They share the same blood. Yet, this man has brown pupils," Link said slowly turning to face the pair who were now curiously standing right behind him.

"Oh my, that means..." Zelda said slowly covering her mouth worried at the notion.

"It means, this bloke and I are not distant relatives...It disgust me to no end that I share the same blood as those traitors," Purah chimed in as she kicked the wagon.

"It means...it wasn't the Yiga who were after you...Someone else wants you gone. I have no idea who as of yet, but I intend to find out," Link said with a gruff conviction in his voice. "Whoever it was, was taking great lengths to deceive you...us."

"Link, there is something you must know...but not here, please...come follow me," Zelda said placing a hand on Link's shoulder. Purah's eyebrows raised, she too was perplexed at what Zelda had to say.

Link then quickly threw the tarp over the body. Nod took that as his cue to shove onwards on with the wagon with haste, as to not draw any more attention from the people around them. Zelda then led both Link and Purah away from anyone's ears that may have been dropping ease and made it back to the relative cover of the stables.

"What a day indeed...first you two appear, and now this," Purah confessed as they all marched into the barn.

Zelda turned and glanced in all directions, making absolutely sure they were all alone."Link, the man...the assassin I mean...said he was after something. I don't think he wanted me dead, or at least not then... I couldn't be certain, " Zelda said, her eyes were suddenly downcast as she placed her hand to her chest.

"What do you mean?" Link said.

"What I mean is... he wanted to know something about a book and a staff. I have no idea what he was talking about...or why he wanted them, or what they meant to him," Zelda said.

Purah's eyes woke up. "Very interesting...I wonder..." Purah whispered as she spun around delving deep in her own thoughts.

"What do you mean? Purah, do you know something?" Zelda said back to her.

"Its nothing, carry on...I'm listening," Purah said as she twirled back around to face Link and Zelda.

"Well, that's just it...I don't have anything else to tell I'm afraid," Zelda said, head hung low.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Link asked taking a step towards her.

"I don't know, I wasn't sure what to say... I was frightened...I needed time to think," Zelda said defending herself. "Why didn't YOU tell me of your suspicions earlier that you were having before?" Zelda snapped back.

Geeze, these two really do belong with each other, "Stop your arguing." Purah stepped in.

"Zelda...I...I'm sorry," Link said apologetically stepping back as he scratched the back of his head.

Zelda then turned to face Link at the sound of his words and too felt she was harsh in her statements. "I'm sorry too Link..," she said.

"Well, now that's out of the way, what is your next move now princess?" Purah asked.

"We should-" Link was about to say but Zelda interrupted him.

"We should head back to Kakariko, and see if Impa knows anything about this book or staff. Or if she knows anything that can give us more information on who this imposter was," Zelda said.

"Always my sister...and her 'advices'...You people know that I am the older and wiser one right!? I may look small, but don't be deceived, I am the older one. And with age comes wisdom...but if you insist on needing her help over mine, I won't stop you. You know where to find me dear Princess. There is something I must look into while you are away. Some questions that I have that need answering. Can't be sure just yet, but I'll find you if I find out anything new that may help our situation. That's one of the perks of getting to relive your whole life all over again I guess. With this young body of mine I can travel quite easily with an escort," Purah said chin up while fixing her glasses cooly on her face.

"Purah, it's not a competition, if you know something, please do tell us," Zelda said.

"I have suspicions but that's exactly what they are, suspicions...No need to get you all riled up if it's a dead end...Now that you mentioned it, perhaps, it is a good idea for you to visit my sister after all. Maybe I am wrong about her and she is the wise old sage everyone believes her to be. Perhaps she has a crystal ball I don't know about...it sure would answer a lot of questions I have had about her all my life ha ha," Purah said with a chuckle in her voice.

"Purah! This is no time for levity," Zelda said as she rolled her eyes.

"I'm just joking, you can use a smile from time to time princess. Right, Linky?" Purah said putting Link on the spot.

"I...uh." Link said caught off guard.

"Link has no time for your games Purah, unlike some people, he puts his duty above all else, right Link?" Zelda said turning to face Link.

Link stood nervously with both their eyes fixed on him, waiting for his reply. "...I'll go get our packs ready!" Link said back to them both as he quickly fled his predicament.

As Link made his escape they both smiled as he left.

"Definitely don't let that one get away Princess...and relax, don't worry so much, you have Link...and with him by your side...you will be just fine," Purah said placing a calming hand on Zelda's back. She was being more serious now that they were alone.

Zelda turned to Purah and smiled at her comforting words. "You're right..."

"Of course I am right, When am I ever wrong!? That is the real question...Don't answer that..." Purah said with a wink. They both laughed and made their way back to the Inn where Link was preparing for their trek back to Kakariko.

So many questions still remained unanswered but Zelda did have Link as Purah mentioned and that was comforting to her. Soon they would be back at Kakariko where perhaps more light could be shed on this mystery assassin. Zelda realizes now that reunification will be the hardest hurdle she would ever have to overcome, second to sealing away Ganon. But for now, Impa awaits.

Authors Note- This chapter was a little on the short side, but Chapter 4 will be out within two weeks and that one has more meat and potatoes. Also, I just wanted to say thanks for all the feedback,everything helps me sculpt my writing and it really makes my day knowing that people are enjoying the story or not. Much, much more to come! Have a good day and enjoy.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4

Nightmares and Premonitions

After making haste out of Hateno for the better part of the day, Link and Zelda found themselves yet again delayed in their quest. Zelda was particularly more worried than Link, and hardly made an effort to hide it. They barely spoke to each other along road, as the princess seemed determined to get to Kakariko as soon as possible. Link sensed she was bothered by the surprise they were given back in Hateno. It was written all over her face, clear as crystal, as they rode long and hard on horseback up the winding trails.

They were supposed to visit the inner provinces and loyal clans, such as the Gorons, Zora and Rito. But now, after their sudden revelation from earlier that day, they found themselves heading back to Kakariko to seek more advice from the old Sheikah adviser. Of course Zelda was frustrated! It couldn't be helped when she felt that for every two steps forward, they were taking one step back.

If that weren't enough, Zelda now knew in her heart that reuniting the kingdom under one banner wouldn't be as easy as asking everyone to accept their old monarch once again. The very same monarch who almost lost the realm entirely to the Calamity one hundred years ago.

Why should they keep faith with the royal house of Hyrule? She thought. She had only been given back to this world just a couple of short days ago, and already secret plots to take her life had been made.

Zelda was at a point that she almost wished it were the Yiga who were after her. At least with them, they could strategize their next move. She knew that with the help of Link, they would be able to handle whatever obstacle they could throw at them, because they would at least know what to watch out for. But how could she face an enemy who was lurking in the shadows, nameless and unknown? Impa's words from when they last saw her echoed in her mind.

"And do trust in him your Grace, for he is the only one now you can trust."

She needed her wise counsel now more than ever she thought to herself.

Link, taking notice of his princess' demeanor, wanted to cheer her up. They were forced to slow their pace as the horses tired. So, as they trudged back to the old Sheikah village nestled in the canyon, Link used this as his opportune moment. A short while before they were set to dismount, he kicked his borrowed horse forward to trot alongside hers as they made their way closer to Kakariko.

Link leaned over to her.

"Hey, don't worry...whatever comes our way, I'll be right alongside you...we are in this together..and...I don't intend on dying a second time," he said with his head held high, throwing her a reassuring smile.

Zelda felt comfort akin to a warm blanket at the sound of his words, but she was still in a somewhat cantankerous mood nonetheless that day. Having always the need to have the last word at times, something she swore to herself she would work on, she couldn't help but correct him.

"Actually, you didn't die...yes, it is called the shrine of resurrection, a clever name indeed, but it can't actually bring back those who have drank from the cup of death. Its power is limited to only healing...even wounds as serious as the ones you sustained back then," she said as she lifted her brows with a smirk to match his own, tit for tat.

"Well...that doesn't make sense at all then...I wonder, whose foolish idea it was to come up with that stupid name?" he asked with a huff, questioning the notion aloud. "Really, a resurrection chamber that doesn't resurrect? That's like a sword that doesn't actually slice!"

Zelda's mouth nearly dropped past the horse and hit the ground.

"I'd have you know, I came up with that name!" she snapped, her furrow-browed eyes fixed on him like a target.

Link sprang up to attention on his horse and, for the first time in his life, felt what it was like to experience real fear...or so it would have seemed to him in that moment, as he quickly fumbled the words to respond.

"Uh, what I mean is...uh..." he said as he tried to find the words, but only found himself turned mute again. Before he could utter another syllable, she interrupted him.

"And what is it exactly that you mean!? Hmm!?" the princess interrrogated him. The look she shot him one like when he'd first caught her by surprise all those long years ago, as she''d been researching one of the shrines.

Link felt that old, green frog from one hundred years ago suddenly stuck in his throat again, as if it just happened. He managed to find the will to gulp it down and spoke, "What I mean is, it's a great name...poetic actually. A brilliant mind ahead of their time must certainly have come up with up with a name like that..."

"Go on..." Zelda replied, proud of herself, holding back a grin of delight as she watched him squirm while saying his apologies.

Little did she realize, Link liked the challenge.

"That being said...wouldn't you say my version of the story is way better one? The great hero of Blatchery, who died in battle, being brought back to life by the Gods themselves to save the people and the princess...you said it yourself," he said with a hearty chuckle.

Not in the mood for his jokes about death, or him dying especially, she spoke up sternly.

"Hey! We were really worried about you then! I...," she said, her voice cracking and then going soft. "I…I thought I lost you..." she finished somberly, remembering the way she'd felt that stormy night as she held him, dying in her arms.

Link, hearing her voice waver, immediately knew he took it too far.

You jerk! You were supposed to cheer her up and make her smile, and now you've gone and made her sad! Imbecile, he thought to himself.

"Zelda...I...you could never lose me," he said as he stretched out his hand out from where he sat on his horse over to hers, which rested on the horn of her saddle. Both of the horses halted their movement on the trail after he placed his hand squarely on hers. She looked up to him and sighed deeply.

The princess glance down to both their hands, clasped together on the saddlehorn, and then returned her gaze to him.

"Promise me...Promise me you will never give me a scare like that again," she almost pleaded with him as her eyes glistened, struggling to hold back the tears that were beginning to well up. "Link, promise me!"

In that brief moment, as he gazed into her gorgeous emerald eyes, the silent curtain hiding the secrets of her heart was drawn back, revealing everything to him...

...but he couldn't find the courage, that ever-present courage he thought was always within him, to out and embrace her the way his heart desired.

What if he was wrong? What if everything he though he understood was simply wishful thinking? It wouldn't be proper. Nonetheless, he found the words to put her mind at ease.

"I promise...," he spoke softly, letting out a faint breath, clutching her hand tighter than ever before as he locked eyes with her.

There was a sweet silence between them until a gust of chill wind blew past them from the nearing canyon. He caught sight of where they stood and gandered off into the distance past them both.

"Hey, Kakariko is just around that bend, so don't worry. Impa will know more about this staff and book, I just know it," he said releasing his warm hand from hers. I hope.

"You're right...," she responded, sniffling a bit and trying to smile.

After give her a once-over glance to make sure she had her composure back, Link tried his hand at a second attempt to lift her spirits. Perhaps some excitement was in order? So, out of nowhere, he gave a friendly smack to the behind of her horse. Zelda's startled face lit up like a beacon as the horse nearly stood up on its hind legs. She quickly grasped at the reins as her horse stormed off towards the Sheikah Village in a full, wild gallop.

Link, that jerk! What a way to ruin the moment, she thought. Link, for his part, shook his head with a smile as he watched her take off, and spurred his own horse on to give chase.

As the sun set upon the old Sheikah village, Paya had just finished sweeping the bamboo porch, the last of her chores for the day. So she decided that it would be as good a moment as any to call it quits and take a breather. As she stood there, leaning on the broom handle and reminiscing at the beautiful tranquility of her village she loved so much, she spotted the incoming pair of travelers at the edge of the village. She couldn't be sure as to who they were from that distance, but something inside of her just knew.

"Oh my, they are back...but so soon? What happened?" she whispered to herself as she dropped the broom stick to floor. "I have to tell grandmother!"

In the excitement of seeing her incoming guests, Paya forgot the fallen broom...only to stumble over it as she twirled around. By some sheer reflexive miracle, she narrowly dodged falling face-first through the doorway.

"Watch yourself! I only have one granddaughter, and I would like to keep it that way," Impa said, letting out raspy laugh as Paya hopped and skipped, almost falling.

"Grandmother, they are here. They..." Paya said, fumbling to find the words.

"Well, go on. Get it out child, while I am still alive to hear it," Impa replied. She then rose off her meditation pillow. Her old bones protested the notion, cracking and popping as she made a few steps towards the front door where Paya stood.

"It's the princess and Master Link...they have come back. And so soon?" the young girl asked.

"Indeed, most peculiar..." the wise old woman said, firmly placing her chin into the cup of her shaking hand. Impa gave Paya a look. "Well, best get a move on then. I'm sure they will be hungry and will need beds readied for them to rest."

"Y-yes, Grandmother, right away..." Paya said, offering a respectful bow. She then spun back around and into the kitchen to prepare a modest meal for their soon to be guest.

Ohhh, if I'd only known he would be coming back today, I would have at least gotten ready! I'm a sweaty mess right now, doing chores all day...and she..she is just so beautiful even when she isn't trying! Ugh...best not think about it, Paya thought to herself as she poked around the pantries and got flint to fire up the wok.

As Link and Zelda made their way through the humble village, they were greeted by waving hands and warm smiles from the people of the tribe going about their daily routines. The people of Kakariko loved their Princess dearly, and her presence among them was always a welcome sight.

As they approached their destination, Link quickly leapt from his horse, running over to Zelda to assist in her dismount. There, with the help of one of the Sheikah attendants, Link tied both horses to the picket post. Afterwards the princess, along with Link right behind her, marched up the tall steps leading into the elder's home.

Just as Zelda and Link were to make their way through the double doors, yet again the entrance swooshed open just before they reached it. It was as if Impa knew the exact moment they would arrive.

The wise old sage smiled and took in a breath, offering a smile to the weary travelers, "Back so soon?"

Zelda winced, glancing curiously over to Link, whose was standing just behind her with crossed arms. She returned her gaze to Impa, uncertain how to go about telling her what had unfolded since the day they'd left. With a deep breath, she decided to give her best shot.

"Greetings, Impa," she spoke, with all of the regal bearing she could muster. "Yes, we have returned, for it seems we are in need of your wise counsel yet again. Our journey was...interrupted. Perhaps you can shed some light on a new mystery of ours."

"Oh...a mystery you say?...I do like those...Come, sit by the fire and eat...Paya will bring you both a hot meal. Surely, you are tired and hungry after your hasty journey back. Your horses look like they can barely take another step," she remarked to the princess, hand motioning her to follow her to their main dining area.

The Sheikah, unlike Hylians, sat on the floor when they ate within the home, with low-knee tables that held the plated food. Link's fatigued eyes woke at the mention of food. And not just any food - Sheikah food. Their cuisine was by far the most exquisite for his palette. It was the best he could get to the quality of the meals they once hosted at grand castle banquets one hundred years ago, when he was still a Royal Guardsman.

As they all found their places and sat comfortably around the table, Impa continued. "Tell me more of this mystery of yours...perhaps we can find the answers together."

"Well, I don't know exactly where to begin. So I guess I'll just tell you from the beginning as best I can," Zelda said to the wise old woman. As she began to tell her story of the late night assassin and of the things he desired from her, Paya began to lay the wonderful spread of food. Link tried his best to pay attention to the princess' story, but with the succulent aroma of Glazed Meat Skewers accompanied by a bowl of Mushroom Stew, he was left distracted to say the least.

"H-here you go, Link," Paya said as she placed a large ceramic bowl right underneath his nose. Its hot, savory aroma cut through his thoughts like a dagger. "I know you like the stew a lot, ever since you've been coming here. You probably worked up quite an appetite...so I gave you one of our big bowls, just in case," she said, wearing a giddy smile.

Zelda tried her best to not glance over at Paya and Link's exchange, but still her eyes squinted at Paya's words to Link by sheer reflex.

Get a grip, Zelda, it's just a bowl of stew! You have no claim over him, Zelda thought to herself.

Link nodded back to Paya, replying calmly, "Thanks, it smells delicious. I'm sure it will be great as always, Paya."

Zelda, now feeling embarrassed by her own thoughts, offered up her own hospitable gesture.

"Why don't you join us? You work too much, Paya. Here, sit and eat," she said as she waved to her and patted an empty spot near the end of the table beside her and Link.

Paya instantly dropped her head into a reverent bow. "Oh, me? I would love to but...forgive me but I still have much to prepare for you both...I beg your pardon, my princess...but if you excuse me, I have to go upstairs to ready your stay...perhaps, I'll join afterwards if there is still time?" the Sheikah girl spoke sheepishly, about to scamper up the steps to their rooms.

"That would be nice," Zelda responded with a friendly smile.

Paya really didn't have all that much left to prepare, but needed a clever excuse to get out of having to sit so close to Link. In her mind, she looked like a mess at the moment, and didn't want to frighten the poor boy away. So she made her way to ready the rooms.

After watching Paya leave their presence, Impa softly laid her spoon down and continued. "So, dear princess, you said this impostor was after some book and a staff? By any chance, did he mention them by their names?"

Zelda leaned back from eating, stretching out and flexing her hands against the table in recollection. "No, I'm afraid not...and by that time, Link already had come to save me... It all happened all so fast, yet time seemed so slow in the moment."

"I see...well, I don't know anything about a wanted book. As far as a staff...and this is quite a stretch, mind you...could it be that he may have been after the Royal Scepter? Not much of a staff, more of a baton, really...but its value is immeasurable, thanks to the Moon Pearl crowned on it. Or so I have been told," Impa explained

The old woman stood up from her supper, and slowly began her walk over to the fireplace. There, she gazed upon its flickering flame, as if hoping it would reveal the mysteries of the universe to her.

"Moon Pearl?" Zelda questioned, letting out a quiet breath. She also stood up, unaware of the significance.

Link's eyes widened after the mention of the Royal Scepter. He dropped the bowl he'd been slurping from, cleaned his chin, and then he also rose. Somehow, after hearing those words uttered again, memories from one hundred years ago came crashing through his mind. They flipped through his recollection like pages in a book.

He remembered the Royal Scepter, the same one he took from the High Priest. He also remembered even more so that wonderful day he shared with Zelda. His memory refreshed, the knight turned to face her, his princess busily trading words with Impa. As he gazed upon her, watching her smile and move around the room hearing Impa's stories, he saw in her the same beautiful honey-haired girl he fell for so long ago. He had not forgotten her.

What other memories have I yet to recall? Link thought to himself, curiously worried.

Impa spoke again facing the embers. "Yes, the Moon Pearl. Have you not heard of it? Surely the castle scholars must have told you something about it growing up?"

"I must admit, the old histories were never my strong suit," replied Zelda more contemplative than abashed by the admittance, as she move about the room. "I much preferred applied sciences and experimentation. Not that I had much time for either growing up. As soon as I was old enough to even write properly, and perform the basic formalities of a Royal, I was already being forced to learn how to awaken my birthright. The Calamity was coming…and all my time had to be devoted to that task. I hardly had any time for anything else that wasn't congruent with my duty to the realm."

Zelda rubbed her arms in a somber self hug at the thought, remembering the freezing waters and endless hours of prayers she had to recite over and over.

"Yes, tis' true, we are forever indebted to you, your Grace. Were it not for your sacrifices, all would have been lost," the old woman said comfortingly as she slowly limped towards Zelda. "The Moon Pearl is said to be an ancient treasure, even stretching long before the time of Great Calamity from ten thousand years ago...Though, despite its age, it still looks as if it were crafted by the Goddesses just yesterday. Its milky, twilight luster hasn't faded at all to the unforgiving decay of time."

"Then...you think that's what he was really after? Why?" Zelda asked, curiously.

"Goddesses, no. I have no idea if that was what he was really after or not...but that would be my best guess, if I had to offer one. Older legends before the Calamity say the Moon Pearl once aided a Hero of another era, in an age long lost to time and memory."

"And?"

"And...that is all I know. These are really old stories we speak of. They are probably more myth than any sort of true history. Nevertheless, it would be behoove us to find out more for ourselves, wouldn't you say? Just in case there is any sort of truth to this legend."

"That is, if it really was the Moon Pearl he was after," the princess added.

"Indeed...if that is what he was after," confirmed the elderly woman with a nod.

Just as Zelda was about to continue her discussion with the wise sage, Link stepped toward her to offer his own thoughts on the matter, and what he remembered from long ago. But as he took his first step, he felt a sudden rush of blood to his temples, and a horrible ringing began to resonate in his ears as his vision began to blur. He felt his body start to go cold with a numbness that felt like a thousand needles were stabbing him all over. Without a warning sign to the others, Link collapsed, crashing onto the table. The impact split the piece of furniture wide open, spilling the dinnerware, and causing Zelda and Impa to startle in fright. The princess' heart fell into the pit of her stomach at the sight, and without a thought she leapt over to her knight in a panic.

The last thing Link saw before his vision faded into black nothingness was a terrified, shouting Zelda rushing over to him.

"LINK?!" Zelda cried out as she tried to lift him off the splintered table. He went limp.

Impa was also worried by the sight, and she too hurried herself as fast as her old legs could move her to Link's fallen body.

"Paya! Quickly, come down here! We need help!" Impa shouted toward the ceiling to where her granddaughter was on the floor above.

Paya bolted down the stairs, dropping some bedding she had been carrying, and rushed over to help Zelda lift Link from the floor.

"What happened!?" the Sheikah girl questioned in shock.

"I don't know!" Zelda cried, uncontrollable tears streaking down her pretty pale cheeks. "We were talking just as we were when you were here...and all of a sudden, he just fell hard right into the table! I don't understand! Oh, Link...what's happened to you?"

She couldn't speak anymore, as as her building fears made it difficult to catch her breath. One of the attendants, a man by the name of Dorian, had been standing just outside the residence when he'd heard the gut wrenching screams from within and rushed into the building. No sooner had he swung open the doorway to see them trying to carry Link than, without hesitation or question, he immediately pulled the young man from their arms, carrying his motionless body to one of the beds upstairs.

Link, lying now upon on one of the beds, began to squirm, eyes closed and lashing out in uncontrollable fits of seeming rage. Zelda, heartbroken at the sight of him suffering, pleaded for an answer from anyone who would give it to her.

"What's happening to him?! Impa?!" she shouted.

The princess shoved past Dorian into the room and fell to Link's bedside, breaking into tears. There, she tried to put calming hands over him to stop him from thrashing in his sleep, but to no avail. Link was sporadic, punching and clawing as he lay there. He even managed to punch a hole clean through the headrest as he grunted in his sleep. Frightened, Zelda had to pull away.

"I don't know...," Impa said, quietly. "It seems as if he is...remembering. Everything and nothing, all at once, perhaps."

"Why does he have to suffer so?" Zelda cried, turning to face Impa, who stood in the room alongside Paya and Dorian. "Oh, Link...it is all my fault that you have been put through this. If I'd only obtained my sealing power sooner, none of this would have happened!"

Oh, Link, you wonderful fool...Why do you always insist on having to be so strong? she thought. Now I know why you fear to close your eyes at night...plagued as you are by these haunting visions and nightmares.

"I'm so sorry...forgive me...Please, Link, I need you to be alright...I need you...," Zelda spoke. Without a care for what anyone heard, or how they thought of her relationship with Link, the princess buried her face into her knight's chest, soaking his tunic with her tears. He wasn't thrashing as wildly as before, now only breathing heavily as he lay there, clenching the bedsheets with his fists as he battled the demons in his heart and mind.

"He is burning up!" Zelda exclaimed, lifting her head off of him, startled as she felt the warmth of his body burn her face. "Quickly, Paya, bring cool water and fresh rags!"

Without question, Paya obeyed.

As the black void faded back into something resembling a conscious world, Link saw himself from one hundred years ago. Reliving the moments that had taken place back then, looking on from afar, yet feeling them as if they were happening to him in that moment.

The sky became gloomy with a hellish red glow, hours before true nightfall. The air itself became thick, filled with a deadly plume that extended high into the sky that made it hard to breathe. There, a nightmarish cloud at the world's center, a wraith of pure evil flooded the castle. There was no doubt left in anyone's mind if the stories and legends of old were indeed true. It had returned. The great Calamity of the ages had become a reality once again.

The Champions immediately sprang into action, splitting up to fulfill their roles. Link and Zelda quickly mounted their horses and rode like the wind to the castle to assess the level of the damage caused by the surprise attack, and to render aid to those who needed help evacuating the city. Perhaps it wasn't as bad as it looked from where they were at the foot of the mountain, they hoped.

It was a perfect storm of events, as a devilish downpour of rain was falling over them, flooding the roads, making the trek treacherous. As only an hour passed, Link and Zelda made their way closer. From the higher ground, they were finally able to capture the great city in their view. Suddenly, a loud explosion erupted deep within the city, larger and louder than anyone had ever seen. Even the far off ground where Link and Zelda stood shook at the impact. All was lost. The castle and city was in ruin, covered in mountain-high flames. Something had gone terribly wrong. They beheld the horrific sight of desperate people fleeing the city in all directions. Soldiers were battling their once-proud Guardians to their deaths. The ear-curdling screams of women and children were heard, and they could be seen running for their lives to reach beyond the city walls.

"Oh, no! This can't be happening!"" Zelda screamed at the sight. "What's going on?! The Guardians! He took control of the Guardians?! How?!"

It was all happening in slow motion around her, it seemed. She and Link dismounted. But as more sounds of explosions erupted in the distance, the horses bolted away in fright. Heartbroken and confused at what was happening, her knees buckled at the realization, and she collapsed. Link ran over to her, helping her back to her shaky feet.

Her heart raced a mile a minute, and Link could feel its pulse as he lifted her up. He saw her soul being ripped from her as he glanced at the numb expression on her face. The light in her eyes, those same starlit green eyes, that were once full of love that he had come to adore, faded into despair. Her hope and dreams were shattered in an instant. But there was no time to console her or waste lingering.

Guardians were overflowing outside the city walls, flashing barrages of deadly blue beams into crowds of people, scorching the earth and leaving flames that even the rains couldn't extinguish. Huge towers not so far into the distance in front of the castle, which were not there before, were now erected high into the sky, spiraling out Guardian after Guardian to overrun the city. It all seemed like an organized plot by their eternal adversary.

Link still had to get Zelda through a small woodland that was up ahead before he could fully assess the situation and decide his next move. So, as held her with one hand and led with the Master Sword in the other, they trekked through the misty forest. As they ran, she came to the realization of what was happening and lost her will to carry on. She slipped through his fingers, unable to keep up with his fast pace, and collapsed on the ground yet again. Link slipped ahead, but spun back around to recover her after she fell.

Fear and helplessness filled her eyes, and she bore her soul out to Link. She couldn't hold back the river of tears anymore.

"How...how did it come to this? The Divine Beasts...the Guardians...they all turned against us. It was Calamity Ganon...it turned them all against us! And everyone...Mipha, Urbosa, Revali and Daruk...they are all trapped inside those things...and it's all my fault!" she cried. "Our only hope for defeating Ganon is lost, all because I couldn't harness this cursed power! Everything...everything I have done up until now...it was all for nothing. I really am just a failure...All my friends, the entire kingdom, my father most of all...I failed them all...I've left them all to die!"

Link couldn't just yank her off the ground again and force her to run just yet. He, too, was suffering for her. His heart broke to see her tormented by the events around them. He, too, felt as if he failed...failed her...

Why can't I be strong enough to defeat this Calamity on my own, he thought despairingly. So he decided to console her for a few minutes, hugging her tightly and letting her cry into his tunic.

"It's going to be alright," he whispered to her, but he felt dishonest in doing so. He knew it was anything but alright. But he had to be strong for her. After a few moments passed, he got her to stand and follow him again.

As they made it into a clearing on top of a hill, it overlooked the capital city below. Link saw people being led by what appeared to be the remnant of a battalion of Hylian troops on the run from three rogue Guardians. Link, still holding Zelda, by the hand knew what he had to do. There was no time left to waste. In the rain, he gently turned to face her and put both his calming hands on her cheeks. Softly, he brushed her soaked hair to the side and got her to focus onto his eyes, taking her away from what was happening around them.

"Zelda, please, I know you are hurting. But we will make this right. I promise you...he won't get away with this. I will defeat Calamity Ganon. I stake my life on it...but I need you to stay here, where you are safe; I have to save those people that are running towards us. They are close by...I can still save them. I promise, I will be right back," he gently spoke to her, softly letting go of her face about to make his run to the outskirts of the City walls where the endangered people were.

But just as he turned to leave, barely taking more than one step forward, he jolted back at the sound of a terrified Zelda shouting towards him, her face overflowing with tears.

"Link! Don't go! I can't! Please...I can't...I can't lose you, too...please...I can't lose you, too...," she wailed, falling again to muddy ground. There, she buried her face into her hands as the words broke into sobs.

He immediately spun back around and lifted her up. There he held her in a deep embrace, pressing her crying face to him.

"Zelda, I promise, I'll be alright...I have to save them. I have to try, " he said softly to her, his face pressed against the side of her head as she leaned into his chest. He desperately wanted to press his lips against hers, to calm her fears, but he felt in that moment that it would not have been the right time. That, perhaps, he would have another chance to do so later on. However, if he would have known it was his last, he certainly would have. A mistake he would live to regret his whole life.

She sniffed and lifted her face up to his, a mere inch away. A brave conviction slowly filled her voice as she spoke to him. "I...I know...we have to save them, Go...I'll stay here, and wait for your return...I'll be alright, the Guardians are still far off. Hurry, Link!"

But she spoke too soon, and as she looked away past the comfort of his embrace, the people were already almost near them. Time had slipped by. Her knight now had to act with or without her permission.

Link, not wanting any harm to come to his princess, saw the three charging Guardians as they chased the people running towards them on the bluff. He summoned all the strength that he could muster and leapt, springing high into the air just as one of the Guardians gathered its energy to fire another blast of death towards the helpless people and soldiers. It stopped mid-crawl and captured a dead lock onto the crowd. The other two continued onward. As the halted Guardian prepared to unleash its life-ending beam, Link came crashing down into its view, distracting its gaze and surprising the shocked citizens.

Upon identifying the hero as its primary target, the Guardian then aimed its corrupt blue eye toward Link instead, firing a pulsing ray of deadly energy towards him. The beam shot over the heads of the fleeing people, who ducked from both fear and the noise of the blast. Link, suspended in the air over them, fell downwards through the sky, as if in slow motion, drawing his master sword and slicing the beam in two. The divided beam split off and whether by chance or intent, blasted into the other two chasing Guardians, destroying them. As the knight continued to shred the beam in two, he landed onto the attacking Guardian and stabbed its eye, impaling it as deep as the legendary sword would go. Link grunted at the effort and leapt, ripping the Master Sword from the Guardian's torn husk skywards, slicing it as cleanly as a branch. The Guardian fizzled and sparked before it burst into flames and exploded, leaving it ruined on the hillside.

Link landed safely just behind the last trailing group of soldiers escorting the people away. The Master Sword glowed red hot and could be seen off in the distance by the others. The humid air around it singed as it kissed the intense heat of the blade. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that it indeed was the sword of legend. Any other blade would have disintegrated. Swiftly, he ran back toward Zelda and the others, who were stopped momentarily on the hill. They had all gathered around the princess. Zelda faced one of the guardsmen leading the group of frightened civilians.

"My father? Where is my father?!" she asked in a frayed panic. She already knew the answer in her heart, but foolishly hoped for another anyway. The man looked to ground in shame as the rain poured overhead.

"Your father...My princess...," the guardsman spoke, struggling to get the words out. Zelda looked to the other two men alongside him, her eyes wide in worried anticipation of what they would say next.

"Your father fell," another guard interrupted, stepped forward. "When that...thing showed up, His Majesty the King courageously mustered up a small group of Royal Soldiers and attempted to fight it back. Valiantly, they tried...but a swarm of Guardians surprised them from behind at the castle...It was all over in an instant. We rushed over to try save him and his men, but he yelled out a last command as the beams shot towards him. His last words were, 'Get my people to safety!'...So we turned back...and hated that we had to do so...I'm so sorry, dear princess. Forgive us...forgive our lack of skill in fighting these...monsters...," the soldier finished, his own eyes beginning to fill with tears.

Her heart was broken again at the revelation, but seeing her people in despair around her, she needed to be strong for them. She was their leader now. There was no time for tears anymore. So she walked over to them, and placed a hand on each of their shoulders.

"It's alright...you did your best and followed orders, and you helped lead these people to safety. Because of you, they are alive...I couldn't ask for better men than you," she said to the beaten and broken-spirited group of soldiers, who stood near to listen intently to her words of comfort. But there was no time to rest. Another wave of Guardians were crawling like spiders from over the walls of the great city. Link made his way up to the men and Zelda.

"Captain Link?!" the guard turned to face him as he approached.

"You men, take the princess, guard her with your life, and get these people out of here now! As fast as you can!" Link commanded the soldiers.

"But what about you, sir? You'll need help!" one the men questioned.

"Go! You'll only be in my way, and get yourselves killed...I need you here to protect the princess and these people," he commanded again. They nodded their heads in affirmation and without hesitation at his order.

"Where are you going?! Why do you have to go?!" Zelda exclaimed rushing over to him. Her heart sank.

"Don't you see?! It has to be me! I am the only one that can do this!" Link shouted, a rare time that he'd ever raised his voice at his princess. "We will never make it if I don't slow down those Guardians that are coming. I'll be back for you, I promise…these people need you to lead them...so go!"

Having said his peace, the knight swung hastily and mounted a borrowed horse that one of the soldiers had. Lighting struck and sparked the ground nearby, a loud flashbang of noise filled the air. The steed reared up on his hind legs, lifting Link, who raised the Master Sword skyward. He glanced back over his shoulders at Zelda one last time, as he rode off out of the proverbial frying pan and into the fire. She caught his eyes, and  nodded in agreement as he left. She knew there was no other way. Immediately after Link's departure, three guardsmen huddled over to defend her. She turned to the mass of people that were with her and began to help them flee to safety, as her knight made his way down toward the fray.

As he approached the Guardians' location, Link whispered to himself a silent prayer as he charged toward them on top of the stallion.

"Goddess, if you be real at all...please...now is the time. If I am truly this Hero you want me to be...then hear my plea…give me the power to defeat your enemies...now is the time!" he shouted at the end, as he slowly rose on the back of the horse, the stormy wind slapped at his face. As he knelt holding the reins, readying himself, he galloped through the field at full speed, heading straight to the city walls. But before he could have launched himself toward the crawling Guardians to make his counterattack, a 'skywatcher' Guardian surprised him as it flew high into view just beyond the wall. It had Link in its crosshairs, dead to rights, and fired a devastating blast right at him.

By some miracle, or perhaps poor aim, it the beam narrowly missed hitting him by just a couple of feet. But in the resulting explosion, Link fell from his horse and crashed hard to the ground. His body rolled and skipped along the muddy earth to a dead stop. For the first time ever in his life, he felt real physical pain. His clothes were burned, and he grunted as he worked to reorient himself. Out of fear, his steed had fled, bolting back toward the open plains. It was just an animal, after all. Link was now the last line of defense standing between the army of Guardians to his front, and the fleeing people to his back.

He shakily stood, caked with mud, stabbing the Master Sword into the ground for leverage. In the distance he could see the swarm of mechanical terrors heading straight for him. Behind the swarm, the city was engulfed in flames. He knew, right then and there, that everyone he had ever known and come to care for in his life as he'd grown up had perished. He saw their smiles flash one by one in his mind's eye and fade away into nothing. As if they never existed at all. A burning rage deep within his soul begin to resonate, a deep-seated hatred full of vengeance, the likes of which he thought he never had, awoke inside of him.

Father? Mother? Sven? They're all gone...You did this...You and me...we have been at war since before I was even born. I will never forgive you. For this...I will destroy you...Calamity Ganon! he thought to himself.

The knight's eyes lit up with a fiery glow, a sudden surge of divine power began to course through every fiber of his being, and all his senses were heightened as if from nowhere. There he stood, noticing a Sheikah pillar nearby, the type that released Guardians. It wasn't functioning properly, and was just outside the walls of the city. Feeling his hands pulse, stronger than ever, he reached out with his Master Sword and sprinted toward the tower with lightning speed. The Guardians were still charging after him, but they were still behind the pillar.

With a terrifying display of speed and power, Link slashed the pillar from end to end at its foundation. The almighty blade cut through it like butter. As a quick finish, he leapt into the air and gave a strong kick to it for it to fall. Down it went, crashing into an entire wave of incoming Guardians, obliterating them and leaving an obstacle for the rest of them to follow. The sweet sound of their exploding parts was like music to his ears. He hated the Guardians now, and everything they represented.

That would buy them all some more time, and it would confuse the remainder of them, forcing them to go around long enough for him and the others to make an escape. He hoped as he stood there amazed even by his own display of power. A strength he never knew he had deep within him. What...what is this power? He pondered. But there was no time to wonder off in thought, he needed to get back to Zelda.

His plan seemed to work for the time being, so he sheathed his sword and turned, still full of energy, to run as fast as he could back to Zelda and the others, who had yet to make it far from where they'd been before.

Having reached Zelda and the exodus of people that he'd saved, Link rushed over to where she walked. The mass of people couldn't move quickly, and there were many wounded among them. There were also women, children and the elderly alike they had to care for. The castle was nearly out of view, but Link knew it would only be a matter of time before the Guardians caught up to their position, and so he ordered the bulk of the force to lead from behind.

Zelda herself was occupied helping some of the slower civilians in the front hurry across a bridge that stretched over a large river. She heard her knight's voice break through the crowd, giving orders to the men. She looked back, catching a glimpse of Link returning. Her heart jumped in her throat. She immediately stopped what she was doing and ran towards him. He made his way to her slowly, from behind the mass of marching people. As she met him, she wrapped her arms around him without thinking. She held him tight, not wanting to let go.

"You're alright...you're back...I was so scared when you left! Don't do that again!" she shout as her eyes began to swell again with tears as she looked up to him.

"I promised you I'd make it back...see?" Link smiled at her.

She squeezed tighter at his warm smile, but in doing so caused her knight to wince with pain at the harder embrace.

"You're hurt?" she asked, pulling back and thoroughly evaluating his injuries to see how severe his wounds were.

"I'm alright...just a couple scratches. Don't worry...there is plenty of fight left in me," he replied with a reaffirming smile. "C'mon, let's get these people across the bridge. There is still hope for them if we can make it to the Akkala Citadel."

Only about half of the people crossed. If they were all to make it to the safety of the citadel, they needed to hurry. Suddenly, Link's ear twitched. He heard a loud thunder approaching, but it wasn't the natural noise of crashing clouds. It was something not of this world, a terrible sound only man can make. Just as they were leading people over the bridge, out from over the tree-line from where the mouth of the river flowed, a 'skywatcher' Guardian appeared. At the sight of the people, it went into assault mode and flew straight towards the heart of the refugees.

Link gently pushed Zelda aside, and again sprang into action. He didn't have time to think or tell her what to do, but he knew that if he could lure its gaze toward him, he could draw it away from innocent people or destroy it. Zelda tried to shout to Link ,but she couldn't force out the words. She was breathless, in awe of what was happening.

Soldiers rallied at the sight of Link charging head on, straight towards the rampaging flying Guardian. Zelda had called back some of the people that made their way onto the bridge to return to her side of the river bank. She knew they wouldn't make it across in time. Link lunged off the edge of the bridge, launching himself high up into the air towards the Skywatcher. But he was too late, and the unthinkable happened. The Guardian had already charged up its beam, unleashing a devastating ray of pure energy that decimated the bridge, killing the poor souls that couldn't make it across. An ear-splitting explosion rang out as broken fragments of the stone were catapulted skywards and rained down like meteorites onto the remaining people.

There would be no crossing now, and only about half of the citizens were on the other side. The way was shut. Link, still high in the air, saw his only chance to prevent any further bloodshed and slashed his mighty sword at one of Skywatcher's propellers. As his sword tore through one of the props, the sheer force of his blade caused the mechanical monster to spin erratically and crash into the river's edge, rendering it immobilized and broken.

Link landed just beyond it in the river. As he splashed his head out from the rushing current, he saw that he was successful. He swam back to main body of the people and Zelda, who was trying to keep the gathered citizens from fleeing in a disorganized panic.

People were screaming, afraid that this was to be their end, but then Link made his way to them from beneath the water. At the sight of him calmly walking up to them from the shore, the soldiers on that side of the bank cheered his return. They saw it as a sign that they may still live out the night. The people's fears lessened. Zelda, too, was joyfully relieved he was okay. She was starting to believe, now more than ever. Believe that he, indeed, was the chosen Hero. For no mere mortal could have done the things he had done if it weren't so.

Just as her knight was making his way toward her again, he felt his body to begin to fatigue. But there would be no time to rest. Suddenly, his eyes widened and pupils shrunk at the sight of a rogue energy blast heading straight toward Zelda from a far-off Guardian behind her. Somehow, finding strength hidden deep within him again, he used his unbelievable speed to good use and leapt toward her. He had to save her.

"ZELDA!" Link cried out. Suspended in the air ,he grabbed her just in time, pushing her out of harms way. The beam scorched above his back as he flew through the air carrying her under him. The blast shot past them both and exploded in the river. As they both fell to the hard ground, he oriented her body above him so she wouldn't get hurt from the fall.

Several hours had already passed into the night, and it was starting to get late.

"How long will he be like this?" Zelda asked Impa, who sat in a chair to keep watch over Link alongside her. Zelda was still stretched out over him, hugging him from the side of his bed as he lay there, hoping he would improve or awaken.

"Hard to tell, I'm afraid...but it seems his condition is improving, he isn't breathing so hard now," Impa responded. "It is a good sign, I'd say."

"Is there anything we can do?" Zelda asked again.

"I'm afraid not. He has to overcome this on his own. Pulling him out of it could probably cause more harm than good. His mind is still healing and his memory is still very fragile. If we were to force him out of it, he may end up losing the connection to his memories forever...and that is something we must not allow to happen."

Zelda's stomach twisted at the mere notion of an idea like that.

Without any warning, Link kicked hard in the bed and violently thrashed as he mumbled unintelligible noises. Zelda shot up from where she lay on his chest, surprised by the sudden violent outburst.

"Zelda!" Link cried out, waking in his bed. He was disoriented as he sat up and slid back against the headboard. But as his senses returned to him, he realized he was back in the present, surrounded by the people he cared about the most. Zelda was alright, not under any threat of a Guardian. So his adrenaline began to fade.

"What happened?" Link asked, still coming to grips with what was going on around him. As he looked around the room he saw everyone's face full of worry. But after he spoke, the looks of worry gave way to ones of relief.

"Oh, Link! Are you alright? You gave us quite a scare...," Zelda said, her eyes puffy, her arms prepared to hug him.

"Yeah, I'm alright...Sorry I worried you...but now that you mention it...I'm kind of hungry," responded her knight, and he nervously scratched the back of his head.

"Ohhhh, you! Oooof!" Zelda pushed herself off against his chest, retracting her proffered hug. "You're fine!...Obviously!"

Clearly, his ill-timed jokes had annoyed her.

"I'm sorry, Zelda. I didn't mean to scare you...," he said back as he cracked a slight smile.

"Well, you did! You frightened all of us..." she replied, voice full of worry.

"I'm alright now," the young man reassured her.

The princess gave him a shaky smile. "Well, you'd better be..."

Impa rose from her chair, walking over to Link, still seated in bed. "I'm afraid, though, that from now on you will have to take this medicine before you sleep," Impa said to him handing him a small vile. "It should help with the fever and the night terrors...If I had known earlier you had been experiencing this, I would have given some to you before you left the other day."

Zelda's eyes again gave Link an annoyed glare. "Yeah, no more secrets, okay? But...Impa, when did you get that?"

"My, you were so worried and occupied with Link these last few hours, I bet that if the world was ending you would have not noticed," the old woman answered with a grin. "Paya fetched it for me from the apothecary while you were here. You're lucky, my boy. This is a very rare remedy, indeed...it has been quite scarce since the Calamity. It's the last vile. It should last you at least a month."

"What is it?" Zelda questioned.

"Lunar Tear potion...it requires the use of several rare ingredients. Mainly, sacred petals from the rare and endangered Silent Princess blossom. The other ingredient is fallen from the heavens themselves, the tears of the moon. Hopefully, now that the Calamity has been slain, the moon will heal of its sickness, and return to its proper order."

"An end to the Blood Moons, you mean?"

"Yes. We'll have to wait and see...I suspect now that Ganon's influence is gone, so too will his dark magic fade, and it was that which could summon back his loyal and twisted servants."

Link turned to face Impa as he sat up more firmly in his bed. "I remember! The Royal Scepter...I remember it, now! So, that holds the legendary Moon Pearl?"

"Well, that's what we have been told...," answered Impa. "But if you have seen it with your own eyes, you would know it to be true. No mortal can craft such a fine artifact."

Zelda stood quietly, listening anxiously for what else Link had remembered.

"Yes...I remember I used it to help save Zelda from the clutches off the High Priest," her knight said, deep conviction resonating in his voice.

Zelda paced around the room only to quickly spin around to face the young man at the sound of his words.

"You...remember that?" she asked, her eyes glistening with joy at the thought.

"I could never forget that day...," Link replied to her softly, cutting past the others watching their interaction as easily as if he and Zelda were alone.

"Oh...Link...," she said, her face reddening, and she walked back to sit beside him again.

Impa chose that moment to speak to those gathered in the room. "Well, it is late. You should get some rest for tomorrow, for the continuation of your long journey. We must also find more clues about this mystery assassin and the Moon Pearl, if we are to be one step ahead. The couriers I sent to the three greater houses of Hyrule should have arrived by now..."

"But isn't it five days' ride to the further reaches of the Stonelands of House Draene?" Zelda asked, turning back to face Impa.

"Perhaps, for the average Hylian rider," Impa answered with a cocky grin. "My best men are on it...The Sheikah can make it there in three days, to say the least. They will ride day and night with no rest until they have fulfilled their duty to the crown."

"But the horses...won't they tire?"

"We have our ways and secrets to remedy that along the way, but I'll tell you more tomorrow. For now, it's time for bed. Yes, you both need your rest

Paya had already returned, bringing with her some night tea for Link. She softly placed it on his night stand and smiled as she left. A little something to help his eyes get heavy.

"Also, be sure to pour only a single drop of the vile into your tea Link, it will prevent the night terrors and fever from returning. Because with just two more drops, you'll never wake up, so be careful." Impa said. She then proceeded to exit the room.

"Alright, Link. I'll be waiting for you, when the morning comes," spoke Zelda with a sweet smile. "I'll be in the other room with Paya. I'm really glad you are alright...goodnight."

Then, after making absolutely sure everyone's eyes had left the room, she did the unexpected. She leaned over to Link, and graced his cheek with a long kiss.

Link was caught completely by surprise at the gesture. He felt as if he'd been struck by a bolt of lightning. Instantly he felt his body pulse with an indescribable wave of euphoria. But he was too late to reciprocate, as she'd already pulled away and made her way out of the room. She left with a wink and a smile.

What was that? the knight thought. Was that just a 'friendly' goodnight kiss? But if it were, why did she press so hard and long onto my cheek? Ugh, what does this mean?!

He continued to stew as he laid in bed. He then rose, slurped down the tea and medicine, and slammed his head back, forcing himself to fall asleep.

Somewhere far off, many, many miles away from Kakariko, deep into the territory of the Stonelands, a Sheikah courier lay wounded on the treacherous Dead Forest trail. He begged helplessly for his life before the figure of a cloaked man, even as he desperately tried to crawl away and escape.

"Thanks for the news, my good man! So, her majesty the princess plans on reuniting the kingdom? Just as I thought...And it appears she is right on schedule...," the cloaked figure mocked the downed Sheikah. As he spoke, his deep, cold voice twisted to become high-pitched and raspy when he got excited, like a wild hyena. "I already sent one of my men to fetch me something of great value from her, but he hasn't returned yet...I'll just take this letter of yours that you had for House Draene as a consolation! Tell me, what more do you know of this princess?"

"I'll never tell you... you are just going to have to kill me!" he said, bleeding out on the ground. He was ready to die for his princess.

"Ohhh, this certainly does make it more interesting and fun! Do you like games? I love games! How about we play a game. It's called you tell me everything I want to know or I will kill all of your family, one by one...and I promise it will hurt...Then perhaps, after you tell me, you'll be free to go and I'll spare your miserable family." He said with a devilish smile to the frightened soul on the ground.

"Please...Don't...I don't know anything, I swear!" The Sheikah man cried.

"Amazing how they squeal with just a simple push of motivation."

"I never even met her, you must believe me!"

"I do...unfortunately...But, you still lose the game...," the hooded man replied with a cruel smile.

"...What...what sort of person are you?!" the Sheikah man cried, filled with terror as he attempted to crawl away from the the cloaked man as he approached.

"I thought you'd never ask! However...a magician never reveals his secrets! Not until after the final act! Mwoohoo! Ha ha!" the stranger howled with a cackle that faded into a deep laugh.

The cloaked man also taunted him as he danced small baby steps. He inched nearer, little by little, ever so closely, as if to remind the Sheikah man that there was no escape from him.

"...what's going to happen?"

"Well, I know what is going to happen for me. I have a date with a princess... and I mustn't keep her waiting! As for you...," he muttered as he turned to face the frightened man. He just shook his head.

"But...but you said...you said I'd be freed!" the Sheikah man begged.

"And freed you shall be, my good man! You just failed to specify the time or the place! That's whats wrong with people these days...they never mean to tell the specifics of what they really want!" the stranger exclaimed as he pounced closer to the Sheikah man. "Farewell, my friend...and safe travels to the next dimension!"

The cloaked figure lifted his hand toward the cowering man's face.

"Please! Don't!" the man screamed. Suddenly, a burst of light and dark magic engulfed him, disintegrating him into nothing more than a pile of ash on the ground.

As the ball of light faded, the cloaked man could be heard cackling in the forest, amused more and more at the incinerated body of the begging man.

Authors Note- Sorry for the late post. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Things will start to pick up as soon as all the pieces fall into place. Also, if you haven't already yet, please remember to leave any sort of feedback, it really helps me gauge how my readers are liking the story or not. I greatly appreciate it. So with that being said, I hope you do enjoy the story. It really makes my day to see if you are reading or not. Thank you again!

Chapter Text

Chapter 5

The Road Ahead

The morning came, and Zelda was already breaking bread and having words with Impa in the main living quarters of her home. Paya would be back home any moment from gathering ingredients to prepare for their breakfast, while Link was still soundly asleep upstairs thanks to the strong lingering effects of the Lunar Tear Potion.

"So sorry for your table, Impa," Zelda said bashfully as she reminded her of what happened the night prior with Link.

"It is quite alright. I needed a new one anyways. That other one was far too cumbersome and large for just me and Paya," the old woman replied with a grin. The two of them sat next to her new table, which was considerably smaller and noticeably not as grand in its crafting. Dorian had given it to her earlier that morning, a temporary solution until they could get a proper replacement. "Now, I won't have to shout just to have her hand me the bread basket. Shouting at table doesn't make for good conversation, either, and these old lungs of mine are tired as it is. So, I would say it was a blessing in disguise, and we'll probably keep it."

Zelda smiled to her as she reached over for a loaf of bread. She knew she was only saying that so she wouldn't feel so bad for the ruckus caused the night prior. Their knees were practically touching as they sat opposite from each other at the table. And, just as she was about to inquire when Link should be waking, Paya came barging through the front door and interrupted her train of thought.

"Phew! All ready, now. S-sorry to make you wait, princess," the Sheikah girl said as she made her way to the kitchen.

"It's no problem, Paya. Link has yet to wake, and it is still quite early," Zelda replied, stretching her arms against the table. "His rest is far more important than continuing our journey, for now. So, I will wait for as long as he needs."

"Oh…I'd say the effects of the potion should be worn off by mid-day," Impa chimed in. "He should feel much better once he wakes, so you may continue your quest. The realm cannot wait your highness."

As Impa said those words, Paya lit up the wok and cracked four cucco eggs over it. No sooner had they touched the hot steel, sizzling and popping and giving off their succulent aroma, the door upstairs swung open with a loud bang. Link was awake and ready for the day.

"You were saying, Impa? Mid-day, was it?" asked Zelda, trying to hold back her laughter by covering her mouth. "Ha Ha, it's barely nine o'clock! Never underestimate the sheer will of Link's stomach. It could break through any conjurers trick, spell or potion for that matter!"

"Good morning. Sorry to keep you all waiting," Link greeted those in the room. He smiled over to Zelda, who glanced back at him with a cute grin. She patted the pillow beside her next to the small table where they gathered, ushering him to come and have breakfast. As he lowered himself to sit next to them at the table, he sheepishly turned to look at Impa. "Don't worry, I won't break this one."

"Break as many as you like, you earned your pardon many times over for what you have done for us all...the only thing I ask of you is to not break my pottery. Not that I think you would, but please spare my pottery," Impa said as she let out a faint chuckle.

"Oh yes, Grandmother does love her pottery. Ugly things they are. I don't know why she insists on keeping them. They just take up space and are good for absolutely nothing, " Paya chimed in as she started to bring some platters of food to the table.

"They have been in our family for generations, wonderful works of hand-crafted art they are, that is why!" Impa defended herself, shaking her head at the wayward child.

"Oh yes, you're right. My mistake, grandmother, forgive me," Paya bowed her head apologetically but as she turned away from her and made her way back into the kitchen, she rolled her eyes. Zelda caught a glimpse of Paya's moment of rebelliousness as she walked away, and giggled at their family quarrel.

Turning her attention back to Zelda, Impa took in a deep breath. "Now, princess, as you both make your way to Zora's Domain, we will let you know if and when we hear word back from Greater Hyrule to the north. Any day now, Houses Draene, Illiastar, and Tarble should be answering the call of the crown. Then we can continue with our plans of clearing out the Capital, and finally restore this great kingdom."

"I hope they do answer the call," Zelda responded with a deep sigh.

"They will. They are loyal. You will see," Impa said as she smiled, squeezing Zelda's hand across the small table, as tight as an old woman could.

In just the few short minutes they were talking, Link had already cleared three plates, each with a mushroom omelet. He also managed to devour two bowls of left-over stew in that same span of time.

"Well, that was great! Thanks, Impa, " Link declared when his meal was finished, proud of himself.

"Don't thank me, Link. You should thank Paya, the chef," Impa replied, smiling and pointing over to Paya, who continued to fumble about in the kitchen, busy as a bee.

"Thanks...Paya," Link said as he turned to her. She stopped at the sound of his voice mid-step. She spun around to face the three of them, performing another reverent, over-the-top tilt of the head.

"Y-You're welcome! May I be excused?" Paya said. Her face went cherry-red as she quickly retreated to the safety of upstairs.

"I'll go prepare our horses for the journey too, princess," Link spoke to Zelda, rising and also excusing himself from the table. With a humble bow to the both of them, who were still seated, the knight proceeded out the front door.

Zelda and Impa were now alone. But before Zelda could leave to gather her belongings from upstairs, Impa stopped her with a simple question.

"You love him...don't you?" Impa queried, sternly. Her words jolted Zelda. It caught her by surprise, rendering her speechless. All she could do was stand there, lost in thought on how to respond back to the wise woman.

"I...uh...what makes you say-" Zelda began to make her excuse, but was shortly interrupted.

"It is alright if you do," Impa clarified with a grin. "We cannot control what our heart desires most, nor can we choose the ones we love. What we can choose, however, is whom we will be with. The law-"

"I know the law! I have been told it my entire life!" the princess responded bitterly, ducking her head away from Impa. "Always I have lived my life as if it was for someone else, everyone else! What about what WE want or...what I need? Am I not allowed happiness, too?"she said back to her as she lifted her hands up to her lips fighting back the quiver.

Tears also began to well up in her eyes at the confession, and she was glad to have hidden her face from Impa.

"I know dear child, and I don't want to upset you," Impa continued, her voice kind but firm. "Even so, my role as your advisor requires I guide you to become the best ruler you can be. It is forbidden for you to take a commoner as your betrothed, Zelda."

"Impa, I know you are just trying to do what is right. I'm sorry for being short tempered with you. It's just, can't I just have these few months with Link without the worry of what is to come? I don't want to ponder on it anymore. Surely, there must be a way out of it."

"Your grace, I will do all that I can to help you find a solution. I promise I won't bring up the matter again until the eve of your eighteenth birthday. In the meantime, you must be prepared for what may come, if it should come. You have a sacred duty to your kingdom."

"I know..."

And with that, Zelda slowly turned and headed up the stairs.

By the time mid-morning arrived, Link had finished preparing the horses with packs and saddles. Zelda made her way out of the house, escorted on either side by Impa and Paya. When the princess reached her horse, Link boosted her into the saddle, shortly climbing atop his own mount afterward. Instead of a prolonged farewell, the two travelers kicked their horses to trot, and waved their goodbyes as they headed toward the village entrance.

"Worry not about what we spoke of earlier, dear princess!" Impa called to Zelda, her warm smile apparent even with the growing distance. "All will be right in the end! You will see, soon enough!"

Though the princess had been glum at the thought of being forced to let go of her affection for Link by her eighteenth birthday, Impa's words always had a way of cheering her up, no matter the circumstance. Like the flickering flame of a particularly tenacious candle on a dark night, Impa's guidance seemed to light Zelda's way, no matter how lost she might feel.

The pair of travelers galloped into the canyon that led north toward Zora's Domain. As Impa and Paya watched them vanish into the distance, the wise woman chose to break the silence.

"She loves that young lad," the elder Sheikah stated bluntly, her face reflecting her thought on Zelda's last conversation with her.

"You think so?" replied Paya, who hunched to better hear her grandmother's words. "Are you certain? I had my suspicions, but..."

"Yes, child...The princess may deny it with her words, but her face can tell no lies," Impa stated, turning to face her granddaughter. "I could not bring myself to tell her the truth. I had every intention of doing so...but then I thought better of it."

Impa's eyes had grown downcast at the statement, and the old woman looked solemnly at the ground in contemplation.

"Why, grandmother? What truth do you mean?" Paya asked, her eyes wide in worried anticipation.

"He has the sickness…," Impa replied bold and solemnly.

Paya's voice shook with gut-wrenching fear at the answer. "No...No, it can't be! Are you certain?"

"There is no doubt. He has the fever that our scouts tell us has been reported across the countryside, of late...Malice Fever. In truth, we should not be surprised by such a thing. He was exposed to extremely high levels of Ganon's dark magic and influence, more so than anyone. The princess must have been spared this horrible fate because she was shielded by her sealing power. Link had no such protection during his battle against the Calamity-"

"But you said it was just him having night terrors! That business with the Lunar Tear Potion...helping one to sleep...that was just a lie?!" Paya accused, her tone getting angrier with every word.

"Yes, Link is still remembering his past, that part of it is no lie...but the true purpose of Lunar Tear Potion isn't for restless nights. It is the only substance we know of that can stave off the deadly effects of the fever, though only temporarily. But Link has the last vial, and its ingredients are extremely rare. Who knows if we could procure another vial in time...but I couldn't simply tell the princess the potion's true purpose. It would break her heart to know the tru-"

"If you do not intend to tell them, I shall!" Paya interrupted, face hot with self-righteous anger. "They deserve to know the truth! Link deserves to know!"

The girl seemed ready to bolt away and fetch her own horse to chase after them. Impa gripped her shirt firmly before she could, the sheer strength of the hold belying the woman's advanced age.

"You will do no such thing!" Impa commanded, her voice firm and powerful.

"But I care for Link! I-" Paya said but was quickly interrupted.

"As do I! We all do, child! But you must understand that the kingdom is more important than all of us...even Link," Impa own voice began to shake with sadness at the admittance. "If the princess had known the truth today, she would never have left Kakariko. She'd have stayed by Link's bedside while his health decayed, day and night until his very last breath, in hopes of him healing. She'd have shirked all duties and responsibilities to the realm in its most dire hour."

"H-how, how can you say that!? How can you be so cold, grandmother?! Were it not for Master Link, there wouldn't even be a kingdom!"

"I say hush, naive child! You think I do not know that?! Regardless of our feelings, the realm is too important! Link would understand, he would want to do what is right for her and the people...even if it means paying the ultimate price, and laying down his life. If the princess learns of this, all that he has fought so hard for, everything he and his companions sacrificed up until now would have been in vain, if she were to lose the kingdom now."

"...how long? How long...does he have?" Paya pleaded with Impa.

"From what the best physicians say, several months, maybe a year if he is lucky…but Link is strong, no doubt blessed by the goddesses. If anyone could survive this horrible illness, it is him."

Impa looked toward the sky, questioning her own judgment as her thoughts raced. Eventually, she turned to face her granddaughter again and continued. "When the potion runs out, the truth will reveal itself to the princess soon enough. Why ruin any sort of hope they have being together now?"

"When the truth does come out, she will not forgive you for keeping this a secret from her...I won't forgive you, for that matter!" Paya declared harshly, stomping on the ground once to emphasize her protest. "You will lose her, if you go through with this..."

"Then, that is a sacrifice I am willing to make, if it means securing her reign and the peace and stability of this kingdom! I am duty-bound to follow the princess in all things. If she were to know of this now, I would be forced to help her in making all the wrong decisions. That is why I must remain silent on the matter, for the time being."

"Grandmother...this is the wrong decision. No good can come of such secrets..."

"I know you care for the boy as well, child. I know of the feelings you hide in your heart. You're not so talented in the ways of secrecy as you may think. Besides, I have already sent word to my sister and Robbie for their help in this matter. If anyone can help to develop a permanent cure for this illness, it's them. Perhaps, science may succeed where the apothecary's potions and treatments failed. Until then, you will say nothing. While I yet live and breathe, I am chief of this tribe, and you will obey me. When I finally pass into the realm of our forefathers for my eternal rest, then and only then will you oversee this tribe."

Her final decree on the matter spoken, Impa turned and walked away, leaving Paya to stand outside, alone and confused.

After making it out of the back of the canyon and over to the other side of the mountain, the princess and her knight dismounted their horses to take a short break. The horses set about grazing on the meadow grass, while Link and Zelda took the time to talk and cool off with a drink. They relaxed from a spot on a plateau overlooking the inner part of the kingdom, and could even see the capital and castle from where they stood. It was a magnificent view. Though it was a warm day, a pleasant breeze blew, carrying with it the sweet scent of freshly blooming flowers. Hyrule was indeed healing, slowly but surely, and Zelda saw that as a sign of good fortune.

The princess approached the ledge of the cliff that overlooked the heart of the kingdom, standing next to Link as she withdrew the Sheikah Slate and looked over it curiously.

"Well, at least the map still functions well enough...we won't be getting lost anytime soon, haha," she said smiling toward Link. "We'll make our way to Zora's Domain. It looks like...Divine Beast Vah Ruta stopped working? Let's investigate the situation..."

As Zelda lowered the Slate to her waist, her face became solemn. "Mipha's Father...I believe he would like to hear more about her. The least we can do is to visit him and offer him some closure..."

She paused for a moment, lost in thought about her longtime friend, and of the sacrifices that the Mipha had made. She believed in her heart that they were not in vain, and that they would honor her memory well. As the thought of that filled her mind, something else stirred inside of her, a feeling of peace in her soul for the Zora princess. As it filled her, she stood taller and lifted her head high, hopeful for the new day.

"Ganon may be gone for now, but there is still so much more for us to do…and so many painful memories that we must bear. I believe in my heart that if all of us work together, we can restore Hyrule to its former glory...perhaps even beyond. But it must all start with us. Let us be off."

The princess turned then, pushing past her knight to return to the horses. She stopped mid-way to them, as if something compelled her to do so.

"I can no longer hear the voice inside the sword...and I suspect it may mean that my power has dwindled over the past one hundred years," Zelda spoke slowly, facing her knight. His eyes were fixed on hers, and as she looked at him, she swelled with a warm feeling of peace and serenity. Looking at him, standing strong as ever before her, she knew in her heart that all would be right in the end, just as Impa had said. She gave Link her warmest smile, the type a briight-eyes child might give upon their birthday. "I'm surprised to admit it...but I can accept that."

Link, too, was filled with hope, and he followed her toward the two stallions. There, they mounted up and continued their quest down the mountain trail lead to the main road and, eventually, to the great city of the Zora people.

After traveling many miles along mountain roads and hillsides, the princess and her knight entered the territory of Zora's Domain. Hylian roads gave way to ancient Zora architecture. The craftsmanship was different and of pristine quality, for the Zora were skilled in the art of carving Luminous Stone, which they used to fashion most of their structures. Masters of archways they were. The stone also had a natural glow to it, which illuminated their bridges that spanned across the rivers, both large and small, that flowed from the mouth of the Domain. Because of the power of these magical stones, they could be reliably viewed from far distances at night.

The sound of rushing currents of water could be heard in between the clip-clop of their horses' hooves against the hard-carved stone. A faint, cool mist surrounded them as they made their way toward the Domain. Link, taking notice of his princess' cheerful disposition because of the laughter they had enjoyed along the road thus far, decided to strike up a more serious conversation with her as they made their crossing into the territory of the Zora. They would be at the great city in no time.

"So, I was wondering about what Impa said earlier...who are these three greater noble houses?" Link asked as he trotted alongside her on the bridge.

Caught off guard by the question, Zelda waited a moment to think about what she should say to him. She pulled the reins of her horse closer to her chest, slowing him to a trot so that she would be able to better concentrate on her thoughts.

Does he really not remember the three Great Houses of Hyrule? she thought, considering the implications carefully. What other things has he not remembered from one hundred years ago? It seems I will need to find out the scope of his lost memories. But...didn't he say he remembered our times together? Perhaps it's only the trivial memories he cannot recall? Does that mean I'm of importance to him?

The princess smiled at the thought of her being of high importance in his mind.

"Oh, you don't recall them? Let's see… maybe I can jog your memory. As I said before, the old histories were never my favorite subject. Nevertheless, I am Royal daughter and I know this much about the lines of nobility of the Kingdom," she spoke as she turned her head toward him. Prepared to give a long diatribe, so she took in a deep breath.

"Actually, there were once six Great Houses that watched over the Realm of Hyrule, one for each of the Maidens of Legend, who served the Royal Family since a time long forgotten to myth. Seven houses in total, if you count my own Royal House of Hyrule, which reigns over them all. For their invaluable service to the crown, their family lines were granted titles and territories to govern. Three of the houses no longer exist, their family lines and histories all lost when the original Calamity ravaged this land. It was a terror from a time long before even the Calamity of ten thousand years ago.

"The Kingdom would have been lost entirely if it weren't for the brave sacrifices of the Hero and of his men, the Holy Order of KNIGHTS, who were once the sworn guardians of the Sacred Realm and the Royal Family. They alone were able to beat back the original Calamity. Valiantly alongside the Queen of that age, they sealed away Ganon, though it cost them their lives and an end to their sacred KNIGHTS bloodline. I must admit, most of this is legend, and I cannot be sure if there is any real history in it. I have forgotten all the important names, including those of the lost Great Houses. As for the three actual Houses that do remain...

"House Tarble rules over the Marshlands and guards the inland 'sea' to the northwest, which is really more of large lake. They are mighty ship builders, and they keep watch at the Lakeland Fortress.

"Then there is House Illiastar, richest of the three. They rule over the land of Bountiful, for their soil is rich and they have never seen a bad harvest. Known also for their skill in the mastery of horses, they keep watch at the Crystal Citadel.

"Lastly, there is House Draene, rulers of the Stonelands and the largest of the three. They are the most loyal to the Royal House of Hyrule, and are renowned as masters of hand-to-hand single combat. They sit upon the Serpent's Keep, formerly known as the Turtle Rock."

Her speech ended, the princess smirk happily at her knight from atop her horse. She felt proud of how easily she recalled her lessons of heritage from one hundred years ago.

"Well, that's sure a lot of highborn to remember. I'll just make sure to bow if fancy-dressed folk come my way from any of those distant lands. Just to keep things simple," Link said with a smirk towards Zelda.

"Indeed!" giggled back Zelda.

Suddenly, as Link and Zelda made their way around the last bridge cross into the Domain, a familiar face appeared up above them from a ledge.

"Ho, there! Welcome, friends!" the Zora man waved to them. And, in a stunning display of acrobatics, he leapt high into the air, spinning down at them through the sky. He landed just in front of the pair of surprised travelers as if it were an eloquent dance. It was none other than Sidon himself, Prince of the Zora.

"We were wondering just how long it would be until we would see the 'Great Link' come again and visit our waters! And I see you have brought a guest with you. Could that be...?" he asked, squinting at to Zelda for a better look. "It is! Link, you dog, you did it! You saved her royal highness from the monstrous Ganon after all! I knew you could do it! Never doubted you for a second, my friend! Where are the naysayers now huh?!"

The Zora ribbed Link jovially, throwing him a wink and a shrug of his elbow.

"Ha ha, oh my, and what a tall and handsome prince you have grown up to be Sidon! Mipha would be so proud of the man you have become," Zelda said, cheerfully smiling at him even as her horse attempted to pull away after his leaping stunt.

Sidon moved in closer to the pair, swinging out his hands and and flexing his arms in grandiose fashion. He grinned widely at Zelda, his sharklike teeth on full display. "Ha ha, yes indeed! I should think that Link, too, has managed to become quite the handsome knight, dear princess!"

"Indeed," Zelda giggled again, looking over to Link, who just fidgeted nervously from atop his horse at their compliments.

"And you, my fair princess, have grown even more beautiful than my memories can recall!" Sidon proclaimed with a reverent bow of respect.

"Ha ha, you were just a small tadpole then! I think may perhaps your memory fails you, for you honor me too much," Zelda replied with a bashful yet pleased smile that lit up her face.

"Come, come, the both of you! You are most welcome here in the Domain! My father will be well-pleased to see your safe return to us once again, Princess of Hyrule!" Sidon said, ushering them to follow him up stone walkway leading to the entrance of the great Zora city. "Both of you shall be our honored guests for as long you desire to stay with us!"

"Regrettably, we cannot remain long. We still need to visit the Gorons, Rito and Gerudo before the help we so desperately need arrives from Greater Hyrule. But, with that being said, Divine Beast Vah Ruta has gone dark on the slate, and we would like to investigate that matter before we leave."

"I see. Well, regardless, please feel free to stay with us as long as your quest permits! And any help with the Divine beast, you may need, I will assist you of course…It's not too far off now. Follow me!"

With that, he led them up the grand bridge and into the heart of Zora's Domain.

After following alongside Sidon, Link and Zelda were eventually greeted by the curious faces of the Zora who watched the two Hylians come into their view from afar. A hush fell over the city as they made their way up the walkways and past the grand terraces and fountains. Adult stopped in partway through their work, and children halted mid-play to gaze upon the mysterious visitors being welcomed into their home. Silence followed by mumbled voices could be heard as the princess and her knight continued their march alongside Sidon into the great Hall of Kings.

"Don't worry, they're just curious. We haven't had too many Hylian visitors since the Calamity, and I'm sure they all have heard plenty of stories about the Hylian Hero and the fair Princess of Hyrule," Sidon remarked to them both with another shark-toothed grin.

"Halt! You two! I'm afraid your horses will have to wait here. The great hall is no place for stallions," one of the sentries spoke toward the pair of travelers following behind his prince. His face was as serious as Sidon's was playful.

"Haha, very good, Yoru!" Sidon shouted, clapping. "You almost had me convinced there! Almost."

Sidon gave an exaggerated wink toward the sentry, who stood very nearly as tall as the prince, though clearly younger and leaner. "You'll make a fine guard one day! I just know it!"

Sidon then spun back around to face Link and Zelda. "He is right, though. The great hall is no place for horses. But don't worry! This young lad will take fine care of your beasts for you, won't you, Yoru?"

"Y-Yes, my prince. Of course," the sentry nervously replied as Sidon glanced toward him.

"But next time, Yoru, learn who visitors to the Domain are before you shout them down. You never know if a princess might come your way. And it's never a good idea to shout down a princess. You never know what she might be capable of doing to you. Fair enough?"

At Sidon's raised fishy eyebrow, Yoru slid past his prince to get a better view of Zelda, who dismounted her horse. Instantly, his face filled with distress at the realization of what he'd done. As he dropped his spear, he gulped audibly, falling to his knees in prostration. "Forgive me! I had no idea!"

"Sidon! You're frightening the poor boy!" Zelda scolded the Zora prince. She smiled kindly as she walked over to the young Zora sentry, signaling with her hands for him to stand. "Don't worry about him, I think you already are a great guardsman," She said with a wink, cuffing her hands to speak directly to the young Zora man.

"Ha ha, just a bit fun! Relax, Yoru, you're fine. Should have seen your face though…you're too serious all the time!" Sidon laughed. Link remained quiet as ever throughout the exchange, unloading his gear from the horses before he and Zelda were to be granted their audience by King Dorephan.

"Well, this is it…You both ready?" Sidon asked, looking over his shoulder toward Link and Zelda at the bottom of the staircase. Link turned to Zelda, offering her an encouraging, sweet smile. She held her head high, and took in a deep breath, facing Sidon, who prepared to lead them into the grand hall.

"Ready," she said, her face lit up like a beacon of hope.

"Alright, then! Together, let's fix the kingdom, shall we?" Sidon proclaimed as he ushered then past the stairs to greet the King.

Authors Note- Sorry for the smaller chapter. I felt this was a good pause for what is to come next. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Also, if you haven't already yet, please remember to leave any sort of feedback, it really helps me gauge how my readers are liking the story or not. I greatly appreciate it. So with that being said, I hope you do enjoy the story. It really makes my day to see if you are reading or not. Thank you again!

Chapter Text

Chapter 6

Salutations

Each step they took up the cold luminous stone staircase seemed to have echoed throughout the entire grand hall. It seemed like an eternity before they would reach the top court of the king. Nervous feelings swirled and intensified in Zelda's stomach after each step she took, this would be her first grand appointment in over one hundred years. I have to make it count, she thought to herself. As she glanced towards Link, she saw that he too was unusually anxious as well. In his mind, he was never well suited for grandiose meetings with royalty. The thought of him having to speak, made his mouth go dry and forehead bead several small tears of sweat. But there was no turning back now, Link and Zelda alongside the Zora prince had finally made their way to the audience of the King.

"Bless my fins, do my eyes deceive me? Could that possibly be? " the large and towering Zora King said as his strong voiced vibrated throughout the entire hall. He then beveled over to get a closer look at the beautiful golden-haired princess who stood before him.

"It is father...Princess of Hyrule, safe at last...Zelda," Sidon said back as he waved his hands before the King, pointing towards the young hylian princess.

The King smiled. "It is with great joy and relief that fills my heart to see of your safe return from the clutches of the Calamity which has ravaged this land for so long. For one hundred years we have hoped for your safe return to us and for peace to be restored to our great land...and it would have seemed the Gods have finally answered our prayers...but, you haven't aged a day? You look the same from when I last saw you, as if it were only yesterday?" King Dorephan said to her, curiously lifting an eyebrow in wonder.

The hylian princess then lifted her chin up towards the king. "Yes, it is I who stands before you now, I am no illusion and your eyes do not deceive you dear King," Zelda said as she stepped forward, with a hand pressed against her chest, she addressed the king and his court. She then smiled, looking to everyone who was present. "My life has been spared and by the power of the goddesses themselves, I was preserved dormant for one hundred years, locked away in another realm, a realm where time does not pass or flow freely as our own. There I had to stay, using all the power my heart, mind and soul could muster to contain the Calamity, until the time came for Link to fulfill destiny," she continued.

"Indeed, and it would seem destiny has been fulfilled I'd say. For Calamity Ganon is no more. Smitten at long last," the King added. He then sat back on his throne and lifted a cheerful smirk.

A voice from the side then cut through. "How utterly convenient that Hyrule's Princess has been safely returned whereas ours has perished," Muzu interrupted bitterly as he stood leering at Link and Zelda.

"Muzu!" Sidon stepped forward in protest of his words, embarrassed on behalf of him.

"Well it is true isn't it!?" Muzu added not relinquishing or backing down from his words of condemnation.

"Muzu, I forbid you to speak ill to the princess that way again, and that goes without saying, Mipha knew what was asked of her and of the sacrifices she would have to make. She would not want you spend all your time moping around, mourning her and holding grudges for what she freely gave of her own free will. There is no greater honor that I could have had asked for, then having been blessed with a daughter such as Mipha," the King said firmly.

"Hmph! Well then, it seems I'm no longer needed or wanted here. May I take my leave from your presence my liege, at least until these outsiders are no longer among us," Muzu complained taking a few steps back bowing his head in surrender to the King's words. The king nodded in approval for him to leave the meeting. Muzu then did an about face and marched out of the grand hall with a huff, grumbling under his breath as he stormed off.

"Do forgive his outburst dear Princess of Hyrule, he misses Mipha dearly, and seeing you there safely returned without so much a loss of a hair on your head, fills him with bitterness and contempt," The King said turning his head back to face Zelda.

"It is quite alright, he has a right to be upset. You all do...and I take full responsibility for what all has happened, and that includes..." Zelda's faced turned to the side and her eyebrows bent, her face was instantly filled with sorrow. She stood a moment longer and reminisced her long-lost friend, who she dearly missed. She then shook off the trembles in her voice and continued. "...The loss of Princess Mipha...I know dear king there is nothing in this world that I can offer you that can replace and fill the hole in your heart, that has been torn open from the loss of your only loving daughter, but if there is anything I can give you, that is within my power to give, thou shalt only ask of me and you shall receive," Zelda said as she held her head low in sincere condolences to the King.

"Don't trouble yourself over it little princess, Mipha was my heart and nothing can replace her. However, I hold no blame to either of you. I know she did what she had to do. She loved this Kingdom of ours dearly and she would have done what she did all over again, if she had to choose again, I just know she would," The King smiled back at Zelda and Link. "And with that, I thank you for your kind words, Princess of Hyrule, it warms my heart to know of the love you genuinely have for my daughter. But my Mipha would want us to focus on the hope of a future...not dwell on sorrows of the past, we have a lot of work still to do. Defeating Ganon spared us all a cruel fate and we have you two to thank for that," the king smiled again.

"Yes, dear King, I'm afraid there is still much more work for all of us to do, to rebuild this beautiful Kingdom of ours. Since almost time immemorial have our two great peoples have ever been friends and allies," Zelda said as she stepped forward with her head held high, facing the king.

"Yes, we can never forget the eternal bonds we have forged together since the Zola war of wrath, and how the Hylian people came to our aid, in our most dire hour…now it is our turn to return the favor to you, together as one we shall rebuild this Kingdom of Hyrule,"

Link's face had a sudden puzzled stare come across it. "Zola…war of Wrath?" Link questioned under his breath, forgetting he spoke aloud.

"Oh yes, you never heard of its grand tale? It was a great and terrible war," The King said as his enormous whale like body leaned over and faced Link. Link stood confused on how he was even heard when he was certain he spoke softly. Unaware that Zora being of marine origin, have an excellent sense of hearing, even of the faintest whisper.

Zelda then turned to face Link who was standing as firm as a sentinel, at full attention at the King's words. She smiled, slightly giggling to herself on how over the top reverent Link was behaving. "At ease Link…no need to be a statue, it was you after all who did defeat Calamity Ganon," she winked at him.

"Indeed so! At ease lad!" The king said as he let out a roaring full belly laugh.

Link relaxed his posture and cleared his throat, so he could be well heard this time. Link wasn't well suited for long winded speeches or grand appointments, but he forced out his words anyways. "I don't think that I have…heard the legend of that war that is, in either lifetime for that matter," Link said looking to everyone gathered in the room as he made a few slow steps forward.

"Oh, it is no mere legend, tis true history! Our very existence here in this Domain was carved from its very tale," the king replied.

"Yes, the Zola war was what cemented the bond between Hylians and Zora, if I remember correctly," Zelda added as she slowly paced about in the room with her hand cuffed to her chin. "That, and the great Rutala dam which has given them a permanent home here in the Domain…It would seem we have a long history of helping one another," Zelda smiled joyfully towards the king.

"Indeed so dear princess, you know you're history well. Us Zora are willing to answer the call of the crown of Hyrule in whatever way we can, now and for always," The King reassured. "But, you wanted to know more about the Great war between the Zola and us Zora? Correct?" he said turning again to Link.

Link just stood there, not sure if he should have nodded yes or no.

"Well long ago, before my people settled these waters, we were much farther north. We were once nestled in the heart of the great Inland 'sea', where the Hylian House of Tarble now watches over. Great friends are they to us Zora. They along with the royal House of Hyrule came to our aid when we thought the end of our people was almost certain. It was the Lizalfos King and the Zola tribes that invaded our lands," The king said but was interrupted unintentionally.

"Zola?" Link questioned, confused by the term.

"Yes, a twisted form of life they are, once Zora who were seduced by Ganon's dark magic, their lust for power slowly turned them into his slaves. Accursed and ruined they became as they regressed back into their savage nature, forgetting who they once were. Because of Ganon's growing influence of the land at the time, even before the war, our waters slowly became poisoned and polluted. Something these new mutilated forms of life needed to thrive. Many of us good Zora who resisted the ill magic of Ganon were getting sick and were dying. Our once thriving lake that fed the marshlands soon became a misery mire. Even though Ganon was already defeated for some time prior to the actual war that took place, the effects of his magic lingered on and were lasting on the corrupted Zora for many generations. Changing their very existence into something new entirely. The Zola they became," the king said taking in a deep breath, about to continue when his son chimed in.

"Yes, foul savage beast they are, the Zola, it sickens me to no end that I share kindred blood with their kind," Sidon said as he made a face of pure disgust at the thought of it.

The King then leaned forward and continued his story. "Yes, for many, many years they sought after our lands and we were able to beat them back on our own. Until one day, after forging an alliance with the Lizalfos King, another former servant of Ganon, a tide for the worst became of us. With our homeland water still sick, us Zora were suffering and couldn't afford to wage any more open war, especially against the superior might of the Lizalfos at the time. For their king was a brilliant general and war tactician. Ours was not. And after many failed battles against the Zola and their new-found allies, we thought all hope was lost for us, we were on the verge of abandoning our home and were on the brink of extinction.

"It was then at our final moment, when House Tarble under the orders from Hyrule came to our aide. At the time they were just south of our old Domain, where the marshlands met the mainland. Because of their overwhelming numbers and ships they had, which they used to lay cannon siege upon our enemies, the tide of the war changed. We were saved," the king said

Upon hearing the kings words , Zelda took a step forward. "Speaking of House Tarble, Impa of Kakariko had sent word on behalf of me, to them," Zelda said to the King

"Oh is that right? I was wondering on what your plans were on how to go about reviving the kingdom to what it once was, little princess. Tell me now, what are your plans?" the king said with a lifted brow towards her.

"Well, we actually sent word to all three of the noble hylian houses of Greater Hyrule. We are hoping once it reaches their ears of Calamity Ganon's demise, they will answer the call and send the help that we so desperately need her, "Zelda said with her hands spread out as she was justifying the details to the king.

"Hmm, well, House Tarble are good friends of us Zora, always have been. We even gave them our old homeland in gratitude for what they have done for our people, without them, we wouldn't have survived," the king added.

"Yes, and they have done a great job watching over those lands and even managed to restore the health of the waters there, at least, that's what I remember from one hundred years ago," Zelda said as she smiled rubbing her arm in contemplation.

"Your memory serves you well dear princess of Hyrule, but even so, a lot has changed since one hundred years ago. For example, you may recall that old Lord Allister Tarble was liege lord of the Marshlands when you were last here, but he has long since passed into the afterlife. His Grandson, Talin Tarble is now Lord of the Lakehouse Fortress. A good man from what I know about him, a bit round at the waist like me, but strong and fierce like his grandfather, " The Zora king said.

"Oh yes, it will certainly take some getting used to, to the missing time that is…us hylians don't normally linger on to one hundred years like you Zora who have been blessed with long life," Zelda said again gracing the king with another warm smile.

Zelda then looked to both Sidon and Link who were still present, both just listening to the two royals make their exchanges. "Even though we won't be staying long in the Domain, we still have a lot of ground to cover me and Link. We still must visit the other loyal clans in the inner kingdom, but even still, I wanted us to go investigate Divine Beast Vah Ruta tomorrow at first light. Earlier today it went dark on the Sheikah Slate. Most peculiar because the others still are shown to be at their locations," Zelda said with an inquisitive tone in her voice, confused as to why it went black on the slate.

"Well, last reports from my men tell me, is that Ruta, is still in its same location undisturbed," the king replied.

Sidon chimed. "That is true father, at last reports, it seemed to be just fine. I even have two of my best men watching over it as we speak. It is most peculiar indeed what may have caused this disturbance on the Slate. In any case, we will go search it out tomorrow and solve this mystery."

"Now that you mentioned it…Dear princess, I think I may in fact have something to ask of you after all, if it be no trouble to you that is," The King said smiling towards Sidon and Zelda this time.

"Yes? Anything at all. Whatever your heart's desire is," Zelda said tilting her head to side, eager for his response.

The king then stood taller and stuck out his chest as he took in a long, deep breath. "Sidon…my son…stand before me," the King commanded in a louder voice as he looked over to him.

Zelda and Link were taken aback at the king's sudden change of demeanor, he was more serious and authoritative in his tone. Zelda stepped back away from the king to make way for Sidon, who then took her place directly in front of him. Other Zora were also gathered in the Hall of kings, witnessing from the side court. Patiently she waited alongside Link to hear what the king had to say next.

"Sidon my son, you have grown up to be a great leader, for you have learned all the ways of our people and have become a symbol of hope for them as well. But, the time has come for you grow even further, to become who you were born to be, the king you were meant to be. For too long have you treaded in the safety of our calm waters, when the whole world still awaited you. It is now time for you to leave your home and venture to new seas. For a king must be strong in all things and not just in the place of his birth. And I can think of no greater teacher for you to learn from, than Link. For he has done what was once thought impossible and slain the greatest Calamity of our age. A great warrior he has become, perhaps even the greatest of all," The king said. He then faced more towards Zelda. " And it would be a great honor to have my Son serve under him dear Princess of Hyrule, if thou whilst allow it? Until he has learned all that Link has to offer, only then will he be ready to take my place as ruler of the Zora people," the King announced, asking Zelda his most desired wish of her.

"It shall be done as you say," Zelda said with another smile and a bow of the head.

Sidon bent his head to his father in a show of respect and then did a quick spin around, still in shock of his father's decree but well pleased. He suddenly knelt to the hard-stone floor in the audience of everyone, while facing Link and Zelda directly. There he was about to declare an oath of fealty to the both of them as he took his knee. He then reached for two sheathed ceremonial zora crafted blades that he had strapped to his side belt and swung them out in a crossed grandiose fashion stabbing them towards the ground as he knelt.

"And here is my pledge to you, my oath of affirmation, that I Sidon, son of Dorephan, by our gods and your gods solemnly vow to give my life in your service if thou wilt have me. For I shall shield your back and sword down your enemies until you release me or til death takes me. So as it is promised, so shall it be done," Sidon said head bowed to both Link and Zelda, waiting to hear their response before he lifted it back up.

Upon noticing Link's wonder-struck blank stare and apparent muted voice, Zelda decided to answer on behalf of him. "We accept your oath Prince Sidon…" she said motioning him to rise up. She then lifted a cute smirk towards Link softening up the seriousness. "Well it appears now 'Sir-Link' you found yourself a squire! And a magnificent one at that," she said giggling a bit at the notion of the monstrously tall Sidon squiring under Link. They would make a great fighting pair she thought.

"Indeed so, but now my son you will need two actual swords, for the ceremonial ones won't be much use to you out on your quest," the King added giving a roaring full belly laugh that echoed throughout the entire hall.

"Ha! And just because I'm your squire now Link, don't be thinking I'm an amateur. I'm the best swordsman and wielder of the trident in all of the Domain!" Sidon said as he flexed his arm again in a grand pose.

"I bet you are!" Zelda added with a chuckle.

"Hmm, we will see." Link quietly replied with a half grin, mildly amused.

The king then sprung up and interjected."Now that, that is out of the way, I am sure you two are both tired from your long journey and possibly hungry as well…Normally us Zora sleep communally, but I know you hylians are unaccustomed to that practice, so we will prepare a secluded residence for your stay here, one preferably that is dry and to your liking," the King said again letting out a chuckle.

"Thank you dear king, yes you are right, it is late and tomorrow we have a big day ahead of us with Ruta," Zelda added. She then turned to Link as two Zora attendants entered the hall and were at the ready to escort them out of the Kings chamber to their quarters. "We bid you thanks for your warm welcome, and good evening," She said smiling as her and Link marched, away from his presence.

As Zelda and link made their way to their part of the Domain, it was a beautiful room that which was prepared for their arrival. An oval shaped overwatch that stretched out over the still clear waters of the domain, away from the heart of the great Zora city. The room had comfortable seating as well as two hylian style beds positioned where a classic Zora pool for where they would normally sleep was drained. As she and Link were still unloading their belongings and were preparing for their night's stay all the while waiting for their evening meal to arrive, link struck up a conversation with her.

"I thought you said you didn't know the old histories? It seems to me you know them quite well. More than most actually. All that business with the Lizalfos king and Zola you were mentioning with the king," Link said while he cracked a cool smile.

She stopped with her hand still firmly placed in her bag and lifted her head in a witty response to him. He was just behind her next to his bed.

"Well just because I'm not a professor of the old histories, doesn't mean I have the education of a mere back alley ruffian," Zelda replied back with a huff.

"Oh, so that's what I am now... a back alley ruffian?" Link asked sarcastically.

"No, that's not at all what I meant, I would never call you a-Oh oof! Your'e terrible," she complained at his jokes.

"I'm terrible? you're the one that said it, not me," he added back fast.

"Oh, c'mon Link, you know I would never call you that! Honestly," she said, seemingly begging his forgiveness.

"Alright, just this once I suppose I'll let you off the hook, I mean I sort of have to, you are a princess after all," he said as he smiled flirtatiously.

"Well I guess that makes us even then, I'll forgive you for not telling me about your night terrors, and you'll forgive me for insinuating that you are a back alley ruffian. Do we have a deal," Zelda stared back with a playful pout on her face.

"Now that you mentioned it, I kind of like being a back alley ruffian.," Link confessed with a joyful smile.

She gasped at his admission. But before she could continue the tit for tat conversation, she was taken aback by the surprisingly gorgeous view of their terrace quarters. The full moon light sparkled upon the crystal clear waters, and its reflection made the ceiling of the room and walls shimmer bright with color as it illuminated the fine stonework of the Zora. Zelda was breathless by the sheer beauty of where they were staying, they were alone at last her and Link.

She took this moment to stop what she was doing and walked out towards the elegant railing of their room that peered just above the waters edge. There she stood beneath the moonlight facing the calm lake. The wind carried a cool but pleasing mist that gently waved her golden hair against the side of her face.

"Such a beautiful place, Zora's Domain," She said letting out a faint breath of wonder gazing upon the magnificence of the Domain during a peaceful evening.

After hearing her words, Link's ears twitched and he made his way towards her. He was previously unloading gear that they both had, but figured it could wait til after. Spending time with Zelda was more important to him now.

"It is…much like our spring wouldn't you say?" Link said surprising her. He had a smile, warm as a new campfire.

Zelda's heart danced in her chest at his words, she was filled with joy that Link in fact did truly remember the times they spent together from one hundred years ago. With her hands still stretched out and placed on the railing, out and alone against the chill wind, Link took in a deep breath as he swallowed the doubts he had pitted in his stomach from before and made his way closer to her. It was now or never he felt.

Without so much as a whisper, he cozily fixed one hand over hers as she stood there still soaking in all the beauty and wonder of the place they were at. Zelda looked down at his gesture, feeling the warmth of his hand glide over, his fingers slowly intertwined in hers, she knew her Knight truly did remember her. Her heart swelled and her whole body resonated with waves of excitement and euphoria as to what would happen next. She was starved for his affection, even if it was just a little. A glimmer of hope resounded in her, as she thought more of the idea that he truly was her Link from a century ago. But as soon as she turned to face him, and got closer, enough for her to finally bare herself to him as she always wanted, a trumpet horn rang aloud off in the distance.

As both of their gazes were trapped, locked and lost staring into each other's eyes, just inches apart. The loud and distracting horn jolted them both away.

"That's...that's Urbosa's horn?" Zelda questioned aloud. Link also turned at the sound of it, confused as to why it was sounding throughout the Domain of the Zora of all places.

"Yeah, what's it doing here in the Domain?" He asked.

"It could only mean one thing, the Gerudo are here," she confirmed. As she swung herself out from his close proximity like an over eager child, she felt the need to quickly turn herself back into him. "C'mon let's go investigate the situation." She said smiling. Link just nodded his head in approval and motioned her to lead the way back to where the heart of the city was, where the horns were sounding.

As they were making their way through the intertwined bridges that made up the domain, from their higher vantage point they could oversee the main entrance that led up into the Domain. Zelda stopped mid jog to lean over the rail to catch a better glance at the scene unfolding below.

"Oh look, it is the Gerudo, and they are accompanied by several Rito and Gorons as well?" she pointed looking back over her shoulder to Link. "C'mon lets go greet these guests into the Domain shall we?" she said joyfully.

Sidon also left his chambers which was nearby theirs, he too heard the trumpets sound and went to greet the commotion that was brewing by the main archway into the Domain.

"Well hello there! Welcome!" Sidon shouted to the entourage of different tribes entering his city. It appeared to be mostly a small company of Gerudo, only fifteen of them, accompanied by just two Rito and two Gorons.

Link and Zelda caught up to Sidon and stood alongside him awaiting the formal arrival of their surprised guests.

"Well now, sorry to disturb your rest dear princess. If we would have known more guests would be visiting us here in the Domain, we would have prepared better for it," Sidon said looking downs towards the princess who stood just to the side of him on the bridge. His eyes were apologetic looking down towards her.

"It is quite all right, the more the merrier." She smiled back up to him.

"I think they are here for you," Sidon replied. "Oof, here they are..."

The Gerudo led in an organized single file, marching into the city they fanned out in strategic military fashion. Out from the middle of their ranks came their chief Riju who was being led by her main attendant and personal guard Buliara. The two of them came on horses and dismounted quickly.

"Welcome to the Domain friends, your presence here is most welcomed and appreciated by us and the Princess of Hyrule," Sidon declared to his new guests as they made their way closer to him, Zelda and Link.

"Greetings and apologies for our late hour interruption, but we came as soon as we have heard of the destruction of the Calamity," Riju explained as she stopped mid step following after her attendant who now stood at the side of her. "We were told by Impa whom we met at Kakariko, that she would be in your company prince of Zora, so we made quick haste over to meet her," she continued telling Sidon.

After looking around for a moment she quickly caught glimpse of the princess who stood behind the Zora Prince. The same princess from all the stories she heard so much about while growing up.

"And you must be the Princess of Hyrule, returned to us at long last... my oh my, I have heard many grand tales of your beauty, and I must admit, that for once, all the rumors and stories are true. On behalf of all the Gerudo people, we are well pleased to see of your safe return to us. Please accept this gift as our sign of our unwavering loyalty to you, Princess of Hyrule," she said to Zelda who stood before her. Riju then performed a complete, solemn bow to the hard stone floor of the Domain. Following after her, all the Gerudo in attendance also bowed, as well as the two gorons and rito.

"Thank you, your words are very kind," Zelda replied humbly.

Upon rising from the floor she signaled one of her lieutenants to offer up a gift to Zelda. It was a chest full of riches and spoils of the desert. "Surely this will come in handy for those who are poor and should also help in rebuilding the capital," Riju smiled. "Its not much, but we also offer our strength to you as well. When the time comes to clear out the filth that has nested in the great city."

"Indeed so it will, I on behalf of Hyrule thank you greatly for your generosity in our hour of need, it shall not be forgotten...Umm...forgive me though, what is your name again? " Zelda asked bashfully.

"Oh my, where are my manners, here I am going on and on and I haven't even properly introduced myself, I am Riju...Chief of the Gerudo. And this is my right hand, Buliara," Riju confirmed, pointing towards the battle hardened Gerudo woman, who stood fierce and firm.

Taking notice that Riju already made her greetings on behalf of the Gerudo, the main Rito in attendance with them was Teba, the same rito who helped Link on his quest to free Divine Beast Vah Medoh, made his way to greet the princess as well. Followed shortly after by Yunobo, the great grandson of champion Daruk of the gorons, he too was eager to meet the princess on behalf of his people. As Zelda was preoccupied in the company of her new guest, Riju used this slight window of opportunity to walk over towards Link who was out of earshot of Zelda.

Riju wore a mischievous smile as she creeped her way towards him. "And what do we have here?...Good to see you again, Link," Riju squinted as she leaned in closer towards him. Link stood up and backed away from her unsure what she was about to do next. Riju then shot a glance at Link and then over to Zelda, then back to Link again, catching his eyes follow her as she was making her way, greeting all the incoming guests.

"My oh my, her beauty was not an exaggeration, wasn't it? Now I can see why you were in such a hurry to get yourself killed, to chase down certain death and stare it in the face, without a care in the world. At first, I wasn't sure if it was bravery or just mere stupidity…But with a princess like that to save, I can see now why you were so…motivated," she said throwing yet another gotcha grin towards him.

Link just stood there awe-struck by her words as his mouth hung wide open. He felt caught and nervous by what she said and remained silent.

Riju then leaned back and sighed at the thought of her next statement. "And here I was thinking the two of us had a shot together. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to steal away myself another hylian voe...one just as handsome and strong as you are," She said as she leaned in closer towards him. Link gulped in fright. "Ha! I'm only kidding...We gerudo gave up that barbaric practice many, many generations ago. We don't kidnap our voes anymore, we ask them nicely...and if they don't come nicely...well," She said as she tilted her head devilishly. At that moment she relinquished a tiny curved dagger on full display, playfully towards him. That of all things did not put his worries at ease. "Ha! I'm just kidding again...if only you could have seen your face though, " she said letting out a faint laugh. "Oh, and don't make it so obvious will ya?" She said pointing towards the princess. "No use trying to deny it...it's written all over your face...but don't worry, your secret is safe with me...for now," Riju chuckled as she struck her finger to lift Links chin up to a close. She then winked and walked away from him in an exaggerated hip swaying fashion.

Zelda then turned back to where Riju was walking away from Link.

"You say something Riju?" Zelda asked curiously, as if she was trying to listen to what she was telling Link from afar, all the while still being greeted by the other guest.

"Oh, nothing...I was just saying hello to an old friend. Link is quite the hero among us Gerudo, and boy do I have a story to tell you dear princess," Riju said again, wearing another mischievous grin walking towards her. She knew Link was listening. Almost enjoying having him squirm from afar at what she might say. Link couldn't help but speculate what sort of stories she was going to tell Zelda. Then it hit him like a wave of guardians, the vai disguise! Links face went pale, embarrassed at the idea of Zelda finding out of what lengths he was willing to go, in order to free the Divine Beast.

"Have you had your evening dinner yet princess?" Riju asked Zelda.

"No, me and Link we're about to turn in for the night. We were still waiting for our evening meal to be brought to us to our quarters but that was when we heard the horns sound throughout the Domain. And now, here we are," she replied back.

Zelda then shot a look to Link as she knew he could never go without a good meal.

Sidon who also was present, overheard their particular starvation situation.

"Well, say no more, let's all go to the grand banquet hall. Surely we can prepare something for all these wary travelers, or I am not Sidon, prince of the Zora!" He said gleefully, displaying another shark toothed smirk at the small gathered crowd.

"Sounds great! I'm sure you will hear no complaints from Link!" Zelda teased letting out a cute giggle as she poked fun at him from a distance. Link was still leaning up against a railing from where they first stood when the entourage of guest arrived. He was still stewing about what Riju implied earlier.

"Yes," Riju agreed with the notion. "May I accompany you dear princess as we walk towards the banquet hall? I have so many things to ask you about Urbosa. You knew her firsthand and I always wanted to know who the woman she was. Oh, and I have a story or two about Link that you will love to hear as well," Riju said again, shooting a wink towards Link who heard her again.

"Certainly, I would love to," Zelda smiled in her reply to her.

The group then followed Sidon who lead them to the wing of the Domain where the grand banquet hall was.

As Zelda and Riju were walking arm in arm, Link slowly trailed behind them, keeping a safe respectable distance from them. It was in order to give them their privacy. After all, it wasn't like she was in any sort of danger, being surrounded by friends and warriors alike.

All the while he could hear busy chatter from the two of them, it would peak suddenly as it broke into roaring laughter. He even caught them both staring back to him, peering over their shoulders from time to time, followed by even more chuckles. This continued on as they made their way up the winding bridges that led to the banquet hall. Link couldn't help but wonder what sort of mischief Riju was up to. They were just loud enough to where he can hear them but not loud enough to know what they were saying. What could she be telling Zelda in regards to him. The walk was only ten minutes, but to Link it felt like ten years.

"Link did what!?" Zelda yelled aloud, almost bursting into wild laughter as she was walking alongside Riju. It was the only audible sentence Link heard as they slowly walked ahead of him. Link just knew the cat was out of the bag now.

It was a humble and mellow gathering of friends eating a late night meal together rather than a lively feast. It was quick and to the point. Everyone was talking in hushed voices, and it was apparent everyone had heavy eyes and were tired. Shortly after noticing everyone cleared their plates, Sidon dismissed the guest alongside Link and Zelda. They had long day ahead of them with the Divine beast after all, so they quickly made their farewells til dawn and went back to their quarters.

After arriving back to their room, Zelda approached Link from behind. He was just laying down his scabbard and undoing his other gear as he was preparing for the nights rest. She surprisingly placed her hand on his shoulder as he was setting some gear beside his bed.

"Oh and don't think I have forgot, where is your potion?" she asked as she pulled on his shoulder.

Link jerked around and faced her, realizing he almost forgot about the potion himself and was about to go to sleep without it.

"C'mon Link, you heard what Impa said, you need one drop every night before bed. And I'm going to make sure you have it every night without fail," she said wearing a smug smile.

Link was amazed by her persistence and sudden over protectiveness over him. He was finally beginning to see how much she outwardly cared for him, in a way she never did before. She was openly displaying her affection towards him now, regardless who saw. Although Link would never admit it, he liked the attention from her, even if his expression may have seemed apprehensive or dismissive of her doing so.

They didn't have a nice tea this time to mask the awful flavor of the potion, water would have to suffice. So Zelda reached for the small vile and dripped a single drop into his cup for him to drink. She knew Link was in for a surprise indeed and she made no effort to warn him of what was to come. She may have had slight bit of fun in watching him swallow down his mug of medicine.

"Here you go Link, down the hatch," she said with a squinted smile as she place the cup in his hands.

Link looked down to his hands as he sat upon the edge of his bed which was directly across from hers. He then mustered up the courage to embrace the poison and drained his cup. His face went pale in disgust, and he nearly spat it out, some even escaped his mouth out of sheer bodily protest and ran down his chin. She then quickly scorned him in doing so.

"Link, I said every drop!" She said laughing pointing towards his chin.

"I did! Look, the mug is empty! See?" He said lifting it on full display to her in his defense, showing the bottom of it to be dry.

"Yes, because half of it made it to your chin and not your belly! That's why!" she retorted.

She then reached out to him with a handkerchief that she carried and tried to wipe his chin. He snatched it from her hand before she even lifted it up to his lips.

"I got it, don't worry," he said sternly.

"Well I am worried, you were supposed to not waste any of it, that was the rules," she huffed back.

"I drank most of it, perhaps it will be alright. I didn't know it was going to taste so putrid on its own or I would have fought the gag better," he admitted looking down to his hands still holding the cup in one hand, and the handkerchief in the other.

"It's alright, it was actually quite funny, watching you make that face again. You're so serious most of the time, especially around the others. So seeing you get excited and anxious over a cup of medicine makes it all worth it," she said as she rose up from her bed, holding back the laughter.

She then cooly walked away to behind another curtain she had arranged. It was a mock up area she had prepared for her to change out of her adventuring clothes and into something more fitting for bed.

Link being the noble knight that he was, also arose from his bed and also made sure to face the other direction, even though she was behind a veiled curtain. At the same time he undressed into a simple hylian bed shirt, and loose cotton trousers that were more comfortable for resting. Link was extremely quick when he wanted to be, so he was able to change his state of dress before Zelda could finish herself.

However, unbeknownst to him, Zelda's curtain had a tiny hole torn through it. It was large enough for her to sneak a peek through. Zelda was a lady, but she still had passion. It was the fiery passion of that of a young woman her age. Even though she always tried hard to fight back the desires in her heart, she couldn't help herself but take one quick peer through the 'lens of truth' she had for herself that night.

As she made small talk with Link from behind her curtain she used breaks in the chatter to have a look through the tiny hole, watching him undress and switch into his bed attire. He never got full nude for her eyes to see but she was afforded a handsome look of his full upper body and bare legs. Link wasn't overly muscular but he was strong nonetheless. Chiseled like a fine sculpture, one she would have guessed only the goddesses could have made. He was something out of legendary tale, she imagined, the way he was shaped so perfect in her eyes. He had everything she liked in a young man. It was almost as if he was fined tuned to be that way, created for a single purpose. She got excited watching him twist and turn displaying more of himself unknowingly. But she knew she had to contain herself, and decided she had enough excitement for one night, that a young woman could bare. So she quickly adorned her gown after fixing her hair and walked out from the cover of the veil.

Even in her simple night dress, Link saw her as absolutely stunning. To him it felt as if it was first time he ever saw her all over again. Every time she would reveal herself to him in a new state of dress, he always would seem to find something new about her that was more beautiful than the last. This time it was her hair, it was carefree and loose. Unrestrained from before, like her, it too was free. There it flowed against her soft face as the gentle breeze carried it in the wind. Her eyes too were more alive this night as well. He saw the burning passion she had hiding from behind them. And how careful she was to contain it.

As Link sat back down against his bed watching her slowly make her way towards her own, he was left breathless. The words were robbed from his lips on how to express what he felt when he gazed upon her. All he could do was take a deep breath in wonder of her beauty.

She noticed he was at a lost for words yet again, and as she got closer to him, he scooted back more towards his bed, to give her plenty of space to get situated on her own.

"Well I guess this is goodnight...Link," she said as she flipped over the soft, zora blanket that covered her bed. Link just sat back, unable to speak yet again. He couldn't understand why he was so nervous this time. If she wasn't staring at me the way she is now with those gorgeous emerald eyes of hers, it would be a whole lot easier, he thought to himself. Her lips were saying goodnight but her eyes were asking for something more. But Link being the proper guardsman and knight that he was, wasn't going to initiate anything that wasn't proper of him.

"I said, good night hero..." Zelda prodded as she awaited his reply or action.

Link just swallowed his throat and forced his words out. "Goodnight Zelda, I'll be waiting for you in the morning," he said, slamming his head back against his pillow on his bed as he tried to get to the morning as soon as possible, to free him of this situation he was in. Zelda just sighed at his words, slightly disappointed and she too laid back. But being the bold princess that she was, she arose out from her bed covers and hopped out of her bed as she made her way to Link. He was already laying, facing the other way on his bedside. She then poked at his shoulder for him to turn to face her.

"You forgot this," she said wearing a sweet smile.

"Forgot what?" He questioned.

She then leaned into him and graced his cheek with yet another long kiss. Yet again, it felt as if he was zapped by a goddess of lightning, if there ever was one. Link couldn't respond fast enough to reciprocate like before. As she pulled away, she smiled.

"Now it is goodnight, I'll see you in the morning okay?" she said hopping back into her own bed. There, she flung the bedding over herself and turned over to her side to sleep. She fell fast asleep wearing a smile with no trouble at all.

Link on the other hand was still in awe of what happened yet again, he cursed himself in his head for being too slow to take action during the heat of the moment. Without thinking, he then slammed his head back against his pillow and missed, hitting the headrest harder than ever before. As much as it hurt, Link knew it was well deserved punishment for the way he acted earlier, in slow motion. There he laid for a few minutes frustrated with himself. And after letting out a deep sigh of contemplation, he forced his eyes to slam shut. The dawn would soon arrive. Ruta awaited them.

Authors Note- I felt this was a good pause for what is to come next. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Also, if you haven't already yet, please remember to leave any sort of feedback for the story, it really helps me gauge how my readers are liking it or not. I greatly appreciate it. So with that being said, I hope you do enjoy the story. It really makes my day to see if you are reading or not. Thank you again!

Chapter Text

Chapter 7

Blackouts

As the dawn crept over the horizon, inch by inch its light was pouring over their terrace balcony. And as the morning hours ticked by, its light would make its final resting place, flooding Link and Zelda's quarters. Link, who was still in a peaceful slumber, felt the morning glare as it burned through his eyelids, instantly he awoke in a crazed fluster. As he shot up out of bed, dazed and confused due to the lingering effects of the Lunar Tear Potion, he stumbled out of bed in a flurry of emotion. Damn it, I overslept! How could I have let this happen? Where is Zelda? he thought to himself as he noticed she was gone, with her bed neatly made.

As he raced to throw on whatever traveling clothes he could find in moments hurry, he rushed out of the room looking for Zelda, not caring about what sort of clothes he had on or if he had any clothes on at all.

He realized by judging the position of the sun, that it must have been nearly noon. So in a panic, he ran down the intertwine bridges to where he thought Zelda and the others might have been. Surely, she wouldn't leave the safety of the Domain without her most trusted escort, right? he thought to himself.

His best guess at this point was to head back to the banquet hall. He figured they were all still having lunch before they made their trek to visit Divine Beast Vah Ruta. But then again, Link secretly hoped they were having lunch, he was famished to say the least.

Zelda, who was sitting beside Sidon, Riju, Teba, Yunobo and the others was in-fact having their mid-day meal, just as Link suspected. The group were all seated at a long table. They were just finishing up their lunch as the double doors that led into the banquet hall barged open, revealing the late knight. A hush fell over them, some of them even tried fighting back laughter after seeing Link stand there, seemingly half asleep and disheveled.

"Well, good morning Link, so nice of you to join us," Zelda smiled with squinted eyes. A few faint giggles then escaped the side of her lips as she gazed upon his state of dress. Link confused by all the blank and awkward stares at him, looked down at himself to see what all the fuss was about. He was wearing a casual hylian tunic, which was appropriate to say the least, but his trousers were the same he slept in. With his mistake realized, his face went cherry red. They were noticeably night trousers, soft and loose, with patchwork done to them in certain parts.

"Well, it's not the worst I've seen him dressed in, that's for sure!" Riju blurted out, breaking the silence. The crowd erupted in laughter. Link not wanting to be the butt of anyone's jokes, lifted his head high and did a cool smirk towards them all. He wore his mistake proudly, unaffected by their laughs.

"It's alright Link, we all had mornings like that, even though we would never like to admit it. Come, sit, and eat," Sidon chimed in, coming to his defense as he hushed everyone in attendance. But before Sidon had a chance to glance over the leftover meals that were laid before him, he realized he must of spoke too soon. There was no longer any lunch to be given at all. It had already been devoured by the hungry guests. Sidon's face went pale and apologetic as he stared back at Link, dumbfounded by the scrap morsels that were left on the plates.

"Well, it's as they say, the early bird gets the worm," Zelda said with another smirk, teasing Link who was left without a breakfast or lunch. She then arose from the table and continued. "Well, now that my noble knight is here, we should make our way towards Ruta, "she said. Everyone gathered also rose up from their seats after her, in a show of reverence.

"Do you need us to accompany you dear princess?" Riju asked in a more serious voice as she leaned in towards Zelda, who was making her way towards the doorway to stand alongside her wonderful, late knight.

"No, I don't think that would be necessary, thank you very much. And besides, I have Link and Sidon coming along with me. The two of them should be more than capable of handling whatever may be thrown our way," she said back to her, proud of them both.

"As you wish, your highness. If you need us, we will be here in the Domain until you decide to head back to Kakariko," Riju said, with a tilt of the head of respect.

"Yes, it was most fortunate that all of you made the hard journey to come meet me in person. It has saved me a great deal of time not having to visit each clan and village directly. I still have a lot of work to do for when the great houses arrive. If they arrive that is," Zelda said to everyone, seemingly worried at the prospect of them not coming. All the guests gathered were still left standing, still waiting to be excused formally by Zelda as she spoke.

"They will come princess; don't you worry about that. And if they don't, we'll clear out the capital ourselves, right?" Riju said as she looked around to her troops, prodding the group in agreement. They all shook their heads with a resounding yes and slammed their fists on the table where they stood. Even the two rito and gorons nodded in agreement. But, The gerudo in particular, were a proud and vigilant people, unafraid of war. After getting a rise out of them, she glanced back at Zelda and continued. "Also, I know that my girls been wanting to visit the cool waters of the domain for some time now. Where we are from, the sun scorches the earth. So, having a day to spend out on the cool waters of the Domain is a real treat indeed. So, take as much time as you need with Ruta, we will be here waiting for you for when you return," Riju winked towards the princess.

Zelda chuckled at the idea of them having a little vacation away from the desert sun. "Certainly, we should be back by nightfall. You all enjoy yourselves while you can, you deserve that much," She said to everyone. She then shot a cool glance to Link and Sidon. "Well, shall we be off?" Zelda smiled again. Link's stomach growled in protest, but he shook it off and gave her a nod in agreement. He was a well-seasoned Royal Guardsman after all, a missed meal shouldn't be anything to him. He was trained to handle much, much worse.

"Well, we bid you all farewell for now, until we meet again, before we leave for Kakariko tomorrow," Zelda waved to everyone who stood idly by, waiting for her to make her leave alongside Link and Sidon. They all humbly bowed their heads as she left their presence.

As the three of them made their way through the Domain, Zelda nudged Link as she walked alongside him. Sidon, who was taller than them by several feet, trailed ahead. "You know Link, you're kind of cute when you get frustrated...and," She chirped sweetly to him, followed by a sudden pause. She then pulled the shirt of his arm for him to stop walking so fast. He was taken aback by her tug and waited to see what she was going to say or do next. "and... it's alright that you slept in. In fact, I wanted you to get a full night's rest. I know it wasn't your fault that you over slept. It was the potion that kept you sedated for so long. So, don't let what happened back there get to you, okay?" She said to him with a playful look in her eyes.

"Oh, and I almost forgot, I saved this for you. You didn't really think I was going to let my knight starve, did you?" She said as she unraveled a small sack out from her traveling satchel that she carried. Neatly tied like a gift, it was some fig cheese and dry-aged fish meat. One of his favorite snacks. The sight of it made Link's mouth water. "I know it isn't much, but it should be able to hold you over until you have a proper meal tonight," she winked. "Oh, and perhaps...you might want to fix your trousers. For that, there is no forgiveness," she said with a full belly laugh, jokingly, about to step away.

Link sighed and then replied gruffly. "Yeah, I guess I should, huh?" He then quickly tried to snatch the sack of food from her hands. But she wasn't willing to let it go just yet and tried pulling back on the cloth. She smiled.

"I thought you wanted to be back by nightfall!?" Sidon shouted over to the two hylians who were busily preoccupied, unaware of the daylight slipping by. They were both still locked, staring into each other's eyes, standing still in the middle of the bridge, wasting time. Link still had his hand over hers which carried the cheese sack. "Well?" Sidon shouted again, trying to spur them on, wondering whatever was the matter.

After having a bit of fun teasing him, she let go of the sack. She then glanced back towards Sidon. "Sorry! We will be right there. It appears Link still needs to fix his..." She then cleared her throat and looked Link up and down in a haughty evaluation. "Ahem...wardrobe mishap from this morning!" Zelda shouted back to Sidon, cuffing her hands to her lips for volume.

Link just smiled coolly at her jokes, scarfed down his fish and cheese, then made a clean break towards his and Zelda's room. It wasn't too far off, in-fact, it was just a couple minutes away from where they stood. He knew she may have won this round of laughs, but it would be him that would have the last one, he thought to himself quietly as he ran.

They were already on the bridge that led to the mountain trail they had to take. So, with nothing left to do but wait while Link fixed his adventuring clothes, Sidon and Zelda patiently waited for him to change.

Now that Link was officially ready to take on the day, they all began their trek up the mountain. Their final destination would be its highest peak. That was where Ruta stood, watching over the Domain. It would be a several mile hike to its location, so they decided to chat along the way to pass the time.

Zelda and Link were still walking alongside each other as Sidon was yet again, a few paces up ahead on the trail. However, this time, he tried not to walk so far ahead and keep within talking distance of his new hylian companions.

Link then lifted his head towards the tall zora prince. "Hey Sidon, I was wondering, about the Lizalfos King, what ever happened to him? After the war I mean?" He asked inquisitively.

"Oh, him? His head was chopped clean off by the hands of my great ancestor! It was during the final, climatic battle! The same battle where House Tarble arrived in our defense," Sidon said as he spun around excitedly towards them both, eager to tell the tale. " It was a miracle actually! My great ancestor wasn't a great warrior at all. You see, the story goes like this," Sidon then cleared his throat, puffed out his chest and began his storytelling.

"A young zora prince, not unlike myself, went against his father's orders and went south to call for the aid of the hylians. The king at the time was a proud zora, didn't want to rely on the help of others, and to tell the truth, back then, most relations with the hylians was damn near non-existent, although still on friendly terms," Sidon added as he leaned in towards them, cuffing his hands towards their pointy ears, the same way someone would tell a friend a secret.

"Hmmm, I don't recall this part of the story. Please continue Sidon," Zelda chimed.

"So, in the dead of night, the young prince slipped away from the old Domain. Unafraid of the consequences of going against his father's orders. He had better sense to swallow his pride and go re-establish old alliances, while his stubborn father, the King, foolishly stayed to try and fight back the superior might of the Lizalfos and Zola on his own.

"As the dawn came of the final battle, knowing that this would be his people's last stand, the Zora King gave his final farewell to his queen, with a final farewell kiss. But, not wanting to accept death as his fate, out of pure love, she shed her own scales and crafted them into a fine set of armor, just before he went into battle. Something that has never been done before, mind you… Greatly outnumbered, valiantly they went forth and charged the Zola and Lizalfos head on in the field of battle.

"And just when the war seemed all but lost, the good king's gaze wondered off, over into the yonder part of the northwestern 'Sea'. Tired and battle weary, he thought he was staring into a mirage. But it was no false glare caused by any sort of delusion, it was real. He saw hope, in the form of sails that came up from over the horizon. Their long-lost friends, allies from centuries ago, had finally arrived. And out among them, on the bow of one of the great hylian ships, was his son, the young prince.

"And as the young prince shouted his orders, the ship's canons rained down hellfire over his enemies, smashing the ranks of the Zola and Lizalfos army. In the chaos that ensued, the enraged Lizalfos king went straight for our old king who was unskilled in the art of war. He thought his victory would be all but certain if he could just slay the Zora king where he stood. But nay, victory wouldn't be so easy for the terrible villain, for a stroke of luck would bless the old Zora King…no, destiny would.

"At that very moment, the sun was melting away, burning into the western 'sea'. And as it set, its light shone through the pale white sails of the hylian ships, magnifying its sacred glow onto the battlefield. And it was then when the Lizalfos King had already knocked the good King to the cold swampy ground. The horrible Lizalfos saw victory within his grasp as he raised his jagged blade overhead, just about deal his killing blow.

"That was when the miracle happened! Bright, shimmering light from the sun burnt through the hylian sails and kissed the scales of Zora king's new armor. The scales as they drank up sun's rays, blinded the Lizalfos King in its reflection. With his enemy stunned and unable to fight, the Good King rose up from where he lay and reached out with his mighty sword, slicing the Lizalfos King's head clean off his shoulders! Victorious, the good king stood with the dead Lizalfos King's head held in his hands. There among the battle, perched on a small hill above the rest, he lifted his prize high up into the air for all his men to see. Our forces rallied at the sight.

"With their general dead, fear filled the enemies' hearts and they fell into a disorganized panic. And with the combined strength of our new found Hylian allies, us Zora defeated the Lizalfos and Zola invaders. The battle was won," Sidon said, full of pride of his heritage. "And that my friend, is the epic tale of the Zola war of wrath! It is also how you managed to acquire yourself a fine set of zora armor! Since that day henceforth, all zora princess's gift their-" Sidon then stopped mid speech, realizing he may have over spoke and bit his tongue into silence. He realized he may have got too carried away telling his story. That surely he must have forgotten that the princess was in their company. Nervously, he shot a quick look over his shoulder to see what sort of damage he may have caused for Link.

"Go on, you were saying," Zelda sweetly smiled to him, seemingly unaware what he was going to say next. She was trailing beside Link, who was also listening intently to his moving story.

"It's not important really...Oh look! We're almost there! Ruta isn't that far off now! Just around this bend and we will be at the summit where she stands in no time," Sidon blurted out, as he quickly tried to change the subject from before. He then hurried ahead of them once again in a jog.

Zelda just stared back at him quizzically as he ran off, but then shrugged it off as they were almost to Ruta anyways. More important things awaited them.

Link and Zelda, not wanting to be left behind to swallow up the dust Sidon left for them as he ran, both bolted to catch up to him. But as they made their way to where he was, their laughter and smiles were broken by the horrendous sight they were met with. Sidon who already arrived moments earlier, stood where the ginormous Divine Beast was perched. He was left stunned and in awe of what he was witnessing. A sickening scene was left for them to see.

Shocked, Sidon fell to his knees and with his joyful smile from earlier torn from him, he gasped. "What!?...What happened!? Who done this!?" he questioned aloud. The once cheerful voice of Sidon was now resounding with violent anger. An anger that Zelda and Link never knew he was capable of showing.

There at the foot of divine beast, lay one of the zora sentries that Sidon had stationed. He was dead, brutally murdered. Zelda, by sheer reflex gagged as she had to look away from the sight of his body. The stench alone was almost more than she could bare. The poor soul was burnt to a crisp, his scales burned so bad, they were melted together, charred black, by what must have been something so intense and hot, that no normal fire could have done to him. The other sentry also shared a similar fate, he too was dead, decapitated and hung over the ledge entrance of the divine beast. Cruelly his corpse was laid there, as if to taunt anyone who may have come that way.

"These men were my friends...they were good soldiers." Sidon said, holding back tears of anger that pooled up under his eyes.

"I'm so sorry Sidon..." Zelda said, trying to comfort him. "They didn't deserve this...no one deserves this." As she placed a calming hand over his back she could feel him shiver at the pain of losing his friends. Her heart ached for him. She knew all too well of the pain of loss. A horrible suffering she would never wish upon anyone to experience.

Link, who was also disturbed by the sight, tried to keep a clear head and secure the scene. He soon noticed that Ruta was also in a state of disrepair. It appeared that whoever perpetrated this heinous act, forced their way into the divine beast.

"Hey, get behind me and stay close," he commanded Zelda, as he slowly made his way to the opening of the Divine Beast, sword at the ready.

"Right!" She said as she nodded in agreement. She then followed closely after him. Sidon, after feeling Zelda's warm hands leave him, wiped his tears and sprung up. He knew they needed him alert. There was no time for mourning. So, he then revealed and swung out two swords that he had sheathed. He gave a firm look over to Link and Zelda, shook his head of the sadness and forced himself to brace for what was next.

Zelda un-admittedly was afraid, but with Link leading to her front and Sidon covering her back, she knew she would be safe. As much as the fear and worry was trying to fill her, seeing them two in action gave her courage. She too relinquished a small dagger that she had fixed to her side pant belt strap, something Riju gave her earlier, just in case. She then remembered what she was told by her. Now princess, I know Link is a very capable and handy knight in a sticky situation, but he can't be everywhere all the time to protect you. Us women need to be ready to defend ourselves if need be, you most of all. So here, take this, and hopefully you'll never have to use it. But if for some reason you do have to use it, stick'em, and stick'em good, okay? So, with her blade out and at the ready, she gulped down her fear and focused herself to face whatever may have lurked inside the belly of the divine beast.

As they slowly followed Link who was leading the way through the inner chambers, they noticed that it was severely disturbed. It was dark inside. The radiant constellation patterns that the old sheikah used to light up the inner walls of the divine beast have gone out, as well as the blue flame torches. They couldn't move too quickly through the darkness. So, carefully they had to walk huddled together in defense of each other.

"Try to stay alert, there's an uneasy mist out, so keep close," Link repeated to Zelda, concerned for her safety.

She just shook her head yes as she tip-toed right behind him. A steamy fog began to envelope around them the further they went in. The foul mist made their skin sticky to the touch. And at that very moment, to Link and Zelda's sudden surprise, a spark of light lit up from behind them. They quickly spun back around to face the soft cool glow, unaware of its origin.

It was Sidon, as they walked ahead, he reached into his traveling pack that he had strapped to himself and revealed a small stone. With a flick of his sharp nail he chipped it and it pulsed with a pale blue light.

"Luminous stone! Of course!" Zelda said, head turned towards Sidon who just smiled back to them both. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"It's not much, but it should be able to light our way, at least a little bit," Sidon replied, as he held out the bright stone over their heads. Because he was several feet taller than them, this was an easy task for him to do. Now that they had some light, they continued onward through the divine beast. The light shone through the steamy air that was around them and made it easier to view their surroundings. With the way lit up for them, they decided to head straight for the main control room.

As they approached the door that led into the main control terminal, they saw that it was completely decimated. Awestruck, they couldn't imagine what sort of creature or thing would possessed the strength to break through its stonework as if it were mere tissue paper. As they apprehensively stepped past the shattered and broken remains of the stone door, Zelda saw that they were alone in the room. She then hurried past Link towards the main terminal. It was smashed and gouged open, as if someone ripped it apart.

But before she could make her dash towards it, Link quickly pulled on her shirt and stopped her from getting too close to it. He saw that the floor up ahead of them still had ankle high water flowing around it. And with the main terminal that controlled the divine beast in total disarray, blue sparks were still flying out from all directions from where it stood. He didn't want her to get shocked by the electric current that was spewing out from the terminal, if she were to accidentally step too close. From where they were, they could see that in its center had a massive crater, a hole torn right in the middle of it.

"What...what happened in here? It looks as if someone ripped the Power Core right out of it," Zelda questioned, shocked by the scene. But, before she allowed any worry to set in, she shook it off.

Focused at the task at hand, she had a brilliant idea instead come to mind. "Hey! The true to life image function on the slate still works," she told the others in an excited shout. "I'll capture a few portraits to keep track of what we see. Perhaps, later we can show Impa and Purah. Maybe they might be able to help us figure out why someone would be after the core," she said, as she reached into her satchel for the slate.

As she lifted the tablet up to capture the terminal in its view, the slate was still left on its map function from before. But before she could switch over the display to take the photos, she noticed the other beacons on the slate, one for each of the other divine beast, they too were suddenly going black. One by one she saw them blink and flicker away as they faded into darkness. In a panic at the sight of it, she spun around to Link and Sidon. "Come quick!" she called out to them.

They were both still patrolling the outer edge of the room, securing it when she shouted over to them. In a hurry they ran to have a look over her shoulder as she lifted the view of the slate to them.

"Look! It's happening again to the rest of them! They're all vanishing!" She said, eyes wide with worry. They all saw the last of the lights flicker away into black nothingness. "I don't understand! Ganon doesn't have anymore allies! At least…not this sophisticated…What could be happening? I have to find out who's behind this," she said, with a slight hint of fear that shook in her voice.

Immediately Link knew, something truly sinister was happening. He too wanted to confront the culprit behind these mystery attacks. I swear, whoever you are, once I find out… you'll pay. If it's a good fight you want, then it's a good fight you'll get! he thought to himself as he stood over Zelda's shoulder, pondering what he saw happen on the slate.

After snapping a few images, she then slid the slate back into her pack and turned to face them both. "This must have something to do with the Divine Fire going out that Purah mentioned from before. It's all connected somehow, I just know it!" She added.

"Well that maybe, but I think we've seen enough for today. It will be nightfall soon and there is nothing else more we can do here. We need to get you back to the safety of the Domain. We will head to Kakariko at first light," Link said to her.

"You're right, it's not wise for us to linger here any longer than we need to. Besides, in its current condition, the Divine Beast is no longer operational. I have all the portraits I need to study over. When we get back, perhaps, I can find a clue as to what a motive might be for this disturbance to the Divine Beast," She said glancing over to Link and Sidon, who were waiting for her.

Link, after acknowledging Zelda's decision, faced the zora prince. "Sidon, I'm sorry for the loss of your friends, but we need to get back to the Domain, it's not safe here for her," he said to him. Sidon, who was poking around the room for other things they may have missed, shook his head 'yes' at Link's words.

"I know, I'll send my men tomorrow to gather them. So, they can have a proper burial, It's the least they and their families deserve. A true soldier's send out," Sidon said back. He too had an uneasy feeling about what was unfolding around them. "Let's get out of here. I don't much like it in here," he said with a gulp.

Link and Zelda both nodded in agreement. The trio then made their quick escape out from the Divine beast and went back to the Domain.

Authors note- Short chapter again, but two in one week. Please if you haven't, drop a comment on what you think. Even if its just a thumbs up or thumbs down. I hope I am keeping you all entertained, and its hard to tell without much feedback, so if you do leave a comment, thanks so much! It is greatly appreciated! Lastly, thanks again for all the support, and I hope you all enjoy where the story is heading. : )

Chapter Text

Authors note: Short Chapter! Next one will be much larger. Hope you enjoy this tid-bit until the next one comes out. Probably by this upcoming weekend it will be on the site for you all to read. Also, if you haven't already, please drop a comment if you like or do not like where the story is heading, all feedback is appreciated and motivates me to continue! Thank you for all the support.

Chapter 8

Interruptions

Tired, out of breath and hungry, the three companions made it back to the safety of the Domain. Zelda most of all was having a hard time catching her breath. She even had to stop the others several times along the road, just for a breather as they made their trek down the mountainside.

*Huff, puff, wheeze.*

"Next time, we bring our horses," Zelda breathed heavily as she leaned over, hands on her knees facing the ground as she spoke to her two seasoned warriors. They had to hurry back to the Domain because dusk was setting in, and Link didn't want her to be out any longer than she needed to be. Especially now, that there was no doubt some malevolent force that was still out there, lurking in the darkness.

"Are you going to be alright?" Link asked her, after noticing her trouble to keep us as they ran.

"Yes…I think so. Sorry, I'm not as accustomed to running miles on end like you two. But don't worry, I'll get better at it," She smiled, lifting herself up as she was finally able to catch her breath. "Well, good thing is, I believe the worst is now behind us. We're back."

"Yeah, next time we definitely will bring the stallions," he confirmed.

Zelda's face then went elsewhere as Link spoke, distracted, she remembered the sight they witnessed up on the mountain. Flashed in her mind was the ripped core out of the divine beast, and even more so, the two innocent zora sentries' bodies. As much as she tried to tear herself away from thinking about the gruesome scene she beheld earlier, she couldn't, it was burned into her memory. A cold sadness filled her. She felt somehow responsible for all that has transpired lately.

"Sidon," Zelda turned to the zora prince who was just behind her and Link. The three just made it to one of the main bridges that led up into the northern east end of the Domain. "I'm sorry again for the loss of your friends. If there is anything I can do-"

Sidon then cut her off before she could finish. "Thank you, Princess of Hyrule, your words are kind, but it wasn't your fault that this happened. It was mine. I should have had more guards stationed-Actually…No, I should have been the one to protect Ruta. It should have been me. Those men didn't deserve to die," Sidon replied as he slowly paced behind them both. His spirits were down, and his voice trembled as he spoke.

She then turned to face him and rubbed a calm hand over his arm to comfort him. "There was no way you could have known that would happen. And besides, throwing your life away would not have accomplished anything. So, don't let it get to you as if you failed, because you didn't," she said as she smiled sweetly to him, placing a soft finger to lift his chin up.

"Thank you…Princess, I'm sorry you both had to see this…this momentary weakness on my part," Sidon said to both Link and Zelda. "I promise, when we continue our journey, I'll be stronger and won't hesitate again."

"You are strong Sidon. One of the strongest people I have ever known. And please, call me Zelda…no need for the formalities when it's just us three together, okay?" she smiled to him.

"Okay then, Zelda it is," he said. Sidon then took a few steps forward to follow after them but suddenly stopped mid walk. Zelda and Link then spun back around to see what may have caused him to do so.

"Are you certain…are you certain Ganon was destroyed?" Sidon asked them both, locked in contemplation as he gazed into the heavens above. The stars above them where they stood on the bridge were bright and twinkling as the night swallowed up the last of the evening twilight.

"Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. Ganon was destroyed and banished," Link said back.

Zelda also shook her head with conviction at the sound of Link's words. "Most certainly. Ganon was annihilated, there is no doubt," she confirmed.

"Then? Then who could be behind this attack? Who has the strength to carry out such a terrible crime unnoticed?" Sidon asked.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," Link said.

"Yes, we will. And with these portraits I have now, I may be able to find a clue as to who they are or why they are after shaikah tech as well," Zelda added.

The tall prince then walked up closer alongside both of his hylian friends. "Well now that we are back at the Domain, I'll have to go speak to the families of the men that I lost. I hope I won't be burdening you too long while I take care of this matter," Sidon said to them both.

"Not at all, its already late, and I still have a lot of studying to do over the evidence I gathered today. Go...be with those families, we are going to need you fully rested for when the morning comes. Me and Link will be turning in for the night anyways. Kakariko awaits us tomorrow," Zelda said back.

"Then I bid you both good evening. If you need me for whatever reason, you know where to find me. After I've spoken with the families and have had the bridge closed off leading up to the mountain, I'll be in my chambers," Sidon said. He then tilted his head respectfully to both Link and Zelda and proceeded to walk slowly backwards. And after he made a short distance away from them, he spun around and ran.

Link and Zelda waited and watched as he left their presence and made his way to the other side of the Domain before they left for their quarters.

After returning to their residence wing of the Domain for some time, Zelda was sitting at a candle lit table, flipping through the images on the slate, studying them carefully whereas Link was packing their gear and belongings for the coming morning.

"I still don't understand why anyone would want the cores. The more I stare at these portraits, the more I hope an answer would jump out at me. But the more I look at these, the more questions I have than answers…maybe there is something I'm missing…Ugh! I can't make any sense of it!" she said, loud enough for Link to hear.

Frustrated, she slid back against her chair and tossed the slate across the table to the other end. As it thudded across the wood of the table, she then sprung up from where she sat and made her way behind her dressing curtain. There she washed up in a large tub which had some rags and warm water prepared for her.

As she was washing up behind the veil, she spoke to Link who was still in the room, also getting ready for his nights rest. "Perhaps, tomorrow when we see Impa, she might have a better idea as to what may be going on. Also, we need to ask the King before we leave if he knows anything about the Moon Pearl. Perhaps he can enlighten us why it is so important and why the assassin was after it. I forgot to ask him earlier, with all the excitement that has been happening lately. I believe these attacks on the divine beast and the Moon pearl are connected somehow, I just know it," she said to Link from behind her partition.

But her words fell on deaf ears. And after a minute passed of silence and no reply from her Knight. She became worried.

"Link? Are you there?" She asked, quickly sliding her curtain open. She was already dressed in her azure satin gown for bed. Alarmed that Link was nowhere to be found, she cautiously paced around in the room as she looked for him.

"Link!?" she called out as she made her way towards the balcony. And just as she looked over the railing, out splashing from the calm water came Link. Catching her by surprise, she screamed, unsure of what or who it was that sprang out from the lake.

"Link!" she shouted to him, almost tripping over on herself from the startle. "What are you…doing?" she asked, slightly shaken up from the sudden scare. "After all that has happened, you decide now would be the best time for a late night, pleasure swim?" she said, folding her arms, slightly annoyed.

"Well how else am I supposed to wash up?" he said back as he climbed out from water, swinging himself back over the railing towards her.

"Like a civilized person of course!" She said with a playful pout on her face, hands perched at her waist. But, just as she was about to scold him further, she peeked a glance at him as he slowly made his walk over to her. Unable to turn away, she studied him up and down. He was wearing nothing but some old worn trousers exposing his bare chest and torso.

Soaking wet, his hair and whatever clothes he had on left dripped as he made his way closer to her to gather his belongings. He had to walk past her to change.

She gulped. Her heart raced and breathing quickened at the sight of him. With her tongue tied, she couldn't think of anything else to say as every step brought him closer to her. Her gaze was trapped.

"Forgive me, I should have told you first," he apologized, closing the distance between them.

She must have blinked twenty times by the time he made his way up to where she was. With a pointed finger out in the air towards his chest to stop his approach, she continued to voice her concerns to him, in the hopes of distracting herself from his state of dress, or lack thereof.

"You know…what if an intruder came while you were busy off having a late-night dip? What then hmm?" she said as she tried to look away from him standing next to her, just a foot away. She felt him stop just as she pressed her finger against his firm chest. At the moment she touched him, her eyes met his again.

"Well, I would have stopped him of course," he said wearing a cool smile.

"Pfft, that easy huh? And if I'm supposed to believe that? That you would be able to come out from the water, get dressed for battle and have your sword at the ready?" she said, playfully chastising him.

"What other choice do you got?" he said back calmly, full of conviction. "You can either believe me…or not," he said as he slipped past her, back to where his travel sack was beside his bed.

Her mouth fell to the floor at his smug response. "You believe just because you have that sword on your back, somehow makes you invincible huh? Well, I hope for all our sakes you are right," she said as he was now changing behind the curtain. She then flipped around to face the balcony once again, arms crossed anxiously. "I don't know how you can be so relaxed, especially after what has happened lately. Are you not worried? Don't you care at all?" she breathed.

Then just as she was about turn around, he came up right behind her. Caught by his surprise, she slowly turned into him as he reached out his hands to hold her own. Then, with his genuine blue eyes staring deep into hers, he held her hands in the warmth of his as he spoke softly to her.

"Zelda…the only thing I care about in this world is-," and just as he was about to bare himself to her, the door to their room rang with the noise of fists pounding on it.

"That must be our supper!" her eyes lit up for him. "You hardly ate anything today, so I told them to bring us up something. I wonder what they could have brought?" she said sweetly to him, slightly pulling away. And with the mention of food, Link was torn from his thoughts from before. He would have to tell her how he felt another time, when the time was right. So, as she pulled her hands from him, she proceeded to the door. "Come in," she said to the person behind the door.

The door creaked open and in walked two royal zora attendants. Each of them carried a silver platter which had a covered meal. And as they placed both on the table Zelda just smiled to them while Link was almost drooling alongside her, waiting for the pair to make their exit. This was his first and last real meal of the day after all.

"We hope you enjoy. And if there is anything else you may require of us, Princess of Hyrule, let us know. We are at your service," one of the attendants said.

"I think we are going to be just fine. Thank you very much for bringing us our dinner," she replied. "Good evening to you both."

The two zora then bowed and left the room so that the two hylian visitors could have their privacy back as they ate their dinner.

With their bellies full, and plates empty, Link and Zelda were just about ready to go to bed.

"That was delicious, I can't decide whose food I love more, the zora or the sheikah?" Link said aloud, sitting back in his chair.

"Honestly Link, I think you would eat anything and call it fine cuisine. I mean, when I first met you, you would burn all of your own dishes to a cinder and eat them joyfully, as if they were made from finest castle kitchens," she replied as she rose up out of her chair, giggling just a bit.

He then lifted his hand to his chin in contemplation. "Now that you mentioned it, I have cooked in the castle kitchens before. So, in a way, my food is that of the finest castle kitchens, "he smirked.

"And how did you manage to get away with that may I ask?" she said with a single brow lifted as she was making her bed for the night, facing him.

"Well, as the princess's own chosen knight, you'd be surprise what you can get away with. So, sneaking into the kitchen once or twice, or even ten times for a good bite to eat wasn't that hard really," he said, making his way over to his bed as well.

"Well, I'm glad you found the perfect reason to want to be my knight. It's all starting to become clear now. You were just hungry. At least something was important to you back then…even if it was just your stomach," she scoffed as she rolled into bed.

Link, perhaps noticing his princess's mood, quietly made his way over and sat beside her as she lay in bed.

He then gently placed his hand cozily on her shoulder as she was already laying to her side, facing the other way. She was wearing a pout on her face, knees tucked into her night dress, held tightly to her chest, slightly annoyed by his attempt at witty comebacks.

"Zelda…" he breathed softly. "You are what is important to me."

It took a few seconds as she lay there for her to realized what he actually said. She couldn't be certain if her ears were deceiving her, or did he actually say what she thought he said. It was all she ever wanted to hear and more. She almost opened her mouth for him to repeat it, but she stopped herself from doing so.

And with some secrets of his heart finally revealed to her, he was about to slide off her bed and climb into his. But right as he was about to do so, she sat up from where she was laying and called out to him, just before he could leave her side.

"Link…I…wait," she said. With her face turned towards his, cheeks slightly red, her gorgeous green colored eyes were now wide and glistening. Unable to find the words, all she could do was scoot closer to him. He was on the ledge of her bed, now facing her.

The seconds felt like minutes and deep within her she felt a hunger growing, one of which that has never been satisfied. She craved his affection, now more than anything.

She knew what would happen, if she were to allow herself to fall completely. What the inevitable outcome would be by the time she had to turn eighteen. But it was too late, she'd already fallen. And none of that from before mattered to her now. She didn't care about any of it. All she cared about was how she felt at that instant, when Link said those wonderful words to her.

Secretly, she felt a guilt for thinking so selfishly, but she couldn't control her feelings anymore.

Her heart was beating like a drum rolling to a climax. And just as she was about to let it all go and take the leap, the door knocked again suddenly.

The distracting sound of loud thuds against the door ripped her from the moment once more. Link also turned towards the pounding sound at the door. He then rose up from the bed before she could, since he was more properly dressed to answer the door.

Upon opening the door standing before him was Sidon.

"Sorry to disturb your rest Link, but I think you should come quick. Both of you," he said as he peaked over Link's shoulder to Zelda. His eyes were filled with worry.

"What's happened?" Link asked Sidon.

"Better if you come see it with your own eyes," he replied.

Link then glanced over to an alarmed Zelda who was sitting in her bed, blanket still partially covering her.

"I think we need to go see what this is all about," he said to her. She just shook her head 'yes'. Link then turned back towards Sidon.

"Alright then, we will meet you at the main fountain in five minutes," he said.

"Sounds good, I'll wait for you both there," Sidon said as he left the room, bowed head towards them both.

Chapter Text

Chapter 9

Breaking Point

Still in a swirl of emotion, Zelda trailed behind Link as they made their way to the grand fountain of the Domain. He was in a noticeable hurry, as he held his hand out from behind himself to lead her down the interwoven bridges of the Domain. She wasn't sure if she should have felt worried or ecstatic.

Just moments ago, a mystery of Link's heart was revealed to her, even if it had only been a simple phrase out from his lips. Even still, just those few syllables had been more than he ever said to her in an entire lifetime. And before she had a chance to even digest his words, she was being thrust back into the chaotic reality that surrounded them. The world still needed healing.

The city wasn't as lively as before, the hour already pushing toward mid-evening. Most of the zora had already retired for the night, barring those who fancied late-night dealings, unsavory or otherwise.

Waiting for them just as he said he would be was Sidon, standing next to the opulent main fountain. He paced back and forth nervously as he waited, seemingly trapped in thought, unaware of their approach. However, as soon as their eyes met with his, he tilted his head in a rushed greeting.

"So sorry again to disturb your rest, but I think you should both see this," Sidon stated, a hint of fear in his voice. It shook quite a bit, almost frantic.

"What's happened? What's going on?" Zelda questioned anxiously from beside Link, glancing over to Sidon and to a young Zora soldier who stood by his side.

"The dam," Sidon blurted, unable to find the exact words to describe what was happening. "It's in trouble."

"Sidon! Out with it already! What is happening?" She demanded. The suspense of not knowing was more than she could bear.

The Prince took in a deep breath. "I believe that whoever attacked Ruta has already claimed their next target. The lower dam. Just below Rutala, it was found severely damaged this evening. It's cracked. I have already given the order to clear the immediate area, should the worst happen. If it were to breach...well, Hyrule's plains would be flooded in many areas, and a lot of people could get hurt."

"Then why are we still standing around here? Let's hurry!" Zelda demanded, eager to investigate the situation.

Link turned to her, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Perhaps, you should stay here. It's not safe for you to be outside the Domain."

As the Princess made to move on, her knight placed his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"I'm going with you!" Zelda declared, frustrated by the notion of being without value to the situation. "I'm not a helpless child...and don't you think whoever maybe orchestrating these attacks would have come for me by now, if they truly wanted my life?"

Link swallowed any response he might have given. She wasn't really wrong...but he still felt uneasy risking her safety. He knew he couldn't find the words to change her mind.

"That's what I thought," Zelda asserted, eyes narrowed.

Sidon reached over to place a calming hand on Link's shoulder. With only a subtle hint of sarcasm, he said, "Her Majesty does have a point, Link."

Zelda, still flustered and wanting to hurry to address the situation at hand, shot an annoyed look at him.

"Err, I mean, Zelda has a point," the zora prince gulped, correcting himself.

"But I cannot risk you to be in any sort of danger," Link said, putting his foot down.

"There is always going to be danger!" Zelda exclaimed in exasperation. "Look around you. We are surrounded by danger. Being by your side is the safest place I can be. If I were to remain at the Domain every time you two go off gallivanting after trouble, who would be here to protect me then, hmm?"

Link stretched out his arms in a gesture encompassing the entirety of the city. "There is a legion of soldiers here that can guard you, not to mention the gerudo company. I still don't know what is out there or what we are dealing with. And I'm responsible for watching over you, and making sure you are safe. I can't do that if I have to split my focus between you and investigating a possible dangerous situation."

"And who is going to watch over you, hmm? Look, I know you believe yourself to be this invincible warrior, but you are not. You bleed red, just like the rest of us. Were in this together. Don't forget it was I who braved an army of Guardians, alone I might add, to take on the Calamity for one hundred years. I can handle myself well enough. And, as Princess, I order you to allow me to come along."

Zelda spoke her demand with head held high, hands perched at her waist and eyes closed. She'd clearly made up her mind, and it would be her final word on the matter.

Link paused, taking a moment to consider her words. She was right, of course. And far be it from him to doubt her bravery. She'd proven herself well enough already. "Okay, Zelda. But at the slightest sign of danger, we head back to the Domain. Deal?"

"Certainly. If there is any sign of danger, I'll escort you back to the Domain myself," she mocked with a smile.

"I'm serious, Zelda," Link reiterated, unamused by her antics.

"So am I," she retorted, face aglow, and a shine in her eye. She felt the burning courage inside her and embraced it. If she was to ever be a great ruler, she had to be willing to get her hands dirty for her kingdom. No more hiding behind high walls. Her people needed her.

Sidon stepped up, cutting in on their now-playful quarrel. "Sorry to interrupt whatever this is, but perhaps we should be off to the dam?"

"Lead the way, Sidon!" Zelda exclaimed.

Not far from the Domain was the lower dam, situated just south of the main Rutala dam. The trio walked along a bridge adjacent to it, accompanied by a pair of zora soldiers. From the bridge they could view every inch of the magnificent structure, and note its condition. The solid stone dam stood hundreds of feet high, crowned by ramparts where observers could look downward upon either side of the structure – on one side, the water's edge of the Rutala-fed lake, and on the other, the small river the weaved its way out into Hyrule's plains.

"You see over there?" Sidon said pointing towards the far end of the dam. The stone he pointed toward was blistered in a lump, with a fine network of cracks that made it look like a broken eggshell. Drips of water already leaked out from the wall of the dam. The impact point was clearly massive, at least twenty feet in diameter.

"Thanks for bringing us, Sidon," Zelda replied. She paced ahead of the group to lean over the bridge to catch a better glimpse of the damage. Intrigued by its appearance, she studied it."Who could have caused this sort of damage? What has that sort of strength?"

As Link made his way to her side, she pulled the Sheikah Slate from her travel satchel that she had hugged around her tight journey pants. With the Slate, she could gather more evidence and keep a better record of such crimes occurring throughout the city.

After taking a few snapshots of the damaged wall, she spoke again. "It appears that whoever perpetrated this attack must have done it from the other side…from within the lake…"

The princess waved Link and Sidon over to where she stood against the railing of the bridge. Emphasizing the damage with her hand, she continued. "Look here…the damage seems to have originated from within the dam and not from an outside force."

She zoomed in on the slate, showing Link, who curiously gazed at it from over her shoulder. It was as she said, with the damage on the wall bulging outward from force exerted on the other side.

"But that would mean...! It can't be!" Sidon exclaimed, running up behind his two hylian friends to see the image for himself.

"A zora?" Link added, confused by the idea of it.

"Only a zora would be able to reach it...It's a two-hundred foot dive into the water on the other side, and only a zora could handle such depths," Sidon explained. His face grew ashen at the thought of one of his people committing such a terrible deed. He spun around, fiercely shaking his head as if to ward off the very possibility. "It cannot be! No zora would do such a thing! Not to their own people!"

"Even if it was a zora who did it, who has the strength to do that to solid stone? The damn is, what, ten feet thick? Twenty?" Link added, perplexed.

Zelda's eyebrows lifted. She'd been pondering that as well. She leaned back, one hand on her waist and the other cupping her chin as she considered the facts aloud. "True. Loyalty aside, even a zora of Sidon's size likely wouldn't have the strength. Still, we need to get more information…"

The princess turned to face Sidon directly, a comforting smile on her face. "Now that we know it originated from within the lake, Link and I will stay here to gather more portraits and evaluate the scene. Perhaps it would be best for you to swim down from the other side and look from within the water, Sidon. We may find a better clue as to who did this."

"Great idea! Why didn't I think of that?" Sidon replied. Truly, he was glad to have her accompany them.

She gave another warm smile and shouted toward him as he began his trek to the top of the dam. "Hurry! It appears stable for the moment, but we can't know for sure! Just take a quick look and come right back! The dam isn't safe in its current condition!"

Having quickly reached the top of the dam, Sidon waved to his friends below, and flung himself high into the air in an acrobatic dive. As he splashed deep into the water, he dived to its deepest, darkest depths. Being a zora, he was able to see quite clear underwater and hold his breath for well over twenty minutes. Even though zora were aquatic forms of life, they still couldn't breathe underwater and relied on a steady supply of air. However,

unlike their hylian friends, they adapted to go without for extended periods of time.

As he swam past schools of colorful fish and the other marine lake life nestled among and forests of freshwater lakeweed, he came upon the scene of the wrecked dam wall. It was just as Zelda said it would be. A large crater was visible left on this side of the stone, but the source of the impact was nowhere to be seen. Sidon twirled in the water as he swam closer to get a better look of the damage. There he felt up and down the decimated dam wall with his fingers.

However, just as he'd begun to more closely study the damage, a massive lake creature torpedoed through the water straight towards his back. Sidon's sharp senses saved him, as he narrowly dodged the behemoth that swam in the water right behind him. But, even though the prince escaped being pulverized, the creature still impacted against the splintered portion of wall, exacerbating the damage.

After an array of bubbles from the force of the slam cleared, Sidon managed to get a better view of what it was that nearly crushed him. Frightened and awestruck, he realized it was Lord Buru Buru, the zora people's patron deity. None had seen Buru Buru in over a century, a colossal fish, with mighty jaws and a crown of solid bone certainly looked majestic. And yet...he had been the one attacking the wall?

But why? Sidon thought. None of it made sense. From what he'd been taught, Lord Buru Buru never moved. For over one-hundred years, the immense being slept in and undisturbed hibernation at the bottom of the lake. Something, or someone, must have awakened him. But there would be no time for him to be solving riddles in the dark about what might have caused this. He needed to act fast. That last impact had further splintered the wall, and the entire dam quaked from the force of it. One more direct hit like that from Lord Buru Buru's crown, and a rupture would be imminent.

Zelda and Link, still on the other side of the dam, felt the enormous shockwave of force shake the ground where they stood uncontrollably.

"What's happening?!" Zelda screamed as the bridge beneath them trembled and rocked from side to side. She almost fell over the railing, but Link quickly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back.

With both feet firmly back on the ground, she spun around to face her hero. "Thank you, Link. That was quite close..."

She heaved an immense sigh of relief, even as she blushed at being held so tightly in her knight's arms. But the danger wasn't over yet, and there wasn't any time for that. Just as she was about to speak again, she noticed that behind Link, high above them on a neighboring cliff, rocks had begun to fall. The trajectory of one such large stone was on course to crush them right where they stood. Without any time to think, still in Link's embrace, she pulled him down to the ground with her, out of harm's way. There they both lay on the bridge, stunned by what was happening around them. The bridge didn't shake quite so terribly as before, but still had a steady vibration pulsing through it.

Link thanked her with a smile and quickly helped Zelda back up to her feet. They both gazed over the railing again where they now stood. The dam cracked even more. This time the splinters stretched all the way up to the top lip of it. Link pointed, motioning Zelda to look over to where water leaked out from small fissures. She knew immediately by the sight that with that level of damage a breach would be inevitable.

"Link, it's going to burst," Zelda all but whispered, panicking beginning to set in. "What are we going to do? We can't leave Sidon!"

"I know," he replied.

In the deep cold waters of the lake, Sidon watched in horror as Lord Buru Buru propelled through the water, leaving an enormous wake behind him. There would only be a minute left to act, as he prepared to come around for another pass at the dam. Sidon knew he had to stop him...but how? Lord Buru Buru was easily over fifty feet long, and couldn't be halted by Sidon's strength alone...

Then Sidon remembered something. It was something Muzu once taught him as a child, a lesson from over half a century ago. It was once believed that the zora royal family, long ago, long before his time, was said to be able to speak to their patron deity. Could it be possible? He didn't have any time to dwell on if legends were true or not. For all he knew, it was just a story for children. It didn't matter, he had to try. Lives depended on him being able to stop Lord Buru Buru from crashing into the dam.

So, with all the focus he could muster, he floated in the water just in front of the impact point on the wall of the dam. His hands outstretched and his eyes closed, he entered a deep trance, trying to awaken whatever power might lay dormant within him. Only seconds remained as Lord Buru Buru shot toward him, picking up speed, faster and faster.

The prince's thoughts wandered, searching, trying desperately to find whatever it was that could spark the power. Suddenly, memories flowed through him as he tapped into the deeper consciousness of his mind. They played like still scenes, one after the other. Some were fond memories of himself as a child with his dear sister Mipha, like the time she taught him how to swim against rough currents. Others were even more random, like when he'd been trained by the best zora swordsmen in his early youth, on his journey to become a great warrior. One after the other, he witnessed them in his mind's eye. Until one specific recollection came to mind.

Sweet Sidon...should fate ever part us, I'm counting on you to protect our beloved home from harm..., the prince heard Mipha's voice quietly speak to him as he calmly waded in the deep water, eyes still closed. He couldn't be sure if it were a memory...or if she truly spoke to him at that very moment. Whichever it was, he knew he had to listen. Only you can protect them, now. So be the prince you were meant to be and go. Protect our people! You already have the power, just let it go!

The monstrous beast was mere seconds away from crushing him into the dam...

...when Sidon's eyes suddenly shot open, wide and ready. His entire awareness had been heightened and sharpened like a fine blade. He stared deep into the eyes of his oncoming deity as it hurled itself toward him in the water. And just as he was going to meet his doom, Sidon's body shivered with power. He stretched out his right arm, and as he opened the palm of his hand a shockwave of energy shot out from him and pulsed in the water. And through the might of his will alone...the powerful pulse, a sonar signal, left his body and commanded the titanic fish to stop its assault on the dam.

The magnificent creature heard his last-second distress call, and broke free from whatever terrible spell had a hold over it...

...but it was too late. The beast tried to stop its downward thrust into the wall of the dam but the momentum that carried it couldn't simply cease so suddenly. As it pulled back, it twirled in the water, flipping over on itself erratically. Caught up in its own current, it headed directly toward Sidon.

Unable to stop the monstrous creature, Sidon knew he had to escape. If he did not, he'd be shattered along with the dam. So, at the last moment, Sidon shot himself upward in the lake. He heard the terrible crash as the beast slammed one last time into the wall, and the cacophonous sound of snapping, crumbling stone, and rushing, gushing water as the dam failed, and the lake began to empty through the breach.

As the four who remained on the bridge awaited Sidon's return, Zelda looked out into the ravine below and just beyond the dam. In horror, she realized that some people still hadn't evacuated the river gulley.

"Link, look! There are children down there!" She shouted in a frayed panic, pointing just below their bridge toward a grove of trees. It appeared to be two zora children huddled around a tiny campfire.

Link angrily turned to the two guardsmen. "I thought you all cleared the area!"

The two zora men just looked at each other nervously, then back toward Link and Zelda. Frightened, one of them spoke. "We did. We did clear the area. Those children must have returned some time after the evacuation. They play down there all the time."

"This late at night?!"

The guard just nodded at Link's question.

Link looked below where they were at and knew what he had to do. He spun back around to face Zelda and the two zora soldiers, who continued to narrowly avoid falling rocks.

"Get the princess back to the Domain, now! I have to save them!" he commanded. Then, without a moments hesitation, he bolted over to one of the guards and relieved him of his steel shield. The guards and Zelda were left speechless by his actions.

Link looked over the railing one last time and saw the route he would need to take to reach the kids below. It was a steep hill beside him that led right down to their position. Much too steep to walk down, so he simply leaped into the air and over the railing, flipping the pilfered shield over onto its shiny broadside, landing perfectly atop it.

"Link, wait!" Zelda shouted after him, but it was too late, and her knight was already surfing down the treacherous hillside. Even as the words escaped her lips, the final collision of the patron deity could be felt across the entire valley. A terrible rumble emanated from the dam, much greater than the last.

As the entire area began to quake again fiercely, she stood and observed as the dam steadily began to break apart. Enormous cracks ran through the wall in all directions, like veins about to burst, and the once beautiful, pale blue stonework was made hideous with blemishes signaling its imminent doom.

One by one, streams of water erupted from the seams. The first leaks were small, but they only grew larger, as more and more of the structure failed. Within moments, the entire dam would collapse, flooding the canyon below. One of the guards swiftly ran up and tried to grab her, but she pulled away from him.

"Princess, we have to go! There is no time!" the guard pleaded.

"Let go of me!" she demanded. Zelda dodged away from him as the bridge violently twisted and rocked side to side. She knew Link wouldn't be able to survive if the dam collapsed on him. He would surely drown, or be crushed by stonework, or pulverized by the sheer force of the flood waters. Her heart sank, and she was filled with immeasurable fear...fear that she might lose him.

Then she remembered the Slate, and as she looked toward the bursting dam to the side of her, she knew she had to delay the collapse. Steady geysers of water shot out, one after the other, from cracks inn the wall.

Holding the Slate in front of her, she faced the dam, remembering what Link had mentioned before about its powers and the other runes. It was good for more than portraits, and to access those other runes, one had to focus their thoughts and wish for the power to appear. They had to see the action in their mind, and know what it was they needed to accomplish before it would manifest outward from the slate. It was not so simple as pressing a button the display.

Recalling these facts, Zelda cleared her mind as best she could, even with all the chaos that was happening around her. The zora guard was prepped to make another attempt to force her from where she stood, but the bridge shook and made it hard for him to reach her. As he moved to grab her, the princess simply continued to face the slate towards the erupting wall of the dam, unafraid. And with her eyes closed and the cool wind of the canyon blowing across her face, she focused all her thoughts on a single word. And it was when she focused on that single word, she opened her eyes with conviction and authority on what to do, commanding the Slate with her mind. Cryonis!

Immediately from the slate in her hands came a piercing blue translucent light. As the crystal beams of light met the streams of water shooting out from the wall, it froze them instantly. They were transformed into beautiful shards of solid ice. One by one she blasted them, seemingly patching up the dam as it spewed out from different spots.

But the relief was short lived. On her final strike against the dam as she held out the Slate, just about to send a final wave of polar energy, the device sizzled and abruptly went dark, ceasing to function as if the last of all its power was drained entirely.

"Oh no...No! No!" Zelda panicked, as she frantically shook the Slate in her hand, trying to get it to respond. She stared down over the railing back towards the wall of the dam. Most of the seams she had targeted were still frozen, but there was one steady geyser shooting out from the bottom of the wall, slowly flooding the river valley below. It seemed that the ice patches could perhaps buy Link enough time to rescue the children, as Zelda watched him make his way to their campsite.

As she leaned over the side of the bridge, she heard a sudden terrible crash and bang. Cracks began to snake through the dam as the ice began to melt, and the seemingly small stream of water burst from the wall with incredible force, tearing apart the ice patches she'd constructed. There was nothing else she could do but watch as, one by one, each ice vein shattered and released fountains of water once again. The structure continued to splinter and crack, and soon as the last block of ice burst, the dam collapsed entirely.

"No...Link!" the princess shrieked in absolute terror as she saw the rushing waves of boulders and lake water rushing through the canyon below, almost to the height of the bridge where she stood.

Just as the river gulley started to flood, she saw him dash towards the two zora children, scooping them up in his arms. In a blaze of speed, she saw him desperately trying to out run the rushing currents and broken stone that was heading straight for them. Her gaze now fixed on him, she saw the campfire that was behind him being swallowed up by the massive waves.

But even with his incredible speed, he couldn't outrun the devastating flood waters that chased him. Link ran with all the speed of a lightning bolt, yet it simply wasn't enough. He glanced over his shoulder and instantly knew he wasn't going to make it to higher ground in time. So, holding tightly to the two frightened children, the knight leaned his shoulder towards the crashing waves and braced for impact. There he stood, shielding the children as he prepared to be engulfed by the enormous flood waters.

At the horrific sight of what she was witnessing, a shiver shot up Zelda's spine, her pupils shrank, and her eyes widened. She tried to scream towards him, but she was filled with so much fear that her very breath was robbed from her and she was left speechless.

In the blink of an eye she saw Link, still carrying the two children, get swept up in the raging tsunami. And then...he was gone, swallowed by massive waves. Nothing more than river rapids remained where he once stood. The water, uncaring, rushed out toward the heart of Hyrule's plains and grasslands.

Zelda could feel her world crashing down all around her, and she collapsed on the bridge. But just before she could fall to her knees, she felt someone lift her up. A strong red arm wrapped around her, securing her tightly. It was Sidon, still dripping wet from his swim. He swung her in his arms and carried her as the water level below them began to rise dangerously, overflowing onto the bridge.

"Let's go, Zelda! We have to get you out of here!" Sidon declared as he carried her off, wasting no time.

"Link! Link is still down there! We can't leave! Please!" Zelda pleaded and cried. Waterfalls of tears rolled down her cheeks. Sidon, ignoring her pleas for her own good and without hesitation, carried her back towards the safety of the Domain. She thrashed around in his arms, desperately trying to break free so she could wait for Link. Sidon didn't have a choice, he had to make sure she was safe. The water was already spilling over onto the bridge where they were, and he had to get her to higher ground, at least until the water receded. It was what Link would have wanted him to do.

"Don't worry! I'll go back for him, as soon as you are safe!" Sidon assured her as he carried her up the bridge that led to the higher levels of the Domain.

Upon reaching the high ground, Sidon sat her down where they were safe. Zelda sprang to her feet in a raging surge of emotion, still crying, rushing away from Sidon and back toward where Link vanished under the waves. Sidon ran after her, begging her to wait before she went too far.

"Zelda, stop! It's not safe yet! I'll go look for him!" he declared, blocking her path as she attempted to run past him.

"I don't care if it's unsafe! Please, we must do something! Link needs us!" the princess pleaded. Her voice trembled as she fell to her knees and cried.

"I'll go and find him, but you must stay here. The waters should be receding any minute now as the river pulls more away," Sidon replied. Without any further delay, the prince bolted for the lower part of the bridge that descended into the canyon. As he reached the end of it, he leaped with a fantastic dive into the rushing river current.

Zelda paced nervously, awaiting any news of Link or Sidon from the safety of the cliff that led out to the high end of the bridge. Seconds felt like days, and only a few minutes had likely passed before Sidon suddenly splashed out from the water. The river was already showing signs of diminishing as the lake feeding it began to drain.

The large zora, noticeably alone, slowly walked over to where Zelda stood. His head hung low as he approached, he could only shook his head as he met her gaze.

It was as if Zelda's soul had left her body. Her limbs went numb and her lip quivered. She fell to the cold stone ground and wept again, burying her face in her hands as she sobbed. Her heart was torn from her, and in what seemed a mere instant, all her hopes and dreams felt as if they'd been shattered. She was lost...

Sidon spoke then, his own voice hoarse with grief even as he tried to comfort the shocked princess. "I couldn't see him...he wasn't there...I couldn't find him...I'm...I'm so sorry, Zelda...I...I tried..."

They were both left in suspended disbelief of what just happened.

The grieving girl simply lifted her head her hands, still trembling, and softly replied, "I know, Sidon...I know you tried...I just...I can't...I can't believe he's gone..."

Sidon, who's eyes were also red and filled with tears fought back the cry. He then lifted her up from her knees and held her close as she wept in his arms.

Authors Note- Hello everyone please be sure to leave a comment if you like the story or not, if you want me to continue. Also, I want to take a vote of when you all would like to see chapters released. Maybe I can come up with a chapter schedule in order to be more punctual with you all and not be so random. let me know your thoughts, and as always enjoy! thanks for reading.

Chapter Text

Chapter 10

Revival

There was no sign of her cherished knight. Zelda's heart ached with the kind of agony that hollowed the soul — a pain too familiar, too cruel. He had only just returned to her after a century of silence, only for the world to wrench him away again. It felt as though time itself mocked her — that after a hundred years of waiting, she was doomed to another parting. She could not bear to believe it. That she might never again feel his warmth, never again bare her heart to him as she had always longed to. The thought shattered something deep inside her.

Prince Sidon held her as tightly as his strength allowed, his great arms a futile wall against her grief. Her cries broke against his chest, raw and unrestrained — the wail of someone whose hope had been torn away by the river. She trembled in his grasp, though not from the canyon's wind, but from a soul splintered at its core. Her body was here, yet her spirit seemed to crumble somewhere far beyond his reach.

The poor girl stared into the distance as if the world had turned unreal.

"Please tell me Sidon...please say it isn't true...maybe...maybe, you can try again and have another look? Maybe...maybe, he drifted somewhere you didn't see? Please...please just don't tell me he's gone...please don't tell me...please!"

Her voice broke into sobs that tore through the cliffs like a wounded bird's cry. Her red, tear-swollen eyes lifted to him in desperation.

"Okay...okay...I'll have another look right now, but try to remain calm...please," Sidon said gently, holding her at arm's length to steady her shaking form. But before he could move, a shout carried through the canyon.

"My prince look, there on the cliff!"

The sentry's voice cut the wind like a blade. Zelda's eyes went wide, her heart seizing at the words. She tore free from Sidon's grasp and ran, skirts whipping in the updraft, to where the guard pointed. Sidon turned sharply, bounding after her, his gaze locking on a narrow fissure that broke away from the river's heart.

There, clinging to the slick stone of a ravine wall, was a hand — pale, trembling, half-submerged in the fading current. The fingers dug into the rock's jagged lip, fighting against the pull of the rushing water. As the river receded, more of the arm appeared, limp but alive.

Sidon's breath caught. He knew that hand.

It was him. It was Link.

Without hesitation, the prince of the Zora launched himself forward, the world around him narrowing to a single point of motion. The distance between them vanished in great, bounding strides. The hand slipped just as Sidon reached the edge — and before the river could claim it, his own caught fast around Link's arm.

He hauled with a roar, water cascading from his scales, and flung the limp body free from the current. As Link landed upon the grass, Sidon realized the hero still clutched, even in unconsciousness, two small Zora children — their skin pale green, their bodies unmoving.

Sidon laid all three side by side upon a patch of wet grass. The air smelled of river stone and iron. Zelda and the guards arrived moments later. She fell to her knees beside Link before her mind could catch up with her heart.

Then, miraculously, one of the Zora children stirred — coughing up water, gasping for air. The other blinked awake, dazed but alive. They were resilient, Sidon thought — their kind could withstand the river's wrath better than any Hylian. But Link…

Link was still.

He lay there like a carved effigy, color drained, motionless. Zelda's pleas turned to trembling whispers as she bent over him, her words crumbling between sobs. Sidon hovered close, pacing like a restless tide, his eyes darting for any sign of breath. The two young Zora began to cry as well, their small voices quivering in dread.

Zelda's fingers brushed back the soaked hair clinging to his brow. His face was white, his lips bluish. "Please Link...please...I can't...I can't lose you...please, you promised me...you promised." Her tears fell in steady drops, darkening the fabric of his torn adventurer's tunic. It was shredded from the rocks — a testament to his struggle against the current. Her heart broke anew at the sight of it.

And then, as though her voice pierced the veil between life and death, Link convulsed. A violent gasp tore from his lungs, followed by a rush of water that spilled across the grass. He rolled to his side, choking, coughing, clawing for breath. His face remained pale, but color slowly bloomed back into his skin like dawn upon frost.

Zelda staggered back a step, hands to her mouth, tears frozen on her cheeks. Sidon exhaled sharply, his chest rising in awe.

Link leaned forward on trembling arms, his breath ragged, his hair plastered to his brow.

"I'm alright...I'm alright," he coughed, voice faint as he pressed his hand to the earth for balance. A moment passed before he lifted his head again, his words steadier now.

"I'm sorry I've had you all worried, but I had to...I had to save them...are they alright?"

Sidon turned, relief flooding his features. "Yes, they are fine...thanks to you Link."

Link gave a half-smirk, breath still uneven. "What a day," he said, forcing himself upright, wobbling slightly as he stood.

Zelda stared at him, a whirlwind of emotions — relief, fury, love, and sorrow — colliding within her all at once. Before she knew it, she charged forward, voice trembling.

"You...don't you ever do anything that stupid ever again!"

Her shove lacked strength but not feeling. Then she threw her arms around him, sobbing into his chest. She didn't know whether to strike him or…kiss him.

"I thought I lost you Link," she whispered against him, words meant for him alone. Her tears streaked his soaked tunic as she lifted her gaze, eyes glistening.

"I'm alright, I promised you didn't I... You didn't really think I could be bested by just a few waves, did you?"

She huffed against his chest, half-scolding, half-relieved. "I forbid you to do anything like that ever again!" Her voice cracked as she buried herself in his embrace once more. "I swear, if you ever do anything like that again, I'll...I'll—"

"You'll what?" he teased softly.

She faltered, burying her face again in silence. Before she could find her words, Sidon's booming laugh carried over them.

"Ha! That was amazing Link! I've never seen anyone move that fast! How did you...How did you do that? It was like you were there and then suddenly you were not. You would then be somewhere else off in the distance, running from the waves...Like you just appeared there!?"

"Really? Well, clearly not fast enough..." Link said dryly, pulling at his torn shirt. Beneath it, shallow cuts lined his ribs, the skin raw and pink from stone. Zelda's breath hitched as she saw the marks.

"You're hurt!? Oh, my goodness Link! I'm sorry," she gasped. "And here I am squeezing you to death. We need to get you back to Domain right away, so I can look you over and bandage those wounds." Her voice shifted to command — instinctive, protective. Her eyes flicked over him, assessing every injury with trembling hands. When she reached for his palm, she saw the cuts and blisters from where he had clung to the rock.

"I'm alright, just a few scratches...It's no big deal."

"What do you mean it's no big deal? Look at your hand, it's all cut up! You're bleeding!"

"I'm fine, don't worry."

"Well I am going to worry," she countered sharply. "I need you to be in tip top shape, whether you think it is important or not!"

Sidon's laughter eased the tension, his wide hand settling on both their shoulders. "Well my friend, Zelda is correct, you should get those wounds looked at," he said, his gaze drawn suddenly skyward. The moon hung high — round and pale — spilling its light upon the ravine like silver cloth.

"It is starting to get late. We should head back to the Domain. It's nearly mid-eve by now and we all still have a long journey tomorrow back to Kakariko. We should get our rest."

Zelda turned to him, softening, nodding with a tired smile. "You're right Sidon, it is late, we should head back. There isn't much more we can do about the dam now. The lake will continue to drain into the river. I just hope those affected were able to clear the area in time."

"Don't worry princess, they did. I sent evacuation orders several hours prior to the rupture. The nearest stables were cleared out with the help of my best men. And besides, as the water flows along, the intensity of the rapids should diminish by the time it reaches the plains. The area will still flood heavily, but all the nearby settlements have been moved," Sidon reassured her, ever the stalwart friend.

"I hope so...Ever since we returned, it's like we can't ever get a break. Ganon is gone, but things keep happening," she murmured, glancing over the darkened canyon where the moonlight touched the rippling water.

"True, it would appear something more is at work here, but at least one good thing came of it!" Sidon grinned, sharp teeth flashing.

Zelda blinked, intrigued. "What is that?"

"Well...I just found out that I can talk to fish!"

Both Hylians froze, caught off guard.

"Wha-! How did you do that?"

"Well, long story short, I found the culprit who was wreaking havoc on the dam," Sidon said.

"And who is that?" Zelda asked, leaning forward with curiosity.

"It was Lord Buru Buru!" Sidon proclaimed with a proud gesture.

"And, that is who again?" she asked, brow furrowed. Link exchanged a helpless shrug.

"You know, Lord of the undertow and King of the sea?"

They both shook their heads.

Sidon frowned, tapping his chin as if the gesture might summon patience. "The watcher of the Domain and silent guardian of water?!"

"I'm sorry Sidon, I just don't know who that is," Zelda said softly, touching his arm in apology.

"Well, he is our Guardian deity, he has been asleep for well over a hundred years and for some reason he awoke. He is a massive divine creature that lives in the lake just north of the dam."

His words faltered — memory catching him off guard. His expression darkened.

"Wait...Wait! That means...Oh no!"

"What? What is it!?" Zelda's voice lifted in alarm.

"When he broke the dam, he must have been carried off with the flood. That or he is still in the lake somewhere, what remains of it that is. In either case he is going to be in trouble! He won't be able to survive long in shallow water. Whoever awoken him and cursed him to attack the dam will answer for their crimes!" Sidon's fists clenched, his voice trembling with fury.

"Wait, hold on just a second. Someone cursed him? What do you mean?"

"Yes, when I found him at the bottom of the lake he was acting erratic and was assaulting the dam, crashing himself into it over and over again. It was terrible. Lord Buru Buru would never do such a thing on his own. I am sure of it! Someone or some thing must have had a hold over his mind," Sidon said as the three began walking back toward the Domain, their silhouettes long under the moonlight.

"Then it must be the same person that was responsible for the attack on the Divine beasts. It has to be!"

"Most certainly, I have no doubts. But, whoever it is out there that is doing this, is no ordinary villain. Not if they had the ability to do that to Lord Buru Buru. He has been around for centuries and is very powerful and strong willed. So, for someone to come along and poison his thoughts like that so easily, should not be underestimated."

"You're right. Until we are sure what we are dealing with here, we must remain vigilant and keep a close eye out. Let's hurry and get back to the Domain, I'm sure they are worried about what has happened here tonight," Zelda said.

"Right!" Sidon replied.

And so they turned toward home — their footsteps splashing through the shallows, moonlight trailing behind them like a vow. The night was cool, the wind clean. Yet for Zelda, the ache in her chest lingered — a reminder that even when the river gave back what it took, some part of her heart remained with the current.

The night air in the Domain was cool and perfumed with rain mist and river bloom. Lanternlight shimmered across the water, casting gentle ripples that danced over marble and coral glass. After returning, Zelda and Link watched as the two rescued Zora children were reunited with their family. Their parents wept with joy, clutching them tight, scales gleaming under the pale glow. Gratitude poured from them in waves — their words soft and trembling as they thanked the Hylians for their courage.

It brought a fragile peace to Zelda's heart. For all that had been lost, some part of the world had been made right again tonight.

As the moon rose higher, Sidon offered his goodnight with that radiant smile of his, his fins glimmering like red and blue golden banners in the wind. "Rest well, my friends," he said warmly before turning away down the coral steps, his shadow stretching long across the stone. Zelda and Link, weary but content, were just about to retire when the sound of hurried footsteps echoed behind them.

A familiar voice broke the quiet.

"Princess! Are you alright, I came as soon as I heard!"

Zelda barely had time to turn before she was enveloped in a tight embrace. Riju's bangles clinked together as she held her fiercely.

"I'm alright. It's Link who you should be worried about," Zelda replied with a faint smile, pointing toward him.

Riju turned, her sharp eyes scanning the battered knight. His tunic was torn, his hair tangled and still damp, his every movement heavy with exhaustion.

"Link?" she said incredulously, closing the distance in a heartbeat. One hand rested on her bare hip, the other wagging a finger before his face. "What foolish thing did you do now!?"

Link froze, his throat tightening as her fiery glare bore into him. He could face monsters and gods without flinching — but Riju's disapproval was another matter entirely.

"You need to be more careful! And what were you thinking by putting the princess in a dangerous situation!?"

Before he could stammer out an excuse, Zelda stepped in. Her tone softened the air between them, calm yet sure. "Actually Riju, it was my idea to go and investigate the dam...and...if it weren't for Link here tonight, we would have lost two children. He was very brave." She turned her head toward him, offering a small, grateful smile — one that undid him far more than any scolding could.

"Is that right? Well still...the princess is going to need you alive, ya know? If you are ever going to do whatever it is, you are planning on doing. So, stop being a hero all the time! You're going to end up getting yourself killed! And then what will become of her, hmm?"

Riju's tone was teasing but edged with truth. Zelda blinked, momentarily taken aback, uncertain what the Gerudo meant by whatever it is you're planning on doing. Link's pulse stuttered. A bead of sweat traced his temple as he stared at the ground, utterly disarmed.

Riju spun back toward Zelda, the motion sending a faint shimmer of gold from her jewelry. "Well dear princess, I'm sorry we didn't accompany you earlier today, but I want you to know if there is anything you need of us, don't hesitate to call upon us. As for now, we are ready, willing and able to escort you back to Kakariko tomorrow. We will be waiting for you at first light. You should both probably get some rest while you can." She clasped Zelda's hands in her own — firm, warm, and sincere — their eyes meeting in mutual respect.

"No need to apologize, there was no way anyone could have known what would have happened today. And thank you for your generosity and loyalty in Hyrule's hour of need, it won't ever be forgotten," Zelda said softly, her voice laced with exhaustion yet grace. A small yawn escaped her lips despite her efforts to hide it. "So, we will see you in the morning, goodnight Riju."

Riju smiled, performing a graceful bow before turning away toward her quarters, her red veil trailing like desert flame behind her.

At last, silence returned — the kind that feels earned after chaos. Zelda and Link exchanged a quiet look, one that said everything their tired voices could not. A half-smile passed between them, weary but content, as they turned toward the grand walkway leading to their chambers. The moon glowed over the falls like a white coin sinking into the horizon.

But peace, it seemed, would not last the night.

A strained voice called out behind them, full of age and urgency.

"Princess! Wait, a moment of your time please!"

Link stopped mid-step, his shoulders sinking. He exhaled through his nose, already recognizing the voice. "Of course," he muttered under his breath. Zelda gave him a sympathetic glance before turning to face the source.

It was Muzu — running as best he could across the coral bridge, his robes flapping around his knees. By the time he reached them, he was doubled over, gasping for air.

"I'm sorry, I'm not as young as I once was, and these old legs of mine can only carry me so fast... But princess, I came to thank you for what you've both done for me and to beg your forgiveness," Muzu said, voice trembling, his hand braced on his thigh as he straightened. His eyes were red-rimmed and wet, his voice thin as reedgrass.

"Thank you...thank you so much for saving my only grandchildren...I know now, how foolish I have been. All you both have ever tried to do was help our people, and I was always horrible towards you both."

Zelda's breath caught, realization dawning. The two lime-colored children — his grandchildren. Link's chest tightened with quiet remorse. He'd misjudged the old Zora, let bitterness fill in what grief had carved out.

Muzu's voice broke again as he bowed his head, tears spilling freely. "I'm so...so sorry for the way I've been treating you both, especially you dear princess. And if you can find it in your heart, could you please forgive this old man for speaking harsh to you yesterday? You are the Princess of Hyrule, you deserve and command respect...it was wrong of me to speak to you that way. Please...please forgive me."

His knees buckled as he fell before her, hands trembling.

"You were forgiven the moment you said it," Zelda replied gently. Her tone carried no judgment — only warmth. She lowered herself and placed her hands upon his shoulders, guiding him up. The gesture alone seemed to steady him. Her compassion was quiet but boundless.

Muzu choked on a sob. "It's just, I loved her so much...as if she was my own hatchling...Mipha that is... I raised her...I know neither you hold any blame for what happened. What Mipha did was what she felt was right. She gave of her own free will for her people. That was her...that was my Mipha...always taking care of others before herself. She didn't have a single selfish bone in her body...she was good...and that monster took her away from us."

He buried his face in his hands. Zelda rubbed slow, comforting circles on his back. "It's alright, let it all out okay? I know what it's like to lose the ones you love most."

As she comforted him, Link stood quietly nearby, the scene reflected in his eyes — Zelda's golden hair against the old Zora's tears, compassion bridging centuries of pain. He could not stand idle. Something stirred within him, a memory — a presence that was not entirely gone.

He closed his eyes, took a step back, and let the noise of the world fall away.

Zelda noticed at once. "Link? Are you alright?"

Her voice drew Muzu's gaze upward; his eyes, swollen from grief, blinked toward the young knight who now stood motionless, head bowed, breath steady.

Link's heart calmed into stillness. In that silence, he sought her — Mipha — not in memory, but in spirit. Somewhere deep within, a soft warmth began to bloom.

He clenched his fists, then opened them wide, pulling that power from within his chest until it filled him, until it overflowed. The air shifted.

A pulse of light erupted.

The bridge was bathed in radiant green as Link's body lifted from the ground, his eyes closed, his expression serene. The light was warm, pure — divine. Zelda stepped back, eyes wide, her hand to her mouth. Muzu, awestruck, stumbled to his feet.

The energy swirled around Link in translucent waves, shimmering like water under moonlight. And then — as though drawn forth by the power of remembrance — a spirit took form.

From within that light emerged Mipha.

Soft and luminous, her presence radiated gentleness and peace. Muzu staggered forward, tears streaming anew.

"Is it...really you? Mipha?"

Her smile was faint but full of love. "Thanks be to Link, my spirit was freed...and because of that, I'll be able to be with you always," she whispered, her voice carrying through the mist like a prayer. "You see? I'm alright...and I'll be right here...always."

She reached out, her glowing hand resting over Muzu's chest. Light spilled through his scales like dawn.

And then — she was gone.

The glow faded, leaving only the soft lapping of water below the bridge. Link collapsed to his knees, gasping, his body drained.

Muzu stood trembling, tears falling freely once more — but this time they were tears of peace. "Thank you...thank you so much Link...I don't know how I can ever repay you, for what you've done for me!"

The old Zora's face glowed with gratitude. A century of bitterness had melted away; where sorrow had lived, healing now bloomed.

Zelda could hardly breathe. She had witnessed many miracles in her lifetime, yet none so tender as this.

Link rose slowly, the faint shimmer of divine light still clinging to him.

"Just answer me one more thing..." Muzu said, voice steadier now, wiping his eyes. "Did you make that monster pay for what he's done?"

Link looked up, the faintest smile playing on his lips — quiet, resolute.

Zelda placed a gentle hand on Muzu's shoulder. "Though it is true, Ganon took a lot from us all...and it could never be the same, but I can promise you, he paid for it," she said softly. Her gaze lifted toward Link, eyes gleaming with pride. "Yes, Link made sure that terrible beast answered for all his crimes. Calamity Ganon has been slain."

Muzu straightened, bowing low before them both. "Well, then I thank you again...for all that you have done, the both of you. I know there is no way I can ever repay you for what you've done for us...please accept my friendship and know I'll be at your service, whenever you may have need of it...but as for now, it is late and I know you must be tired, I bid you good evening. The Domain will forever be a home to you both."

He bowed once more, voice thick with reverence, before retreating into the quiet corridors of the Domain.

At last, they were alone again. The corridors of the Domain were quiet save for the distant sigh of waterfalls. Lanterns flickered along the blue glass walls, their reflections bending in the water below like slow-moving stars.

Zelda and Link crossed the moonlit bridge that led to their secluded wing — a private retreat of carved coral, pale stone, and soft blue light. When they entered, Link exhaled a long, heavy breath and immediately began to ready his bedroll, exhaustion pulling at his limbs. He had scarcely begun to collapse onto it when a firm finger pressed against his shoulder.

"And what is it that you think you are doing? We still need to bandage you up and clean those wounds," she said with a smile, one brow raised in mock authority.

Link sighed through his nose and gave a half-shrug, wordless but compliant. Beneath the quiet stoicism, a warmth bloomed — he wouldn't admit it aloud, but he relished these moments of her care.

Zelda guided him to a chair by the table, pulling her own seat close beside his. She brought forth the ointment and linen strips the Zora attendants had left earlier. Under the soft glow of the bioluminescent lamps, she set his hand in hers and inspected his injuries.

"Now, I'm sorry in advance...but this might sting a little," she warned gently. Then she dabbed the iridescent salve onto his palm.

Link hissed between his teeth the moment it touched skin. The medicine shimmered like liquid rainbow — and burned like fire.

"Hold still!" she giggled.

"You said it would sting only a little, not burn my flesh off!" he groaned, one eye squeezed shut.

Zelda laughed again, the sound soft and bright. "I'm sorry Link, but it must be done, to keep the sickness from setting in," she said, her voice patient as she began winding the bandage around his hand with careful precision.

When she moved to tend the gash across his chest, her composure wavered. Her fingertips brushed against the warmth of his skin, tracing the edges of muscle and scar. She forced herself to focus on her work, but a rush of heat climbed up her neck. The closeness was disarming — the steady sound of his breath, the faint scent of river water and steel on him.

To distract herself, she spoke.

"That was a very brave thing you did today, Link... Foolish, but brave nonetheless. And that was very sweet what you did for Muzu as well. How did you know you would be able to do that? How did you do that?"

Link straightened slightly, the pain from the salve helping him stay alert. "Well, the truth is, ever since I freed Ruta from Ganon's control, Mipha too was also freed. I was finally able to see her again, after one hundred years. It was like a dream," he said quietly.

"Really? A dream you say?" Zelda asked, and there was a faint tremor beneath her calm tone — a spark of jealousy she tried to hide.

"Well, sort of. I always cared for Mipha. She has always been good to me ever since I was a small boy," he continued, his voice distant, thoughtful.

"Really?" she pressed, unable to resist the curiosity — or the sting it brought.

"We were very good friends. And, well, she was also very beautiful. She was the most beautiful girl I have ever seen up until that point."

The bandage she was wrapping suddenly tightened. Link winced. Zelda's hand froze for a heartbeat before she eased her grip again, cheeks flushed. Her jealousy betrayed her — playful perhaps, but real.

After a beat, he cleared his throat and went on. "Well, although she was beautiful...me and her only had just been friends. I could never have given her what she truly wanted, and she knew that. But what I could give her was peace — the peace of knowing that I will always care for her, even as a friend. So, with that, she gave her power to me. Her power to heal. And now...I gave that power to Muzu. He needs it much more than I ever could."

Zelda stilled. The words disarmed her. Her jealousy melted into shame and something softer — admiration, perhaps. Her knight, selfless even in remembrance. She sighed quietly, smiling through her guilt as she fastened the last strip of cloth.

"There we are! All done. See? Not too bad, was it! What do you think? My first field dressing," she said, a note of pride in her voice.

Link flexed his wrapped hand, testing its movement. "Not bad. Now if I was only able to close my grip and hold my sword, it would be perfect," he teased. The bandage was thick as a mitten.

Zelda giggled, covering her mouth. "Yeah, maybe I may have done one too many passes around," she admitted. "But the good news is, this ointment is fast acting — or so I've been told. They say Zora medicine has magical properties. Perhaps that's why Mipha was so skilled in the arts of healing? Well, in any case, you should be good by tomorrow, I believe."

He walked a few slow circles around the room, admiring his hand as though it were a curious artifact. "Well then, let's just hope nothing else happens tonight or we will be in trouble," he said, smirking faintly.

"Oh Link! So ungrateful sometimes," she replied, feigning indignation, her grin betraying her. "Now don't forget, you have to take your potion before bed as well. Remember, just one drop, okay?"

She rose from her seat, slipping behind the dressing partition to change into her satin nightgown.

"I know, I have it right here," Link called back, unclasping the vial from around his neck. The chain gleamed faintly in the lamplight. He frowned at the memory of the potion's taste — bitter as rust and ash. Determined, he hatched a quick plan.

From behind the curtain, Zelda watched through the narrow slit of fabric, stifling a laugh.

Link poured water into a cup, uncorked the vial, and tipped a single drop onto his tongue. Immediately he chased it with water, grimacing as though struck by lightning. His shoulders jerked; his throat convulsed.

She giggled under her breath. He was flailing in pantomime, clutching his neck and shuddering, completely unaware of her watching eyes. For all his heroism, he could be so childlike.

When she peeked again, he was already tugging off his river-worn tunic and trading his trousers for softer linen ones. The lamplight traced the faint scars across his back — marks of battles long past — before he collapsed heavily onto the edge of the bed.

Behind her veil, Zelda lingered a little longer. The scent of perfumed oil filled the air as she combed it through her golden hair — gardenia and Zora lily, the same blend she had once worn in the days before the Calamity. It had been her favorite fragrance at court, one she'd nearly forgotten the scent of. Now, as it surrounded her again, it brought her back to that spring day so long ago — the sunlight, the laughter, the way he had looked at her then. For a moment, time folded in on itself, and she was sixteen again, heart racing for the same reason.

When she opened her eyes, she smiled softly to herself.

"Now, tomorrow morning we will be off to Kakariko, and no doubt we will have to go the long way around, now that the plains are flooded. Which would take us dangerously close to Hyrule Castle. But it will be no matter, we will be fine. I mean we do have Sidon and the Gerudo company among us after all. And... we do have the hero of Hyrule. So, we should be more than capable to handle any threat that comes along our way," she said aloud, half to herself.

From behind the curtain, she could hear his soft movements — the rustle of sheets, the faint sigh of a man finally letting exhaustion take him.

"Speaking of hero," she teased as she drew the curtain aside, "where were we before all this excitement happened?"

Her knight didn't answer.

"Link?" she called softly.

But he was already fast asleep — shirtless, sprawled sideways atop the bed as though he'd fallen mid-thought, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm.

Zelda smiled, the sight warming her more than any fire.

"Oh Link... we never seem to ever catch a break, do we?" she murmured, sitting gently beside him. Careful not to wake him, she slid a feather pillow beneath his head, brushing the damp hair from his brow. For a long moment, she simply looked at him — at peace, at last — and then she leaned down to press a soft kiss against his cheek.

"Goodnight, Link. Maybe next time," she breathed.

The candlelight trembled, then died as she blew it out. Shadows stretched long across the floor as she slipped into her own bed. Within moments, sleep claimed her.

As she drifted, her thoughts scattered like petals in the wind — the Divine Beasts, the dam, the Moon Pearl, all swirling in a haze of memory and worry. Yet beneath it all lay a single truth that brought her comfort: whatever trials awaited them, she would not face them alone. Link was here. And that knowledge, more than anything, lulled her into peace.

Authors note- Hello Everyone, I hope you like. Please if you haven't, drop a comment on what you think. Even if its just a thumbs up or thumbs down. I hope I am keeping you all entertained, and its hard to tell without much feedback, so if you do leave a comment, thanks so much! It is greatly appreciated! It helps me improve. Lastly, thanks again for all the support, and I hope you all enjoy where the story is heading. : )

Chapter Text

Chapter 11

The feather and the arrow

By daybreak Link and Zelda were already packed and ready for their trek back to Kakariko. Any day now they should be hearing word back from the Great Houses of Hyrule, which meant Zelda would be needing to hurry back to prepare for what was to come, good or ill.

Though it was already past mid-morning when the pair woke, Zelda felt the need to have one more quick word with the zora king on an important matter before the two travelers left the Domain.

"I still have to speak with Dorephan about the Moon Pearl to find out what he knows about it. If he's even heard of such a thing, that is," Zelda remarked to Link.

A few moments passed without any response from her knight, and the princess turned to find out what was wrong. It was then she saw him struggling to carry all their packs and belongings as they left their room. She must have been so preoccupied with her plans for the morning that it slipped her mind with regard to just how much they had to carry. During their stay, the zora had gifted her a great number of things, and she would be taking a great deal more of such back to Kakariko.

"Oh, dear! I'm sorry, Link. I didn't notice I was bringing back so much. I thought I packed light," she apologized as she made her way to grab some items from out of his arms.

"This is what you call packing light?" Link replied, trying to balance the packs and assorted gear that towered over him as he trailed behind her. He couldn't even see where he was walking, forced to follow steps according to Zelda's voice as she spoke to him. Many of the items were trinkets, more or less, such as the sets of Hylian-zora garments, as well as a variety of ointments and fine oils that princess dearly enjoyed. Other than those, Link also bore a chest given to the pair of them by the Gerudo, which held a formidable amount of precious gemstones and other riches from the desert - wealth that would be sorely needed to fund the rebuilding of the capital when the time came.

Zelda giggled, because he was right to be so sarcastic, after all. She could tell that much when she saw him struggle to hold the chest with one hand, all the while precariously holding four thatched crates stacked on top of each other with a sack on top in his other arm. And that was to say nothing of the backpacks, plural, strapped to him.

"Here, let me help," the princess insisted. He pulled away as she made her way to him.

"I've got it, don't worry," he coolly responded, maneuvering his face against the crates to keep them upright in front of him.

"Link, you look ridiculous trying to carry all of that! Please, let me help you," Zelda demanded more firmly, trying futilely to offer assistance even as he dodged her attempts to grab one of the crates. Before she could manage to finally get hold of one, the two were interrupted.

"You need a hand there, friend?" a voice was heard saying from around the bend of the hallway of their room. It was Sidon, the happy-go-lucky prince himself. Before Link could protest otherwise, the large zora had snatched two of the crates the hylian carried above his head.

"Don't worry, Link. I'll make sure we have a wagon for us to use before we make our way," Sidon said.

"Thank you, Sidon. Yes, I don't believe the two horses we brought would be able to carry these along their backs," Zelda concurred, cupping her chin as she abashedly realized just how much extra belongings they had now.

"Also, I must speak with your father one last time," Zelda asked the tall prince, humbly rubbing the back of her long, flowing blond hair. "If that is alright, of course?"

"Certainly!" he replied with a warm smile. "You are the princess of Hyrule; you don't need to ask permission here. I'm sure he will be more than willing to have another audience with you."

"Then I won't be long," she added.

"Master Link and I will prepare the wagons and horses alongside the others while you speak with my father. We should be ready for the journey as soon you are done," Sidon declared as he and Link stepped away from the princess, making their way down another bridge that led to the open mouth of the Domain.

She smiled. "Ha! You hear that? Take good care of your squire in my absence now, Ser Link!"

The princess giggled, amused again by the thought of Link taking the enormous zora prince under his wing. She waved and nodded to them as she left their presence, now off to see the zora King one last time.

After speaking with the king of the zora, it was apparent Zelda would still be left wondering about the mysteries of the Moon Pearl. As much as he would have liked to help her solve this riddle, he too was unaware of its existence or its significance. However, a stroke of luck might have found her in another form entirely. Upon leaving the presence of the King, she was surprisingly greeted by a noticeably more cheerful Muzu, who just so happened to have an appointment with Dorephan himself.

"Well, hello there. A fine morning to you, Princess of Hyrule. Is there any way that I may be of assistance to you this morning before you embark back on your journey?" he questioned, tilting his head in a show of reverence to her arrival.

"Actually, I came here to inquire on an important matter with the King. But, just like me, he was at a loss when it came to the mystery," Zelda responded, already making her decent from the top of the grand staircase, a glint of sadness in her eyes.

"Mystery, you say?" Muzu asked, his eyes widening at the prospect as he stopped near her. Zelda simply continued to walk past where he stood, the feeling of defeat heavy in the pit of her stomach.

"Perhaps I can be of some help, Princess?" Muzu offered, following after with a warm smile to lighten her dour mood. "After all, I am the overseer and lead scholar here in the Domain. My knowledge is at your behest your grace."

Zelda paused mid-step, spun back around and beamed at him. In that moment, she couldn't have been more thankful for his change in attitude, so willing to help, and so unlike the Muzu from before. "There is something I must know. Have you ever heard of a relic called the Moon Pearl?"

Muzu eyes jolted and he fell a step backwards, as if knocked off his feet by a strong ocean wave. The sight of such a reaction set Zelda's nerves on edge, and her chest began to beat like a drum. What does he know?

The aged zora coughed into his fist to clear his throat. "The Moon Pearl…ah, yes, I do recall such an artifact. A sacred relic safeguarded by the High Priest of Hylia herself, or so I have been told. But…that was a very long time ago. How did you ever come to hear about it, dear princess? And why now?"

The princess gulped, the nervous pit in her stomach seeming to quake. "As a matter of fact, I only heard about it just the other day in Kakariko. Impa told us about it, but she didn't know much on the matter."

She proceeded to tell him about the events leading up to the present situation, as well as the assassin and what he may have been after.

"I see…," murmured Muzu, lifting his head up high to the clear blue sky in contemplation of his words, trying to unravel the mysteries in his mind. "Well, the Moon Pearl is one of a kind in its existence. From the heavens of another realm they say, crafted by your gods themselves. It is said that it was once used by a hero, not unlike the lad you are with now, in order to aid in his own quest countless ages ago."

"And what did it actually do? For the hero, I mean?" Zelda inquired, her pointed ears perked in anticipation of Muzu's words.

"If I remember correctly, the Moon Pearl was a vessel which held a dark and terrible power. One the likes of which this world should never have to see again," the aged zora whispered, taking a step closer to her. "Your High Priest once told me, over a hundred years ago when I was studying under him and his scholars, that the Pearl is the key to a gateway to a lost hidden realm, as well. One where only evil and corruption resides."

"Then why would the hero ever have of need of it?"

"The hero of that era used it to contain a certain kind of darkness."

Zelda's eyes widened at the words, a swift deduction coming to her lips. "Malice?!"

"No one was ever certain if that is what it was. This darkness bore no unique moniker, and there are no remaining records that speak of it, almost certainly lost when the calamity struck, I'm afraid…but that is not all, Princess. The High Priest informed me that the actual Pearl itself was in his care. You might have come to have know it by another name - the Royal Scepter of Hyrule. The Pearl was crowned atop it."

"And to think, this whole time it was under our very noses. Why have it around? Why tempt fate? Why not just destroy it?!" the Princess exclaimed, upset by the logic of those who came before her.

"There is no mortal tool than can so much as scar it or even dim its milky twilight luster, let alone destroy it...it is of godly origin...and only by the gods can it be unmade," stated Muzu matter-of-factly, and he stepped to the side to begin to pace. "That is why those who have come long before us thought it wise to keep in the care of the Royal High Priest. To be forever hidden, and its truths safeguarded for all time. It is for that reason that not many have come to learn of its existence, and for good reason, I might add. If knowledge of its existence were to be known to evil-doers, and if they were to ever manage to unravel its secrets and use it to its full potential…who knows what terrible fate might await the world."

In that moment, Muzu's eyes grew more serious than Zelda had ever seen them before. The sight of it sent a chill down the princess' spine, as she realized just what danger everyone in Hyrule had been placed in even before the coming of Calamity Ganon.

"Agh! That means all this time it was in the care of that whistling fool Galivan! I can't believe we would ever leave him to be in charge of something so important?!" she raged, stomping about at the revelation, back and forth, away from Muzu.

"Yes, and surely he has been long perished since the Calamity, which means it has been lost," the aged zora added, not disputing her exclamations regarding Galivan's lackadaisical nature. "But, if truth be told, I'm not even sure he was even aware of the great significance of the Pearl that was in his care."

"What do you mean? Didn't you say the High Priest told you himself?"

"I said a High Priest told me, not that high priest. It was long before your time, before Galivan was ordained into his hierarchy. Your father was just a young man then, a fresh lord made prince, and soon to be a married King. It was Grand Master Sahasrala of the Citadel who was the High Priest at that time. He was a very wise protector of the divine, and handled his position with the upmost importance and care. A very old, temperate man. Though among the wisest of all, he seemed to many to be aloof and standoffish. Those around the capital didn't take much of a liking to him. To everyone else, he was strange and an outsider, always had his nose buried in his old books, studying and versing himself on the old incantations and scriptures of the Goddesses, trying to solve their mysteries.

"It was believed by those in high places at the time that he might have gone mad in his old age, always muttering whispers through his long beard under his cloak. However, while High Priest Sahasrala was many things, crazy was certainly not one of them. He was of sound mind, simply a man that preferred to spend his time with old holy texts than in the company of others. He was misunderstood, and it filled the people with distrust of him. He was a good man, Sahasrala...but one day, he suddenly disappeared. It was just a short time before your birth, I believe. Many, many moons passed, and he had not returned. Nearly all thought him dead, likely having ventured off to pass on somewhere in the vast wilderness."

"Do you know what happened to him?" Zelda asked.

"I cannot say for certain, but he often mentioned to me when I was studying under him that he had a sacred calling in this life, and soon there would be a time to answer the call," Muzu replied, squinting his eyes in remembrance.

"What? What does that mean?"

"This was a very long time ago, and even my memory, although good for my age, can be a bit swampy at times. I was a small trout in a very big pond, eager and ready to learn the ways of a scholar of the histories. But if I had to guess from what he'd mentioned to me in passing, I'd say that it was likely he journeyed to the Neverending Forest beyond the Stonelands."

"That's where...that's where the Lost Woods originated from correct? The one from legend that is?"

"That is correct. You know your mythos and history quite well."

The princess smiled bashfully at the compliment before Muzu continued.

"Why he would want to go there is beyond me, but he always talked about a recurring dream where he would do so. He would go on and on about some doorway in the middle of the forest, or something of that nature. But as far as I know, those woods go on forever. The further you venture in, the thicker it becomes, and soon travelers find themselves ensnared in thick branches and swallowed up by a deadly swamp mist. And then...you would never return."

"Then why there? Why leave the Moon Pearl unprotected?" Zelda asked, thoroughly baffled by the tale.

"Sahasrala probably thought the Moon Pearl would be safe with the Royal Family until he returned. It was simply unfortunate that he never did, whether he succumbed to old age or had been slain on the treacherous road by bandits or outlaws. In either case, the proper choice was to leave the Moon Pearl in the safety of the Citadel. If he had not, it could very well have been lost right there and then when he perished."

Zelda's frustrations began to boil over. "But it's lost now! And even worse, lost by the time Calamity Ganon invaded Hyrule!"

"Well, there was simply no way anyone could have predicted then that such an outcome would happen, my dear princess. And once several months had passed with no word, and it became widely believed that Sahasrala perished on his journey...well, in the disarray at the sanctuary, young Galivan seized control of the High Priesthood," Muzu explained.

"How did he even accomplish such a thing? My Father would never leave something so important in the hands of such an inept man."

"No, he wouldn't. But it wasn't up to your father, as was the nature of the country's politics then. He'd only just become the king, and he still needed to maintain favor with all the houses. Galivan came from a very powerful family within the capital, and with no other person who was near his rank among the divine servants under the Grand Master, he was hustled into the position. He'd served directly under Master Sahasrala, but unlike his former master, Galivan cared not for the old text or priesthood, and simply sought to use his status to boost his own ego and power among the courts of the other castles.

"Your father had been close to Sahasrala, and didn't like the idea Galivan serving as High Priest...but in such a peaceful time, why start a quarrel with the other lords of the kingdom? Particularly when most thought the position was ceremonial, anyway? Master Sahasrala knew all too well the importance of the role of High Priest...and that wisdom was lost when he vanished. And with Galivan dead, and him being the last protector of the great relic, I am afraid it has been probably lost forever, Princess. And this is all I know of it."

"I see…but wait a minute. Link said…Link said he'd had the Royal Scepter when he took the disguise of the High Priest, and the Scepter had the Moon Pearl...," Zelda whispered under her breath, suddenly remembering.

"Wha—? What do you mean?" Muzu responded, having heard the whispered realization.

"Thank you so much, Muzu! I have to go now! I have to speak with Link!" the princess declared as she made off in a hurried fluster away from him.

"Whats going on?!" Muzu shouted after her as she took of running in a wild hurry.

Zelda spun back around to give him a farewell wave. "It's alright! You have done Hyrule a great service! Thank you! I must speak with Link now!"

Her face glowed with a grateful smile as she raced off to where the others were preparing.

As she ran up and down the beautifully intertwined zora bridges that made up the Domain, she finally caught up to where the others were. They were all there, Link, Sidon, and the Gerudo company, along with the two Gorons and Rito.

Panting and out of breath, she made her way to where they were just about finished loading the wagons and tying the horses. But as she caught glimpse of Link and Sidon, she noticed the two of them were doing something entirely different from the rest of the group.

"Link, I must have a word with you," she said, wheezing between her words toward her knight.

Link's eyebrows raised as he faced the other away, still able to listen, but he was preoccupied.

"This will only take a moment princess!" Sidon shouted to her, wearing a giddy grin.

Zelda wasn't amused at first by the shrug of response from them both, but after seeing what they were engaged in, she too was easily distracted.

Link stood in the middle of the main pathway that led out of the great city. The wagons and teams of horses were just behind him, whereas directly to his front about ten paces ahead was an overly tall, burly zora man, clad in armor. His stature was so great that he seemed to make the red zora prince appear short.

Along the sidelines of the main bridge were bystanders, some of which were made up of the Gerudo company that had finished their preparations for the trek to Kakariko. Members of the zora guard had turned out, evidently there to cheer on their freakishly tall friend. The situation became obvious - Link and this upstart were about to duel.

"So, you are the big, bad hylian hero that everyone keeps yapping their mouths about, huh?" the overgrown, charcoal-colored zora said to Link, who simply looked him dead in the eyes just a short few feet away from him. "You don't look so tough to me."

Sidon chuckled as he stepped in-between them both. "Now, I must warn you, Seabass; Link did defeat the Calamity, and all on his own I might add. I think you may be biting off more than you can chew this time, my friend."

"So you say. But I think it more likely that he just had a good stroke of luck. I say that without that special sword on his back, he isn't much of anything at all!" Seabass replied with a huff. With his great white shark teeth grinning, he puffed out his chest in a show of dominance as he spun back around to flex his arms to his friends. His companions cheered behind him at his taunt to Link.

"It's alright, Sidon," Link said, breaking the silence after Seabass' display of showboating. Link coolly and calmly smiled back to the zora contender. "I accept your challenge."

"Alright, then! If there is nobody else contesting this duel, then let us begin!" Sidon roared to rile up the crowd with a grin, excited to see the matchup.

Zelda wanted to speak to interrupt them...but she grew intrigued by the thought of what sort of test of skill they would be showcasing. So she thought it best to simply hurry her way over to sidelines to watch and root for her beloved knight instead.

"Now, if you would be so kind as to bring forth the cucco feathers!" Sidon announced aloud, for everyone to hear. No sooner than he said it, two zora guardsmen of normal stature made their way through the gathered audience and handed sidon two plucked, tall tail feathers from a cucco.

The people gathered were hollering and placing side bets on each of the combatants, shouts and debates could be heard among them.

"My rupees are on the big one! No way can the little guy beat our giant, Seabass!" a zora voice was heard shouting over to his fellow bystander.

"I've seen him crush a lizalfos' skull barehanded! The hylian doesn't stand a chance!" Another concurred.

Zelda's head turned towards their voices, hearing them doubting her knight and praising the ferocity of their champion. She felt worried for Link.

Are they to fight? Could Link get hurt? she thought to herself. A nervous pit rumbled in her stomach. But the match was already settled, and she wouldn't be able to stop the contest now. Link's honor was on the line.

Sidon signaled for both contestants to line up and face each-other. They were only a foot or so apart from each other now, with Sidon along the side, hand outstretched between them.

"Now, you both know the rules. We are in agreement, then?" Sidon smiled, asking them both.

"Yes," both unequivocally replied at the same time.

"Then, would you both please tilt your heads?" Sidon asked.

The pair then both took a step back, leaned both their heads to face skyward as the prince carefully placed an upright feather on each of their noses.

"Now, Seabass, since you are much taller, you are going to have to crouch a bit during this next bit to maintain the fairness of the contest."

Seabass simply grunted in compliance to Sidon's request. And with a perfectly balanced feather on each of their faces, both challengers ready, Sidon waved his hand in-between them to signal for the match to begin.

The crowd erupted in cheers, and hoots and hollers for each of the contestants could be heard all around. Hand over fist, bets were made.

Zelda watched anxiously, not certain of what was going to happen next. She had never seen such a contest in her entire life. Raised in the castle, she admittedly never participated in much excitement outside the palace walls, especially in the areas dwelt by commoners or the rough-and-tumble types. She felt an adrenaline rush surge within her from the rowdiness of the people surrounding her. The large crowd that had formed from out of nowhere even started to push and shove their way past her to get a better look at the competitors, and she very nearly needed to shove right back at some of the forceful members just to keep her spot alongside Link.

Link and Seabass were quickly off to a good start, both attempting to lean over into the other, puffing their cheeks and blowing air out their lungs in attempts to blow away the other man's feather, and all the while trying to maintain balance with their own on their face.

This is the contest everyone is so excited about? Kind of silly if you ask me...though it does look fun, Zelda thought to herself.

"C'mon, Seabass! Let him have it!" one of the guards hollered at the two men.

"You've got this one, Link!" Riju exclaimed as she came up from behind Zelda. The competitive spirit in the air was so contagious that Zelda quickly became awestruck at what she was witnessing. She wanted to cheer Link on, too, but for some reason her breath was robbed from her. All she could do was watch in suspense. Both competitors held their own for the moment, each balancing the feather perfectly.

Riju, amidst all the excitement, also managed to show some manners to the ruffians beside the princess, frightening away the smothering crowd with a deadly scowl. The fierce and young Gerudo chief was no woman to be messed with, and they all knew it. She had a fire in her eyes that glowed red hot as the desert sun from whence she came, especially when made angry.

"Thanks, Riju. It almost got a bit too wild there," Zelda thanked her bashfully.

"Don't mention it, Princess. Sometimes, you just have to show these roughnecks who's boss!" Riju said with a smile and a wink. "Next time, you try it, okay? You can do it."

Link and his hotshot opponent were still at it, and just as it seemed Link was about to whistle off his feather, the tall zora swiftly dodged the wind blasted at him and made a crouching lunge over to where Link was. Suddenly, it was over…he'd blown away the knight's feather that Link had so desperately tried to keep in balance.

The crowd immediately went quiet as the feather slowly floated off and landed on the hard-stone floor of the massive bridge. As light as it was, when it hit the ground, it seemed as if it sounded off with a thundering crash throughout the entire crowd, echoing his defeat.

Zelda froze as she watched the outcome of the duel. In a way, she felt relief that it was over, even if she felt a slight hint of sadness at Link's defeat.

Surely, he must be sore about the loss, she thought. Well, she had gotten to cheer for him, even if it was just under her breath.

During the stillness following the duel, she decided now would be the best time to interrupt. Standing straight, she stepped towards her knight. "Now that you all have gotten that out of the way, perhaps I can have a word with-"

Her words were swiftly cut off by a wave of Link's hand from behind his back over towards her.

"Actually, Zelda, that only decides who gets to go first," Link said, turning to face her with a slightly overconfident grin. "This is an old game my men and I used to play back in the training yard when were still trainees. A game of cucco!"

"A game of cucco?" she questioned under her breath, unfamiliar with the game or what it meant. Her eyebrows furrowed in mild annoyance as she pondered on it further.

At that moment, Sidon quickly stepped in to continue moving the duel along. "I'm sorry, Link, but rules are rules. It was fair n' square, so Seabass is up first."

Sidon offered his condolences with a grin, a wink, and a jovial ribbing, though Link just nodded in confident acceptance.

Zelda was stunned. She had thought that was the challenge, but...it was simply a decision round? The the real challenge was yet to happen? The crowd returned to their cheers and shouts as the real match began.

The princess watched as Link stood perfectly straight and still, bracing for whatever was to come. Seabass just puffed out his chest, standing tall and flexing his arms as he readied them a few feet away from Link. The crowd went wild.

"Don't worry! You look like you can handle it, so you should live! But I can't make any promises that you won't get injured, though. No hard feelings, alright?!" he hollered over to the hylian knight.

What did he mean by that? Zelda thought, nervously spectating. What is this contest?!

Link just coolly smiled toward Seabass in response to his taunts.

"I'm going to wipe that smug look right off your face, ya hear!" the enormous zora yelled as he swung back his arm and lunged with all the strength he could muster, placing a perfectly squared punch right into Link's chin.

"Link!" She yelled, her voice cutting through the cheers and raves of the crowd, worried for her hero.

The hit was felt throughout the entire crowd, the pulse of the impact vibrating all around. Zelda's jaw dropped in fear of what she just witnessed. She had to cover her eyes with both hands even as she saw it happen, as if in slow motion, too afraid to look.

Link was hit with the force of a catapult of raw power to the face, but even with that, the knight was only knocked back just a few steps, skipping on one leg until he could regain his footing and stand properly again.

Slowly, Zelda peeked through her fingers and realized that her wonderful knight was still standing, not severely injured from the blow at all. Though Link's face was twisted the other way towards the stone ground, he slowly lifted his chin upright again. As he stood gazing back towards his rival, he swashed his tongue in-between the lips and gums of his mouth, then spat out a small drip of blood onto the floor. Calmly, he wiped his chin and grinned.

The crowd fell quiet and still, amazed by the young man's easy recovery. All bets were off now.

"Not bad...for a braggart. I wasn't sure if you were going to be all talk, but you actually made me bleed a little. I'm impressed," he called over to his challenger.

To emphasize his own words, the knight simply motioned to the crowd behind the lunk of a zora, as if warning that they should clear the way behind him, coolly making to part them with the action as if it were no big deal.

"Gah! Oh no, he's still standing!" Seabass shrieked, worried as Link readied himself.

"Oh yeah! And now, it's Link's turn! You've got this Link, piece of cake!" Sidon hollered from the referee line, throwing up an 'okay' sign with his hands.

Awestruck and captivated by the ability of the hylian contender to weather such a ferocious blow, the crowd immediately obliged his gesture to move, and they all made the way open behind Seabass.

"Th-that's impossible…" Seabass muttered to himself quietly.

Seabass' eyes quivered, staring back to the knight as he was filled with an overflowing wave of fear. Seeing now that Link had his eyes fixed on him like a target, he felt the panic as it shot up his spine.

"No hard feelings, alright?" Link called out to him as he marched over to him in a slow walk.

The crowd's attention was glued to the knight's movements as he suddenly, without warning, and full of a raging burst of energy, charged toward his opponent, lunging up into the air directly at eye level to Seabass and returning a mighty blow to his face.

If Seabass' hit had felt like a small tremor that shook the presence of those nearby, then Link's blow felt like a world ending quake that nearly knocked all those in attendance off their feet. The air around them pulsed with a wave of kinetic energy as Link's fist slammed into the chin of his challenger. The impact flung the zora high through the air like a rag doll, and he bounced as he hit the stone floor of the Domain. Link must have launched him twenty feet away.

Unanimously, the crowd's faces were speechless, mouths hung low at the sight they'd just beheld. Among them was an excited Zelda, stars in her eyes for her hero. She raised both or her clenched hands up to her cheeks, a giddy smile plastered wide across her face, and feeling nearly as proud of Link as she'd been when Ganon had been defeated. I just knew he would win!

Slightly worried, Sidon ran over to the zora giant to make sure he was alright. After a careful and quick evaluation, all was well. Link had won the match, and the zora was out like a light, but he would be okay.

"Don't worry. That was only about half my strength. He should be just fine," Link called over to Sidon to reassure him.

"Only half?!" the shocked Sidon replied from over his shoulder to Link, after gazing upon the defeated Seabass.

The prince then gently kicked the slightly incapacitated Seabass on the ground to wake up. As the sprawled out giant began to come to, he just couldn't seem to get his bearings just yet. The big lug was dazed, head spinning and seeing double. Sidon waved his hands over the fallen Seabass.

"This duel is over!" Sidon declared, aloud for everyone to hear. "Link is the winner!"

The crowd erupted into cheers, and plenty of head shaking could be seen for the sake of those who'd lost their bets. Riju and Sidon, both wearing overconfident smirks, quickly snatched their hard-earned rupees from naysayers that had doubted Link's abilities. Begrudgingly, and astonished by the outcome, Buliara slapped a fist of rupees into the hands of Riju, even as Yoru relinquished his own bet into hands of Sidon.

Zelda bolted past the others up to where Link stood, heart fit to burst with excitement and pride. And as she sweetly came up from behind him in a surprise, rubbing his shoulders in congratulations for his win.

"I leave you two alone for ten minutes, and I come back to find you both off having a sport with one another!" She said, wearing a pouty false smile, facing him.

"Well, aren't you glad you didn't leave for an hour then?" Link turned towards to face her, rubbing the back of his head.

Zelda simply shook off his joke with a grin.

But even as everyone had gathered round to congratulate the young man on his victory, a seemingly enraged Seabass kicked himself up off the ground and made his way straight towards the cheerful knight.

"You! You…," Seabass growled as he marched towards Link, eyes narrowed.

Everyone backed away from Link, alarmed by Seabass' actions. Zelda stood by his side, however, unwilling to leave him, and perhaps worried that Link might quarrel with the poor sport. Link gently grabbed both her shoulders and nudged her out of the way, not wanting her to get involved, and stood firm to wait for the zora behemoth to make his way over to him.

Sidon gulped, perhaps sharing Zelda's sentiment that there might be trouble.

"What about me?" Link questioned.

"You…You are by far the toughest hylian fighter - no, warrior - I have ever came across! The stories must be true what they say about you! It was an honor to face against you in a duel! Put it there, champion!" Seabass proclaimed with a smile as he crouched and reached out with both his burly hands attempting to hold Link's in his.

Slightly caught off guard by the drastic change in demeanor, Link was shaken as the massive zora excitedly shook his hands in a firm shake of friendship.

"I can see now why our great prince would want to train under you and learn your ways! One day I hope I will be able to learn from someone as skilled as you," Seabass complimented.

"Ha! See, I told you, Seabass! Link is quite the legend!" Sidon grinned, striking a pose with his red arm flexed skyward. He stood right near them alongside the princess.

"Well, I don't know about a legend. A legend would have prevented everything we've been through," Link sighed modestly.

"Ah, you're too hard on yourself, friend! You have done more than enough to qualify as a legend in my book!" Sidon nudged his chest cheerfully.

Zelda felt the same way as Sidon regarding Link, and threw a cute smirk his way as her eyes met his.

"So, what was it that you wanted to speak to us about, dear princess?" Sidon asked leaning over to the hylian girl. "Sorry that you had to wait, but this just had to be settled, ha!"

"'Zelda' is just fine. Actually, I wanted to speak with Link about something he mentioned from before. It must have slipped my mind to ask him about it back when he first spoke of it," she explained.

"Oh, and what might that be?" he asked.

Link's eyes seemed to wake when she spoke about him, and he returned his full attention to her.

The others gathered who were not coming along for the long journey began to clear out, and Seabass also waved goodbye to his new-found, friendly rival. And as they cleared, Zelda spoke to the three companions who stood by to listen - Link, Riju and Sidon.

"The Moon Pearl. It was on the Royal Scepter when you somehow managed to disguise yourself as the High Priest Galivan. You said you had it with you that day, do you remember?" she said, hands fanned out in an explanation.

Sidon shuffled where he stood and cupped his chin. "High Priest? Moon Pearl? What is that?"

It was the first time he had ever heard of such a thing. Riju also raised a perplexed eyebrow, confused about just what she was hearing being discussed.

"I'll explain in a moment," Zelda smiled to Sidon. "But, Link...can you remember anything from after that day? Anything at all about what happened to the Moon Pearl?"

The princess focused entirely on Link, eager to hear his response.

Link tilted his head and gazed up to the sky, closing his eyes, and using all his focus on his memories from back then. And then it all hit him.

"Yeah, I remember. We freed Storm, just like I promised him, and you gave him a royal pardon," Link winked and faced her. "And so, we left the carriage abandoned in the castle courtyard, since I had to sneak you back to the castle, all the while being careful to go around the dimwitted night guards."

Zelda felt her face glow warm as she heard him retell the events she shared with him that day. The way he led her by the hand around the castle. The exciting rush that she felt drumming in her chest, the possible chance of getting caught from the guards. All of those sentiments she had back then overflowed through her as if they were happening all over again.

Link continued. "But after I safely got you home to your room, and said farewell to you that night, when I made to return to the carriage to gather my belongings, the whole thing was gone from where we hid it. Someone must have taken it. At the time, I had simply assumed it was the guards. I didn't want to get into anymore trouble that I was already in, so I quickly slipped away from the castle."

As he spoke, he tilted his head in disappointment of his past actions, visibly upset that he had allowed the Royal Scepter be so easily abandoned and taken. "I'm sorry. It was taken, along with everything else we left in the carriage. I didn't know it was so important."

Zelda smiled sweetly and slowly walked closer to him. "Hey, it's alright. There was no way you could have known what the Royal Scepter really was. None of us did back then, and certainly not I."

"What an interesting and moving story," Riju interjected with a grin. She perched both her hands on her waist as she leaned confidently. "Well, what's so important about that thing anyways?"

Zelda turned back to face the two eager pairs of ears in attendance, took in a long breath, and explained everything that she knew of the Moon Pearl, the Royal Scepter and its importance.

After she got Sidon and Riju up to speed on what she knew, she also revealed to all three of her apt listeners just what she had recently learned from Muzu.

Link interjected as soon as she finished telling her story, almost cutting her off. It was something he wouldn't do on any normal occasion, but this wasn't normal. "We're not even sure the assassin was even after the Moon Pearl! Couldn't it have been any staff he was looking for?"

Zelda, taken aback by his response to the whole ordeal, reiterated her feelings on the matter. "Well, what else would he be after if not the Moon Pearl? Impa was pretty certain that's what he wanted, and I'm inclined to believe her."

Link just took a step back from the huddled group and stood firm. "Look, I don't know what he wanted, but we can't just assume that was it. It could be any staff or book that he was searching for. What if we are looking at this whole thing the wrong way?"

She just sighed, and knew he had a point but still didn't want to relinquish. "In any case, for now we must assume that's what he was after. At least until we get any more leads."

Zelda glanced to both Sidon and Riju, who nodded in agreement at her decision. "All the more reason to hurry back to Kakariko so we can speak with Impa on the matter. She will know what to do. There we can formulate a plan on what to do about this Moon Pearl situation."

After hearing her final say, Link raised his head up to the three of them and stood at attention like a good soldier. "Well then, let us be off."

The three agreed to hurry the morning onward, said their farewells to those left at the Domain, and then together as one, the band of companions were off. This time it was not just Link and Zelda, but Riju and Buliara, Sidon, Yunobo and Teba, along with fifteen other fine lady soldiers of the Gerudo company. All were embarking to Kakariko, where Impa awaited them.

After making some distance from the Domain, they'd just begun to enter the open plains of Hyrule. They would have to journey cautiously now, as the old road that once easily made its way to Kakariko had been all but washed away in the flood, and was now covered in waist high water.

They would need to find a new route, one of which would bring them dangerously close to the Castle and the evil that began to nest there since the fall of the Calamity.

Zelda shrugged, her eyes heavy after having trudged many miles for the day. The horses were already so overburdened from pulling the wagons that she didn't want to trouble them to also carry her as a rider. Her feet would have to do for now. Besides, she felt it wouldn't be fair to the rest of her companions if she were to ride while they all had to march onward. Even if she was a princess, she didn't like taking advantage of that fact, especially when the resources were at a minimum.

It was a sticky, hot day. The sun had long been burning in the afternoon sky, and they no longer had the comforting cool mist from the Domain that helped to envelope and shield them from its abusing rays. The heat around her made her sweat, and the humidity of the air caused her golden hair and clothing to stick to the her skin. However, she wasn't the only one accursed that afternoon by the scorch of the sun. Everyone was fatigued, and they were now deep into the open wilderness of Hyrule's plains, and far from the shelter of the zora city

Although she tried her best to hide it from the others, Link knew all too well she was still new to these sorts of hardships. And, upon noticing Zelda's shortness of breath and obvious discomfort from the trek for some time, he made the decision to halt the campaign for a period of rest so that they might all cool off and breathe easier.

"I think this is far enough for one day! It will be nightfall soon, and this might be a good place to set up camp," the knight shouted to all the others.

Yunobo, much like Zelda, didn't contest the notion. He, too, felt as though he might soon collapse from the sheer exhaustion of walking for so long. Being a Goron, his issue was not so much a matter of the heat so much as the exhaustion of such consistent physical activity. It was not exactly something he was accustomed to back home.

Link, speaking with everyone, surveyed the surrounding area with his eyes, and drawing conclusions on how safe it was and if it would serve as a suitable place to seek shelter for the night.

The small caravan stopped on the open plains within several miles north of Hyrule's capital and its castle. The site was nestled against a large patch of woodlands to their back, and they would be hidden just beyond a high bluff just out of view from any eyes that might wish harm upon them. Although Ganon had been defeated, his hordes still claimed ownership of the plains. Hyrule, for the most part, was still very much wild and untamed.

Riju also noticed how worn out Zelda was, and strolled over to her from behind one of the wagons.

"Here you go, Princess. You look like you could use some water," she smirked, nudging and handing her a waterskin. The water was warm, but it would have to do. It was all they had until they could stumble upon another stream or spring.

"Thanks, Riju," Zelda wheezed as she reached for the bag.

If Riju hadn't known better, she would have thought Zelda looked like someone that had never drank of water in their entire life. Zelda quickly chugged several large gulps, some of it even spilling out from over her chin and running down her neck onto her already worn out blue jacket, uncaring of any princess-like etiquette.

"I take it, you don't do much adventuring out on the open fields?" Riju smiled, with a few giggles escaping the side of her lips.

Zelda coughed, with some of the delicious water once again spilling over. She placed the sack down alongside the cart she was leaning against. "Actually, Link and I used to adventure quite often one hundred years ago. It's just -"

Riju interrupted. "It's just that you normally would be riding a horse, huh?"

"Most of the time, yes, but it was never so hot back then as it is today. In fact, I can only recall one time that it was this hot. It was before the Calamity struck, and I was locked away at the old citadel, thinking I was never going to escape. But then, to my surprise, something wonderful happened. It ended up being one of the best days of my life," Zelda recounted and looked slightly away from Riju, as if in remembrance. Pausing as she reminisced, almost forgetting Riju was even there, she wore a giddy smile.

Riju smirked again and leaned in. "Well, what has you smiling about all of a sudden, Princess?"

Snapping out of it, Zelda shook herself of the memory.

"Oh, it's nothing," she deflected, reorienting herself in the present.

"Didn't look like 'nothing' to me," Riju prodded. "You sure it doesn't have anything to do with a certain knight we know of?" she ribbed her with an elbow jovially, with a stiff finger pointed towards her hero, who was busily distracted off in the distance.

"Link? Nooo, of course not! What gave you that silly idea?"

"Well, when you were telling your story, you started smiling towards him, did you not?" Riju leaned in, wearing a naughty grin.

"Uh, well, it's just…" she said, trying to keep her voice low so nobody else except Riju would be able to hear. She so desperately wanted to reveal her feelings to someone, anyone! She couldn't bear to keep it hidden for much longer. But, she knew what she desired was forbidden and could jeopardize whatever time that she did have with Link if the secrets of her heart were made public.

"No need to say a word princess, it's written all over your face…more so than his, actually," Riju revealed.

Zelda gulped. "Than his? What do you mean?"

"You honestly can't tell? The way he looks at you, talks about you, protects and watches over you? That boy is in love with you, my princess," she smiled, now orientating herself to lean alongside her by the cart, placing a friendly arm over her shoulder.

"You…really think so?" Zelda's eyes glistened. She had her doubts before, if Link felt that way about her. But, if Riju noticed in such a sort span of time, it must be true, right? She thought.

"And don't you worry, your secrets are my secrets to keep!" she chuckled.

"Thank you, Riju. I don't know what to say…" she sighed, almost relived that she didn't have to lie anymore, even if it was just to one person.

"What you should say is not to me, but to him! What are you waiting for?" Riju chuckled again, this time a little more loudly. Others around them were unloading the gear and were beginning to pitch the tents, while Link and Sidon were off watering the horses and putting them out to graze. Some nearby heads turned toward the sound of Riju's boisterous giggle. Fortunately for Zelda, Link wasn't one of them.

Zelda sighed again.

"Riju, shhh, I can't tell him, I can't tell anybody. Don't you see…I can never be with Link. It is forbidden of me. I would be breaking the old law and be betraying my people if I did something so selfish…I just can't," her voice shook with a hint of sadness at the realization yet again.

"Screw the old law! That's what I say! You are the princess, you should be able to do whatever it is you please," Riju stood back excitedly, trying to lift her spirits with a hope.

"No, Riju…I can't…Even my power is limited to the law ordained and set forth by the Goddesses. And besides, if I did such a thing, what does that say about me to the people I want to follow me? The people I have come to save?"

"It says that you are real, and that you can love just as much as anyone else. And just like them, you should have the right to be with the one whom your heart belongs to," Riju interjected.

Zelda was filled with courage after hearing her words. "Riju, I -"

-before she could finish her response, she was interrupted by a stunned Riju. Just a breath earlier she was standing before her, all smiles, and in a fraction of a moment she was pierced, bleeding, struck from behind by an arrow straight through her abdomen.

Fear shot up Zelda's spine as she looked beyond her as to where it came from. The day camp was under attack. Riju just glanced to her waist and back to Zelda, who stared into her face.

"Princess...I...," Riju collapsed into Zeldas arms. Zelda screamed. And as Zelda shrieked in a pure frightened panic, Link and the others jumped to attention.

Authors Notes: I apologize for the late update. it is just with the sudden release of the teaser for BOTW2, my thoughts have been taken up by all of that. I love this game very much, and with the bombshell news of the sequel, it has occupied me alot this week, coming up with theories on what it is about etc with friends. Don't worry, I will finish this story, even though it saddens me a bit that by the time the actual sequel comes out, I might have to slap "alternative ending" to this story. I'm still super excited for the new game next year regardless. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this story, and if you want me to continue, please let me know. thank you so much! feel free to chat too!

Chapter Text

Chapter 12

Arrival

It all happened suddenly and without warning. Like the gods flipping a coin, their fate made a turn for the worst.

Wasting no time, Sidon sounded the alarm and shouted to the others. "To arms! To arms!"

Simultaneously, everyone who could sprang up into action against the assault.

Zelda knelt there, holding her dying friend in her arms with no time to react or think, even as several more arrows zipped through the air toward her. Stricken with fear at the sight of the projectiles falling from the sky, the princess froze. However, just as the deadly shafts approached, prepared to pierce her and the fallen Riju once again, Link swooped in with a grand leap from over the wagon they leaned against.

Swinging his mighty sword outward, he dashed through the air in front of the two young women. As if in slow motion, he hacked and slashed at the incoming arrows, knocking them from the sky as they flew towards them, and shattering them into splinters on the grassy plains. As he landed, he shouted to Teba, startled by the surprise attack and attempting to make himself battle ready.

"Teba, take them out! We won't last long against those archers!" the Hero commanded, his head turned in the direction of the enemy archers in the distance on the grassy hillside.

There were only a few of them, but they were safely tucked behind their main force, which had already begun a full charge straight for Link's group. The surprise attack had proved effective, and enemies would be closing in on the knight and his comrades at any moment. Only seconds remained to act, if that.

"On it!" Teba replied as he nocked an arrow, drew back the string of his finely crafted bow adorned with many colored feathers from his tribe, and took aim.

The rito people took great pride in being masters of the bow, and Teba was no exception, well-trained since a hatchling, and leagues ahead of any bokoblin underling. Without hesitation, he loosed several arrows in retaliation at the incoming horde. One by one, the enemy archers we're thoroughly dealt with, Teba's aim steady and true. Each arrow cut through the air perfectly, penetrating deep into the necks of each target.

Link turned to face the two girls, assessing their situation and how he might get them to safety. Riju was seriously injured, but even on the brink of death she tried to remain strong for the princess. Her breathing labored and panting in Zelda's embrace, she tried to calm her fears, muttering quiet whispers of courage to her.

"Get behind this wagon and take cover now," Link ordered, moving toward them. "Here's a shield. Hold this up, and huddle yourselves behind the cover of the wagon. Quickly!"

The lightweight Traveler's Shield he placed in Zelda's hands was more buckler than proper shield, but it would have to suffice for now. Anything was better than being out in the open, unguarded.

The princess held Riju tightly, one arm placed firmly beneath the gerudo chieftain's shoulder for support, carefully lifting her. The smaller girl clutched at her wound, the arrow protruding from her flesh. The two limped away to where Link had instructed them to hide. They would be safer behind the line of supply wagons.

Buliara, having witnessed her chief struck down by the piercing arrow, charged her way over to the three of them, the speed of her approach seeming mismatched for her enormous size.

"Yunobo! Buliara! Stay with the princess and Riju! Guard them with your lives. Sidon and everyone else, with me!" Link shouted as he turned to face his party, rallying the remaining warriors available to him. They rapidly formed a line, ready for the battle that would soon be upon them.

From what Link could tell as he looked to the rampaging horde, he saw there had to be at least forty foes. The force, mainly composed of bokoblins and a smaller number of much larger moblins, had begun to move and would soon be surrounding them.

Yunobo was terrified. Everything was happening so fast around him, and he had never participated in a true battle in his life, nor had he ever seen anyone die for that matter. Link noticed the fear in his eyes beginning to swell, his friend's attention slipping away like sand through a sieve, distracted as he was by the chaos. The knight couldn't let that happen, so he roughly grabbed him and shook him roughly, all in an effort to return his thoughts to the situation at hand.

"Yunobo, I need you to focus! We need you!" Link shouted.

Yunobo nodded sternly in Link's hold and shook away his worry. He knew there was no time to let the panic and fear sink in. They needed him. All of them.

With that, he did what he thought could help them the most, and made his way to act as a barrier for the princess and the wounded chief. With Link's words still whirling in his head, he cleared his mind, focused his thoughts and began to summon his family's sacred gift of protection. He slowly pressed his fists together, and felt the warm glow of the power deep within him burning. That power was a treasured family heirloom, a blessing upon him to use in dire situations. He knew he could use it now to shield his friends. He had to try. So, with all the focus his mind could muster, the crimson flame of Death Mountain slowly began to flicker and spark here and there. Suddenly, the power ignited and swirled around him, ready at a moment's notice to charge up and become a fiery stone wall of impenetrability.

Meanwhile, Buliara raged. She unsheathed her enormous scimitar, roaring a terrible war cry loud enough that the ferocious growl could even reach the ears of the enemies on the towering hill. There she stood, ready for war, her blade out pointed towards the screeching, cackling, charging scourge.

Seeing that his princess was safely under the protection of Yunobo and Buliara, Link turned his attention to the others and signaled for his group of battle-hardened gerudo to follow his lead. Twenty-two heroes charged against a force of at least forty rushing goblinoid enemies.

Without hesitation, Teba flapped his wings and caught a warm current beneath him, launching himself high into the air, bow clenched firmly in his talons as he fired several more steady shots. This time the enemy anticipated such a volley, simultaneously lifting their broad shields to catch the arrows on the protective bark-covered surface of the thick wood. Not a one of them were felled by the strike. Teba returned to the ground to check his quiver, beak clenched in frustration at the sight of only nine remaining arrows. He would need to wait until a better opportunity presented itself.

His bow no longer useful for the moment, the rito drew forth his shining sword from its tribally decorated scabbard. Though slightly curved, and short by comparison to a blade like the Master Sword, it was nonetheless a sword that would serve him well. He would embrace close quarters combat, for now, at least until an opportunity presented itself to pin more arrows to the gizzards of his enemies.

The scourge of enemies was at a full sprint, racing downhill toward the line of heroes standing at the ready. Link glanced over his shoulder, and gave Sidon a firm nod for luck. The zora prince's grin bared his shark teeth as he braced for battle, crossing his arms in front of his chest and gracefully drawing twin swords from his side sheaths. He whirled them out in front of himself to point menacingly at the incoming horde.

Everyone else also prepared their battle stances, weapons out and ready for the enemy. Time seemed to slow in the closing seconds just before they would collide with their adversaries. Even as it felt like the moments had come to a crawl, the two groups clashed, and the speed of the world suddenly ramped up even faster than normal.

The clinks and clangs of impacting swords and shields could be heard reverberating all throughout the grassy plains. Link tore through three rotten tomato colored bokoblins easily enough, but in doing so, charged deep into the enemy line. Soon finding himself separated from the others holding the line, he was caught off his guard by the approach of a towering moblin. Without fully registering what was happening, the monster already had its large, bone-horned greatclub raised high over its head, prepared to bring it crashing down atop the knight.

The beast snarled and roared, and only by pure instinct did Link find the presence of mind to leap away from the moblin's blow, narrowly escaping as the club it smashed and catapulted the earth beside him. Mud and torn long grass shot upwards from the strike.

Unfortunately, due in some part to having jumped on pure instinct, Link lost his footing, caught flat on his heels. The terrible monster recovered quickly and swung again. This time it pounded Link away as he tried to parry its blow with the Master Sword. But the sheer force combined with poor footing knocked Link over onto the ground, even as the pristine steel of his sword chopped back at the thick boned club.

Before the hellish giant could make his final attack to smash the hylian hero there on the hillside, a red arm came from out of nowhere to wrap around the foul beast from behind, impaling it with two swords upwards through its sternum and out the back of its long neck, slaying it instantly.

The knight had been saved by his own squire, Prince Sidon.

Not wasting any time, Link sprang to his feet, recovered his sword, and returned to the disorganized battle. Rejoining the fray, Link smirked toward the zora prince. "Thanks, Sidon! I owe you one!"

Sidon ripped the dual swords from the moblin's corpse, blood spilling from it as it collapsed before the two of them on the long grass.

"Ha! Aren't you the one who is supposed to be watching my back and teaching me?" Sidon chuckled as he spun back around to confront two more eager bokoblins just behind him.

Link turned away from Sidon with a laugh of his own, lunging the opposite direction to deal with a dark-skinned bokoblin veteran of his own.

Just as the battle raged on in the front, so too did it in the rear. Huddled against the wagons were Zelda and Riju, guarded by Buliara and Yunobo. The princess tried desperately to apply pressure with her hands to Riju's wound in an effort to slow the bleeding. The chieftain's breathing got heavy and erratic, her mumbling voice beginning to shake. Riju was dying...

Even with all odds against her, and the danger of the battle raging around her, Zelda found the courage within her to do what she could to save her friend.

"I have to get this arrow out of you, Riju," the princess quietly calmed the poor girl. "It's the only way to stop the bleeding. I need to get you bandaged up, and quickly."

"No, please wait! Don't leave me!" Riju begged as she lay against the wagon wheel Zelda had propped her against. Riju was slipping into terror.

The princess gently cupped the injured chieftain's face in her hands, locking eyes with her.

"Riju, I'm not leaving you...but I have to get you fixed up," Zelda soothed her. "I'll be right back, I promise."

With that, Zelda pulled away to find a means to aid her friend. It was the first time the princess had ever seen the fear of death in Riju's eyes. She was just a young girl after all, more so even than herself. Riju still had her whole life ahead of her, even if most times she tried so hard to act older, like a good chief would.

Zelda remembered that there had been clean linens packed in one of the other wagons. She could tear up some makeshift bandages from the sheets. It could very well be her only option to save her. She also recalled that she still had some of the special ointment she used on Link's hand wound just a day prior. As a magical zora treatment, perhaps it would be enough to stop the bleeding for the moment, at least until the battle ended and she could offer proper care to her friend...she hoped.

Unfortunately, the wagon that had the much needed medicine and cloth happened to be the wagon closest to the ongoing fray, and that wagon was at least fifty feet away from her. She would have to make a dash for it while remaining unnoticed by any enemy if she were to make it. So, that in mind, she swallowed the fear that pitted in her stomach, and bolted past those fighting around her to quickly make way to the standalone wheel-cart that carried the provisions. She only narrowly avoided being hit by the myriad of loose swings of someone's sword, spear or club.

After reaching the wagon, she climbed atop it, tossing around the stacked crates and rummaging through several trunks to find what she needed. The hot breeze carried the noise and scent of the battle all around her, as it rang in her ears, and made it harder to focus. The worry gnawed at her mind that at any moment she might be struck down by an unnoticed villain from behind, or worse, that Riju might die alone and suffering, waiting for a friend that took too long help. She had to hurry, but the more she hurried, the more her hands shook, causing her to drop things and force her to start looking all over again.

When she finally spotted the jar of healing ointment in the corner of her vision, a red-skinned bokoblin noticed her atop the wagon. The creature snorted and cackled as it snuck its way over to her in a shamble. Unaware of its presence, with cloth and medicine in hand, Zelda spun around to return to Riju's side. But having not noticed the approach of the beast, she was startled by the bokoblin, falling to her backside after coming face to face with the cretin. Zelda screamed in fright and disgust at the raving, drooling cretin as it attempted to jump atop her in the back of the wagon.

By quick, terrified reflex and a stroke of luck, the princess managed to kick the club out of its grip, confusing it for a short moment. It didn't deter the bokoblin for long, however, as it tried to snatch away the items in her hand.

"Let go! Unhand that, you foul creature!" Zelda shouted, kicking and pulling back on the cloth and jar.

The bokoblin screeched and barked back, spitting on her in doing so. Zelda flinched as she fought with all her strength to retain what was hers. As they both rolled, tugged and pulled on the glass jar from the back of the wagon, it slipped from out their hands launching high into the air and fell beside them, shattering outside on the ground. Angered, the beast growled and decided to simply attack Zelda directly.

The goblinoid scratched and clawed trying to get ahold of her, finally managing to wrap its hands over her throat to strangle her. The princess attempted to scream, but couldn't let out a breath. Even as she dreaded she would close her eyes for good and go limp from lack of air, she desperately searched with her free hand for the pant loop on the back of her black journey pants for the dirk Riju had gifted her the other day.

The beast was nearly about to squeeze her into submission, and Zelda could feel herself going tired, but she forced the blade up using all her strength and stabbed, twisting the knife deep through the bokoblin's ear and out its cranium. Blood squirted and drained from the wound over her torn journey outfit, and the monster slobbered as it hung limply over her body. There she lay, on her back inside the wagon, a dead bokoblin atop her with a knife in its brain.

The beast was vanquished, and its eyes rolled back in its head. Finally, with its grip loosened, the princess kicked and shoved its corpse off to the side of her. There she sat for a second on the back of the wagon, rubbing her sore neck and coming to grips with what just took place.

The princess shook and tried wiping her clothes of the blood as best she could, but they were completely ruined.

"Disgusting creature," Zelda complained to herself under her breath, upset not only at the bokoblin blood covering her, but also that she'd dropped the jar of medicine. Good at least that the cloth for the bandages, tossed away during the scuffle, had avoided being showered in blood. Perhaps some of the medicine still was left in the broken jar.

Unfortunately, just as the princess prepared to get to her feet, she was met with a whole new nightmare. A moblin had made its way over to her, having seen her struggle with the smaller monster. The immense creature towered over her as she looked up from the back of the wheel cart, lying within its monstrous shadow.

Stricken with icy cold fear, eyes wide, Zelda froze as the beast lifted its enormous club, preparing to bring it down upon her head. She closed her eyes against the sight, certain that she was about to meet her end...

...yet nothing happened. No killing blow swung down to strike her.

The terrified girl gathered her courage and opened her eyes to find that she wasn't hurt at all, and that once again, like one-hundred years before, the young hylian warrior who she'd come to love had saved her from peril.

Link stood before her, standing upright in the back of the wagon between her and the moblin behemoth. Wielding the Master Sword in one hand, her knight had deftly utilized the flat of the blade to block the enormous club. Zelda felt an enormous wave of energy as Link's sword collided with the enemy weapon, pulsing outward from her knight's body and through the wagon, shaking her.

In one fluid motion, Link shielded her with one hand, bracing against the moblin's club with the Master Sword, and used his free hand to slip a dagger from the side sheath he wore. Without hesitation, he stuck the blade up through the monster's neck. In one fell swoop, Link slain the moblin and jerked back his blade, simultaneously kicking the monster backward to fall upon the ground.

The knight turned to face his princess, worry filling his face. "What are you doing over here?"

"I...had to get bandages and treatment for Riju," Zelda replied. "If I do not get them to her quickly, she will die. I'm sorry, Link...but I didn't have a choice."

He nodded in agreement, assured of her reasoning. He held out a hand to help her back to her feet. "Are you alright?"

The princess nodded graciously, accepting his outstretched hand and getting back to her feet.

"Let's get you back to Riju and the others," Link said as he gently helped her off the back of the wagon.

"Wait," Zelda responded, turning to move swiftly to the side of the wheel cart. "I have to get the medicine!"

Link followed her as she knelt before the side of the wagon, clutching at the broken bottom half of the jar. Luckily, some of the thick ointment remained unsullied. Though most had spilled onto the ground, a small portion remained smeared upon the inner side of the glass.

It may still be enough, Zelda hoped.

No sooner had she grabbed the remains of the jar, ready to be escorted back, than another bokoblin came dashing towards the duo before they could make their way to the others. Link led Zelda with one hand, his other deftly wielding the Master Sword, cutting down the bokoblin with several swift slashes as they dashed toward their hunkered down companions.

Three more bokoblins charged towards them from the side. Link loosened his hold on Zelda, waving her onward to make the run to Riju, guarding her back against the enemy approach.

"Go!" he shouted.

They were only a few more feet from their objective as Link spun around to fight off the three beasts. He would need both hands for this fight, since the creatures outnumbered him.

Zelda bolted her way from him carrying the bandages and treatment. Upon reaching her friend, she knelt next to Riju's shivering body, still propped against the wheel cart.

"I told you I'd come right back." Zelda said, quickly unravelling the bandages beside her, prepared to dress her wound.

Riju smiled and let out a faint laugh, barely able to keep her eyes open. "Took you long enough..."

Zelda, though still distressed, smiled back with some encouragement. She handed Riju a stick found along the ground. "I have to remove the arrow before I can treat this. It's going to hurt, so bite down on that branch. You ready?"

Riju placed the stick in mouth and gave a weak nod. Together they took three long deep breaths, eyes locked on each other. With a quick snap and pull, Zelda broke the arrow protruding from the chieftain's flesh, and pulled it out from her back. Riju let out a muffled wail, eyes bulging as she bit down tightly on the makeshift bit in her mouth, jaw clenched so tightly that Zelda worried she might snap it in two.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry," Zelda whispered, fidgeting to do the next step. "You're doing well, but we're not out of the woods yet. Just a little more."

Riju's eyes widened with worry, as if that pain wasn't already enough to bare. The princess reached for the broken jar, scooping out some of the ointment left inside. With no delay or warning, she smeared the fluorescent rainbow medicine onto the gerudo's open wound. The medicine took effect immediately as the wound singed and smoked, cauterizing bit by bit. Riju again jerked in pain as the ointment scalded her.

The magical medicine had coagulating properties to it, slowing down the blood loss as it artificially closed part of the wound, but it it wouldn't be enough to fully heal her. Unfortunately, Riju's wound was too great, and there simply wasn't enough medicine left. Although it helped considerably, she would still needed proper care, and soon. She would have to wait until the battle was fought and done.

Zelda clutched the fabrics tightly, wrapping Riju's torso as best she could, and applying firm pressure to the wound to prevent any more bleeding from occurring.

"You're going to be just fine," Zelda reassured the frightened girl, who was on the verge of fainting from the sheer pain. The princess wiped her forehead, her attention momentarily torn away by the sound of a sudden attack from behind. She need not worry, however, with Yunobo and Buliara there to guard them.

The hardened gerudo veteran engaged two bokoblins, passing the others and dueling them simultaneously, driving them back as she entered the fray. As she became preoccupied with that, the worst imaginable happened. Another giant moblin spotted the defenseless princess and her friend, now only guarded by the unarmed goron.

The beast, excited and standing roughly fifty feet or so away, leaned over to grab a nearby boulder. Moblins might have half the brain of their smaller bokoblin kin, or any other creature for that matter, but they were freakishly strong. It easily lifted the massive stone and hurled it through the sky toward the two girls and Yunobo, seemingly about to crush them.

However, Yunobo had swallowed his fear and found his courage. He'd witnessed the bravery of Link and the others, and knew in his heart that if they could act as such, so could he. He had to try, no more running away. So, with every fiber of his being down to his very core, he slammed his fists together and leaped into the path of the flying boulder. Before it could slam into its intended targets, he flexed his arms and shoulders outwards in a grand display.

All Zelda heard was a loud war cry reverberate all around her, followed immediately by a bright flash and explosion mere feet away from her and Riju. As the dust settled, she saw Yunobo standing before her, engulfed in a shield of swirling flame and as bright as the noon day sun. Surrounding him was his family's sacred gift of defense, Daruk's Protection. The boulder had disintegrated, but the powerful magic of his family was short lived and gradually faded away into silence. Yunobo fell to one knee, exhausted and wheezing to catch his breath.

Thankfully, the moblin could not pursue them further, as Link and the others surrounded the lone remaining monster. The surviving gerudo, along with Link and the rest, swiftly dealt with the large beast. The battle was over...or so they thought.

"Is that all of them?" Buliara questioned and paced loudly, still with her massive sword at her side, looking in all directions nearby.

Sidon lifted his head and pointed to the tall hill from whence they'd come. "No! Look!"

It was a horrific sight indeed. One by one, more enemies slowly came into view amassing atop the hill. It wasn't just some random skirmish met on the open fields as they previously thought...their party had been hunted down. What seemed like an entire army gathered above them, readying to deal the killing blow.

Link glanced around, assessing the camp and damage. Two brave gerudo women had been killed in the fight, with several more were wounded, and Riju was in the worst shape of them all. He didn't have time to strategize or plan, not with enemy ready to descend from the hilltop at any moment and massacre them.

Link turned to Sidon, who stood next to him on the battlefield. "Get the princess and everyone else as far away from here as you can. The woodlands are just behind us, and they're our only chance."

"What are you saying? You're not thinking of fighting them alone are you?!" Sidon questioned.

"Just beyond those woods, not too far off, there is a large stream. If you hurry, you can make it. Bokoblins don't like water, so if you can cross the river they won't be willing to pursue you. Go now! Quickly! I'm trusting her to your care. She is yours to protect now"

"Have you gone mad?! There are over a hundred of them! And not just that…there are lynels with them! Three of them! Link, if you stay here, you are going to die!"

"I have to stay. Don't you see? If I don't, we'll all die, and I can't let that happen!"

Link swung his sword in a grand display. Sunlight kissed the pristine metal of the blade, making it shine gloriously.

"Look, I am not about to stand aside and let you die. Not today," Sidon argued, content on staying by his side to fight.

"That isn't your choice to make. You swore an oath to follow me, and this is an order. Now, go!"

Sidon's face went dumbstruck as he stood there, pausing for several moments as he contemplated Link's words. He knew Link was right. It was the only chance they had, even if he would have preferred another way.

"Okay...just this once, I'll obey this order. But it is the last time I will do something like this. Don't you even dare go and die on me."

Sidon grinned as he waved farewell to his brave hylian friend. The prince then spun around and darted to the others, who braced themselves for more battle. Link smirked as he left.

Sidon signaled to the remaining warriors to rally as he bolted back to where Zelda and the others were grouped behind the wagons. The startled princess' eyes met prince's as he approached.

"Let's go princess," the large zora spoke. "We have to get you out of here now!"

"But what about Link? We can't leave without him!" Zelda declared to Sidon, voice shaking with worry. Her gaze shifted to her knight, off in the distance.

Sidon insisted, gently grabbing her shoulders motioning her to leave. "He made his choice, and we have to go! Yunobo, you're going to have to carry Riju. Everyone, we must make a run for the woods right now or else we will never make it! Let's go!"

"I'm sorry, Sidon, but I'm not leaving without him!" Zelda jerked away stubbornly, uncaring of her own safety.

"This isn't up for debate! Let's go!" Sidon tried grabbing her again by the arm, this time more forcefully, but she dodged his maneuver yet again, taking steps toward where Link stood.

The princess pushed her way past Sidon, shouting at the Hero in the distance. "Link! What are you doing?! What do you think you are, some sort of one-man army?!"

She desperately wanted him to come with them, on the verge of tears. She knew even he wouldn't be able to survive an assault like that, no matter how powerful he thought he'd become.

Link simply turned, offering a sweet, farewell smile as the wind caught the bangs of his hair. Her heart sank. It felt so unfair, so short-lived a joy, that this was to be the last smile she would ever have of his to keep.

He twisted back around and struck a firm battle stance.

That's exactly what I am, Link thought to himself. I won't allow any harm to come to her! I'll destroy you all if I have to, I don't care how many of you there are! I won't lose! I didn't almost die for one-hundred years, come back, and defeat the greatest calamity that there ever was, just to fall in battle to you pathetic cretins! Not today!

And with those thoughts of courage resounding in him, he lifted the Master Sword high as he slowly walked towards the approaching army. Whether he was focusing his next strategy or whispering a silent prayer, it couldn't be certain from where the others saw him.

Zelda watched as he coolly made his way towards the army of darkness. It was only mere seconds, but it felt like days had gone by. Sidon rushed over to her, he too freezing at what he was witnessing.

Link was about to face the entire army...alone.

A golden lynel stood majestically upon the hill. The obvious commander of the remnants of Ganon's forces, he too saw the lone knight standing below him on the grassy plains - a sentinel of protection for the others, those about to attempt their escape from his army.

In a cursed speech that sounded like growls, roars and the gnashing of teeth to any righteous being, the lynel commanded his subordinates to attack the would-be hero.

The monstrous titan grinned devilishly. "What does the fool think he is doing? He thinks he can fight us all on his own? Go down there and destroy him. Quickly now. I want his friends to see this. I want them to see their champion fall before I kill them all. Now, go!"

His fellow lynel underling released a mighty roar as he charged ferociously, like a beast on the hunt.

Link saw the other lynel, one of average size and coloration compared to his commander, galloping toward him. With terrible power and swift violent anger, the massive beast swung his thick and terrible lynel sword toward the knight as he charged. The knight saw the attack coming from a mile away, gracefully leaping out of the way over the slashing air of the sword. As Link launched himself over the swift attack of the blade, Link landed on the ground near the beast.

Zelda and the others couldn't believe their eyes. Link was going head to head against the lynel, dodging his attacks and deflected his moves as if it were an elegant dance.

Angered by the magnificent display of warrior prowess, the monster screeched furiously, seeking to crush Link with his fist as the warrior crouched beside him. With the same strength he'd used against the zora warrior Seabass only hours prior, Link caught the strong fist of great monster. The earth below his feet quaked from the impact of his hand stopping the punch of the lynel, digging deep into the dirt.

Link mustered up his full power and strength, leaping up high into the air, returning a mighty blow of his own square to the chin of the lynel, smashing him backwards. As his fist collided with the monster, a magnificent pulse of intense energy shot out from the hit. The lynel fell back several feet onto his knees, but quickly recovered and reoriented itself as it shook its head and roared yet again.

Zelda's heart raced to watch him do battle alone, while the others were just about ready and starting to make their escape from the battlefield. But she couldn't leave, not yet. Sidon made another attempt to pull her away, but she jerked from him again, eyes fixed on her hero.

The lynel brought down its mighty blade again, slashing several times at the small hylian knight, who dodged every attempt. Each slash cut the air with force enough to cause blade of wind to lash outwards, shaking the air around it with tremendous energy.

Uncaring for how he swung, the beast slammed and cut away at him, missing all the while, hitting the earth, flinging up mud and torn grass in his wake. It was then Link saw his opening, as the beastly warrior began to get frustrated and careless with its brazen attacks, angered that his commander was watching him perform with such a displeasing show of strength.

Link smirked as the monster made one final attempt, this time spinning around as fast as it could to bring all the force and strength that it could muster from within to cut down the mighty hero.

Link ducked just in time as the lynel's great sword flew over his head, and as if time had slowed around him, Link stabbed the Master Sword up through his enemy's neck and out his back. Having impaled his foe upon the Sword that Seals the Darkness, Link jerked the sword from the lynel's lifeless corpse. Its motionless body fell to the side, heralding its defeat

Link gazed up to the top of the hill toward the army of darkness and their general. He readied his stance yet again, unafraid of what was next, not backing down.

Having none of it, the commander of the army growled so loud the earth quaked all around. It was an order...an order for his entire army to charge down below and massacre the escaping band of heroes, once and for all.

Link spun back around to see that the others had not left yet. He shouted back towards them. "What are you still doing here?! You have to get out of here, now! Go!"

His eyes locked on Zelda's, and even as she saw what he was willing to do to save them all, she couldn't force herself to leave him. She...loved him, and did not want to abandon him.

Sidon picked her up anyway, and this time she didn't evade him, as her heart had mind had been fixed on Link. She hardly noticed the red prince lift her up as he carried her away from the battlefield, toward the woods with the others.

But just as Link started tearing through the first line of bokoblins that caught up to him, something that nobody expected happened.

Sidon halted mid-run as he carried the princess. He paused, listening intently even as the noise of war was upon them. He closed his eyes and focused, trying to fixate on whatever it was. It was low tone vibrations he felt.

Zelda became confused as he slowed down, stretching his hands out, trying to hear something nobody else could hear. She attempted to bring him back to his senses, shaking his arms and trying to break free from his hold as he carried her, and presumed it had worked when he halted. But that wasn't the reason for why he stopped running.

"What's going on?!" Zelda asked, anxiously. "We need to help-"

The prince cut her off as she spoke, eyes wide and more serious than she had ever seen him. "Shhh! Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?!"

"Horses... hundreds of them, heading straight for us!"

"What?!"

She panicked. As if an army of bokoblins on foot wasn't enough, more on horseback were on their way to finish the job of slaughtering them if by some chance the others failed?!

"Then we have to save Link! We must!"She begged, falling to her knees as Sidon released her from his hold.

The prince heard her words...but it was happening so fast! Even as he turned and saw his friend fighting off in the distance, the unimaginable happened.

Link cut through several more bokoblins, finding some reprieve in the fact that the main force of enemies was still quite a distance away from him. He braced himself again for the next wave of enemies, but he knew this last fight would be his last. His breath was getting shorter, as the battle had taken its toll on him. He had bruises and several cuts, not to mention the sheer fatigue. The adrenaline had worn off, and it would seem the entire mass of foes would be encircling him at any moment. His only hope would be that the others would be able to make their escape in time.

When he was mere seconds from colliding with the charging horde, just as he was about to meet his fate in one final climatic battle, what seemed like a hundred flaming arrows came raining down just in front of him, stopping the enemy advance as scores of them were struck down. In total awe by the sight of it, this strange miracle, he turned back around to see who had fired the volley that saved his life.

Also amazed by what they were witnessing, Zelda, Sidon and the others spun to face the origin point of the arrows. They were being launched from the woodlands, as if from the trees themselves, and the arrows could be seen flying out from the small wood and onto the battlefield just beyond where Link stood guard, killing many bokoblins as they rained down like hellfire upon them.

At the same moment the arrows fell, a loud trumpet horn could be heard sounding throughout all the plains, a song like music to Zelda's ears.

The princess' face lit up like a beacon of hope. "I know that horn...I know it anywhere...Could it be?"

She pondered this aloud, almost rhetorically, as if begging the Gods themselves for a miracle. Sidon listened to her speak as she considered, looking off to the side of the hill away from the enemy.

As Zelda spoke, coming into view from over the side flank of the enemy army on the grassy hillside, was an entire cavalry of hylians. At least one-hundred strong, she must have guessed, and in full charge with lances out.

"Look, there, on the pavilion! It's the Crystal Pale Stallion of Illiastar! They have come at last!" she shouted, smiling face filled with hope as she pointed for the others to see the waving sigil carried by the bannermen as they galloped toward the enemy army. "They answered the call after all!"

Link slowly stepped back as the arrows continued to rain down upon his enemies. No sooner had the volley of arrows had stopped falling than the monsters, filled with fear and caught by surprise, turned as the lancers of Illiastar charged into them, cutting through them like paper. Link continued his steady retreat from the fray, careful not to be mistaken as a bokoblin by some errant lancer. He witnessed how swiftly the enemy army was torn apart, as the tsunami of lances and swords pierced and sliced through their lines like a wave breaking upon the shore, washing them away. Link smiled at the sight. It had been so long since he'd seen his fellow brothers in arms, and for a brief moment he felt immense pride and happiness that he was not alone.

Seeing that his fortune had turned for the worst, the commanding gold lynel signaled a full retreat to his nearest forces, abandoning his main force to be slaughtered by the superior might and tactics of the hylian army. They were no match for the well-trained army that fought on horseback. He had no choice but to flee.

As if this miracle wasn't enough, one by one, archers emerged out from the woodlands with their long bows, just behind the princess and the worn-out band of heroes. She knew exactly who they were, for they carried a different banner among them, and wore a different sigil on the chest of their clothing. It was the frozen water lily of House Tarble, come at last to save them.

And, indeed, saved they were. The last remnants of the enemy forces had been slain, and Link made his way back closer to the princess. In the commotion, as the soldiers rallied and encircled the wandering wary travelers, the knight spoke to Zelda.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concern apparent in his voice.

"I'm fine," Zelda replied quickly. "Riju is the one who needs help. And what were you thinking, attacking head on all by yourself?! You could have been killed!"

"I wasn't," he retorted bluntly, walking beside her. "That's all that should matter now."

Zelda huffed in indignation at the response and turned to Sidon. "Riju needs our help. Can you do anything, Sidon?"

The zora prince followed her and Link, all three kneeling by the side of the wounded gerudo chiefain. Sidon did his best to glance her over, but scratched the back of his head in response. "I'm sorry, princess, but my sister Mipha was the one skilled in the old magical arts of healing. I was brought up to be a warrior. Forgive me."

Zelda merely nodded.

Further talk on the matter would need to come later, as the bowmen from the woods integrated themselves among their ranks, as the companies of reinforcements met the main group. Also galloping from atop the hill was a finely dressed hylian man in his mid-twenties, escorted by what seemed to be a private guard. Link, Sidon, Zelda, and the others waited, unsure what to expect, if anything at all as the man made his approach toward them.

Many of the soldiers encircled and fanned themselves out among Link and the others, assessing the area and awaited further orders from their leader.

The finely dressed man quickly dismounted as he finally met the main group, his extravagant red cape flapping behind him as he walked closer to where they were. The man possessed a very chiseled chin paired with a pretty face albeit more pale than Link and Zelda. His chestpiece also bore the proud house symbol of Illiastar. His profile was framed by long, flowing blonde hair combed back, easily a match as bright as Zelda's own.

The lord finally made his way over to the princess, addressing the wary band of heroes who had so narrowly escaped death only moments prior.

"Hello there, friends!" he called, as jovial as if they'd only just met in a pub rather than a battlefield. "Tell me, what brings a group such as yourself so dangerously close to the castle in such a time as this? You all could have been killed if it weren't for me and my men. Quite lucky you all were that we were on a royal errand on behalf of the beloved princess, who has come back to us again at long last. If not for that, I fear your story would have met a much more dire end!"

He eyed the young hylian girl on her knees by her wounded gerudo friend, still caring for her. The man then glanced around the others, seeing indeed just how much of a ragtag group of travelers these different races made up. It was most peculiar to him.

The princess unknown to him tried to rise from where she lay next to her friend. She lifted out her hand in friendship towards the man as he stood beside her, asking for him to help her up back to her feet. But the man was subconsciously vain. His eyes swiftly wondered to her worn out state of dress and noticed how filthy she was from the battle and that there was stained blood on her hands too. So quickly he adorned some fancy leather gloves he had and shook her hand, face filled with a slight disgust of having to be cordial with commoner types.

The noble puffed out his chest, returning his attention to all those gathered. "Now that I get a chance to look upon you all, I must ask...who are you people, and what business do you have out on the plains like this?"

Zelda's mouth widened at his poor display of manners to her, but he had already turned from her to greet the others. Not having any of it, she spoke sternly, cutting through the chatter.

"I am the princess of Hyrule that you are searching for. I am Zelda," she stated, pouring all of her nobility and force of will into the words. She turned to face the masses of soldiers, bowing her head in thanks. "And I thank you all, humbly, for saving us on this day. Had you not come, we'd have surely perished."

The princess' words jolted the nobleman and his men nearby.

He spun back again to face her and offered a reverent tilt of his head. "Forgive me...princess. I didn't realize it was you I was addressing. Surely because of the battle, I think. I am the lord of Illiastar, come to answer your call. We received your letter, and we have come to right the many wrongs done to our people and this kingdom."

"I am glad of this, for my companions and I are in need of aid. My friend...she is dying-"

As Zelda spoke, another horn sounded behind the gathered armed forces of Illiastar, and the princess turned to face the sound.

The young lord also turned, rolling his eyes. "Here he comes..."

Zelda's was puzzled by what he meant.

In no time, another finely dressed man approached, he too escorted by and honor guard of some sort. As he dismounted and strutted his way over to the princess and her gathered group, she got a better look at him. Superficially, this man was a twin to the first, likely a brother given their nearly identical resemblance. The one detail that set this new man apart from the other lord was that he was possessive of older eyes that bespoke experience, as well as a bent nose that scrunched into his face, likely severely broken at some point in his past.

The man finally caught up to the pair of them, interrupting the previous conversation unabashedly. He waved out his cape dramatically at his approach, a white length of cloth to contrast his relative's red.

"Is my younger brother telling lies already?" he spoke, voice noticeably deeper and firmer than the one he claimed to be his brother. "I swear, he never gives it a rest with new faces. Such a child at times...I am the lord of Illiastar."

The younger hopped closer to his older sibling, a giddy grin plastered across his face. "Indeed, and you can easily tell the two of us apart, thanks be to father! I'm the one with the strapping good looks."

Zelda and the others just listened, feeling somehow caught in the middle of the exchange.

The older brother spoke again. "That may be so, but it's because of my broken nose that I will get to keep the Crystal Citadel when mother passes on."

The younger brother leaned toward Zelda's ear, as if to tell her some secret. "Yes, our dear, loving father made sure of that. It is said far and wide among those who know us that it is because our own father couldn't tell us apart when we were little that he decided to do something rash about it. Because Simon was the eldest, even though we were both only wee lads, my father grabbed his golden goblet and busted up Simon's nose with it, quick and easy as you please. My brother cried for hours, the poor lad! Still bent up about it, too. Literally."

Unamused, the elder brother responded, cutting through the nonsense. "He did no such thing, you yarn-spinner! You know damn well my nose broke wrestling you after you took father's favorite horse from the stables! Which, by the way, was something that I had to answer for! As always! I got a licking for it, too! So, not only did I break my nose on your behalf, I also had to deal with father thanks to your pranks!"

The younger lord merely shrugged and paced away slightly. "Why must you always spoil all the fun? Well, wouldn't you agree my story is the better one?"

He looked again toward the princess, who was still attempting to come to grips with what just happened moments prior, uncaring for their antics.

"In any case, he is only older than me by two minutes," the younger spoke again.

"Those two minutes mean all the difference between ruling and keeping the Crystal Citadel, whereas you are to be left among the temple maids and servants. You can keep your good looks, little brother, as I will have all that I need."

Satisfied that he had quieted his sibling the elder brother turned his attention back to the hylian girl standing before him. "Now that you have formally met us, I am Simon, and this braggart here is my kid brother Sylmoor. And you are, miss...?"

Sylmoor's eyebrows raised, and he grinned back toward his brother, eager to get a rise out of him. "Why, she is the princess brother. The princess."

Simons eyes widened, and he looked over to his brother for reassurance. "You're...serious?"

He gazed back into the princess' eyes, realizing the truth of his obnoxious brother's statement. "My apologies, your highness. It's just...I would have imagined you to have looked…different...perhaps, dressed more…appropriately."

Zelda, who could care less on a regular day, but whose patience had already worn quite thin, spoke brashly. "Well, I am so sorry to disappoint you! Not all of us have the luxury of castle maids and servants following us around like those from the Crystal Citadel! Maybe where you're from people still treat things as if nothing ever happened, but here in the heart of the kingdom, we have been barely able to get by with what we do have! I have much more important things to concern myself with than how I loo—"

Simon stepped closer. "Forgive me, your grace, and say no more. Sorry if it seemed that I misjudged you, or if I was being rude. That certainly was not my intention in the slightest. Seeing you now, I can truly see the beauty pierce beyond and around you. Beauty that I have heard so much about all my life. You truly are cast in the image of the divine, even dressed as you are, and it gives truth to the tales that spoke of you. But because I could not recognize you in the moment, I humbly apologize again."

Zelda blinked, realizing she'd been making a scene. She breathed in deeply and let her stress float away on her breath. "All is forgiven. But if we can get to the matter at hand, now that all of that is out of the way, my friend is in dire need of medical treatment. She needs a doctor."

"Of course, your grace..." the lord complied, spinning to address a soldier standing near him. "Corporal, fetch the head field medic and tell them to get here at once. Their princess demands it. Now, make haste, for there is no time to lose!"

Simon turned back to Zelda. "He will be here shortly, I promise you. Now, if you'd like...as we set up camp here tonight, I can have some clothes brought for you to wear. Perhaps something more...worthy of a princess."

"It's fine," Zelda replied, though she caught herself dusting off her worn out pants and shirt. "I have my own clothes."

"I must insist. It is the least we can do, my princess. My kid sister Bella wouldn't mind at all, and you two are just about the same size. Her wagon has followed us here with her travel belongings, and she will be joining us herself once we've taken back the great city. My men can have a hot bath drawn for you, as well."

Zelda's face lit up upon hearing him mention taking back the city. Link's eyebrows also raised at this notion. With her spirits lifted at the sudden revelation, and not wanting to rudely disregard the hospitality of the people who had saved their lives, she accepted his offer. "If you insist...then I will change out of these clothes. Thank you again for your kindness."

"Certainly, your grace. I might beg that you do me the honor of staying in my tent. It is large, and I am certain you will find it to your liking once my men have pitched it."

"That will not be necessary, Lord Simon," she smiled, looking to her knight. "I shall sleep in my own tent, thank you very much."

"Well, alright then. Should you change your mind, it is at your behest," Simon bowed. As he lifted his head, he shot a smile off into the distance at who he saw was approaching.

He shouted past Zelda and the others. "Great performance back there! Our plan worked out beautifully, I'd say!"

His words were aimed at another man, who had seemingly snuck up behind where Zelda and her friends stood. This person quickly made his way from among the bowmen of the woods, and if the crest emblazoned on his chest piece was any indication, he was of House Tarble.

The older, thin Tarble man, with dark brown hair and clothed in black huntsman gear, spread out his hands in a proud gesture as he walked over to the main group.

"Yes, it did, didn't it?" he replied to the noble lord who stood in front of the princess. He then turned all attention to her and spoke to her directly. "I am Taleran, head of her lady's bowmen and private guard. Speaking of, the lady of the lake sends her warmest regards and apologizes that she won't be able to make it today, for she had to stay behind to care for her ill father. But she should be joining us within a fortnite."

"Oh, okay. Well, thank you for letting me know, good sir-"

"Taleran. The name is Taleran, your grace."

"Taleran, thank you again. Your lady and all of you are most welcome here, and I am eager to finally meet her," Zelda said, but no sooner had she spoken than she realized something was missing. "Where...where is House Draene?"

Simon stepped toward her. "Your grace, only our great house of Illiastar and Tarble departed together. We have heard no word from them. You were quite lucky, too. Were it not for us pursuing a few of their wolf pack scouts to this location, we probably would have never known to confront their main force."

"Do they not intend to come?" Zelda asked, brows furrowing with agitation.

"I am sure they are coming, your grace. Don't forget, House Draene is two days further than we and House Tarble. I am certain they have received your letter, and are answering the call as well."

"I hope so," she replied quickly.

"You shall see, your grace. All will be made right soon enough."

As he spoke, the head medic and his team made their way to the wounded group, and Zelda's full attention returned to her wounded friend. She thanked her lords with a smile, following the field medic in kneeling beside Riju to look her over. The medic poked and prodded at the wound, removing some of the bandages to have a better look.

"Yes, I see...," he muttered to himself. His eyes then lifted as smiled. "These field dressings were done well. It probably saved your life, young lady. But we need to get you some medicine before the sickness sets in and close you up. Your wound is still bleeding quite badly."

The head medic then turned to face the princess directly. "I'll have to perform surgery immediately. Splinters from the arrow are still lodged inside her, and will need to be removed to prevent complications. She also needs more powerful medicine, Zora medicine to be precise. These wounds are beyond our skill alone to heal, I'm afraid. I will do what I can, of course...but without medicine, it is likely that she will fall ill."

"Okay, medicine it is, whatever it takes to get her well," Zelda said. She turned to address the lord, interrupting him as he coordinated with his men. "I need your best rider to make haste to the Domain, and fetch some much-needed medicine for my friend."

"Certainly, your highness. It will be done as you say," the lord said bowing his head. With that, he passed the order to a nearby soldier. "You heard the princess! Head straight to the Domain as fast as you can, and bring us back the medicine her friend needs. Go, now!"

The soldier lept onto his steed and kicked off, riding past the camp and towards the direction of Domain.

At that time, more men arrived with a stretcher, carefully placing the injured Riju upon it to transport her to the infirmary tent for surgery. Zelda sighed with worry as the men took the gerudo girl away.

The lord then spoke to her. "Go, my princess. Tend to your friend while we prepare camp for your stay among us."

With that, she looked to Link standing beside her, and with a glance and a nod indicated that they should follow after her. So, she, Link and Sidon left in the direction of where they'd carried Riju off.

Nightfall soon came, and with the help of their long-lost allies from one-hundred years ago, the band of travelers were saved from the ruthless scourge attacking them. The princess, her lowly knight, Sidon and several of the others were gathered under the tent of Lord Simon of House Illiastar. There they debated and prepared for the days to come.

Simon started off the strategic meeting by ushering two of his banner men to unravel a long parchment map across an overturned tree trunk fashioned into a planning table. The two men centered dimly lit candlesticks at each end of the sprawled-out map to light the view. The young lord then fixed his gaze toward his princess.

"I'm sorry to summon this meeting and pull you away at such a time as this, when your friend needs you the most, but this absolutely requires your attention, your grace," he stated sternly in his deep, baritone voice.

Zelda, standing at the entrance of the military tent alongside Link and Sidon, looked downcast at the reminder of Riju's condition. "It is alright. The field nurse says she has stabilized, for now, and is resting. We will have to wait until the rider returns from the Domain with more medicine. I pray he makes it back in time…I hope."

"We all pray for your friend's speedy recovery. If things should turn for the worst—"

"That will not happen!" Zelda interrupted, paying no heed to the rudeness of her action. "Riju will pull through! She must!"

"Indeed, forgive me...Then, I will continue and be frank, princess. We won't be able to seize the great capital for at least a couple more days. Until the bulk of our main force arrives, along with our supply trains. And that is all without considering that we still need our catapults and siege weapons brought to us, things of that nature—"

Zelda attempted to interrupt once more. "Hold on just a minute—"

Link interjected, finishing her sentence for her. "We're here to liberate the castle and its city, not raze them to the ground!"

Simon snapped back, his patience with the princess and her insolent knight clearly strained. "And how do you suggest we do that? My scouts tell me we face a force of five-hundred more of the filthy beasts you saw here today, fortified and hunkered down, prepared to keep what has been theirs for over a century! Scores more of their number pile in by the day...and not only that, but they are being led by a lynel. Not just any lynel, mind you - Malroc the Terrible, a golden scourge lynel. One who's been bloodsoaked in the Calamity's malice, and reborn out from that darkness, magnifying his power many fold over.

"I will risk no more Illiastar or Tarble blood than I have to. If that means I must tear the city down, brick by brick, then so be it!"

By the end, his words had become shouting toward Link. Just as he prepared to continue his tirade, he stopped suddenly when he realized something peculiar about the knight. Lord Simon took note of Link's modest attire – the well-worn tunic, the simple traveling trousers, the mismatched gear. At any casual glance, this young man looked more like a common mercenary than any soldier or knight.

"And who…who are you again?" Simon questioned.

Link only had a chance to get a single syllable out. "I'm—"

Zelda impatiently marched in front of him, cutting him off and apologizing on his behalf.

"This is Link, son of Tye...and he is my knight," she declared, glancing back at him and then back to the lord.

Simon's caterpillar brow lifted. "I see...your knight, eh? And what...house...do you declare, Ser Link?"

Link made to speak, but was again cut off by the princess' own words.

"He is of no house, my lord. He is commoner and low born," Zelda stated bluntly, trying to quell the tension. In doing so she felt a terrible guilt boiling up within her for saying something about the man she loved that was so certain to tarnish his reputation in front of these nobles, as if he were just one more grunt on the front lines. This was the young man that held the key to her heart, even if he did not know it...and for that reason, in that moment, she hated herself.

"Ah, I see...," Simon sneered, looking down his nose at the commonborn knight conscript.

Link winced as she spoke those words, words of where he came from and what he was...rather, what he was not. Nevertheless, Link felt he had no real reason to be upset by her words, and why should he? It was the truth, after all. He belong to no great line, and was of low birth. So, even though she said those things, and even though it stung him deeply to his core, he couldn't hold it against her for simply telling the truth.

But it wasn't the truth that burned his soul and tore at his heart. It was because the young woman he cherished beyond measure said those things, and he was yet again reminded of the truth of his heritage and his lowly position. She was a princess, after all, and he was nothing but just a glorified guard...nothing more. It was in that moment that he truly realized that it must have always been a fool's hope for him to have ever believed that anything else might happen between them. It was all just a fantasy he had deluded himself to believe in.

Simon placed both fists on the map spread out upon the table. "You should know your place, knight. Tell me, do you always speak this way to your princess?"

Link cut from his thoughts, raising his chin and sternly replying, "I wasn't speaking to her like this, I was talking to you!"

"Careful, boy. Even my patience has its limits...I have had men whipped for much less than what you have done here tonight."

Zelda had enough of the back and forth and, stepping between the two men with her palms held out toward both, her royal authority roared over them like a trumpet horn. "Enough! I command that you stop this quarrel at once! Both of you!"

Simon stepped back with a small tilt of the head towards her, waving his hand outwards under his extravagant cape. "As you wish...Pardon me, your grace."

Zelda turned her annoyed glance that she was wearing toward Link, who she had found already kneeling by her side, his head hung low.

"Forgive my outburst...princess," he said slowly, lifting his head so that his gaze met hers. Zelda's heart melted at the way he looked at her, knowing he was only trying to defend her position on the matter, and that he always had her best interest in mind. She swallowed as she peered into the calming blue waters of his eyes...and knew that she hurt him. It was something she would never have wanted to do to him in a lifetime...

There was a new sadness in his eyes which was as evident as the fact he'd had to stop himself from using her given name. He wasn't even able to call her Zelda, as a friend might, and was forced to refer to her by her title in the presence of others. Like a common stranger to her, a servant. Nothing more than a mere soldier among the ranks.

The selfless sacrifices Link made for her tore her apart from the inside. She knew he was only doing so to appear distant from her, to avoid bringing unwanted attention toward her, or distracting her from her sacred duty to the realm. She knew he understood that her task as ruler must come above all other desires...

...even so, she had to be a princess right now. Other leaders among her kingdom were present, and she had to act accordingly. So with that, she prepared to ask Link and Sidon to leave the meeting...when Link, head still bowed, beat her to it with his own request.

"Permission to leave, your highness?" he asked firmly. He knew she would be safe in there, surrounded by guardsmen. He wanted an excuse to leave. He felt as if he was going to be sick. A feeling he never felt in his entire life bubbled up deep within his gut, tearing at him. Regardless of that feeling, he also knew Zelda needed to have some private words with the Lord and his brother, as well as the representative of House Tarble on plans for the kingdom. All matters beyond Link's station.

She just glanced down to him and nodded, muttering a soft, "Yes."

Link arose quietly, leaving the meeting trailed by Sidon, who joined in his departure with a frown.

Lord Simon chuckled at the knight's leaving, along with a few other members of his court in attendance. "Now, your grace, if we can continue..."

Zelda glanced over her shoulder, almost uncaring at what the lord had to say, and saddened by Link's departure. Even so, as her knight left her presence, she forced herself to return her attention back to the meeting at hand.

Link and Sidon finally made their way over to their part of camp. The knight, usually so calm and collected, was angry tonight, letting the better part of his temper boil over as he kicked a nearby cauldron near his tent. He tossed aside his gear as he did so, uncaring as he threw it to the ground. Sidon had prepared a warm fire for the two of them, but upon hearing Link raging as he paced behind the large zora, the prince attempted to offer some comfort to his old friend.

"Hey, don't let what happened back there get to you, man," Sidon advised, hoping to lift the knight's spirits. "I'm certain she did not mean it."

Link's pacing halted, and instead the man simply stood still, contemplating his words.

"She's a princess after all, and...well, she is going to have to act a certain way sometimes, friend. Don't take it so hard," Sidon smiled, flexing his arms in a grandiose pose. "I'm sure she will make things clear with you! Just you wait and see!"

Link neither smiled nor laughed at the zora's attempt at charm, his mood unimproved. Sidon merely sighed and turned back towards the fish stew bubbling over the fire. "Well, we will be having a hot meal tonight...so at least there is that to smile about."

Link, seemingly gone mute once again, sighed and sat himself before Sidon and two other guards who shared the fire, and quietly waited for the meal to be prepared.

Zelda just finished her meeting and stormed out of the Lord's tent after giving her good night salutations. She, too, felt sick. She was upset with herself, and upset for how she treated Link, but she simply didn't know how to fix it. It was not as if she had lied. It was...the way she said it...the way she made him feel, and she knew it.

So, it was all she could do to march over back toward her tent, pitched not far from Link's and Sidon's. Hers she would share with Buliara, and with Riju once she was deemed well enough to leave the infirmary.

Zelda made her way into the tent, closing the entrance flap, and leaning heavily against a stack of crates and belongings the servants had brought to her quarters. She clenched her fist tightly around some linens that had been laid out, bringing the scented sheets to her face, and crying softly into the cloth.

A servant in the tent she had not noticed already inside the tent coughed politely, startling Zelda out of her crying.

"Your grace, your bath has been drawn for you," the servant spoke softly with a polite bow.

Zelda ceased her leaning, turning away from the stacked boxes, and wiping her eyes and face.

"Okay...thank you," she said to the maiden, voice shaken. "Leave me."

"As you wish, your grace," the young girl bowed and departed.

Zelda knew she had to fix things with Link, but how? Things would get no easier going forward, only more complicated. But that would have to wait until tomorrow. For tonight, she needed clean herself up and get some much needed rest.

Authors Notes- I do apologize for the late posting. I've just been so busy at work these days in real life, working 50-60 hours, that finding time to write has been a little difficult. I want the story to be up to the standard of what your imaginations deserves. So I want it to be the best it could be as I'm writing and revising it. And this takes a little time. I thank you for your patience. And do not worry the story will be finished regardless. So expect like 30 more chapters. Please leave a comment(good or bad) if you haven't, it is what motivates me. I love to know your thoughts. And always thank you so much. Next chapter should be in serval weeks. I'll try for sooner.

Chapter Text

Chapter 13

The Morning After

Zelda sprang up on her bed to the sound of the loud chatter and fussing of men outside her pitched quarters. She had seemingly slept in to mid-morning, judging by the rays of sunlight slipping through an opening of the flaps of her tent. As the morning light lit her face, she gathered her senses as best she could.

Before she could figure out what all the hullabaloo was outside, she started at a sudden realization, the evening events from last night came crashing into her mind.

"Riju...Link! I must speak with him!" she exclaimed under her breath as she tossed off her sheets and rolled to the edge of the large mattress, about to leap off. With those memories in mind she made haste to slip into something more appropriate for the day.

Her belly turned with worry for the thought of her friend's recovery, and she was still bent on the way she treated Link and wanted to rectify any hurt she may have caused him. The words she spoke about him just the night before left a bitter taste in her mouth. She wanted to make it right. Even so, as much as she wanted to fix the misunderstanding between them, she felt guilty for not knowing how she might accomplish such a thing. It wasn't as if she lied...in fact, from a purely literal standpoint it could be said that she did nothing wrong. She told the truth, even if the truth was sometimes something least to be desired.

The princess cleaned her face with a basin of clear water and a washcloth provided by an Illiastar handmaiden. As she slipped out of her night gown and spun away from the bowl, face still dripping, she was surprised to find that a gift box was present at the foot of her bed on a fine oak trunk doubling as a table.

"I wonder what this could be?"she whispered.

Apprehensively, she crept up beside it to have a look at what it was. She lifted a single, well-trimmed brow in suspicion as she delicately opened the prettily-wrapped present. It was a velvet-colored box, tied by a shimmering gold bow that sparkled as the light touched it. What lay inside was even more ostentatious and beautiful – a fine dress of blue and white. Inside lay atop of it was a notecard, which could have only been penned in the hand of the Lord Simon of Illiastar himself.

Her eyes flowed over the letter as she lifted the alluring dress with one hand and the card with the other. It read:

"Dear Princess of Hyrule,

I couldn't help but notice a sour demeanor you expressed last night when your comrades left the tent. Please take this gift as a sign of my good will. I offer up my sincerest apologies. And please excuse me and my brother for any wrongdoing last night, or any ill words spoken to either you, your Knight, or your servants. I offer this precious gift as one of many, as penance for our behavior.

But, now that I have your attention, I must get something that I have been holding back off my chest. Something that I wasn't able to relay to you in person. I was not being entirely truthful when I said that this dress was for my sister. Although she is still coming, this fine piece of clothing was never meant for her. So long as we are being honest forthright, and to avoid any secrets between us, I had always truly intended on gifting this dress to you when you were found. It is a treasured heirloom that has been in the care of my family for countless generations, and it has been restored to its former glory from the finest dress makers and artisans in all of Illiastar – and of Hyrule, for that matter. It is the 'Sacred Maiden's Dress of the Princess' from even beyond ten thousand years ago, spun on the looms of the six maidens of legend themselves, or so it is said. Nevertheless, this is the 'Princess Dress,' and has been known as such for a long time. It lay safe in the care of my House for centuries over the span of millennia, never worn by anyone since its very first owner, the princess of legend…until now. It is my hope that you will do all of us the blessing of wearing it.

"I am certain it will fit and complement you perfectly, and it will magnify your angelic glow among us such that you will look even more stunning than you already are. There is no doubt in my mind that this dress was always intended for you, my dear princess. Now, once you have awoken and prepared yourself to your liking, it would be an honor if you might please accompany me in to rotunda on the bluff this afternoon. I'll have one of my 'Starsguard' stationed outside your tent, to escort you there when ready. I would very much like to discuss more matters with you, your grace. Of course, this matter can wait until you have finished tending to your injured friend.

Cordially your loyal servant and bannerman,

Simon – Liege Lord of the land of Bountiful and heir to the Crystal Palace"

Zelda shrugged and rolled her eyes as she dropped the letter back in the box. She didn't know what to make of his gesture, nor did she really care. She had far more important matters on her mind. One of which was her loyal and dying friend, and the other…Link...

Still, she didn't want to appear rude after promising that she would oblige his wish that she dress more appropriately to her status as a princess and...well, the dress was pretty. What could be the harm in wearing it? Though she tried to familiarize herself with the common folk by behaving as they did, and had developed a wonderful love for her modest people of the kingdom...deep down in her core, she still carried the memory of being a proud, young princess within her.

Wasting no time, for the day still awaited her, she called out to the handmaiden to help attend to her. She flung off her satin gown and the young assistant helped her to clothe herself in the illustrious 'Princess Dress.'

"It suits you, your grace. You look absolutely beautiful...like a portrait of the goddess," the girl chirped as she stood back to evaluate her princess.

'Why, thank you! It truly is a wonderful dress. isn't it?" Zelda said bashfully, a faint blush darkening her cheeks as she deflected compliment to the dress and not her own beauty.

It really was gorgeous and pleasing on the eyes, even she couldn't deny that. Blue and white – her most favorite colors of all. She couldn't help but smile wearing it. Perhaps it was because when she gazed upon the garment it brought back warm memories. Memories like the times she spent with Link, back when things were simpler. Memories like the time she first saw the Silent Princess flower blooming out in the wild of the open plains, before the scourge of the Calamity overtook everything. The dress bore the same colors as those flower petals, ribbons of ocean blue fading like a painter's brushstroke into the purest of pearl whites. Whatever it was, she felt a peaceful feeling while wearing the dress. It had a power to it. A subtle thing...but it was most certainly there, even if she didn't know exactly what the power was.

As she was about to step away, Zelda noticed a sparkle from within the box, gleaming from the corner of her eye, and she turned back to it with a bounce in her step. There in the box lay a necklace, one of the finest she'd ever seen, with a fiery red ruby set into a pristine gold chain. She was surprised that she had so nearly missed it.

Taking the ruby necklace, and quickly tying it beneath the white fabric collar of her dress, she also made haste to wear a pair of gold earrings accompanying the dress. The earrings were each fashioned into the shape of the Royal Crest of Hyrule, three stacked golden triangles. Fully dressed for the day, she felt ready to speak to Link and tend to whatever Riju might need for her recovery.

So she nodded farewell to the handmaiden, and opened the flap of her tent. Just as she did that, another thought came whirling into her mind. What was she doing? Even if she managed to mend the damage from yesterday, and go about things with Link as if nothing had ever been said, what good could come of her being so close to him? Why put the poor boy through the misery of a false hope? Or rather, perhaps more accurately stated, why was she allowing herself to believe in a false hope that by some miracle she might be allowed to stay by Link's side forever? That some distant piece of scripture, or ancient law yet undiscovered would be revealed at the final moment that there could be some way for her to keep her happiness and restore the kingdom...

A deep and frightening truth pitted at the bottom of her belly, and tore away at her hopes of such a childish idea. She knew deep down that it was just a fantasy...that there would be no way for them to be together in the end. So, why lead him on? Why? Especially if she must be separated from him. In a strange and selfish way, she could admit to herself that it was simply that she didn't care about that right now. For now, Link remained by her side...and that was all that mattered. Though it would be cruel of her to break off relations with him when that final hour came at last, she simply couldn't see herself shunning him before then. It was just too late...her heart had already fallen for him and no other.

With this in mind, she urgently made her way to the guardsman posted outside her quarters. In doing so, she noticed that the ruckus brewing just outside her tent had suddenly quieted and disappeared. What happened here before she'd come out? She had to know.

"You there, soldier. Do you know what all the fuss was about just a moment ago? It appears I am late to all the excitement." she smiled cheerfully toward the man, but before he could even answer her, she continued. "Actually, never mind that. Do you know where the hylian knight Link is? The one who carries no banners among him? The one who I was with yesterday?"

The fully decorated and armored man bowed. His breastplate proudly bore the pale stallion insignia of his lord's house, and wore a version of that coat of arms that was even a class above their normal sigil, with the primary difference that it bore a field of gold and crimson red; a sign of blood given and blood saved, which would boast who he was on the field of battle if he were ever to find himself in one.

The princess knew right away who he was among the other men, for even with how well-suited and adorned the bulk of the Illiastar force was compared to the other houses, even more so was this unique 'Starsguard' sentry – an elite member of their army, hand chosen to be part of the Starlight Cavalry, charged with the personal protection of their liege.

"Many blessings and a fine morning to you, my princess. I couldn't tell much from where I stood, but from what I could make out from the shouting was that the lot of men who were here went to take fellowship at the training bluff. Something must be going on over there. Apologies if they have disturbed you, I can make sure they won't ever do that again –"

"Don't you worry about it one bit," Zelda interrupted. "It was no bother at all, sir. I do thank you, though, for your generous offer of humbling out the men."

The sentry coughed into his fist and continued. "About your knight, you grace...I can take you to him straight away, if you'd like. His tent is just two more down from here, next to the mess tent."

Zelda couldn't help but give a small giggle after hearing of where Link was staying.

Of course he would want his and Sidon's tent pitched right next to the mess tent! That way he can be first in line! Food always first on his mind, even with poor little me out here by lonesome where anyone might get to me.

Even as she thought that, she knew such a thought to be quite the exaggeration. Who would dare try to harm her here, while she was surrounded by a garrison of seasoned soldiers? Who would be so foolish as to try such a suicidal act?

"Well, if my knight is just around the bend, please point me in his direction, my good sir," she said, back straightening and perking out her chest in her fine new dress in a show of fortitude. "I can make it over there on my own, so there is no need for an escort. I'm certain I can manage at least that much, thank you."

"Oh, but he isn't there now, your grace," the guard replied swiftly, stepping toward Zelda before she could make her way in the direction of Link's tent.

"Oh? Is that so?"

"From what I heard this morning, he and some the men are out on the field to the south, not too far off from here. The training bluff they called it. About a five to ten minute walk, if you don't mind traveling afoot. Or perhaps you would rather go on horseback? It is quite a difference in distance, your grace, so I'd be remiss in my duty if I did not insist upon an escort."

"It is a splendid morning, so the trek on foot would be just fine. In that case, my good sir, please lead the way. Thank you."

The princess offered the man a soothing smile, and they were soon on their way to Link.

Just a couple hours prior, as the early morning light of the sun was just about to creep over the eastern horizon, a devastating explosion rang out through the camp, loud enough that some might think the planet had left its orbit and returned. In the sudden commotion, Link woke violently, prepared for a battle. Alarmed as he was, and sweating profusely, he found himself slightly hanging off one side of his cot in his small tent. Sidon, on the other hand was still fast asleep, whistling as he snored. It was just a dream...rather, a nightmare. It had been several days since Link had experienced one.

Turning from side to side, Link soon realized there had been no explosion. He sat up on his bed, everything around him safe and sound. Perhaps the effects of the Lunar Tear potion were diminishing? Whatever it was, there would be no use going back to bed now. In a funny sort of way, it was a blessing. Lately he'd been sleeping in far too long thanks to the potion, and this gave him a real opportunity to seize the day. So he stood up, smiled a half-grin and swiftly kicked Sidon's cot.

"Hey, its morning. Get up," the knight ordered. "We've got training to do."

Sidon, startled, sprang up from his cot, yawning loudly as he rubbed at his eyes. "I'll go...get us both some breakfast, then. Surely the mess hall will have something we both would like."

"Sounds good. I'll get the gear ready."

The knight wandered about the tent, rummaging through his belongings among the crudely strewn about trunks and sacks.

"Now...where did I leave those swords?" Link said under his breath, scratching the back of his head beneath his sandy brown hair, which he continued to wear down even as it started to become long. Given he'd only just awoken, he'd have continued to leave it be until leaving the tent anyway.

He scoured the tent, on the prowl to locate his wooden sparring batons. That day would be the first real day he could train with Sidon, and he needed to gauge the level of the young man's skills...and anything would be better than having to think about his predicament with the princess. Link knew Sidon had to be something of an accomplished fighter, given the zora prince had saved his life, but the blue champion didn't want that going to his squire's head, no indeed. A lesson in humility was in order.

Link grinned to himself at the idea of just what he should do.

Secretly though, the real reason was anything but for training. He needed something that he could do to get his mind off his heart, for he was still distressed about what to do about her. It dawned on him, just how powerful the hold was she had over him. Something so small as what happened yesterday affected him so deeply, he couldn't shake it.

Is this what people call love? he thought. An unquenchable fire in his chest burned brightly just thinking about her. This has to be love.

The idea of ever losing her gnawed at him too, yet he knew it was forbidden. He needed to squash anymore ideas on the matter pertaining to how he felt, and quickly. It wasn't proper. He knew he couldn't let his feelings interfere with his judgment, his duties to the kingdom, and to her. He was a soldier after all, a knight. He needed to act like one, so he tried clearing his mind of anymore foolish thoughts and focus on the task at hand – training his squire.

Noticing that the two practice swords were nowhere to be found in his tent, he decided to throw on some adventuring trousers and a casual gray tunic so he could walk among the camp, electing to 'borrow' a pair of training blades from the quartermaster. Surely he wouldn't mind, so he kicked on his worn boots and walked outside.

It was still dark, yet early morning, and a soft orange glow was just barely starting to form in the eastern sky as the crickets were still chirping their songs of the night away. Just a few of the men were barely waking up, and a refreshingly cool mist hung low in the air near the ground, filling the camp with a light dew. The tents were only spaced by several arms lengths away from each other, scores of them all around, with some holding men of Illiastar and some of Tarble.

Walking just a few feet away from his tent, his steps crunched over the soft wet grass as he made his way to where he needed to go. A familiar voice called out to him from off to his side as he paced on by. Cutting through his thoughts like a dagger, he spun back to face the voice.

"Good morning, friend. I trust you had a pleasant night's rest?" Sylmoor said in low voice, not quite a whisper.

He was leaning against some supply crates placed between the tents. Link knew it was him even though he was clothed differently today, still as pristine and noble as before, but this time he wore a black uniform with red and gold lace, accompanied by the nicest mahogany-colored leather boots Link had ever seen, without so much as a scuff or a blemish. If the knight could have guessed, this was the first time they'd ever have been worn, or so he imagined.

And just like before when he met him, he had his nearly platinum blonde hair neatly combed back. Sylmoor grinned mischievously as he stood up straight. A smile that seemed to stretch across his clean-cut, smooth, fair face as he continued.

"So, Link…it is Link, right?" he turned, walking just a couple slow steps towards the hylian champion of old, wearing a slight smirk.

The knight just stared back apprehensively at him, slightly squinting, and returned a short nod of affirmation.

"Tell me…is it true?" Sylmoor asked, pausing just for a second to look at his hands and then back to the knight.

Link just gave back a blank stare.

"I heard the most outrageous and wonderful tale ever told by the lips of anyone last night…the most extraordinary story and rumor, spreading like wildfire throughout this very camp...and it was about you…It's all just a children's story I'm sure, of course…unless, what they say about you is true?"

Link's eyes raised in suspicion.

"So, tell me…is it? Did you really slay the beast? The great calamity? They say not with ten thousand men could you have done it, yet here you stand…and alive, too."

"Those are your words…," Link muttered back.

"Ha! So it is true…or so you say! Remarkable…I knew anyone who could put my brother in his place the way the way you did last night would certainly need to have no fear. I mean, the look on his face was priceless…wouldn't you agree? It has been years since anyone, and I mean anyone, has ever spoken the way you did to him…not since before father died...and surprisingly enough, you managed to escape his wrath…and anyone who can do that, is certainly deserving of my respect…or the very least my thanks! But if you truly defeated the calamity all on your own, then this is on a whole other level entirely...he won't believe it…I don't believe it! But it makes for a good story, regardless. Anyone that can accomplish a feat such as that surely has my attention indeed."

"It was the princess who defeated the calamity, banished it to the depths of Demise's hell, and saved us all. Your thanks belong to her. I merely assisted, and gave her the opportunity to do so," Link replied quickly.

"Strong and modest…come now, don't sell yourself short, lad. In fact, I was hoping you and I could be friends…or the very least, develop something of a symbiotic relationship if you will? I scratch you back, you scratch mine? A young man of your talents can surely be useful to me. And with me in your corner, I can get your voice heard and perhaps, just perhaps...a longer stay of venue with your princess."

The knight's eyes widened just a bit at her mention. He couldn't avoid it.

"Ah, yes. You see, I can be quite the ally if you allow me to be," Symoor added, with his leather gloved hands folded together.

"What's in it for you? Why help me at all? You hardly even know me...," Link asked.

"Because there is lots of fun to be had together, of course! And there are things need done, my good man. Any day now, we will be taking the city, and in that victory lies the spoils. Not just of war, but what of what one can take for oneself. I mean, it's not like those poor souls from one-hundred years ago will be needing any of it. Ha!"

Link was getting aggravated by his disrespectful levity toward the deceased. His patience was already worn thin, no thanks in part to his mood being spoiled from the day prior.

"What is this? Is this some sort of game to you!?" the knight rushed over to him, placing him in a firm hold up against the crates, and causing a feed bag to fall from the stack.

Link held him in a choke with one hand lifting him up with surprising strength against the wall of boxes. Sylmoor gasped in shock of Link's reaction, and his face went pale with fright as he struggled in his arms.

"People have died…People I cared about...they are still dying!" Link exclaimed, pushing harder on the man as he thought about all his long lost loved ones of a century past, and of his dying friend Riju only a few tents away, struggling to stay alive with every breath.

"I'm sorry…" the man choked out a couple words, "but they are dead…and there is nothing you or I can do about it."

Link loosened his hold as two soldiers heard the clatter and came around the bend to look at what the commotion was. Sylmoor waved them away as if nothing happened as the knight released him, still rubbing his sore throat.

"People die everyday…All we can do as men is make sure we don't end up as one of them...the living must continue on living and I mean to live," he gasped again, still trying to soothe the burning sensation of Link's hands around his throat. "Wow. Truly...truly you are the one who must have challenged the great Calamity…If it was anyone, anyone at all…it had to have been you. I mean, with a death grip like that, who even needs a sword."

"Trust me...If I had held you with even a tenth of the strength I brought to bare against the Calamity, you would be lying dead upon the ground right now," Link stated, grinning slightly to emphasize his point.

"See, that's amazing! That's what I am talking about! I can use a great warrior like yourself. Someone with that sort of skill and power...it could be quite amusing!"

"Thanks for the offer, but I must respectfully decline. I already have my duty…and it's to the princess."

With that, Link turned to walk away.

"What, you don't like money? What is it you want? Surely you have some price, some desire you would see fulfilled? You think to play the honorable type, one bound to duty? Well, I hate to break it to you, but honor died the day the kingdom fell into shadow. And whatever of it may be left is up for sale, now."

"My name, my honor as a soldier...that's all I have. All I've ever had. Without that I am nothing…"

"You really are a living, breathing relic from a time long forgotten, aren't you? And who did you learn this from? How did you find this unshakable honor? Who instilled this in you to make you this man you are today?"

"My father…he taught me everything about how to be the best soldier I could be…he was the most noble man I have ever known."

"Ah yes, I see now…Link son of?" Sylmoor asked, scratching the back of his head in an attempt to remember.

"Tye," Link stated boldly.

The mention of his father's name never failed to humble him. It brought back so many memories, fond and harsh alike. His father was strong man, a proud man...a good and honest man. But he'd also been one to allow Link no shortcuts in life and was downright hard on him at times, unlike other fathers and their sons. He shaped him to be what he eventually became ever since his boyhood, barely able to walk. Like how a great blacksmith spends all his time crafting the greatest knife in the land, forged, quenched and sharpened to be sold to the King, so too was Link prepared.

"That's what it was. Link, son of Tye…the proud, the brave, the handsome…and… the foolish."

Link stared him hard and straight in the eyes when he said those words, hearing every syllable. But then the young Lord continued his diatribe, slowly stepping toward the hylian hero of old.

"Look, Link, son of Tye…I like you. You have courage. But just look where your father ended up. Look where his honor landed him. Probably left for dead to rot after the invasion of Ganon's forces by the kingdom he swore to protect...your own father! You want that?"

Link stood quiet.

"You don't need to answer back now. Just think about my offer," he patted Link on the back, prepared to step away. "And in the meantime, as a show of good faith, I'll keep my brother's temper from boiling over. But only if you keep providing any more of the same excitement as last night. I can't get a better show like that in all the best theaters of Bountiful. The look on my brother's face when he is challenged is the greatest form of entertainment I can ever hope to dream of! And someone' ought to do it, ya know? And if someone might, that might as well be you."

"I wasn't trying to cross him, he just –"

"Shhh, I know…And don't you worry, I'll keep a handle on him. Just think about my offer. Let me know when the time comes if you are going to come along with me once all this restoring the kingdom business is through. There is much more fun and work to be done! Savvy? Now...where were you off to, hmm?"

Link shook his head at the very notion of working for Sylmoor, and replied, "I was on my way to the quartermaster. I'm in need of some sparring equipment for me and my squire."

"And what is wrong with your sword?" the noble questioned. "Come to think of it, if you defeated the terrible demon of our age, then that means you must be carrying the legendary Sword of Evil's Bane! Is it…actually real? Does such a blade truly exist?"

Link nodded.

"So it is real after all! I can't believe it! May I see it?"

"Perhaps I may show it to you...but after I get my equipment, if that is alright?"

"I am in no rush. But once my brother hears that the legendary sword of our father's fathers has been among us in the camp this whole time, he certainly will be, you can bet on it! He won't believe it. I hardly believe it. But I know you now, and from what you have shown me thus far…your eyes tell no lies. Speaking of which, would you like your sword sharpened? Certainly, it has seen better days and is in need of a good smithy. We have the finest stones in Illiastar, and are known as master craftsmen of fine metals and ore. You will find none better elsewhere, I assure you, who could treat that blade with the care and respect it truly deserves."

"That won't be necessary."

Sylmoors eyes jolted. "What do you mean? Of course it is! A blade of that caliber needs the finest treatment!"

"You misunderstand…," Link explained. "The blade never needs sharpening."

"Wha–?"

"Yeah. I can't really explain it, but ever since the sword came to me...things about it I have no explanation for have happened. It heals itself. Sure, after a great battle it gets scratched and its shine fades just like any other blade. But after I have sheathed it and laid it to rest for the night, I wake to find it unscarred from before. Almost as if the battle never happened at all. Through some miracle, its pristine luster always returns. I still don't get it myself, but that is just the way things are with it."

"Do tell...Well, I'm not going to pretend to school you in the matters of swordplay, for you may just be the greatest swordsman that has ever lived…who knows, I'll just have to wait and see. And for that matter, personally, I could care less. I make no claims at being a soldier, for I have my men for that sort of dirty business. I prefer to fight my battles and wars with a stroke of my pen. With but a single word from my lips, my men would kill for me...and, if need be, die for me. The written and spoken word is the most powerful weapon of all, and don't you forget it."

"So, you would rather have your men die fighting your battles for you, rather than fight them yourself?" Link accused, flinching at the thought.

"No need to act so high strung. But are you really so surprised, man? Everyone has their talents…yours lie with your sword. Mine lie in the ability to make it so that men never have to use the sword. Of course I don't want men to die needlessly, nor do I condone bloodshed, except when all other diplomatic options have been exhausted. Nobody likes war...except the money lenders, of course, but I have no need of them. Others might fall prey to their schemes and promises of fortune from back room dealings, but not me. Why, my family has more wealth in one hall of our treasury back at the palace than in all of the banks from here at the foothills of Lurelin village, all the way to the outermost rim of Draene near the Neverending Forest!"

Link fell quiet again as he watched the man tug at the reins of his fancy cloak.

"Now, you said you needed some equipment for today?" Sylmoor turned back to him, returning to the proper topic of the conversation after his little tirade.

"Yes. In need of some batons, batter shields and perhaps some rope," Link confessed.

"Rope? Whatever would you need that for? Never mind, I'm sure you have your reasons. Come with me. I'll make sure you have all that you require faster than you can say 'swift carrots!' Goddess knows if you were to try on your own, the quartermaster's tent would wait until sundown to give you your goods. They are not the fastest lot when it comes to divvying out supplies. I'll lead the way for you."

And with that, Sylmoor began to walk away, waving his hand for Link to follow behind. The knight stood firm for second as the noble started off, neither waiting nor carrying on...but Link didn't see the harm in taking him up on his offer to get him the equipment he needed, so eventually he trailed behind him all the way to the tent of the blacksmith.

Shortly, as Link stepped away, following close behind the nobleman of House Illiastar, the mention of his father from before and the idea of visiting a hylian quartermaster yet again caused a sudden surge of memories to overflow into his mind. Caught up in a daydream Link remembered the good times he once shared with him, and one particular memory flashed into his view.

"Keep up your feet! Don't ever stand in the same place longer than you need to. Your thoughts should constantly be moving, as should your body. A moving target is a lot harder to kill than a still target, remember that son," the knight's father mentioned as he sat on a stool gazing at his son perform his lessons in the art of martial combat. He spoke in a mild and meek manner, yet strong, strong like the wind of a hurricane, able to penetrate.

Link's father sat, puffing on a lit tobacco pipe. He stood slightly taller than his son, strong but thin. But unlike his son, he had dark hair like a fine walnut purple wood.

Link was just a boy, barely becoming a man. They were training at one of the stables within the great capital, a place the soldiers would sometimes go in their off hours, just around the block from Romani's Milk and Brew. Surely, they would all be able to work up a mighty thirst after a day's training, and luckily for all of them, the tavern maids weren't far away to quench them.

The mighty young warrior-to-be dashed and spun, blocking with his training blade as he sparred with older soldiers. It was five of them against him, but Link's father just smiled, confident in his son's abilities. But as his father spoke, Link turned for only just a second to hear him as a wooden smack of a baton shaped like a spear, hit behind his knee. The teenage boy fell to the grass and grunted.

"Just because I said to keep moving, I didn't mean mindlessly. Always have to know where you're going and have a way out of any rough situation," his father chuckled, wiggling his thick but cleanly shaped mustache as he puffed a couple more clouds of smoke. The stood up and continued, "Eventually, should you master this ancient lost skill, your mind and body will meld into one before you know it, so much so that you will be evading danger on instinct, without conscious awareness of it. It will become second nature to you. However, although I tell you this…in truth, nobody has been able to achieve this technique except in the old legends. Still, it doesn't hurt to do your best to get as far as you can go."

"I'm sorry, father," Link mumbled back from the grassy patch where he stood within the fence line. The other soldiers stopped their attacks toward him as he exchanged words with his father, a captain of the Royal Guard of Hyrule.

"You're doing well, son. So much so, in fact, that I think you are now ready for this next challenge!" his father shouted with a grin. Link turned to fully face him with an inquisitive lost stare, one eyebrow raised.

The captain waved his hands for all to follow him as he ushered them to the other side of the stables adjacent to their favorite tavern. It also happened to be right alongside the main road of the district. It was a busy afternoon in Hyrule's capital, as it always was back in those days. The sky was the richest of blues and the weather was sublime.

People bustled through the streets in droves, the laughter of children playing filled the air along the cobblestone roads as they splashed in the nearby fountains. Every square of each quarter had such a fountain, not just an aesthetic feature, but a source of fresh water for the poor among them, those not privy to owning a private well. Although they existed even in this prosperous place, the destitute were few and far between, for the kingdom in those days was very well-planned and well-managed. It was a happier, more prosperous time...before the age of the Great Calamity.

So, after following his father's lead, Link found himself facing up against a long wooden trough, filled to the brim with water about waist high. It stretched about twelve feet long and four feet wide, and every three feet or so along its length, a wooden peg pillared upward from the water, where a single leg might be able to stand.

"I think you already have an idea what lies in store for you to try next, am I right?" his father asked, smiling again toward him, throwing an arm over his son's shoulder.

"I think so," Link replied calmly.

"Bring the blindfold please," his father ordered one of the men helping prepare and train his son.

Link's eyes widened, and he turned to his father at the notion of having to be blindfolded.

His father let out a full-bellied laugh. "You didn't think this was going to be an easy challenge, did you?"

Link gulped, but he was prepared. He wanted the respect of his father and of the men, so he nodded confidently as the man approached with a makeshift sackcloth blindfold.

"Ah, just before you put that on, there is one more thing that needs to be added to the challenge. I had this brought in special, just for this occasion," his father remarked with another giddy grin as he walked over to a barrel. Link saw his father stand beside the wooded keg as water seemed to splash out from over the brim of it of its own accord. Something alive was in there!

But before he did anything else pertaining to the barrel, his father quickly slid on some nearby gloves that lay atop a crate nearby, the heavy type a blacksmith would use as he smelted metal ore. Carefully, his father plunged his hands into the keg and retrieved what could have only been a slippery fish.

"Here we are! A monster isn't he!" he laughed again, proud of the sight, holding the squirming fish high above his head in the air, as if it were a trophy won at the fair.

Link leaned over quizzically as he stared at him, still unsure how this pertained to him or his training.

"This, my boy, is a Voltfin Trout! Apothecaries use their muscles to make elixirs which help those who work in the far east during the great thunderstorms, that they can have a fighting chance and be resistant to the effects of ball lightning when it strikes from afar. But, we are going to use this big boy for a whole other reason. Just as it has the ability to fend off any shock, so too can it give quite a shock itself!"

Link gulped again.

"Don't worry, it won't kill ya…at least, that's what the merchant promised when he sold him to me! But I'm not gonna lie, after feeling a shock from him, you're gonna wish you were dead. But I have full faith in your abilities. You are my son after all!"

His father laughed again. Some of the other men also wore giddy grins, excited for this test of strength, dexterity and willpower.

His father quickly plopped the slimy and colorful critter into the water of the training trough. It splashed around at first but quickly became acclimated to its new surroundings.

"Now, son, the fish will only throw off a shock if you make any sudden movements in his water or frighten him. So here we are going to have you stand just above the waterline on the first peg. What you gotta do is maneuver from peg to peg, blindfolded while also avoiding our lunging attacks. Caster, Franklin, Meryl and Symian will be issuing out the strikes toward you. You've got this, son. Remember how to fight and defend with your feelings. This will be an evasive maneuver exercise, so you won't have a weapon. Your job is to dodge all of the incoming attacks, got it? This will test all of your senses – listen to your surroundings, feel the air against your skin, focus on your enemy's attack, and anticipate their movements. Now go!"

Link nodded. He climbed up the little wooden ladder that led up to the first peg, tying his sackcloth blindfold around his eyes, calming his mind, and focusing all of his thoughts on the task at hand. He took in a long breath and nodded.

As soon as he was ready, Link's father blew the whistle. The test had begun.

Link started out well enough, a barrage of attacks flying ever which way towards him. The young warrior performed beautifully as he danced from peg to peg unimpaired, dodging every blow and strike. It carried on that way for about five minutes until his father made an announcement. The attacks halted abruptly, but Link did not yet remove his blindfold to see what was happening.

"I wonder what all that fuss is about!" Tye shouted over the group, slowly making his way in front of the trough alongside the busy road to catch a better view of what was happening. Many folks were pouring in from the district's side streets as if they were trying to get a view as well.

"Ah. It's her majesty, the princess. I wonder what brings her here to the commoners' quarter?" the guard captain asked aloud. "She surely does have her mother's beauty. Quite the great inspiration and beacon of light to us all, isn't she? What is she, fourteen now?"

"Fifteen, I believe sir," a subordinate corrected.

"Ah, yes, the same age as my Link. My, she's almost a young lady now, and a wonderful one at that. Her mother would be so proud, as we all are. She serves us all so faithfully, devoted to her duty. She will save us all, when the dreaded time comes, I have no doubts about that!" he said again, loud enough for Link to hear.

It was as he mentioned, her royal procession making its way through the main road, and now she was merely feet away from the fence line from where they trained. She was seated atop a majestic carriage, the finest in all the land, waving to the denizens of her realm and offering warm smiles to them as they all tried to greet her. For one reason or another, their procession halted momentarily, and it was in that moment she shot a look over to the young soldier who still stood in a battle stance above the training trough. She gazed for a long moment, curious as to what that sort of training the boy was undertaking. Most peculiar indeed she felt.

Upon hearing his father's words, Link used a finger to peek one eye open out from a flap of the blindfold, as he too wanted to see the princess out of curiosity. He only ever heard stories of the girl these days, having never seen her in-person for several years, since a time when they were both children. Even then, it had only ever been a view from afar. With her being so busy with royal affairs, who knew if he would ever get such a chance to see her from that close again.

As his gaze met hers, he was instantly struck by her sheer beauty. Her golden blonde hair danced in the breeze as it flowed freely, her bangs brushing against her soft, fair-skinned face. Her starlit green eyes pierced him deep to his soul, and made his whole body go warm.

It was a feeling he never felt before about anyone, especially not a girl. Though he didn't know her personally at that time, she smiled back toward him, cutting through all the hollers and shouts of the people around. For a brief moment, they spoke through their eyes, not with any words, but simply with feelings. She too was captivated by him, staring back in that moment, both unaware of the future significance they would hold for each other.

Link's father peered back over his shoulder, leering up toward Link who he saw was trapped gazing at the beautiful, young princess.

Perhaps the boy is getting a bit carried away with that dopey half-smile, his father thought.

So, with a grin, he firmly snapped his wooden rod at his son's backside, causing him to shriek and lose his balance. Link fell hard halfway in the water, smacking his tail bone against the wooden peg, collapsing from the surprise blow. The Voltfin Trout wasted no time, letting out a fury of electric current as it was frightened by the sudden splash of Link's body intruding into its new home.

The princess giggled as she watched the whole scene unfold right before her eyes. Link gasped out a quiet groan as pain rang out through his entire body. He jolted in the water, spasming and splashing. The slippery fish had soon had its fill and stopped its shockwave. Link, without hesitation and with an embarrassed bead of sweat trailing his forehead and a red blush cross his face, quickly climbed out of the trough.

Zelda leaned in toward her escort, who sat in the seat below her on the carriage next to the driver.

"Who is that man there? I recognize him," she asked with a smile, half-looking toward the young trainee and his father.

"Oh yes, my princess. That man is Tye, captain of your father's guard. I believe this is his day off, however," her attendant informed her with a humble cough into his hand to clear his throat.

"I see. Now I know recall who he is, though it is hard to recognize him without his uniform. And who is that young man beside him?"

She evaluated the young warrior again, up and down, her eyes flowing over his dripping wet form several times after his sudden dunk in the trough. Soaked clothes tightly pressed against his chiseled young physique. She was a young woman, after all, and such new and exciting feelings began to fill her as a whole new world opened up before her.

"Oh, him? That boy is his son, uhhh...I think his name is, uh, Lonk? No, no, that can't be right...uhh, Link! That's it, I'm sure of it! If I remember correctly...," the royal rambled, cupping his chin as he wrestled with his own memory.

"Link, huh? Hmm...," the princess whispered to herself.

"Surely, his father is preparing him for the annual qualifying trials of the crown. You are to be the honorary host of those in these next few weeks. He is to be a Royal Guardsman, if he manages to succeed in his father's footsteps. Curious to see if he does. His father is one your best soldiers, your grace, if I might say so myself."

"Curious indeed," she smiled, softly biting her lip in anticipation.

"It appears the road ahead has been made cleared for your travel, your grace. Shall we proceed?"

Zelda took one last long, hard glance toward the drenched young man, now standing by his father, preoccupied as it appeared he was getting a talking to. She shook off her gaze.

"Um, yes. Carry on, drive," she called out in affirmation. And then they were off, heading deep into the city and, by the looks of it, to the Citadel.

Back where Link stood, his father chastised him as his captain.

"Never, ever let your guard down, even when you think you are safe," his father said, a stern finger raised toward his son's face. "Those were some of the best moves I've seen you do thus far, right up until you moment you lost your focus and dropped your guard. There is no victory in second place, only death on the battlefield. Never forget that, my son."

"Yes, father," Link replied, feeling a bit foolish for gawking so long at the princess.

"Son, I know she is a pretty young girl, but never forget your place. We are soldiers, she is a princess."

"I know."

"Ha! Well, don't you worry your head over it too much, my boy. It is perfectly normal for you to look upon beautiful young maidens from afar from time to time. How else do you think I met your mother?" the guard captain chuckled lightly as well as the other men in attendance. "And if you're lucky, and do well to prove your worth to his majesty the King, then perhaps – just perhaps – one day you'll be able to serve in the princess' guard yourself, the highest of all honors. It would fill me with great pride and joy if my son were to ever be given such a noble task…But first, we have to get you through the qualifying trials of the three torches."

"Thank you, father. I will do my best,"

"I have no doubt that you will, son…I have no doubt whatsoever. Now, run along home boy. I'm sure Sven is just dying to have you show him what you learned today," his father smiled.

Link smirked back.

"Me and the men will pick up here, and thank the stables for always being so gracious as to allow us our practice. And so close to a fine establishment such as that," his father laughed again, pointing toward the tavern across the way. "Besides, I owe these good lads here a few drinks and a week's pay for helping me. Tell your mother I'll be home by sundown."

Link simply nodded as he fixed on his boots for the walk home. And before he knew it, he was waving goodbye and heading for home.

Just as quickly as the memory had come into his mind, it faded away...and Link found himself under the tent of the Quartermaster, alongside the Noble Sylmoor of Illiastar.

Authors Notes- Hey everyone, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It was originally supposed to be much longer, but I split these next two chapters into two due to time constraints and size. Also, the next chapter which was the other half of this, should be up in a little over two weeks, it is my birthday this weekend and I wont be home to write. Not to mention with my busy work schedule(50-60 hours a week). But don't worry, the chapters will be posted and I'm sorry for the recent delay. Anyways, if you do enjoy the story, please be sure to leave a comment, it really motivates me to write more. Not to mention I love hearing your ideas and angles on things, whether if its criticizing the story or not. Thank you all again, and have a wonderful day! Enjoy, much more to come.

Chapter Text

Update: 10-22-2019 The first two chapters to the full voice cast audiobook version of this story has been posted to youtube listed as "Zelda botw sequel (fanmade) audiobook part 1 and 2" please give them a listen and some love if you can. Thanks so much!

Chapter 14

The Stranger

Escorted by the Starsguard sentry of House Illiastar, Zelda made her way toward the pavilion where a mass of soldiers had gathered. Every minute felt like an eternity as she internally agonized over facing him again. She couldn't feel prepared enough.

Her Champion. The young man who held the key to her heart. Link. He was currently engaged in a spar of some sort with Sidon. It was hard to tell from her distance. Nervousness began to manifest physically in her then. Her stomach grumbled, her jaw clenched. Music mixed with the noisy cheers and shouts from the crowd increased in volume as Zelda neared the top of the hill. How was she going to approach him?

In the training ring Link sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the tip of Sidon's wooden sword. It snagged slightly on the fabric of his worn-out grey shirt.

"So a Zora can fight on land! Who knew?" Link playfully mocked.

"Ha! Says the man whose backside was on the floor just yesterday," Sidon returned easily. He jumped back from Link's counter-strike. "Or did you hit your head too and forget?"

"Maybe I just like to give a good show when I fight. Until you interrupted and stole my glory, that is."

"You'd best leave the theatrics to the actors, then!"

They continued to dance a moment longer, their banter nearly drowned out by the surrounding soldiers. However when Link began to gain the upper hand, their spectators slowly quieted in distraction, heads turning toward something behind him. He paid them no mind as he successfully smacked the mock blade out of his opponent's grasp and sent him staggering back. Sidon landed on the ground with a huff, looking up to see his rival strike a victory pose over him.

With his hand on his hip and sword pointed under his rival's chin, Link appeared more legend than man. Like a picture-perfect cutout of an old fairytale. It was no surprise there were so many among their ranks who looked up to him in awe. He had focused, driven eyes and a unique fighting style that made him stand out from them. Even though Link was younger than the majority of his peers, he clearly possessed the experience of a well-seasoned veteran.

Zelda waited for Link to acknowledge her presence as the rest of those gathered around had, if the revered silence was any indication. She arrived in time to observe the outcome of the round, and now the only thing that could be heard was a beautiful tune originating from the nobleman playing an ocean-glazed ocarina among the crowd.

Instead, Link gave no indication he had even noticed any change in his surroundings. He spoke to Sidon as he moved to the side of the training ring to exchange his wooden sword for some rope. "Let's go again. This time, we'll try something different."

Sidon stood slowly and shifted his gaze between Link and Zelda, perplexed by his friend's strange behavior. He was unsure whether he should say something with so many onlookers present.

Zelda perched her hands on her hips, nerves replaced with annoyance from being so obviously ignored. She opened her mouth to interrupt, but was instead distracted by the sudden absence of music. Zelda looked to the side, where Sylmoor sat cross-legged atop a crate of sour apple ale. He lowered the instrument from his lips and bowed his head in silent greeting.

"Oh, good morning Lord Sylmoor! There's no need to stop playing," she told him apologetically. "That tune was actually quite nice. And what a lovely ocarina you have there," she added.

"This old thing?" Sylmoor replied. "It has been in my family's care for generations. A treasured heirloom of House Illiastar."

"It's beautiful," she complimented, then began to trail off into her own thoughts. "Strange… I feel as though I once heard that song before, but I know I couldn't have…"

"If I remember correctly, it is an ancient one called The Song of Storms, my Princess. In fact, it was written by a hero not unlike our Link here." He threw a wink over to the knight in question, whose attention was drawn at the sound of his name. It was an attempt to bridge whatever chasm had clearly emerged between him and the Princess, but Link wasn't having it. He huffed in annoyance and turned back to the rope he and Sidon were trying to untangle. The Prince lowered his voice and asked if his friend was feeling alright.

"…I admit I don't remember all the notes, so I had to improvise a bit," Sylmoor continued after an awkward pause.

"Well, it is a wonderful melody," Zelda repeated with a warm, polite smile.

"What an honor to please your ears, Your Highness," Sylmoor said.

Zelda's nerves hit her again in full force as she prepared to finally address Link directly. She had to tell him how she felt. Though she still had no idea where to begin finding the words to form the apology he deserved, she had to do it. He was still faced away from her, rope forgotten in his hands as he and Sidon conversed softly. With an embarrassed blush across her cheeks, Zelda said, "Sir Link, may I have a word with you?" She looked around once more at her rapt audience. "…Alone?"

The young Hylian warrior looked over his shoulder briefly before slowly turning around to meet her eyes at last. Wind shifted his hair, and the temperature seemed to drop when he said, "anything you have to announce can be done right here. After all, we are only soldiers, my Princess."

Her heart jumped into her throat as she was hit by his cold tone. It was all she could do to just stare, mind racing, trying to find the words to reply. It was then she noticed his eyes, which were locked on hers, were full of an emotion utterly contrary to his words. She felt the hurt she caused him. It burned in her chest.

Time seemed to slow down. Sylmoor awkwardly slid away from the barrel he was resting upon. He cleared his throat with a light cough, though it did little to dispel the thick tension in the air. He began to make his way in-between the pair, then stopped, hesitating. No one else dared to move a muscle.

However, soon enough it proved hopeless for Link to keep up his frosty attitude. He took in the breathtaking sight of the Princess in her new dress, a soft blue tapestry of royalty, and after a few moments his demeanor softened. He knew in his heart she only spoke the truth yesterday. Regret for his harsh words quickly settled into him.

Zelda took a small step closer to her knight, somewhat timid. "Link… I—"

Her words died in her throat as Link began to close the distance between them. He held his free hand out to her. She looked down at it, heart hammering in her chest. Shifting her gaze once more to his sweet, serene blue eyes, Zelda gave him a soft smile as she began to lift her own hand.

She anticipated his calloused fingers gently sliding over her soft skin, but before their hands could meet, a loud horn startled the entire gathering. Everyone turned to face the source of the noise. Three riders approached from the open plains, a trumpeteering horseback Hylian followed by two Zora on massive, prehistoric-looking quadrupedal beasts.

"They… have returned…" Zelda breathed. "Hopefully it's not too late," she looked back to Link, who nodded in response.

Sidon found his voice once again and greeted the riders first with a loud shout. "Well hello there, friends! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" He smiled kindly. "Were you able to safely deliver our medicine?"

"Yes, Your Highness," the Illiastar dispatch rider responded as he dismounted gracefully. He and his two Zora companions made their way over to the royals, the surrounding soldiers parting to let them through the crowd. As he approached he lightly patted the satchel strapped to the side of his waist, indicating the precious cargo was inside.

Zelda let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Her friend would be okay now.

As the trio got closer, Zelda, Link, and Sidon quickly recognized a familiar face among them. A burly and fierce-looking Zora who had challenged Link to a duel the previous morning. Seabass.

After exchanging greetings, Sidon, eager as ever, immediately began questioning his subordinate. "So then, tell me all the latest news from the Domain! What has become of Lord Buru Buru? Is he alright? Did you ever find him?"

Seabass grimaced. "Yes, we found him… But by then, the damage had already been done to the entire canyon near the Domain. It saddens me to report that we discovered many more casualties than we previously anticipated, both Hylian and Zora." He paused for a heavy moment, then continued, "as for the Deity King, rest assured that he is stable now, my Prince. Some children discovered him in a shallow pond right before we left. What fortunate timing as well, with any more delay and I'm afraid he would not have made it either. As we speak, my men are working on building a temporary dam so we can drain more lake water into his resting place. It will have to do until we find a way to return him to his home," he concluded his report in an apologetic tone.

The Prince looked up to the sky and sighed deeply, controlling his grief over the loss of his kinsmen and Hylian friends in that region. "Thank you, Seabass… I know you did all you could," Sidon said. He walked over to the larger Zora, patting him on the shoulder in reassurance.

"Sidon…" Zelda began, seeing the distress her friend tried to hide, "if you must return home, there is no dishonor in leaving to help your people. I want you to know that I stand behind you."

Speaking up, Link added, "you have my support as well. If you need to help those you love, then you should go."

"Thank you both, but I have sworn an oath that I must fulfill," Sidon replied. "I am duty-bound here until then. The Domain will be alright with my father's and Muzu's leadership, don't you worry."

"You're very brave, Sidon. I won't forget your loyalty," Zelda said with a soft, warm smile. Link nodded in agreement, and their friend seemed comforted by it.

After a moment, Link said, "we should get the medicine to Riju, there isn't much time." He tossed the rope to the side, promising to continue training with Sidon later as he moved to accept the satchel from the sentry.

"I agree. I'll show you the quickest way to the infirmary tent," Sylmoor offered. His fancy cloak swayed as he led Zelda, Link, and Sidon away from the crowd atop the pavilion.

Inside the infirmary tent, a field surgeon and a nurse were tending to Riju's wound. Beside the cot where she lay, there were bowls full of discarded bloodied bandages. The nurse was in the middle of clearing the small space when Zelda entered through the flap.

The surgeon looked up from the pocket notebook he had been writing into. He was an older man with deep wrinkles, his beard and thinning hair white as snow. "My Princess, I heard the trumpet," he greeted. "Has the medicine arrived?"

"Yes," Zelda confirmed as Link followed in behind her, unwrapping the satchel and holding it out for the surgeon to take. Sidon and Sylmoor waited outside for news so as to not crowd the medics trying to do their jobs.

"Thank the Goddesses," he breathed in relief. "I feared that it would soon be too late."

"What do you mean?" Zelda spoke back worriedly. She looked over at her friend, who was breathing slow and heavy, as if in pain. Link shifted his gaze between Riju and Zelda, desperately wishing to wrap an arm around the shaken Princess, but knowing he couldn't in the doctor's presence. He crossed his arms instead.

The surgeon regarded her gravely and began to reveal his patient's condition. "Well, although I was able to remove all the splinters from the broken arrow, she still has severe necrosis of her bones and abscesses have set into several internal organs."

Link and Zelda stared at him, uncomprehending. Noticing this, the doctor rephrased, "she is a very sick girl. Infection is rampant in her blood, and as a result she is running a dangerously high fever. However, with this"—he held one of the vials from the satchel up—"I believe there is still a chance to stop its spread and reverse the damage. We will need to perform another surgery right away."

Zelda bit her lip, refusing to let the tears building in her eyes fall. "I understand." Voice wavering, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to collect herself before speaking once more. "Whatever supplies you require, it shall be provided to you. Please, just save my friend."

"I will do everything in my power, Your Highness," the surgeon assured her.

Zelda nodded, thanking him and turning to leave so he could do his job. Link held the tent flap open for her. Just as she was about to step out, a raspy voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Hey there, Princess…"

Zelda spun on her heel, not believing what she just heard. She found Riju's unfocused gaze on her, and immediately rushed to her side. Although she had only known Riju for a short while, Zelda felt closer to the young Gerudo than anyone else — other than Link. Though she knew Riju was her own person… she couldn't help it. The girl reminded her so much of Urbosa. Her Champion, dear friend and mentor. But her relationship with Riju was different than the one she shared with Urbosa. It was a bond of sisterhood.

"Riju," Zelda could no longer choke her tears back. They flowed freely down her cheeks and dripped from her chin. She was vaguely aware of the surgeon speaking urgent orders to the young nurse, who then rushed out of the tent. Link, as always, was right by her side.

"Hey… I'm not dead yet," Riju struggled to get out. Zelda hushed her soothingly, but she continued, "don't waste your tears on me. And besides, you don't want all these men to see you cry right? We women can't let them think they are tougher than us, because like hell they are!"

"No more talking, you need to save your strength," Zelda whispered to her in a soft laugh.

Riju smiled weakly, mumbling something that sounded like I have plenty as she began to drift off and return. The nurse returned a moment later with a few more medics carrying various instruments and supplies.

The doctor leaned into Riju. "I'm sorry, but were going to have to perform another operation right away. This will be quite painful, I'm afraid…even with the Milk of Deliria."

"Then…what are you waiting for then? Get a move on. I need to be ready for the battle that is coming soon. I wouldn't want to miss it for the world. It won't be said that the great gerudo chief Riju, grandniece of the legendary Urbosa, was done in by a single measly arrow!" Riju snarked, choking on a cough yet again.

The surgeon chuckled, amazed by her strength and courage for being such a brave young woman and leader of her people. Zelda, too also found strength in watching her friend be courageous. She also was a leader and not only that but the heir and ruler of all the free peoples of Hyrule and its dominions.

The doctor then reached for the foul drink and offered it up to her poor girl's lip as the only means to dampen the pain. Riju gagged as she took a gulp. In that same stroke, the assistants bound her to the bed with leather straps, so she wouldn't be able to interfere with the procedure if she were to thrash around in agony.

"I'm sorry, but I need you both to please wait outside the tent," the surgeon addressed Link as he began checking Riju's vitals. Link nodded in understanding and took hold of Zelda's arm, gently leading her back out to where Sidon and Sylmoor were. She didn't resist.

Zelda looked back once more to see Riju's limbs being secured to the bed by leather straps before the tent flap cut off her view.

The infirmary staff rushing about with no time to tell them what was happening had Sidon and Sylmoor fearing the worst. Seeing Zelda exit the tent so emotionally distraught only fueled their anxiety. Naturally, questions began to pour the moment the Princess and her knight were outside again. Link handled explaining the situation as calmly as he could, while Zelda took a moment to compose herself and wipe away her tear stains with a handkerchief.

"I see," Sylmoor was saying, "all we can do now is wait."

Link and Sidon began to discuss returning to their training, if only to distract themselves. Zelda perked up, remembering she still had words to exchange with her knight. Her stomach did a somersault.

"Wait, Link, before you go—" she attempted to interject before the trio could make their way back up to the pavilion, but, as fate would have it, she was the one who was interrupted once again.

The loud clopping noise of several horses galloping in unison indicated a noble procession was approaching. A beautiful pale stallion adorned glamorously came into view, leading the cavalcade of Starsguard sentries to a stop in front of Riju's infirmary tent. The lead rider dismounted and eagerly approached Zelda.

"Good morning, Your Highness," Lord Simon greeted, which she returned politely. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you, the quarters were quite comfortable," Zelda replied.

Simon hummed in acknowledgement, then tilted his head toward the tent next to them, eyes never leaving hers. "How is your friend?"

"In surgery. The doctor is hopeful now that the medicine has been delivered," she revealed somewhat stiffly.

"That's good to hear," he said slowly. His eyes wandered over her and she suddenly had an urge to run and hide, but didn't let it show. "I must say, that dress truly does look absolutely divine on you…"

A few of the sentries behind him chuckled. Zelda kept her head held high even as she felt a blush creep across her cheeks. She spared a glance over to Link, who watched the exchange with his eyebrows furrowed.

Simon stepped back in order to fan his cloak out in a deep bow. With his head low, he spoke, "Dear Princess, would you be so kind as to accompany me to the pavilion on this fine afternoon? I would like to hear more about your plans for the kingdom."

Zelda suppressed a sigh as she reluctantly answered, "of course I would, Lord Simon." Peripherally, she watched Link avert his eyes angrily. Her chest suddenly felt tight.

Simon straightened with a wolfish smile. "Excellent, shall we be off then?" he said while reaching forward to take hold of her hand. She jerked out of his grasp as he began to pull her towards his steed.

"I can manage my own horse, thank you." Her tone was no longer polite.

Something dark flashed across his face, then she blinked and it was gone. Link stepped forward challengingly, but Simon ignored him.

"Forgive me, Your Highness, I meant no offense. I only thought that wearing that gown would hinder you from riding on your own. As you wish, then." He waved a hand, and one of the sentries climbed down in order to lend his ride to her. She moved past Simon to mount effortlessly in her dress.

Left standing next to Link, Simon finally acknowledged the knight glaring at him. A hand landed forcefully on Link's shoulder, gripping almost to the point of pain as Simon leaned over slightly to speak to him in a low tone. "Best if you stick to what you know and where you belong, soldier." He squeezed tighter momentarily before letting go and making his way back to his own horse. The exchange was quick enough to escape the Princess' notice.

Behind Link, Sidon wore an expression of utter confusion while Sylmoor stepped forward and cleared his throat to catch his older brother's attention. Atop his horse, Simon regarded him with subtle impatience.

"Meet me by the command tent before nightfall, would you, brother?" Sylmoor requested cryptically. "I have a surprise for you that I just know you're going to love." Something about his devious smile and faux innocent tone made Simon instantly suspicious.

"I don't have time for your games, Sylmoor," Simon told him flatly.

"That's why you're no fun," Sylmoor teased back. "Don't be late!"

Simon huffed and began riding towards the pavilion, Zelda following behind him.

An awkward silence filled the air between the three men left behind. Sidon was no longer certain he wanted to spar with Link when he was wearing such a scary expression. He might not survive it.

"What a day, my friends. You two look like you could use a drink," Sylmoor said. "How about taking a break before heading back to the hill? It's perfectly good ale weather today, and I wouldn't want to waste it being in such a boring state as I am now." He paused with a wide smirk before continuing.

" I don't want to miss the show, after all! No good can come of that!" he roared with a laugh to the others.

Link turned. "And what sort of state might that be?"

"Why, being sober as a judge, of course! I am not like my brother, you see, nor am I a lawman, nor do I think I will ever be either those things, so why should I pretend to have any dignity? Come, let us be off…but after I grab the mugs of course," he said with a gleeful smile stretching from ear to ear. He then bolted past both Link and the red prince without care or delay and made his way under the flap of a nearby tent, which was housing supplies, undoubtedly to find the goblets for drinking.

Link gave Sidon an apprehensive stare, still unsure of the young Lord's motives for his sudden friendship.

No sooner than the fanciful man left, did he peak out his head from the folds of the tent with another grin, eyes ashine.

"I lied! Every day above ground is perfect ale weather! Now, here we are! We can truly let the training begin! Lead the way my new friends!" he said, lifting three wooden cups on display.

Ten minutes later, Link only half-listened to Sylmoor and Sidon chatting with one another while they enjoyed a light lunch and warm ale sitting in their stomachs. He tried to keep up with the conversation, but couldn't help staring into his mug and thinking only of her.

"Shall we continue where we left off?" Link grinned across the field at Sidon, a wooden sword in one hand and a length of rope in the other. They, along with Sylmoor, had finally returned to the training field atop of the pavilion where they had started their day. Once again, a crowd appeared to catch the encore.

"Show me what you got!" Sidon replied eagerly, twirling his training sword.

"Before we begin, may I have everyone's attention please!" Sylmoor called out, standing on top of a nearby crate with an overfilled mug of ale. "I know you're all just dying to get started, but first: a toast! For anyone who doesn't know, this young man here"—he gestured toward Link, spilling some of his drink—"defeated Calamity Ganon! All of Hyrule could never be more grateful. To our new friend and hero, Sir Link!"

A roar of cheers and applause erupted from the soldiers gathered, mixed with the sounds of numerous mugs clinking together. Link looked around a little bashfully, feeling his face heat up. He blamed it on the alcohol.

When the soldiers quieted somewhat, Link responded, "There's no need for formalities. Just Link is fine."

"As you wish then, Just Link," Sylmoor said, winking at him.

Link rolled his eyes good-naturedly and turned to focus on the lesson he prepared for his protégé. Knowing how much the troops honestly looked up to him was a heavy weight on his shoulders. His audience would likely also be, in some form, his students for the day as well… He wasn't just some nameless hero anymore, his secret was out. The realization was as much of a relief as it was a burden. He put his thoughts aside and dedicated himself to his training distraction.

Sidon regarded his mentor quizzically as he approached him with the rope. Link began to tie a loop around his right hand. "For this challenge, you won't be able to use your dominant arm," he explained, looping the rope around Sidon's waist to secure his arm to his side. "Let's see how resourceful you can be, should you be hindered in a real battle."

"What about you? Will your arm be tied down as well?" Sidon asked.

Link chuckled. "You won't be dueling me, that would hardly be fair," he replied ambiguously and looked over the crowd. "Could I get a few volunteers? Four should be enough." Behind him, Sidon grinned.

Overhead, the overcast sky had been steadily darkening as the afternoon wore on. Wind began to pick up in speed, indicating a storm was on the way. While Sidon would be at an advantage in the rain, the possibility of lightning made training in bad weather an especially steep risk for a Zora. He would need to prove himself quickly and best his mentor's challenge. As four Illiastar infantrymen were chosen among the crowd, Sidon squared his shoulders.

"Try to go easy on the royal Zora Prince, men, we wouldn't want to face the wrath of his father for having to send him home in more than one piece," Link teased with a smirk.

"Ha! I'd like to see you try," Sidon retorted. "Are you sure you don't want to join in as a fifth opponent, Link? I bet I can best you all even with my hand tied behind my back!"

"Don't bite off more than you can chew, Sidon. If you defeat these four volunteers, you will have the opportunity to face me as well, don't worry."

Link stood between the Prince and his opponents, his wooden sword lifted between them. After all parties were reminded of sparring etiquette, he drew his mock weapon back and moved to the side to observe.

The four infantrymen surrounded Sidon, then charged in unison. To Link's surprise, Sidon fought back with no trouble at all. He dodged and parried each soldier's advance elegantly. One by one they fell to the ground, and soon all four were groaning as they inspected surely developing bruises.

"You're ambidextrous," Link stated, feeling slightly put upon.

"Oh, did I forget to mention it?" Sidon grinned back. "Then again, maybe you forgot to ask!"

"Well then, a deal is a deal," Link stepped forward as the defeated challengers rejoined the crowd. With no warning, he lunged to attack the large Zora. Sidon's eyes widened and he attempted to dodge, but Link was quicker. However, it wasn't until his mentor stepped back that Sidon realized he hadn't been aiming at him at all, but instead at the rope securing his right wrist to his waist. The cord fell to the ground in loose strands.

Sidon met Link's eyes and mirrored the smirk he wore. This was going to be fun.

Or rather, it would have been. A thundering crash ripped through the open plains as a lone tree nearby was struck by lightning. Shortly after, rain began to pour from the charcoal clouds above. The soldiers immediately rushed about to save their food and drink from the elements and take cover inside the tents.

Sylmoor approached Link and Sidon, using his cloak to shield his mug as though it were a precious gem. "I believe that will be enough training for one day!" he shouted over the wind. "I'm sure my brother will be bringing the Princess over to the command tent soon anyways, let's head back to camp."

Always be ready, even when you think you are safe.

The words of his father echoed through Link's thoughts as he swapped out his dull training blade for the Master Sword. He decided to make a stop by his and Sidon's tent before sunset to check his gear. Although he was sure the Princess would be safe, he couldn't risk anything happening in the night.

Satisfied with his inventory, he exited the tent to join Sidon and Sylmoor for supper in one of the large dining tents. Sylmoor offered more ale to him, but since he could still feel the effects of the small amount he consumed earlier in the day, decided against having any more. He wanted to make sure to be as alert as possible, despite reassurances and goading from his fellow soldiers.

Eventually, Sylmoor gave up and drank the pints he had poured out for Link himself. Time flew as they conversed and teased one another… until they realized how late they were for the war strategy meeting in Lord Simon's command tent.

"Our main forces should be here within two more days at the latest." Simon used a croupier's rake to push one of the various markers positioned throughout the large map on the table in front of him and his audience. Gathered around it were several members of his council, an envoy from the Lady of the Lake: House Tarble, and a very bored Princess Zelda.

"We can't afford to wage an attack until all of our supplies have arrived," Simon continued. "Furthermore, it would be unwise to initiate a battle without knowing for certain whether the effects of the cursed moon have indeed diminished entirely. It would be quite troublesome for Ganon's forces to reappear after being slain in battle as they often do."

"The blood moon? I assure you, Ganon is no more," Zelda reiterated, suppressing a yawn. Between the walk through the pavilion, sharing a meal, and then being accompanied to the war tent for the current meeting, she had been listening to his droning all day. He never left her side, and thwarted her attempts to politely excuse herself. It was maddening.

Simon hummed. "Well in any case, we shall know by tonight, my Prin—"

"Hold it! Wait, wait, wait," a boisterous voice outside interrupted. A moment later, Sylmoor stumbled through the tent flap and pointed to his older brother. "We weren't here. Ya 'ave 'ta start over," he slurred.

The look on Simon's face almost drew a giggle from Zelda. She knew better than that, but an amused smile still formed on her face as Link and Sidon followed in after Sylmoor, soaking wet and looking out of breath.

"Well? Go on," Sylmoor hiccupped from where he had seated himself at the table, kicking his muddied boots up onto it mannerlessly.

"How many mugs of ale have you had to drink, you fool?" Simon chastised.

"Psh, I assure you, I am cone sold stober."

Link lowered his head to his palm and said something under his breath. Sidon sheepishly moved to be slightly behind his mentor, as if he could hide behind someone half his height. They had tried and failed to prevent Sylmoor from crashing the meeting, and now all three of them were facing the judgmental stares from Simon and his council.

"What about you, Link?" Zelda asked in a mock disappointed tone. "Have you been… drinking as well?"

Link lowered his hand, but avoided eye contact as his face flushed further. He looked like a child who had just been caught stealing desserts from the kitchen, she thought. How entertaining it was to tease him! It reminded her of the days before the Calamity, when her knight would accompany her to do field research. He had always been so easily flustered by her antics.

"Ahh, apologies, my Princess, t'was my doing," Sylmoor defended. "The lad only had but ooone pint! Or was it three?" he counted on his fingers sloppily, brows furrowed in deep concentration. Giving up on remembering how math worked, he continued rambling. "Didn't seem 'ta hinder 'im at all out on the field, anyways. Isn't that right, my tall, handsome-fishy friend?"

"I… uhh…" Sidon managed eloquently.

Simon raised his hand to silence the room. "That's quite enough," he said.

"Ooh yes, let's begin the meeting, shall we?" Sylmoor responded, tactless as ever.

Simon lost his patience. "We already began hours ago! If you had any sense—" he started to lecture, but was cut off by his younger brother once again.

"I have an important announcement to make!" Sylmoor stood, then promptly tripped over his own feet. Link caught him and was rewarded with a hiccup and a friendly pat on the back. "Ha ha, sorry. Ahem. Everyone, this here knight is nooo ordinary soldier," he swayed as he spoke, leaning heavily on Link for support. "He possesses the blade 'o evil's bane! The sword that seals the darkness! The—"

"Now I know you've lost your mind!" Simon shouted. "Did you seriously expect me to believe such a bald-faced lie from a drunk?"

"Actually, Lord Simon, it's true," Zelda revealed.

Simon whipped his head around to her so fast she was surprised he didn't hurt himself. "Excuse me? Him?"

"Link is the chosen wielder of the Master Sword, yes," she confirmed. Is it really so hard to believe?

"Go on, Link, show 'im!" Sylmoor goaded.

All eyes were on the knight. Some of the council members leaned forward in their chairs with interest. Link slowly lowered Sylmoor back into his chair before reaching back to unsheathe his sword. He held out the blade for all to see. A few gasped in awe at its brilliance.

Sylmoor grinned proudly. "Not only that, but for once, rumors are right! He slayed the Calamity."

Simon's eyes widened in astonishment. "Is that so? Remarkable," he said while rounding the table in order to get a closer look at the legendary weapon. "You must recount the thrilling details for us all. Tell me, how many aided you in the battle against the beast?"

Link looked at him straight. "No one."

Simon barked out a laugh, but his humor faded quickly when he noticed Link was serious. He narrowed his eyes. "Don't take me for a fool. Hundreds, if not thousands of lives have been lost to that monster! Calamity Ganon, slain by one man? Simply impossible," he said, thrown back into disbelief. "Surely you have more honor than to take the credit of all the brave men who fought alongside you?"

"I was there, Lord Simon," Zelda spoke up in Link's defense from across the table. "While the rest of you hid in your castles, deliberating and yet never deciding what to do, Link took action. He bravely faced and conquered the greatest darkness our land has ever known." Zelda met her knight's eyes and sent him a warm smile. She hoped he could see the silent apology in her eyes. "He, alone, set me free."

Link felt a weight land on his shoulder, and looked up to see Sidon grinning down at him proudly. Shifting his gaze between him and the Princess, he felt his confidence bolster.

Sylmoor giggled and hiccuped. "See, brother? It's the truth! Ya wouldn't call our dear Princess a liar, now wouldya?"

Reluctantly, Simon was forced to accept what he'd been told. "Well then, perhaps there is more to you than I previously thought, knight." He held his hand out, glancing at the Master Sword. "May I?"

Link smirked. "Of course, My Lord," he said as he held out the blade for him to take.

Simon grabbed hold of the handle, and Link let go. Immediately, the sword jerked from his grasp and embedded itself several inches into the dirt floor of the tent. Simon laughed nervously. It must have just slipped from his fingers, that's all. He bent slightly to take hold of the handle once more, preparing to put it from the earth. However, the blade wouldn't budge. It was as though it were embedded in stone. He yanked and pulled until his face reddened, but to no avail.

Members of the council began to murmur among themselves. Simon ground his teeth in frustration and redoubled his efforts to pull the sword from the ground. A chuckle escaped the Princess, who then quickly covered her mouth. Growing angry, he looked toward the entrance where a pair of guards stood, holding flags that represented House Illiastar. "You two! Don't just stand there, help your lord! NOW!"

Sylmoor snorted and howled with laughter at how bruised his older brother's pride was becoming, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle he had created.

When even the three of them together made no progress, Simon let go of the handle and rounded on Link. "What sort of trick is this?" he demanded.

"No trick at all." Link stepped forward and, to the shock of Simon and the other meeting attendees, slid the Master Sword out of the earth with ease. He returned it to its scabbard on his back with a flourish. "Even for me, it feels heavier at times. It's the sword's way of letting me know that I need to earn the right to wield it every day."

"Ridiculous. Come now, a sword with a mind of its own? You really expect us to believe that? Perhaps you're the one in need of doctor and not just your friend," Simon told him.

"Why can't'cha just accept the truth when it's right in front of ya, brother?" Sylmoor said. "This knight right here faced the Calamity and not only survived, but won! He holds a sword only the chosen hero 'o legend is able to! The Princess herself witnessed his courage! How much more proof do ya need?"

"But he… He's a mere commoner!" Simon sneered.

"And yet, still a hundred times braver than all of you," Zelda countered, nose pointed upward.

Simon glanced around the room and found himself receiving looks of disapproval for his outburst among some gathered in the tent. He exhaled forcefully, smoothing his light hair back and readjusting his clothing. He swallowed what was left of his pride in order to salvage the situation.

"…Alright then. Please accept my apologies, Sir Link," he grit out. "To acknowledge your service to the kingdom, I shall have proper quarters befitting your status prepared, as well as some new armor to replace those peasant rags you've been parading around in. A knight of your caliber really should dress more appropriately."

"Thank you, My Lord," Link replied politely. He stole a glance at the Princess once more, wondering if she would have approved of him taking up lord on his offering.

Catching her eyes in return, she gave back a pleased smile. But their moment was short-lived as a Gerudo guard burst through the tent flap in a panic. "Princess Zelda, you must come with me immediately!" she spoke urgently. "It's the Chief, something is wrong!"

Alarm swept over the tent. Instantly concerned, Zelda stood and rushed toward the guard, who began to lead her toward the infirmary. She didn't even bother to excuse herself to Simon. Link followed them out into the pouring rain without hesitation.

Sylmoor knocked over his chair as he stood clumsily. He attempted to stumble after Link and Zelda, but instead doubled over and expelled his stomach's contents onto the dirt floor. Sidon moved to his side to support him.

"Suppose it would be best to postpone the remainder of the meeting until tomorrow, then," Simon dismissed his disgusted council. He looked back at his younger brother and sighed. "Take that fool back to his tent to rest, would you?" he said to Sidon, who nodded.

Shortly after, Simon made his way toward the infirmary tent as well. His guest, Taleran, had declared himself curious and accompanied him.

A nightmarish sight awaited the group at the infirmary. Riju's once beautiful tan skin was now sickly pale and marred by bulging black veins that pulsated with tainted blood. She wailed in agony; her wrists and ankles bloody from pulling on the restraints that kept her securely on the cot, her eyes rolled back as she tossed her head. It was as if she'd been possessed by a demon.

Zelda gasped, covering her mouth with both hands in horror. "What's happening to her?" she demanded from the doctor.

"I-I don't know, Your Highness," the man responded shakily. "The surgery went fine. But it appears that the medicine is accelerating the illness rather than treating it… I've never seen anything like it," he attempted to explain. "Please, tell me, are you sure an arrow was the only thing she was struck with?"

Link closed his eyes and considered the surgeon's question. He tried to picture the battle in his mind, summoning every detail he could think of to analyze. Suddenly, he realized something. His eyes snapped open and he looked over the group surrounding Riju's cot.

"What is it, Link?" Zelda prodded him.

"I… don't think Riju was that arrow's intended target," he revealed, looking directly back at her.

The implication hit Zelda hard. "But- how could they- how could anyone know who I am?" she sputtered.

"What does any of this have to do with what is happening to the Chief now?" Buliara demanded impatiently. Standing at the head of the bed, she ran her fingers through Riju's hair soothingly. "How can a simple arrow cause such devastating effects, especially after a supposedly successful surgery?"

"If it were an arrow designed for assassination…" Simon said to himself, then looked up at the surgeon. "You there, what color was this arrow?" he asked suspiciously.

"It was black, Lord Simon," the doctor replied.

"And you, did you see who fired it?" Simon addressed Link next.

"It must have been that golden lynel. No other creature could have made the shot from such a distance."

Simon's eyes widened. "No doubt about it, then," he said. "Malroc the Terrible… legend has it that he's been granted access to Ganon's raw power. Bathed in malice they say." He shook his head. "I'm sorry to tell you this, Princess, but your friend has been pierced by what can only be an accursed arrow. Considering how much time the toxin has had to spread and without knowing exactly what kind of dark and powerful sorcery was used to create it… I'm afraid there is no medicine in our possession that can save her now."

A moment of stunned silence followed Simon's devastating statement as everyone in the tent tried to process various emotions. Shock. Grief. Anger. Fear. Only the sounds of Riju struggling against her restraints cut through the tension in the air.

Finally, Buliara spoke, glaring at Simon as though he had shot the Chieftain himself. "There has to be something we can do! I will not allow you all to stand here and watch her die!"

"Neither will I," Zelda spoke firmly, holding back her tears.

A new voice interjected, drawing everyone's attention. "If I may," began Taleran, the visiting representative from House Tarble who had been quietly observing until then. "I believe there is still hope for this poor young girl yet. There is a man said to have been able to perform incredible feats, he hails from the land of Draene—"

"A wizard!" Simon cut him off, aghast. "Noble Taleran, this is no time to be filling the Princess' head with fantasies and cheap tricks!"

"Believe me, they are no tricks!" Taleran shot back. "I have seen the result of his miracles myself. While on an errand for Madam, I passed through a small village on the outskirts of the Stonelands. They had been stricken with a famine and with their roads blocked due to a storm, they were most certainly doomed to starve. That was when Kelcifer appeared. With just a few words of blessing from him, the barren farms were transformed by dawn. The village had never before seen such a good crop," he recounted. "He is indeed as genuine as can be, My Lord. Even Lord Malifus of Draene has acknowledged his acts of kindness by naming him an overseer."

Simon rolled his eyes. "Certainly you know better than to accept such a fairytale as truth. The Stonelands cannot grow crops, they mine for ore! That is exactly why they are called the Stonelands! Furthermore, it is also why those of us from Bountiful trade with them! We grow the crops, they mine the ore."

"Enough!" Zelda interrupted their debate. "This is a waste of time. I don't care about whether the stories are true or not, I am willing to try anything if there's even a sliver of a chance it will help Riju," she declared firmly. "So unless you have a better suggestion, Lord Simon, I have no choice but to believe in this… wizard."

"Do you know where this man is?" Buliara questioned Taleran then. She looked ready to head out and track down the mystery healer immediately. Simon scoffed.

Ignoring him, Taleran answered, "I do not know Kelcifer personally, but if I were to hazard a guess he is probably somewhere within Draene, which is certainly a problem. I fear it will be nearly impossible to bring him here in time to save your Chief."

"Or perhaps he isn't." Everyone turned to look at Link curiously. "Impa sent a request for aid against Ganon's forces to House Draene, did she not?"

"Yes, that is true…" Taleran furrowed his brows and wiggled his brown mustache. "What are you getting at?"

"If the lords of Draene answered the call, then they would have sent their army south. By now, they should only be less than a day's ride from here, or even closer. And if Kelcifer is their overseer as you claim, there is an excellent chance he is riding with them," Link reasoned. "Doctor, approximately how much time do you suppose we have?"

"Her condition is fragile… a day or two, at most," the man replied gravely.

"Then it's now or never. I will head out at once to find Riju's last hope," Link decided.

Zelda's heart sank. Guilt immediately followed, she felt selfish for not wanting Link to leave. Riju needs this, she reminded herself.

"I will accompany you," Buliara said, already moving to pick up her sword.

Link shook his head. "Riju needs you to be close by more than she ever has before. You should stay."

Buliara looked back at the young Chief she swore to protect. She sighed deeply and set her sword back down. "You're right. It is my duty to always be by her side," she said while walking back over to the cot where she placed her hand over Riju's clenched fist. "You had better come back with a way to save her or not at all, got it?"

"I won't fail," Link declared confidently and headed towards the tent flap.

"Fool, did you forget your own duty to Her Highness?" Simon scolded as he turned Link back around by his shoulder. He saw an opportunity to outshine the Princess' guard. "I will send ten of my Starlight Cavalry. They are the best riders in Hyrule, they will have no problem intercepting the northern army and bringing back this magician. Then we shall see if he is truly worth his weight in rupees."

"Thank you, Lord Simon," Zelda told him sincerely. She was grateful in more ways than one. Allowing a way for Link to stay being one of them.

"No need to thank me just yet, my Princess," he replied smoothly before exiting the tent to give his soldiers their orders.

Taleran followed shortly after to retire for the evening, while Buliara helped the doctor make Riju more comfortable. They were in for a long night.

Zelda looked down at her friend still writhing on the cot, wishing there was more she could do in the moment to ease her pain. The possibility that she could lose Riju entered her mind then, and she shut her eyes tightly in response to the horrible feeling that came with it. She could feel Link's gaze on her, so she lifted her head back up to meet his eyes. He gave her a sweet smile in reassurance.

"We should try to get some rest," he suggested. "There is nothing more we can do until tomorrow."

"Yes, it has certainly been a long day… will you accompany me to my quarters, Link?" Zelda asked hopefully. Though she was exhausted, sleep was far from her mind. It was finally time for them to talk in private. Hesitantly, Link agreed, and together they made their way through the heavy rain towards Zelda's tent.

Several hours into the night, when the storm had finally let up, the moon and stars began to pierce through some of the broken clouds. It was just as the Princess had said. The end of the blood moon.

Near the outskirts of camp where the sentries were posted to keep watch, a campfire was lit. Six Illiastar guardsmen were gathered around it for warmth while they kept an eye on some of the wagons that had arrived earlier that day, which housed supplies for the army. Laughter, teasing and stories distracted them from initially noticing a silhouette of a man emerging from the forest at the edge of their camp.

Suddenly one of the guards stood with his hand over the hilt of the sheathed sword on his hip. The rest of the men quieted immediately, alert. "You there, come out into the light and state your business!" he called to the shadow.

A cloaked Hylian hobbled into their field of view. He appeared old and frail. "Excuse me for the intrusion. I saw your campfire and thought it best to turn in for the night," the man explained in a deep voice, "I am one who travels to and fro from the north. I am on business to Kakariko."

The guards relaxed. "You gave us quite a scare! Come sit, there is plenty of warmth to go around," the leader of the group said as he let go of his sword and made room for the man.

"You know, it's dangerous for an old goat such as yourself to be wandering the open fields alone at this time of night," another spoke up.

Only a smile could be seen from under the hood that was obscuring most of the stranger's face. "I find I am safest when traveling alone, actually. It is much harder to spot one man in the dark. If I chose to, I could have slipped right by all of you tonight," he replied confidently.

"You don't say…" the guard next to him spoke back uneasily. They were all slightly disturbed to think they could potentially be fooled so effortlessly, even if the unarmed loner in front of them was clearly not much of a threat.

Soon enough, however, conversation flowed once again. A sentry held out a mug of ale in offering to their temporary company. "How about a warm drink to make a cold night like this more bearable?"

"Oh, no thank you, you are kind but I have my own," the stranger responded as he held up a water skin before taking a sip from it.

"What do you have there, friend?"

"It is called Widow's Wine. This particular special brand is of my own making."

"Is that so? Could we trouble you to try some?"

"Certainly. It's the least I can offer in return for all your kindness…"

As the sack was passed around, the smile from under the pale grey hood never faded. He spoke up once again when the last guard had had a taste of his wine and returned the skin. "Tell me, have any of you heard of a tale called The Maiden's Shadow?"

The leader shook his head. ""No, I don't think that any of us have heard of any story like that," he said. The others murmured in agreement and curiosity.

"Shame. It is a wonderful legend. I can't believe good hylian men such as yourselves haven't heard of it," the old man responded.

"Come on then, do tell it to us!" the guard beside him urged.

Their guest chuckled. "Oh alright. I shall tell you…but only just a verse." He leaned forward, capturing the rapt attention of all six sentries gathered.

"When the sun rises in the west, and when the mountains fall, the Princess of legend shall try save them all. But try as she might, to win her fight, endless was the shadow, that held her tight."

He sat back and added cryptically, "It truly is a shame you won't be able to hear the rest of it."

"What do you mean?" one of the sentries asked. Next to him, his companion went limp and fell to the ground. When he turned his head to look, the world blurred. "Wh-what did you d-do to us?" the man struggled to ask. His head felt heavy. He blinked and suddenly found himself on the grass, staring up at the stars while darkness slowly crept in from the edges. He couldn't even scream.

Soon all that was left was an eerie silence only punctuated by the crackle of the fire.

The stranger slowly cracked a cold smile under his hood, to where only his lips could be seen by the flicker of the fire as he spoke a final word on the matter.

"Oh…and I forgot to mention, unless you are an Avendian, that sweet tonic is quite lethal," he said cruelly, letting out a faint laugh that escaped his lips. "Not to worry though, you will not die…yet," There the man sat relishing in the moment, staring eerily into the campfire.

Chapter Text

Authors notes: Hello everyone, sorry for the late posting. I've just been so busy with irl work. Also, if you haven't done so yet, please check out the audio version of this story. It has a full voice cast of actors. And it would mean the world to me if you checked it out and gave it some love. You can find it on youtube- Zelda botw sequel(fanmade) audiobook part 1. The audiodrama has taken a lot of time as well, which has pulled me away from writing the current story. But don't worry, it will be finished. Just a little slower than I'd like. Lastly, please be sure to leave a comment here. When you do that, it really inspires me to work the extra hours with the more comments I see. I love hearing your thoughts and opinions whether good or bad. It helps me direct the story where it needs to go so I can keep you all entertained. Which is my hope.

Chapter 15

Where There is Smoke, There is Fire

The raging downpour slowly began to lighten as Link and Zelda made their way to the royal tent. It stood out from the rest, much more opulent and well-furnished compared to what Link had to endure with Sidon thus far. Link wasn't one to complain, however. He'd slept in lower conditions before, thinking back to all those long and restless nights near enemy encampments in the open wild of Hyrule.

In those days he had felt like he could never get enough rest; always half-alert, with a hand on the hilt of his sword throughout the night. Even now, he found comfort to be a commodity of the distant past. He had grown used to being without. What he now considered a true luxury would simply be any amount of undisturbed rest.

"Lord Simon sure does spare no expense, doesn't he?" Link asked rhetorically, attempting to lighten the mood.

The princess' demeanor was still glum, but she sent him a small smile. Link hoped he could lift her spirits. All he wanted was to get her mind off her stress, to hear her sweet laugh again.

Such a task wouldn't be easy, however. Zelda's thoughts had been racing since leaving the infirmary. She was distracted, hardly noticing Link's attempt at conversation as she headed further into the tent. A beautifully decorated veil adjacent to her bed divided the large space into two parts. Behind it stood a handmaiden, who Zelda tiredly asked to begin preparing an evening bath for her. The girl bowed politely and headed off, leaving Link and Zelda in relative seclusion.

The princess let out a deep sigh as she walked back to where Link was around the other side of the bed. "I can't believe this is still happening," she said. "Ever since we have returned, every day has been worse than the last. Will we ever be allowed any respite? I thought things would be different, easier, with Calamity Ganon gone… But it seems like nothing has changed at all."

Link watched her silently, listening as she continued. "When will this nightmare end? What are we to do if it doesn't? What if…" she trailed off. She looked down, her hands held close to her body. "What if Riju…" Zelda barely choked out. It was a sentence she couldn't finish, the possible reality was too much to bear.

"She is going to make it!" Link quickly took a few steps closer. "Riju is as strong as they come, and the Starlight Cavalry are the best riders in Hyrule," he reminded her. Even a hundred years later, he remembered their reputation clearly. "Everything will be alright, I just know it," Link reassured the princess. He hated to see her cry.

Zelda lifted her head to look at him, wiping at her cheeks with a sniffle. Link held a hand out and she accepted it gently. He squeezed it as she began to calm.

"You're right, we can't lose hope," Zelda finally responded. "I shouldn't harbor such doubts, especially after all we have been through… I mean, what you accomplished has been a miracle in itself. My faith should be stronger."

"No," he countered with a smile and a shake of his head. "You are the miracle, Princess, not me. If it weren't for your sealing power, we would have all been lost."

"Link...I"

For a moment, they locked eyes. His warm gaze bored into her shimmering green orbs. She was comforted by his encouraging words, feeling as though he had brought a lull to the hurricane of emotions raging through her constantly. The clarity in her mind gave her a burst of courage. This was her chance to tell him how she felt.

They gravitated closer. As she opened her mouth to speak, the sound of renewed thunder outside startled them both. Zelda expected the rain to begin pouring down once again. However, as those thunderous booms rang out one after another, each slightly louder than the last, it quickly became apparent that it was not another act of nature assaulting the camp. She swallowed the words in her throat. Link had already caught on, knowing well the explosions of war. He wasn't the only one. A commotion erupted outside the tent as soldiers awoke and readied themselves for battle.

Link hurried to the tent flap to assess the situation. And just like that, the spell was broken. Ice ran down Zelda's spine as she followed, her thoughts already racing as quickly as her heartbeat.

They stepped out into chaos. At the northernmost end of the camp, near the edge of the forest, men were scrambling about half dressed. Panicking as they reached for armor, weapons, or other supplies. Past them, plumes of smoke billowed over the outer edge of the camp. That was where they had kept their supply wagons, the princess realized with dread.

A voice called out to Link and Zelda, and they both turned to see Sidon running toward them. He had sought them out the moment the disaster broke out.

"What's happening?" Link asked his protégé.

Sidon shook his head. "I have no idea. We were just minding our business around the campfire and then without a warning in the world, a huge ball of flame shot up over there just a moment ago," he said as he pointed in the direction of the smoke. "There, by the supply wagons! See?"

As they spoke, several fires peppered throughout the far edges of camp grew, causing an orange glow to quickly encompass the area. From a neighboring tent, a half-dressed Sylmoor stumbled out in a half-hungover daze and nearly collided with a few soldiers heading toward the biggest blaze by the camp entrance. He coughed as he approached Link, Zelda, and Sidon, tripping over, as he frantically rearranged his trousers.

"What in Hylia's name-" he asked.

"We're under attack, my Lord!" Zelda answered frantically. He froze, eyes widening as he instantly became more alert.

"Sidon, stay here and guard the princess, " Link ordered. "I'm going to help the others with the fires and find out whoever it is that is attacking us!"

"You can count on me, I will protect her with my life," Sidon promised. He unsheathed a pair of elegantly crafted Zora blades.

Link gave him a grateful smile and turned to Zelda. "I have to go, Princess, but don't worry. You'll be safe here. I'll be right back, I promise!" he spoke reassuringly.

Zelda wasn't convinced. She didn't want him to leave. "What are you going to-" she called, but he was already running off toward the chaos.

It worried her to know he was once again rushing into danger head first, without any knowledge of the situation. However, there wasn't any time for questions or planning. They had been ambushed, and deep down she knew it was Link's duty to protect her by facing whatever threat was upon them.

A panicked horse broke free from a nearby pen and ran into the knight's path. He saw an opportunity. Snagging the reins, he quickly jumped onto the flailing steed's saddle, struggling to keep his balance.

Sylmoor cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "wait! What about your armor?!"

"There's no time!" Link replied as he calmed his ride down. The stallion sensed his fearless, confident demeanor and he was awarded with its trust. He looked over his shoulder once more to add "I have to stop them before the entire camp burns!" With that, he gave the horse a kick and then they were charging off into the night.

Sylmoor stared after him in shock, unable to comprehend Link's decision to go completely defenseless. He glanced back at Zelda and Sidon, who surprisingly looked more weary than anything. They were used to these sort of things from Link. So, Sylmoor concluded this must be expected behavior from the brave knight. Foolish, yet admirable.

"Princess Zelda! Are you alright?" a voice behind them called. The trio turned to see Simon approaching, flanked by two Starsguard sentries.

"Yes, I'm fine-"

"Where is your knight?! Some hero he is, abandoning his duty at a time like this!" Simon criticized. "Don't you worry, Your Highness, I will protect you-"

"He hasn't abandoned me!" Zelda quickly interrupted,rolled her eyes and firmly placed her hands at her waist, her nose bent upwards, looking to the ongoing disaster ahead of them. "Thank you for your concern, but Prince Sidon has already been tasked with my protection. He is more than capable."

"Why, where has he gone?" Simon asked again, taken aback.

"Link is already on his way to the north entrance, by the woodland to quell whatever forces are attacking us there. Unlike others who would apparently rather wait until the entire camp burns down," Zelda retorted.

Feeling embarrassed, Simon coughed lightly and changed the subject. "Right. Well. These two sentries will stay by your side to provide extra security while we figure out exactly what is happening and until all threats have been eliminated," he said.

"I'm quite alright," the princess insisted once more. "Shouldn't we be more concerned with putting up a line of defense to safeguard the part of camp that hasn't yet been burned, my Lord?"

Simon quickly regained his confidence. "No need to worry about that, Your Highness. I have already given the order to have two companies lining the inner perimeter between here and the damaged part of camp. They are digging trenches to prevent further spread of fire and extinguishing every flame they find," he relayed as he paced in front of her directly. "I have also sent some soldiers to find the perpetrators of this, no doubt, attack."

"I see." It was Zelda's turn to feel embarrassed for her outburst. "Is the infirmary…?"

"No fire has reached that tent, no. Your gerudo friend, the large one...What's her name again? Umm.."

"Buliara." Zelda affirmed.

"Yes, that one. Buliara is making quite certain it remains protected," Simon reassured, then after a pause continued his earlier thought. "Your knight… Did he really ride off alone? How reckless! He could have at least waited for me to command some men to accompany him. And to leave you unguarded-"

"She isn't unguarded," Sidon reminded him in a slightly annoyed tone.

"And he didn't go alone," Sylmoor finally spoke up as well. He placed a hand on his brother's shoulder in an attempt to dispel some tension. Simon looked to him as though he had only just noticed his presence. Sylmoor sighed. "About twenty other soldiers charged alongside him to go protect the camp. I really think we ought to give the lad some more credit, I mean, he did defeat the Calamity, after all. And, he took that sword of legend with him."

"Legend… right." Simon grumbled under his breath.

"He simply couldn't wait for orders, my Lord. Everything happened so quickly, he had to act," Zelda defended.

Simon folded his arms. "Is that so? Well then, let's see how useful he can be."

The princess looked toward the north edge of camp once again. While they talked, their immediate surroundings had started to become relatively stable as Simon's troops carried out their orders. But in the fiery chaos of the front lines, where Link now was… she could only guess what he was going through.

Link pushed the stallion as hard as he could through the camp. Up ahead, he could see wagons overturned and completely engulfed in flames. Dead and wounded littered the area, anguished screams in the air as thick as the smoke. The sight made his heart ache deeply.

He headed toward a few soldiers desperately trying to extinguish the burning debris. No matter what they did, the flames continued to spread as though they were being fueled by an accelerant of some kind.

He turned to the soldiers who had been following him to the site, telling a small group to seek out and help anyone still alive. To the rest, he began to relay a plan to fight the fire.

"We need to dig out a line to stop the flames from spreading. Don't waste time trying to put the wagons and tents out, they're lost. What we need now is to keep the forest and the rest of the camp from burning," Link ordered. "Find whatever you can use and start digging!"

"Yes, sir!" the group replied in unison.

The soldiers set to work digging out shallow trenches between the fire and the camp. They tossed the dirt onto smaller fires to smother what they could. Others used water from nearby horse troughs to wet the vegetation by the treeline to prevent them from catching.

After a few minutes of overseeing the work, something caught Link's eye among the flames within the camp. He reined in his steed, distracted by a shadowy silhouette in the distance.

"Sir? What are you looking at?"

Link's attention was drawn down to the soldier beside him who'd just spoken. He was craning his neck and squinting in the direction Link had been a moment ago, trying to see what it was he'd noticed.

Avoiding the question, he simply said "stay here and help the others, alright?"

"What about you, sir?"

"There's something I need to do. I'll return as soon as I can," Link reassured. With that, he spurred his horse toward where the fire raged hottest.

There was no one left alive in the area he rode into. He choked on the smoke and stench of burning corpses, but didn't slow down. He quickly ripped a piece of his shirt to cover his nose and mouth from the soot.

Now that he was slightly closer, he got a better glimpse of what he'd seen. It was a cloaked man Link didn't recognize. He was strolling through the inferno, seemingly unaffected by his surroundings as he casually headed toward the woodland. Link strongly suspected he must be the culprit, fleeing the scene of his crime.

A few wagons exploded as he rode past, due to the gunpowder and munitions stored within being exposed to the extreme heat. Link startled and attempted to shield himself from the burst of flame, debris, and shrapnel. The thunderous booms so close by made him feel as though a bomb had gone off inside his skull. He winced in pain, his ears ringing.

Though his horse was armored, shielding it from the worst of the blast, it did nothing to protect against the smoke and heat. It became frightened once again, neighing and bucking in protest. Link coughed roughly as he tried to soothe the steed.

Through his watery gaze he spotted the figure nearly at the mouth of the forest. He was running out of time. He directed his horse to the most passable areas of the wreckage in hopes to avoid some of the poisonous plumes. The stallion resisted in a bout of renewed panic, forcing Link to yank on the reins harshly. He felt terrible for pushing the beast so roughly, but he didn't have a choice. He couldn't let that man escape.

As Link closed in, the cloaked enigma seemed to sense his approach and stopped. He slowly turned to face him, though with such a low hood all Link could see was an eerie smirk. It unnerved him, and only fueled his suspicions.

Link commanded the horse to speed up with a stern kick. Spotting a lance sticking out of the remains of a wagon in his path, he leaned to the side and ripped it out as he passed. It was blistering hot to the touch, but he lifted it to his shoulder nonetheless and bore the pain with a grimace.

With a violent yell, Link propelled the lance forward with all the strength he could muster. It was a spectacular throw, whistling as it streaked through the sky like a shooting star.

He was precise, but his mark was quicker. The lance hit the ground powerfully where the cloaked man had been a moment prior. Link's eyes widened in shock. How could anyone move so quickly? To avoid a shot like that… and at that rang? Impossible. Yet, the cloaked figure kept his ever-present taunting smile peering from the bottom of his hood, like this was all just a game to him. Link grew wary.

Still, he wasn't ready to give up just yet. Link circled his horse back around and reached back to unsheathe his sword. As he did, his opponent lifted an unlit torch and began to wave it around in an ostentatious fashion. He moved like a court jester, dancing as if he were performing a show, grin peering through the unmasked part of his hood. Cocking himself to one side as if he were about to perform a show, like a dance or magic trick for a king; he perched, blowing a kiss from his free hand to the other carrying the torch, spitting golden sparks igniting it into a beautiful and luminescent blue flame that burned brighter than all the surrounding fires combined.

And just as the knight was about to carry out his finishing strike, maybe twenty or so feet away, the man held out his bright torch and gracefully dropped it in front of himself, in-between him and the Hylian champion.

Happening all so fast but feeling like slow motion to Link violently, a massive pillar of fire shot up from the ground, separating the man from him. The pillar incinerated like a pulse of blinding light hundreds of feet into the air, forming a wall of fire that snaked around the entire outer edge of the camp, dividing the entirety of it from the entrance to the forest.

Link couldn't halt the horse in time, and with that sudden eruption in front of him, the horse at full speed panicked, leaned back on its hind legs, flayed around, and thrust the hero off its back. Thrown hard from the horse, link slammed face-first into the dirt. Scratching and scraping himself as he bounced through the field. And just before he rolled to a stop, he was left mere feet before the wall of flames.

Coming to on the ground and choking from the intense smoke all around, Link coughed and saw what was left of the hooded figure as it slowly backed away from the raging tower of fire, disappearing into the night. The last of what he saw of it was a pair of devilish yellow eyes piercing brightly from behind the flames, fading as it stepped further and further away from the wall of fire and back into the darkness of the forest. Tried as he might, he couldn't get a glimpse of anything else as to what he or what it was.

Back at the heart of camp where the others were, Zelda and the others saw the massive tower of flames guarding the entrance to the woodland spring up from out of nowhere. The entire camp collectively gasped at the sight of them. Most were frozen with fear.

For they were unnatural, coursing with a sickly blue fire, appearing almost green. The flames also were emitting golden embers that streaked within them, sparking every which way. It was fire without fuel but ignited just the same as if it did.

The way it appeared seemed eerily reminiscent of the divine blue flame that the ancient Sheikah were known to have used to fuel their marvelous technological wonders from long in the past. But, even still, this inferno seemed corrupted and gave off a malicious vibe of energy that pulsed from it. To those sensitive to it, felt as if an invisible but evil presence had overcome the camp. It made Zelda's hairs stand on end as she stared deeply into its flame from afar.

That fire was so powerful as it waved and flickered high into the sky, that it pulled a strong draft of wind from all around, dragging with it all the nearby smoke, making it easier to breathe. This was the only pleasant side effect of its existence.

Link groaned, trudged back up to one knee from his hard crash to the grass moments prior. Glancing all around over both shoulders, he tried to reorient himself with his surroundings when a soldier ran up from behind him.

"Sir-Knight, are you alright!?" the man shouted, helping the young hero back up to his feet.

"Yeah...I'm fine. Just a few scratches. Thanks," he coughed back, patting and shaking off the dirt from his clothes.

Link feeling brash and upset that he was bested by this mysterious villain began to march straight towards the towering wall of fire for another attempt at confronting him.

The soldier reached out to grab Link's shoulder and stopped him before he moved another step. "No, sir-Knight! Are you mad? You'll be killed! Nobody can brave a pillar of fire such as that! That fire is unholy, sir! Look how it blazes tall without having to feed."

They both watched as it bellowed up high without having any fuel to quench its flame. Yet, even with that amazing spectacle, only the grass underneath was charred. Nothing else was being consumed.

Snapping back to his senses, Link nodded in agreement to the soldier who lifted him up. Link was so consumed by rage during the moment that he was willing to dare anything to stop that person from escaping. But, as he thought more of it, he realized how foolish of an idea that it was if he were to try and pierce through the wall of fire. So, he turned back to face the soldier.

Before he could utter a word, at that instant, speeding in from the west part of camp, another soldier galloped up to them on horseback, shouting frantically. "They've taken the herd! We have to save the herd!"

Link spun swift to the man who ran up beside him.

Out of breath, the soldier pleaded. "Sir-Link, they are scattering the army's supply of livestock! We have spotted a small band of bokoblins just south of here. Men are facing them in the field as we speak, but they will need our help if they are to survive! We were too few when they surprised us, so I was sent to find help! The enemy plans to make off with most of our cattle. Luckily, they haven't gone far, though."

Link replied. "That means these fires were only just the beginning and must have been just a distraction. If we hurry, we can meet them on horseback. Okay, then we have not a moment to lose. We can still cut them off at the river junction if they are on foot. They are just bokoblins after all and will have to go around the water. That will slow them down and give us our chance to strike back. Quickly, gather your men, and let's make haste for them now. There's still time!"

"Should I go back to camp and let the high command know? We could muster more of the army, surely we would be able to stop them then?" the man asked.

"No. There isn't any time for that," Link replied sternly. "They are too far away. By the time we would arrive with the bulk of the army, these men who are fighting them now would be lost. And then they would have gotten away. Just the men we can spare from putting out the fires that are with us now should be enough! It will have to do! Now go and alert them! We leave at once!"

Yes, Sir!" the man hollered, slapping the reins to his horse, taking him back to where the others were.

Glancing around himself again and saddened by the sight, Link saw that his horse had not been as fortunate as he and did not survive the fall. Its neck was twisted as it lay dead on the ground nearby. Even though it was only just a horse, Link felt as if he betrayed the beast's trust. Moments earlier, he guaranteed its safety, and now it was no more.

But Link wasn't about to let that wear him down. Instead, he used that sadness he had for the poor animal and funneled it into a burning desire to strike back hard at the enemy. And, with that, he shot a look back to the other guard who was alongside him. "Let us hurry! We need to stop those bokoblins before they make off with all the army's cattle. There is still time!" Urgently, they then ran back to help the others.

Finding another horse, Link rallied a small force of Illiastar men, around ten or fifteen soldiers from the fire line, and charged off to where the skirmish was being waged outside of camp. As he moved away with the small company, he saw the bright sky from behind him flicker into sudden darkness. Curious to see what caused the night sky to darken once again, he peered over his shoulder for just a moment. There, he saw the once roaring wall of flame that guarded the entrance to the woods had gone out as if it never existed at all.

But there was no time to focus on that now. He had more significant problems to worry about. He needed to save the cattle from being stolen from the enemy.

Upon his arrival, Link saw that the men that were fighting in all directions ahead of him. They were outnumbered four to one and were pursuing the enemy monsters up a hill. This puts them at a significant disadvantage. However, Link was determined to fight the enemy and take back what was stolen, no matter the odds.

This would prove a more laborious task than anticipated, though. It was nothing for bokoblin commanders to sacrifice their underlings. Their miserable lives meant absolutely nothing to them, and they were routinely used as fodder for the war effort. The use of sheer overwhelming numbers was the main tactic of the enemy scourge.

On the other hand, hylians didn't fight that way. They fought in a more precise manner. Being Hylians as well, they fought with a sense of dignity, paired with a moral code. To them, the sacrifice of any one man wasn't in vain, and each man's life was worth saving.

Deep amid battle, Link led a charge through a line of bokoblin reds, easily slicing them down like the tall grass they stood upon.

It was too late, though, and the knight hadn't realized that they were heading straight for a trap. Just as he gazed to the top of the hill, watching the runaway stampede of cattle rushing upwards. The beast of burden was being chased out by the bokoblins. And as his eyes met the peak, he saw leering over with his arms crossed, cold as a statue, a lynel. Link also noticed that his band of soldiers was still in hot pursuit just behind him and before he could react and stop them from following any further, the worst happened.

A rain of arrows came falling from the sky, stabbing and impaling some of the men who were riding behind him.

Looking back again to the top of the bluff, he saw that the lynel had given the order for an awaiting line of bokoblin archers to fire the volley of arrows.

Link waved his mighty sword skyward. "Hold! Hold the line! Halt!" he commanded back, yelling at the men who were charging in from behind him unaware of the trap.

As fiery arrows continued to fall, the link saw men get struck one by one. Men were collapsing to their deaths. And just as he was about to shout again and pull his stallion back, a stray bolt slashed across his sword arm as he carried it up above his head, slicing a clean cut. Grunting in pain, he jerked the reins to his horse. He seethed through his teeth as the blood flowed down from his bicep to his elbow.

Injured and opening his eyes yet again, he called out to the remaining men. "Fallback! It's no good. We need to retreat! We are in a clear range of their archers!"

"But sir, what about the herd?! They've taken all our cattle!" A soldier behind him pleaded.

"We don't have a choice. We must retreat! It's too late to save the cattle. We'll be butchered if we stay here any longer!" Link continued. "Back to camp! Fallback!"

The Hylian champion knew the outcome would be dire if they were to continue the offensive. The enemy was too far up ahead of them, and the commanding lynel practically was all but daring them to chase them further, to be played right into his hands even more.

At the knight's order, the men slowly backed away out of range. Some began to lift others who fell and were limping from their wounds while others were being dragged to safety. The fallen were left to their grassy graves, for it was still too dangerous to retrieve their corpses.

The enemy lynel leader looked down at the scattering Hylian troops with pure glee. And with a salivating cruel smile, now that he had won his prize, turned and strolled away, fleeing back into the open wilderness with his horde.

Dismayed, Link pulled back his men toward the safety of the camp. They may have been defeated this time around, but they would live to fight another day. He hoped.

Chapter Text

Authors Notes: I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Please be sure to leave a comment, those of you that haven't yet, it really helps me out! And I would love you forever! Lastly, if you haven't already, give a listen to the audio version of this story. It is fully voiced cast! youtube- Zelda Botw Sequel(fanmade) audiobook part 1. Episode two of that will be released soon.

Chapter 16

A line in the sand

Back at the heart of camp, things were still in an uproar. The imminent danger of the fires may have been averted, but things were hardly peaceful. An accounting of the damage was already underway. Strategic posts of guard sentries were also being set up around the entire perimeter to prevent any such a surprise attack from ever happening again. A hubris and careless mistake that they would all live to regret.

During this time, the princess, along with the help of Sidon, was organizing men, trying to get the camp back under control. She took it upon herself during this time to set up a makeshift area for the wounded as they quickly overfilled the infirmary, delegating smaller tasks simultaneously to those around her. And just as the situation became calmer and order was re-established to her satisfaction, she was free to meet with her head of the command, Lord Simon, his war cabinet, and the representative of House Tarble, Taleran.

"Okay, nurse, you think you will be able to handle the rest of the situation here?" Zelda asked, setting down a crate of supplies near some medical cots.

"Yes, princess. Thank you. We will get these men taken care of, I promise!" The field nurse replied with a warm nod.

Lord Sylmoor was also there accompanying her. "Perhaps, we should meet back with my brother at the command tent. It appears the situation here at hand is well off enough. You've done all you could here, princess. Well done too if I might add," he said.

"Not until I see Link! Just a little longer." She said. But just as she did, she saw from out the corner of her eye, a Starsguard Elite come around the edge of the camp and marched right up to where she stood. He was constable and held a high rank among the army.

"Your majesty, my lord of Illiastar, request your presence in his quarters. As well do the other lords."

"Not until I find out if Link that has made it back and is alright!" Zelda abruptly turned and spoke, still tending to matters at hand.

The constable blinked. "Link, who?"

"Sir-Link, my knight! That's who," she said back sternly.

The esteemed solder then leaned back, hand firmly on his sheathed sword. He then titled his head and replied. "Ah, yes, we will keep an eye out for him. I promise you, my Princess. But, you should leave at once your highness, my lord beseeches thee."

Sylmoor poked his head into their conversation. "It will be alright, princess. That lad Link is as tough as they come. For the time being, you should go see what all the fuss is with my brother. I'm sure he wants to go over what exactly has happened here tonight."

"Indeed. What has happened here tonight?" Zelda asked aloud rhetorically, still bewildered at what has taken place.

"I have no idea, but I think we all will soon find out your grace…But, if I may, we should be off. These sorts of matters can't wait too long, princess. You are the princess, after all," Sylmoor reiterated.

Admitting the fact that as the princess, she did have a duty to her kingdom and to all those who came on along on this campaign, she nodded back to them both. "I am the princess...and well, if you all insist, I go, then I will go. But, please do tell Link where I am as soon as he arrives back from the fires. Tell him that his princess is waiting for him and that it is the utmost urgency that I see him. Will you tell him for me, captain?"

The constable reassured her with a tit of the head and a hand across his pristine breastplate. "I will your grace, don't you worry. We will handle it from here. You have my word."

"Okay, then. Shall we go see what our Lord Simon is up to?" Zelda said, glancing over to Sylmoor and Sidon.

The younger lord coughed into his fist. "Certainly, princess, but I must confess, I'll have to follow up after you shortly, please tell my brother. Not that anyone should have cared to have noticed, but I have yet to dress appropriately for such a meeting," Sylmoor said with an embarrassed look, motioning a glance down to what he was wearing. It was his night clothes.

Zelda giggled at the sight of how silly he must have looked while helping her all-night parading around camp. She was so preoccupied with all the dangerous excitement during that last hour that she hardly noticed he looked that way until he mentioned it.

She laughed. "Certainly, we wouldn't want to give your brother a fright for a second time tonight, would we?"

"Or a heart attack! Could you imagine the look on his face if I were to interrupt his noble meeting dressed as such? He would keel over!" Sylmoor joked with her.

"I know! And then where will be, without our great military mastermind?" She paused again for a hearty chuckle. "Okay then, my Lord Sylmoor, we will see you again when you are ready. I'll let him know you were delayed momentarily," she smiled.

Sylmoor beamed back. "Also, don't you worry; with that being said, I will bring your knight to you myself. That is if he happens to come along while I'm getting prepared."

"Thanks, Sylmoor! And please do! I must know if he is alright," she said, waving goodbye to him as she and Sidon both walked away.

With that, the princess left the care of those around back to the head nurse and the captain of the Starsguard. She also left them with a set of instructions for her knight.

Back at the command tent, the lord of Illiastar was fuming. He leaned upon his wargaming table, fist buried deep into its hardwood counter as he listened to an accounting of the damage from his top advisor, biting his tongue all the while. The frightened advisor was nervously reading from a scroll he had. He stood at attention, hands shaking as he read out the list of all the losses, stuttering each line item, one by one.

At that same time, the princess had finally made her way just outside the tent, approaching the entrance. There she was faced with a pair of sentries who guarded the entryway.

One guard stepped toward her. "Right this way, your highness, the meeting is already underway. I am sure they will get you all caught up to what has been happening," he said, about to usher her inside.

"It doesn't sound like much of a meeting. It sounds like a war!" she sarcastically said back to him, leaning toward the raised voices coming from behind the drapes of the tent.

"Things here all night have been…tense my liege," the guard replied with a bow of the head.

"I can tell." She shook her head with a giggle, hand covering her mouth.

"Is there anything your highness may require from out here while she joins them?"

"No, thank you, my good sir," she beamed at the man. "You watch your post well. I think we'll manage. Ready Sidon?" she asked, turning to her tall guardian.

Sidon grinned. "Right behind you, Princess."

Link trudged into camp with what was left of his band of survivors, morale beaten. Quickly dismounting from his horse, he wasted no time making his way to a soiled, large wash bucket. It was one the men had been using all night to wash their bloodied and war-ravaged hands. It hung upon the entrance to the infirmary quarter.

Tearing him from his sour mood came a sweet smile of a nurse near who offered him up a clean towel to dry off. Walking throughout the camp, he looked around for any sign of his princess. He then saw the Starsguard constable coordinating with those around, and thus he made his way over to him. Surely he would be able to help me, the knight thought to himself.

Link called out to noble guardsmen, signaling him out from the busy crowd of men, medics, and field nurses. "Honorable constable of the Starsguard, by any chance, have you seen the princess this night, her majesty Zelda? And do you know where I might find her?"

Reluctantly the man turned to face the lowly knight. "Why no, I have not seen her. I'm afraid. But if I do, I will be sure to let her know that the knight with no banners is gallivanting throughout the camp looking for her," he replied apprehensively, looking up and down Link in a haughty evaluation.

Sensing his fellow soldier's disdain for him, Link thought best not to quarrel and move away from him. He would be able to find her on his own, he thought. And besides, he was already mad enough at his defeat that anything could set him off. This poor chap didn't stand a chance, and he didn't want to do something he might have later regretted. So, Link took his leave, but just as he did, he felt a hand grip his shoulder.

Link spun around to the sensation. It was Sylmoor.

"Why Link! There you are! We have, I mean- The princess has been looking all over for you. Nice of you to decide to finally make it back! Better late than never, I suppose. Come, let us be off. She will be delighted that you have made it back in one piece." Sylmoor chuckled, proud to be back in his fancy clothes.

"Wait, she was here looking for me?" Link questioned, slowly turning to face the lech of a soldier who bald face lied to him seconds earlier, offering him a cold hard stare in return.

"Why, yes? She was…is something the matter?" Sylmoor asked, confused by Link's demeanor toward the guardsman.

Link just continued to lock eyes on the brute, who threw a face of disgust right back at him. Apparently, someone for some reason did not want him to accompany the princess that evening.

The constable jerked away and replied calmly. "Sorry, must have slipped my mind."

Sylmoor stood bewildered at their awkward exchange.

Link, eyes still locked on him spoke. "It must have…No…it's fine, my lord. Everything is fine. Let us be off." Link assured, turning back. His face quickly faded back into a soft expression. He then walked away with Sylmoor, who was dressed back into his ceremonial clothes. He even was wearing the sparing sword Link gave to him earlier that day when they were out and about practicing on the bluff. They were off to regroup with the others.

Back in the main tent where the Hylian leaders were, Simon was about to scold one of his advisors when Zelda marched in.

Angry, the platinum-blonde haired Lord squeezed a fist in the air at his subordinate. "You mean to tell me we have still yet to account for all the losses! What is it that we know so far? Can anyone give me a straight answer! This is an outrage! How could have this have happened to my camp? Any—" The lord was interrupted by her waltz into the illustrious war room. His fist loosened. Her presence caused a hush to befall all those present. She had such a majestic way about her that could quiet any room.

The princess glanced around as she made her way in, catching eyes with everyone. She saw that it was the lord of Illiastar, Simon, his marshals, army counters, the representative from house Tarble, Taleran, and several guard sentries who were present.

Simon spoke again, turning his chin respectfully toward her grace. "We would be honored if you would join us, your majesty. I didn't think you would make it here so soon. Just a few more unpleasantries I have to go over with this lot, and then I can be right with you."

Zelda blinked at his notion that she could possibly be just another item on his appointment list. However, she decided not to challenge him on the matter. More important things were happening. "Whatever they may be, I would like to hear them as well. I am the princess, after all. So, please do continue," she said, cracking a phony cheer of a smile back at him.

"Certainly, your grace. Carry on Master of records." He said, returning to his sour mood yet again, flapping his cape in a tantrum as he turned around to listen for the accounting continue.

"S-sir, we regret to inform you that the destruction here is steeper than we had previously thought. Hundreds of thousands of rupees worth of damages. At the latest reports, we have lost most of our siege weapons, catapults, and munitions. As well as our stockpiles of arrows. Also, the food wagons hosting the entirety of the army's rations have been lost in the fires too. And—"

The flustered lord cut him off in a rage, swinging his arm outwards, spilling all the placeholders across the war plan table he leaned against. "There's more!? As if that is not enough!? Where were the sentries guarding the supply line? Why wasn't the alarm sounded and the banners called!? I want those responsible for neglecting their post found! Now!"

"S-sir, I think they are dead…they didn't make it."

"I don't care! Bring their corpses to me if you must! I want them found and brought here. So, I can kill them again myself and make them answer for their ineptitude!"

Zelda frowned in annoyance at her Lord's reaction to his subjects. She didn't like his behavior nor his tone and how it was escalating into a fever pitch. But, she decided just to bear it a little longer and listen to the back and forth continue. The tall Sidon also noticed her face change and made a slight hand wave to only where she would see, calming her down from interrupting. A silent urge to her that they should listen just a little more.

The advisor continued. "C-certainly, my lord!" The man coughed, eye gesturing a few of the guards to leave and track down the men in camp responsible for protecting the army's supplies. "And my lord, it gets worse…We've just found out that most of our heads of cattle have been run off by the enemy and stolen."

"What do you mean most!? What kind of answer is most? How many!?"

The man froze in fright.

"Speak! Specifics man! How many!?"

"Sixty-two my lord," the man said, face soaked in fear. Sweat poured down his forehead.

"And...out of how many!?"

The man swallowed, and hesitantly replied, closing both his eyes slowly. "Out of sixty-three…my lord."

"Goddesses damn it if you mean all, just say all of them! Sixty-two indeed! I should have you thrown from the gates of the crystal palace for your word games!" Simon paused a moment only long enough to huff and stamp around the tent in a rage. "So, you mean to tell me, not only did they singlehandedly cripple our ability to wage war, but they made off with our main food supply!"

"Y-yes…I'm afraid so, my lord."

"Get out of my sight…before I make you disappear for good!" Simon shouted. The man held his head low and skulked away in defeat, hiding behind the throng of other leaders present.

Back outside, Link had approached alongside Sylmoor, the command tent. Rushing past the sentries first, Sylmoor easily was granted access, but as soon as Link made his way following closely behind, the two sentries blocked his entry. Both crisscrossed their spears barring the way in for him.

Hearing the slam of their lances together behind him, Sylmoor spun back around before he opened the flap to the tent to enter. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Sorry, My lord, orders from your brother. This commoner soldier is not to accompany the meeting tonight," The head sentry spoke.

Link stood in front, puzzled as to why he has been shunned. He had a few guesses as to why but couldn't be sure.

Sylmoor spoke, voice raised. "Well, I say, let him pass. I am your lord as well, or don't you recall the sacred crest across my chest!?"

The two sentries looked at each other, but neither relented. "I'm sorry, my lord, we would, but your brother insisted you might say that, and he said we are not to break his command. Until he says otherwise, we will keep our orders. I'm sorry."

"The man is two minutes older than me."

"Yes, but he is still lord and heir to bountiful. I'm sorry, my lord."

"Very well then…Don't worry, Link, wait here. I'll come back for you. But first, I have some choice words to say to my brother. For this…this miscarriage of justice."

The knight decided to stand patiently, guarded away by the two sentries as Sylmoor entered the tent.

Sylmoor entered the tent quietly as his brother pontificated his grievances aloud.

Sylmoor, dissatisfied with Link's treatment, spoke sternly. "What is the meaning of this!?"

Simon jerked, not liking to be interrupted, shushed him down. "Whatever it is, Brother, it will have to wait!"

"No, I will not—" Sylmoor was cut off. At that same moment, a Starsguard soldier dramatically barged in from the flap of the tent, turning all the heads in the room. Caught up by the scene, Sylmoor quieted.

The sentry spoke cold. "My lord, I bring you the three men responsible. They are all who's left that have survived," the man spoke, waving his hands outward for two more elites like him to thrust down the three frightened regulars before the line of nobility.

Zelda quietly gasped to herself at how fierce they were behaving, unsure if she should speak up.

But the high-strung lord beat her to it, wasting no time interrogating the shaken men. "So, what do you have to say for yourself…speak! How can you explain away this…this…catastrophe!"

One of the frightened soldiers, one who was in charge of guarding the entrance to the woodland earlier that night, responded back, voice trembling. "Forgive us, m'lord…we don't know how it happened. We were all just sitting around our fire when the last thing we remember was that a man came to us. In the middle of the night, he did, looked just like a common old man…Or was he young? We didn't think much of it. He was friendly, having a bit of a laugh with us, and so we offered him our fire for warmth. It was a cold night that it was, even some drink too."

The man said to all those gathered but shot a confused look to his fellow soldier who was also being interrogated.

The other man chimed. "But, It was very dark. He could have been a young man now that you say it."

Simon rolled his eyes. "So, was he old, or was he young!? Speak, man, or you never will again!"

The round-bellied leader coughed as he spoke up for his frighten comrades. "Well, it was really dark…Forgive us, m'lord."

Simon slammed his fist again at the head of the table. "You mean to say, not a one of you can tell me what he looked like, even though you sat, drank, and had merry conversations with this infiltrator for the better half of an evening!?" Simon swung his cape again, voice raising. "How is it that you are alive and are here to speak to me tonight, whereas three of your comrades lie dead at your post?

"You are either are in on the attack and have been bought. In which case makes you a traitor, or you are completely incompetent in your duties! In either case, you shall be punished!" He turned with a fiery judgment in his eyes toward the elite Starsguard who stood at attention. "Guard, take these men and flog them in the middle of camp, ten lashes each! Let this serve as a reminder to all those who disobey their orders or abandon their post!"

Zelda had heard enough, her patience exhausted toward her lord, so she rose and spoke up on behalf of the terrified men. "Hold on just a minute, my lord, aren't you being a little hasty? Shouldn't we listen more to their story? I'm sure these good soldiers have a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why they left their post."

Simon countered. "Here's your perfect explanation, princess. They are either traitors, liars, or cowards. Three good reasons to be whipped. I say they are lucky to keep their heads as far as I am concerned."

"Well, I say, we should listen to more of their story," she said with a huff, hand at her waist.

"As you wish, princess…alright, you heard her majesty, go on, tell us. How did this man get the better of you!? Speak quickly, and you better start making sense."

"Well, it's as I said m'lord, a man came to us in the night. He was unarmed and seemed harmless, even tired from the road. He was Hylian, so we didn't want to turn him away."

"That's right. He even listened to us sing songs and heard our jokes," said another guard who concurred.

The leader of the group continued, still on his knees, hands forward in a begging fashion. "We swear m'lord. We had nothing to do with this. Last, I remember is that he gave me a drink …what did he call it? Hard to remember, my head is still aching from when we awoke." The man scratched his head.

"Well, you better remember fast, or your head isn't the only thing that is going to be aching if you don't hurry up and spill it!"

"It was uh…uh, Widows Wine! Yes! That is what he called it. I'm sure of it, m'lord."

"Widows Wine, hmm? Have any of you heard of such a drink? Anyone?" Simon faced all the others present. Nobody among them nodded ever hearing such a drink before. Sylmoor, who fancied drinks, cuffed his chin and closed an eye in recollection, diving deep into his no doubt blur of a drunken memory. But, he too fell short of remembering such a hearty beverage.

Simon leaned. "How do I know you all weren't just drunk and made up this whole fairy tale yourselves?"

"We promise. I can't explain m'lord, but his face would seem old, then look young and then old again. Come to think of it, I can't even remember his face. I don't understand how he did it. At the time, I saw him face to face just as we are now. I could count you the hairs on his head. But, now, since I awoke, everything is so clouded."

"So, what happened next?"

"That's it, m'lord, that is all we remember. The next thing that I remember was that I was waking up from a loud noise, an explosion as I lied face first in the mud. Please, m'lord, it is the truth! I swear it."

"What a fantastic lie of a story you conjured up to get yourself out of this! One thing is to lie to me, but to lie to the princess is another thing entirely! So, you mean to tell me that it wasn't bokoblin raiders to the south that caused this nightmare to take place? And now that you tell me that all this, all that has happened was the handiwork of some decrepit old man! Hell, you're not even sure what you saw! How can I believe your story at all?! How can anyone?! Lies! And the punishment for lies is—"

"It's true!" Link said boldly, barging into the tent. All eyes suddenly turned to his voice coming from the flapped entrance. "All of it. I've seen the man myself."

Sylmoor and Sidon in unison smiled at his cool entrance.

Simon huffed. "How did you!? The guards!?"

"Don't worry...your lapdogs are alright," the cool knight said. Seeing Link again, Zelda felt her cheeks glow warmly at the sight of him. She couldn't help but smile as she saw him take control of the room with his presence.

Simon gasped.

"But it is true…These men and their story. I saw the cloaked man they saw." Link insisted.

Simon rolled his eyes. "Of course. Of course, you did. I wouldn't have expected anything less from the great 'Link' himself. Why is it that every time I turn around, and something happens, it's you!?"

Link leaned his head back, annoyed by the lord's insinuations. He already has had enough for one night and was about to snap back but thought better of it since his princess was present. So, he silently stood there and bit his tongue.

Simon continued. "So Sir-Link, what did you see? What can you add to their fantastic tale?"

"I couldn't get a great look at him, but he is indeed the one behind all of this. The attack on the south end was coincidental. It could have been coordinated, but it can't be certain. He got away. I tried to stop him, but he…was just…so fast," the knight replied, getting carried off in thought at his defeat earlier.

"Ha, so even you, our great champion, couldn't stop this old man. We are doomed for sure." Simon chuckled. His retinue of 'yes men' around also laughed in lockstep with his own.

Link interrupted their laughs. "That's not it. I'm not even sure if he was even an old man, I couldn't see his face. But it isn't entirely these men's fault."

"I agree, let them go," Zelda said boldly, giving a warm smile to her knight, well pleased on his safe return.

Simon shrugged. "As you wish. Her majesty spares you. Now go!" he yelled to the three men as they scurried out from the meeting.

Zelda was walking over closer to Link, opposite of the others in the rounded tent. She saw that the fight had taken its toll on him. He was a mess from what she could tell. His clothes were ragged, covered in dirt, soot, and even blood-stained. "You're hurt!?" Her eyes widened.

"I'm fine. I just fell. Others weren't as lucky, though. It was a trap." Link replied. Everyone else in the room was still watching their exchange.

"A trap!? "

"Yes, the whole thing."

"And what do you mean, you're fine!? Look at your arm! It's bleeding!" She replied. The crude field dressing he made had been soaked with his blood. She knew that he must have been sliced deep. "Don't you just leave like that again. You're not the only soldier here, and you don't have to run off on your own all the time. You're not invincible, you know. Think first before you react Link," She said, just as she was about to lean in for a hug from him when Simon chimed in. She pulled back before she could.

"Yes, Sir-Link, we are all pleased to see you safely returned to us. We also want to thank you for your…bravery in rushing off to help the others. It really is most admirable," he said to link, a sarcastic puffed-up tone in his voice.

"I'm just doing my duty, my lord."

"Indeed."

Zelda turned over to face her knight."Do you think that this villain could be the one behind all the disasters that have been happening? The attack on the divine beast and the destruction of the Rutala dam?" she asked.

"I don't know...I have no idea who he is," Link answered back.

"Hmmm," Zelda said as she leaned back, cuffing her pretty chin with a hand at her waist.

"Wait, what is this you are talking about? What do you mean behind these attacks? There have been more?" Simon questioned them both.

"Yes, I'm sorry, my lord. I haven't mentioned them to you as of yet."

"And you thought not until now was it wise to keep these events from me? I have a war to plan, and you didn't think it smart to let me know what you know?"

"No, it wasn't like that! We honestly had no idea what to tell you, my lord. We had no leads on the attacker until now. And besides, I wasn't sure just yet if it should have been revealed yet. The timing wasn't right...until now."

"Well, I guess there is no use debating the matter further. But, please, next time, if there is a mysterious enemy afoot wreaking havoc in the shadows, do tell me about it."

"We didn't know who or what was behind the attacks," Link defended her.

"I"m speaking to the princess, not you-"

The adviser interrupted them both with a loud cough. "There is also…something else…My lord, may I continue?"

Simon turned to his master of records. "I thought I told you to get out of my sight? But, if you insist, I'd rather hear it all now. But first, answer me this, how long does the army have a steady supply of food, and will more arrive with the wagon train that is expected to come in five days? And what of Draene?"

"I'm afraid not my lord, the food provisions were the first wave of wagons that have been following the army at its front this entire time. It will be many days until Draene would arrive and that's if they are even coming at all. We still have heard no word from them. The Starlight dispatch riders you sent will be back tomorrow, but only with that miracle worker you have called for. And lastly, the only supplies we can expect to arrive will be more siege towers and catapults. And they aren't edible."

"I know that you imbecile!"

The man gulped. "Even…" the adviser paused, cleared his throat, and glanced over to the younger lord Sylmoor, who was listening intently. "Even the entire shipment, carrying the barrels of ale, have been lost. Not a drop left. I'm afraid."

Sylmoor gasp. "What! What do you mean? What of the mess tent? Don't they have any left stocked?"

"Well, I suppose whatever we have left in camp, maybe one or two barrels at most, is what we are left with. I'm afraid. So sorry, my lord."

"That…That's no fair way to fight a war! How could they!?" Sylmoor clenched both his fist in sadness at the revelation, almost to tears.

The elder brother couldn't stomach the look of it and interrupted Sylmoor's bellyaching. "So, you're telling me we have no rations for my army. That we are all going to starve!? How long do we have?"

The adviser read from the scroll in his hand, did a quick calculation in his head, and replied. "I'd say at best…with the latest count that we have left from the mess tent, two days, maybe three at the most. And, that is if we half ration everyone here on out."

"What a total and complete nightmare. The enemy is forcing my hand. With a blow such as this, we will have to retreat. I can't risk open war without proper supplies, and we don't have enough food rations to wait for our siege weapons to arrive. We would be starved by then. We must fallback to Bountiful. There we can re-supply and continue the campaign in a couple months when we can re-mobilize the army and mount a proper offensive."

"No, my lord, I will not abandon the castle nor my people here in the lower territories. The fires of the enemy will spread like malice if unchallenged. I will not retreat. Not now! If we can't wait for food provisions to arrive, then we will just take back what was stolen from us. We'll just have to mount an attack early and take the castle now."

"My princess, what you ask is suicide! You don't know what you're saying. We can't mount an offensive like that. Please let me do what is best for my army and the kingdom. If I wanted opinions on how to run my army, I would ask my generals if I wanted advice on the intricacies of knitting dresses and drinking Zora tea, I would ask thee."

Zelda had enough at his puffed-up tone and lack of humility and snapped back relentlessly. It was just as the Lord was pacing around in the tent, giving his belittling speech to her at the opposite end of the meeting, among his throng of subordinates. She spoke fiercely. "Kneel…"

Her words cut cleanly through everyone's thoughts that were present. Some were even unsure of what she said, heads turning to face each other in bewilderment, looking to the man next to them to see if they heard the same thing they did.

She spoke again, just as fierce. "I said…kneel."

There was no mistake now in her command. So, everyone present began to fall to one knee when she interrupted them all.

"Not everyone…just…him. Kneel, my lord," she said stern, eyes locked on him like a target. Her royal decree echoed throughout the entire pin-drop quieted room. The others stood back up on their feet.

Simon immediately felt like a rock in a hard place. He never throughout his entire life has he ever had to obey someone else other than his father. His knees have grown so fond of standing they forgot how to bend. Quickly, he gazed around the room to those watching the spectacle taking place.

He realized he hadn't a choice and so he relinquished to her demands and fell to his knees in reverence to her, head bowed. The room fell to a hush.

Zelda spoke as he waited there in silence. "Now, tell me…Lord Simon, where do your loyalties lie? For last, I checked. It was house Hyrule that reigns over these lands and all the dominions therein. Or am I mistaken, my lord?"

"No, you are not mistaken, my princess."

"And what is the crest that I bare? Which house is that? Enlighten me."

"It is…" He gulped, humiliated at the show she was putting on. "It is the golden wings of the loft eagle, of the royal house of Hyrule," he said quietly, face inward toward his cloak.

"And which house does house Illiastar serve and has sworn eternal fealty to?"

"Yours…"

"That is correct, and don't you forget it again…I will not be silenced like a mere common maiden, nor will I be told what to do with my army or kingdom. Henceforth, you, my lord, will be stripped of your commanding title and ranks here among the army. You will, of course, remain as lord of Illiastar and still be the heir to Bountiful. But as far as this campaign is concerned, you shall be relieved of your high command here."

The room gasped at her decree.

She continued. " Lord Sylmoor!" she called, turning to face him. Her beautiful golden hair whipped as she made her decree. Standing tall with royal authority, her sweet voice reverberated powerfully throughout the room.

"My Lord, I grant you fully all the rights and claims to this army in your brother's stead. Perhaps you can lead where he has misjudged."

Sylmoor gulped in fright. Slowly he stepped a few paces closer to her and his brother, who was still bowed.

"My princess, this is too high of an honor. I beseech thee to reconsider"

"So, you don't seek to please your princess's wishes?"

"No, it's not that my liege. It's he is really the only one capable of this noble task. I beg of you. I'm no warrior. I drink and sing songs. That is what I do. My brother is the one you want. Sure, he can be hard at times. Hell, most of the time. But I promise you, he is the best war tactician and general this age has ever seen. And that is the truth."

Zelda turned to face the corner of the room and pondered alone for a brief moment as the room waited for her to come to a decision. She looked up and down as she searched her thoughts and feelings. It felt like an eternity to all those present, but in reality, it was just seconds gone by.

She slowly spun and spoke. "As you wish my lord, your brother shall be forgiven for his trespass against the crown of Hyrule. Not for his sake, but for yours. Arise, Lord Simon, reclaim your rightful position here as my commanding general of the army. But, lest you forget who I am again, I may not be so forgiving next time."

Zelda, deep down, finally felt she had finally become one step closer to becoming a true leader, but even as she spoke those harsh words, she doubted them. She knew she really didn't have the stomach to be so strict with her judgments, but she thought if she could just pretend to be more dominant, perhaps that would be enough to quell any dissenting opinions of those around her. She hoped.

Simon arose back up from his bent knees. "Forgive me, your grace. I only wish to serve you. And I was doing what I thought could be our only option for victory. That is what you want, right? Victory?"

"Of course, it is, but we can't abandon the people, not now. There has to be another way."

Taleran, the thin and walnut colored-haired man representing the lady of Tarble, spoke up. "Well, does anyone have any ideas to propose? The only way I see it is a full-frontal assault. But, the Lord of Illiastar is right, wouldn't that be reckless now without our ability wage such an attack? Now that we have been severely handicapped?"

"It certainly would be foolish. We hardly have any siege weapons. Not to mention, your archers will need arrows. The master of counters said all our stockpiles of arrows have been destroyed in tonight's fires. We can't even barrage the enemy fortress. We literally we are at their mercy and their advantage." Simon declared.

"Yes, we were counting on those supplies. The only arrows we have are what we have among us in our quivers. Hardly enough to wage open war. I must agree with him, your grace. I know it displeases you to hear this but perhaps—"

Suddenly a mild but strong voice interrupted them. "Perhaps, there is another way, a way to get inside the castle. A way to give us back the advantage? What then?"

It was Link who spoke.

"Well, do you know such a way?" Taleran questioned the young knight.

"If I may?"

"Of course, please by all means. Let us hear your plan."

Link cautiously walked forward to address the room. He wasn't to keen when it came to public speeches, so he swallowed his nervousness and waved a single hand outward before he spoke. " What if someone were to enter behind the castle walls during the night, while the enemy was least expecting it and then open the main gates from within. In that case, the army wouldn't have to besiege the walls. They could just march on in, giving us back the advantage."

"And how do you propose anyone getting in there to accomplish such an impossible task? You wouldn't be able to get within five leagues of city walls before being struck down by the enemy," Simon countered, his voice rising yet again.

"Leave that to me, my lord."

"Leave that to you? You want the entire army to base a strategy of an entire attack on the whims of a single knight? Come now."

"I think we should listen to what this young lad has to say, my lord." Taleran interrupted.

"As you wish," Simon spoke, turning the other way, one eye open and a single ear flicking toward Link, listening to his remarks carefully.

"Carry on, Sir-Link," Taleran insisted.

"Look, I have braved the castle before. Granted, it wasn't nearly as guarded as it is now, but there is a secret entrance. Not many know about it. And I think I know a way to slip past the enemy un-noticed. Just give me five good men, and we can have those bridges and gates down for you, I promise you."

"A secret passage, you say? Surprise attack? I like it. How do you plan on slipping by the enemy?" Taleran leaned closer to him.

Zelda also smiled as Link spoke. Curious as to see what he was planning.

"Well, I know it may sound crazy to believe, and you are going to think I have gone mad myself. But, I have come into possession of some rare oddities...masks."

"Mask!?" Simon rolled his eyes. "And how are masks going to get us to surprise attack the enemy?"

"These aren't normal masks. No, my lord. These masks come from a man I have met on my travels. A mysterious wanderer. I, too, scoffed at his claims when I first heard his stories, but these masks have come very handily for a lone soldier like myself. These masks have the power to hide one's true look to the enemy."

"Are you certain about this Link? I mean, I believe you, of course, but you have to admit this all sounds sort of silly," Zelda chimed.

"I swear it." Link argued.

"Well then, I for one believe you," The princess beamed at him.

Some in the room were cupping their chins, questioning his proposition. Others nodded in approval. A few even voiced their opinions in murmuring whispers amongst themselves.

Until a loud voice spoke. "I believe you too," said Taleran, wiggling his mustache as he smiled.

"As do I friend, I'll even go with you and see this quest through," said the tall red prince with a wink.

One by one, they agreed that Link had been telling the truth until second to last was Sylmoor.

He rubbed his chin and blurted the same. "Well, of course, I do too! I mean, at this point, how could I not believe you?! It's a fine plan," he said with a friendly stare, grin shining.

Until finally, there was Simon, standing stubbornly arms crossed. Not wanting to be on the outs, he relented. "Well, if its as you say, then I guess we have no other choice. So, what is your plan? Enter the castle and then lower the drawbridges and gates under disguise? It might…just work."

"It will work," Zelda bravely declared. "It has to work."

Leaning against the war table, she set up the map again, laying out the battle plans, placing the markers down. "Link and his group of renegades will sneak into the castle by the cover of night, and then they will lower their defenses. At that moment, once the deed is done, he will sound the horn of Illiastar, letting the army know to carry out their strike. With everything we've got, we will rush the castle gates and take the city."

"Bold plan. Okay then, Sir-Knight, how long do you think it will take until you can lower the gates?" Simon asked.

"I'd say an hour or so."

"You have one hour to finish the task and get out of there. Then my army will rain hell upon the enemy with what arrows and siege weapons we do have. We don't have many, so we have to make them count. Then we will rush them with the entirety of our forces."

Zelda nodded. "So, then it's settled then, we attack at dawn. Now, we should all prepare and get our rest. We have a big morning ahead of us."

With that, the meeting had adjourned, and everyone was about to slip away when Zelda caught sight of Sylmoor sliding away.

She spoke to him, stopping him mid-step. "Oh, and lord Sylmoor, everyone is going to have to fight. You heard your brother, didn't you? We are going to need everyone we can get, now that our ability to wage war has been severely diminished," she said with a smile trying to get a rise out of him.

Sylmoor choked a bit on his tongue." But, my liege, I'm no warrior."

She then glanced at the practice sword he had sheathed by his waist belt. "Well then, what is that then? That looks like a sword to me? Why have that if you don't intend to fight? Hmmm?" She playfully questioned.

"Oh, this? This is nothing. This is just something Link gave me earlier. We were just foolin' about. He was just showing me some of his moves. Over some drinks! That's all," Sylmoor confessed, grabbing the phony wooden blade hiding it behind his back in embarrassment.

"In that case, then I suggest maybe you should get some more practice in while you can, don't you think? Perhaps a drink or two might ease your fears." She smiled with a wink. "I'm sure if you ask nicely, Link will show you more of his moves."

Sylmoor gulped, face pale with the fear of the idea of having to fight.

She patted his shoulder as she left the tent following after her knight until all who were left in the war room was Sylmoor, trapped in worried thought.

Link was walking lockstep with Sidon as they were heading back to there tent.

"Thanks for keeping care of the princess Sidon, I am in your debt."

"Nonsense, my friend, I hardly did a thing. Except if you consider rearranging military supplies and moving furniture around is a great and noble task. In all honesty, I should have been there alongside you. Fighting the enemy."

"Well, don't you worry, then? You're going to have plenty of that tomorrow, I assure you," Link said with a slight chuckle.

"Aha! Indeed, and we will see who is the better warrior! I aim to slay a hundred bokoblins tomorrow! Foul beast they are!" Sidon nudged him with his giant elbow to his side as they walked.

"You're on! Whoever has the most pelts tomorrow wins!" Link countered. But as he did so, he heard rushing steps through the grass approaching him from behind. Slowly turning to face crunching footsteps, he realized it was the princess. He then nodded for Sidon to wait up for him at their tent as he was going to stand and wait for her. Sidon saluted him and disappeared ahead of them.

Catching up to her lowly Knight, Zelda reached out for him, now that they were alone walking through the camp, each heading back to their own quarters. "Leaving so soon?" she said, wrapping her arm around his. He winced a bit as she grabbed him, forgetting about his bandaged wound.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Link," she apologized, realizing she was rough in her grasp.

"It's okay. I'm alright, …honest. But, I do have to get ready to leave tonight…Zelda."

"I know it's just…I…nevermind. Go, be the hero that you are, Link. Be careful, okay! If anything goes wrong…you just get out of there, okay? Don't you dare do anything foolish!"

Link just smiled to her reassuringly as he marched away from her, back toward his tent, which was adjacent to her own. "Always."

And with that, the knight slipped away from her sight, and she returned to her own tent. The night had felt long, but the dawn would soon be upon them. The real test of courage awaited her the following morning. With these thoughts swirling in her mind, she also remembered about her friend Riju, who was in desperate need of the magical healer still, fighting just to stay alive. They had to be successful tomorrow, she pondered. Everyone was depending on them. But there would be no reprieve in the meantime. The battle had finally come.

Chapter Text

Chapter 17

Preparations

Sidon jerked up in a flurry as he sat idly by on a stool. He'd been caught in a daydream when Link barged in from the flap of their tent.

"Excuse me, Link, sorry…I was just thinking," the prince mentioned, shaking his head from his thoughts that overflowed from his mind.

"And what was that?" asked Link, giving him a curious once-over for his startled response.

"I was thinking, you really believe this plan of yours is going to work for us?" Sidon said with a nervous chuckle, standing up from where he sat, carefully hunching in their small tent. "I mean, I am not afraid of going into battle outnumbered with all odds against us, nor do I fear death. But I must confess, if I don't have to die and could live just a bit longer, that would be much more preferable."

Link couldn't help but grin at how awkward the Zora prince looked standing in the tent, appearing as though he could lift the whole tarp up off the ground at it's center post if he chose to straighten to his full height.

"Don't worry, they promised me I would be getting better quarters for our stay here. Soon, you won't have to be leaning over as you do now," Link assured him.

"It's no bother, really. But, as I was saying before, are you sure—"

"It's going to work, trust me. When have I ever let you down?" he, the hylian disrupted smugly, a cool smile on his face. As he spoke, he pulled back the long flowing hair that framed either side of his face in false sideburns, tying off the majority of his mop of sandy blonde hair into a short tail.

"Here, have a look at this," Link called out to his companion, kicking open the lid of a chest in the corner of the tent. It sat among the other random assortment of gear they had stacked messily in their quarters.

The knight rummaged about as he leaned over the open trunk, digging through and chaotically tossing items out one by one that were of no use to them now. The unnecessary bits flew across the room as he buried himself in the chest, hunting for what he needed. Mostly they were pointless things of value, such as moblin bones, chu chu jelly remains, random guardian parts among other things, but others not so much. Even so, Link still decided not to part ways with any of them. You never know when anything might come in handy, he believed. And well, Link himself was quite a collector of random items, some might even say he was a reckless hoarder. But, Link would argue otherwise, he would call himself a collector of the finer and missed things in life.

These of course, were his belongings that he couldn't take along with him on his travels during his quest and were kept safe, put away for him at the domain. And, ever since he and Zelda visited the domain just a few days ago, those items were given back to him. Sidon on the other hand had to narrowly dodge each useless item as they flew past his head, since the knight carelessly tossed them about in the room, unaware where he was throwing them.

"Aha! Here they are, exactly what I was looking for. Perfect! Sure am glad I never sold these for that Hasty Apple pie that ol' innkeep Drummond was offering back at the Lakeland Stables. We'd be in a world of trouble now if I had done so," Link spoke aloud, smiling to himself at the thought of it. The sudden reminder of food in his mind's eye made his stomach growl in dissatisfaction. With a hint of sadness from the recollection of tasty delights, Link sighed to himself for not being able to enjoy any such sweet confections anytime soon.

"What!? You would trade your finest possessions such as these for…pie?" Sidon questioned, flabbergasted at the notion.

"Well, if you haven't eaten anything tasty for days and days out in the open wild, and all you had was leftover moldy bread or worse; you too would be settling to trade anything for a fresh homemade apple pie," Link said, salivating at the thought of it with stars in his eyes, dreaming about the pie. "Not always did I have the luxury to cook my own meals. A lot of the times I had to be dead silent where I was at. I had to make sure I was hidden at all times from any enemy eyes while I turned in for the night. And that meant, no campfires most of the time."

"Well, for all our sakes friend, I'm glad you didn't trade them for the pie. Let's have a look at them, shall we?" Sidon laughed, leaning over to where Link was over his shoulder.

"Here, this one is for you!" Link said, proudly holding up what could have only been a moblin mask as if it were a trophy.

Sidon eyed up and down the mask in an evaluation as Link handed it over, for him to bare witness of it. It was a crude fleshy imitation of what a moblin actually looked like, with clear and obvious amateur needlework done with its threads. Some were even unraveling from obvious wear and tear that it no doubt endured since goddesses knows how long.

Sidon felt a nervous bead a sweat trail down the side of his forehead. "This is what is going to get us past the endless garrison of bokoblins and moblins guarding the back gates to the castle?" he said with a long gulp.

"Yeah! Of course! Don't just stand there, let me see! Try it on!"

With nothing better of it but to try it on, the zora prince adorned the cap of a mask that covered his entire head, still clearly looking like a zora from shoulder down to anyone who would have happened to walk in on this bizarre scene.

Link on the other hand was convinced by the change. "Perfect! You fit the moblin look perfectly!" he cheered.

Sidon shrugged. "I think the word you're looking for is…ridiculous! This isn't going to work Link! Who do you think we're going to fool with these masks?" the prince said, voice muffled by the cover of the mask.

"All of them!" Link declared back. "Trust me, these masks work every time…most of the time,"

"Most of the time!?"

"Don't worry, they are magic. Just a few acting lessons perhaps and you'll be right as rain! I promise."

"Acting lessons!? Nobody said anything to me about having to act when I signed up for this suicide mission!? I'm terrible at theater,"

"Of course, I didn't say that! If I would have said that from the start, you never would have signed up! And besides, you'll be fine, just have to follow my lead and everything will be just fine, don't worry. Worst case, you can ask our dear friend Sylmoor for some. He did say he loves watching a good show after all. Maybe he is a man of the arts himself?"

"Well, if you say so…" The prince said, plucking off the mask from his head, able to speak freely yet again. "And, what about you? Where is yours?"

A few laughs escaped the side of Link's lips. "The best one of course, this one!" He held up a silver skinned bokoblin mask. "This one will make me higher among their ranks…I think." he said, scratching the back of his head.

He spoke again. "That should help us get deep within the castle walls. But in either case these will work, all of them. I have three more left…so it will be us and three others. C'mon, enough time we wasted here, the morning comes quick. Let us find us a few brave men who want to save the city."

Out from their tent, Link and Sidon marched through camp, each carrying a sack holding masks. After recruiting three others to accompany them, they packed a few light morsels of whatever food they could scrounge from the left-over meager rations they had. All thanks be to the fires earlier that decimated the army's supply earlier that night. Sylmoor came from around a corner of camp and caught up to them to go over last-minute war preparations for his brother.

"Hold up! Friends, hold up! What's the rush, still at least four hours before dawn!" Sylmoor called out, huffing and wheezing as he made his way to the small band.

Sidon laughed as he elbowed the young lord, just as he approached. "Already out of breath Lord Sylmoor? The battle hasn't even begun yet!?"

"Please, don't remind me! Which is exactly why I am here! Oh Link, please you gotta' do something…anything! Tell your princess I'm no warrior! Hell, tell her I can't even cut grass without falling over, let alone fight off a foul bokoblin screamer! I'll be killed for sure!"

"I'm sorry m'lord, but once the princess has made up her mind, it's pretty much impossible for anyone to change it,"

"Yes, but you're Link, her knight! She listens to you!"

"Even me I'm afraid,"

Sylmoor's face went pale, knees began to buckle as he looked up to the sky for any sign of the goddesses to grant him a late-night reprieve. At any moment, Link thought the poor man was going to collapse and faint from the fear of it.

"But, don't you worry, you'll be just fine. Just remember the moves I taught you earlier today," Link answered.

"That's what I mean, I can't remember a one of them! Maybe because I was drinking or I wasn't paying close enough attention. Or maybe it was both! I don't know, what am I to do?"

Sidon leaned in. "Maybe you can sing your way through the battle! Put the enemy to sleep perhaps!? Then we wouldn't have to fight, we could just march on in and take the castle without them being none the wiser, until it was too late!" he joked with a jovial elbow to the rib. The others joined in for a laugh except for Link who was trapped in thought at the man's plight.

"That's hardly funny, stop that laughing! I'm your lord after all," Sylmoor yapped back towards the other soldiers standing next to Link and Sidon. They ceased laughing immediately, remembering who he was and what he could do to them if he so wished.

Link cuffed his chin at Sylmoors revelation, slowly realizing that maybe there really was no hope for this lord to be a fighter. Since the moves he shown him were basic at best,even a stable boy would be able to master them in just an hour. Perhaps, Sylmoor was hopeless at becoming a warrior, he thought.

Link spoke. "Hmmm, Okay, how about this? I know just the person who can take care of you until me and Sidon finish what we must do to get the gates open. Until then, I won't be able to watch after you. Sidon, you thinking about who I am thinking?"

"Sure am Link! I'll find him right away. He'll take good care of you Sylmoor. Why, you'll be safer by his side than with anyone!"

"And who is this mystery warrior?" Sylmoor asked.

Sidon gave a shark toothed grin and flex of his red arm. "Well it could only be the meanest and toughest warrior south of the three northern fiefdoms! Ha Ha! Seabass of course!"

"But, didn't Link beat him? How does that make him the meanest and toughest then?"

"I said the strongest in the inner kingdom, not of all Hyrule! That of course, is none other than our hero Link here!" Sidon contested.

"Well, I wouldn't say hero…I'm Just good with a sword is all," Link countered humbly.

"Well if sir-Link here is best in all of Hyrule according to you; then where would that put you then, Prince of zora?"

"That's easy, the best in the entire world, of course!" Sidon said with a full belly laugh.

"Is that so? Well then, I suppose that means neither of you have heard of the greatest swordsman and master of single hand to hand combat of our time? And I am not talking about my brother. Although he would hate to admit it, he was once beaten in a friendly duel and joust with this young man. Bested by a lad not much, if at all any older than sir-Link here. From what I seen and what everyone else says in the three greater fiefdoms, he is by far the best warrior of our age. Quite the prodigy he is." Sylmoor said, cuffing his chin happy remembrance

Peaking Link and Sidon's attention at the revelation, Sylmoor continued. "Ah yes, the pride and joy of the Stonelands, the jewel of their barony, the young Lord Danyrio Draene. His father Malifus still sits as chief guardian and regent lord of all of Draene. But young Danyrio is in line to rule as soon as his father passes into the great halls of our father's fathers, to live among the goddesses. If you believe that sort of nonsense that is."

Sidon countered. "Ah, but we have Link! Just wait until the people get a load of him! Then we will see what they still think about this Danyrio you speak so highly of."

"And what about yourself? Are you not the best in the world? Or are you already selling yourself short?"

"Not on your life! Link would be more than all that is required to beat this lord of Draene you speak of. My talents simply wouldn't be needed!"

"Ha! So you say now. But don't get me wrong, Link is a great champion that much is certainly plain. Just in the short amount of time I have seen him spar, he appears to be well seasoned with a sword. He also just so happens to have the legendary sword that seals the darkness, which must account for something in his favor. And, his claims at beating the Great Calamity are quite impressive indeed. But here's the thing, and please don't take this the wrong way," Sylmoor paused the group, as they were slowly walking along throughout the camp. "As much as I like you and want to believe such a tale Link, I'm not quite convinced that the calamity was actually as you all say it was. It just all seems so, childish to believe in such a thing. I mean of course there were the guardians. But come now, a giant all-encompassing monstrous nightmare called Calamity Ganon? Not saying it didn't entirely exist…Just Perhaps, an exaggeration of what was really occupying the castle all these years," Sylmoor confessed.

"It was no exaggeration," Zelda's voice was heard, coming up from behind the group to their surprise. She snuck up from around the corner from the tent they all stood at. She should have been fast asleep, or so they all thought, but she wasn't.

"Why your highness, I didn't know you were still awake," Sylmoor gulped, sort of embarrassed, tilting his head as she made her way slowly over to their group.

"Clearly, I'm the only one awake," She retorted sternly. Then with a small pout, somewhat playful, she glanced over to her knight. "So, you weren't even going to say goodbye?" She said, eyes glistening towards Link as he stood at the far end of the group. All the heads turned to listen to the champion's reply to her. All their ears eager to hear their exchange.

Link coughed, buying time for himself to conjure up an excuse when Sidon came to his rescue. The Zora fumbled his words. "As a matter of fact, we were just on our way to find a friend of ours who can help our dear Lord Sylmoor here. And Link, he was just about to come visit you before we were to embark on our mission. Right Link?"

"Oh, is that right?" She smiled. "What sort of help does our Lord need? Perhaps, I can assist you all?"

"Oh, Link will have to be the one to tell you all about that," Sidon said as he shoved the rest of the group to scurry away in a hurry, leaving only Link behind to face the princess.

Zelda was left with a dumbfounded stare. "That was…peculiar?" She asked.

Link nervously chuckled a bit through the side of his mouth as they stomped off. "Yeah, it sure was." He then turned to face her. "Anyways, shouldn't you be resting? Tomorrow is going to be a big day."

"Funny, I was just about to say the same thing to you. You could use a nap. There is still time for you to rest and gather more of your strength. You're not all powerful like you think you are Link. And you won't be for long without any sleep. Even you need rest!"

"I'm fine. And, I'd rather not, the potion would make me fall asleep for far too long," he replied softly. "Also, are you going to be alright while I'm away? It is my duty to protect you and serve by your side. While I'm away I won't—"

Zelda leaned into him putting a finger up to his lips. "Shush, I'll be alright! You worry too much." Link blushed. Zelda has never done anything like that before with him. So playful, with her eyes shimmering from the moonlight, it caught him off guard and he immediately shut his mouth.

She continued with a cute wink. "I'm not that helpless princess you found at the gerudo highlands all those long years ago. I can take care of myself well enough for at least five minutes without you having to be around," she smiled. "And besides, that Simon said he is assigning a small company of his finest elites to watch after me during the battle. And, if that isn't enough, we will be at the furthest rear of the army, far off from any real danger. I'll be being watching over Riju with our friends, Teba and the others. She needs me now more than ever…Buliara will also look after us. So, don't worry. She is worth ten of Simon's best!"

Link cuffed his chin with a small grin at her words and replied. "Well, if anything happens, anything sign of trouble at all…You, Buliara, Teba, and the others who came with us from the domain need to get as far away from this place as possible. Head to Kakariko, you'll be safe there if anything happens tomorrow. Okay? Don't wait for me and Sidon."

"So you're giving me orders now?" She giggled.

"I'm serious," he insisted.

"So am I," she replied softly. "Don't worry, this plan is going to be a success! I just know it. With everything that you have accomplished, I have no doubts. And who knows, maybe if things do go sour, lord Simon might ride head on into the castle and save the day?" She laughed.

Link smiled at her joke, but quickly remembered something. "Speaking of him, I need to speak with him before I go."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go see the bore. I'm sure he just can't wait to see you again!" She smirked grabbing Link playfully by the arm yet again while nobody was around to see.

"These are the masks that are going to save us all! That is your grand plan?" Simon huffed as he saw Link dump out his sack displaying the magical artifacts. They were in his lord's quarters.

"Yes my lord? Are they going to be a problem for you?" Zelda interjected, hands at her waist with one eye gleaming toward him while the other closed.

"Just look at these and you tell me if you believe they are going to work," he urged, leaning over, picking them up one by one evaluating their craftsmanship. He was waving them in front of princess to see their crude designs.

"Well, now that you mentioned it my lord, the answer is unequivocally yes, I do believe they will work. If Link says they have worked before for him, then that is good enough for me," she challenged with a gleam in her eye.

"As you wish then my liege," he said with a tilt of the head, abruptly spinning around to face her knight. He sighed with a worry on his face.

"Okay 'Sir-Link', just before sun's first light creeps over the horizon you are going to need to make your move on the castle's and the city's defenses. The army will move into position just outside the walls one hour from now, under the cover of darkness. The gates must be drawn down before the dawn. We are depending on the enemy being on their bellies asleep when we attack. You really think you can manage this?"

"Leave it to me and my men. We will get those walls open to your army," Link replied coolly.

Zelda stepped closer to the two men. "Link will sound the horn the moment the gates are opened. Then, the Starlight Calvary will storm deep within the castle walls keeping the breach open, until we can flood the fortress with rest of the battalion." She smiled, somewhat confident in the plan.

"It's what we do best...and...I will be leading the charge." Simon said boldly.

Zelda and Link were wonder-struck by his quick reply. She almost fell back.

The princess tilted her head in question. "You my lord will be leading the charge?"

"Of course! This is my campaign after all. You thought that I wouldn't be the one leading my army to victory? Come now, princess," he huffed proud, gripping the golden laced sides of his fanciful uniform.

"It just surprises me that's all. I didn't take you as one to actually fight in actual battles," she leaned back sort of impressed.

"You heard my brother earlier, I am the warrior and he is…well, he has his talents I suppose," Simon jerked away, arms crossed. Link smiled and Zelda laughed at the thought of poor Sylmoor not being able to defend himself against his twin.

"Well now that everything is settled. Isn't it time?" She asked aloud.

Link responded first as Simon closed his lips to let the knight speak. "Yes, it is. Me and the others will be heading off now. Not much time left. But don't you worry, this is going to work."

"Then…I will go and see you off. Let's go." Zelda turned to face him, slightly fearful as a new nervous gurgle in her stomach pitted in her, at the realization of him actually leaving her side once again. It would be the first time they have been actually separated since their return from their battle with the calamity. The last time they were apart from each other, it was for a hundred years. And it damn near killed her. And, with the sudden memory of that separation in her mind, she began to worry more so than she had previously thought she would. The time has come.

Authors Notes: Short chapter for you all, the calm before the storm. Please, be sure to leave a comment! it helps me tremendously when you do and is much appreciated. I know you're reading, so just a moment to say a few words would be pretty sweet ; ) ... I love reading your thoughts whether good or bad. Lastly, if you haven't checked out the audio version of this story on youtube, the first episode is out, the second will be released soon. It is fully dramatized and cast with voice actors. You can find it in a search on youtube as: Zelda botw sequel(fanmade) part 1

Chapter Text

Chapter 18

Sleeping with the fishes

"Shh…Quiet! Are you trying to let every moblin from here to the never-ending forest know we've arrived?"

"Sorry, my leg got stuck in a gopher hole back there…or something. I mean, you're having us run through this tall grass like were being chased by Demise himself! It felt like something jumped up and yanked me, I couldn't help it. Could hardly see! No moon and not a star in sight tonight!"

The man struggled to keep up with his fellow infiltrators but as he caught up to rest, he let out an awfully loud sneeze. All heads jerked to face him as he blew like a trumpet, each waving a finger over their lips.

"Shh, quiet!" the leader whispered back, snapping back to pinch the man's nose before he could let out another squeak of a sneeze. They were all huddled now behind some tall brush, eyeing the shoreline below their position.

"I'm sorry," the man sniffed, a raspy cold in his voice. "It's just so terribly chill out tonight. This unholy rain we've been having ain't no help either."

"Be still man or every monster is gonna' hear that racket you're carrying. I told you not to bring any gear. Now drop your stuff and leave your sword and buckler. We're not going to need them where we are going. And do it quietly. There, over there into the thicket."

"What? Have you gone mad, how are we to fight!?"

"Shh, I said quiet. You can talk without having to yell in my ear ya' know. You're two feet away, I'm not deaf. "

The man crept a little closer and began to whisper. "Sorry…but uh, no sword or shield, eh? What are we to do then?"

"Trust me, you aren't going to need them. They won't be missed," Link replied smugly, wearing a cool smile on his face.

"Won't be missed! How will we defend ourselves?" the man panicked, raising his voice yet again.

"Shh…We'll be going in only with dirks. But still…we are not to use them unless we absolutely have to. Got it? Can't be lining the castle grounds with corpses, raising suspicions before our task is done."

The nervous and over anxious man gulped, nodding in agreement. Another voice was then heard to the other side of Link, soft as a whisper. "So, it looks like we will have to ferry across the moat. It's too cold for you all, so I'll swim across silently for us and steal one of those paddle boats they have docked. It shouldn't be too difficult."

"Yeah…It only looks to be two Bokos covering the post from what I can see. But, be extra alert just in case they have any friends nearby. Hard to tell with only two watch torches lit near them. Remember, without the masks, they can still see you. So, be snappy about it. We can't have them sound the alarm."

"Don't ya' worry friend, I'll be as quiet as the mist. And besides, Bokos are my specialty!" The Zora prince smiled. "If Snappy is what you want, then snappy is what you'll get," he said, dashing way ahead from the others who were following him, jogging in a single file line, keeping low to the earth as they made their way up to the shoreline, opposite to the island where the castle stood.

Not wanting to cause any further ruckus, Sidon twirled back to face them just to perform a friendly salute to them. With a farewell grin he calmly strolled into the moat, careful not to splash. And as his head disappeared beneath the waves of the water and into the depths, all that was left for Link and the others to do was wait.

"Your majesty, we cannot delay any longer, I must give the orders to march, or the battalion won't be in position to strike," demanded Simon, taking off his horse-tailed helmet to speak more freely. The camp was in an uproar, soldiers were scrambling about and assembling their gear, infantry and Calvary alike.

"Also, I cannot spare to leave any of my men behind at this position, so you'll just have to come along with me. I cannot risk your safety here being unguarded. I know you care deeply about your friend, but you are my priority, not her, and the army must move. The dawn comes quickly," he reiterated to her.

The princess however was spuriously busy, coordinating with others nearby, still pacing about the infirmary camp, delaying her leaving.

"Your grace, did you hear me? We must leave. There is no time!" Simon raised his voice.

Appearing to ignore his demands, she was talking in hushed whispers to the head surgeon, just steps away from a comatose Riju. She had been going over last-minute preparations with him.

Feeling ignored, Simon's face went red as an opened hydromelon and he took a bold lunge forward when Buliara stood up beside him, in-between him and the princess. She had been on guard watching over Riju and didn't particularly like the Lord's hasty and hot-headed nature attitude toward the princess, nor his aggressive tone. The strong and proud gerudo woman stood menacing and quietly growled toward the lord of Illiastar. The fierce woman reminded him that she wasn't going to tolerate any disrespect directed at the princess, or allow any forcefulness from him. At least not without any consequences.

After giving the tall woman a one-two over glance and not wanting to stir any trouble, Simon thought better of it to back off. He didn't want to contend with the fire in her eyes that he saw. "I'm just trying to talk to the princess. No need to get all worked up."

Buliara huffed, firmly placing her hand on the hilt of her scimitar.

Upon noticing the humorous confrontation, Zelda cocked her head back to the lord of Illiastar, and waved him down with a single motion of her hand. "Yes, I hear you my lord. Just a moment please," she deflected. "Don't worry Buliara, I do believe I can handle this one. Thank you," she said letting out a soft giggle. Buliara smiled back with a reverent tilt of her head and resumed her watch, sitting next to Riju.

"There won't be any more moments if we delay any longer," groaned Simon as he leaned in closer toward her under the tent, fully ready for war, wearing all his pristine battle armor. He appeared like a grand warrior out of an ancient painting. The ones you can only find adorning the halls of great castles.

Zelda then spun to a soldier nearby and interrupted him just steps away, as he was busily gathering provisions. "You there!" She called out to the man, alerting his attention. "Get whatever wagons we can salvage that weren't destroyed over to the infirmary ward as quickly as you can. We're going to have to move the wounded tonight as the army marches ahead, alright?"

Simon's mouth fell to the floor. "I can't have my men spare valuable resources. We need these wagons to move whatever weaponries and war supplies we have left. The wounded will just have to stay here. They should be alright as long as the battle goes according to plan—"

She cut him off with a snap in her voice. "Didn't you just say how you couldn't leave me here, on account of my safety and yet, now you tell me that it will be safe here. So, which is it my lord, I'm confused, is it safe here or not?" she shot an icy glare at him.

He nearly fell a step back at her ice piercing stare and coughed. "No…for you… it is not! But being as it may, I cannot suffer any wagons to be wasted on this endeavor," he retorted.

"Wasted!? This is my friend and your soldiers! These are our people! I'm sorry, but I'm not leaving the wounded defenseless to be at the mercy of our enemies. You will suffer me this one act of kindness!" she fired back.

Simon was about to speak when the soldier waiting on her orders interjected. "Am I to go and prepare wagons your highness?"

Simon glanced to the princess and back to the man, nodding in approval, not wanting to debate the matter further or waste anymore time, relenting to her demands.

"Yes, you are to go, quickly, whatever you can manage to save from the fires earlier will have to do," she commanded as she beamed back at the soldier with a warm smile. Wasting no time, the man crossed his arm over his breastplate in a bowed salute and left in a hurry to fulfill her wishes.

Simon was about to speak again when she spoke first before he could utter syllable." Thank you, my lord. And don't worry, we only need several wagons. And, besides we will only use the ones that are unfit for moving munitions or weapons. We'll only take the slow and rickety ones. They will suffice for now. Just…never ask me to ever leave my people behind. That is something I could never do."

"As, you wish your grace, we will then just have to make do accordingly. But I can only give you twenty minutes, and that's it. Then we will have to move out or we won't make the first marker in time."

"You just ready your army to march, and let me handle things over here, okay? We'll be following up after you all in the tail end," she said, smiling as she turned back to face the other care workers bustling about, hurrying to prepare for the journey.

With the matter settled, Simon tilted his head in response to her decree. He swiftly spun around, war cloak flapping in the wind as he stomped off.

After buying herself a few more minutes to prepare, Zelda resumed her assiduous attention to the task at hand. She'd been directing a small group of Soldiers that was left at her behest and the medical staff that were stationed there.

"Your highness, we have assembled three wagons at your request just outside the tent. A fourth one as we speak is getting one of its wheels fixed. Several spokes need replacing. Ten minutes is what I'm told when it will be ready," a soldier reported.

"Very good captain, thank you. Now, we must be careful with the wounded. We must take extra care while we move them in their beds when we lift them. Please, let your men know that they must be gentle," she said to man as she was walking alongside several nurses and soldiers who were busy at work getting the ill taken care of. They were also loading up whatever medical supplies and gear they could afford to take with them for the march, since space was limited. Unfortunately, due to lack of space, a lot of needed things were to be left behind.

"Careful!" the princess called out to a group of soldiers who were about to lift the cot where RIju lay. "Here, let me help," she asked.

"We can handle things here your highness, you should go, they are preparing your horse for you to ride," one of the solders replied, grabbing the edges of the bed of her friend.

"Nonsense!" the princess countered. "I will be riding along with Riju in her wagon,"

"But your highness—"

"No buts. I will not leave her side, not now."

"I'm afraid there wouldn't be any room in her wagon with it being stacked to the brim with supplies and all. And what about your horse?" another soldier asked.

"Let someone else ride, I'll be fine. I'll just have to march alongside her then. Besides, you need all the horses you can get for the battle. Can't be wasting any on me," she insisted.

"But your majesty?"

"Now go, that is an order," she smiled.

"Yes your grace," the man bowed, leaving her and the others to finish loading up the wounded.

Back in his tent, Sylmoor had been preparing for the inevitable battle as well. With his face drenched in sweat and filled with fear, he had been in the middle of being suited up by a squire. He was wrapped in every manner of armor imaginable. The time had finally arrived for them to embark and follow the army south to the field of where the battle was to happen. The lord was no exception, per the princess's decree. He had even been charged to lead a side offensive with a company of men himself.

In from the flap of his tent stormed in Seabass, the zora's proudest soldier. "Ha Ha! We'll aren't you all the fanciest dressed army I ever did see? How do you expect to actually fight wearing all that armor anyways?" The giant laughed as he evaluated the shaken man in an up and down evaluation.

Sylmoor of course looked ludicrous. He had been layered in a ridiculous amount of gear, consisting of multiple forms of chain mail, padding, shoulder plates, breast protection and a glistening silver helmet to finish the ensemble.

"Fight!? Me? No, I don't expect to fight! I expect to live!" Sylmoor retorted, voice muffled by the helmet. He then ripped it off his head and continued. "This armor is the finest in all of Illiastar—NO, of all of Hyrule! This is no ordinary armor that you see standing before you now! This is old Crystal armor! The finest in all the land. These are the very same that only the old KNIGHTS of Hylia wore! Forged by the ancient dwarven smiths from the era of myth and legend! "

Sylmoor stood proud, chest out. "It is said that it can even repel the mightiest of strikes, even from the fierce blow of a lynel's sword mind you! And I so happen to have one of the only sets out of three left in existence!"

"But my Lord, you said you don't believe in the old legends, remember?" his moppy-haired young squire spoke, still latching up the last bits of gear around his liege.

Sylmoor elbowed him to hush up. "Well I do now! I don't plan on dying anytime soon, especially not sober! This armor is the best chance I got at keeping my head on my shoulders! It has got to work!"

Seabass, lifted his burly hand to his chin, cupping his great white shark grin. "Well, if it's from the era of myth and legend as you say, then how do you know the story behind those shiny hunks of crystal metal you're wearing isn't just a myth or legend?" Seabass chuckled again, walking about the tent.

The lord blinked in realization that the zora had a point. A worry shot up his spine and his face went pale as the moon.

Seabass grinned again, seeing the ghost face of Sylmoor. "Don't ya' worry little man, my prince has charged me to look after ya during the fight. You just stay close to me and my men and we'll keep ya alive," he roared, letting out another full belly laugh.

Suddenly, a faint horn was heard throughout the camp and Sylmoor jerked to its trumpet song.

"Its is time. The march has begun. Or dear goddesses...why me?" He gulped. "I hope you are as good as they say sir—" Sylmoor paused, forgetting his zora guardian's name.

"Seabass' the name! C'mon, what are we waiting for? We have a castle to conquer!" he said, smacking the back of the lord, knocking him down from his dressing stool.

"Eyahh!" Sylmoor shrieked as he tripped. But, he had been swiftly caught before he completely fell from his new friend.

"Easy my lord, wouldn't what you to injure yourself before the great fight now, would we?" he laughed.

"No…we wouldn't…come, let us be off before someone makes off with my stallion," Sylmoor said, motioning them all to join the rest of the caravan of soldiers outside, marching away.

"You there, it's almost time for a change of watch! The boss wants us to switch early tonight, but I have a better offer for you scum. You do my watch for me and I'll share ya some of this fine and tasty meat I've been roasting? How about it? I haven't slept in three days! And for what! Nothing! Quiet as the night is long, just like every night!"

"You can keep your filthy rotten meat. I know where you've gotten it from! No way am I giving up an hour's rest for your maggoty old boar! Hardly anything tasty about it! And besides, you thinking on going against the boss's orders? Perhaps I might tell him you ain't liking his leadership much? Perhaps, you be thinking you ought to lead?"

Sidon quietly poked his head from out of the water, underneath the dock on castle shore. Hearing muffled voices of two enemies chatting as they walked among the wood planks above him, he had to wait for his opportunity. The dismayed voices could only be described as sounds of growls and screeches to his ears, with one of the beasts aggressively barking back to the other. It was all spoken in a corrupt language, unknown to his recollection.

The voices continued. He even heard one shove the other but couldn't be sure at what all the fuss was about or what could have had them so riled up. Could they have seen spotted me? He thought. No, that can't be it, surely, they would have sounded the alarm if they did. What was all the commotion about?

Unsure what they were up to or how long he would have to wait, he realized he couldn't waste a moment longer. The army was probably already on the move. He had to act quickly. So, he decided to devise a fast plan.

"What you say to me!? Red maggot scum like you dare to challenge my authority!? You will obey and keep quiet or I'll shut you up forever myself! Now, are you going to take my offer or does forever sleep among the fishes' sound more appealing to you?" the silver boko snarled, cocking back his fist to offer a well overdo beating to his subordinate. "No one will miss a low level red anyways!"

A sudden splash was heard, just behind the leader bokoblin as he was chastising his underling.

"What's that!?" the silver spun around, crept and leaned over the side of the old wooden pier to have a look.

The other went still, peeking one eye open, certain that moments prior he was just about to receive a throttling, but realized something had happened instead. There he stood several feet away, confused, poking his pig nose from behind his leader to have a look as well. As the leader stared deep into the dark water below, he was unable to see what could have made the splash in the calm tide just moments prior. A thick and unnatural fog also began to blanket over the water making visibility even harder for the cretin to see.

"Err, well it was probably just a fish, now where was I—" he spoke but was startled again by an even louder splash. He jumped back around to that noise, this time it came from behind where his comrade stood.

To his fright and shock, his fellow boko had disappeared into the night without a trace. As if he never existed at all. The water became still and lifeless once again. He gazed over the side of the dock and into the water once again, this time over the edge where his friend was. Once again, he couldn't see a thing stir beneath the surface.

Just as the monster was to turn away, in a flash, two great red arms lunged out from water and pulled him into the depths below. It would be the last his eyes would ever see. Zora were unmatched in the water. And this wasn't just any mere zora, this was their prince.

Seconds later splashing out from the water and onto the deck was Sidon. "Well that was easy. Now, if only I could invite the entire scourge army to face us all in the water, this battle would be over before it's even begun. My people would have this handled no problem," he whispered to himself, grinning. "Now, time to get the boats."

The prince crept as fast but as quiet as he could on the docks until he met up to where the boats were tied. But before he cut one loose, he thought it wise to blow out the two torches that had lit up the area. Cover of darkness would be their ally until they were able to spring their trap, he realized.

With no time lost, and as silent as a mouse, he cut the rope and shoved the boat off the deck, sailing back across to the other shoreline. The breach has finally begun.

Authors Notes: Short Chapter! I had to split this one up, it would have been too large if I kept it one. Next one will be juicier. Stay tuned for that. I do hope you are all enjoying the story so far, let me know if its entertaining. I love reading your comments. And it motivates me to improve and deliver a better story for you all. Also,if you haven't checked out the audiodrama version yet, what are you waiting for? It needs some love. please check it out on youtube. You can find it if you search Zelda botw sequel(fanmade) audiobook part 1. Episode two of that will be released shortly as well.

Chapter Text

Chapter 19

Of monsters and men

Back by the shoreline, each of them was rubbing their hands together for warmth from the frosty chill of the night. The four hylians were eagerly waiting for their Zora friend to return.

"Look, sir-Link. Out from the mist, a boat," one of the soldiers commented, pointing his finger toward the water's edge. Eerily, the vessel drifted out from the fog, slowly coming into view. Silent as the wind was still.

Another man blurted, deep superstition in his voice. "But where is…where is Prince Sidon? Could the poes of the dead have taken him already?" the man shivered at the sight.

Link nudged him with an elbow to sit back and be still. But also poking his head out to see, curious as to where Sidon could be. One of the men went ahead to fetch the boat, quizzically looking around the water for any sign of life. Finding no signs of Sidon, he shrugged back to the others, confused.

Out with a splash from behind the man, the prince lunged from the calm water and onto the sandy beach where they were. Nearly having a heart attack, the soldier fell over on his backside in a fluster, eyes wide, speechless, and startled from the sudden surprise.

"Sorry to keep you all in suspense. It's not every day I can enjoy a good midnight swim! I Have to take them where I can get them. Being dry for too long isn't good for a Zora, ya know!" Sidon said with a proud laugh while striking a cocky pose with his arm. "Well, here's the boat. Told you it would be a piece of cake."

Link replied only with a grin as he signaled for the group to huddle one last time before they were to begin. As they all knelt beside him on the beach, he drew up the final plan in the sand.

With his finger, he made a mockup bird's eye view of the layout of the castle grounds and city. "Now, there are two gates we have to get open. The main gate to the city and the bridge to the castle. You can bet the castle is going to be much more fortified by the enemy, seeing that is their stronghold. So, Sidon and I will take care of the castle gate," He said first, gesturing with his other hand to the other men. "Bjorn will lead you two to the front. That gate should be a lot easier to lower down."

"Are you sure the mask will work?" the man with an earlier sniffle interrupted.

"Yes, they will work. Just gotta' remember what we went over."

Sidon interjected with a whisper. "Ah, yes, the acting, I do hope I can convince our enemy."

"You remember what Lord Sylmoor showed you, right?"

"Yeah, that should be easy. Let me just get slum drunk in a tavern first. Then I can be just like our friend Sylmoor. Our actor aficionado. I'm sure then I will be convincing to them," groaned Sidon in sarcasm.

"affifi-what now?" one of the soldiers mumbled under his breath, confused by the term.

Sidon continued, ignoring his question. "Pff, all he did was show me how drunk a man could get in a span of a single evening, then display any skills of theater," he ranted, scratching the back of his head nervously.

Link chuckled. "You'll be just fine. Just try not to speak to any of them or make any unnecessary eye contact," he said. Thinking more of it, he sat back where he knelt. In contemplation, he cupped his chin and reiterated. "Oh, and you must move exactly in the way they do. Do that, and you'll be alright."

"You say that like that's easy, and that is all we have to do," Sidon replied, shaking his head in worry.

"Yeah, no kidding. I have a bad feeling about this," Bjorn gulped in trepidation.

"Don't worryyy," Link said long-fully, twisting to another man holding the sacks of supplies. "So, you brought the flint, right? Please tell me you didn't forget."

"Yes, sir-Link," the man replied.

"Good. Now, we are going to have to go to the secondary armory first, which is at the side of the castle at the west end. We used to store charges and munitions there from one hundred years ago. The east end was destroyed, but the west was left untouched from what I remember. They should still be there and intact. Once we get the explosives we need, we will set them by each of the gates. I'll give the signal, and you will light your fuse at your entrance. Once lit, it will deal us precisely one minute to get as far away from the area as we can. The army will then rush in shortly after the defenses are drawn down.

" Now, we will have to take cover and stay low from the barrage; until the rest of the army moves in. Don't try and be a hero. We are way outnumbered until the Calvary charges in. Remember, it will be chaos after the explosions."

"Wait, just a second." Bjorn interrupted.

"Yes?"

"What's the signal going to be? How will we know."

"I'll light the torch high up in the keep above the wall where Sidon and I will be posted at. At that precise moment, you light your fuse, and so will Sidon down below. Are we all in understanding what we are to do?"

"Yes," they all replied in solidarity, each nodding as well.

"Good. Alright…what do you say we go take a castle?" Link said coolly, facing the boat that was beached, waiting for them to board.

"Watch where you are going, you blind fool!" an infantrymen captain shouted to a grunt. "Now look what you did!? We're stuck in the mud now. Quick, you five men, help these three behind the wagon and push! Push with your lives! We need to get moving!" He commanded.

"What is happening here?" the princess spoke to the group, dressed in her rugged adventuring gear again and not that formal gown from earlier. She came from the front of the marching caravan into their position. The long line of the army was on the march. She had been busily going up and down the train of wagons and marching soldiers, helping in whatever way she could with what anyone needed, to get everyone to their destination on the field.

"Apologies, princess! This lousy lot missed the turn and got us stuck in a bog here." The captain called back to her, head shaking toward his struggling group.

The march was going up a steep hill, and Zelda saw their predicament. The crude wheels of the worn and decrepit supply wagon were no match for the knee-high mossy plains. The earlier rainfall had made the passage dotted with sinking mud pits. Fatigued heaves and shouts were heard as the soldiers attempted to shove the wagon upward but to no avail. Men were slipping and sliding on the slick grassland as they were trying to move it. Some were even getting stuck in the pits themselves.

Zelda had to think quickly for a solution. She knew that most of the cavalry had already gone too far up ahead. That there were no horses around to aid in this situation. And to top things off, by sheer bad luck or fate, the wagon that they were desperately trying to push and pull out from the sinking mud was the one where Riju lay in.

Gazing all around her surroundings as best she could in the darkness, an idea came to mind. Not too far off away from their position were old and ruined guardians. She remembered seeing them there during their journey from the domain just a couple days prior. Some even had their mighty husk ripped and torn apart, scattered throughout the grassy hills near them. The sight appeared as a graveyard monument to an old war long forgotten to the minds of men.

Snapping her fingers at the idea, she darted close back to where the body of soldiers had been struggling. "Alright, I need some men to help me over here," she commanded.

"What do you need, my princess?" The captain spoke, focusing his dim-lit lantern on her, lighting up her face.

"Here, come help me grab these broken up pieces of guardian skin. With several of us working together, we can easily lift them. They aren't too heavy. Sheikah armor is light and strong," she said, waving her hand behind for the group to follow her.

The men wore pale faces, stiff kneed, and were hesitant to leave. Fear was in their eyes as she looked back to see as to why they had not followed her lead.

"You heard the princess! Let's get a move on!" the captain roared to his squad.

"But captain, what of the guardians that aren't destroyed? If we get to close, what if they…come alive?" A lone soldier replied to the captain and Zelda. He then looked to each of his fellow low-level soldiers and spoke on behalf of them, afraid of the possibility. "They say once awaken, guardians can wipe out an entire company of men in a blink of an eye!"

Annoyed by their cowardice, the captain had just about snapped at the grunt when the princess intervened.

"Nonsense. Do not fear. The guardians have gone inert. I promise that there is no chance that any harm can come to any of you," she said back, with a glisten in her eye from the flicker of the candle. She beamed a kind smile toward them all.

"Inert?" questioned the man, confused by the word, pressing his finger up to his chin.

She giggled, covering her mouth. "It means they are forever asleep. Now, come. Enough time we have wasted on this silliness. We have to hurry."

"R-right!" said the soldier embarrassed, bolting past her with several others to fulfill her wishes. "Let's go, men!"

Chuckling at their antics, she met up to the front of them and reached out for the beaten exoskeleton of a guardian stalker. Showing them what needed to be done, she gripped its husk tight. With a groan, she pulled with all her might at its carbonized ceramic flesh.

"Well, don't just stand there! Help your princess!" shouted the captain.

One by one, the men surrounded her and pulled on the machine where she was. It didn't take long for their combined effort to rip away the massive armored plate to the side of the guardian.

With the hunk free, Zelda stepped back as she let the soldiers take over.

"Okay, very good. Now, all we have to do is just lay that fragment before the wheels of the wagon. Right there, on the surface of the mud," she said, pointing over to where the wagon was perched on the slippery slope. "There...that's right! Just like that. If we can lay out more pieces, we just might be able to get it unstuck!" She cheered.

"Great idea, your gracefulness! Alright, men, you heard her. Let's make a path. Get more bits of that broken monster! On the double! Move like your life depends on it! We have a battlefield to get to!" The captain ordered.

Without hesitation, the men scrambled to his command, and in military precision laid out a track of guardian siding, just like the princess instructed.

Zelda rolled up her sleeves and stuck out her tongue slightly into a cool smile. "Okay! Everyone behind the wagon. On three, we all push," she said, glancing over each shoulder, verifying the plan with her troops. "One. Two. And three!"

They all heaved as they collectively shoved the back of the cart. With all the force they could muster, they got the wagon to budge out from the swampy grass to roll over the makeshift track they made. The wheels spun through the mud, and they were on the move once again.

"There we are! We did it!" She smiled, letting out an accomplished sigh of relief. "Phew. See? All we needed was a little leverage and traction. Nothing to it," she said, releasing her hold of the wagon, letting the others take over; now that it was free to move once again.

The captain bowed. "Thank you, my princess! Alright, men keep it steady this time and avoid the bogs! Her majesty can only save you sorry dogs so many times!" he said, facing back to shout toward the front of the wagon train.

Wiping her forehead from a bead of sweat, Zelda turned to the sudden sound of a clop of a horse and voice coming at her from the side.

"Excellent work, princess! You'd make a great captain in the army!" The voice called out. And as her eyes met with his own, she saw it was Taleran, the lord who was under the house of Tarble.

"Oh, this? This was nothing," she said back modestly.

"Nonsense! I saw the whole thing! Which reminds me? Where is your horse, my dear princess? Walking along the muddy trail among the infantry is no place for a princess? Not if I have anything to say about it," he smiled, wiggling his acorn colored mustache.

"It is quite fine, my lord. I can handle these few steps on my own. It really isn't anything at all. Thank you," she then took a step further ahead and joked. "Wait a minute. If you saw the whole thing, why didn't you come to help us with your horse? Sure, would have saved us the trouble."

"Well, I was about to. But you all looked like you were having so much fun trudging over here," He laughed atop his mount. Noticing her mouth hung low expression, he coughed into his fist to reiterate and clarify. "Well, joking aside, princess, by the time I slapped my horse to rush over here to help you all, you had already found a solution! I was well on my way to help you. Honest."

"Really? How convenient?" she smiled, hands at her waist.

"Truly," he said with a wink.

"But here, let me make it up to you. I insist! Won't you ride my horse? Take him. He is a magnificent beast. It will not be said that Taleran son of Daleran, of house Gaebora, let our princess walk through the steep, knee-high mud out on the open plains. Whereas I rode freely on a stallion," he said dismounting quickly, unwilling to take no for an answer.

"They are hardly knee-high," her face gleamed back at his exaggeration. But was quickly torn away and caught up by the sudden familiarity of his origins. She cocked her head in remembrance. "But, did you just say house…Gaebora?" her interest peaked, eyes widening.

"Why, yes, are you familiar?"

"Of course! Ya know, I am the princess, after all. Once upon of time, when I was just a little girl, I had to be able to recite all the great houses and underlords of Hyrule along with their sigils and credos. Back…during a simpler time." she smiled warmly.

"Is that so? "

"Indeed. The clasp to your cloak, hard to see at night. But I saw it the other day. There is no denying it now that I think of it; you are definitely the house of the owl. The face of it. It's an owl, is it not?"

"Ah, yes, you are correct," Taleran replied with a grin, gripping his shiny clasp. It was a metallic owl's face, which beak clamped his cloak tight around his neck.

"In the light, there is wisdom, forever the house of Gaebora shines bright," she recalled glancing up to the pitch night sky in recollection. They strolled alongside one another, trailing behind her friend's wagon.

“Perfect recital, dear princess! That is our formal creed. Sadly, there isn't much left of my house since the reign of the calamity, I'm afraid. The truth is, this is why I am here. Why, I have actually come to see you. To serve you. House Gaebora originally served as vassal under house Hyrule since time immemorial.

"And ever since the great fall of the capital, we have been scattered. Finding whatever refuge we can find under the banner of Tarble. Which by the way, just so you know, my lady has been very kind to us all. We truly are in her debt. That is why I have served her thus far. "

"Served?" Zelda countered, confused as to what he meant by the phrase.

"Well, once I heard word of your existence, I had to come see you for myself and pledge my honor to your family once again. At least on behalf of my father, who is no longer with us," Taleran spoke with a deep conviction. "Do not worry, my lady of the lake already knows of the promise I must make to the princess and her family. It is my duty."

"Well, I, for one, accept your promise of servitude and loyalty to the crown. But keep your pledge to your lady, she seems like a wise and noble leader of her people," She beamed, glancing at him as he stood taller than her as they walked, pulling his horse.

"She is. But, my princess I—"

She interrupted him. "You serve me by serving her. Your honest desire to stand by my side is sufficient enough. Now, that is my decree to you, my lord," she beamed again brightly.

"Then I will obey your command your grace, but please do me this honor and take my stallion. I'll be alright. You can still ride alongside your friend."

"Well, if you insist, then I will certainly oblige you," she said.

With a quick boost, Taleran helped her mount the beast. He then slapped the behind of the steed, spurring him to a trot, waving goodbye to her as she clopped ahead.

"The water sure is quiet out tonight. Quiet as the grave. Makes my skin crawl it does," Bjorn said to the rest as they sat in their boat, drifting silently over the water. Calmly they floated as if they were sailing over a mirror.

"Yeah, a little too quiet if you ask me! A bad omen!" the man with a cold blurted.

"Well, it ain't going to be quiet for long if both of you don't cut the chatter!" Link quietly shushed them. "Now be still. We're almost to the dock."

Coming out from the fog, the nose of their boat gently sailed alongside the wooden pier. Link kicked his boot out for them to stop. Sidon leaped out ahead of them and tied it to one of the posts while the others rushed out, securing the immediate area.

"Dead silent it is. You do good work prince of Zora. Who would have thought you were all so handy?" Bjorn commented to Sidon.

"You'd be surprised," Sidon smiled.

They all huddled once again, and Link gestured the man carrying the sacks and supplies to reveal the masks from within. One by one, the Hylian champion offered up each of the rogues their cover.

"Ugh! What is that horrid stench?" Bjorn gagged as he put on his red mask.

"Be quiet! I don't care what you smell. Just put it on! Would you rather die and smell like a maiden or live and wear the mask?" Link countered.

The prince of Zora ribbed the choking man with a jovial elbow. "Well, what did you expect, friend? It did belong to the face of a bokoblin screamer after all. You go and be dead for Buru Buru knows how long and see how well you smell?" Sidon chuckled. "I doubt you would be any different."

Bjorn coughed a reply. "Wait, these…were once actual cretins of hell?"

"Shh, yes. Now, stop complaining. We need to hurry. Let's go!" Link asserted, donning his mask.

"Alright, everyone, you heard him. Let's get within the walls. Watch out for any guards; there might be several waiting for us," Sidon concurred.

"Don't worry about that. All we have to do is just blend in," Link said. "However, try and keep your distance and don't get too close." He stopped the group from moving any further, hand waving them back with a last-minute instruction. "But, don't make it look like you're trying to not get too close," he reiterated.

"What is that supposed to mean? Don't get close but get close? You talk madness!" the man with a sniffle gulped, frightened by the prospect.

"I don't know. Just act casual!" Link argued.

Sidon laughed sarcastically under his mask. "And how does a Moblin act casual?"

"When they growl, you growl. When they spit and bark, you spit and bark. But don't get too carried away. None of us speak scourge tongue. So, every time you do, you make yourself known. So, don't do anything unless you absolutely have to. Got it? Now, c'mon let's go," Link said.

"I don't know, sir. I have a bad feeling about this," The man said again. Heart pounding in his chest. His only defense, just a dinky little pocket knife.

"Hey, weren't you the one back at camp that said you wanted a piece of the glory!? To be known as one of the heroes that singlehandedly saved the battle and conquered Hyrule castle back from the scourge?" Link joked. "I mean, if we accomplish this, they will be singing songs to your bravery for generations to come to my friend."

"That's all fine and good, Sir-Knight, but I still would like to be alive to hear the songs myself! Thank you very much. What's the point of glory if I aren't around to enjoy it!?"

"Well then, for your sake, I'd say you better be successful in your quest now, shouldn't ya?" they all chuckled quietly.

Link then shushed them all again. "Alright, enough kidding around; let's finish this."

The knight then rose up and waved his hand for his troop to follow him to the hidden door to the back of the main castle keep. At the bottom of its massive high walls lay a long and narrow passageway, only wide enough for a few men to sneak in through. It was much too small to mount a sizable attack and was heavily guarded within the wall. But, they weren't trying to attack. They were trying to infiltrate. So, it would be a perfect way inside for them.

Just as Link was about to corner the far side of the island where the small doorway lay, he suddenly felt his vision go blurry. His ears rang violently. The knight tripped over himself and crashed to his knees. And with all that momentum, he fell forward, rolling on the ground to a stop. He felt as if a dagger had been pierced through his mind, and shock waves of memories flowed through him, flipping one by one in his thoughts like a book.

On the ground, he railed in agony. He squeezed his head, shaking it erratically, trying to force away the pain. And as quickly as the sharp stabbing pain came. It departed him. Coming to on the ground, Link peeked his eyes open. Slowly, everything around him came back into focus, and the ear screeching ringing disappeared.

"Are you alright!?" Sidon rushed beside him, helping him up to his feet. Link still stood low perched on a knee.

"Uh, what? Uh, yeah…I think so," he replied. The knight was in a daze, slightly delirious as to what has just taken place. What was that? He thought.

"Are you going to be alright, sir?" Bjorn asked.

"You don't look well, Sir-Link," another man chimed.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't you worry about it? Let's just focus on what we have to do, alright? C'mon were wasting precious time," Link replied, standing back on both feet yet again. He then threw his men a shaking thumbs up, instilling confidence in them yet again. But, he pulled back his hand quickly.

Sidon leaned to one side quizzically, still unsure if Link was being entirely truthful about his condition but decided best not to dispute him any further.

"Run ahead. I'll be right behind you all. I only just need a moment," Link ordered to the group.

Following his orders, the men departed him and rushed to where the old door lay to wait for him.

Link, now alone, glanced at his hands that he hid from the others just before they left. They were uncontrollably shaking, pulsing with a terrible feeling. Malicious energy, unlike anything he had ever felt, began to surge through him. It took all the focus and will power he had to shake them back into compliance. With all his effort, he got them back under his control.

However, this was the first time he realized something eerily was wrong with him. Something sinister that he couldn't let the others know about. He had to complete his mission at all costs. Everything depended on him. Whatever it takes, he thought, as he stood there in silence, quickly gathering his thoughts for his next move. But, he couldn't delay any longer, the time was now, and the castle awaited him.

Authors Notes: Hello, everyone, happy new year to you! I hope all is well with you. Here is another chapter. I hope you do like it. Please, if you haven't already, please consider letting me know what you think of the story so far. Every comment helps me. Let me know if you like the pacing or not. So I can improve and apply to the future. Also, feel free to tell me anything, really. I love hearing all your thoughts. Lastly, the second chapter of the audiobook will be posted in 6 hours. You can find that on youtube as Zelda botw sequel(fanmade) audiobook part 1 and soon to be part 2. Thanks again for all the reads and support. It means the world to me.

Chapter Text

DISCLAIMER: This chapter has some short graphic elements(Non-sexual in nature). I Couldn't avoid this, but if you wish to know what they are, scroll down to the very bottom of this chapter and read the authors notes. I don't want to spoil anything to those that want to read it come along. So, go there to find out what they are if you must. I don't want anyone being unpleasantly surprised. I apologize in advance if they were too much. This is a learning experience for me, this writing adventure

Chapter 20

The Maiden's cry

"Damn it, it's locked," Link said, using the full force of his body as he tugged on the latch to the castle door. "Say, maybe those guards that were watching the dock had keys on them?"

"About that," The prince coughed, clearing his throat, pressing his index fingers together. He looked as if he was about to give a confession to the knight.

Hearing the quiver of apprehension in his voice, Link turned to face him slowly. Judging by the look that Sidon was giving him, it must have been bad news, to say the least.

"We just might have ourselves just a tiny problem," Sidon said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, to be honest, friend, they probably already drifted many miles downstream. This moat ties into the mouth of the river, after all. They could be all the way to Hylia by now. And well, I didn't search them for anything when I dispatched them,"

Bjorn chuckled in a whisper. "Dispatched. Ha! That's a fair way of saying it."

The Knight cuffed his chin under his mask and pondered a solution. "Well, we can't just bust the door down and barge in, causing a ruckus," he countered.

To their surprise and just as he was about to hatch a plan to get them inside, the door swooshed open violently. Out from the dark of the small corridor, a lanky but armored lizalfos stretched its head outward toward them, visibly agitated and riled. The beast rushed through the doorway, flicking its long, spit covered tongue sporadically, tasting the air.

The ill soldier from earlier gasped as he fell to the ground on his backside, eyes bulging from under his mask, startled by what he saw heading straight for him. The gruesome beast charged out among them toward him first. By sheer instinct, Link braced himself for an attack. And just as he was about to whip out his dirk to slay the reptilian, it stopped its assault, frozen stiff in front of them all.

The others huddled behind Link, also anticipating a skirmish. However, the lizalfos didn't attack them.

"Phew," Link sighed in relief quietly under his mask.

Instead, it snarled fiercely to a screech. Link and his friends all winced at the scream, wanting to cover their ears but kept their hands to their sides, careful to keep the charade. The monster reached out for the terrified soldier who just about soiled himself on the ground in fright.

The gangly creature slobbered and growled at him. And as the foul stenched drool permeated the air and dripped overhead him, it gripped his masked chin with its claws, jerking him up to his feet, thrusting him behind itself through the doorway to get a move on.

In a blackened speech, the foul beast screeched again, shoving the man again, coercing him to march first through the passageway from whence it came. Slow to get back on his feet, the man hesitantly took only just a couple steps, afraid of the darkness of the cold stone hall of the castle ahead of him.

Aggravated by the delay, the monster unraveled a small 'cat of nine tail' whip tied to its waist belt. Angered, it swatted at the man disguised as a bokoblin, spurring him to hurry through the pitch-black passage. The poor man yelped at the slapping sting of the whip to his back, forcing him to rush through. The snap and clapping sound of it alone was enough to make anyone cry out in pain.

The beast then spun to the rest, threatening to offer up a turn for each member of the band of would-be rogues if they didn't follow close behind. Without having to be asked twice and just witnessing the chastisement from his friend, Sidon took that as his cue to rush in first without delay through the entryway. The others also made haste to avoid a lash.

Until at last, it fell upon Link's turn to be shoved. The monster groaned as it turned its sight to him, realizing he was no ordinary bokoblin red. It leaned back, chomped its teeth, and pointed for him just to follow as if it was in solidarity with him. Judging by its reaction, Link realized they must have been of the same rank since it wasn't nearly as aggressive on him.

As Link bolted past the monster inside, the beast then gazed outward from the door to see if anyone was left to come along. Hearing nothing but silence from the dead of night outside, it reconciled and twisted around, grinning its knifelike serrated teeth as it charged to the head of the line. There it waved for all of them to follow as if they all had somewhere; they needed to be.

Yes, our disguises work! Link smiled at the thought, happy to be past the first hurdle. For a moment there, even he was beginning to sweat and have his doubts about the magic of the masks. A real fear that their plan could have been foiled before it's even begun. Luckily for them, they did work after all. But for how long? That was the question.

They were now well on their way deep within the castle walls. But they couldn't break formation just yet. That would draw too much-unwanted attention. For now, they had to follow the skulking monster as it led them down the dark and dank castle passageway. Most peculiar to Link, though, was that the beast was acting as if it had been expecting them to be there.

Marching deeper into the bowels of the castle, they took in the grand spectacle around them. The pride and pinnacle of Hyrule's royal family, the palace, was left in absolute squalor since being robbed of its rightful heritage from over a century ago. The once magnificent tapestries that adorned the great halls were torn and battered beyond recognition. Soiling and other unspeakable filth covered the floors. To which even the dead who fought valiantly from over a hundred years ago, their carcasses were still strewn about in the open, rotting, untouched and unmoved, unable to find peace in their final resting place.

You would be hard-pressed even to find any rats willing to live there. They, too, also found the place to be an unwelcoming sight. All this, thanks be to the great mass of evil that had recently taken up residence inside. The very act of traversing through the castle passageways loomed a dark and malevolent presence that choked the air around them, filling them all with a sick and uneasy feeling.

"And I thought it smelled like death with the mask on," Bjorn complained under his breath to where only his friends could hear.

Sprawled about the halls and intertwined chambers lay encampments of the foul creatures, some awake and others asleep. They consisted of moblins, lizalfos, bokoblins, and all manner of other lesser-known spawns of hell itself.

"They smell worse alive than they do when they're dead," he gagged following single-file alongside the others, carefully stepping as not to disturb nearby sleeping enemies.

Enemy eyes from all sides suspiciously leered over to the marching group of infiltrators as the click and clack of their steps dully echoed throughout the stone-hard grounds. Suspicion quickly gave way to trust, though, for their masks shielded them with an old and powerful illusionary magic that camouflaged their true appearance from them.

"I can't believe this is actually working," the soldier with a cough whispered.

"Yeah, I'm living it, and I still don't believe it. Unmarkable," another breathed quietly.

The Lizard sentry that was leading them through reached out for a dim-lit torch fixed to the hallway wall, forcefully slamming it in Sidon's hands to carry. The monster licked its lips again and grinned devilishly, waving its clawed hands for them to keep following it deeper within.

Sidon led through but slowed himself to put some space between him and the lizalfos, leaning over to Link to whisper. "Where do you think he is leading us?"

"I don't know. Judging by the direction, I'd say we are heading toward the grand atrium."

"You mean the outer sanctum?"

"Yes, the inner was destroyed during my battle with Ganon."

"Why there?"

"I have no idea, but as soon as we get our first chance to break away, we need to take it. We're running out of time."

"Yeah, we have to get to the gates and quick. My guess is, we're probably just shy of one hour until the army launches their attack. And then all hell will break loose here. They are likely already set up and in position by now."

Continuing their walk, they snaked around the bend of an archway bridge that led to the core of the castle. Chancing a glance from his peripherals, incoming fast, Link saw a beast charging toward them. Link tugged on Sidon to hush for just a moment so they wouldn't be heard talking.

Another reptilian bolted forward past the group, getting all up in the face of the other lizalfos leading them. The knight lifted his hand up to halt his friends to wait. Curious as to see what the heated exchange between the two vicious enemy soldiers could be about. Debating, they snapped and shrieked at one another, speaking in a dark and twisted language.

Sidon ducked his head low again to whisper to Link. "What do you suppose they are arguing about?"

"I don't know, but this could be our chance to get away. Quick, while they are distracted, let's go!" The knight said, nudging the others to follow him.

He spoke too soon, though, and while he was still occupied looking the other way toward the Lizalfos, he spun around abruptly, clumsily running smack dab into a vicious lynel that had already been trotting from around the bend behind them. As he crashed face-first into the broad chest of the monstrous beast, Link shook his head from the blow and apprehensively took a few steps back.

His eyes gradually ascended, glancing from its hooves all the way up until they rested on the evil stare it had locked on him. The massive silverback lynel was unimpressed by the minuscule bokoblin standing before him. The monster growled its canines toward the disguised knight and shoved him to turn back to march further into the depths of the castle.

Link had no choice but to fall back in line and head back to where they were heading. No way could he oppose a lynel right now.

There would be no turning back now. All that was left to do was follow the leader. Wherever that may be.

By this time, even more neighboring monsters were migrating alongside them.

And as they went through several more interminable corridors, they finally reached a grand chamber of the castle. Ample and spacious, the room was.

"Ah, so this where they were leading us. The hall of the king. I wonder why, though?"

"You been here before?"

"Of course, I was once a royal guardsman ya know?"

"Right."

"This was once a room where royal parties and banquets of nobility were held. Now, of course, me being just a knight, I was never a part of such grand events. I was merely just tasked to keep a watchful eye over the king and Zelda, actually. One thing is for certain, the scenery here has definitely changed."

"Oh, I can bet."

Inside the room was a mass of monsters already gathered.

Just as they were about to make their final descent from the staircase leading them into the grand ballroom, faint hums of a dark hymn were heard echoing throughout. And as they further ventured in the room, it vibrated louder and louder around until it encompassed them.

Quizzically, the band of heroes poked their heads around to see why there was a massive gathering of monsters in there. From what Link could tell, the beasts in the room were all lined up, crowded together, swaying back and forth, facing the front. They were all chanting a dark melody in the blacken speech of Ganon.

"What's happening?" Sidon questioned in a whisper.

"I have no idea. How Bizarre. I've never seen anything like this before. Stay on your guard," Link replied.

"Right," Sidon nodded.

The man with a sniffle, Dimm, interjected. "How many you think that there are?"

"I'd say, two, maybe three hundred." Link quickly answered in a whisper back, trying to stay alert to what was happening around them.

"Three hundred of them!" the man blabbed in a shout, forgetting where he was. Heads in the room immediately turned to face him.

"Shh! Quiet!" the knight shushed him, covering his mouth as fast as he could. The monsters, for the most part, resumed their dark grumblings and chants, slowly turning back their attention toward the front.

"I mean, three hundred of them?" the man asked again, quietly this time.

"Yeah, it's definitely not going to be a parade jubilee taking the back the castle, that's for sure. There are far more than what we originally thought here. And that is what is just in this room too." Link said, cautiously releasing his hold of the man's mask covered face.

But it was too late and unbeknownst to them as they were muttering to each other; they were spotted from afar. The damage was done. And even though Link hushed the man seconds prior, they were seen causing a commotion.

An enemy lynel jumped to attention and must have heard the man's obnoxious chatter when he yelled out of line. With glowing red eyes targeted on the entire group of infiltrators, it made a beeline straight for them.

Damn! We've been caught! What do I do? Link thought.

The panic began to set in around them, and the group braced themselves for the worst. Even the crowd of monsters nearby were afraid of the aggravated lynel. All in its way, dashed out from it as it charged through on a warpath. Crossing an upset lynel was a death wish for anyone. Even fellow enemy beasts weren't safe and by no means an exception to its rage.

The man froze stricken with fear as the monstrous lynel shoved through the rest of the surrounding monsters and leaped to where they were, towering like a sentinel in front of him and Link. With a snarl, the beast clawed at the man, clinching him by the throat. With seconds to act, the Hylian champion intervened, jumping to the helpless man's defense.

Prayers to the goddess, let's hope this works! Or we're done for, the knight thought.

Wasting no time, Link did the first thing that came to his mind. In a desperate attempt, he drummed on his chest and forced out a crude imitation of a bokoblin war cry, roaring back towards the Lynel with everything he had, demanding that it let the man loose. Daring as the plan was, the others could only look on in shock and awe as Link performed the spectacle.

Torn now to face the mocking grunts of intimidation and shouts coming Link, the lynel loosened its death grip of the man and twisted its head curiously. All its attention now fixed on the disguised silver bokoblin.

Forgetting about the man entirely, it dropped him clumsily back to the hard ground. Desperately the man heaved and choked, with his windpipe now freed, regaining the ability to breathe yet again from being squeezed so tight up in the air.

The fearsome lynel made one last grunt, puffed up its broad chest up to the knight, shoving him back. There it stood and leaned over into Link's face. But the knight didn't back down and held his ground. The pair glared at each other for what seemed like hours but was only seconds. Even the air around them swelled up and intensified. Neither of them flinching or relenting to the other.

And just as Link thought there would be an all-out warzone between his men and the encompassing enemy army, without warning, the monster finally blinked, jerked to the side, and hacked a wad of spit on the cold stone floor. Link's bluff worked.

Dumbstruck by the lynel's decision, the knight let out a massive sigh of relief as the brown coated monster turned and charged back from where it came. Whatever the beast heard from the silver bokoblin, it was satisfied with what it was. For all it did before retreating away was growl at him. Link and the others had no way of knowing what was said.

Just as it would seem, the group had a moment to rest easy from any battle; a ruckus erupted. Other things around them began to stir.

Bjorn blurted quietly. "Look! Over there!" he clumsily fell through from behind Link and Sidon's shoulders, pointing and shaking his finger to the edge of the stage at the far end of the chamber. There they gazed at a platform that sat at the end of the room, which was raised higher above the rest but not as high as they were at. For they still were at the overlooking staircase. All their eyes were glued to where the King's table once presided over the rest of the grand hall. A lizalfos was calling the attention of the entire room, hopping and spitting about.

At that exact instant, Link and the others' heads twisted to the sudden sounds of screams that they heard crying out from the side of them. As they came closer, they hollered out louder and louder. It was the worst ear curdling shrieks and sobs that Link ever had to endure in his life. They rang in his ear the likes of which he never heard before. His stomach sank. His eyes widened, and pupils shrunk from within his mask at the startling scene unfolding in front of him.

Bjorn continued. "Women! Hylian women! Three of them! What are they doing to them? How did they?" his voice shook, filled with trembling fear.

Frightfully stunned and paralyzed by what they were all witnessing from the back row of the room, the group stood and watched in horror. Three blonde women who were bound together in a line were being pulled by rusty chains. Cuffed both at their feet and hands, they were forcefully prodded and threatened by the sharp end of a javelin spear to march up onto the center stage. They had no choice but to follow.

Their clothes were torn and ragged, exposing much of their skin. Even from where Link stood, he could see that they were also covered in bruises, scratches, and other markings from the abuse they had endured during their captivity here.

One of the women tripped and fell to her knees, exhausted. Her face soaked in tears, petrified on the ground in fear staring up to demon-like beast huddled around her. The monsters around were still chanting and singing their devilish tune. Others were even hopping joyfully about, screeching and barking at her to stand.

"Please, why are you…why are you doing this to us?" She begged, crying, knowing full well none of the demonic creatures understood a word she was saying. But she didn't care, she was so desperate. Her face overflowed with tears as she pleaded for her life.

Having no sympathy, the Lizalfos that led them by their binds grinned back at her. Gleefully spitting beside her as it hissed, followed by tauntingly licking the tears from her face with its serpent tongue.

No sooner after frightening and filling the poor girl with fear yet again, it yanked on the chains that choked around her neck, painfully jerking her to rise back on her feet. Taking sweet pleasure in every step of her misery.

At that very moment, from the back of the large room, behind Link and the others, eight more silver maned lynels entered the grand chamber. The vast crowd of monsters reverently split and divided up a lane of passage for them to march up to the front where they formed a line. They now stood Just below where the imprisoned women were bound on top of the stage. Excitement glowed out from their malice filled eyes, eager for what was about to happen next.

The chants in the room rose louder and louder until it became a roaring chorus until finally, and suddenly, not a sound was made. Link took in a deep breath in trepidation, stunned, standing by the others. A few seconds passed, and all was quiet.

All that could be heard echoing throughout the silence was the horrified shivering of the three women chained to their erected wooden post on the king's platform. Each of them was glancing all around them, desperately looking for a hope.

Hope quickly turned into hopeless as their cries fell on deaf ears. They were hardly able to breathe; they were crying so much.

Coming from behind Link and the others was a massive golden lynel, dwarfing all the others that had come thus far. The knight was sure that this had to be that dreaded one he saw from the battlefield just the other day smirking to him atop the hillside. It had to be their leader. Malroc the terrible. The on he has heard so much about.

Wasting no time, the monster clopped toward the front. All the other beasts in the room humbled themselves before him. And then he spoke in a devilish voice with words Link and his friends couldn't understand but could only imagine how terrible it was.

"So, these are the women you have brought me? Are any of them this princess?" he questioned the Lizalfos, who greeted him. "It turned out fortunate in our favor that my arrow missed her belly. For now, we have new orders on what to do with her flesh. News has reached my ears of a new way. And it has come to my attention that something right underneath my nose may be the solution to all our problems. But nevertheless, it has to be her."

"We are not sure great one if any are her for certain. But, our wolf packs hunted them from a merchant caravan out on the plains, not but two days ago since your assault on that band departing the domain. When that Hylian army arrived. These three fit the description of that we were given at latest reports of her. Surely, one of them has to be her. She was one of the only few women who was among them," the cretin bowed.

"For your sake, I hope that one of them is. The Dark Lord is not as forgiving as I am," The lynel said, raising up his strong fist high up in the air, showing dominance to all those around. His voice crashed like thunder, shaking the walls of the chamber when he growled.

The lynel then turned his attention and gazed upon the women, meticulously judging each other girls from head to toe. "How can you be sure any of them is her? All three of them are of different ages. Two are just teenage girls, whereas the other is nothing but a used-up middle-age woman. How can you be sure any of them are the right girl? Don't you see you fool; it has to be her in order to work!"

"Well, we were told by our latest scout reports that she was still on the move with that army to the north. This group of filthy traders passed between here and their position shortly after. Surely, they did so to sneak her majesty, the princess past us undetected to the safety of Kakariko; before we could carry our attack and destroy their encampment. Why else would they be passing by, magnificent one?"

"Who all else did you capture?"

"We left none alive except these three. Just the women that matched her," he continued as he cackled, leaping back up to the platform, fanning his hand toward the three frightened women, showcasing as if they were on an auctioneer's display.

"Good. Blood and spirit are what we need now," he said, malevolently grinning ear to ear. Suddenly, he spun around and faced the entire room to address all gathered.

He paused just for a moment to wander his eyes throughout the room, and with a deep breath, he shouted an order. "Bring forth the Pearl!"

With his decree reverberating throughout, the loud cheers of the monsters erupted in pure glee all around.

From where the heroes stood, Link questioned aloud. "What is happening?"

"I don't know, but look, from that back doorway!" Sidon pointed.

Out from the hidden passage behind a bookcase came a black bokoblin with golden stripes carrying a faded and worn royal robe in his clutches. It was hard to see what was swaddled in the once princely red cloth until he handed it to the master of darkness, the golden lynel, Malroc.

The great monster roared, his massive canines on full display for all to see. "Here we have fallen from the skies, a gift. A dark gift in our hour of need!"

The crowd danced around, barking and chanting louder yet again.

"Judgement has come. So comes the end to the age of fairies. The end…of Hylia. It is now time for the Dark order to rule once again. The seal shall be broken this night!" he spoke, unveiling from the worn cloak what appeared to be a pearlescent orb, raising it above his head in a grandiose display.

Link's eyes widened. "Could it be?" he whispered under his breath. "But how did they?"

The monster then quickly turned his attention to the sobbing women bound to their post. With a short glance at the lizalfos, he spoke. "Your dagger, I require."

"Yes, my master," the lizal bowed and unsheathed his serrated and jagged dirk, humbly offering the blade up to his leader.

The teenage girl right in front him pleaded, eyes glistening full of tears. "Please. What are you doing? Why are you doing this? Can't you hear a word I'm saying? Please, I beg of you. What have I done to deserve this?!" she wailed, tied where she stood, unable to move, only to watch in horror.

Link's heart dropped into his gut. All he and the others could do was watch the nightmare unfold.

The girl screamed. And without warning, the Lynel mercilessly and gently cut at the young girl's throat. "Blood and spirit is all that is required. Not your tears. That is just for me," he chuckled.

Shocked by what he was witnessing, Link saw her life slowly leave her body. And in that short moment that felt like an eternity, all he could see flashing before his eyes was his beautiful Zelda instead of her standing there, throat cut, begging for him to save her as her eyes slowly rolled back into her head as all the life drained from her. There he watched in terror, hearing nothing but the faint echoes of her choking cries resound in his ears until softly they faded into silence and was nothing left.

For the first time in his life, he felt real fear, the fear of losing. Not just his quest, but her.

As the blood flowed freely, the pearl seemingly had a reaction and appeared to absorb her essence of spirit. It couldn't be sure though. And as the girl went cold, a wisp of pale light left her body.

Without delay, the lynel repeated his vicious act three more times, happily. Silencing the two others.

The knight had enough of the cruelty. That fiend! Link's blood boiled over, and he surged with violent anger. In a fury, he lunged out from where he stood. He didn't care he was outnumbered three hundred to one. He didn't care about the plan to take the castle. He didn't care about anything. After seeing that poor girl die, all he could think about was how unfair it was for her and what he would do if it were Zelda. Uncaring about anything, enraged in the moment, all he saw was red.

But as quickly as he bolted away, he felt a firm jerk pull him back. It was Sidon.

The red prince just cautiously shook his head as he barred him from leaving.

"Let me go, Sidon," Link responded coldly.

"No, Link, you'll die!" he shouted back in a whisper. "I know how you feel, we all do. But, if you go now, you will surely die, and all that we have done up until now would have been in vain. We have a plan, remember?"

"What about them? What about their plans…to live? Their lives ended on a whim!"

"Link, you have to stay alive. The princess needs you. We need you. If you maintain this course of action, we will all be butchered, and the battle would be lost," Sidon reiterated.

Upon hearing the mention of the princess, Link snapped to his senses and reconsidered, hearing his words. "I'm…sorry. I just…"

"I know, trust me. We won't let him get away with this. I promise you, friend. But you must have him fight you on your terms. Face him to your advantage, not his," Sidon loosened his grip as Link returned standing where he was beside him. Both were in shock, but they had no choice but to endure the terrible scene.

The red prince was younger yet older than Link at the same time, having lived the last one hundred years, whereas Link slumbered. And with age comes wisdom and good counsel.

No sooner though they were torn by the sound of an angry roar, Link and Sidon's heads both jolted to the scream. The Lynel was up in arms.

"It's not…HER! None of these bags of flesh are the princess!" he snarled and shouted. The pearlescent orb he held graciously just faded back into a cold silence, dim as the night once again as if the ritual had no effect on it at all.

Rapidly turning all his aggression toward the cowering lizal beside him, the cretin pleaded. "Please, my lord, you said you would be forgiving!" It attempted a bow.

Malroc stretched out his claws and grabbed for the lizal ferociously. The little monster dangled and squirmed as he lifted it up high above his head and choked it further. The cretin squeaked in his grasp, gasping for air.

Malroc's head slowly cocked to the side, eyes red with rage. "I lied," he growled, seething through his gruesome teeth.

All that was heard after was a quick snap and break of the neck, followed by a silent pause. Dissatisfied, the monstrous lynel roared to the crowd as he threw the corpse across the room, tossing him like a rag doll. The cretin was discarded like trash.

"Let this be a lesson to all who fail me! She is still out there! This isn't over yet! Return to your post at once. We attack those miserable Hylians tomorrow evening when the witch arrives. And then, we shall have our victory once that miserable princess is in our grasp! Now go!"

With his last word on the matter settled, Malroc returned the orb back to be swaddled in its cloth. With two-final glances around the room, he then charged away, leaping with ease by the strength of his massive legs out from one of the intertwined bridges that led out of the hall to a neighboring keep, taking the pearl along with him.

Link whispered to the others. "He'll pay for what he has done. There is nothing we can do for these poor girls now. May they find peace in the next life that they didn't find in this life. We shall avenge them," he said, pausing just for a moment to remember the sacrifice they made, looking to the cold stone floor.

A few moments passed, and monsters began to clear out. He then shook his head and continued. "C'mon, now's our chance, now that they are all departing. We haven't much time; let's move!"

Sidon asked. "Link, is that?"

"Yes, I believe that is the pearl we have been searching for."

"You mean the Moon Pearl?"

"I believe so, but I can't be for certain. Once the attack begins, I'm taking him down and getting the pearl!"

"Not without my help, you're not. We're all in this together now." Sidon said, giving an optimistic glance over to his shorter Hylian friend, eager also for revenge.

"Alright then, let's show these filths what we can do. What do you say?"

Bjorn interrupted and agreed, also wanting revenge for the murders. "I say, lead the way, sir-Link!"

Emptying the room, the small band of heroes skulked their way out, keeping their appearances and headed toward the west end of the castle toward the last remaining armory.

I promise. I promise you I will not let your death go unavenged! I will destroy Malroc with my own bare hands if I have to. I swear it! The Knight thought as he and the others hurried along, maneuvering throughout the castle grounds. If there was anything in this world that Link despised most, it was injustice and the harming of the innocent.

This was now personal to him. He felt he failed those poor souls earlier as they cried out for him as they begged for anyone to hear them. But he just stood there and watched. He didn't lift a finger to save them. It would be a weight on his shoulders that he would have to carry the rest of his life.

This, in his eyes, was a second defeat by his enemy. He swore to himself that there wouldn't be a third. Driven more so than ever, a fire burned brightly inside him, and all he could think about was the success of this quest and destroying his enemies. That they must succeed at all costs.

Authors Notes: There is a short scene where three women are killed, their life force stolen and is semi-brutally depicted. Besides that there is nothing else. If you wish to skip. the graphic paragraph is after "Blood and spirit is all that is required. Not your tears. That is just for me," he chuckled." and returns to what you are used to with As the blood flowed freely.

OTHER NOTES: Now, if you enjoy the story, be sure to let me know. I wont be able to update for a couple more weeks at least unfortunately due to work constraints. I'll do my best! If you leave some love on the fic in a review I'll put in double time to get it out to ya. Also, if you have any suggestions or even critics with the story let me know as well, I love hearing your ideas!

Chapter Text

Chapter 21

Tick tock goes the Clock

"Watch where you are going, man, we gotta' get these gates open, and we can't be having the whole castle knowing what we are up to," Link commanded, looking over his shoulder to his band of rogues that were following him. He was speaking particularly to Dimm, who need a little bit more instruction than the others. They had made their way outside of the main keep of the castle, safely huddled behind a massive stone courtyard wall entrance. The group had one last obstacle to get past before they could sneak their way toward the war tower for which they were heading.

"I'm sorry," Dimm replied, struggling to rearrange his cover over his head. It kept sliding as they scurried. "This confounded mask you gave me makes it so hard to see a damn thing!"

"Well, if you aren't careful, you won't be seeing anything at all," Link scolded. "The last thing you'll see will be a swing of a Moblin's bat," the knight called back while peering ahead through the archway entrance, head turning both ways to see if the coast was clear. He flipped around again to face the others and continued his speech to Dimm. "Your mask nearly fell off when you tripped over that sleeping Moblin earlier. And if it weren't for poor Sidon here who was forced to rescue you, I'm afraid you wouldn't be standing here at all," Link added.

"I said I was sorry, alright?"

Sidon chimed in and joked. "Well, with the way you're going, friend, you'll have plenty of practice saying sorry by the time this whole ordeal is over. So, you just be sure to save your 'sorrys' for when Malroc discovers us. I'm sure he'll be happy to hear them out," Sidon leaned, one eye zoomed in on the worried man.

Dimm gulped, reflecting to himself on how ruthless that Lynel commander was earlier when he massacred those poor helpless women. "R-right, I'll be more careful," he glanced back up. They were right, of course, to show concern for Dimm's lackadaisical behavior. Everything depended on the success of this quest. Nothing could be left to chance.

Link chuckled quietly, amused by the frightened Dimm. Thinking better of it and slightly worried for the terrified soul, he decided to pat him on the back to offer him up some courage. "Best be. Sidon's acting can only save us so many times, ain't that right, Sidon?" He nudged the Zora prince.

The prince huffed in humorous annoyance at his remark. "Right."

"Alright, enough time wasted; let's go!" Link rallied the men shrugging a shoulder in the direction of their primary objective that lay just ahead of them passed the throng of monsters gathered all around.

Many foul creatures had set up their encampments and were resting alongside dim flickers of late evening campfires, groaning to themselves, and having unsavory drink and food with one another. Their many fires dotted the path to where they needed to sneak past to. Much like the castle itself, the courtyard was also a ruin. Unkempt vegetation and other rotting things were all around them, left abandoned to decay. An eerie setting, to say the least. So much so that the once upon a time pristine cobblestone pathway where majestic kings gracefully strolled to admire the magnificence of such things had fallen into utter degradation and were covered by malice infected overgrowth. They had to step carefully, lest they be taken under by the darkness that surrounded them.

"Alright, let's go, and be sure to move like them. And be watchful of those bogs; they are unholy. And in case you're wondering what they are, that's Malice that consumes them," the knight stretched his hand, pointing at a particular one that had enveloped over a proud court tree, overflowing from a nearby stone fountain. Its black magic pulsed and flickered a blood-red demonic light in front of them as it zapped the life from the once majestic king tree, poisoning its roots. At that same time, the black and red muck was coughing and spewing all manner of abominations out from its pit.

He continued. "It will overtake and drown you in an instant if you're not careful. And trust me, I know. I once stepped my boot in one of those filth, and it took all my strength to free myself. Damn thing nearly killed me. I can't think of a worse way to die," he shook his head at it, returning to his speech.

"If the excruciating pain alone isn't enough to kill you, then slowly having the life sucked from you would! So, be sure to stand clear," he then without hesitation, darted ahead past the bog, commanding back over his shoulder. "It's not much further now. C'mon, we're almost to the armory wing!"

He led the men past the terrace, steadily leapfrogging from campsite to campsite, being sure to keep in character as enemies leered toward them. Until finally, they had made it to the foot of the massive war keep.

The proud tower stood tall ascending high up to the clouds. They flowed like a river around it. It was one of seven keeps that overlooked the grand city below and to the Hyrule foothills beyond, keeping a watchful eye of the kingdom from all directions.

Link turned to face his friends as he cautiously crept until they met a pair of heavy wooden doors that were the tower's entrance. The mighty doors were arm's length thick and had been reinforced with iron shielding. The types of doors that were fastened sturdy to withstand a direct assault by an enemy siege ram.

"Alright, this way," he said as he led on. "Now, this is the war keep. It also houses our guard's chambers connecting to the barracks across the way, onto the pavilion below," he said, gently nudging the massive doors open. They creaked and echoed deep into the long dark of the tower's doorway.

Bjorn gulped. "Sure is dark in there,"

"Yeah, it sure is. Hey, Sidon by any chance do you have?-"

Finishing the knight's question before he could, the prince replied. "If you're wondering if I have any luminous stones on me, I'm afraid I have bad news for you. I left them in the care of our princess for safekeeping. I figured she would have better use of them than us. Sorry."

"Hmmm, well, I didn't want to bring any unwanted attention to us if I didn't have to, but I guess we don't have a choice now, do we?" Link gave a heavy sigh, cuffing his chin. "It's alright, though; we'll manage well enough. You did right in giving her the stones," he said, looking away from the tall Zora, lifting his brows toward Dimm, who was the last man stumbling in behind them. "Hey, grab that torch we passed outside, will ya?" the knight signaled him.

"Won't they be able to see us better in the light?" Dimm swallowed.

"Well, of course, but we have the masks remember. Just be sure to keep the act up if any of them get wise to us," Link answered back, standing confidently; his fist was clenched as he decided to press on ahead.

Without delay and not wanting to be left behind, Dimm ran back outside to grab for a burning light. One of which was posted just alongside the wall of the keep.

Link took a moment to reorient himself, waiting for his eyes to focus in the dark, looking past into the shadowy hall of the Castle tower. No sooner did Dimm finally meet up and lit the way beside him, making the way clear.

"Alright, if we were to go left, that would lead us to the soldier's wing and barracks. We aren't trying to go there. Where we need to go is this way, to the right, which leads past this corridor and down through the long spiral stairwell to the bottom of the tower. That is where the armory is, and more importantly, the powder chamber," Link said, waving a hand over his head for his men to follow. "Don't worry, it ain't much farther ahead. Let's go."

Without question, the ragtag team of masked infiltrators followed behind him.

Bjorn coughed the further they journeyed down the long spiraling staircase. "Ugh, gross…what is that foul stench. It's getting worse."

"You got that right. What is that?" Dimm choked in agreement.

As they made their way to the bottom of the stairs, Link held his gag and replied. "Ah, that must be the culprit. It seems the castle down here has taken some damage during the battle with the calamity. See over there?" The Knight pointed, nudging Dimm to lift his torch high above their heads to light the way. In its dim orange glow, they saw the aftermath of what happened.

He continued. "The walls here are completely cracked and broken. See? The stone wall weeps. This stairwell, as well as all the other stairwells from the other keeps, dead-end each at a long hallway like this one. These corridors all lead to the dungeons below the castle. And just like a honeycomb, they connect all the lower chambers together. But, with that being said, these lower rooms and passageways sit right beside Hyrule's sewer. See the water pouring out through there, along the cracks of the wall. That must be the sewer. Long canals that drain the city," Link said, trying to hold his breath from the foul odor. The air was so thick and humid down where they were that they could taste the disgust on their tongues.

Dimm blabbed, hand covering the nose to his mask. "Ah gross! You mean to tell me we have been stomping through hundred-year-old—"

Link sharply cut him off. "Yes, and probably much worse things. Dead things. All the more reason for us to get a move on wouldn't ya say?"

Sidon sighed quietly, face pink, disgusted at the revelation. "At least you all are wearing boots; I'm in nothing but my skins!"

With a nudge, Bjorn joked at all their discomfort but more so the prince. "I greatly admire your courage, sir. You are indeed a brave Zora princeling!" he chuckled.

"Ha! Enjoy your laughs while you can," Sidon huffed.

Focused on the plan and not the chatter, Link marched ahead, boots splashing the murky water that covered the floor of the hallway until he stopped at an old steel dungeon door. Taking only just a moment to ponder to himself and recall where they were on the basement floors.

"This is it. We made it," he assured the others. Forcefully and with some effort, he had to kick the door open that was rusted shut. With a loud bang, it swooshed open, revealing a large chamber that had many racks of gear, barrels, and all sorts of untouched supplies of the army from one hundred years ago.

Wasting no time, the knight darted toward what they needed.

Sidon leaned behind him. "Are these all?"

"Yes, this is all bombing powder," Link confirmed.

"All these barrels!? This is enough to blow the castle sky-high three times over!"

Excited at the revelation and curious for things that go boom, Dimm ran past in between Sidon and Link. "Let me have a look at that!" he blurted, carelessly waving the torch above them right over the many stacks of barrels carrying the volatile material.

"Whoa, watch out!" Link jerked as he felt the fool barge his way past them. Together in one fluid motion, both Link and Sidon shoved Dimm back.

"Stand still and get back. Are you trying to kill us all?" Link said.

"Oh yeah, sorry. I forgot I was holding this here torch. I just wanted to have a looksee. That's all," Dimm replied.

Annoyed, Link swallowed a deep breath and sighed, returning slowly to study the kegs of explosives.

Sidon spoke. "They seem to be wet most of them, soaked even. Will they still work?"

"I don't know. But we are going to find out, I guess. What choice do we have? Here, we'll take some from this one," Link grabbed a keg and lifted it up, analyzing it closely. "This barrel seems to be not as bad as the others," he said, reaching for the two spare pouches he had tied to his soldier's tunic belt.

With the blade of his knife, he popped open the lid to the wooden keg, revealing the black powdery contents within. It was still damp, but it would have to do. One by one, he filled the sacks full of the powder.

"That should do it," he smiled.

"Alright, Sidon and I will go to the Castle gate. You three will need to head to the main entrance of the city. There should be fewer enemies there that you have to worry about than where we are going. The drawbridges and gates here use a reel system that opens and closes them. I'm sure you are familiar with them, but in case you are not, you'll know what to do when you see them.

"We must destroy the locking mechanism that holds the chain to the reel. At the precise moment when the charges ignite, the chains will break, and the reels will loosen uncontrollably and unravel. But that isn't going to be enough to get the gates open. The doors themselves have been braced with sturdy iron guards. Save some of your powder and place some of it where the joints meet the bars holding them. The hinges themselves are weak. The powder should be enough to bust them loose. So, when the reel breaks above, the gates will fall open, and they won't be able to be closed again, and the bars holding them will fall to the wayside. You should have enough fuse rope to lead to all the charges to each of its weak points. Alright, let's hurry and get out of here; we're running out of time," he instructed.

Sidon spoke. "Yeah, I'd say we have only thirty minutes, maybe twenty until first light. So, we need to get those gets open quickly."

About to bolt away with Link and the others, Sidon spun around, clutching the keg in his arms. "Perhaps, we take this barrel? I mean, we already opened it, and it's the least wet. Just in case?"

Link only nodded. With the plan settled, the group climbed back up the stairwell and made a run to their targets.

Out on the open plains not far off from the outskirts of the city walls, somewhere underneath the pitch-black sky, a Hylian army was amassing its forces. Soldiers rushed, setting up their strategic point of position. The hasting operations of unloading military supplies and the gearing up of equipment were in full preparation. At the tail end of the wagon train, Zelda's group was making their way into the heart of the gathered army.

The princess had been one of the last few riding in behind the wagons, keeping a watchful eye where her dear friend lay. A soldier waved his hands in the air as he saw her come into view, warmly greeting her upon arrival.

"Here, your majesty! We can take care of your horse from here until you are ready to ride him again," the soldier said, offering up a hand to help her dismount so she can wander about the battle camp more freely.

Although dark was the night, she could still be seen wearing a bright smile. Gently she flowed her soft hands through the chestnut-colored mane of the gallant steed. The horse neighed in delight as she glided her fingers through his warm hair, calming his nerves ever so sweetly.

"Thank you very much, sir, but this precious boy here isn't actually my horse. He belongs to a man named Taleran. He is a lord under the banner of Tarble. Be sure to take good care of him and let Lord Taleran know that you have his stallion when he arrives," she said as she hopped off the steed with a bounce, patting the man on the back as he led the horse away from her.

She then turned back to him with a question poised on her lips. "Tell me, good sir, can you point me in the direction to where your Lord of Illiastar is?" she blinked curiously, realizing she had no idea where she was going.

"Certainly, my princess. You there, take her highness to the Lord's command tent," the soldier hollered to another, ordering him to lead her the way.

The nearby Illiastar man dropped what gear he was fussing with and ran up alongside the princess to help her. "This way your Grace," the troop said, tilting his head in a bow like an offering.

Being led by her escort, the princess arrived at the command tent. However, Lord Simon was nowhere to be found. Instead, coming up from behind, she heard the call from a worried but friendly voice. It was his younger brother Sylmoor.

"Well, hello there, dear Princess. What brings you to this part of the camp? Shouldn't you be watching after your friend? My goodness, the battle will be upon us soon. Aren't you worried about your safety? It is paramount that you should be at the rear with the others who cannot fight," Sylmoor said, voice cracking with worry, slightly envious of her safe position in the battle to come. He walked closer to where she was standing, among the candlelit war game table that she leaned upon.

"Well, I've come to discuss matters with your brother, but I must say, you look quite handsome wearing all that knightly gear. Who would have imagined," she stood back and giggled, amused that he was so noticeably nervous and borderline frightened to death. She could see the many streaks of sweat trail down his face as he made his way near her. Following in behind him was Seabass, the other two Zora, and his squire.

"So, my lord, was that you sword playing just out there on the field with the others? I couldn't tell at first with you wearing that bucket on your head," she giggled again. "You are to lead a company of men this morning, correct?" She gleamed.

"That is correct, your grace, on both accounts. Your orders actually, if they remain?" he gulped.

She took a few steps and had a playful grin. "Well, Yes, I must know the quality of my lords if they are to govern the many dominions outside the view of my eyes to watch them,"

"But I don't rule—"

"Not yet, but you never know," she said, spinning back around to face him, wearing a phony stern face of seriousness. Sylmoor swallowed at the idea of fighting.

Interrupting them and coming from the other end of camp, another voice was heard shouting to them, a confident one. It was from Simon. He was being led by a Starsguard escort who carried a dim lantern, lighting up the tent.

"There you are, Princess, they said you've arrived and sent me on a damn crusade looking for you all over the place, and here you were this entire time. At my command tent," he huffed, cracking a slight smile. Coming behind in a single file behind him were several of his war cabinet and Taleran, who of which shot a wink to the princess upon greeting her warm smile back to him.

Taking only just a small moment to glance all around who was gathered and seeing his brother all suited up and ready for war, Simon spoke. "You do know how to use that right?" he said, quizzically gazing at his training sword.

Sylmoor's grip of his blade hand still was shaking quite a bit as he stood there uneasy and unsure of himself. "Uh, yeah…of course. You stab the pointy end into your enemy," he said.

"Right," Simon paused, beginning to worry for his brother's ignorance in the skill of sword fighting. "Well, better late than never, I suppose. Here, you're going to need all the help you can get," Simon said, unsheathing his own majestic blade from his side. The slide from its pristine scabbard rang out beautifully.

Stunned by the display, Sylmoor gasped. "That's father's sword, you cannot really suggest I—"

"I insist, dear brother," Simon said, proudly wielding up the mighty sword high up above his head, offering it up to his brother as a gift. The blade was finely crafted. But, unlike the Master Sword, this one was pointed like a long drawn out arrowhead until it peaked at its tip. Crystal white was the steel, and its hilt was as crimson as if it were solid red stone. But, its most notable feature and what caught the eye of Zelda most was at its center where the handle met the guard of the blade, there lay crowned a piercing emerald. The most stunning green gem she has ever seen.

Zelda's matching beautiful eyes lit up full of interest. She was intrigued by the exquisite craftsmanship and history of such a weapon. It has been the first time she has seen such a noble sword other than the Master Sword in well over a hundred years.

She watched as Simon spoke. "Illucifarr, one called the Lightbringer. It has been in my family's care for over three hundred generations. Once belonged to a holy KNIGHT of legend, entrusted in the hands of my forebears evermore for safekeeping. No man of Illiastar has ever fallen in battle nor perished while he wielded it in his hands," he said, stepping closer to Sylmoor. Those in the tent went quiet in reverence. "For this battle, I give it to you, my brother. May it keep you safe from all those who dare to do you harm, and may it slay your enemies. For you need it much more than I this day."

"I can't—"

"You will," Simon reiterated, slapping the hilt of the blade firmly in his brother's grasp. The princess beamed, happy for Sylmoor to have received such an honorable blessing from his brother. Her face glowed from what little light they had, even though they were covered by the darkness of the night. After all, all they had nearby on the table was a small lantern.

"Hold it tight and true, and it will not abandon you," Simon reiterated, voice deep and filled with great pride.

Sylmoor glanced to the blade in awe of its magnificence and then back to his brother. "And what are you to use?"

"I'll be just fine with another blade. And besides, I also have a lance," he laughed coolly. "Now that, that has been settled, let us go over the final plans before we strike. It is time."

Two finely decorated military counselors who were of high ranking of the army came forth and sprawled out the map they had laid on the table, lighting each end with a candlestick.

Simon jerked and spoke to Taleran, "You and your Rangers ready?"

"We are. I'd say we only have enough arrows to cover at least ten full volleys. After that, we will have to resort to sword combat; I'm afraid."

"Ah, yes, the supplies were destroyed. Very well, it'll have to do," Simon answered, hovering his hand over the map of the battlefield, which was Hyrule's most magnificent city. "And what about any news of Draene? We could use their help right about now."

"No m' lord, nothing. We are still waiting on the riders you dispatched at the request of her majesty to acquire that Wizard for her dying friend," a captain replied out of the small crowd who stood by.

"Hmmm. Damn. Hopefully, they get here soon. I'm not liking any of this. But what other choice do I have? We must continue our plans."

All those gathered began to lean in and watch closely as Simon spoke further. "Aside from the Starsguard elite, we have only three regular divisions, two of which are also cavalry, one infantry, and a single support group. You, my brother, will be at the right flank apart of the third battalion of infantry. I trust you are ready to lead?"

Sylmoor Gulped. "Um, yes,"

"The princess has formally requested this of you. You are an Illiastar, and you have that sword now; you'll do fine. Just remember what you've learned thus far," He moved the markers on the table, indicating how the strike was to happen. "Also, your men are to only engage and enter the city after the other two divisions charge in. Now, are we all in an understanding of what we are to do?"

The tent's attendees all nodded in approval, and with that, Simon spoke a final word on the matter. "Alright then, you should all get your positions. There is not much time now. That includes you brother."

Those all gathered cleared out one by one except just a select few, which Simon motioned to stay with a wave of his cape. It was his top generals only.

Sylmoor departed away quickly since he was anxious. And before his Zora companions and squire could catch up behind him, Zelda spoke."Just a moment, my lord Simon, One last thing before I go," she said with a finger raised to hold back any question from him, reaching out for Seabass as she stepped away from the tent.

She spoke out of earshot of Sylmoor, who was already way ahead of them. "Seabass, if I may?"

"Anything your highness? What is it you wish to ask of me?"

"When the battle begins, could you please take extra care and watch out after him. Do make sure he isn't in any real danger if you could?"

"Certainly, little Princess. But if I may ask, why did you want him to fight if you really didn't intend on him to fight?"

"My reasons are my own for now, so please keep this between us. I will be most grateful," she said, speaking hopefully.

"Of course. And don't you worry, not a hair on his pretty head will be lost," The towering Seabass rumbled back with a smile.

And with that, he saluted her and chased out after his runaway commander who was Sylmoor.

Returning her focus back to the tent. Zelda was about to speak when interrupted by a field soldier who came abruptly to give the news to Simon. "M' lord, all men are in position just outside the gates, and all enemy watches have been put down before they could sound an alarm. The enemy is blind to our next move."

"Very good. It is time then. How much longer do we have?" Simon asked, turning to another who stood by that held a dimly lit candle clock in his hand, amongst the table. The candlestick was melting slow but gave accurate enough time measuring down to the minute. The man watched and counted to himself shortly before offering up a reply to his liege.

"I'd say we are ten minutes m' lord. We're catching up to the dawn and fast."

"Then we must act now,"

"Mallet men are ready!" Another commanding officer spoke entering the tent, giving the Lord news.

"Mallet men?" Zelda questioned under her breath.

"Yes, for the three catapults that we have left that survived the explosions," he spoke to her, turning back to face the man. "Good then. Are the incendiary charges also ready?"

"Yes, my lord, all siege weapons are in place and awaiting your orders."

Zelda interrupted, taken aback at what was happening. She raised a hand up to her mouth as she spoke. "Incendiary charges? I thought we didn't have any left from the fires?"

"It appears we may have found some a short time ago. We were most fortunate. We can discuss the matter later, princess. I have a battle to win. Alright then, let us begin," Simon said, turning from her and nodding the decree to his subordinates.

"Wait! We can't begin yet, Link and the others have not yet given the signal, and the gates are still up!? They are still by the gates! They need more time!" She said, face suddenly filled with worry. Her heart sank.

"I'm sorry, princess, but we are out of time. Daylight will soon be upon us, and we will lose our surprise if we delay. Also, with these newfound charges, I'm confident we can knock down the gates ourselves," He said back sternly, taking a step forward. As he waved his finely gloved hand out toward the field of battle, he gave another order. "Intensify all forward batteries on the main gate to the city. We must bring it down. And fire all volleys toward the city at the same time."

"Yes, my lord. We're confident the charges should have enough power to destroy anything around those walls. Should have no problem being able to bring them down," The Illiastar officer said, just as he was about to break away to carry out the order.

Zelda shouted, hand-stretched out to stop the captain from carrying out the order. "Wait! Stop!"

The soldier paused, confused by her instruction. She was the princess, after all.

Simon interrupted her, voice raised. "You would risk everything, your entire kingdom, for the life of one knight!?" Simon said sternly.

Stunned by his question. She needed a moment to think because everything was happening all so fast. But she had no time. She had to answer now. Zelda reflected to herself on the truth of it as it hit her down to her core. She couldn't dare think of the possibility of losing Link.

Simon continued. "He is a soldier, a guardsman! He knows his duty and what he must do! Shouldn't you do the same?"

Annoyed, he flapped his cloak and turned away from her, nodding to his men what they must do next. "You may begin your assault."

"No! Stop!" Zelda desperately screamed.

Simon spun back around at the snap of her voice. "Seize her!"

And as she instinctively lunged over from the table to stop those from carrying out the order, two Starsguard came up from around her and grabbed her arms from behind.

"Take the princess under heavy guard to the rear, back to the infirmary with her friends where she belongs."

"You can't! I'm the princess of-" She struggled.

"I can! And I will. These are my men, they answer to me. I'm sorry, princess, but this is for your own protection and the kingdom," He said, knowing that any of the others who would contest his notion were no longer present.

He then glanced up at one of the men holding her by the arm. "Should anything happen to me or the army for that matter, you are to take her majesty in all do haste back to Bountiful to the Crystal Palace. Mother will know what to do. But please, do keep her comfortable. Her majesty is upset."

"Yes, M'lord….C'mon your highness, let's go. It'll be alright," the Starsguard said, speaking as politely as he could with what task he was given. But the princess pushed back as he began ushering and leading her away. She was having none of it.

But it was no use. She was dragged away against her will and was taken back to the safety of the infirmary, where she would be forced to wait.

"Alright, change of plans, we're running out of time," Link said as he led his team to the edge of the massive castle wall, gazing skyward. Taking only just a moment to judge their circumstance, he saw that in front of them lay the main bridge, which for some peculiar reason was already drawn down.

"Okay, since they were so kind to have already lowered it down for us, you three stay here and set the charge for this one. It should be a lot easier since all that needs fixing is one only for the reel, just in case they decide to raise it when the fighting starts. Since now that the other will be more heavily guarded and tricky to get down, Sidon and I will deal with that instead," The knight ordered, looking to his Hylian companions.

"If you say so, Sir-link. We will stay behind and wait here," Bjorn answered back.

"Alright, once you see the front gate fall to the ground, that will be your signal to break that single chain. Once you do, slip away and hide someplace low until we return. The mask should keep you hidden," Link said.

They nodded in reply.

And with that, Link and Sidon took off as fast as they could to the fortified front gate of the city walls.

Back at the infirmary, Zelda was roughly thrust in through the flap of the tent by the hands of the two Starsguard. The others in there were startled by what was happening, unable to speak as it was so sudden.

Zelda turned around and stomped in protest back at the soldiers. "You know, you could treat me a little nicer. I am your princess, after all!" Her fist clenched at her sides.

"We would princess, but you kicked and tried to escape three times on the way. You even bit poor Finn here on the wrist. So, with that being said, I apologize if we were rough." He grumbled back.

Her pretty face scrunched up in annoyance at his remarks.

"Sorry, princess, but our Lord demands we keep you safe here," the lead soldier said, spinning back around to guard the tent from outside.

Upset at the way they were treating the princess and their lack of obedience, the proud Rito, Teba, stood up, unafraid, and challenged one of them before they could walk away. "You have no right to hold her here against her will! Or treat her that way! She is—"

But before he could utter another syllable, the fancy armored guard gleamed back at him and cut his words short. "We are not to answer to her right now, and we certainly don't answer to the likes of you, birdman. So, get back in line, know your place, and watch yourself."

Teba snapped his beak back in frustration and reached for a dagger, ready to secure the princess's exit when she jumped in between him and the opposing Starsguard.

The soldier had slightly drawn his sword from his side and was ready for a fight when Zelda intervened them both.

"Stop! This sort of violence isn't necessary. Please! I'll stay."

Listening to the princess's words, Teba stayed his knife, and the guard stood back. The room was left in a standstill. And with nothing left to do but wait it out, Zelda marched over to where Riju lay and sat annoyed at her bedside, wary of her predicament. There she pondered quietly, desperately trying to come up with a solution, worried for both Link and Riju.

After taking city after city street, Link and Sidon finally arrived at their goal. The city, for the most part, was destroyed and what little buildings remained were unkempt and unlivable. Most of which, however, were rubble and only had their foundations left.

Strolling up to the wall, Link whispered back to Sidon. "Alright, it is as I thought. The gate has been repaired. See those tall steel spires they put up there?"

"Yeah," Sidon replied.

"Those are where the chains are linked to," The knight said, pointing nonchalantly upward to the edge of the battered wall of the city. It was apparent the enemy had filled in whatever openings were made from the guardian siege from a century ago and made it whole once again, albeit crudely.

"Alright, I'm going up, keep an eye out, and cover me. They will get suspicious even with my disguise if they see me laying fuses and setting the charges."

"Sure thing you got it. But, be careful, alright? I have a bad feeling about all this. This all seems way too easy."

"That's because this is easy."

"I'm serious, Link. Be careful up there. Who knows what could be up there waiting for ya in that tower where the reel is."

"Hey, c'mon, it's me!" Link said, placing just a boot at the bottom of the iron rod ladder that led to the top of the wall. He smirked as he began to climb.

"Yeah, exactly, that's why I am worried." Sidon quietly chuckled.

Stuck at the bottom, Sidon kept a keen watch as Link hurried himself up the wall.

In no time, Link made his ascent, and to his delight, it was as he said it would be. It was a beautiful sight, just the lone reel that held the gate closed. Wasting no time, the Knight set the charges to the mechanism of the gate's rotating hoist and cut the fuse for how long it would take for him and Sidon to clear the area.

Because, after it goes off, the noise would alert their enemies. And they were not armed adequately to wage a proper fight being only equipped with just two tiny daggers.

Armed and ready to go to Link's satisfaction, he made haste away back down the wall and waved for him and Sidon to wait and hide nearby.

"What about the hinges?" Sidon asked.

"I took care of them, too, just before I left. All tied to the same fuse," he replied confidently.

They were hiding behind some crates and barrels. An enemy watch encampment was only feet away, so they observed and waited, listening for the wonderful music of a faint boom and the fall of the gate. But as a minute went by, nothing happened. No explosion, no gate falling, nothing.

"What's going on? It's not going off," Link said, frustrated.

"I knew it was too good to be true," Sidon sighed, defeated. "The powder must have been too wet, and the fuse died. It's the only explanation."

"Damn. Okay then, I'll go back up. Hand me that keg. I'm just going to have to do it the old-fashioned way," Link said coolly.

"And what is that?" Sidon questioned.

"Blow the whole thing up with the keg by throwing a torch at it and running like hell," He said back.

"Wouldn't that alert our dear friends here, though?"

"What choice do we have? We are out of time. The army is depending on us."

"Alright then, I'll cover you. Let's go."

Link and Sidon both scurried back to the ladder, and the knight did his climb once again.

Down below and waiting, Sidon caught the attention of a nearby Bokoblin, which was alerted to him and Link doing something that was out of the ordinary just a second ago. The beast was frazzled, to say the least, and barked an order at him to perform a task. Sidon pretended he didn't hear him and continued gazing up the ladder.

The red prince coughed and quietly hollered up to Link. "Hey, Link, hurry up! They are catching on to us."

Link was atop the wall and sat the barrel down, tying it to the reel. But what was taking so long was him trying to start the torch he found up there. Tried as he might, the flint wouldn't spark alight.

Link shouted an answer back down below. "I am, but this damn thing won't burn. C'mon you!" he scraped the flint rocks, desperately trying to get them to ignite.

Back at the front line where the army was formed and ready. Men set the catapults tying them again, ready to fling their explosive payloads high up in the air to rain upon the gate. All was left for them was the order to do so.

Taleran, who was also poised to have his men fire the first barrage of arrows, was also waiting for instruction when one of the officers who had left the Lord's tent caught up to his position on the field.

"My lord, commence the attack," The Illiastar officer said.

"Are you sure? The signal hasn't been given, and the gates are still up? What of the others?"

The man leaned in, his tone forceful. "The Princess commands it."

"She did?" he asked, confused.

"Yes."

Taleran didn't like the idea of carrying out the attack this way. This certainly would spell certain doom for Link and the others, but the thought of disobeying his liege was even worse.

"Very well, then. Alright, men, ready your arms! Light arrows!" He shouted the order to his Rangers.

One by one, each of them dipped their arrows in oil and sparked them to light with a flame, knocking them back in their longbows.

At the infirmary, Zelda was still held captive. She had only been sitting just a few moments. And although she wanted to be by Riju's bedside, she knew she had to help Link. But how?

But to her great fortune or maybe by some kind act of the goddess, Buliara wasn't in the room when she was thrown in there. She had gone to gather provisions from one of the wagons for Riju. During her confrontation with the Soldiers, the proud Gerudo woman overheard the whole thing, and she was going to have none of it.

Carrying a small thatched crate, she approached the tent where one of the Starsguard stood watch of Zelda.

"You there, I forgot something. Can you hold this while I go fetch what I need?" Buliara asked the man.

Seeing no harm in helping a lady, after all, the guard obliged and reached out for the crate. As soon as he took the box from her, that was the end for him. Buliara, without warning, swung and gave him a brute fist to the face knocking him out cold.

The other guard saw, jumped to his feet, and just as he was about to charge her, felt himself go limp from the stranglehold of Teba who crept up from behind him.

Buliara smiled at Zelda. "Go, Princess, the way is clear. Tell the army to stand down."

"Thank you both! I'll return as soon as I can!" Zelda called back. Running as fast as she has ever run before in her life, she bolted to make it to the battlefield to stop the attack. And like the wind, she was gone.

Sylmoor, who was at the front of the infantry standing nervous, shaking, and armor rattling. Reaching for a small flask he had hidden, he lifted the gate to his fine helmet to drain it all of its liquid.

His squire ribbed him with a smirk. "I thought all the ale has been destroyed in the fires? And you know you're not supposed to drink before a fight," he questioned.

Sylmoor snapped. "It isn't ale. It is from my own stash! And what business is it of yours how I die? If I'm going to die, I want to die drunk! You serve me! Now let that be the end of it," he said. But his gaze was quickly taken by an unnerving sight.

"Is that—the princess?" He questioned, dumbfounded at what he was seeing.

At the heart of the field where the army was staged and just as they were about to fire their barrage. Zelda came rushing in a panic, running toward them, screaming. "Stop! Don't fire!"

But it was too late, and the order had already been given. Some of the men already shot their bolts high up into the air. Zelda's eyes widened, and her pupils shrank. She pleaded again. "No!"

Hearing her cry and seeing her run toward them, Taleran also stepped into action, even trying to stop the assault from his men. "Hold! Hold your fire! Stop! Its the princess!"

Some obeyed, but most couldn't, for the battalion was quite large and many had not heard the cry and already released their arrows. Shouts of 'Away' were heard as men launched their bolts.

In the chaos of the commotion from the disruptive chain of command and not wanting to stop his push, Simon nodded for his men to continue regardless. He then gave another confirming order as he sat upon his noble stallion, sword pointed. "Fire all batteries now! And Charge!" The Cavalry kicked their horses and rode off at the command.

Unhearing the princess's call and at their lord's behest, the mallet men swung and slammed their hammers, knocking loose the stakes, releasing the catapults, launching high up in the air their fiery bombardment of death.

Zelda witnessed the whole thing in slow motion, collapsing to her knees. Her heart sank as all she could do was watch in terror as it all unfolded.

Back atop the wall. From the side of his peripherals, Link turned his gaze out to Hyrule field. To his astonishment, he saw what looked like a sea of arrows ignite over the grassy fields.

"The hell? What are they doing?" He whispered. To his recollection, it was still night, and he knew he had at least a few more minutes until the dawn. So, why was the army beginning their attack, he wondered?

Sidon, at that same time, was also dealing with his own fair share of problems down below.

The bokoblin marched up to Sidon and shoved him. Annoyed that he was disobeying him. But poor Sidon had no idea what the cretin was asking of him and tried to play along. Suddenly, a Moblin charged from behind to the side of him and smacked him, also trying to get him to comply.

In doing so, the clumsy brute knocked his mask clean off. The jig was up

Stunned by what they were seeing, the beasts couldn't believe their eyes, each taking a step back. From their point of view, they saw one of their own magically transform into a Zoraling.

But the charade was over. Each hissed and growled, reaching for their weapon when Sidon flung into action.

"Ahhh, to hell with this!" The prince said, spinning out two small daggers he kept at his side. And in quick form, faster than them, like an elegant dance, slit both the throats of his attackers.

Other monsters nearby saw the struggle and ran to attack. But they were still a ways away.

"Heads up Link we got company!" he shouted up above.

Little did the prince know, but they were all in for a rude awakening.

Realizing what was happening, Link shouted below. "Get out of here now! We're too late!"

Sidon leaned back, confused. "What?"

"Go now! Go to the others!" the knight exclaimed.

Sidon obeyed.

To his shock, Link saw from over the wall the burning flames which shot and streaked across the night sky, flying straight toward the city. Until at last, his eyes rested upon a massive ball of fire in the center, hurling right toward him and the gate. With seconds left to act, he abandoned his mission and hoped for the best.

He leaped off the high wall, taking his chances with the fall, but it was too late. A massive explosion erupted as the volatile bomb collided with the armored gate.

The ground quaked, and the wall shattered, sending shards of molten metal and scorched wood everywhere. A ball of flame lit up the entire area, and the city was open. The battle had begun. All enemies rose to attention and were caught off guard.

Zelda, who fell to her knees on the field, gasped at the sight. A bright light lit up the night sky, brighter than the dawn as the wall blew to bits. Heart shattered at what may have happened to the one she loved, she felt helpless and was left stricken in awe at what was unfolding.

Even though Sidon had run some distance from the blast, he was also caught up in its shockwave. Link, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as fortunate and was blown away skyward, body singed, clothes torn and cut from some shrapnel.

Luckily though, he jumped just in the knick of time to avoid a direct impact from the initial blast. For even how strong he is, would not have survived otherwise.

Scorched and falling high through the air over the city, caught up in the flying debris, Link was blown away. And in slow motion as he fell, felt his consciousness slip away and suddenly, everything went dark.

Link awoke to find himself in another place entirely. He was surrounded by a dark and pitch-black abyss. Until finally, the darkness faded away and he found himself in a room. No, it was home. But, it wasn't his home.

Although present, Link couldn't be seen by those who were. It was as if he was watching from the side, like a ghost. Watching a scene unfold.

His attention was on an old hylian man that was there. The man looked worried as he sat in the small cottage. He had a long white beard and a bald head. He was also wearing worn and outdated priestly garments. The type monks would wear at the sanctuary from the old days.

This whole thing was most peculiar to Link. He tried to speak but couldn't. It was just his thoughts. (Where am I? what is this I am seeing?)

Suddenly, his attention turned to another hylian. This person barged into the home in a panic. It was a fair young maiden, who had dark hair .She was carrying a baby with her and she was frightened. All he could do was watch.

"Lady Aryll, what brings you here? It's dangerous for you to be roaming around these woods after nightfall!? What's happening!? What news from Nobel?" The sagely old man asked in his gruffly wise voice, walking about the room in a worried fluster.

He continued. " We saw the explosions at the city all the way from here. They lit up the entire sky." He paused, noticing the state of the lady who was breathing erratically. He turned all attention to her and not his questions. "Why Lady Aryll, you're wounded? Here sit down. We must get you to see a doctor! Quickly!"

He ushered her to sit at a small table he had in his little hut of a home. "It is too late for me, Grand Elder; I have only just a few breaths in me left. I had to find you as fast as I could. And praise be to the Goddess that I have, for you are the only one who can help us now! Please, you must, you must take him. Take my son! Please!" she pleaded.

"Nonsense, you'll be just fine. We'll find you a doctor. You can still come with us. There is still hope for you. We can get you to a doctor," he reiterated, placing a soothing arm on her shoulder as she rested.

She stood up in her chair. "No, I'll only slow you down and risk everything. There is no time left. It is coming,"

"What is coming?" his eyes widened.

"Destruction is coming. Just me and my baby boy is all that is left of Nobel."

"And what of your husband? Where is he? How could he have left you alone in such a state, my lady? What happened?"

"The queen has called all the banners and mustered the holy order of the KNIGHTS of Hylia. They say…they say she may have found a way to combat this new enemy. An ancient power lost to legend," She breathed.

The ground rumbled again like an earthquake, and the baby let out a fuss.

(What is happening) Link thought as he watched.

The mother soothed the boy with coos.

"Then, that could only be!?" the elder said. He then paused only to think for a moment looking visibly disheveled, then started rummaging throughout the room as if he were looking for a particular item of great importance.

"If what you say is true, my dear, then the queen will need all the power she can summon up from the KNIGHTs."

"Yes, we can only pray that she had indeed discovered a way to end this nightmare, or we are all doomed. So, you see? My husband had to go. Even now, his father, along with his two other KNIGHTS, fight on. They are all who are left standing in the way between that apparition from hell and the complete destruction of our great kingdom. I only pray that the combined magic of the KNIGHTs will be enough. At least, long enough to hold it at bay until the queen can do whatever it is, she needs to do in order to destroy it."

The elder stopped his hasty behavior scavenging through the small shack he lived in and turned back to the dying lady who sat resting in a chair leaning against his table. "If I may ask you, my lady, what is it that you saw? The destruction you speak of; is that what cause those terrible explosions that shattered the night sky earlier? Just moments ago, we heard all the way over here it breaking even the greatest boulders underfoot."

She panted, trying to find the breath and words to speak as she lay, holding her life-threatening wound in one hand and her swaddled infant in the other. "It came from out of nowhere, Elder. And before anyone could even think to react, it began slaughtering all those around us, mercilessly and uncaring. I have never seen such desolation like that before in my entire life. A dark sorcery beyond all imagining.

"I witnessed the great city of Nobel of house Allandra who's sky-high walls that sit at the peak of the mountain were knocked asunder with only just a wave of its malicious hand. There I watched, in disbelief, unable to move as I saw the city fall, being swallowed up by the depths of the sea.

" I saw their entire army devoured in an instant by an incinerating mouth of flame as they charged to defend it. And in a bright flash, right before my eyes, I've seen the terrified faces of those lives fleeing the great city burned away from this earth before their screams could even be heard and before their bodies could hit the ground.

"By some profound miracle of the Goddesses, I narrowly escaped its wrath. Its unholy magic missed me as it cast bolts of black lightning skyward, smashing into the mountainsides. You saw, it was sending rock and stone crashing down to those below. It was a terrible monster Elder…no…It was so much more than that…it was…it was a Calamity! A calamity of the likes of which this world has never seen before! And… It's coming this way!"

"Then if what you say is true, then that could only mean one thing. There is no time to lose; we must leave at once! Please come, my lady, I can't leave you here to die," the old man said as he reached out for her to come.

"No Grand Elder, you must go alone. I'm afraid all my life is spent. Even now, I can hardly speak. He is all that matters now. My son. My sweet baby boy," she breathed softly, pulling back the fold of the blanket that wrapped up her son. With all her focus now on her baby, she gave a loving glance, one of which she knew deep down would be her final farewell. Several silent tears streaked across her cheeks and fell, soaking his blanket. The bright-eyed baby boy whimpered a cry back, and with quivering lips, she gave a tender kiss goodbye to his gentle forehead, using up all the strength she had left in her; she handed the infant to the Grand Elder.

In fatigued spaced breaths, she continued softly. "He is his father's son and must live. Promise me, no matter what happens, you'll get him to safety? Should his father and the rest of the KNIGHTS perish in battle, he will be all that's left of their sacred bloodline. All that is left with the power to..." she whispered, her life all but exhausted.

"I will guard him with my life, my lady. But what of his medallion? Your husband's medallion? He will need that if he is to—"

"The medallion…the medallion is with…is with his," she breathed faintly, attempting to get her final words out. But her spirit had already departed, and the kind twinkling she had in her vibrant blue eyes faded away, and she was left silent.

"My lady? My Lady!?" his eyes welled with tears, but there was no time to cry.

The entire house shook again, more violently than the last. The baby fussed at the quake and cried.

"There-there little one, hush now. You're alright with me. This place is no longer safe, though. We must leave at once and get you to safety. No matter what happens, you must live. For you may very well be, our last hope," the man said, taking one last look around at his crumbling home, whispering to the boy, trying to calm him. And with that, the man made haste out the doorway and left his home to its fate.

And as the wreckage began to fall, so did Link slip back into black nothingness.

Authors Notes: Hello, everyone. I do hope you enjoy this chapter. But just as a heads up, I'm going through a lot right now in my personal life, so it may be a while before the next chapter is released, perhaps several weeks. But don't fear, the story will be completed. Also, what really motivates me to get this done is your feedback, even if its just a little. Good or bad! It drives me! I'll greatly appreciate it. Let me know if you like where the story is heading and if you like the pacing. I'm never sure if I should quicken things or slow them down. Or keep it how it is. Thank you so much for all your thoughts and if you haven't already, please go and check out the audiobook as well, Episode three should be out shortly. You can find it on youtube as Zelda botw fan sequel Audiobook.

Chapter Text

Authors notes: Shorter chapter this round friends! I'm working so much at my job that it has been hard to find the time to write. But last night I had the evening to clear my desk and get back to it. So here is the next bit of the story! The calm before the storm. Please be sure to drop a comment! It really motivates me to keep this going, you have no idea. Thanks again so much, I love you all! And stay tuned for the audio drama if you're following that. The next episode will be out next weekend hopefully

Chapter 22

A moment to breathe

From the brink of fading in and out of twilight, he awoke choking on the ground. Unable to even cough as all the air from his lungs was robbed from him. Desperately trying to breathe, he gasped from the cover of his burnt and ravaged mask, and the black void that engulfed him gave way to burning light as it pierced through the gaping holes of his cover and burned his eyelids. Even though his vision was still blurry, he saw the darkness that he once thought doomed him forever fade away as he lifted his gaze to a glowing orange dawn that crept over the horizon, peering in from a broken doorway from where he lay.

Collecting what thoughts he could one by one by piecing them together from a jumbled mess of recollection, he pondered to himself, questioning where he was as he lay motionless on the ground of an unknown place. Where am I? Am I back?

He was certain he was alive. That he was sure of. But he couldn't hear a thing except the ringing of his ears. Smoke and rubble debris filled the air around him, and the taste of ash sat like poison powder on his tongue. The young man could hardly move a muscle and was stricken numb from any control of his body. Was it the fear of death from before or the pain of his wounds holding him back? He couldn't be sure.

Face first in the dirt of what seemed like a ruined barn, his vision became clear, and Link found himself to be back in the present. Using all the strength, he could summon up to stand up to his two feet once more; he forced his body into compliance. With his bones rattled and nerves shaken, it only took a moment for the burning pain from the blast from before to return as he regained back his senses. He flinched as it sent shockwaves throughout his entire body. Everywhere his body echoed pain.

Slowly trudging about in his torn and ragged soldier uniform, he ripped off the worn mask that now had been rendered useless and destroyed, freeing his face. Although his mask bared most the blast, it offered hardly any protection from explosion and shrapnel. Just enough to prevent any scarring to the front of his face.

He gently grazed the side of his cheek with his ripped gloved fingers, feeling nothing but the coolness of drying blood coming from where his pointy ear was. Fear quickly gave way to relief as he realized both earlobes were still intact and that he may have only suffered minor cuts and a ruptured eardrum on his left side. However, given the news of his ears, he was still in bad shape. One arm was still slashed from the fight before the siege, and now most of his body was bruised from the roof of the barn and loft that broke his fall from the sky, which no doubt saved his life. Not to mention, his left side was singed by burns and bloody scrapes.

In his condition, all he could hear from one side was the low rumblings of war, shouts, and the dull clashing and clanking of steel all around him as he lumbered out from where he lay hidden. It didn't take long for his well-off ear to hear in full clarity, yet again at was unraveling all around him. He was somewhere in the city, and the battle had begun. And from what he could tell, he had only been out of the fight for just a few minutes.

The foul smell of burning slowly became more and more pungent. Until finally, it couldn't be ignored any longer by him.

"What the hell is that foul?-Eyagh!" he yelped with a jump.

To his frightening shock, he found that one of his gorgeous sideburns still carried a small candle-like flame and was smoldering. The humble hero turned momentarily vain couldn't help but jerk in fright and padded away quickly at it as if it were a rampaging forest fire that needed to be extinguished at all cost.

"Phew, that was close," he whispered to himself. "I gotta' get back to the battle. They need me. But first, I need a-" The knight stopped just to glance around where he was, and it dawned on him that he must have fallen through a thatched roof of a stable or workshop of some sort.

After seeing all the hanging chains, anvil, and all other sorts of metal crafting equipment, he concluded that perhaps it may have been formerly a blacksmith's shop. With his only weapon being just a dagger, he needed something more. War was raging just outside the workshop past the broken and unkempt double wooden doors leading to the city road.

And though he may have been fortunate to have been saved by the fall, unfortunately, wasn't graced by the goddesses to find a ready sword or spear lying around. That would have been too easy. However, something else did catch his attention. And as he was about to leave empty-handed, like a jewel sparkling in the distance, he saw a glimmer of hope. It was a sight for sore eyes.

Stabbed into an old tree trunk beside him stuck out a woodcutter's hatchet. Left untouched from a century ago. Maybe he had a little luck on his side after all, he smiled to himself.

It was just the sort of ax that would be used to break up small logs of timber into smaller bundles to stoke a furnace for smithing. A small hatchet. And although it wasn't his first choice to use for a fight since it appeared very old and rusty at its base. It would have to do since no proper weapons were around. He hadn't the time to scavenge for others or search other former residences in the old neighborhood. Time was slipping away fast. Right now, his priority was to get back to the battle to help the others.

So, he gripped the small ax, ripping it from the old bark it was buried into and waved it around a few times, testing it for usefulness and for a sturdy construction. Just after a second of glancing at it, he realized that although time wasn't kind to it on the surface, it remained as sharp as the day it was made. After all, a small hatchet, hell, any sharpened edge of a blade in the right hands can be a formidable weapon. And now he had two to use.

And as he gazed at it a moment longer, a sudden memory from one hundred years ago came crashing into his mind, taking him away from that place and to a past he once thought forgotten.

Like whistling voices in the night, a chill wind blew through the winter woodland treetops while only the faint crackle and pop of cinders from a small campfire were heard behind a strong, wise voice of an older man, just as he spoke. "Good throw Sven. But remember to keep your footing and to really lean into your target," he instructed.

The young trainee nodded his moppy-haired head and jogged back to the massive pine tree to retrieve his buried ax from its bark to go for another try.

The older man continued his speech to both the boy and his son, who was occupied minding a cast iron pot that was bubbling away over their night fire. The three of them were alone in a wild forest, surrounded by darkness. Link's attention wasn't to the wisdom of his father's stories or to the boy in training but to the mesmerizing orange glow of dim-lit embers, lost in a daydream.

Taking a break from puffing on his pipe with a full belly laugh, Link's father arose from the log where he sat, face aglow from the fire.

He spoke just as Sven caught back up to him for more instruction. "Used together, the single-handed ax along with a good knife are unmatched in close quarters combat. There are none better for hand to hand fighting. The trick is to use one to pull your enemy close as you offer up the other to deal the killing strike," Links father said voice full of excitement, motioning the practice as if he carried both in his hands all the way up to Sven's throat. A cool display he performed with grace.

Albeit a cold night, sweat trailed across the boy's forehead.

Intrigued but also slightly frightened by his story, Sven gulped back a few steps and swung the hatchet again. This time more carefully, getting a real feel for it in his hands while coordinating with his long knife in his other hand. Using all his effort and focus on working out the clumsiness in his grip, all the while wearing a gotcha grin on his sleeve, Sven tried what he could to mimic best what he saw from the Captain.

"I'm sorry I keep missing. I'll keep giving a go at it." The boy tried. " But, it's that the damn frost here makes it so hard to grip sir. I can hardly feel my fingers," Sven said, pausing for a moment just to warm his hands with the fog of his breath.

Link's father, Tye, smirked at his boyish excuse. He took a step forward and stretched out his hand for Sven to give him the weapon for a demonstration.

Link paid no mind at all and was still eyes focused on the fire and to the simmering pot, which held their supper.

Sven questioned. "If it is so great, then why don't all the other soldiers train with the hand ax? Why aren't they taught it?"

Tye held the ax upright and pondered a moment in remembrance, inhaling a long-winded breath for a speech. "Those in command and in all their great wisdom saw the hatchet as an inferior weapon to the sword, halberd, and lance. But, if we only knew then what we know now, things may have turned out differently for us…Many lives could have been saved. Your father and I saw of its ruthlessness firsthand during our battles at fort wilderness during the River Cross Rebellion."

"You fought with my father against the Oathbreakers during the war?" Sven said, attention flared and eyes widening, eager to hear more. "Mother never speaks of it."

"Yes, your father and I were the best of friends back in those days. Kind of like how you and my boy Link are today. Sadly, Talmage never made it back home from the war. I was one of the lucky ones," Links father said. A cold rasp was caught up in his throat from the memory.

He then took just a few more paces away from facing Link and Sven, opposite of the glow of the campfire, to glance up to the pitch night sky, which was beautifully contrasted by the flickering bright light of stars. They were miles and miles from civilization, completely isolated in the woods.

"The 'Minute War' they called it." Tye huffed in annoyance. "Those damn foolish high lords safely tucked up in their castles, and those do-nothing nobles from the capital thought the war would be over in a minute. They couldn't have been more wrong. And because of the quarrels they had amongst themselves and their poor preparations, great men like your father were lost. Men that didn't have to die.

"The King himself even had to intervene in the end to make things right. And because of the delay of those former lords, those savages got the best of us!" Links father said, voiced raised to an angered shout. And without warning, he spun and hurled the ax beautifully through the air, narrowly twirling it right past Sven's face to the same tree he attempted earlier, nailing a perfect bull's eye.

The remarkable throw was over thirty feet away. Even that stunning display of skill momentarily caught Link's interest, his brows raised for just a second but quickly turned back his gaze to the simmering stew.

The wise veteran continued. " You see, the savages who allied themselves with the rebel Oathbreakers there didn't fight like you or I. They were wild and fought with a ferocity the likes of which I have never seen up until that time."

Sven blurted a question, interrupting him. "Savages? You mean it wasn't just the Banner Burners and Oathbreakers that you fought against?"

"Heavens no lad. If it were only them, then maybe the war could have been won in a day. But no…It wasn't just their knees we had to bend. It turned out they had powerful friends. Friends that knew how to fight and use the terrain against us. Savages from the low country that hid among the thick forest. Believed all but died out ages ago. But, apparently, we were wrong. Their descendants lived on. Hidden from us this entire time. Descended from the very same stone worshippers and sorcery wielders of old. The Zonai they were called. If I reckon their name right. You may have heard of them."

"Only in legend, sir. To be honest, not much is known of them. Almost all records from the early ages regarding them have been lost."

"Tis' true. Hence why we thought their kind were all but extinct, but we were wrong." Tye said with a lean, spinning abruptly to continue. A real fireside talk.

"Victory at all cost was their credo. No matter what it took. Winning was all that mattered to them. Brutal was their tactics, and they had no honor as men.

"They tore us to pieces on the field of battle. And they were even worse off the field. They were the masters of the small ax and stone blade. And it was through our defeats we learned a great deal from them too," Link's father turned, sighed a heavy breath and continued, almost at a whisper. "Those of us that were fortunate to have survived the onslaught that is."

He then paced back closer to both the young men and started back up, full of vigor in his speech. " It was a cold winter, not unlike the one we are in now, and it was our last push against them before reinforcements from neighboring loyal houses could arrive to our aide in the spring. And even though they had answered the call of the King to help us put down the rebellion, it would take some time for them to help us.

"The way to us was treacherous. It was through miles of swampy marshes and muddy forest terrain, and that made it damn near impossible to venture through. The woods were thick. And if the cold of the winter didn't kill you, then the ague did. Such a horrible sickness it was that plagued us…And without the necessary Quinine Tonic from Tarble, many succumbed to its disease…And for the longest time, we were on our own. Separated by icy winter roads, unpassable.

" For two months, we waited for help, and all the while, we had to guard Fort Wilderness. We were on the brink of starvation, and the fort was the only settlement under our banner that protected the only northeastern road in between the lower provinces and the Marshlands of Tarble. We were tasked to hold the fort and the northern trade route at all costs. Or the kingdom would be cut off from north and south.

"It was their old savage commander Flatfoot that whipped us good. That's what the men called him, you know. 'Flatfoot.' Because he caught us flatfooted at every turn. Nearly wiped out our entire legion, and we had three times their numbers at the time.

"This, of course, was back when your father and I were still in with the regulars before I joined the Royals.

"Young Lord Edmar of house Hyrum was given charge of all the other lords' battalions to quell the rebellion." Upon remembering the man, Links's father sighed in disgust at the mention of him.

"He was a damned fool. Thought he could win the entire war in a day and promised such to those who would listen to his flowery nonsense at the capital. Charging off headfirst into battle all for his own vanity and glory. We had only enough supplies for a march, not a siege. But, that boy of a lord insisted to the others he could lead and moved the army ahead for war anyway.

"So, the enemy waited us out. Cut, slash, and run was their strategy. A brilliant one at that. Depleting our resources and wearing us thin.

"Like a wolf encircling a wounded deer, they waited ever so patiently for us to tire and give up until it was time to go for the throat of the army and finish us off for good.

"It was their terrain after all, and they knew the land better than any of us. Goddesses know, If it weren't for the miracle at Meadowbrook, we all would have been butchered."

"Miracle at Meadowbrook?" Sven sat upon a nearby stump across from Link. Chin firmly placed into his hands, listening intently.

"Yes, you never heard of the great Miracle at Meadowbrook?" Tye chuckled as he slowly walked In a circle around the camp.

Sven glanced to Link for some affirmation, but he wasn't paying attention at all and received none. The young man was preoccupied. Trapped in thought, staring deep into the smoldering cinders below his feet. With no recollection, Sven shook his head in reply to Tye, unaware of that famous day in history.

"The Miracle at Meadowbrook. Ah yes, the Meadowbrook Red. The most ferocious little critter this side of the Western Sea-and all the way to the summit of Death mountain!"

"A cucco? Are you…serious?" Sven asked.

"As serious as death itself my lad," Links father continued to pontificate, slowly pacing around their campsite telling the tale. All the while, Sven's mouth hung low, fascinated by the story.

"If it weren't for that little bugger that crisp Sunday morning, we'd all be cooked cucco eggs.

"Ol' Flatfoot had us cornered against a swamp to our backs and low open plains to our front. They had the high ground. The fort itself was a ruin, burning with flames as high as the clouds. We were lost."

"What of the Lord commander? Lord Edmar?" Sven asked.

"Him!? That coward? Once he saw that the end was inevitable for the fort and that the help we called for wouldn't arrive in time, that slime snuck off with a fat sack of gold rupees and two of his own personal guards leaving us to fend for ourselves. I saw him gallop away with my own eyes!

"And as our boys prayed a final time to the goddess and were about to make our last stand, a miracle happened. A Single Meadowbrook Red appeared out on the field. Just right as you please with not a care in the world. Between the savage commander leading his army and us.

"As a show of strength or what have you, O'l flatfoot ordered the bird taken down. So one of his archers knocked a black stone arrow back in his bow and launched it right at the gizzard of the poor creature. A hush fell before both armies as they both stood still and watched.

"But nay, that bloodthirsty warrior's aim was not true, and the cock jumped up from where he lay, scuttled and angered. Barely missing the arrow. And before anyone knew what was happening, breaking the silence, it crowed three times to the sky. Thrice it did.

"And my goddesses, I swear to you an ocean of cuccos came flying in up from the heavens. Thousands of them from out of nowhere! Out from the trees they came, over the mountains and from across the sea! They came and swallowed up that O'l Savage flatfoot, pecking and clawing him until there was nothing left but his bones! Our men rallied at the sight, and their army fled in fear, leaderless.

Sven erupted with hearty chuckles nearly falling from the stump where he sat. " A cucco! One cucco did all that you say!?" Sven's laughed so hard his eyes were crying, and his side belly ached. Link, on the other hand, sat silent, perhaps listening.

"I'm serious, boy! It saved our lives," Tye stomped at his joking laughter. He then turned to them both with a smile of his own. "That…and the other army did, in fact, arrive just moments later across the River Laiola. Hence the name, the Rivercross Rebellion. And that was that.

"Despite our victory, the war was grievous. We lost your father to an arrow that day. I learned more as a young soldier in those battles than I could have learned in a half a dozen lifetimes of training. Train with the Ax and dirk. It is your lifeline when you lose your spear or sword. Remember that!" Link's father concluded. Wielding up the hatchet and dagger he held.

As that happened, the iron pot bubbled over, and their stew spilled by their feet, catching the attention of everyone.

"Eyagh!" Link gasped, waking abruptly from his daydream.

Tye scolded them both, himself included. "Who's idea was it to let Link watch after the stew!? Goddesses sakes, what have we done!? We know what happens when Link cooks!"

Noticing Link shoot up out from his daze to quickly fix the lid to the pot, easing it off the fire just so he could return to sitting on the log, he scolded him again. "Link, are you even paying attention to what's been happening here tonight? Have you not heard a word I said this entire evening? Link, this is important…Link!"

"Perhaps Link doesn't think he needs any more training? Perhaps, he thinks he is the best out of everyone, even you, Captain." Sven joked.

I know that you're a great warrior already son, indeed wheat among chaff, but even you still have things to learn. Even if you are better than me in combat now.

"Well, pride, when misguided, is a terrible weakness. One that my son will not succumb to," Link's father declared, being quickly caught off short by Sven.

"Oh no, it ain't that sir, he's been like that all afternoon. Even before you took us to this place," Sven chuckled again, even louder. His scraggly hair was blowing in the cold breeze. "He's hardly spoken more than a couple words at a time to me all day to tell ya the truth. Honestly, at first, I thought he had fallen ill. I even tried to get him to talk with a sweet slice of my ma's wildberry pie! Fresh from the oven. And that's his favorite. And what did I get, just a few mumbles and a sigh," he laughed again.

"Really, now!? Should I be worried? Is he sick?"

"No, he's not sick. It took me all day to figure it out, but his mind is not on fighting or pie, sir, if you could believe that one, it's on a girl! "

"A girl?" Tye cupped his chin curiously. What time does he have to meet girls!? What girl? The trials are in three weeks! He needs to prepare!"

"One with big pretty green eyes, honey-colored hair, and a smile that can warm your heart even on a frosty night like this. That type of girl, sir. Ain't that right, Link?" Sven ribbed jovially.

"What? Uh, sorry, no, I was just." Link shook his head.

"Well, what he should be focusing on is his training! Now, who is this mystery girl that has put a spell over your mind and clouded your focus?"

"It's nothing—" Link assured.

Sven blurted. "He said you saw her too, actually. You both did while you were training him earlier today by Romani's!"

"Sven!" Link snapped for his younger friend to silence. But he was too late.

Immediately Link's father felt as if he collapsed under a stone wall of bricks. "Ah, I see."

Sven instantly regretted saying too much. That he may have taken his sport of a laugh a little too far.

Tye arose again. "Son, you mustn't distract yourself with these childish ideas nor let them fill your head. She is the Princ—"

"I know, father," Link replied, cutting him short. "It's nothing. Sven talks too much. I'm just tired today. That's all."

But was it really nothing? Or did Sven hit the nail right on the head? Link pondered to himself. Quietly stewing over his own words and thoughts.

"Good. And let that be the end of it, son. She is the princess. The flower and treasure of all Hyrule and she alone carries the divine gift. So, you must remember your place my son. You are a soldier and a commoner."

"I know father. I said it was nothing. Really."

" Now…If you are lucky and find yourself blessed by the goddess Hylia herself one day, you might find yourself part of her majesty's Princess Guard. That would be the highest of honors a soldier a could ever ask for. And I would be very proud of you son.

"But lest you be distracted away from your training, thinking only of the batting eyelashes of young girls, you won't even get past these upcoming 'Trials of the flame' boy!" he huffed. "They only offer this chance of a lifetime once every twenty years to the greatest upcoming warriors throughout the entire kingdom, and I will be damned if you miss it! I had to fight and nearly die in a war to earn my right in the guard!"

Link nodded at his words.

Tye then leaned back and Smiled again at Link, remembering how foolish of young lad he was at his age, realizing perhaps he may have been a bit too had on the boy. But also ignoring Link's feeble attempts to brush away his feelings. "Son, I was once your age too. I know life has its fair share of challenges. And sometimes we get carried away by our passions. But we mustn't let them. The princess is a beautiful girl and a fine young lady. Just like the queen was at her age...And just like your mother was too! So, I know the struggle to hold back such feelings and focus on what's important!" He laughed.

His father then moved to sit next to Link by the fire to wrap an arm over his shoulder to stare into the crackling orange fire alongside him. He spoke a little more seriously now. "As soon as you're older, you will find yourself a sweet young maiden of your own. I promise. The time will come. Be patient. And she will be one like us." He said, chuckling quietly before glancing up and away.

"You too, Sven!" Link's father hollered to him as well. He had been walking around the campsite, giving Link's father some time to speak to his son to offer him up a teaching of his own. And with that, he waved for Sven to sit beside him as well on his other side so he can offer up an arm over his shoulder too.

"I know both of you will make me very proud once you get into the Royals. And I know it would have made your father Talmage proud too, Sven. Wherever he may be among the goddesses looking down upon us. I know he is watching and waiting with eager eyes for that day when you get into the guard. But the night is late, and we must rest for tomorrow. For tomorrow we train you both to be Royal guardsman. With the Ax and dagger!" He laughed again, firmly hugging both the boys as he sat beside them.

And just as fast as the memory came into Link's mind, it disappeared like a whisper on the wind.

Now blessed with his ax in hand, his father's memory, and the skill to use it. Link was ready. He needed to regroup with Sidon and the others to keep his oath. He vowed he'd avenge the death of those poor maidens from before who died at the merciless hands of that vicious fiend Malroc. That he would slay him once and for all, freeing the world of his cruelty. He believed those girls were owed at least that much.

Not to mention, there was the riddle of the Moon Pearl to solve, and if that was the ancient artifact they have been searching for this entire time. And if the enemy held it in their grasp, then there was no time to lose to retrieve it. For whatever dark schemes the corrupted were plotting with, it must be averted at all cost.

Chapter Text

Authors Note: Hello everyone. I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter out to you all. I know you're probably thinking I should have all the time in the world to write since this whole c-virus deal we are all going through right now, but actually my work has been busier than ever. I work in the energy sector for my day job so finding time to write has been hard. I apologize but I cannot complain since I'm blessed to have work when so many are going through rough waters right now. : ( I do hope this chapter does the wait justice. Please let me know what you think. It really motivates me to keep going when you leave a comment! As always, thanks for all the support and stay strong through this difficult time.

Chapter 23

Liberations Part 1

Zelda knelt upon the open plains of Hyrule field before the walls of the castle, eyes red with tears. The realization that Link could have been killed in the barrage that rained down from the sky seconds earlier shook her to her core. Though overwhelmed wiith the fear that filled every fiber of her being, in her heart she believed it not to be so. That could not have been his fate.

Not Link, she thought.

Line after line of soldiers rushed past, charging toward the breached walls of the city as she wept upon the ground. Somehow, she found the strength to pull herself together amid the chaos. If Link yet lived, he was going to need her help now more than ever. There was no time to waste dwelling on her fears. She clutched a grip of prairie grass tightly in her hands, tearing its roots from the ground as she rose from where she'd fallen. Slowly, determinedly, she found gathered her courage, pushing away her sorrows, and wiping away her tears.

The main bulk of the army's cavalry was already well ahead of her, storming through the blasted opening of the wall where the gate once stood. She needed to find a way to get to Link before it was too late. Zelda knew he'd embarked upon his mission ill-equipped, lacking real means to adequately defend himself. But the route to him was dangerous and would not be easy. Ahead of the gates lay open war.

Twisting through the multitude of advancing soldiers, the princess sought for any opportunity that might lend itself to her. She approached a nearby group of infantrymen, a single officer preparing them to charge into the fray. An officer, yes, if the draping white cloak he wore could be trusted. It was a tradition of Illiastar commanders to wear a vibrant white cape clasped to their pauldrons by silver adornments in resemblance to their liege. However, the Lord of Illiastar's would be of a more refined taste. Unlike his bannermen, his cape was vibrant and unblemished, almost like exotic silk, and the clasps that held it were of richly polished gold.

She hollered, grabbing the man's attention. "You there, sir! Please help me find a horse to ride into the city! I need to get into the city!"

The noise from the battlefield only grew, rumbling thunder of screaming men charging echoing throughout the air alongside the crashing and clanking of shield against sword.

The officer jerked in surprise at the sound of her voice. "Why, Princess! What are you doing here? This is a battlefield! It is no place for a royal maiden!"

Jumping to attention, he marched over and offered up his hands for her to take, speaking softly even as he turned to shout a command to a man in his retinue. "Come, let me escort you back to camp. Sergeant! You are in charge until I return. I will be escorting her majesty back to the safety of the rear. The infirmary would be best, I think."

With a wave of his hands, he instructed his subordinate to take charge and pointed in the direction of where he should lead. The other man obeyed with a bow and no questions.

Frustrated, Zelda reiterated her command. "You're not listening to me! I must get to the city! There is no time!"

With her words clearly passing through one ear and out the other, the officer continued to reach out for her wrist to pull her back to camp. "Come, my lady, you are frightened of the battle. It shall be alright. We must get you back to your own. This way, follow me."

Having none of it, and unwilling to be led like some prized mare at the market, Zelda tore herself from his grip and stomped back in protest, shouting with her hands firmly clenched at her sides.

"Damn you, I am the princess of Hyrule, and I am giving you an order!" she exclaimed. "I am done being polite! Either you find me a horse to take me into the city, or find yourself in chains!"

Struck by the sudden wave of authority, the man nearly fell over at her command. But he need not have bothered replying. At that very moment, Sylmoor was trotting atop his pale stallion, having overheard the struggle from nearby.

Pulling the reins of his horse closer, he moved up alongside the princess and the distressed soldier and spoke, interrupting their quarrel. "Princess, what are you doing here? This is about to become a warzone! We must get you back to safety."

Zelda turned away from the gilded officer she'd chastised, focusing upon Sylmoor. "No, I will not go. Please, Link needs my help."

"Link? I'm sorry, princess, but I saw the explosion myself. Nobody could have survived that. If he was on that wall when it went—"

"He is alive!"

"What certainty do you have of that?"

"Trust me, I just know he is."

"How can you know, princess?"

"I know in my heart he is alive and that he needs me now more than ever! If none will help me, then I shall save him on my own!"

"...very well. If you say he is alive, then I believe you, princess. No need to tell me twice, I've seen for myself what that lad can do. I suppose if anyone could survive a blast such as that, it would be him. What are you planning to do?"

"I need to get his sword to him. The sword that seals the darkness. He needs it. I need a horse now if I'm to make it to him in time. Please!"

"He doesn't have the sword?!" Sylmoor shouted, jolted by the revelation such that he nearly fell from his saddle.

"Please, I beg you!" Zelda pleaded again, voice wavering in the wind.

"Why in all that is good and blessed in this world does he not have his sword?!"

"He couldn't take it, lest the light of its power gives him away to the enemy."

"It is one thing to be brave, my princess, but this...this is insanity! Stupidity, some might say!"

"Some?" she defended with a snap, brows arching.

"I say!"

She shook her head, cutting through his words. "No, my lord. You do not understand!"

"What?"

"He hadn't any other choice! If he had brought the sword with him, it would have given him away to the dark powers that linger there, and the plan would have failed before it even began! The foul beasts have a sensitivity to it, as it does to them, and it shines like a beacon when near its foes. Like moths to the flame, they are drawn to its holy presence. He could not have taken the sword. Link knew this and acted accordingly."

Sylmoor was confused. "What do you mean? Shines like a beacon?"

"I mean that the sword glows with power and burns brightly when Ganon's phantom spirit is nearby, his malice!"

"But I thought you said Ganon has been slain? Was he not?"

"He was. But even with him defeated, those that are bound by his dark sorcery and who are bathed in his corruption are keen to its power. His minions could feel the burning power of the sword just by its mere presence if Link were to approach them. The sword casts off all evil. Like water raining over fire, it extinguishes them. And it is for that reason they cannot bear its holy light to shine upon them."

With every passing moment wasted having to explain the situation, the worry began to take its toll on her further. The princess approached closer to him, placing her hands now up to the side of his saddle, almost begging him. "So, please, now that you understand? Won't you help me help him?"

Acknowledging her, Sylmoor saw what sort of state she was in. Shook up, he could almost see the heart in her chest about to burst. "You really do care about this lad, don't you?" he breathed.

She just stood in silence at his question, looking away for just a moment as a gust of chill wind blew across her fair face. She didn't care anymore what others thought. What mattered to her now was Link. And with that, she quickly shot a fierce glance up at him, shook herself away from any doubts she may have had in revealing her true self, and gave a firm nod unequivocally at his words.

Without her saying a word and by her expression alone, he knew her answer. He leaned over on his steed with a bewildered stare. "But, I thought only he can wield the legendary blade of evil's bane? How can you bring it to him from camp if only he can carry it?"

"I believe," She paused to ponder her next words carefully, taking in a calm deep breath before continuing. "I believe the sword will allow me to do this one favor for him. It has done so before you see. Allowed me to carry it when times were dire. I know it will again. Please help me. You must," She pleaded.

Apprehensively, perhaps due to his own fear, Sylmoor cautioned as he listened to the desperate girl's plea. He so wanted to help her best he could but was frightened to death of the prospect of having to charge headfirst, past the front line, and into the thick of war. He was supposed to lead the reinforcement wave, not be the tip of the spear of the army.

"Please," she asked again, eyes ashine.

But nevertheless, he heard her cries for help and closed his eyes, swallowed his fear of battle, and reluctantly let out a sigh in agreement. "Oh, alright." What have I got myself into, he thought frightfully. "Well, if what you say is true, then there is no time. Which means we don't have time to return to camp."

"But the sword—"

Stretching out his hands to quickly calm her fears, he interrupted her. "He will have to use my sword princess," he said as he went to unsheathe his noble blade. The star-like glisten of the sword rang out beautifully as he pulled it out from his scabbard, holding it up proudly on display for her and all to see. "Illucifarr-the Lightbringer! This should do him more than well enough!"

"But my lord, what will you use?"

"Don't you worry about me. I have a lance that I can use instead. In the meantime, let me get this sword to him so you can return to safety."

"No, I must go to him myself." She said boldly. "I need to see with my own eyes that he is alright. Please." She reiterated with unwavering in her position.

Sylmoor shrugged, letting out a heavy breath at her request, looking ahead of them past the field to the city where the battle was raging. He saw the danger that awaited them, but he couldn't say no to her. She was desperate. And besides, he knew she would just go off ahead anyways regardless of what he had to say. Better for it if he accompanied her, he believed.

So, with that, he put away his sword and spoke. "Very well then, I'll be coming along with you. I won't let you ride off alone to uncertainty." Though he tried to find courage, he gulped again, afraid of the task laid before him.

"You don't have to risk yourself. I know that you're—"

"Now, I know what you would say and that you would say I am no warrior. And if you did so, it would be true. It is no secret to anyone here that I have no business being on this field of battle. And I know you know that." He said, turning himself to look at her as he spoke. "That much is undoubtedly plain by the look in your eyes right now. "

Face admitting, she turned away slightly from his gaze.

"But what sort of man would that make me If I were to coward before my own princess? Am I not to be at least as brave as her?" he sighed heavily again. "I'll be alright. And besides, we have Seabass and my men who will follow after us. Not to mention, I'm wearing the finest armor, the likes of which this world has ever seen. Crystal armor!" he said, forcing a smile of hope.

But before he could continue his speech of courage, his squire nudged him from the other side of his horse. "But, my lord, you know that you're only wearing the breastplate and grieves that we have recovered of the sacred armor. The other parts were fashioned only to match, but they are just plain armor," The lad whispered, reminding his liege.

Sylmoor's eyes bulged at his words, and away from Zelda's view, he kicked his servant into silence. The squire fell back a few paces, coughing from the blow to the gut. "Shhh boy, must you always spoil everything? At least let me pretend to be brave for once in my life. What matters is that I have some of the legendary crystal armor, whereas others have none of it. I would say that puts me at great odds. Wouldn't you say?"

"Crystal armor?" she asked hopefully, interest peaked by his expression.

"Yes, the very same ancient armor once worn by one of the greatest KNIGHT's of Hylia that had ever lived! Locke, the Valiant! The secrets of crafting such a pristine artifact such as this have long been forgotten to the memories of men. And I, Sylmoor of Illiastar, have one of the only three sets left in existence! So, you see, wearing this I'll be okay. Now, let's be off, we haven't a moment to lose." He said, encouraging himself as well as her.

Reaching out for her hand to grab while another infantryman ran up beside her to give her a boost atop his horse alongside him, Sylmoor continued. "Now, you may also have heard that my brother is considered one of the greatest warriors of our day, tis true, but what you may not know is that I am the best rider of our day! Even better than my brother! Always have been. So, don't you worry, princess. We'll be to your knight in no time. I promise."

"Thank you, Sylmoor," she breathed, forcing herself past the anxiety that filled her and offered up a thankful smile as she saddled up behind him.

Wasting no time before they were to ride off, Sylmoor shouted a final command to those soldiers around them. "Seabass, have you and your men follow me on foot! We are to secure the route of the princess to her knight. The rest of you stay and follow the rest of the army! Now, let us be off with all due haste!"

"Don't worry sir, we'll be right behind ya! Alright, you men, you heard your lord! On the double!" Seabass exclaimed to the men.

And with a stiff kick to his pale stallion, the horse jumped to its hind legs and stormed off carrying the two riders toward the city and to the heart of the battle where her hero awaited them.

Armed with his father's memory, Link rushed out from the ruined blacksmith's shop. Up ahead of him were the broken and abandoned cobblestone city streets. Holding a dagger and ax in hand, he gazed around his position just beyond the door of the shop, glancing over both shoulders in all directions to see where he may have landed.

Still panting heavily from the fall and from the dust of war that clouded the air, he figured he must have landed somewhere among one of the many commoner's quarters that made up the city. This particular district where he fell into was of higher ground toward the middle of the city, just above the outlining inhabitants from where he hailed from a century ago.

From his vantage point, he could easily see the edge of the city where the outlying wall stood guarding Hyrule field. He saw the battle had commenced there and that the army had made their advance, breaching the main gate flooding into the first districts past the wall. The cavalry was ripping through the first line of the enemy defenses. But before he could join the fight, he knew he had to find Sidon and the others to make sure they were alright.

Turning his gaze now to the other direction, he saw the mighty castle to the north. Laying just before it were the Noble districts. He knew that is where his friends would be if they had survived. Now that war was upon them, they would be in hiding somewhere near the main gate leading to the castle. And that would more than likely be the Nobility quarter.

Tearing the smirk from his face as he wandered off in the happy thought of his friends surviving thus far, a swing of a Moblin's bat narrowly missed his head, smashing against the wooden door he stood next to. Lucky enough for him, he dodged it just in time from the side of his peripherals. Out of nowhere, the monster came. The beast must have been trampling the city streets heading to the front of battle when a lone and disoriented Hylian caught its attention, no doubt.

Splintering and sending shrapnel of broken wood flying everywhere, the bone that crowned its bat was firmly lodged into the large swinging door to the workshop. The red beast snarled and roared back ferociously, angered by its failed strike to the young warrior.

In a swift and synchronized counterattack, Link in full force with his ax slammed down the rind of the bat that was stuck. There he knocked the bat loose out from the monster's grip and in fluid motion with his other hand plunged his dagger deep into its throat, staining its putrid green blood upon the ground.

Gargling on his knife, the monster's body went limp, and its corpse slid forward onto his blade. The beast's eyes rolled back into its head. Leaving the knight nothing left to do but rip it back out from its neck. With the skirmish over, he wiped his blade clean by some nearby grass that had overgrown from a long century of neglect, before sneaking off toward the direction of the castle and to his friends.

Being careful not to engage any enemies until his group was found, Link leaped frog from alleyway to alleyway, all the way until he reached the collapsed drawbridge to the castle. As he entered the nobility quarter, he saw enemies all around him, scurrying to their positions. Most of the foul creatures nearby were in a desperate panic to mend the fallen bridge that had been disabled. Others were running chaotically and were disorganized, unsure of what to do next. The surprise had caught them all off guard.

Keeping his head low and hiding from out of view among the ruined buildings, he saw higher ranking beast in a fevering rage screaming orders to their grunts, frantically trying to re-establish order. He couldn't make out what they were shouting because they were barking back and forth to one another in a cursed speech.

He smirked in delight at their disarray, safely tucked behind some rubble that was left of a wall of some former home to a once high born Hylian. Apparently, the little sabotage he and his friends made to their defenses must have been a success after all. But this was no time to celebrate, he had to find the others, regroup and plan their next offensive. The war was yet to be won.

Stunning Link from behind as he crept behind the wall, he felt a mighty grip grab his shoulder, and in flurry rush reaction, spun around with his ax and dagger out, ready to slay whoever may have come over him. Fright immediately gave way to relief as he saw it was Sidon that had snuck up behind him so thoroughly.

"Whoa, easy there friend, I didn't mean to startle ya," the prince declared as he stood stiff, cautiously waiting for Link to lower the knife that he held firm up to his throat.

Link blinked at the realization and quickly pulled back his blade, letting out a long overdue sigh of relief.

Sidon chuckled in a whisper. "I bet you have seen better days," The Zora looked him over from head to toe. The knight was a mess. If it weren't for the bruises and scrapes he was covered in that caught his eye, it was his clothes. They were ragged, ripped and looked like they've seen a half a dozen wars. Even Link's hair appeared grey for how much soot-covered it.

"Forgive me for saying so, Link, but you look like hell," Sidon laughed again.

Rattling his ribs in pain as a laugh escaped his lips, Link couldn't help himself but smile a big grin back at him. "Really, you think so? I couldn't tell." He said, letting out a grunt. "Seeing is I'm on my way there right now."

"You mean we are on our way there, my friend. I promised her I'd look after ya'."

"Huh?"

"Ya know, The princess." He leaned coolly, folding his massive red arms.

"Oh," Link scratched the back of his head. "Really?"

"Yeah, and trust me, I'd rather battle an entire army of Malrocs before I'd ever come back empty-handed to face an angry Princess! I'd be better off not coming back at all."

Link chuckled. "Yeah, you're right. You would be. Better keep your promise to her then, I suppose."

"Don't worry, I intend to. But, before we go off and dive into hell's pond itself, you should know the others are over here Link. This way, follow me."

"Right."

"Choke on this, you vile fiend!" The lead cavalier decried, rallying his men around him as he impaled a towering Moblin which guarded the blasted entrance to the city wall. Ripping his lance out from the throat of the monster, he leapt with his horse atop a broken ledge of the wall so he could be more easily seen by the entire army.

"The Goddesses are with us! Show these foul beasts no quarter!" Simon triumphantly raised his spear high up into the air, waving it proudly as a beacon of hope strewn across the early dawn-lit sky. "Send'em all back to the hellish scourge from whence they came! In the name of her holiness, Hylia and the Goddess Trinity, we shall have victory!"

Leading the reins of his steed, he pointed his long spear back around to the enemy and charged forward.

The Starlight cavalry roared in a cheer as they stormed behind him. The hooves of their horses charging through the first line of enemies rumbled like a thunder as they trampled them underfoot with ease. Smashing and slashing their way into the city, they tore through the beasts' delicate flesh. Tried as the monsters might offer up any sort of resistance, their efforts to drive them back fell apart as the overwhelming tidal wave of horseman overflowed over them. The minions of Ganon at the front were like snow melting before a volcano. They were no match for the heavily trained and battle-hardened soldiers.

"Keep up the advance lads! Don't stop now! It's all the way to the highest keep we go! Forward!" he commanded, stabbing and clearing out bokoblins,lizalfos, moblins, and whatever cruel apparition may have challenged him. One after the other, they would thrust themselves before him in a futile effort to stop him and his men.

From atop the castle in a towering keep, laying down on his monstrous horse-like legs was Malroc. Seemingly undeterred by the siege laid before his stronghold. He was trapped deep into a dark and hypnotic trance, in clear communion with an unknown demonic entity from way beyond their realm, mumbling in whispers, eyes closed.

A gangly lizalfos approached him from the side and spat with its forked tongue at him in a blackened speech. The creature was in a near panic at their situation.

"My lord, it's the hylians, they have mounted an attack against us! What are we to do? They have breached the city walls, and the front line is faltering. And it gets worse, my lord, our fortifications here at the castle have also been compromised. Someone must have—"

"I know," Malroc spoke, slowly opening his eyes from his ungodly meditation.

"Then?" the creature shivered.

"Let them come and send forth the eight to lead the battle for now. That should be more than enough to hold them back until I am ready. They will be dealt with soon enough," his voice rumbled cold and ominous. The low tenor of it shook the ground beneath the Lizalfos commanders' feet.

The cretin gulped in fright at his master's power. He dared to speak a word again in edgewise. "And there is more, my lord! Scouts from the front have reported that She is among them and that she is heading this way toward the city! The one who carries the blood of the goddess! Right now, as we speak!"

The great titan's eyes widened. Malroc stood tall on his hooves and spun around with a devilish smirk. He was filled with delight as if he tasted the sweetest delicacy. "So, she comes to me and thinks she can tempt fate, huh?" he laughed again as he began walking the edge of his castle keep atop the tower. Peering over the stone ramparts, he got a good look at the battle ensuing below. " Do the fools think they can really win? Do they not know that it was I that allowed them in?"

"My lord?" the little monster was stunned by the revelation. "But Why?"

"Silence, I don't give my reasoning to slithering scum such as you!" he said with a twisted chuckle. "And yet, she comes to me. This is a most pleasing turn of events indeed. A most treasured gift she brings us," he grinned even more. "We shall have our blood and spirt very…very soon," He laughed again.

"But my liege, what of the witch? They aren't to arrive here until nightfall. And what of the ritual? And they also say…" he gulped again.

"And what do they also say?" Malroc grew impatient and shoved the smaller lizalfos with his broad chest.

"They say, that he who defeated the Dark Lord is among their ranks as well. What are we to do against a champion such as that? Without the great power of the witch, how can we possibly win? "

Malroc growled in anger at the lizalfos's lack of vision. "Leave him to me. I will deal with this hero myself and show you all he is just another weak man like the rest."

"But the Dark Lord was-!"

"Enough of your pitiful drivel! Surely, a mistake has been made!" the towering monster of terror out of nowhere in a swift rage snatched the scrawny lizalfos by the gizzard and choked him high up above his head. Held tightly in his grip, the lizard squirmed and flailed about, kicking and clawing at his clenched fist around its throat.

"Is that a tremble of fear in your voice that I hear? Are you doubting my abilities to lead this army? If it wasn't that I needed every last one your pathetic lives to fight in this war, you'd be dead already," Malroc said, whispering to the lizalfos as he suffocated him.

"On second thought, I'll take my chances," he gleamed.

The lizalfos eyes bulged in fright as the monstrous king of Lynels with a slight flinch of his fist, snapped his neck, killing him instantly as he hurled his lifeless corpse from the tower like a rag doll to fall far down to the cityscape below.

Malroc twisted out from the opening of the keep and faced those left present that were a part of his wicked council. The others were stricken with fear that his rage could be dealt upon them next. None dared to contest him any further. "For all to see, I will break this puny Hylian myself. I will crush him once and for all! He shall fall to his knees and beg for mercy, just like that miserable waste of flesh you saw before you now."

He continued to address them further with a predatory smirk. "They will remember the name of their so-called hero and that he died under my feet wailing in agony!"

Those beasts present in his chambers cackled in delight at his promise.

"Now, prepare the pearl! We don't want to keep her Majesty waiting, do we? And as for the witch, I suspect everything will go according to our plans. Now, go, send forth the eight and fetch me the pearl. We have a big night ahead of us now," the lynel roared as he laughed, invigorated with devilish delight at himself.

Lying comatose back at the infirmary, Riju 's condition was worsening. All that Buliara and the others could do was watch helplessly.

The silence of everyone's seriousness was all that Teba could stand. He was growing restless under the tent.

"Where is she? The princess? Surely, she should have been back by now?" Teba said, unfolding his wings in anticipation, pacing around.

Buliara groaned softly as she sat bedside of Riju.

"You don't approve?"

The powerful woman leaned where she sat. "The princess is still young. Just like our chief," She said, gently moving her red bang to the side where she lay. The black disease was spreading fast. Like corrupted vines, it spiderwebbed over her flesh and glowed a crimson red that pulsed dark light. Time was slipping away, and even Buliara couldn't hide the fright in her eyes. She feared the worse was going to happen if she wasn't cured soon.

She breathed. "At times, I fear emotion could take hold of her and cloud her judgment. Such heavy burdens placed on the shoulders of such a young spirit. How can anyone choose the right path to lead?" Turning to face Teba, who gazed from across the tent, she let out a sigh. "But even still, it isn't my place to go against her wishes. I must always be there for her."

"Are we…still talking about the princess?" He glanced, waiting for her response

Buliara spoke softly back. "Fly."

"What?" Teba questioned.

Buliara quietly chuckled and glanced over him again. "Go. I'll keep watch here."

Having an understanding of each other, Teba nodded with a smirk, "Right."

Grabbing his bow from a nearby table, he gave a farewell look before leaving. "And besides, it isn't my style to sit back and roost during a fight!"

Buliara grinned back.

"I mean, it's the least I can do for Link. After everything he has done for me and my people, I owe him my life and then some. So, if the princess isn't going to come back here for me to protect, then I'll just have to go to her. It's what Link would want me to do."

Teba nodded goodbye as he left the safety of the tent. Making his way outside and wasting no time, he flapped a gust of wind beneath his talons and shot up high into the sky. Caught up in the tailwind, he quickly scanned the entire battle up ahead of him for a better view of the scene unraveling. With his telescopic vision, he caught sight of Zelda as he spot her from her afar, galloping head, past the external walls, and into the thick of the city.

High up in the air, he squeezed his feathers into a proud fist worthy of his tribe, and boldly declared to himself. "Don't worry, Link, help's coming! Hold on, princess!"

In an epic nosedive through the low hanging clouds, he spiraled right for her position like a piercing arrow. Only chancing a glance over his shoulders to his quiver for just a second to evaluate his situation.

"Seven arrows, eh? That should be more than enough." He said sarcastically under his breath, begrudgingly smiling, knowing full well that it wasn't hardly what he needed to wage a proper fight. The proud rito warrior was no coward, though, and held all the honor of his tribe in his heart, and he knew he needed to be there for his friends.

Well, if all else fails, at least I have my sword if things really go sour, he thought. The time is now. For the Rito, Link, Zelda, and all Hyrule!

Keeping hidden amongst the shadows of ruined buildings, Sidon carefully led Link to a forgotten alleyway of the nobility district where the others were hidden. Safely nestled just above a stone staircase entrance to the sewers, they were out of view from the mob of monsters running a rampage just beyond their position. They had to speak in hushed voices.

As they made to their approach, Bjorn jumped up to his feet from kneeling next to Dimm, who was grievously wounded leaning up against the stone wall.

"There you are, so you're alright, master Link?"

"What happened?" Link bolted toward Dimm and took a knee beside him.

"I'm sorry, Sir- Link... I really didn't mean to mess things up so bad," Dimm said with a cough as he held his abdomen tightly. The man was in shock, face pale with a cold sweat.

"It's alright. Just take it easy." Link glanced at the others. " What happened to him?"

"We did exactly what you told us but-" Bjorn replied, shortly being interrupted by a panting Dimm.

"It's my fault, really. " the wounded soldier explained as he coughed, laying against the wall. "You would think I had a great story to tell. That, perhaps, I fought an epic battle and took on the devil Demise himself. But that would be a lie. I'm no hero. I'm not like you. The sad truth is...I fell. That's it really...We set the fuse, and I tripped on the chain coming back as we ran and fell on some old iron rod." he sniffed, eyes beginning to well up with tears of disappointment.

"Shhh, nonsense. You came here and did a very brave thing. Nobody else in camp was willing to risk their skin and come do this. But you did!" Link said back, calming the man who was fading fast where he lay against the wall.

Dimm smiled as he held his side to his belly. The flesh wound was slashed deep and his tunic was soaked with blood.

"I just wanted...for once in my life to be remembered for something. Ya know? To really make a difference. And I thought... I thought that if... If I could just be alongside the legend himself. The one who beat back the darkness. The one that the men say is champion. Link...That maybe, perhaps, a little bit of hero from him would rub off on me. Nobody knows me where I am from, nobody would miss me. That's why I came, you know?" his eyes met Link's as he explained, heaving and holding onto what little breath he had. "To show those back home that I can be somebody. Even my family too. That maybe...If they heard about me in the army, they might remember me. Remember that I even existed," he said, choking and hacking into fits that interrupted his own speech.

"You are a hero. You did even what I couldn't. You blew those charges and made the bridge fall here. Because of what you did, we can take the castle back, Dimm. You hear me?" Link chastised. The others present nodded and reaffirmed.

"You really think so?" Dimm forced a smile, gagging on the blood that began to fill his throat.

Link smirked. "Ya, and don't you go to sleep on me now! You gotta' get back and hear the songs they are going to sing about ya, remember?" Link glanced to the other two who stood by and watched. "Ain't that right?"

"Right!" Sidon and Bjorn confirmed.

Dimm lifted his hand, forcing a thumbs up, glad that he finally had their kinship and approval. For once in his life, he felt that he belonged and that he had friends. Link reached out both his fist to grasp his quivering hand.

Dimm spoke again, voice trembling and weak. "You...You really think so? You really think they would sing... sing...sin..." His lips stopped moving, and the lonesome alleyway went quiet. The light in his eyes faded away into darkness like the night.

Bjorn knelt and took his vitals. " He's gone..."

Link tucked his head into himself, angered by his failure to keep the others safe. Without even a moment to grieve, Biorn shot up from where he was and pointed toward the castle.

"Look! What's that!?"

Together as one, Link and Sidon's attention sprung to the highest keep. A gruesome act of violence. Up high to the top of the castle, they saw a Lizalfos corpse being thrust through the air as if it was refuse. Tumbling down, bouncing from tower to tower, hitting every rampart and stone wall until its body slammed into the courtyard with a dull thud.

"Malroc...You think they have it? The pearl?" Sidon turned to Link.

"If they have the pearl, then I have to get it back. I have to stop them before they use it."

Link glanced over to Bjorn. "You have your mask still, right?"

Bjorn nodded back, afraid from the menacing power he just witnessed come from the top of the castle.

The knight continued. "You're not much good here on your own, and I cannot risk you too. Stay low here until the army arrives and wear the mask. You should be hidden until then. I'm going!"

Sidon stepped up behind Link before he could bolt away. "Not without me, you're not. I told you, we're in this together friend. Til the end." the Prince smirked.

"No, Sidon, not this time. I'm sorry, but I can't have you risk yourself. It's too dangerous. I already have enough blood on my hands to last me a lifetime. Because of my own weakness, Dimm died, and so did those maidens. Not only that...but the others too! How many more must pay the price? Revali, Daruk, Urbosa... Mipha." Link said as he squeezed a fist of frustration. His eyes watered.

Sidon spoke solemnly. "Nonsense Link, you can't beat yourself up over what happened a hundred years ago. And you can't blame yourself for what happened to Dimm and those poor girls. The plan was shocked from the get-go. He knew what he was signing up for."

Link just stood facing the other way, slowly hearing his words swirl around his own thoughts.

"Mipha, above anyone would understand. You know this...And, so would the princess!" Sidon declared hand-stretched for his shoulder.

The prince leaned. "I know what I signed up for when I swore my oath to you and her. I'm not about to abandon it now!"

Link listened, eyes glancing from the bottom of the fortress to the top to where they needed to go.

"And this may sound a bit unbecoming of a prince and may not quite be what you're used to hearing from me, but I can't find any other words to say it. So, I'm just going to say it." He took a few steps closer to Link. " What do ya say we go and slay the bastards, once and for all! For Mipha, and all those who've sacrificed!" Sidon proclaimed, red fist alongside him in the air clenched.

The knight, after hearing his pep talk, just slowly faced him and gave a smirk, realizing he indeed had a friend in him. "Alright then, Sidon. Let's go."

Chapter Text

Authors Notes: Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoy this chapter. We are now very close to the climax of act 1. Sorry for the late updates, work and life in general is hectic to find time to write. But, the story will be finished. Also, those who are listening to audiodrama of this story, that too will be continued. Just bear with me to get it done. Lastly, if you do enjoy the story, what really motivates me to stay up late and write, to put in the time is your comments. I'm always looking to grow. Thanks so much and see you next time.

Chapter 24

Liberations: Part 2

Sylmoor kicked their pale horse to quicken its pace, for there would be no turning back now. Zelda and her Lord were on a collision course straight for the clashing war beneath the daunting castle.

The morning was unusually chill for summer, or so it seemed to Zelda. The breeze carried a heavy dew of frost that crystalized lightly in the wind. And as they rode off racing faster and faster toward the city, she felt the brisk air slap her face. The cold air was fierce, sinking past her riding cape and deep into her bones.

She couldn't help herself but wonder if that was truly the reason why she felt so cold, or if it was the doubt and fear from before, overcoming her thoughts, and penetrating her from head to toe with an icy feeling. Perhaps something terrible might have happened up ahead of them that she had yet to find out?

Just ahead, beyond the wall, the advancing line of cavalry stormed the first set of districts of the abandoned city of kings. The area they approached had already been made safe of all enemy threats, and a surreal scene played out before them as they entered.

Sylmoor jerked back the reins of his horse for just a moment, the animal abruptly rearing up on his hind legs. The princess, jolted by the sudden rough stop, nearly found herself sliding off.

Sylmoor swiftly twisted himself to apologize, grasping for her hand before she could manage to fall.

"So sorry, my liege! It's just… I'm not used to riding for two," he said from the corner of his mouth in a short breath, turning attention to focus on where they were. His green eyes searched the entire area around them, gazing back and forth, far and wide, looking beyond the once-upon-a-time settlements that lay in ruin. "I'm afraid I don't see your knight..."

Zelda acknowledged his apology quickly as she shook herself from her fall, even as she began scanning through and beyond the crumbling buildings for a better view. The pair were just beyond the decimated city wall, where the colossal explosion erupted. Massive debris from the destroyed fortifications lay scattered in all directions. All that remained were the remnants of a dead and empty warzone. Corpses of both friend and foe littered the ground, though most were from the ranks of the foul beast that had stolen her homeland, which was some small comfort to the princess.

"I don't see him either!" she confirmed in a holler, repositioning herself on the horse, hand over her face. Shielding her eyes from the brightness of the sun, she glanced in all directions, desperately trying to scout for her hero.

"He may have ventured to the castle, where the battle is to be!" she spoke, followed by immediately shouting as politely as she could to a nearby cavalryman attempting to clear the debris and corpses from the pathway. "You there, soldier! How many have we lost so far in the battle?"

Her stomach tied into a knot, anxiously waiting for him to reply. Seconds felt like minutes.

The middle-aged man tore away his helmet from atop his head, and his long blonde hair was soaked from battle, soiled by blood and sweat. Whether it be his own or from the vicious and cruel beasts that now lay slain around them could not be discerned. Quickly, he gazed around and shouted an order to another. The other man was closer to the wall, piling the dead in the immediate vicinity alongside a few comrades. "Corporal, how many have we found so far of our own!? Her majesty would like to know the number!"

"…We found twenty-three, Sir!" the man yelled back.

The officer, who'd moved beside the princess' and Sylmoor's saddle, relayed the information to his liege. "With his twenty-three and those I found myself, that makes a total loss of twenty-seven. And around ten good lads wounded. They should make it if we get them back to the infirmary."

The commander let out a heavy sigh, in awe of the devastation of which just took place. "Given the circumstances, it was a miracle we didn't suffer more casualties, m'lady. I'd say we had a good jump on the bastards, err, excuse me, I mean-"

"It is quite alright, no need to stand on courtesy. Believe it or not, I've heard much worse within the castle walls from so-called esteemed sirs than anything your lips may have uttered today. I take no offense," she said warmly, her gaze clearly showing she forgave him speaking so crassly to a princess. "This is a battlefield after all."

With a heavy sigh, she continued. "And while it pleasing news to hear that many of ours been spared a cruel fate, what I truly must know is if you have seen a rogue Hylian warrior? Young, about your height, and he wouldn't be wearing the typical armor of those counted among the army."

The man cupped his chin, taking a step back and squinting an eye in contemplation as he recalled the siege. "No, I'm afraid I have not seen anyone that matches your description, my princess. Of that much, I can assure you. Your warrior is not among our dead, nor our wounded."

"Then there is still hope." She said faintly, heart relieved and able to breathe again freely.

"May I ask whom it is you are looking for, your grace?"

"Link, the Hylian champion from a century ago, my personal guard…Do you know of him?"

"Do I know of him?" the man's eyes lit up. "Everyone knows of him, my princess! Why, he is Link, the demon king slayer! The Ganon-crusher! The lynel-breaker!"

"All that, eh?" Sylmoor butted in with a chuckle as Zelda proudly nudged him back where he sat.

"An' much more!" The man responded, matter-of-factly.

Sylmoor playfully protested. "See, your highness? Your knight has a bit of a reputation to live up to. It appears he isn't allowed to die, even if he wanted. Already he is quite the legend among the ranks. Just think of what it might do to the morale of the men if he were to fall in battle! Certainly, the goddesses wouldn't allow that to happen?"

"Indeed," Zelda replied, humoring him, though not entirely convinced.

The soldier continued. "You can feel at ease, your grace; he is not here. Which can only mean he is still yet to be found, and likely alive."

"Thank you, Sergeant. Carry on with your duties then, and take good care of the men here. I charge you with that, my good Sir," she smiled cheerfully at him, warming the heart of the battle-rattled soldier.

She spoke to sylmoor out of earshot of the soldier as they trotted away on the path forward deeper into the city. "Then it's as I suspected, he most certainly is up ahead. I just know it! He has to be! Look, there up above the cityscape. It's the tail end of the army, and it is pressing higher up! They're almost to the wall of the castle!" she called out to Sylmoor, who sat in front of her.

They couldn't force the horse to gallop fast because the way was treacherously full of rubble and all manner of obstructions. They had to get to an open city street first. As they trotted, she pointed past his shoulder to the bulk of the main force that was still raging in war. The echoes of battle screamed even to where they were. They had to speak louder to each other to be heard.

"What makes you so sure he is there? I know he wasn't found here, but the city is a rather large place, princess. And the explosion, forgive me, but what if on the off chance he may have-"

"I told you already, Link is alive! I just know it. No more doubts, please…He is a legend, remember? You said it yourself."

"Well, sometimes I say things to inspire the men, doesn't mean I actually-"

"Sylmoor! Link is alive, and he needs our help now more than ever. He needs a proper weapon to fight. I tell you that if that is where the others are heading, that is where he will be. Trust me. Link would never finish his task and leave the army to fend for themselves. Even now, those fighting are advancing slowly, going through each residence, clearing out every district until they retake the entire city. He would never let others do the fighting for him. If I know Link, he would be heading straight for the belly of the beast himself!"

"Oh…great! Well, that's cheerful news," Sylmoor gulped, getting more frightened as they tip-toed closer to the edge of battle. "And without a proper weapon to defend himself to boot, how splendid," he said sarcastically.

Zelda leaned forward to where Sylmoor sat. "Have I not mentioned he was brave before?" she said with a soft and warm smile of encouragement.

"Yes, how can I forget? You and everybody else certainly made that clear. Abundantly. Forgive me for saying so, but I'd prefer to call it foolishness, my princess," he said, following with a sharp murmur under his breath. "Or suicidal tendencies."

"What was that?" Zelda replied. She couldn't quite grasp what he said, only catching a single word amongst the ruckus that lay ahead of them.

"I said ay; he is brave! You're right!"

"Well, yes, he does have a tendency to slightly overdo things from time to time. I'd guess you can say he bites off a bit more than he can chew."

"A bit!?" Sylmoor's eyes bulged with friendly sarcasm as she chuckled back softly at his wide-eyed response.

"Now enough time wasting just trotting along. Let us be off with all due haste; we must continue! We have to hurry to the castle if we are to get to him in time," she replied with a confident huff. "He needs a proper sword! That much is certain. And—"

"And?"

"And…I need to see if he is alright…" she tucked her head into her shoulder.

"But, you just said you felt he was-"

"I know, I know. It's just…seeing is still better than just feeling, wouldn't you say? And besides, I'd go mad if I had to stay at the tent and wait for the news of his victory or defeat. The suspense of that alone would be all more than I can bear."

"Well, then what are we waiting for!? Let's get a move on and find our man! The sooner, the better!" Sylmoor decried, slapping the reigns galloping them forward on the main road toward the castle.

Sneaking their way behind the numerous dead hedges that made up the outer castle courtyards of the nobility quarter, Link and Sidon had finally arrived at the water's edge to the main moat that guarded the nearest keep. Draping waterfalls of canal poured out from the top of each tower filling the encircling trenches below that guarded the outer defenses to the main castle. The castle grounds were segregated into three distinct levels and were masterfully designed to repel any foreign invasion.

Each ascending level was barriered by their moat, making any ground assault upon its walls perilous. And like a step ladder going down, each moat flowed in a clockwise circle that would drain over to the next level via their keep. All of which were fed upstream by the main river that flowed out from the mouth of the Domain to the inners of Hyrule Kingdom. Some would say that it was the best-defended castle in all the land, and for a good reason, it was to protect the royal family.

Never throughout all the millennia did it ever cross the imaginations of Hylians that they would have to siege their own castle to reclaim back what was rightfully theirs.

The two infiltrators huddled together and spoke in hushed whispers to one another. Link sized up the first tower that lay just ahead of them, scanning the area for any nearby enemies. The coast was clear.

"Alright, I don't see anything we can't handle on our own. Looks to be a lot less of them from before. They must all be heading to the front of battle, past the main wall. Not so much even as a watcher on the ramparts. In any case, the army will be here soon. Now would be our best chance to get the pearl back safely in our hands while their main force is away," Link said, glancing as far as he could without peering his head out too far out over the hedges.

"But you can bet each tower probably has some surprises waiting for us on the inside. And it looks like they closed the smaller gates to each tower." He said, followed by a quick chuckle of sarcasm. " I don't think they wanted to make things easy for us."

Sidon concurred. "Well, at least both the main gates have fallen. Or this battle would have been over before it even began."

"Yeah, the army should have no problem getting into the nobility district and beyond the main castle wall if they press hard. With the few siege weapons and ladders that do remain, they should be able to get them over each inner wall quite easily. But as for us, we can't wait for that to happen. We need to stop Malroc and get the pearl before they decide to try and use it."

"What does the pearl actually do?"

"I don't know to tell you the truth, but whatever it can do can't be good. Zelda mentioned that, according to Muzu, it has the power to unleash an unstoppable dark force upon the land."

"You think that can mean Ganon?"

"I don't know, but I'm not about to find out. I'm not just gonna' sit here on my laurels and wait for him to come say 'hello' to me a second time."

"Then what are we waiting for! Let's get back our prize!"

"Right! But wait…" and as fast as Sidon bolted away, Link reached for Sidon's shoulder and made him take a step back.

The knight spoke. "Who's going to climb the first tower and get the secret door open? There's a hidden sentry door that can only be open from the inside. If we can find that and get that open, we should be in business. The walls themselves are near impossible to climb without siege weapons. It will take some time, but it can be done with the peeking ledges that overlook the towers themselves. You see them? There, each window has a guard lean. Enough for us to climb if we lasso each sconce that hangs beside em'. You still have that rope from before right, the one we used to tie some of the charges together?"

Sidon cracked his knuckles. "Stand back, my small Hylian friend and leave it to me."

"Small?"

"Well, you are, aren't you? At least by Zora standards!"

"Wait just a minute, who says you get the glory of taking down the first tower?"

"Because I'm a prince and I'm taller than you, that's why…and it will save time. I can get it done in less than half the time it would take you to climb."

"No way, you're under my command and are my squire. I say I go. And besides, I don't want you to get hurt."

"Me? Get hurt? Need I remind you that it was I who saved you the other day and last night?…That's twice! Not to mention, the princess charged me with making sure you get back to her in one piece. "

Link scoffed. "It was once! The other time I was just testing you. Ya' know, it is my job to train you in the lost arts of Hylian swordcraft," he said, with a cool lean. But just as he stood up straight, he was torn away by a spasm of sharp pain to his ribs, wincing again from the wounds from earlier.

"No offense, my friend, but you look like you can use a breather."

"What? I'm just getting warmed up! You haven't seen nothing yet!" he said, shaking off the pain.

"Alright then, if you say so. But how about we arm for it at least!? A gentlemen's game, Fair n square? Winner gets the glory."

Link paused a moment to think over his proposal, cupping his chin. "Okay, you got it…Deal. So, best two out of three?"

"Sure, if you think that will make a difference. You can make it a million rounds if you want for all I care. I always win at this game, Haha!"

"Yeah? We'll see! Enough talk, show me what you got."

Link poked a look over both shoulders to eye their surroundings to see if they were hidden out of view from prowling eyes. Sidon grinned as Link met his with a smirk of his own. A flurry of hand lunging movements begun, and it was a storm of shenanigans. Both Link and Sidon flashed each other simultaneously, a series of hand gestures. Over and over again until one bested the other for a grand tally of three rounds. At the count of three, they would present themselves with either a fist, an open-faced palm, or chop.

"What? No fair…Everybody knows Goron beats Hylian!" Link protested, Sidon beating him on the final round.

"You sure? I thought that Zora beats them all?" The prince proudly snickered.

"You wish…Goron smashes Hylian, Hylian slashes Zora and Zora washes away Goron. Everyone knows this. The match was mine!"

"I'm pretty sure Zora beats them all."

"What!? How so?"

"Like this," and without hesitation or warning, the massive Sidon, elbowed Link in the sternum, adequately knocking him several steps back to fall on one knee, robbing him of breath.

Sorry, Link, but this just gave me an idea, and it's something only I can do! Sidon noted, darting away toward the moat.

"Dammit, You…Never trust a Zora to play fair! Royalty or not, they're all the same!" Link choked, heaving himself up to stand yet again, one eye open and the other winced shut as he watched his friend bolt away.

Sidon graced the water's edge and flung himself high into the air forming a magnificent spiral dive as he splashed into the black water moat.

Link lifted his head from where he rested, catching his breath. "Of course, why didn't I think of that!? You could have just told me that was your plan all along, ya' know. Could have saved me the gut punch." Link mumbled in a whisper, looking onward in anticipation. "I'll remember this treachery." He smiled.

The proud Zora effortlessly shot up the pouring waterfall, surfing his way up to the top of the tower in just seconds. With a climatic splash and flip out of the water, Sidon landed his grip perfectly on the peeking ledge where sentries would watch over from opening.

Careful to not to be seen by lurking enemies, Sidon made a few whistles, mimicking that of an owl. For some reason, that was the only creature that came to mind for him to use to mask his ruckus from the splash. He regretted it the moment he did it, but it was too late. Now he just had to keep the charade.

As he was crafting his lips to pitch sounds of night birds, Sidon realized he wasn't even sure if he was even making the proper sound of an owl. But now someone or some thing had already heard his false chirps. An elongated black Moblin with a bent neck wandered up to the peek window to investigate. Unable to see the Zora's red hands safely hidden out of view from the rampart where the stone bends for the archerman's slat, the monster sniffed about.

The nervous drooling monster lifted its trunk and glanced a suspicious eye in all directions, clenching its fist tight, anger swelling.

This was probably the first time such a creature has ever heard the hoot of an owl for that matter, for wholesome things didn't wander too close to where evil reigned in the land. So, this was most peculiar that of all days, today would be the day a song of a bird would be heard from that window. And in the off chance the beast did know the sound of owls, it was broad daylight. Why on earth would an owl be hooting anyways?

The beast lunged its head over the ledge to a mysterious voice.

"Hey there, would you mind lending me a hand?"

The moblin's eyes bulged at the frightening sight, and before it could rile in a rage, Sidon's massive red arms yanked him over the ledge pulling himself over in its place. "Careful now, you could fall!"

The monster screamed in terror as it was catapulted off.

The prince gave a shark tooth grin at his sly self. "Oops, too late. Sorry about that! I sure hope you can swim!" he hollered down below to the falling beast.

Plunging several stories, he watched as the monster flailed about in a panic, splashing frantically to stay afloat before it tired and sunk to the depths of the moat to a watery grave.

"Oh, I guess not. Oh well, good riddance." He commented.

Monsters such as Moblins and Bokoblins feared water. The only time they would ever dare to venture into water would only be over it on a boat. Even then, that would take some strong convincing for them. Now, Lizalfos, on the other hand, were well suited for water combat.

Sidon shrugged off the monster's misfortune and whispered. "Now, Gotta' find the trap door to the side of the tower."

Wasting no time, Sidon bolted down the spiral staircase. The way was open and not a beast in sight. So far, so good. He thought. And in no time, he caught up to an old trap door where watchmen from a long time ago would use to trade shifts. A small hidden door that could only be opened from the inside. For in order to enter from outside, one would need to know the precise location of the secret entrance. And even in that instance, one would have to have the means to undo stone. For it was masked in clever masonry to camouflage itself from any malicious eyes that may have ever had ill intent for those dwelling at the castle.

Looking afar across the rushing current of the moat, Link waited for any sign of Sidon to show himself. And just as he was about to worry and formulate another plan, curiously catching his eye, he saw the slow crack of the stone wall at the base of the tower begin to shift and break away. Tucked away in the shadows and out of the main view of the front tower entrance just above the moat, a door opened. It was Sidon.

Relieved, Link sighed.

"Good, you're alive! I'll swim across." Link said, darting to the water.

"Careful Link, the moat carries itself a mighty under toe that you wouldn't realize just from gazing upon the surface. But it's there just the same. A neat and clever neat trick too, seeing is how old the castle is. I think your forebearers didn't want randoms going for pleasure swims in their moats. My guess, is that they used that as a way to keep out threats that may have tried their luck at ending the line of Hylia!"

Link skid on his heels, almost falling in the water.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, best not chance it. How about I cast out a line, and you grab ahold? I'll pull you in?"

"Sounds good, hurry!"

Grabbing the rope tied to his waist, Sidon fixed a quick lasso and tossed it into the water were Link faced. The proud Hylian nodded and did a front flip into the water, swimming past the resident colorful fishes that made their home of the old moat. Wasting no time, he quickly snatched and tugged on the line. But, just as he did, a sudden rush of current flowed over him mightier than a whirlpool, threatening to carry him away into the abyss. Luckily, Sidon felt the pull and reeled him hands over fist on the rope.

It didn't take long, but Link made it across, albeit soaked from the swim and slightly fatigued from gripping so hard.

Link shook off what water he could and spoke. "Okay, now that we are in, I know an easier way to the Grand Sanctum. That's where he'll be."

Sidon nodded in approval and followed after Link rushed into the tower.

Charging full speed on the main road, Zelda and Sylmoor were almost at the tail end of the army, which had already advanced through almost the entire city and were about to make their final assault on the castle.

She saw the cavalry up ahead, slaying whatever beast remained in their wake. Those at the front led by Simon were reforming into another line to charge through the bottleneck of the main gate to the castle. The way was open, and she could also see even further ahead of them where monsters were forming their lines too and some even firing arrows from the ramparts of the great outer castle wall.

"There! Link will be there, hurry!" she commanded.

Sylmoor gulped but obeyed, kicking his horse, even more, to hurry to them. But, in that instant, just in between them and the great Hylian force that lie ahead, what seemed like an explosion rumbled beneath their feet just in front of them. Sylmoor jerked the reins as fast as he could and nearly lost control of the animal. The poor creature squealed in terror and slid rough to a terrible stop on its silver hooves.

Astonished at what they were witnessing, a giant stone door opened level with the ground, in the middle of the road, somewhat still covered by dirt and cobblestone. And out from what could have only been hell's pit came a scourge of villains. First, a massive brown Lynel followed by a group of moblins and bokoblins, bloodthirsty, and ready to kill anyone in their path.

"But how!? Oh no, it can't be, it's a trap! The army…they will be recaptured if more get through! We have to help them somehow?!"

"We need to turn around right now if we want to live long enough to warn them!" Sylmoor shouted, spinning the horse into a retreat.

"We can't abandon them!" she pleaded.

"We're not; we'll just have to find another way. Your safety is our top priority!"

She paused for just a moment to think. "Okay! I think I know another way," She said, pointing in the direction of another road, one that was smaller and tied around in a loop up ahead to where the army was.

"Yeah, alright, also…is there anything else you might want to mention about this wonderful city of yours? Ya, know, like special trap doors that the castle guards use to use? Now would be the time to mention such important details!"

"I had no idea those even existed," she replied in a worried frown. "I wasn't privy to all the dealings of the castle and its fortifications while growing up, you know."

"Yeah, well, that makes two of us…" And just as he was about to charge the stallion to run, he and Zelda heard a growl. The massive brown lynel wasn't facing the back end of the army at all but was glaring right at them. Its evil eyes were aglow with fire while it devilishly licked its lips in a crazed hunger as it leered at Zelda.

"Oh, don't tell me…" Sylmoor's face went blue as the sea. The lynel lifted its mighty finger and pointed right at them. Speaking to his subordinates in a blackened speech, the monster let out an ominous decree. "Kill the man, but the Dark Lord demands that her majesty be brought back to us alive and unspoiled. Now go! All of you!"

The pair were frozen with fear by the taunt of his pointed finger. And like a pack of dogs on the hunt, a horde of moblins and bokoblins raced after to attack them.

In a panic, Sylmoor kicked the horse to bolt away, following down the path Zelda marked earlier.

"Hold on!" Sylmoor commanded as they rode off into the wind, down the alley.

But their escape was short-lived. Only steps away down another road did they encounter another small horde which had snuck in somehow behind the line—followed by another and another. Almost all the side alleys in the nobility quarter were now crawling with monsters, and no matter which route Sylmoor took, he had to jerk the horse in another direction to avoid capture. Until at last, they dead-ended at a courtyard wall which belonged to a nobleman who had an adjacent yard to the main castle gardens themselves.

They were now trapped with hardly a way out for their steed.

Mumbling in fear under his breath, Sylmoor faced the stallion toward the slowly approaching cackling bunch of monsters. Taking one step back for every two, they made forward to them.

He whispered. "You just had to come along on this adventure, didn't you Sylmoor? You could have just stayed home, enjoyed the theater and father's honey-wine. But nooo!... You just couldn't have left well off alone, could ya? You let boredom and rupees get the best of ya, as always!" he gulped.

Unable to hear exactly what he was saying, the princess spoke leaning toward him on the horse. "Sorry to interrupt whatever this is, but what are we going to do?"

Her eyes widened as she saw the encroaching enemy. They were done for, but she wasn't about to lose hope yet.

Sylmoor blurted. "Okay! So that's the way of it, eh! So be it!"

Zelda scrunched up her face, confused and unsure what he meant by that declaration.

He shot a glance over his shoulder with a holler of direction. "Hurry, you have to flee. Right now! There, behind us, there is a small staircase leading to the top of that roof of that manor. You see it?"

She nodded."Yes, I've been here before. A long time ago. I remember this place. It was my cousin's estate, Lady Mildred's. There's a small entrance to the castle here."

"Well, I say it's now time for an overdue family reunion, wouldn't you say!? It's too narrow to ride. You have to go alone and get to safety, now hop off!"

"What!? What about you?" she said, worried for him.

"I'll be alright! There's no time to debate! Here, take the sword of the KNIGHTs! Quickly now! Before I come to my senses and change my mind!"

She obeyed and slid off the steed as Sylmoor loosened the pristine belt to his scabbard, handing her the ancient enchanted blade from his waist.

"You won't last alone! I can't!"

"Yes, you can, and you will! Now go! I'll manage somehow," he ordered her, letting out a deep sigh.

He continued his farewell. "Well, it's not quite what I have imagined for myself when I decided to come along, but I guess I'm going to find out sooner rather than later if the legends are true or not! Let's see if this armor is really worth its myth! I should be enough to hold them off for you to make your escape into the castle grounds! At least to buy you some time before they rush over me. It doesn't look to be that many of them over there. They seem to be all coming here on this side of the wall now! Try to get yourself away and lay low unless you see your man! Now go!"

Sylmoor gripped the lance that was pitched to the side of the stallion on a brace and readied himself, facing all the foes. Determined, he pointed it toward them in a jousting position as one last stand between them and their prize.

The princess scurried off behind him, taking the sheathed sword under her cloak, bolting to the stone staircase that wrapped around the old manor. Running as fast as her legs could carry her, she narrowly dodged whizzing arrows that flew past her golden hair. Bolts were fired from bokoblins that saw her from ahead of where Sylmoor stood. Some tore through her cloak, whereas others shot around as they missed, the loud clanks and ricocheting pings of them on the steps sent her a fright. As the last of the arrows flew by her face, she screamed but managed to carry on and get lost within the grounds of the manor on the other side and out of view. She was well on her way to the castle now, alone.

The chief moblin that had led the assault on the orders of the Lynel, raged at his underlings, who were firing arrows. "What are you doing maggots!? The master wants her unharmed and untouched!" In pure red aggression, the moblin grabbed the face of one of the bokoblins that shot toward her majesty and ripped his head from his shoulders. "Orders were to kill the man, but secure the girl! She is to be unspoiled!" The other cretins beside him switched to their clubs and their attention to the daring Sylmoor instead.

And just as Sylmoor braced to meet his heroic end and as the shivers of cold fear rattled through his body, a miracle happened. Lunging out from the side of the alley adjacent to him and the pack of enemies Sylmoor faced, rushed Seabass, his Zora warriors, and a few Starsguard infantrymen. They ran over the crowd of cretins, laying waste to them all. Sylmoor was saved by sheer luck and fortunate timing. The poor man nearly fainted from the suspense.

Seabass called out to him, turning to see the pale-faced lord. "You alright, m' lord? Where is her highness, the princess? Wasn't she with you?"

Sylmoor had to take an assortment of heavy breaths to regain his composure."She…She was. But now she isn't. We have to go to her! She fled ahead. We were surrounded, and I had to let her go to find safety elsewhere. I thought we were done for. And then you…Never-mind, quickly, we must require her at once before she is found by our enemies."

Sylmoor gazed back around to the direction where she departed. She was nowhere to be seen nor any evidence of her existing at all. The scene was strangely quiet towards the castle. "Dear Goddesses. I do hope she is alright," He muttered under his breath.

"M'lord?"

"Eh, nothing. Let's go…Though, I do admit I don't see her anywhere." He said with a frown.

"We'll find her. Best to leave your horse here. We'll escort you to the castle, that way my lord."

"Right."

The small band of warriors firmly nodded and followed after his lead.

With unexpected ease, Link and Sidon managed to get through all three sections of the castle grounds. Both now were inching close to the grand sanctum, and to the best of Link's knowledge, the castle seemed abandoned for the most part.

Link commented in a hush voiced as he and Sidon both wandered the halls of the great castle, careful to sneak by. "I don't get it. Surely, we would have seen more guards. Only three of them we had to deal with this entire breach?"

"Yeah, it does seem strange. Maybe all of them were needed to hold off against the army at the front?"

"I don't know…but I have a bad feeling about this. It doesn't make sense. We saw way more of them last night, where did they all go?"

"Well, honestly, right now, I don't miss them. It means we probably can get the jump on ol' Malroc. And with any luck, he will be alone? Right?"

"Yeah, let's hope so."

The pair crept through the dark castle's many chambers, watching each other's back as they did so. Until finally, the moment they have been waiting for had arrived.

"Okay, this is it. Beyond this door lies the great sanctum of the King. The pearl has to be here. It's the heart of the castle."

"After you." Sidon smiled.

Link nodded, held up his small ax with one hand while holding his knife in the other as he gently shoved the massive door open. It echoed deep into the hallowed chamber. And with nothing but a small flickering light of a burnt-out torch held above on a far off sconce in the room, that was all that lit their path. There was no way to sneak in, so they braced for whatever lurked in the shadows, heart racing.

And then came an ominous voice that rumbled the entire castle.

"Enter Hylian. The way is clear for you."

Link lifted his head, unsure of the voice. Eyes were scanning the darkened room as best he could. The voice came from the far off end of the magnificent chamber, near the ruined throne where the King would sit.

The voice quaked again. "Why, you look as if you're surprised to hear me? Don't be."

Finally, Link saw the source of the wicked voice. It was the King of Lynel's himself, Malroc. The great titan sat on his hind legs. He was waiting patiently as if he had expected a timed delivery that was most precious to him. And with that same breath where he sat calmly, he spun like a top a deadly lynel ax. The most fearsome ax anyone in this lifetime has ever witnessed. Gently, the monster was caressing its deadly sharp edges as if they were nothing to fear at all.

"Don't act so surprised. For I have been taught in your ways and of the language from which you speak of. Yes, it is true. The witch has granted me vast knowledge to a great many things of your kind."

"So, what, you can speak a few words. You're going to need to know better tricks than that if you think you're going to beat me."

"You dare enter my chamber and mock me with a smirk?"

"Mock you? No, I'm here to do you a favor."

"And what is that? You bring gifts?" The monster huffed.

"Yeah, I'm going to send you back to the master that you love so much. Because wherever he is right now, that's where you're going to be in about five minutes."

Letting out a sadistic laugh, the behemoth scoffed at the insinuation of his small challenging rival. Stomping several steps away from where he stood, he made his war ax disappear with what appeared to be some twisted magic. And with a bloody demonic glow of pure hatred in his eyes, he spoke again to Link.

"So, you are him. You're the hero champion that was promised, eh?"

"That'd be me." Link smiled, unafraid.

"Kind of puny for a 'legendary hero' wouldn't you agree? I thought you'd be a little taller."

"Well, I thought you would be a little scarier. So, I guess that leaves the two of us a bit disappointed."

"Hmph! What did you say to me, you miserable runt!?" Malroc raged, rising up on his hind legs into another war stomp. The stone beneath their feet quaked, and the whole sanctum shook from end to end.

Paying no mind at all, Link turned away, ignoring Malroc's taunts. "Hey, Sidon, best two out of three, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." The prince smirked, walking in from the hallway across the archway where Link stood.

"What!? What is this? Who is he?" Malroc glared, growling toward the two heroes who stood before him, daringly.

"Oh, him? He is just here to observe and learn, unless," Link said with another smile, cupping his chin.

Sidon chimed. "Unless I win the match, of course! Then it will be just you and me big guy!" he said, flexing his red arm proudly.

Link nodded and glanced at his fellow warrior. "Alright then, what do you say we put an end to this and shut up old jabber mouth over there? But, this time, we play it fair. Winner takes all the glory."

Sidon grinned with a single thumbs up from one of his arms that were crossed.

"Go!" Link declared, and they were off once again, having a sport again with a game of Goron, Hylian, and Zora.

Things reached a fever pitch, and Malroc's gold mane turned violently red with pure anger as his patience evaporated instantly. "What is this!? Am I some sort of joke to you!? I am MALROC! The great Harbinger of the Dark Lord and the destroyer of worlds and of all people!"

Not skipping a beat, the cool Hylian retorted mid matchup, hand-stretched toward his friend. "Yeah, well, I'm Link. Just Link."

"Enough of your childish insolence! You will both fight me now! Die in agony, Goddess filth!" In a lightning fury, Malroc hurled toward the heroes a sharpened flying end of a whip out of nowhere. Its tail was crowned with a blade that was a pointed star-shape and looked to be of a fine demonic craftmanship, appearing from another realm. It was as if it materialized out of a black fog of energy made up from Malroc. The whip was held together by chains of negative electric current. And it buzzed like a swarm of deadly hornets past both their ears, crackling and popping with black sparks.

Whoa! He's fast! Guess it's going to have to be a draw then! The knight noted, narrowly leaping out from the line of attack. Sidon, too missed the shot, barely jumping out the other way.

Link shouted, "Looks like we are going to have to call it even, Sidon!"

"Hey, Link... I think he wants to hurt us?! " Sidon said with a slight laugh as he sprung back.

"Yeah, no kidding!" Link shouted, swiftly dodging the strike by the sweat of his sideburns next to his pointy ear. "Let's show him together? Yeah?"

"Right!"

In stunning speed for a Lynel, Malroc pounced the great gap between the two warriors, splintering the floor beneath them in a blink of an eye. "Die both of you!" And with that same breath swung his Malice enchanted whip in a whirling cyclone right toward both Link and Sidon's head.

Once again, the heroes barely jumped out of the way from the tail end, which held the sharpened star-shaped blade. And in that strike, it cleanly decimated and sliced through two pillars supporting the roof above them. And what seemed like the Lynels intention was just a distraction, because before either Link or Sidon could react, the monster summoned back his whip to disappear, spinning himself to face the red prince. Sidon was large, but next to the Lynel, he was an ant. And in a fluid motion with the backhand of his fist smacked him with the force of a tidal wave, flinging him high through the air like a rag doll until he crashed into the far end ceiling of the sanctum.

The fight was now evenly matched and back to one on one. And with his sights dead set on Link, he made his attack lunging for him, claws outward.

Link was wounded from earlier, and even he felt that he wasn't as quick, but even still with that, he managed to dodge yet again the Lynel's lunge. The beast smashed the ground missing the Hylian.

And in a quick ballet of aerial flips, the Link backed away. But with a short glance over the shoulder, he saw that the massive King of beast was already making his next move.

In mind blurring speed, the Lynel was now again just in front of him, several feet away. And in slow motion, the monster heaved his chest proud and out came from his mouth spat a flaming ball of sun right toward Link.

In a quick reflex action, Link did a side flip behind a tall stone pillar which held a bit of the roof. But like a volcanic eruption, the Lyne chased him with his flame. Behind the stone, Link felt the incinerating heat billow around the column. And just as he thought he was safe, the stone began to bubble and melt. Link had to escape or face being torched. So, in another daring move, he did another grand leap over the line of fire in another direction.

Chancing a glance over his shoulder, he saw the smoldering pillar succumb to the onslaught of raging heat, melting under its weight. More of the roof collapsed, and before Link knew it, Malroc was nowhere to be seen. The monster fled.

What? Where did he go? Why start a fight just to flee? The knight wondered, kneeling on one knee, looking all around for his foe.

The dark voice vibrated once again in the large room but wasn't seen.

"You see!? Fool! I have been blood blessed by the King of Darkness himself. The witch has sanctified me in his power. His very essence flows through every fiber of my being. And, with every breath I draw from his Malice, every muscle and tendon tightens further, invigorating me with his wonderful energy. And so, with this newfound strength coursing through my veins, I shall annihilate you all!"

"If you're so powerful, why run away? Face me now!" Link challenged.

"So eager to die, are we? Far be it from me to let you down…" the voice rumbled, and what seemed like an eternal pause, it resumed suddenly. "Patience and in time, you will meet your demise, hero. But for now, I have my eyes set on another more…satisfying prey…" The voice echoed a final time and trailed off into silence.

Splintering noises of the crumbling sanctum rang out violently as the ceiling began to fall. The ground beneath their feet shook to the very foundation of the entire castle.

"Link! Are you okay?" Sidon ran up to him from the side, cautiously looking about for a way out of their predicament.

"Sidon, you're alright?" Link replied, jumping up to his feet, glad to see his friend in one piece.

"Of course, just a couple of scratches. Sorry I wasn't much help back there."

"Nah, you did alright, you take a good punch nicely."

"Hah! Sure do. But hey, I saw something when I fell. There is something you should see this way."

"What about Malroc? He's escaping!"

"I think he can wait. It's about the army. Come look and see. I think this was a trap. Everything. It was too easy. You were right; something was up."

"What!? What do you mean?"

"Hurry and come look. I saw it over by the window when that jerk sucker punched me. This way!"

Both darted to where Sidon pointed. It was just outside on the bridge to the sanctum that connected to another more stable part of the main castle. Sidon waved his hand upwards for Link to stop as he leaned over the ascending bridge that had a full view of the entire front of the castle grounds. There he cautiously pointed beyond the main wall where the war was happening.

"You see? Look, it's the army! They are bottlenecked and been halted on the main road. And look, they are being obstructed by something! Do you see it?"

"But how? The way was clear? The main gate bridge has fallen? What is stopping them?"

"There! I see it!" Sidon shouted, his eyes bulging as a worry shot up his spine.

Link jerked his attention to where Sidon was pointing now, just before the wall on the castle side where the enemy had amassed most its forces. And there they saw it come into view.

Sidon gasped. "Goddesses, it can't be?"

"It is. Change of plans." Link boldly declared.

"What are you doing?"

"I have to go to them. It's an uphill charge through the main wall through that small opening. And they won't be able to take that thing down without my help!"

"Link that's madness. Even for you? I'll go with you!"

"No, stay here and wait for my return. I'll be back as soon as I can!"

"But Link, what am I to do?"

"Hide," he said before pausing. Thinking better of it Link decided to leave instructions as he glanced around in full panorama at their situation and what needed to be done. "Or better yet. Can you get the rest of the smaller towers open? If you do that, the army won't have to conquer each one with a breach. It will make climbing to the next level much easier."

"That I can do." Sidon smiled from ear to ear, eager to help.

"Still have some powder left in that pouch of yours?" Link pointed.

"Yes, a bit. Enough to break the chains and hinges to each of the smaller gates."

"Then get going, I'm heading to the battle. I'm not about to let this become a massacre today."

"Stay alive, alright! I need to keep my promise, ya know."

"You do the same! And get out at any sign of trouble!"

They both nodded to each other with a farewell smirk and went their separate ways. Link realized he needed a speedy way to get to the army. Eyeing a thick hanging chain tightly connected from one rook to the main tower, he decided that would be his best opportunity to get them in a hasteful fashion. To his eyes, it was a glistening metallic rope of hope.

Wasting no time, he reached for the chain with one hand while simultaneously swinging out his hatchet to split it from the wall of the bridge connecting to the other tower. Sparks flew in doing so, and with a leap of faith, he used the chain to swing from high up in the air at the level of the castle down to the descending level quickly, landing on a lower tower's roof.

Being much closer to the army now, he alerted the attention of those enemies dwelling on the roof where he landed. Easily, he dispensed three would be guards who tried to assault him. Flinging one instantly over the rooftop in a surprise air attack from behind while slaying one other with its comrade's own wooden spear as it charged at him. Using a flash of decisive moves with the ax and knife, he grabbed and pulled enemies that lunged at him, jerking the spear to impale the other as he axed the one who came first. Link fought with an elegance not seen for a century.

Just one more level to go, he thought. He had to hurry; with a better view, he saw the army was taking heavy losses. Volleys from monsters were being hurled from the top of the large outer wall of the castle down below into the nobility district where the army gathered.

He knew that their charge had been slowed, and the final obstacle was now before them.

Link had no choice but to come to their aid and confront the colossal looming threat that awaited the army at the fallen bridge's entrance.

Like a sentinel of death, it obstructed all that dared opposed it. Everything that Link has fought so hard to achieve was now hanging from a thread. All was at risk of being lost forever should the army fail. The final liberation of the kingdom was either at hand or doomed. It was up to him. He once again needed to be the hero that Hyrule needs and rise up to the occasion.

His many wounds rocked his body, but he grinned, shirking them away. Somehow he found the courage and what little strength he had left to persevere and carry on. The time was now for liberation. All was riding on him now.

Simon shouted, hunkering down behind some rubble as arrows fell overhead. "Fallback here. I want shields and spears to the front!" He dismounted, pulling his stallion back behind some cover of destroyed buildings.

"My liege, the losses at the front have been grievous. The gate may have been fallen, but we can't get through! It is too tight, and they are pillaging us with their arrows every time we approach!"

"My lord, if I may suggest." Another officer's voice chimed. "If I may suggest, perhaps, we should retreat and regroup and plan another attack." He said with a short bow.

"Retreat? On the eve of our victory!? Have you gone mad, or have you been filled with cowardice?"

"Neither, my lord…I'm just."

"Dammit you, I'm ordering you to command! How and what you do with your men is your problem! I want that wall taken!"

"But, my lord, my company has been torn to pieces! I have hardly any fighting men left? Who can I send?"

Angered, Simon jerked the man close by his breastplate and raged in his face. "Send yourself!"

The man gulped in fright. "Y…Yes, Sir," the man swallowed.

Spinning back around to face the other commanders by his side and the main force, which was now behind him awaiting their next plan of attack. For the most part, they were all out of range of most of the enemy archers atop the wall.

Simon proclaimed, facing the bulk of the army. "Not a brave man among you willing to do his lord's bidding? Then fine! I'll do it myself! I'll lead first! Follow me! The main cavalry charge will follow me up the middle, you others try to break through this wall and take some of that load off our shoulders."

Another soldier hollered, hunkering down beside him. "But m' lord, the siege ladders, the rungs won't reach the ramparts. They are too short!"

"Damnit then, tie them together. I want those archers dealt with," Simon huffed, pointing a stiff finger to the north of them.

Another man called out from the rear with news from the tail end. "My Lord, enemies have resurfaced from the city! Many of them!"

"What!? What do you mean, we already cleared the city!? How is that possible?"

"I have no idea, but they are advancing from behind, a small but sizable force of them."

"Dammit all…how is this possible? Moblins and the like don't scheme or develop grand plans. They are mindless beasts that must be put to the sword and slaughtered like the devil filth they are!"

"It appears m'lord they indeed have formulated a stratagem."

"I can see that, Villamor! You think I'm blind?!"

"No, my lord…forgive me."

"Then what are you standing here for!? Have spears at the rear turn. I don't want any of them to get through. My brother's reinforcements will encircle them. We just need to hold them off and continue our momentum into the castle."

"M' lord, it will be done." The man turned the head of his horse and kicked away back into the city to fulfill the order.

"Alright, brave men of Bountiful and of Hyrule, follow me! To victory!" Simon rallied, holding his mighty spear up high in the bright of the noonday sun. "Charge!"

The eager and brash lord made his assault leading the rushing cavalry behind him, right for the middle opening of the fallen bridge to the main wall to the castle. But just as he did, something he had not intended revealed itself to him and his men.

First, the horses slid on their hooves, and one by one, each of the men were filled with a soul sinking terror at the menacing sight. A behemoth the likes any of them have ever seen.

"Goddesses, it can't be." Simon's eyes bulged, and he waved frantically for the army to halt as fast as they could. But it was too late. Several of his men had already rushed past him to their immediate and sudden deaths. Hope vanished from each and every one of them as they saw their doom lay before them, provoking them to proceed if they dared.

Far off to the eastern horizon upon a high pavilion overlooking the castle and valley below, peering through tall blades of noon lit prairie grass came the clip-clop of horse steps trotting by. Until finally settling into view on a coal colored stallion where a hooded man sat atop, cloaked in a pale robe. The very same type of robe you'd see beholden of a priest. The unknown man joined his steed in letting out a long overdue sigh of relief as the animal shook itself from the long journey. He had finally arrived.

Not long after he made the top of the hill came riding in from behind were his cohorts. A group of at least ten cavaliers, five of which on each side, were encompassing him in a stunning vee formation. All of whom could now see the ensuing war happening below at the gates of the castle. The day was far from won.

The cloaked man proclaimed loudly to others who were now at his side in a strong, wise, yet stone-cold manner. The kind of voice you would hear that vibrated within your bones and shook every fiber of your being. "Ah…it appears that my talents are still needed on the battlefield."

"But, my Lord Kelcifer, what of the princess and her dying friend? She should be at the rear end of camp with the others who cannot fight. Shouldn't we be going to her first?" the Starlight escort mentioned with a worry, hand pointing in the direction of the camp, which was opposite of where they were facing.

"Her friend will be quite alright that I can assure you. There will be plenty of time later enough for that. But first, there is a great war to be won still. She will understand my decision. "

The elite soldier coughed into his fist, approaching closer on his horse alongside the wizard. And as respectful as he could to change the lord's mind, he spoke again. "But, my lord, you're not even armed for battle?"

"Am I now?" the cloaked, youthful man questioned back, half-smirk peeking from the shadow of his hood. His horse also snorted at the cavalryman's insinuation, stomping a few clops forward.

The man just froze atop his saddle intimidated by the powerful beast, letting out only a grunt of nervousness.

"Do not fret for me," Kelcifer chuckled softly. "Now, what do you say we all hurry and get this war over with once and for all, hmm? Our princess is waiting and needs us to finish the task laid before us now," he said, again letting out a laugh. Albeit this time slightly more jovial.

He continued with yet another grin. "The great day of reckoning has finally come at last…so is the end of Ganon's one-hundred-year reign," he declared, a single hand raised and stretched outward over the field, slowly clenching into a fist for all to see. The men were rallied, and with no delay, the wizard glanced over both shoulders, kicked his stallion to lead, and the men followed.

Chapter Text

Chapter 24

Liberations: Part 3

It was a massacre. Those who weren't immediately killed were rewarded with witnessing the sheer destruction of the onslaught around them. One deafening explosion after another rang out, accompanied by flashes of blinding light that made the whole area appear to be engulfed in a fiery thunder storm.

Simon spurred his horse ahead desperately, trying to save what was left of his quickly diminishing army. "Halt! Pull back and take cover in the ruins!" he ordered. Soldiers continued to charge past him, his words getting lost in the commotion. "RETREAT!" he tried once more, to no avail.

His horse lost balance as the ground shook violently from a particularly close blast. After nearly being tossed off, he momentarily readjusted himself and settled his steed. Looking up and around him, time seemed to slow down. His orders were too late, he realized. Another combustion, muffled to his ears, swallowed the horseback soldiers riding ahead of him in a billowing cloud of soot and fire. All Simon could do was observe helplessly. He was losing this battle.

Suddenly, the battlefield began to quieten. It felt as though they'd passed into the eye of a hurricane.. Those lucky who were left behind the line of Simon tried to find their vision through the smoke filled fog that engulfed the air, all that they could see what remained were residual blue contrails that glowed omnisciently all around.

In the air they flickered and streaked across the battlefield before fading away and dimming into silence. If they hadn't seen such destruction firsthand themselves, just before the lingering lights, they may have thought them almost beautiful. Something out of a mythical story forgotten on the tongue. But any such short feelings of awe and wonder that may have captivated them, quickly pitted into unimaginable terror as they saw their true reality before them.

Simon waited with bated breath while the smoke cleared from the destroyed gate in front of him. What he saw shook him to his core.

Filled with an unshakable fear that he has never felt in his entire life, Simon's eyes wandered slow from the low of the hallowed ground, up through the hanging clouds above them. And that was when his eyes rested on their doom towering and looming over. Nothing remained of the men who charged through the castle wall.

He paled at the sight of the nightmare before his eyes, reflexively pulling his horse back a few steps. His soldiers were waiting for his orders, but he couldn't make himself speak. His once confident hand directing orders high above his head began to droop. He was stricken.

What stood between them and their only route through the castle wall appeared to be a massive Hinox. Simon could hardly believe it. They were the villains of children's bedtime stories, a minion of Ganon from a much darker age long ago. But this was no mere myth, it was real. Despair hung thickly in the air, what little hope he had left was quickly evaporating.

"Goddesses… What do we do?" a cavalier spoke beside him. "My Lord, what are we to do against something like...that!?" he questioned again when he got no response.

Simon was frozen. They were all doomed, and he knew it.

Link descended from the keep as quickly as he could, heading to the castle wall where he could see a massive Hinox far too close to his fellow soldiers for comfort. It was unlike any other Hinox he had encountered before while on his quest to free the Divine Beasts. This one was far larger, and appeared to have been resurrected by the use of twisted means. Whether it was wicked magic or forbidden technology, he couldn't say, and frankly, didn't have much time to ponder it.

From what he could see, the titan's eye had been reconstructed from what he guessed were guardian remains. Even the armor it wore looked strewn together using disassembled guardian husks. Given that the guardians were fortified with advanced Sheikah engineering, Link knew even the best modern weaponry of the army would be useless against it. So he made haste. He had to help them.

The Hinox was enjoying itself. It paraded around the fallen entrance of the castle, picking up trespassers from the backs of their horses and gleefully tossing them in the air before watching them fall to their deaths. Those who might have thought themselves safe to be out of range of the titan's grasp soon found its deadly gaze upon them. An incinerating blue blast razed everything in the Hinox's line of sight.

At their lord's command, the army's advance came to a grinding halt and began to pull back. They awaited their new orders as the massive beast gathered up energy for the next attack. It took a considerable amount of time to charge the beam in its eye, perhaps providing enough opportunity for Link to intercept it…

"Is that…?" One of Simon's men glanced .The officer lifted his arm to point at the monster-infested ramparts behind the towering Hinox and shouted, "Look there, my Lord! It's that knight of no banners! The Princess' own guard!"

"What?" Impossible, it can't be! Surely, you're imagining things," Simon countered on his horse at the preposterous claim.

"I'm positive! It's him m'Lord, tearing through all those beasts up there," the officer assured.

And that was when Simon saw for himself where he was pointing towards.

The man continued, shaking his hand erratically for the others to see. "And, he's coming this way! But how?…He's just charging through the lot of them on foot, taking them all on, unafraid!"

"So that little assling survived after all…" Simon muttered, eyes locked on Link. The warrior was clearing a path through the swarm of monsters on the wall as though they were merely vines in a jungle.

Simon's mood soured further. "What does he think he is? Some sort of one man army?" he growled loudly.

"It would appear so, my Lord," another officer murmured, leaning and grabbing the attention of his ear.

Simon turned to glare at him. "That fool is going to get himself killed, that's what's going to happen," he scowled.

On the wall, Link deflected blows with his ax in one hand while dealing perfectly placed strikes with the dagger in his other. Moblins and bokoblins fell one after another, some even over the edge of the wall. Once he had defeated the last of the hordes in his way, he focused his attention on getting down to where the Hinox was standing between him and the army.

Next to the broken edge of the wall where the gate had been, he spotted an old tapestry hanging just over the entrance to the castle yard. It would have to do. Without hesitation, Link jumped off the wall toward the weathered fabric, catching hold of it. The fragile cloth tore apart easily in his grasp and broke his fall. He landed on the ground with a forward roll.

He looked up just in time to see that the Hinox had noticed his presence.

Spinning around the monster glared at him with its lone, corrupted eye. Link realized he knew what that red center signified. His stomach plummeted. Not only had the titan recharged its death beam, Link was about to become the direct target.

A blue blast shot towards him as he scrambled to take cover.

"Look out, you fool!" Simon shouted from across the battlefield, eyes wide.

He watched in horror as a massive explosion consumed the entire area where Link had been standing just a moment before. The rest of the army saw too and fell still at the sight of the rogue hero vanishing in the devastating explosion that engulfed him.

On the northeastern side of what was once a district containing numerous homes for the nobility, Zelda scurried about an estate that had belonged to one of her kin a century ago.

Being a royal daughter herself, she was privy to some hidden knowledge that only a few may have known about. One such secret that she remembered was that in the graveyard there lay a specific tomb which wasn't a tomb at all. It was a cloaked entrance and secret passageway to the castle itself.

She had been told various tales about its history as a child. One such story she heard of was that it was originally used as a rendezvous point for a pair of star-crossed lovers. A place where they could fulfill their passions to one another by the cover of night.

You see, back then, their relationship had not been ordained by the Kingdom at that time, nor would it ever be due to their different social classes. She wished she could ask how they endured it.

Shaking the memories away, Zelda refocused on her task. The past wasn't important right now. She needed to find Link as soon as possible.

She cautiously poked her head through the stone archway to check for any foes that may have discovered the graveyard. Once she confirmed she was alone, she cuffed her chin and faced the rows of her ancestors' neglected gravestones.

Her mother had shown her how to find the correct one when she was a little girl. There was a special marking only those of royal blood could understand the significance of. But… It had been so long since her mother passed away, and she was so young at the time of the lesson…

Zelda began to worry. She couldn't remember what the marking looked like. The more she dug into her memory, the more she second-guessed the details. An intrusive thought of Link possibly wounded somewhere, bleeding and alone, entered her mind. She feared that every moment she wasted looking for the right tomb was a moment closer to losing him.

Stop, focus, she thought to herself. She needed to calm down. Zelda knelt on the ground, closed her eyes and cleared her mind.

She whispered. "Hmmm… If I recall, each of the insignias on the royal lines are identical, except for one…The black sparrow… But how, How am I to know which one?"

She felt something was missing. A piece of the puzzle she hadn't yet discovered. But as she pondered deep in remembrance, like an answer to her prayers, the memory of her lessons from over a century ago came flooding into her mind's eye.

Aha! She thought. Its not that the insignias are all the same, its that only one is true and the others are false! She smiled, proud she remembered the formalities that were drummed into her when she had to walk the grounds as a child.

Zelda whispered her mother's words aloud."'Through which the light doth shine, there, the path you'll find'"

"But how?...How do I get any of them to shine?" she asked herself.

"The one that shines…" she sighed. "How do I get any of them to shine?"

Looking around for anything that may jog her memory, she spotted something nestled above her. An old sconce affixed to a tall stone pillar that used to hold a torch stave beside it. Below it was a large rounded bowl that still held some dirty oil, likely for the keeper of the grounds to light the path at night.

Zelda hopped to her feet, bouncing over leaves and cobblestones until she met up to the old sconce. Dipping the tip of a nearby stick into the bowl, she also found a small wooden box at the foot of the pillar that contained a pair of flint stones. She used them to light the makeshift torch.

Even in broad daylight, the tall flame were like a beacon. She knew she had to act fast or she could be discovered, so she hurried. One by one, Zelda thrust the torch in front of the headstones, above the spot where the royal crest was engraved. Nothing happened, except for her flame dimming in the wind.

She hummed in annoyance, growing impatient. Why isn't it working? It appears they need some kind of catalyst, something to cause a reaction in one of them and light the way… ugh, I don't remember such a thing. All I know is that only a member of the royal bloodline can find it, she pondered.

She chastised aloud, "Well, I am the Princess, am I not? I am of Royal blood? So why? Why won't you reveal yourself to me!?" But the stone was lifeless and didn't answer. Time slipped away.

Her frustration quickly devolved into despair. Her eyes watered a bit. "I don't understand," Zelda spoke softly. "It wasn't like mother to fill my head with such fairy tales. She wouldn't have made up such a grand story just to get a rise out of me." Zelda recalled, had been a precocious child, chasing after her coattails and asking question after question about how the world worked.

Her mother would spend hours feeding her curiosity, teaching her all she could about how things were and what made them went the way they did. All the mysteries she craved to understand were answered to her.

"Mother…She was always so…serious…Almost as if she knew…Knew all along, that this would happen. That this day would come... That I would need to know this…So, why? Why can't I remember this one detail? Why!?"

Zelda felt her knees buckle and she fell to the cold, lifeless ground beneath the stones, still holding the torch that went out, saddened by the sudden memory of her late mother.

She wept softly. "Why can't I ever do anything right? I don't have time for this! Link needs me… Please…"

She racked her brain for answers, and instead found herself going through memories of everything and everyone she had ever cherished in her life. Friends she had cared for and lost, those she met along the way, her family, her people, and even the one she grew to love. It was as if she was letting them all down again.

She had failed 100 years ago when they needed her the most, and she was failing again now, she thought. All she simply had to do was open a hidden door that she should already know how to, deep down. It was trivial. It tore her to her core.

With her head hung low, breathing softly, a few silent tears dripped from her chin onto the gravestone she was curled against. One thing Zelda was certain of, was that crying would get her nowhere.

With her eyelids closed, breathing softly as she was about to wipe her tears and move on, she saw a faint glow suddenly light up over them, awaking her. She opened her eyes in astonishment, rubbing them to make sure what she was seeing was real. One by one each engraved triangle burned brightly gold on the gravestone she leaned against.

Even more mysteriously, she swore she could hear the chime of a musical melody coming from deep below the stone. It was low and only a few notes. She knew she never heard the song before before but somehow felt she knew it all her life. She couldn't explain it.

A moment later the ground beneath her feet began to rumble. Startled, Zelda stumbled away in fear. Somehow, the headstone was moving on its own, sliding backward to reveal a staircase that led into darkness. When the tomb finally quieted, Zelda peered into the entrance tentatively. She couldn't see anything past the first few steps.

The passage was daunting, to say the least. It peered to a black infinity, or so it seemed to her. Nonetheless, Zelda found her resolve and quickly re-lit her torch and steeled herself for whatever awaited her in the depths. Whatever terror lurked in the shadows mattered not to her, only Link.

She also cared not to figure out how she'd opened the tomb. It didn't matter. After all, there was no other path ahead for her to take, and going back was not an option.

I'm on my way, Link.

For a moment, Link felt the world slow down. As soon as he realized the Hinox's intentions, he desperately searched for cover of any kind. In front of him, he spotted the corpse of a soldier and that a metal shield lay next to him. Link bolted for it, kicking it up into his hands to intercept the beam heading straight for him.

Though the worst of it was successfully deflected toward the ground in front of him, the massive explosion still sent Link flying backward. He was engulfed in smoke, dust, and heat. A deafening boom reverberated through his whole body.

What had just happened occurred so quickly that anyone would have assumed the worst.

Until…

Sprinting through the smoke at rapid running speed, heading right for the giant in zig zag formation, ever so fierce, came into view the lone hylian champion.

The Hinox roared in frustration when Link leapt from the cloud of dust and began sprinting toward it. It stomped its enormous feet, shaking the ground violently under them. Without being able to attempt a second beam attack before it could charge up the necessary energy, the Hinox resolved to throwing stones and even carcasses at him. Each projectile missed him a he dodged ever so elegantly out of the way.

Dodging strike after strike tossed from the colossal titan, Link reached for a lone banner that gleamed from the corner of his eye, impaled to a century old corpse not too far away ahead of him. Although it was rusty and its royal blue flag threadbare, it gleamed brightly in noon day sun to him as the only hope to take down the beast once and for all. So, he went for it.

Ripping it out as he ran by at blurring speed, Link used all the power he could summon up from within himself, furled the banner and launched the spear skyward, hurling it high, whizzing inches past the beast's face. So fast that it flew by and shrieked across the sky like a blue bolt of lightning that tore through the clouds, until it disappeared far beyond the towering monster.

Across the battlefield, Simon had gathered the last of his forces under the cover of some ruins to rethink their plan. From there, they watched Link launch the large banner through the air.

Simon gasped simultaneously at the throw. "He missed! How could he have possibly miss at that range!? It was right in front of him!?"

The giant jerked to watch the spear fly past its head high into the sky. While it was distracted, in that same breath, Link tossed the shield he carried at his side in front of himself as he sprinted, dashing onto it. And in a flawless display, he crouched down as he skidded across the ground, surfing by at breakneck speed to all those who watched. By the time the monster realized how close Link had gotten, it was too slow to react.

The Hinox reached down to claw at empty air as Link shot by its legs. Twirling his dagger and ax at the ready, the knight slashed at the only exposed flesh he could access. The only place that had no armor. The beast's ankles.

Simon and his soldiers watched in awe as the titan collapsed to its knees, wailing in agony. Black, putrid blood spewed from the severed tendons at its heels.

"There! Up in the sky! What's that!?" a man shouted next to Simon on his horse. Frantically, he pointed just beyond where Link was skidding on his shield.

As if on cue in perfect timing, falling like a star, the old spear rained back down from the sky, mighty and true. And as it did, Link spun around and flipped off of his shield, twirling back through the air toward the disabled beast.

And as he leapt high toward the gift from the heavens, he clenched it as it fell.

All the monster could do was watch in horror as it saw what could have only been its final moments.

One of Simon's men shouted in amazement where he watched. "But…but How!?"

"He's so fast. I can hardly follow his movements." Another concurred.

Elegantly like a piercing arrow, Link dived with the elongated lance through the air, stabbing it deep into the eye of the crippled behemoth as he landed, taking it down for good.

He drove the spear through the monster's skull using all his might. It flailed erratically as he did. The monster clawed, throwing death throes as it collapsed, tumbling down what remained of the entrance of the wall, quaking the ground beneath all their feet yet again.

The smoke of rubble and debris filled the air. The silent defeat of the dreaded beast echoed throughout the entire castle grounds. Not a sound was made after. Friend and foe alike all watched in stunned suspense at what just took place, unsure what they witnessed was even real at all.

And then, when the belief settled in, and all they could see was the faint silhouette of their hero through the dust cloud; and above him a fluttering, torn, royal guard banner that was attached to the spear; sailing down softly in wind, right where the knight stood stabbing the beast, one of the men in line broke the silence.

"He lives! The knight of no banners lives! He still stands!" he decreed to all those watching.

A thundering chorus of cheers erupted from the army at the sight of Link standing victorious. And as the banner gently fell overhead of him, the glare of the sun lit up it's sacred golden crest, the Holy Triforce, illuminating its glory to all those who saw.

"Look, the old flag of the royal guard! It still shines bright! Hyrule still shines bright!" Another soldier shouted to the rest of the army, spear raised high up in the air in a rally.

The dust settled and as their champion came into clear view from the smoke. The shouts quieted and they waited for what he would do next.

Fatigued, out of breath and with a trail of blood-soaked sweat holding the bangs to his brow, the knight growled as he rammed the spear deeper into the eye of the fallen giant to guarantee his kill; shortly before ripping it out, breaking the ancient spear in two as he did.

And, once Link turned to see for himself the remaining soldiers whose lives he just saved, he felt he needed to say something. The men were looking at him expectantly, though for what, he didn't know. He was just so deeply relieved to have arrived in time to rescue at least a portion of the army.

He contemplated his words while looking out at the battlefield once more. As the dust settled, Link spotted the flag to the spear that was planted victoriously in his foe. It flapped gently in the wind as it was falling above him, catching the light of the afternoon sun and making the faded triforce glint.

Even from his distance, the triforce decorating that flag was as magnificent as ever. The golden thread still shined in spite of a hundred years of weathering. Link found himself mesmerized by it, when suddenly, an all too familiar feeling overcame him. His ears pulsed, ringing painfully in his head. Light intensified until everything around him faded to white even as he shut his eyes tightly.

Oh no, not again… he inwardly groaned.

As if being teleported to another place and time entirely, Link found himself back as his younger self, over a hundred years ago. Though of course, he knew he wasn't really there. Link relived a memory version of himself, lined up with several other recruits in the training yard along the west side of the Castle grounds, near the old barracks.The air was brisk and frigid. And, he and the other recruits were still soaked in their gear from a recent training exercise. 

A loud, rough voice drilled Link and the other trainees in the intricacies of being a soldier. It was Athelon, their instructor and superior. He was a middle-aged, broad-shouldered man, around Link's height. He should have been retired, but anyone who dared to point such a thing out to him would surely lose their head. Having no family of his own, Athelon cherished his troops and his honor above all else. He never wanted to let that go.

If his tone of voice wasn't menacing enough, the fright of his face would surely make children run away and full grown men stand back in fear of him.

He had a white beard that was unkempt and an eye that had been slashed violently, nearly ripped out. No doubt scarred and left milky white from a veteran battle from the past. Now, if he had that as a forever memento of his victory, imagine what he did to other poor soul who contended against him. There was no debate that this man knew his business. And that, was killing.

To the young aspiring members of the Royal Guard, Athelon was a grumpy guard who excelled at weeding out anyone who didn't have what it took. It was his duty to train would-be guardsmen.

For these were no mere soldiers, or banner-men of the realm. These were what remained of Hyrule's elite force that existed ages ago. Men, who have been given the honor and the distinct privilege to guard the Royal family.

"You all well on your way to no longer being initiate cadets," he addressed Link and twenty of his peers that morning in a somewhat proud tone.

Quickly sapping what pride they may have had by spitting on the grass in front of them before continuing. "You have done well thus far, and soon you will all be Soldiers and men of the guard. But, that being said, there is one final trial you must overcome. It will test everything you have learned thus far. It will not be easy. And dare I say it, some of you may even die performing this task."

No one dared to let their nervousness show. They all wanted to live to see the day they become Royal Guardsmen. Especially Link's tall and younger friend, Sven.

Athelon continued after a pause. "Last chance, if they're any among you who still fear the death of the flesh, now is the time to step back, remove your armor and depart from your fellow initiates.

"There is no shame in quitting, for a life in the guard isn't a calling for the many, but of the few."

When no one moved, he chuckled. "So be it, then." Their instructor unsheathed his sword, swinging the blade elegantly through the air with a flourish. "Now, before the final initiation trial of the flame is to begin, which is a live combat exercise, there is one more skill that will be needed to be added to your quiver of knowledge... before you can truly be named guardsmen of the royal family.

" You have all been taught as soldiers before, and that which is good and well. But now, you must unlearn what you have learned to be true, for it is false indeed. That former way is the path to certain death and failure.

"There is no greater technique than what I am about to show you now. When performed right, none can defeat it, for it comes from the old line of KNIGHTs themselves.

"If you are without shield, then this will be your lifeline in battle. For if the battle does come to you, and indeed we are told that it shall come, you would do well to commit this ability to memory. You must be able to perform this skill to the point that you can do so in your sleep. Am I clear?"

The men just stood firm, listening.

"Good. Now, without further ado, I give you: the High-Hylian Guard." The old master demonstrated the technique expertly. He knelt low, then sprang up while holding the hilt of his sword in both hands high above his head. Then he brought the blade down with a powerful slash. With finesse he diced the air clean and the pristine shine of his blade sparkled in every eye who watched.

The trainees could hardly contain their eagerness to try it for themselves.

""Like the great loft eagles of old, we always guard from on high...This, is an ancient technique passed down through countless centuries that could even be traced back to the KNIGHTs of old who mastered it. Yes, the very same KNIGHTs who you all know to have been the forbearers of this very order you wish so much to become a part of.

"And although none of us are of the KNIGHTs ourselves, we can forever continue to honor their memory by holding true to the Guard they created. Never forget their credo and ours: 'eternal valiance in the face of all evil'!"

"'Eternal valiance in the face of all evil'!" the cadets repeated.

"Because if that devil swine Ganon ever decides to show his ugly mug again, it will be our screeching faces he will have to contend with before he is thrust back down into that inferno pit from which he came!" Athelon assured.

Smirks broke out on a few of the trainees faces, excited to learn.

"Did I say you could smile?!" Athelon was quick to chastise.

Immediately, their faces turned neutral as cold stone.

"You are not guardsmen yet, you are not soldiers, hell, you aren't even a wart on my backside!" he gruffed. After pacing a few steps, he continued.

"Now, where was I? Ah yes. The Trial of the Flame," he said before beginning to ramble once more about what to expect based on past trials, since he couldn't give them any information about their own. "I judge you all know that this year is a special year?" He gazed to see their expressions before smiling and continuing his speech.

"Her Highness will be hand-picking the victor of said tournament herself. So, which one of you asslings will be the cadet that surpasses the rest and wins the prize of receiving such a high honor from our dear Princess herself?"

Athelon chuckled. "A blessing from the Princess. I wonder what it could be? A chest full of rupees? Land and title? Or perhaps, even…a  kiss ?" he teased.

Once more, the trainees couldn't help but smile at the thought.

He chastised again, more fiercely. "Stop that stupid smiling at once! All of you! You really think our sweet princess would dare desecrate her fair lips on any of you filthy scoundrels! Keep dreaming!"

Faces neutralized hard as stone in a flash, yet again.

He cuffed his chin and spoke glancing away, one eye squinting. "But..there will be some sort of gift, that can be certain…But, Your guess is as good as mine! Nevertheless, it doesn't matter, because up until that very moment you are  mine …I have three more days with you miserable lot. Three more wonderful days of tearing the very soul from your bones! Three more days…to make Royal Guards out of you yet!" he said, finishing with a throaty laugh.

As Athelon paced away from Link toward the other end of the formation, a voice whispered to him from behind. "Do yourself a favor and forget about you or your scrawny friend winning that prize. Something that precious would never be given to some low-blood or no-name." He felt something hit the back of his knee, making him buckle, followed by the sound of a few barely concealed snickers.

Link didn't have to turn around to know who his would-be bully was. A large, broad shouldered boy with hair that reminded him of a cucco's comb. Tall, red, and ugly. His face was ugly too, highlighted by a strange pair of chartreuse eyes. How in the world the boy managed such a level of narcissism with a face like that, Link couldn't imagine. Nevertheless, it was clear Regoso loved himself more than a bear of the forrest loved honey.

"Regoso!" The old man shouted. "Why don't you tell me what it is you find so amusing that you feel the need to interrupt my speech with your smiling!" Athelon scolded.

"N-nothing, I'm sorry, sir," Regoso stuttered out. The leader growled in his face and the young lad fell back like a whimpering dog.

Being in the front row, Link had the luck of feeling his fiery gaze on him next. "And you, what's your story?" Athelon glared down at him. "You think you're better than everyone else just because your father is chief captain of the Guard?" he accused. "That's right, I've heard all about you. Don't expect any charity here, boy, because you'll receive none. Because as of right now? You are nothing."

The two other goons who didn't like Link, friends of Regoso smirked at the master's words.

Link didn't respond. He kept his face an unreadable mask, standing firmly at attention.

"Nothing to say? What are you, some kind of mute?" Athelon taunted. "Perhaps, weak, just like your scrawny friend over there," he said as he gestured toward Sven, who was consistently the worst recruit of the bunch. Link refused to take the bait. "Or maybe, you think yourself wise enough to keep your mouth shut rather than challenge me, is that right?"

The man leaned over until he was face-to-face with him. Link slowly met his eyes and stared back hard.

After a moment, Athelon smirked, letting a small laugh escape his lips. "Wise indeed…And fearless too," he commented in a low tone. "I'm looking for a soldier who doesn't buckle under pressure, one who can keep focus against any opposition. If you really think you can fill the bill, then prove it. Or I'll leave you in the dust. There is no second place in the guard. We need to be doing it better than all the rest!"

Behind him, two figures were approaching from the castle's western garden. Sensing the sudden nervousness in the air from the his trainees, Athelon spun on his heel to find himself in the presence of none other than Urbosa and Princess Zelda. He tensed and immediately snapped alongside the rest of his cadets.

"Stand at attention you dogs! Her majesty graces us with her presence!" He shouted. But, he must have forgotten they already were at attention.

Urbosa chuckled at the sudden display of awkward reverence. Zelda smiled behind her.

The gerudo women chimed with a teasing smile. "So, these are Hyrule's finest?"

"Not even close, Chief Lady Urbosa, this slop is nothing but a bunch of boys."

"Boys? You don't say?" Urbosa nudged the princess beside her playfully. "My oh my, quite a selection we have here don't we princess? I really should visit you more often. The scenery back home isn't quite as… nice," she added.

Zelda blushed and looked away. The young girl was adorned beautifully in a green winter dress, tailored just for her. It was light and airy, yet warm, allowing her to comfortably roam the castle grounds that afternoon. It was a chill morning and the boys were visibly cold, trying their hardest to fight back the chattering of their teeth in her presence.

Urbosa turned back to Athelon. "Quite the group of strapping young lads you have here. Though, it would seem they would all do well to have a wash up. Hard to get a proper view of them in their…condition…being all muddied up the way they are." She chuckled again.

"My apologies, Lady Urbosa. They have just returned from the training gr—"

"Chieftain Urbosa." She corrected sternly.

"R-right, please forgive me, Chief Urbosa."

"Just kidding. And, at ease, my good man." She broke in a laugh into her hand. "You may simply call me Urbosa, no formalities needed." She threw a wink at the old man, and astonishingly, a blush rose to his cheeks. Who would have thought him capable? Link certainly wouldn't have thought so.

Athelon cleared his throat. "What I was going to say was that these cadets still have training to do. I assure you, they will be properly taken care of."

"Well then, allow us to leave you to it," Urbosa replied. "I look forward to seeing the fruit of your efforts during the Trial, sir. More importantly, so does the princess."

While Urbosa had been talking, Zelda was distracted by a particular recruit in the front row. The same one she had seen a few days prior. Even with mud streaked across his cheek, and his bangs stuck to his face, Zelda still thought he was handsome.

Zelda's mouth opened and her eyes glistened. Blood rushed through her and warm went her cheeks. Does he remember me? She thought.

For a moment, the boy allowed his eyes to flicker over to hers. Perhaps he had felt her gaze on him. Her heart leapt into her throat at the brief glance she had into his sky blue eyes. There was so much personality within them, stories she wished to hear.

"Princess? Are you coming?" Urbosa's voice shook Zelda from her thoughts. Noticing her expression and who it seemed to be directed at, Urbosa put two and two together. "Is he the one you told me about?" she whispered as they walked away, hand covering her mouth.

Zelda blushed deeply, and Urbosa smirked. Zelda tried to deny it, but there was no escaping it. "He is…"

Urbosa judged for herself, eyes focused on who Zelda singled out among the crowd of cadets. "He's kind of…cute…handsome even."

Zelda brushed it off and tried to change the subject. But, Urbosa wouldn't let up. Not one bit.

Urbosa then led them over to one of the many beautifully decorated benches throughout the castle grounds, not far from the formation of future soldiers. They sat in the shade and watched as Athelon resumed lecturing his trainees.

Less than a minute later, Zelda began gushing. She couldn't help it. "You should have seen the look on his face the other day! I nearly fell out of my carriage. Poor boy looked like he going to catch fire," she giggled.

"Is that so?"

"Oh yes. I saw him from afar. He was perched on a barrel. He looked so focused, training along with the others," Zelda continued. "At least, I think it was training. Whatever they were doing was beyond me. It was so peculiar, I asked my coachman to bring me closer so I could get a better view… That was when he caught me watching him across the street, just beyond the crowd. Our eyes locked on one another and all his concentration must have evaporated because next thing I knew, he was falling face first into the barrel! The poor boy was drenched and shocked!"

"Shocked?" Urbosa echoed.

Zelda reddened and covered her face. "Yes! The lad was shocked to within an inch of his life! I felt so bad."

"Hmph. Serves him right, gawking at the princess in such a way." Urbosa teased.

"He was hardly gawking at me…and it was I who glanced at him first, remember? Zelda pointed out.

Urbosa gave her a gotcha look. "Ah, so you are interested in this boy, aren't you?"

"No, no, it's not like that. I was just… curious, is all."

"Uh huh. Curious about what it would take to have some alone time with him, you mean? Perhaps, a chance to see and test his strength all up in person?"

"Urbosa!" Zelda laughed. "Of course not…And, even if I was a tiny bit interested, I am far too busy for such a silly thing. With my research at the castle and all… Plus! Father insist that it is much too early for me to be courting anyone, and even if I did, it could only be a nobleman of his choosing, remember?"Zelda said, trying to convince herself to let these feelings go, still gazing at the warrior among the lineup.

"How responsible and mature of you."

"Indeed. It's not like I know anything about him either. I mean, for all I know, he could be a monster!"

"Or perhaps… a dream come true?" Urbosa winked.

Humor fading, Zelda folded her arms and looked away. "Hardly. And besides, I stopped believing in fairy tales a long time ago…"

Before Urbosa could question the Princess' sudden change in mood, another voice interrupted them. Coming in from the other side of the courtyard, Athelon saw too.

The commander instantly dropped to his knees and shouted an order to the others. "Kneel you peasants! It's his royal majesty!"

King roam interjected, greeting Zelda with a smile and Urbosa as he approached the group gathered there. "That is quite alright Athelon…No need for such a grandiose display…I get that enough in my court every waking minute of the day…The never-ending bowing…It's madness. My neck hurts from having to stare down so often just to address my subjects," the king said, letting out a full belly laugh.

"So, my dear…" King Rhoam turned to Zelda. "Came to get an early impression of the cadets before the Trial too?"

"Yes, that's right," Zelda nodded.

He continued facing the rest. "So, these are the top contenders? I hear old Galivan is working up quite the spectacle for the big ceremony." He said with a wide grin, stretched ear to ear.

Athelon replied. "Yes Sire. If all goes well, these boys will soon be men by three days. You have my word," he said head hung low to the king, even though he was standing yet again.

"I have no doubt. We are going to need as many good men as we can get for when the great and dreadful day comes."

"We will be ready your highness." Athelon declared.

King chuckled again. "You Athelon have yet to lose a man during the trials. This will be a very good year I predict."

Zelda's curious eyes widened and she interrupted. "Have we before? Lost a man I mean?"

The king spun and answered. "Yes, it was many years ago in fact. I wasn't even a king then. Ask me again the story another time…This is a time of celebration, not of sorrow. For these young men will do great and many things in the guard I just know it."

Zelda looked out once more at the group of boys, wondering why her father was so reluctant to answer her question.

The king continued to smile and marveled at the brave young men before him. Until at last his eyes fell upon Link. And just as he did, Link slipped away out from the memory.

Struck by the fluttering blue banner that was falling above him, Link awoke and found himself standing over the dead beast yet again; and that the army was glancing at him nearby, wondering why he was in a trance.

What had just felt like hours for him only spanned a few seconds in reality. He found the numerous pairs of eyes on him, still waiting with bated breath for him to address them. It took a few moments to recall what was happening.

He cleared his throat awkwardly although he was tired, and parched of thirst.

"Fellow men of Hylia… brothers… of the sword…" Link began. He really had no idea what he was doing. He tried anyway. "Don't be afraid!" he called a little louder and pointed at the massive corpse behind him. "The enemy can be defeated. You see? They do bleed!

"You just have to believe! Believe in yourselves, your families and all that you hold dear and cherish in your hearts! Take back what is yours! For Hylia and all of Hyrule!" Link raised his ax and blade high in the air, pointed toward the bright blue sky. "Join me, and fight for her!"

With their spirits lifted by his words, courage reinvigorated in them ten fold by his glorious victory. They praised the lone knight, roaring again in cheers. Hope filled them once again and they knew now they could win. And by his bravery, they all answered his call to arms in spades, following after his lead.

A soldier among the army gasped as they all began to follow after him. "Goddesses shed their grace upon us, have you ever seen anyone do something like that?"

"Hell, I've never even heard of anyone doing something like that." Another countered in awe.

One of Simon's closest advisors leaned in close to his lord's ear to whisper slyly, "You hear that, my lord? He inspires the men…If you continue to allow this to go on, it could cause some division. Some might even say that it was him who won our victory here today. A young man such as that could garner loyalty from among your ranks. Men who are supposed to be loyal to you, my lord."

"Enough of your forked tongue Villamor, stick it behind your teeth or lose it! I have had my fill of it for one day." Simon nudged him back, hand stretched out for him to hand him him his lance.

"We shall see who takes the glory from this battlefield. The day is still young and I have yet a war to win."

Authors Notes: Hello everyone, sorry for the late posting. I have to split up the next couple chapters at-hopefully the right beats. I hope you agree! Please let me know what you think, your words are what motivate me to continue! Also, if you don't feel comfortable to leave a comment, but still would like to voice your opinion anonymously, then please check out the poll I created. Your insight helps me greatly to craft a better story. It is so much appreciated. And as always, thanks for reading! Please check out the audio version of this on youtube too! I will be posting more episodes shortly. Next chapter should be out by mid September! Stay safe!

Chapter Text

Authors Notes: Hello my friends, a short intermediate chapter this go around. The climax of this arc is almost at its conclusion. I will publish the final juicy bit on the next posting, so stay tuned for that in a few weeks. But, that being said, this is a multi-arc story, so plenty to come that I have written down! Just need to compile and finalize. Also, if you are a fan of the story, let me know in a comment or take the survey. Lastly, I hope you enjoy. : )

Chapter 25

The Eye of the Storm

Glancing over her shoulder for a final embrace of the morning light as the sun eclipsed the door behind her, Zelda realized that the tomb must have been powered by an assortment of ancient cogs and gears. She watched in curious amazement as they moved autonomously every which way along the wall that slid the thick and heavy door.

And as the gravestone rumbled overhead, slamming closed, a gust of chill wind brushed past her hair, blowing out the dim flicker to the torch she was carrying. The great gale also caused her to twist and stumble forward, almost tripping over herself into the long dark of the unknown. Verily nearly falling, she caught herself before she could.

Now engulfed by absolute darkness, her hair stood on the back of her neck as fear slowly crept into the back of her mind. There would be no turning back for the way behind was shut. All that was left to do now was venture deep into the lone abyss below Hyrule castle.

She sure could have used Link's bravery right about now, she thought silently.

Being of no use to her now, she tossed the dead torch aside as tip-toed warily down the old stone steps. Reaching outwards, she could only use her hands as a guide along the musty and damp wall; unsure exactly what she was even feeling for. The air in the chamber was old, very old. Untouched by the grace outside sun for thousands of years.

She couldn't see a thing, and the deafening silence of it all was unnerving. All that could be heard was the sound of her own breathing and heart beating as it echoed throughout the entire chamber. The noise of which sounded like it was calling out to her from the depths below the castle, leaving her with an uneasy feeling.

For in her mind she knew that whatever lie ahead, would surely hear her approach, and the thought of that happening in the black nothingness caused her to pace trepidatiously.

"Eghyaaa!" She screamed.

The step in front of her was nothing but empty space, and she fell into what she could have only imagined was an eternal pit of oblivion that spanned forever downward.

Clawing out in a panic in all directions but grabbing nothing but unending air in the void, she thought her doomed was all but certain until the sudden sensation of firm ground was felt beneath her feet once again.

Lifted up, she gasped in relief, heart racing. Pausing only for a moment to digest what had just occurred. But, Still, unable to see past her nose she believed herself to be on a path of some kind. She couldn't be certain.

But before she could step lightly away, the tile she stood upon sunk low and the room around her shook violently. The cavern roared louder and louder, bringing itself to what could only be her impending doom. When will this madness end!?

And just as she cried out in her thoughts, sconces all along the wall revealed a path in front of her and the entire surrounding chamber lit up brilliantly, with bright blue flames. The same blue torches which the sheikah of old and her people would use to light the furnaces of Din, from ages told from myth and legend.

She knew not where the power came to set them a fire, nor did she ponder on it further. For she was glad that her vision returned, and that she could breathe freely once again from the frightful thrill moments earlier.

Immediately, her attention turned to the fine craftwork along the walls. Murals and ancient runework fashioned by her kin centuries, if not millennia ago. She could not be certain the era for they were pristine and unchanged by the decay of time. All except for one specific engraving that caught her eye.

And there she saw it at the tail end of the passageway. The symbol of the Black Sparrow.

Zelda nodded quizzically at the old sigil. Its faded and scarred remains along the wall mesmerized her. She couldn't shake the feeling.

The old bird lay flat, emblazoned in black, clasped in its beak a sleek golden rod. The illustration was marred and scratched away, almost beyond recognition, save it be her knowing of the tale of its existence from legend. It almost appeared as if someone tried to erase it from the histories of her people, long ago.

"The false one they called him…The false prince," she whispered to herself, continuing her recollection of the stories passed down to her from the scholars she learned from when she was just a girl. She recalled very little of the tale. For even in her day the story was loosely remembered by even the most wise and learned in the land.

"This hidden chamber was once his tomb," she said softly, walking closer to it.

"It was dug up ages ago, exhumed and made anew to serve a whole other purpose. This hall here is all the remains of his memory. Once his own, now left forgotten…never to be spoken on the tongues of the people ever again…But why? What did he do that was so unspeakable? So unforgivable to be blotted out of our minds and memory forever?" She questioned in a breathless whisper, cuffing her chin.

Her eyes wandered a moment longer on the old inscriptions that were carved into the old stone of the walls. They were filled in with luminescent flickering and colorful writing in a lost speech she didn't recognize as her own.

"I feel…so much memory in this place…and yet…it makes me...sad… so much sorrow…

"But why? Why would I feel sad? After all, It's not like I even know the Black Sparrow?" she spoke soft yet again, rubbing her arms in curiosity and melancholy. Her thoughts trailed further as she slowly stepped away, she couldn't help it but keep looking onwards to the old passages carved on the wall.

"But this…entire chamber, this passageway…This was later made to be the lover's secret moonlit road…or so I was told…I don't understand…Why would they use his ancient tomb?"

Remembering the task at hand, she quickly shook her head away of any further curiosity. There was no time for riddles in the dark.

Determined, she spoke stern under her breath. "If the stories are true, then this path should lead to the heart of the castle. The maiden's hidden doorway. The one she used to sneak her lover through ages ago," she breathed, looking on to the path before her feet. "Whatever that means…" she scoffed…"Ugh, I have to hurry, Link needs me! C'mon Zelda! Snap out of it and get a move on!" She said, chastising herself.

Putting walking behind her, she ran down the lit pathway as fast as she could and as far it would take her.

Link needs a real sword and a worthy weapon if he is to be victorious this day, she thought.

And, if he was wounded, he needed her attention and tender care now more than ever. And if need be, a way out to safety, away from the warring battle. Even, if she had to risk her own life to do so. She would do so without question or a second thought. She would do so for him.

"Master, they have taken down the great titan of Baer-arr-ador, and are breaching through the gates!" Slithered a gangly lizalfos before the hooves of his commander, tucked away high up into the highest keep of the castle, onlooking below.

Malroc's red glowing eyes opened and he answered back. "It is of no cause for concern…Let them come…" the monster smiled devilishly.

"You want them to enter the gates?" Questioned the fiendish reptile, scratching its head. He leaned closer to his liege as he was perched looking over the open castle window down to the unfolding war below.

The lizalfos continued. "But, what of the hylian warrior? The one who fell the blackened eye of Dee Ess!? What of him? They say he can't be beat; they say he is-"

"Enough!" Growled malroc. "I told you all before, He is nothing but chaff in the wind!" The sound of his voice rattled the entire hall of the castle where his host stood by. Those others standing in attendance buckled at their knees in fear of his wrath. "I will break this puny hylian champion myself, once and for all! "

"But, master?" gulped the cretin.

"Are you doubting my power? I have been given power near to the gods…The last time someone questioned my abilities and failed to carry out my wishes didn't fair so well. " His demonic eyes turned to face the smaller fiend.

"No, master…I only seek to server thee." The Lizalfos begged, humbly falling to its feet.

Malroc then turned to silver skinned bokoblin while still having words with the stumbling Lizard behind him.

"Today is your lucky day worm…If I wasn't in such need of each and every single one of you useless scum, I would have torn your forked-tongued from your head and made you watch while I fed it to my pets."

Malroc then spoke to the bokoblin commander who was now beside him. "So, are the eight ready?"

"Yes, your malignance…" The little creature cackled in delight. "The eight are aligned and ready…your orders?" it asked, with a wave of its hand in a bow. "This should certainly make things interesting my liege! The fools have no idea!"

"Good, the time of our lord has come at last. Ready the pearl! Our noble guest of honor is almost here. I can feel it. I can sense her…I'm sure she is just…dying to meet him." Malroc gleamed at the thought. And with a thundering laugh he spoke a final word on the matter. "Release the eight! It is time for his wrath, ruin, and the world's end!"

The army charged through the downed opening to castle outer wall. Those remaining enemies that were on the walltops either fled or were shot by the onslaught of arrows from Taleran's rangers.

Link led at the front of the line alongside Simon and his marshals. But, to all their astonishment they were met with little resistance upon entering through the fallen gate.

The tired hero spoke to army gathered around him. "Hold the charge! Dismount with swords and shields at the ready. Stand fast!"

The men heard his command and began to saddle off their horses now that they were in close quarters among the castle grounds. The place was unfit for riding, as many chambers needed close quarters clearing and the only way to do so was man to man combat.

Simon lambasted Link over the commotion of the others that were still piling into the main castle grounds. "What do you mean halt!? We could have this whole ordeal finished!? We have them on the run!" He scorned, raising a fist. "Let's move and end this!"

"No, wait… Something isn't right," Link said, eyes scanning all around and to the ramparts of each tower and defensive hold around.

But, still unable to see what was amiss, he obliged the lord of horses and motioned others around him to follow them both as they began to creep cautiously through the seemingly abandoned grounds.

Both his dagger and ax were firmly held up as he kept his eyes peeled. But nothing was out of the ordinary, except the non-existent enemy.

Wary of the eerie silence, Link still relinquished his weapons slowly to his side but was apprehensive to dare further into the main heart of the castle. Lord Simon on the other-hand was having none of it. He wanted to press on.

"Perhaps they fled?" Simon removed his helmet. "And after what you did to the giant, even I must say it was quite the spectacle." The Lord smirked. " I must give you credit, you are a true warrior. But don't let that be going to your head now, Bokoblins and the like are all cowards regardless. At the slightest sign of any real resistance they flee like the miserable rats they are…" he said as he spat on the courtyard grounds, proud of the work they've done thus far. Acting as if the war was already won.

"No…I don't think so m'lord." Link replied hesitantly, eyes still wandering, looking for any sign of enemy life. The knight was sore and tired.

Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet quaked abruptly and shook everyone by surprise. In unison the army raised their weapons high, readying themselves for whatever was next, but they couldn't see a thing. Not yet.

Back at the nobility graveyard, Sylmoor and his group finally caught up to where he last saw Zelda. She was nowhere to be found. Nothing except the sound of whistling wind breezing past silent tombstones.

Sylmoor remarked as he trailed in through the old entranceway and cobblestone path. "Blasted, where could she be?" He scoured the surroundings good and well but saw nothing but emptiness. Not so much of an enemy nearby as well.

He huffed in annoyance at himself. "Ugh, I had one small task to do and I couldn't even see it through to its end. Agh! I'm not cut out for this," he said as he stomped on the ground hanging his head low in defeat. "What was I even thinking of daring to go on this foolish crusade? I lost her."

"Perhaps, she went this way! Look, m'lord!" Another voice called out, grabbing his attention.

Sylmoor's eyes widened and he turned expediently and ran up beside the voice of the massive Seabass, pushing over his squire into the dirt who was hunched over nearby. "What is it? What did you find?"

Eyes wide he searched where the proud Zora stood. It was along the line of royal headstones. Still unsure what Seabass was on about, he questioned him further. "Well? What is it?"

"The grass there…It has been disturbed, next to these head-rest."

"So? These tracks can be made by anyone. It proves nothing."

"Unlikely m'lord…I don't know how things are like up in your pretty city, but where I'm from and what I seen in the field of war, that these prints are too short for any bokoblin marauder I've ever encountered." Seabass smiled, pointing to the distressed leaves and grass. "I'd say they match perfect the foot size of a pretty, little noble lady. Just the one we're searching for! Wouldn't you say?" Seabass grinned, getting up from taking a knee to evaluate the tracks in the overgrown, unkempt forage.

"So, what does this mean?"

"It means she was here…but…now she is gone."

Sylmoor face palmed. "Well of course she is gone! I can see that! You think I'm blind? Look, I may have taken just a few swigs of bravery juice this morning, but I assure you, the effects of which have sadly dispensed too soon! Trust me. I unfortunately have my wits about me! Enough so to know this!"

The giant Zora smirked, coughed and continued. "Well, it's like she…just…vanished," he stood, scratching his lunky head.

"Great! Fantastic!" Sylmoor scoffed at himself. "Well, in that case, that puts us back on the same horse we were on earlier, now does it?" Sylmoor sighed as he turned away, gazing up to the clouds above in self reflection. "I sure do hope she is alright…Wherever she is. And may she forgive me for my weakness. I'm sorry princess…"

Taking a moment to accept their situation and his defeat, Sylmoor turned back to face the others. "Well, there ain't much for it except to get back to the army. We lost her trail. Perhaps, they are fairing better than we are, and maybe we can still find her that way? We have to try!"

Seabass nodded in approval and motioned the lord to lead the way back to the main bulk of the army.

Running for what seemed like miles through long corridors and tunnels, Zelda finally found herself at a dead end pathway. "Ugh…what?" She huffed, out of breath, annoyed at her circumstance.

"What!? NO!… Where!? Where is the door? It's just a blank stone wall…No instructions, no writing, nothing…Damn it! Why couldn't they have just made an ordinary door like normal folk!?" She groaned, slapping at the barrier that now stood in front of her. Annoyed, she spun around, kicked the ground and slammed the back of her head against the cold stone that was obstructing her way.

But determined not to turn away so quickly and solve the mystery at hand, she paused for a moment, took a breath and re-evaluated her predicament.

But she couldn't think. Her mind was racing in distress and worry. Time was slipping by fast.

All she could think about was him. Link. She had to get to him. The one she felt bound to. The young man she have grown so fond of and even so far as to…

fall in love with.

And just as those very thoughts of him crossed her mind, thoughts of his smile, his charm, his confident and comforting presence, and the way he makes her feel, her right hand lit up like a glowing candle right beside her. The stone behind her also rumbled and she spun back around with curious eyes ashine by the light.

"The sealing power?" She questioned under breath, as three golden triangles illuminated and pulsed on the back of her palm matching an other identical crest radiating upon the wall.

"No…it can't be. The power was lost? This is…must be different?" She gasped, covering her mouth in awe of the scene unfolding before her.

And before she could utter another breath, the stonework vanished into the wind as if it were never there at all.

All that was facing her now was a swirling apparition of the purest, blinding pale light that she has ever seen, leading up into a sea of empty space. It was the likes of which she has never encountered before.

Only once has something ever occurred that was remotely similar and that was when she spent her time holding back the calamity for a century. The sealing realm.

But, before her now was like an entrance into a void that swirled the path ahead of her into a milky twilight road.

Zelda cautioned but swallowed what ever fear she may have had pitted in her stomach and leapt forward into the wall encompassing light.

And it was at that exact instant she appeared out through a wall and before she could realize what had happened she found herself miraculously in her old room high up in her tower.

"This…This is my keep!?" She said, stunned by the revelation. "The maiden's hidden door…leads...to my room?" She whispered, hands stretched out in evaluation, making sure what just happened was real at all. Her eyes wandered about the room.

Bewildered by the mystery, another curious thing caught her eye as she now stood in her old quarters.

It was left exactly they way it was a century ago, save it be by pile high dust and other things that go along with age. But, everything was in its perfect place, except a few of the furniture that have been distressed by no doubt the foul beasts which have roamed freely about there.

And, for the first time in a great long time, she felt at home again. A feeling she almost forgot.

A wave of nostalgia hit her. And after taking in the spectacle before her was when she saw it. Her desk.

A heavenly beam of sunlight shot down from above upon it from a missing piece of the ceiling. There lay an old and worn book that still sat upon it as if it were yesterday. She could never forget the look of it. It was her diary.

The pages were tattered and moth eaten. There were even some strewn about scribblings of notes left to the side of it.

She couldn't help herself but stumble closely upon it. Her emerald eyes wandered over the ancient writings that remained intact. They were a collection of thoughts she had from a time when the world still made sense. When the kingdom still stood in all its glory. Back, when there was still a kingdom at all to remember.

Her memory raced as she glanced at the passages before her, written by her own hand. And in that instant she was taken aback to another time entirely in her mind. She had not forgotten a thing.

Chapter Text

Chapter 26

The breach of memories

The whole world beneath their feet shook violently. The men had readied themselves, lifting their broad wooden shields to parry an incoming enemy assault. But, just as they did, Link, Simon, and their accompanying soldiers were met with nothing. And as quickly as the tremors began, they faded. Instead, only silence settled over them. A sense of unease spread through the army as they looked around for the source of the vibrations. All were perplexed at what could have caused such massive quakes as to shake the entire castle all the way to its foundations. Long moments passed, and no one dared to make a sound.

Finally, when it became clear they hadn't been ambushed, Link took a few steps passed the front line. He sensed the men's fear around him and took charge in hopes that it would rally their courage. Simon and his marshals followed closely behind Link as they breached the castle's first level unimpeded.

However, they still needed to traverse three more just like it to reach the heart of the ancient structure where they could end this war.

After some cautious venturing, they eventually found themselves faced with a large, old wooden gate. The door once led to an enclosed outdoor area that held the royal training grounds and the stables. Link could still clearly remember as if it were yesterday the extensive field where horses and other livestock grazed, kept for the castle kitchens and city garrison.

Link was also aware that it had been the weakest point of entry and decided it would be the best chance they had to get inside and seize control from within. A strong position within the castle walls that would be among open ground where they can repel forces easily in all directions once acquired.

Cautiously, the knight nudged the door open slightly using his axe and dagger. And as it creaked open he didn't expect what was on the other side. Instead of enemy forces, a surprise herd of cattle stormed out from within, startled from the door's movement. Link narrowly avoided being caught in the stampede's path as the panic quickly spread through the cooped-up animals.

Clearly, what he had just accidentally freed had to have been the stolen stock from days prior. Fleeing from their captors, the frightened animals rushed out onto the main level of the castle grounds, ensuing chaos as they did, running every which way, desperately trying to escape as they broke the army's defensive line in a fury.

"Steady, men! Steady!" Simon shouted to his soldiers. "Watch out, you fools! Get back into your lines, quickly!"

As the last of the herd rushed past, a voice called out to them from above. Atop a nearby turret was none other than Ganon's right hand himself. Malroc the Terrible.

"Welcome, Simon…" he said with a devilish smile, "Lord of nothing." The lynel craned his neck to the side as he stared down at them. His malice infested eyes glowed, filled with pure hatred for the people of the goddess.

Simon gasped as he was directly addressed, nearly falling over from the thundering voice that cracked and split the wind above them. The army, too, looked on in awe at the sight of the massive beast. "He can speak? He knows my name?!" Simon floundered at the revelation. He was shaken to his core, but was determined not to let that show in front of his subordinates. However, with his knees buckling and the beads of cold sweat trailing down his pale face betrayed him.

Malroc taunted. "I have foreseen this moment, the day that the realm of men finally falls. How convenient of you to bring your armies right to us. Now, we can slaughter you all in one place. My master will have more important things to do than deal with than the likes of you when he arrives, saves him the trouble."

The gold-maned lynel raised his arm high up into the air above his head. A demonic delight was in his eyes, red as blood as he revealed clenched in his monstrous grasp was beautiful shining pearl. A iridescent sphere that emitted a shimmering light brighter than the noon day sun, the likes of which none of them had ever seen before. Malroc began to laugh as he ominously declared, "behold, your end!"

A low rumble tore through the kingdom below. The soldiers' courage faltered at the sound, several weapons falling from the men's limp grasp as they trembled to their feet. Link was unmoved and unafraid, only to scowl back at the behemoth and brace for whatever the ugly beast had planned for them.

Simon gasped. "What is that!?"

"It's the Moon Pearl…" Link countered over his shoulder, brows bent.

"The what?" Simon replied, flailing his hands erratically in despair at the sight.

"The moon pearl," Link repeated a little louder. " I don't know much about it…but from what I was told, it can do unspeakable things."

The knight clenched the handle to his ax and dagger tighter. "It is a relic from the ancient world, crafted by the Goddesses themselves."

"What!? That can't be! Surely you are mistaken! These things are not supposed to actually exists!?"

Simon began to deny.

"You have eyes don't you?" Link sharply retorted. "Can't you see what is so plainly evident in front of your face, my lord?"

Simon gulped. "Great! Just great…now you tell me what we're up against!"

But, before he can contest any further, Malroc spoke again. "Did you really think you and your pathetic little band of Hylian swordsmen could ever contend with the power of Mandrag?" His red gaze wandered over the troops gathered. "This so-called army of yours?" he laughed. "You are all weaklings. Up against the might of Ganon, the true ruler of this world, there can be no victory. Your die is cast…your doom is sealed. You… are all… going… to die," he spoke surely. "Led astray yet again by your precious princess. One hundred years ago, she failed to stop the Dark Lord, and now, she is failing you all once more. Even now I can hear her… her footfalls on the cold stone of the castle halls, alone and afraid… walking right into my trap."

Link froze, Malroc's eyes boring directly into his as he spoke of Zelda. He could see in that wicked smile that he was not bluffing. But why is she here? he wondered, mind racing with worry. Link grit his teeth, trying to decide what to do. He didn't know what kind of dangerous situation the princess would find herself in if he didn't act fast, but he had no idea where she was.

The titan cackled ferociously. "Beg for your goddess to save you, if it makes you feel better. I grant you all this one last mercy…before…before you are all eviscerated into a million little pieces to where even the crows shall not be able to find your flesh. But know this, I assure you none of your prayers will be answered. She has forsaken you all," Malroc finished.

Beside Link, Simon spoke up again, clenching his lance tighter. "Look, I didn't sign up for a suicide campaign to get me and my men killed. If this battle is folly, then we must retreat! What can men do against a beast…such as that!?" he said, bulging worried eyes at Link.

"No," Link told him fiercely. "Princess Zelda is in there. I'm not leaving her. Take your men and retreat if you want to but I'm getting her out, one way or another."

"He's lying, he must be!"

"No, he isn't!"

Simon was taken aback by Link's tone. It was the first time the knight had ever raised his voice against anyone above his rank. He bit his tongue and fell silent a moment before asking, "how can you be so sure?"

"I just know… I can feel it. She's here, we have to go get her!" Link insisted.

With a heavy sigh, Simon conceded that trying to change his mind about going into the castle was futile. Still, he was reluctant to trust him. "And how do you suggest we do that, then, huh, Sir Hero? What if likely chance she's already dead? What then? Are we to die in vain as well?

Link glared at him. "She is not dead!"

"You can't know that! I, for one, am not willing to gamble the lives of all my men on nothing but a feeling! We must all retreat before—"

"It's true!" a loud voice called out from behind them.

Link and Simon spun around to see Sylmoor approaching from beyond the defensive line, followed by Seabass and his men. "Princess Zelda is here, and she is alive. I saw her escape undetected with my own eyes, brother. Though, I must confess I don't know where she went and hid within the castle grounds."

"What in seven houses… Why are you here, Sylmoor? You were supposed to be with the rear flank guard!" Simon questioned in confusion.

Sylmoor slid off his horse and replied, "I cannot do that, brother. I won't."

"You damned fool, you don't even know how to fight!"

"No, perhaps not. But, I'm not a coward, not anymore. I'll do the best I can."

"'The best you can'?" Simon echoed. "What do you mean, 'the best you can'? This isn't one of your circus plays back at home! This is the real thing! On a real battlefield, one wrong move and it's the end! Which means, agonizing death! Is that what you want? To be lying in your own blood and misery on the ground?"

"I'll be alright, brother, trust me? Besides, we have Link!" Sylmoor reassured. "And that must account for something."

Simon rolled his eyes at the mention.

Sylmoor continued. "And incase you have forgotten, it is the Princess who is in there— protecting her is all our sworn duty, remember? We must find and retrieve her! It's…what father would have wanted."

Simon growled in frustration at the speculation of his honor and his father's memory as Sylmoor turned to Link. "I tried to stop her Link, but she insisted on coming here to help you. She thought you might have been wounded and needed aid… and I must say she wasn't wrong in her assumptions, you certainly look like you've seen better days, my friend." He winced sympathetically finishing off with a chuckle of amazement. "You look like Demise's hell. But, I'm glad you're at least still in one piece. Amazing indeed."

And with that he remembered something else to speak upon. "Oh, that's right, she also wanted to give you—"

Link leaned to hear his final words, but just as he did, Malroc interrupted with an ear-splitting roar. "Time is up! Release the eight!"

No sooner had he spoken, explosions erupted behind the army, where the main wall of the castle stood. Every key structural point suddenly went up in a ball of flames. Being so close to the blasts, many of the soldiers were assaulted with shrapnel and were disoriented by a ringing to their eardrums.

"Such weak, pathetic Hylians. You have no chance. You never had a chance. As if any one of you puny Hylians could defeat us! Now, it is time to end this," Malroc taunted as he held the moon pearl high above his head, readying for the killing blow. His cretins appeared all around, revealing themselves amongst the towering walls.

"Well it's a good thing I'm no Hylian then, you stupid pony!" a voice hooted from below, hidden.

The King of Beasts spun on the top of the battlement to find himself faced with none other than Sidon, who swiftly kicked the pearl from his grasp with a surprise backflip from underneath him. In an elegant display of acrobatics, he had used the draining moat water that have been pouring out from the mouth of the keep from where the lynel stood. Mastering the water, he shot himself high up into the air like a welled-up spring and propelled himself powerfully up from the water below in a wonderful show.

"You!" Malroc seethed.

"Me!" Sidon grinned cheekily as the glistening moon pearl flew up high into the air before it rained down into the water below him. There it was quickly carried away and lost. "Did you miss me big fella?"

Malroc clenched his now empty fists in rage, claws digging into his own flesh, drawing streams of putrid and inky blood.

Alright, now you've done it. What are you going to do now Sidon? This freak is gonna' come right at ya. You just had to get the big guy mad. You didn't think this one through, did ya? He thought.

Malroc growled. "You will pay dearly for that. I will enjoy killing-" the beast quickly corrected himself. "No…draining the life from you, Zora scum," he said in a low, dangerous tone. "Almost as much as I will enjoy watching my master finish the job he once started thousands of years ago; torturing and enslaving the rest of your people! That there shall not be one free left among you ever again! All will be born into bondage, accursed and trapped in their own minds! Mutilated beyond reconciliation! I will live to see that day!"

"Go ahead and try it, you filth! See if you can!" Sidon retorted, disgusted by him.

Sidon then shouted over his shoulder down below. "Hurry, get the pearl! I'll do what I can!"

With a roar of fury, Malroc closed the short distance between them so quickly he was nothing but a blur. Sidon had no time to react before he was being grabbed by the throat and lifted off his feet. He clawed at the beast's tight grip on him, unable to even cry out from the pain.

"Not so confident now, are you, brat?" Malroc glared with hatred. "Tell me, was it worth it? Now, choke. Wiggle like the slippery worm that you are!"

"Sidon!" Link shouted from the battlefield below as he watched the scene unfold helplessly. Numerous memories flashed before his eyes, all of the people he failed to protect. Their eyes, their smiles, laughs and friendships… No. He wasn't about to add Sidon to the list. He would rather die than let that happen again. He was filled with rage.

Malroc taunted again. "Tell me, fish prince…Can you breathe without the air of the wind? Or, will you flounder?"

The titan laughed again.

Link charged toward the high-rise keep, unsure how he was going to do the impossible, yet tried so anyways. He was ready to scale it when he was stopped short by a sudden, splintering arrow that struck Malroc from up above. He couldn't be sure where it had been shot from. Sidon took advantage of the momentary distraction to kick himself free and leap back into the water below.

"Who dare—" Malroc growled and turned to scour the skies from whence it fell.

"That oughta even the odds!" Teba said as he dived out from behind a cloud of cover. And like a shooting star he sailed across the skies above.

Malroc groaned, wringing his neck from the cut of the arrow, licking the blood of his wound in spite. "Bothersome little fly, you will pay!" He grabbed hold of a nearby spear that was leaning against the merlons. With incredible speed and precision, Malroc hurled the lance through the air like a bolt of lightning sent from the gods, tearing a hole through the firmament. Teba, having anticipated retaliation, dodged, but even with his exceptional aerial prowess he couldn't avoid being pierced through his talons.

The Rito screeched in pain as he fell from the sky and onto the battlefield below.

Zelda found herself in what could have only been her old bedroom, confused as to how she got there. There she stood a short moment and just as she was about to proceed into the castle, her vision blurred, and a fog of blinding white memory enveloped around her. And before she knew it, she drifted away out of conscious thought and time to the past.

Warm streams of sunlight slowly spread over the country provinces, through open meadows, woodland, and little rivers. The dawn roused rainbow-winged butterflies, which glided on gentle winds from one beautiful flower to another. At the center of the land stood the mighty capital Illuminar, Hyrule's greatest city.

However, the citizens of the city had long since forgotten its ancient name. For a long time has passed since that name has ever been uttered on the lips of the people. In common tongue it was now known as Hyrule Castle Town. Although at the height of its prosperity, the denizens would agree that it was much too large and populated to truly be considered a mere town.

On this particular dawn it was cool, crisp, and fresh in the lungs, not unlike most mornings they have enjoyed thus far. City-folk and outskirt villagers alike were already busy just as they always been this past age of peace and prosperity. Going about their daily dealings and affairs without a care or worry in the world. For back in these days, there were hardly any at all.

But today was a special day. The official commencement of a new era for the people of Hyrule and of the world. Heralded by all as the "Dawn of the New peace" or so it was called.

A celebration was to be held, attracting a variety of peoples from nearby villages and far off lands to join in the festivities. Commoners and nobles poured into the municipality, having travelled as far as the northern lordships and even further beyond from other kingdoms. Whether be the fashionable dressmakers of Hytopia to the talented choirs, bards, and musicians of Labrynna, there was no shortage of vitality in the beloved capital of Hyrule this day. All would come and bask in its splendor.

But, it was the simple folk that Princess Zelda adored the most. The merchants, farmers, the artisans, and all the hard workers who kept their community strong from the low off parts of the country. It was these who she loved. She was deeply proud of her wise, kind people.

Back in those days of prosperity, Hyrule was much renowned as a true utopia. There was nowhere else in the world where one could find a more splendid jubilation. The Trials of the Flame and the following crowning ceremonies were a particularly special attraction, being a once-in-a-lifetime event. As such, the city-dwelling hosts worked harder than ever to deliver an unforgettable fete.

In a lavishly decorated room within the famous Hyrule Castle, the youngest member of the royal family, a fair-haired beautiful princess named Zelda, was sleeping soundly.

"Time to wake up, little bird," a soothing older woman's voice called. Her tone was soft, but with a hint of excitement. The teenage girl simply rolled over onto her other pillow, with a glisten of drool from the dawn still on her cheek.

"Come along now, little bird, today is the day…" the voice tried again sterner.

"Mmmgh… C'mon Urbosa, have a heart…it's far too early," Zelda whined, still half-asleep. She wanted nothing more than to stay wrapped up in her luxurious quilted sheets forever. They were a gift from the Zoras, and if Zelda had anything to say about it, she would never replace them.

"Are you sure about that?" Urbosa challenged, earning another groan. The tall woman smirked, hands on her hips as she leaned over the princess. She wasn't about to give up just yet; the Gerudo were known for their perseverance if nothing else. They were as tough as Iron Knuckles as they were as fierce as Dodongo fire. Forged strong in spirit from the unforgiving desert sands from whence they hail from. So, you could have imagined that a single pampered teen was no match for this battle-hardened woman.

A handmaid entered the room from a secret passage, carrying a ceramic basin of warm water that she placed neatly beside a washcloth, as she did every morning for Her Highness. Urbosa quietly caught the woman's attention, pointing to the large curtained window next to Zelda's bed. The handmaid smiled back as she understood her request.

Bright sunlight flooded the room, accompanied by a warm breeze and the sound of bustling activity from the city outside. Zelda buried her face further into her pillows in an attempt to escape the disturbance, but it was futile.

"Nooo… have mercy…" the girl's muffled complaints were barely audible from her plushy cocoon.

"I said, today is the big day! Have you forgotten, little bird?" Urbosa coaxed. "All these visitors from around the world have come to see your crowning moment, are you really going to sleep through the entire ceremony and disappoint them?" she continued. "And what about the young men counting on you? Those cadets that fall under your tapestry will be showing their deepest ferocity today, all in your honor!"

Urbosa leaned down further and lowered her voice conspiratorially as she continued, "Who knows, maybe a certain boy from the front row who caught your eye the other day will be the one to claim the victory prize we prepared just for tonight! Wouldn't that be a sight to see!"

That almost did the trick. Zelda's  eyes lit up like a firecracker from  under the folds of her pillow, delighted at the thought. But,  even with that persuasion, she was still too proud to expose her own delight to those around her. The anticipation she felt arouse within her from the mysterious boy she has come to admire from afar excited her. But, the secret ambitions of her young heart were still too tender to be revealed.  So, she resisted the feeling even though it was nearly enough to make her want to leap out of bed. She didn't budge an inch. "Five more minutes…" she mumbled instead.

Suddenly, a thundering clash to the door of her bedroom ensued. It was the strong fist of her guard posted just out front of it.  "Your Highness, you have a letter from the postman!"

Zelda groaned. Can't a girl sleep in for once in her life? Always them with these early schedules! she thought.

"It's addressed from… Impa!" the soldier added.

"Impa?" Zelda sat up with her eyes shining, filled with stars from the heavens as she began to untangle herself from her bedding in a spellbound flurry.

"Heroines, save us! I see how it is," Urbosa remarked. "Impa gets you smiling, flying out of bed without so much as a 'good morning', and all I get are grumbles!" She watched in amusement as Zelda got herself ready for the day in record time, practically dancing with her handmaid as she washed and dressed.

"My apologies, Urbosa, you know I love you too," Zelda giggled, holding her arms out while her gown was adjusted. "But I just have to know the progress of the excavation! They uncover so many new and wonderful things every day, and since I cannot be there to discover them myself, I don't want to miss any news." She looked away with a blush across her cheeks. "Those letters are probably the closest I'll ever get to the Dying Mountains… with father's restrictions and all," she said softly.

A few moments later, the princess was presentable enough to allow her guards to open the door to her chambers. The stoic guardsmen stood by the open entryway, watching the postman closely. It was their job to be suspicious of anyone who came close to the Princess of Hyrule; to personally guard her with their life was the greatest honor of any royal knight. Zelda herself always thought that they took their position too seriously, but the effort was appreciated.

The courier was a tall, burly, dark-haired man in his late twenties. He had perhaps the largest nose in the kingdom, and his apprehensive brown eyes were nearly shadowed under his pair of caterpillar eyebrows. His demeanor eased once he laid eyes on the eager young princess staring at him, awaiting the news he had brought.

He cleared his throat and began to sing in a tune that could break glass and snap piano strings.  "To the fairest and most beautiful princess, the kingdom has ever had the honor of having bestowed upon its throne. For she is the one, the only, princess that shall wave goodbye to the calamity! And on that glorious day, heaven's bells shall ring, and the Goddess's angels shall sing! We are truly blessed by thee!"  Dancing in oddly timed twirls as he went, he finished off his grandiose display with an exaggerated bow and held out the letter as though it were made of gold.

Zelda graciously did the only modest thing she could think of at his proffered effort and clapped her hands lightly, giggling at his bizarre behavior. All the while, Urbosa cringed beside her. Her forehead sweating on behalf of him.

As soon as the princess accepted the elegantly tied roll of parchment, the tall Gerudo addressed the man further. "Run along you, you're much to old! Besides, don't you have somewhere to be? Ya know, the good people of this city would probably like their mail some time today, don't you think?"

She then walked up and firmly patted the postman. "Can't you see you're frightening the poor girl?"

"Urbosa!" Zelda chastised with an embarrassed smile.

"Well, he is frightening me! You're just too sweet to admit it," Urbosa replied before turning to the postman once more. "So, how about we leave the singing to the birds in the trees and the mail delivery to thee, hmm?"

The postman gasped and dropped to his knee. "My sincerest apologies, Your Highness," he said with his head bowed low and a hand over his heart, fanciful as ever. Then he sprang up like a corkscrew and glanced up at Urbosa. "And…Excuse me, um… madam. Good day to you as well, I suppose."

"Madam!?Just, How old do you think I am?" Urbosa shot back, staring down at him with a fiery gaze.

"Ahh! M-my apologies, uh, miss! Oh, look at the time indeed," he stuttered fearfully. He turned to leave, shouting as he ran. "With another letter successfully delivered, I must bid you all farewell, bye now! Us postmen must always be timely!"

"Farewell, Dudley!" Zelda chirped, waving with the letter she held in hand amused.

As his voice faded, Urbosa called out to him, "And, that's Chief Urbosa to you, you sad, foolish excuse for a voe! So, you'd best remember it!" She lowered her voice to a grumble. "'The nerve, hmph. Why, I just so happen to be in my prime!"

Zelda choked on a laugh she tried to hold in, narrowly spitting the sweet milk her maiden had given to quench her thirst that morning.

Also, turning to face a well-earned glare from Urbosa that quickly melted as she realized how much she'd just overreacted. The Gerudo shook her head with a hearty chuckle. "Well? Aren't you going to open your mail? Don't just stand there gawking with your mouth open like a deku shrub, what does it say!?"

The Princess tore into the parchment immediately, devouring every word as her eyes scanned the page with growing excitement. "It says… it says they have found something remarkable!" she gasped. "Impa said she believes they have just uncovered a most rare and important artifact; one she suspects could determine the outcome of the war to come! There is hope for us after all!" She hugged the letter as she finished reading, overwhelmed with pure happiness before the sound of her own words melted those feelings away. She knew better. Her handmaids, guards, and Urbosa were now all staring quietly at her sudden change.

"But, I thought… isn't your power the key to quelling the return of Ganon?" Urbosa asked gently.

"I… yes. It is." Zelda clutched the letter, crumpling its pages. Voice soft. "But, if there exists another way, any other than relying solely on my power, we should do all that we can to pursue it, don't you think? After all, anything could happen…"

"Little bird—"

"There is no other way! We must muster all we have to defeat this threat! I …I can't! I can't fail! I mustn't…"

Urbosa's heart sank as she watched the teenage girl turn away to hide a single tear streak across her cheek. She was far too young to carry the world's worries on her shoulders, but there was nothing anyone could do to soothe her troubles. Only time would tell.

Outside the castle and clear across the city, in the commoner's quarter, a small group of soldiers of the kingdom were amassing. A platoon of would-be guardsmen cadets. Among those numbered was a young, handsomely-brave, scraggly-haired lad named Link who was just hours away from progressing in his youth by becoming a man of the guard.

Athalon shouted ferociously within the tavern they were gathered in. "Alright you miserable little ankle biters, today is the day that you will not let me down, for if you do, there will be hell to pay!"

Regoso grinned, cocky as ever.

Athalon scorned. "Wipe that stupid smile from your face or I will. You have no teeth pooch." The man said, draining his mug.

"Now…show me…show me what you all have hidden within those fragile bones of yours. Prove yourselves!" Athalon scanned the room of young men. "Because it is I that has been charged to whip you all into shape by this evening. If it were up to me, I would have you all embark from this place to climb all the way up to the highest peak of the Dying mountains and contend with the very fires of Hera itself.

"There I would have you all challenge against one the great titans of old themselves. Just to prove your worth. Then perhaps, just perhaps then would I say you are ready for the oath. But, as fate would have it and luckily for all you witless spine, it is not up to me to decide. How gracious…So, you may all rest easy…for now," he said with a hearty chuckle.

He continued his speech." But, that being said, I must confess, you all have done well thus far and as such, there is one final trial for all you to perform and if you think it will be easy just because you have made it thus far or that because all the eyes from around the world, yea, even some of your highborn families might be watching tonight, you are mistaken. It will not. This is the last trial, and as such, it will be the most challenging.

"I am not so sure any of you are ready for this undertaking. I am also not so sure any of you have truly shown your quality. Because with that being said, we will all know your quality at stroke of mideeve tonight. I can promise you that.

"But, as I said before…That isn't for this old goat to decide. The well of time given me to prepare you all is now spent and the debt must be paid. Now, are you all ready!?" he declared, hands stretched out in a rally.

The boys fell silent, taking in his words into their hearts and minds.

"I said…Are you ready!?" Athelon shouted, drumming his burly fist on the table.

"Yes sir!" In unison they cried out.

Athelon laughed again. "Apparently, I'm the sad, tire old geezer that has to usher you to your deaths…How fortunate? Yay for me, am I right? And to that I say, come…Come follow me lads…It will be either a long day or a very short one, you decide! Your fate is in your hands! Remember your training, and you may live to see the dawns early light. I promise you!

"But, above all else…you best not fail me." Athelon warned. Voice slowing. "For if you do, I swear I'lll find a way to where even in your deaths won't save you from my wrath. I swear it…I will not be humiliated before my king! Is that clear!?"

"Yes sir!" The boys shouted again at attention.

"Now, before we leave, I want to thank this fine establishment for be so gracious as to host us this morning!" Athelon raised a mug high up into the air to cheers the bar tender from afar, ready to slurp his hearty drink again.

And just as he did the boys reached for gobs too but were instantly cut short from doing so. "Did I say you could drink!? You all are going to need clear wits about you today! So, put those down! This is my moment! But I promise you, yours will come too soon enough! Tonight… if you are lucky to make it that far that is and join the brotherhood of the guard!"

Athelon drank and finished his rant of encouragement and just as he was to steal away the cadets to begin their task at hand, the door barged open by a pair of strong fists.

Standing beyond the doorway came another established Royal Guardsmen. He was older than the rest but wasn't as seasoned in his years as Athelon himself.

"Oh, Finn, its you…" Athelon said with a sigh of relief escaping his bearded lips, upon taking a few moments to focus his vision upon him beyond the bright sunlight of the doorway.

"Yes, it's me. Who else old man?" Finn chuckled. My, my, rumors are true I see. It seems your eyes are getting weary these days as of late? I didn't want to believe it."

"Watch your tongue Finn."

Finn laughed, "Maybe, it's time to retire old friend? Find a nice plot of land in the countryside and raise some cuccos? Hell, maybe you could even find a nice woman who is as blind as much as you are, one that wouldn't mind your ugly mug and battle scars?"

Athelon growled, unamused by his jokes. "Careful…I may be old, but I haven't slowed one bit Finn. I'm just as fast as I have ever been!"

"Fast enough perhaps to drain the barrels of ale here!"

"Hush now! What sort of example are you setting for these young, malleable minds we have here, with talk such as that!? The guard is the most respected fighting force in all the kingdom! Wouldn't you know?"

Finn bowed with a warm smile. "So, that's what you have been telling these young men, eh?" he said with a chuckle." I was only kidding. No need to get all riled up my brother. But perhaps, I wasn't entirely wrong. You do owe it to yourself to settle down, ya know? How much of your life must you give in service to the kingdom? How many years has it been now? When will enough be enough, hmm?

"As many lifetimes as need be! You can't get rid of me that easily." Athalon retorted with a full belly laugh.

"I don't want to get rid of you…Well, it was worth a try." Finn chuckled soft, noticing he was still out on the porch.

Athelon scorned again with a smile. "Well, don't just stand there at the door like a back alley beggar of the narrow docks, come in…Let us have a look at ya!?

"And now that you are here, why don't you tell us what might be the reason for you to…grace us with your exemplary presence my brother? Among these…fine young lads…?"

"Well, Athalon, not that it should come to a surprise for you, since nothing does…"

"Get on with it brother…"

"Patience friend…After all these years, and the hells we've endured together, and you still haven't learn patience…"

"Well, patience isn't my long suit and in case you haven't noticed, I don't wear any suits…So, get on with it."

"Indeed, the goddesses must have had a real fun time with crafting you into existence brother. I bet when they were dealing out patience among the souls of men, you forced your way to the front of the line and demanded to be seen first."

"And that you are right, SO GET ON WITH IT!"

"It's Grenn, my underwing."

"I'm aware. So, what about him?"

"He took a bit too much to the head last night and he is shall we say…in dispose at the moment..."

"In dispose you say?" Athelon scrunched his old face in recollection.

"Yes, he is…"

"If you mean drunk, just say that he is drunk. That lad never had a mind for honey wine if I recall.

"Worse, he was caught late at Mad-Madam Moons. The hidden brew shop at the narrow docks. The one with the funny potions. The sort that make you see beyond the trees and through the lilies, if you get my meaning.."

"I'm aware."

"You are?" Finn was astonished.

"Your eyes are not the only ones keeping a watch of this city and perhaps mine are better than yours, after all?"

"Well, I guess I am just surprised to know that you would be well acquainted with a place such as that. Not the best sort of folks goes wander about there after nightfall."

"Well, since when have I been known to be the 'best sort of folk'?" Athelon laughed. "And besides, I only know of its existence purely for academic reasons of course. Not that I have ever spent any real time there. So, on with it. Your man is drunk-dumb I think? Is that it."

"Yes. He is. And to top it all off, today is the day of days that I need him the most! Today is the ceremony!"

"Aye, and that I am definitely aware of."

"I have been entrusted by the King himself to acquire the most precious thing intended for you know who and have it ready for when you know when…Today…And it requires two do so! Impossible to go alone. So, you…understand my predicament!?"

"Ah, that…That is quite the Lynel squash you are in. And what a horrible position you put me in now?" Athalon chuckled soft.

"You owe me Athalon! Or do you not remember the scourge of Aram Dul!? You would be dead if I—"

"Enough! You'll have what you need! Not to worry, it's not like all, if any…of these boys will make it through tonight anyways…I will loan you one of mine for today! But, he must be back in time for the trial and ceremony! "

"He will be. So, who shall it be? I need a good man."

Athalon countered. "Now that I think of it, why don't you just grab another one of our men? Why one of these boys?"

"Well, it is because all are set to their duties today…And, I don't want the captain to know of this. He has enough to worry about, with the King's detail and her majesty and all."

"Ah, I see…Come to keep things hush, hush, I see? Very well…"

Athalon spun around to the cadets in the tavern, eyes stern and bent. "So, who among you will not fail me? This will be your first test before the test to show me, aye, your Kingdom your quality."

Puffing his chest out like a cucco, Regoso stepped forward among the ranks of young men.

"Send me master. I can surely get this minuscule deed done of yours!" Regosa smiled, proud and arrogant, praised by a few cackles of his cronies who stood at attention behind him among the line of men.

Athalon erupted in laughter. "You? You think I would send you to do such a noble thing? I like having my head on my shoulders, thank you very much! And, If you think I would gamble my neck for you, you are sadly mistaken. No Regoso, I wouldn't trust you to fetch me my morning milk from across the street, let alone do something as brain worthy as this. Stand back and be silent! You may come from a good family name, but I trust even they would cast shadows against your abilities. You're lucky to even be here."

Regosa was hit by a wave of embarrassment and fell back into line. The other boys were silent.

Athalon scanned the room until his eyes fell upon the quiet lad in the back corner who was focused, trapped in thought.

"You…"

Nobody moved an inch.

"You… Link!" Athalon declared.

The young man graciously lifted his head up to his captain.

"Am I speaking Zonai? Yes! You! Get over here! Now!"

Link calmly walked to the front before him and the other guardsman.

Finn spoke. "So, you trust this lad, eh?"

"I do." Athalon smirked.

Finn continued. "Well, it is what it is…"

"It is… Oh, and Link…" Athalon spoke as the pair were about to make their way out onto the streets of town.

Link spun to face him and Athalon reiterated. " Don't let me…Or the princess down with that very precious thing!"

Link's gut dropped at the mention of the angelic girl he saw just days ago, the one that had occupied the curious thoughts of his mind from before. A nervous sweat beaded across his head and he couldn't utter a syllable in contest to the task laid before him. And, just as he cleared his throat to speak up, the other man had already whisked him away out from the safety of the others.

"Come along boy, we have work to do and so little time to do it! But, I think that with enough tact and no small degree of wit, we might be able to accomplish our task before the day grows late. We have to get you back in time for the Trial."

Link continued to follow him as he led along the busy morning streets of town, heading north to the nobility districts.

Finn stopped mid step in the street, hand stretched out to stop him, as if stuck in divine revelation. Link nearly collided into him from walking so closely behind.

A few seconds of silence between them passed and the man spun around. "Hold on just a moment, you don't really expect to wear those rags, do you?"

Link eyed himself from head to toe, unaware the fault of his state of dress. After all, it was how he always dressed. They were common clothes for a common boy.

"No, that certainly won't do! Not at all!" Finn countered in an evaluation. "There ain't nothing for it but to get you swapped and changed into something more appropriate my boy! I can't have you parading around in that! After all, we're going to see a princess!"

Link felt a swirl of nervousness punch his gut at the thought of her yet again. But, he was brave so he swallowed the feeling and nodded.

"I suppose I can loan you my old brother's uniform," Finn said, squinting his eye while holding his chin. "It will have to do. Besides, it's not like he will be needing them anytime soon," Finn continued, leading their fast pace through the bustling city.

Link questioned as he followed. "And why is that sir, why won't he be needing them?"

Finn stopped again. "Because…Because he is dead. He died long ago. His life given as payment to the royal family."

Link sighed, unsure to speak again, struck by the guardsmen's grief that he heard in his voice at the recall of his memory.

"Don't trouble yourself over it boy, it is no less then what any more we could ask for as men of the guard. He loved his kingdom. And…well, death finds us all anyways. Remember that and you'll do fine."

And with that thought, and after some wandering through the town, Link spoke up again another thought that nibbled at his mind at the mention of the uniform. "But sir, I thought only guardsmen are permitted to wear the sacred garb? I won't be one until mideeve tonight if all goes well."

"Aye, and that you are right! You're pretty sharp one, aren't you? I can see now why Athelon insisted to trust this task to you," he said, clearing the cough in his throat to speak again. "You are correct, my young friend. To be seen wearing a noble uniform of the guard and not be a brother among them is a minimum of five years cast into the dungeons."

Link gulped.

"But, don't you fret! None of them there at the castle has actually ever seen you before, have they? So, they wouldn't even know if you are guardsmen or not," he said with a curious chuckle, amused at the thought.

"Just let me do the talking. And everything will be just fine!"

And with that, Link couldn't agree more, he much rather not speak in any situation if he could choose not to. But, there was just one thing. The Princess has seen him before. There would be no turning back now.

Authors NOTES- Hello friends, I hope you enjoy this bit! Be sure to let me know, it really gets me motivated to continue. Also, if you haven't yet, please check out the audiobook on youtube! I will try and update both more often. Thank you all very much!

Chapter Text

Chapter 27

Eruptions

A thunderous clash razed the outside walls of the castle. Coordinated series of explosions were so loud that the plume of desolation could be seen from miles around from out on the open plains. And through the fog of destruction, all who were left standing amid the dust and rubble choked in awe. Entry to the castle and city were cut off. The Hylian forces were now split and isolated.

Back in her room, trapped in memory, Zelda nearly fell from a mighty rumbling that shook her tower, tearing her from her happy daydream. Jumping back to her feet, she put away the distraction, reaffirming her focus and resolve on the task at hand.

"What the…I'm back…what was that?" she murmured under her breath, shocked by the clash.

"Oh my goodness, how long was I out? How did that happen?"

She had been mesmerized for a brief moment by the strange magic that teleported her away moments prior, before awakening back in the present.

After some realization she noticed it had been for just a small moment. Relieved, she took in a deep breath and found the bravery within her soul to finish what she set out to do.

Zelda threw her old diary aside and instead gripped the ancient blade she had brought with her tighter.

"It doesn't matter how that happened...Link needs me now, I have to get a hold of myself! No more reminiscing upon the dreams of children!" she declared, composing herself and squeezing her hands at her sides.

With a nod of determination, she ran in a fury toward the adjacent bridge which led to the heart of the castle. She was certain that her knight would be in the thick of the danger.

Stumbling out into the chaos of the castle grounds along the narrow tower bridge, her attention was pulled toward the sight below her. In that instant, a massive series of blasts reverberated with a concussive wave that smacked her full in the chest, nearly knocking her from the ramparts.

Barely escaping a fall, she rose to peer out at the army and its forces. They were in dire straits, nearly falling apart at the seams. Massive plumes of flame erupted along the outlying castle defenses behind the army embankment.

Shocked and frozen stiff at the glance, her eyes scanning as far as she could through the smoke, but she couldn't make out any clear details.

A sudden shudder quaked beneath her feet yet again and she felt the bridge's structure giving way. The far-off explosion weakened the bridge where she stood. It cracked, split between her legs and crumbled as the arching stone began to falter. With no time to consider her reaction, the princess bolted to the heart of the castle on the other side.

"No!" Link shouted. His pupils shrank in terror as his gaze fixed upon his wounded friend, plummeting like a star from the sky.

"Teba!" he yelled again, leaping up from where he had been knocked prone only seconds earlier by the sudden eruptions behind them.

Trying to catch his breath just as he was about to make his way over to where his rito friend fell among the throng of fallen soldiers, his gaze was torn again.

"Goddesses, save us!" Simon screamed to Link's side, also rising from the aftermath of the blasts.

Before Link could turn to him, from the corner of his eye he caught glimpse of Sidon leaping out from the moat ahead. He was much closer. Everything was happening so fast, it was hard to process anything among the chaos.

Sidon shook the water from his scales in disappointment as he shouted to where Link stood. "Dammit, I can't find it!"

"What?!' Link called back, running towards him. Words getting lost in the haze of confusion surrounding them. The line of men was split and the men who escaped the explosions alive were returning to their feet as well, coughing from the settling dust and ash.

"The Pearl, it isn't there…," Sidon explained as the two closed on one another. "I searched into the deepest depths and I cannot find it anywhere. It's escaped me! I'm sorry Link, I lost it! Curse my inability to measure up!"

His muscles coursed with an intensely self-deprecating anger, and it was clear his friend was on the verge of rage. Link had never seen the zora prince so upset as he was today, and he stretched out his arm to console him. It was a kind gesture, though the bleakness of the situation made it seem an empty one.

"It's alright. We'll just have to get to it another way, Sidon," Link said, his voice calm and strong even as he did not shout. "Unfortunately, we can't do anything about it, for the moment. So what matters now is helping the others. Teba needs your help. You must reach him just beyond the line of the men. I have to go and find Zelda. She needs me."

"What? She's here!?" Sidon gasped, stricken by immense fear for her plight. In a great deal of ways, she reminded him of his sister. They had those same caring eyes, he thought. He wouldn't let her be harmed in any way, not if he had anything to say about it.

The prince could not bear to let what happened to his beloved sister happen to Zelda. In just the short time of getting to know Link, know him again since having forgotten so much of his childhood one hundred years past, they were more than simply friends now. They were brothers.

"I am going with you!" Sidon declared, raising a fist in solidarity.

"No! I need you here, with the army and with Teba. He is wounded, and I saw him fall. Please…I can't care for him and save her as well. This is where I need you, Sidon. Please…," Link pleaded. Not wanting any more of his friends to sacrifice on his behalf. He knew deep down, he couldn't protect them.

It was that thought that ate at his heart and tore at his guts. For the first time in his life, he was afraid. He had not feared in this way when he woke to face Calamity Ganon. Nor even one hundred years ago, at the height of the war. But in that time, he had lost so many good friends, be it to the Calamity or the passing of time. The fear he felt now was for them, for all those he both dreaded and knew he wouldn't be able to save. Link would never allow others to risk the ultimate price on his behalf. Not for him, not this time.

At Link's command, Sidon only nodded, upset he couldn't do more to help. He turned away and ran toward where their friend fell.

Even as they all began to think the worst was behind them, a whole new nightmare unveiled itself from the smoking destruction. Impending desolation wouldn't wait for them to organize. Time was up.

Simon shouted in horror. "Dear Goddess of the golden sky, it can't be –"

"It is!" a marshal interrupted him, stricken by fear, his face flashing pale under his helmet.

Simon choked in terrible awe, petrified where he stood by the sight unfolding right before his very eyes. "It's was a trap!"

Shaken to his core by the loud cry he heard in his voice, Link slowly turned to face to where Simon gazed. To his hideous surprise, he also saw the doom that lurked behind among the shadowy plumes. Out from newly open chasms in the ground, hell's host of demon servants arose. Eyes aglow, red with malice, piercing through the hazy fog of falling soot.

"You've got to be kidding me…," Link muttered to himself, fatigued and wounded. Sweaty and blood-soaked bangs slapped his face as he looked toward the destruction engulfing them from the rear, where the once-proud castle wall stood in ruin.

At different points from beyond the clouded explosions at the wall, enormous silver Lynels emerged from the shadows of each coordinated explosion. One for every blast that detonated. There had been eight blasts.

In a mind-numbing blitz, they tore through the ranks of soldiers caught off-guard, disorganized and flatfooted. In what could be regarded with no less a descriptor than unrelenting catastrophe, the creatures spared no mercy. With a single swing of a Lynel sword, entire squads of men were cut down, thrashed and torn asunder. Blow after blow, men cried out as their last breaths were robbed from them.

The army was in a panic, no longer a fighting functioning force. What was once a battle had become a desperate fight for survival, with the hope of victory fading more and more swiftly as the tables violently turned against them.

They were being offered like lambs to the slaughter, and the Hero of Hyrule was faced with an impossible plight. Does he flee to save the princess, only to leave the army to the mercy of devils? Or stand with the army and fight, leaving Zelda alone to face whatever perilous fate might befall her? With no time to think clearly, Link made a rash decision.

Within the pitch-black halls of her castle, Zelda crept as a stranger among them. Now an intruder in her own home, she wandered through the long stairways, halls and great chambers of old. No light dared to shine within, and candelabrums along the wall had long since faded to bleak darkness.

She could hardly see past her nose, yet Zelda did not fear. She held tightly to the courage within her heart, the courage that he had given her. It was her only light among the darkness, but the bravery of her knight burned brightly and led the way.

Hands outstretched, she reached for the damp, musty and filth ridden walls as she tip-toed further into the void in search of Link. But it wasn't his sweet voice she heard among the abyss. Through unsettling creaks and clacks of old stone echoing into the deep nothingness, she heard another instead, and far more dreadful – Malroc the Terrible.

Like a chilling wind, the voice engulfed her, wicked and cruel. Zelda's blanket of bravery melted away at the sound, and she felt truly alone, surrounded by a permafrost of fear. Her eyes frantically tried to make sense of the void ahead, but she still couldn't see a thing.

"You cannot hide from me…," the rumble of the walls themselves seemed to speak with Malroc's voice. Echoes of it trembled around her in the dark, shaking the very foundations of the castle. Zelda spun and glanced over each shoulder, still blind in the gloom. Frantically, she reached out for the walls to seek out some hiding place amid the stone.

"I know you are there, Princess," came the voice again, devilishly gloating over the pursued prey. "Even in this great darkness, I can smell your fear. Your sweat is rank with it, and the perfume of your terrified flesh is like nectar to me."

A series of low chuckles followed as she heard the steady march of heavy hoofsteps sounding closer and closer to where she hid among the shadows.

Zelda shivered at the sound of his wicked hum, but held tightly to the blade of ancient foretelling underneath her cloak. Illucifarr, the Light bringer! The very blade of Locke the Valiant himself. A fine weapon to have at hand, yet the sheer weight of it made the thought of testing her own skill with it against the beast lurking in the darkness unimaginable. The sword was not hers to use and she knew it. She had to flee, but how?

Malroc spoke again, ferocious voice making his presence known. He tasted the air as he continued his demonic taunts, loudly smacking his lips as if on the verge of feast.

"I can taste your unspoiled, delicate presence upon the wind. Such a sweet and tender morsel you will make. I've never had goddess blood before. I wonder how the likes of it tastes? Will she be Divine? Or perhaps, in truth, would she actually be quite sour? The inside is more revealing than the outside, and perhaps your flesh will reflect your falsehood, a fabricated illusion for all those that would try and make you a queen…

"Yes, the truth is made clear now. You are a pale imitation of a true goddess…a lesser daughter of greater sires. Such a pity that is. They had so much hope, these people you promised, these sheep…they truly believed you had a chance…"

At that moment, Malroc stomped and roared, "There is no chance! YOU HAVE NO CHANCE!"

His demonic smile unseen in the dark. But even still with that, Zelda heard his glee.

Zelda huddled behind the closest stone pillar she could find, frantically trying to calm her breathing. There she listened, desperately holding her breath to keep from being heard as she listened to the menace closing the distance between them.

"You think the shadows can conceal you from me?" Malroc asked in a sneering tone. "We creatures of the night, were bred from the darkness. In its misery we were made. The shadows will betray you to me…even as does your own heart.

"Yes…your heart betrays you. It is true princess…

"I have been given the marvelous power to peer into the depths of your very soul. You cannot defend against it, despite your nature. I see, yes….don't tell me…what is this? You actually care for that knight? The boy who leads the vanguard, so careless and foolish! He does try so very hard…"

Malroc's eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. He roared with laughter before proclaiming with a growl, "The poor fool! He is dead! Yes, you are too late, my dear! Princess, your boy hero is dead!"

Zelda didn't want to believe his claim, couldn't believe it. So she stood there, unwavering, listening. Tears stung at her eyes, the feeling of a lead weight dropping into her stomach.

Then, with no warning, Malroc suddenly leaped out from the darkness. He landed immediately before her hiding place, sneering down at her with malicious glee. "There you are! How good of you to bring yourself before us!"

Caught.

Zelda shrieked and ducked away, narrowly avoiding a swipe of the Lynel's claws as he decimated the pillar that had been her hiding spot. By some miracle she was untouched, save for a few strands of hair sheared from the back of her golden head.

Unfortunately for the both of them, the titanic beast had been overzealous. His weight was far too much for the already stressed floor and, as he stomped and clawed to flush the princess from hiding, the floor gave way. Crumbling into uncountable fragments of broken stone and wood, the structure collapsed beneath them. Zelda fell, away from his terrible grasp down a slope of crumbling tower.

"Eeeyaaa!" Zelda screamed even as Malroc roared, plummeting away from his grasp and into the ruinous gloom below.

Link had made the decision to get to his princess, but before he could run to the castle his gaze was trapped at what was happening around him. He was rewarded with a view of the army being decimated right before his eyes. The chain of command had broken down completely, and the Hyrulean forces were in utter chaos. He could hardly believe his own eyes as men fled from the Lynels in a scattered, panicked retreat. Those soldiers unlucky enough to not be moving with the flood were overrun, crushed under the heels of their own retreating comrades. The defensive line had been utterly obliterated.

It was less a battle, and more a slaughter.

Link couldn't understand how it could be possible for the men to be so ill trained, but, it had been one hundred years since the Kingdom reigned in the light. And in this new dark age, many things that shouldn't have been forgotten, were lost. Of which was the skill of war.

In the fog of confusion, he made out what he could. He couldn't abandon the army to their doom, yet he also needed to find his princess! That was his sworn duty!

Simon, also stunned by the surprise counter-offensive, could barely screech out an order to any of his subordinates to regain control of the battlefield.

Taleran on the other hand was filled with quick conviction and hollered to his men near Link at the frontal command. "Rangers, fall in at the front! At the double! Form up! Now!"

Those who could hear the order amid the fray stood and rallied, forming ranks. In the wake of the destruction, Link followed suit to try and help, but after taking a mere two steps forward, he collapsed to one knee. Trembling uncontrollably, he felt a sudden zing and hum in his temples. Link moved his hand up to rub at his forehead and regain his bearings, but the pain was too great. His head throbbed at the intensity of the pain and before he knew it, his eyes went blurry.

"No, not now! There is no time!" Link cried out to himself as he watched oblivion continue to befall the army, his one hope to restore peace.

Link strayed out of thought and time, entering yet again another forced memory against his will. He was all too well acquainted with ill timed thoughts of the past. Yet, it wasn't up to him to decide the comings and goings of such things. It was out of his control.

But, in some ways, he wanted them; craved them even. For they seemed like dreams so far away. Memories he could retreat to and run away to a simpler time. Back to a place where things made sense and where the edge of the world was within his grasp. He only had to stretch out his hand and take it.

But he knew all too well now looking back in his thoughts. That things did not end up the way he had hoped for and that the future was much uncertain and that was where he truly belonged. For he had yet to accomplish the task that he was entrusted to do.

That he knew deep down to his bones he was the only one that could do so. For he was chosen to be by her side to help and guide her so she could usher the foretold rebirth of the kingdom in all its splendor. That was his mission. And he knew it.

It was the present day hat needed him now. They of which who were so desperately hanging on by a thread, doing what they can. They are who needed him now. Not the maybe memories of what could have been one hundred years ago. But, it was out of his control. He was sent back into a drifting spiral to the past.

He found himself yet again a century ago. He was frozen stiff, huddled among the throng of his fellow trainees. They were already well away at work. It was some days before the coming trials. And because of that, they were enduring the most vigorous of preliminary training drills. A series of many test to weed out the chaff from the wheat before the real trials were to begin.

Athelon scorned, "Alright you sad sorry asslings, I want more out of you! Push it to the next level!"

The old brute marched around in front of the men, and continued his taunts. "If you have any hope of becoming guardsmen, nay, even men for that matter, you must push and prevail until the very sinew of your bones breaks and bleeds through your worthless corpses! For that, is what we all are at the end of the day lads! Corpses! ….Yes, it is true…we are the weapon. You are the sword of Hylia!"

The young cadets were cold, struggling and shivering in mud soaked raggedy armor accomplishing what seemed like an impossible feat as they trudged up hill.

And to top things off, a raging downpour was dumping overhead. The likes of which that appeared more to be a curse from the goddesses themselves than anything natural. And the unforgiving wind chill from the Dying mountains carried a frost that made it no better.

It had been hours and hours. Two days to be precise. Never-ending grueling drills and endless tribulations to test their desire, strength and will to carry on.

No food, nor water was offered. At best they were given two thirty minute breaks in the day that their superiors had the audacity to call naps. The men knew better though.

It was well known that if and when some sad soul would attempt to close their eyelids for just a solitary moment among the whole ordeal, that not even a breath later would a captain of the guard run up and scream them back to attention, filling them with a soul fleeting fear.

The master of the enlistees gazed at the boys from above. Situated and standing firm on the high ground he evaluated the new recruits attempting in unison as they tried to ascend a towering peak.

The boys were struggling. Not only from the endless berating from their captain that chipped at their morale, but they also had to contend with an impossibly gargantuan tree stump. A log of epic proportions. It could have been the Deku tree itself. And they were forced to heave it over their shoulders while they braved the incomprehensible trek up the mountain summit.

Link was one of those boys.

Athelon gave out a hearty chuckle, "What is this? Is this supposed to be Hyrule's new elite fighting force? Pathetic!"

The boys huffed and groaned, almost unaware of his words, frantically trying to keep the log lifted as they trudged uphill to the rally flag. Their knees sank into the mud and the menacing whip of the rain slapped their faces, pushing them two steps back for every one they shoved forward.

The captain shouted again. This time much more fierce with a fire burning in his eyes. "That wasn't a volunteer question for you to answer whenever you fancy! I said what is this!?"

The lads paused where they stood, almost sinking from the weight. They gasped and moaned a unison reply, trying to focus on their trying task at hand yet all the while to answer their commander. "No, sir!"

"Dammit, that isn't good enough!" Athelon spun to face them, face filled with red fury near a boiling rage. "That may be good enough for the Draene Dagger Draggoons or the Seascape Rangers of Tarble, but that is NOT good enough for the Royal Guard of Hyrule! Do you understand me?

"You need to be doing it better!…Time is almost up!…

"You are out of TIME! Our day of reckoning is at hand At any moment and you are still not ready! Helpless!"

And in that very moment when he shouted, one of the boys faltered, losing his grip of the massive tree. The others felt the sudden drop of weight bear on their shoulders. It was almost too great and just as they were all about to surrender to the elements and the stress, one of them took charge.

Beside the young man who collapsed in the mud, one reached down with one hand to lift him while bearing the load for both of them. It was Link.

In a grueling grunt he gripped the other recruit, who was Sven. And, with one hand supporting his friend back up to his feet he shouldered the rest of the tree that needed to be lifted. Link struggled, but tried so anyways.

Athelon ran up beside him and shouted. "What is this!? You think you're some sort of hero now? Drop him! HE IS WEAK! We have no place for weaklings among us!"

Heaving hard while carrying both his friend and the log, Link squinted back through the prickling rain to his captain. "I'm alright… I can manage well enough…I can do this! Please…"

"Is that so!? You all have just two more minutes to make the top of the peak or you will repeat the entire hill again! Is that clear!?"

The boys all forced a suffocating shout back,"Yes, sir!"

During all of this, Link's father watched from afar, near the summit where the finishing flag stood, a hood draped over him. Under the shadow of his cloak he lit up a cherry embered pipe and puffed away, watching in silence as the whole situation unfold, intrigued by the scene.

Athelon saw the fearless, courageous stare Link threw at him and continued back again to test his limits. "Are you deaf? I said drop him! Or I'll—"

"No!" Link said, voice raised.

Athelon was stunned by the insubordination he was hit with but before he could contest any further the young man reaffirmed himself.

The young man's eyes were aglow with desire. "His fate will be the same as ours! We either all make it together as one or not at all! Is that not the way of the KNIGHTs of legend?"

The wind slapped again more fierce, and the other men were still struggling behind him, but were glad he took upon himself the extra load of the weight. Link could hardly find the strength to persevere, but the more he believed, the more power he felt come to him.

Athelon smirked at his reply and contemplated to himself for just a moment before screeching out another order. "Very well then…You have one more minute! Now drive it! Carry him if you must!"

And with that, the small platoon of recruits hastened their steps up the slippery road ahead. They were now organized and determined, moving as one.

They were almost there. And as they passed him along the way, Athelon stared off to the distance to where they were, eyes locked on the boy who defied him.

He smiled to himself, So Link, you believe yourself are one to save the helpless, eh?…Good…Yes…Very good my lad…That is exactly the sort of fighting spirit we need now more than ever…Yes…I have been watching you…ever since you were just a wee' small boy…Like your father, I too must believe…

You may not remember it now, for you were still very young, but you beat me in a game of duels, although I will never admit it! But, even so, that was when you were just a small child and it was then that I knew…You will grow to do great and marvelous things. You were different somehow. I can't explain it. But, I know there is something there. Whatever that may be, I know there is more to your story than we know….

He gazed further at how Link took control of the situation, even so much to rally the men behind him as he continued to carry his fatigued friend and the tree. They were going to make the summit in time.

Athelon continued to look onward in thought, Very good Link, that's the way… You can do it! Just hold on, a little longer my lad…You're almost there…

Indeed you do have great power dormant within you…we just have to find it in time…

I pray for all our sakes…For you may very well be, our best hope in this great war to come…My only question is…will it be enough?…I hope…

Back at the present, whether by coincidence or providence, the hall Zelda had fallen through the floor of had been situated over the battlefield. As the building broke apart around her, the princess found herself sliding down an enormous slab of broken castle stone, the piece extending down to the lower level. In that catastrophic moment, the sword she had been carrying was ripped from her grasp as she fell, lost somewhere amid the debris of the collapsing castle.

Rolling into a cloud of rubble, Zelda found herself out in the open, upon the battlefield. The terrified screams and shouts of men waging battle were just a stone's throw away.

She coughed and panted, amazed to have escaped such a dire situation with only the few scratches and bruises she'd taken in the fall. Her knees ached, and her leggings had been horribly scraped and torn, but she would suffer a bloody arse and legs over disembowelment at the claws of a Lynel any day.

Elsewhere, having fallen in the opposite direction of his prey, Malroc tumbled through another part of the castle. The beast growled in primal fury, and like a lion on the prowl for a gazelle, he tasted at the dusty air around him as he continued his hunt for the princess.

"I will find you, girl! Like a wasp to rotting flesh, I will hunt you down!" Malroc cried out in a bloody rage. "You cannot hide from me! As predator and prey, you are mine to hunt! Mine to sacrifice! Mine to bleed and ravish and break! Mine to use in ordination of His Majesty, the true ruler of this world – Mandrag Ganon! And with your death, his shadow shall manifest itself and cover the land in sickness and darkness for time everlasting! You won't escape me! You won't deny me! NEVER!"

Even from such a far distance across the battlefield, Link could hear the Lynel King's declaration. Using all the might he had left, and with the sheer will not to let his princess be taken, he rose from where he'd fallen prone, and force the pain from his mind, forced his body into compliance. No doubt he would pay the price for it later, but he knew that evil roar, and he knew he was talking to her.

Only seconds passed since his fall and it was Simon of all people who ran to his aid.

"Hey! Are you alright!? Pull yourself together hero, even I need hope in a dreadful hour such as this!" He said, somewhat patronizing, almost amazed at his own confession. For even he now believed it could possibly be true.

In his eyes was a worry staring back at the young hylian warrior, as if his health was a bellwether for their entire campaign

"I'm alright!…Thanks," Link declared, strongly rising up to his feet shaking away the shutter to his body. "I have to go, can you manage?"

"What you mean?"

"She is in danger! I must get to her before…"

"Before what?" Simon prompted.

"Before he does," Link finished, spinning around to face the heart of the castle where the dust settled from the collapse.

So, after regaining some measure of control, the Hero of Hyrule charged into the smoke and destruction before him, hoping against all odds to find Zelda before Malroc did.

The army will just have to do without me for a moment, he thought.

Zelda coughed and rose to her feet, only to find herself greeted by a gang of unfriendly eyes. Eyes that belonged to Malroc's servants, monsters enslaved to his will. Her mind tallied no less than five bokoblins and two lizalfos. In an instant, Zelda had been cornered, the last vestiges of her courage replaced with naked fear.

There was nowhere to run. With only an empty watchtower at her back, she had no means of escape. The tower couldn't even serve as a place to make a last stand, as she'd lost the only weapon in the collapse, and the tower's portcullis clear across on the other side had been dropped in any case. She was left with a caged empty room to her back. And with no way to reach the army just beyond, her fear could only grow.

She didn't fear for what they might do to her flesh, or the ways they might abuse her physically, but she did fear for the state of hersoul. Had there ever been a vessel such as her that had been taken by Ganon's monstrosities?

She fear, too, for her love. What would become of Link if he should find her broken, dead or both?

As her last vestiges of hope seemed to fade, Zelda cursed her pride, cursed attempting to set out on such a foolish crusade as this. Her entire being shattered within, right down to her core, at the thought that she could be so easily taken. That she would be apprehended and made to serve the purpose of her eternal enemy. To be the cause of his awakening so that he might once again wreak havoc upon the world. That this would be the last moment she would breathe freely.

Her only regret in that moment was that she never bared her soul to Link. She would never have the chance to confess her heart to him, the way she always intended to, for it did belong to him and none other. She was reconciled to her fate, now and lowered her head in dread. Her life was spent, so she let her hands go slack, not intending to fight her fate. Instead, with a choked sob of sorrow, she closed her eyes against the coming terror, and offered a solemn prayer, one she hoped would reach her beloved. Before her captors took her, she would give her last words. The only thing she could ask for, as one last favor from the goddesses for her sake. She wanted them to be for him, needed them to be for him.

But fate had chosen to have it another way when, lashing out from above with a grand leap, ax and blade spinning in the air, Link appeared between her and her foes! Her knight had arrived in a wonderful display of skill and heroism yet again!

He was tired, dirty, bloody and torn up, yet still appeared just as spectacular and handsome as ever in Zelda's eyes. In an instant, both of Link's weapons buried themselves in the two nearest creatures attempting to grab at the princess. As her knight dispatched both of the monsters, Zelda gazed up where she fell by the surprise, strong and gallant as ever. Despite his fatigue, he appeared perfectly in control, as though an everlasting strength radiated out from him. She knew in that moment that he would never let her be taken.

Zelda thought back to those earlier days, long ago, when she'd first met him. When the Yiga clan of old had entrapped her, alone among the desert sands. And like a prophetic vision, she saw him yet again display his selfless bravery before her, willing to smite her foes if they so much as deigned to try and touch her.

With the monsters facing them shaken at the sight of his superior abilities, Link turned to look at Zelda, waking her from her starstruck stupor.

"Are you alright?" he spoke softly, tenderly.

She could only look upon him with amazement, happy that Malroc's lies were just that – lies.

He continued, still in the thick of the fight, with one eye on focused on her enemies yet still as sweet as ever in his voice to her over his shoulder. "What are you doing here? Why did you come?"

"I…," she could hardly say a word, mesmerized by his abilities even as she returned slowly back up to her feet.

With her pause, Link knew there was no time to talk just yet, enemies were closing in around them. "Do you trust me?" he asked with a caring, reassuring smile. He offered his hand to her like a princely hero of legend, just as he did so many years ago when she thought herself left alone to her doom during that terrible encounter with the Yiga clan.

"I do."

It was all she could utter from lips so eager to one day taste his.

Without hesitation, Link reached out with one arm and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her close to him.

"Then hold on tight!" he declared, tightening his warm embrace around her.

And, with a remarkable display of speed and agility, Link fended off two more foes with his free hand just before bringing down his ax to break the reel of the watchtower gate behind them. In the instant of the chain shattering, time seemed to slow, and Link's hand grasped at the broken end of the chain as its tension snapped it back toward the tower.

Holding Zelda tightly in his arms, the pair of them shot through the air, whistling away at breakneck speed. Zelda huddled herself into the safety of Link's chest as the reel whined and spun. Within moments, the chain had flung the two high into the air even as the front tower gate fell before their enemies.

They had miraculously escaped.

AUTHORS NOTES- Hey Everyone, I hope you all like! This chapter was cut in half. The other part I am still editing. These war scenes are particularly difficult due to coordinating everyone's movements. Should be up by the weekend though : ) Pleeeease leave a comment if you haven't already and let me know what you think or what you want to see more of. Any predictions for what happens? I want to hear them! Thanks and much love- Sky

Chapter Text

Chapter 28

The End?

Finding a moment of reprieve before landing atop another bridge adjacent to the towering fortress, both Link and Zelda's moment lost in each other's eyes had been cut short. And before they could catch their breath from their miraculous escape, it was robbed from them again. To their shock, they were thrust from out of the frying pan and into the fire. They were now in an even more frightening situation from where they escaped. As they loosened from each other's embrace, they found themselves staring face to face with the dark harbinger of Ganon himself, Malroc.

"There you are, princess…" The beast smiled, catching both of their attention from across the way. His arms were slowly unfolding from being crossed as if he was expecting her. Waiting for them all along. The beast gleamed at them both, just steps away from where they landed.

Instinctively, Link forced Zelda behind him on the bridge for her safety and struck a defensive pose with his blade and hatchet. "Damn…" Link said low, cursing their situation.

He felt his power begin to wain from his wounds and exhaustion. Battling Malroc now while maintaining her safety would be an impossible feat. But, he made himself ready nonetheless.

Malroc smiled and let out a harrowing roar of a laugh. "Thank you, hero! You have brought her right to me. How wonderful…I am truly in your debt."

"Good luck with that, not a chance!" Link retorted.

Zelda trembled, stepping back from Link. The fear in her eyes glistened as she saw the condition Link was in. The battle had taken its toll on him thus far, and in her heart, she knew that even he had his limits. But, before she could tell him to consider otherwise, Link took another step forward. It would seem the battle had begun whether she liked it or not.

"Let's finish this!" Link said with a smirk, channeling whatever strength he had left for another round with the demonic spawn of Ganon.

But, before he could make his first move, he was struck with a pulsating wave of mind-crushing pain. His whole body coursed with a dark current of energy. Soon engulfed by a black cloud of electrifying red lightning. His veins bulged, popped, and glowed a putrid crimson. Sickly and demented, his flesh went.

Link collapsed, dropping his weapons to the ground beside himself as he fell to one knee. All the while, the great Titan watched eagerly, crossing his arms yet again in delight as he saw the scene unfold before his eyes.

Link grunted and wailed as the pain intensified to a fever. His whole body went numb, hot, and he began to tremble uncontrollably where he knelt. There he squeezed his head as raging thoughts of evil intent poured into his mind and soul. It was as if he was possessed by dark, unrelenting force.

Mortified, Zelda screamed from behind him. "What's wrong!? What's happening to you? Linnnnnnk!" She said before shooting a quick dead-eye stare back at the foul King of lynels up ahead on the bridge. "What are you doing to him!? Stop! Stop it!"

Malroc only glanced to them both and reveled in the moment, letting out a low chuckle that reverberated the whole bridge, shaking it to its foundations. His minions began to pile in from around him.

Zelda ran up beside Link, confused and distressed, unsure what to do. Her heart sank, and the despair of losing him again forced her voice into a pitch none had heard before. Her worry was at its height that it has ever been watching him suffer so.

Zelda shouted and pleaded. "Link! What can I do? Please, what is happening? I don't know what to do to help you! Oh, Link!"

Under his breath, Malroc spoke to himself. " Ahh, I see…Now I understand…Yes, what a wonderful revelation indeed…With this new development, I won't even have to retrieve her myself…you make this, all too easy…My little...Hylian friend….heh heh."

In his most profound and darkest thoughts, Malroc gloated to himself. Some of his words reaching Link's mind. So, the Dark Lord has become a part of you? I see…The malice burns bright within! That's it! …Let the sickness overcome you. …It's useless to resist my puny challenger...Even now, his cursed essence flows through your very veins…How marvelous it must be for you…To be a part of him…The more you fight it, the stronger he festers in your heart and soul… Corrupting you until you are no longer recognizable. Like all the others, you too will become his servant…And all of this, just to see your beloved so-called princess see you turn to him. To become a slave to his will…Heh heh…

And with a louder voice, Malroc spoke, fierce and terrible, his small host behind him now cackling in delight as they started to swarm around in glee. And with a firm low command, he spoke. "Now, go…"

Link fell forward on the bridge, succumbing to his affliction, stomping and shaking erratically, violently screaming in agony. Zelda was petrified by the horrendous sight, speechless.

In Link's thoughts, he heard corrupt and vile voices, seemingly taking control of his body. It was the dark tone of Malroc weaved in by another…One that he has never heard before yet, for some strange reason that he couldn't explain; it sounded familiar. But, this voice was far more terrible and viler…It could only be him, he thought. The King of the Demons himself, Ganon. (Kill, kill her!)

An unseen malignant force invaded his being, and his muscles spasmed uncontrollably as he fought to resume control of his body. The old champion fought as best he could and swung his arms away from Zelda, desperately trying not to heed the command to his flesh. But, it took every ounce of strength and will to restrain the ill voices that took hold of his body, all the while he railed in pain.

(Now, Kill!…Get her! Get….HER!)

Supplanting both his fist in distress, he slammed the cold stone beneath his feet in a bow, splintering the bridge; the Knight shouted over his shoulder to Zelda behind him. "Go! There's…a stairway just beyond…toward the tower…It's your only chance…the way is clear on that side...Now go! Behind you…Take it to the others! Now!"

Zelda looked onward to him, not wanting to leave his side. "I cant! No way am I abandoning you now, Link! We're in this together!"

"No! You must leave…quickly!" he said, distressed.

The princess could only look upon him in fear for his life, confused by his words, with a sinking feeling that felt like a bottomless pit.

Link felt his temples bulge and knew at any moment he could lose all control and forced out a scream. His pupils widened, engulfing his eyes until nothing was left but an ominous and sickening red glow. "GO NOW!" He roared in an echoing malicious demand, turning to face her. It shattered her heart seeing him that way.

Zelda nearly collapsed from his yell. It shot at her with the force of a hurricane wind against her chest. Terror shook her. And, the cruel sound in his voice broke her to tears, as if he'd been taken by a demon entity.

Link didn't intend it for that way, but he needed her to run before losing all control. So, he frantically pushed her away.

Link commanded again. "Go! Flee! Please! You have to get out of here now, Zelda!" His own voice resonating in and out of the eerily dark tone he spoke in earlier. Phasing back and forth between himself and something else entirely.

With no other choice, Zelda listened to his command and hated that she had to do so. She escaped from the other side. Link was now alone to the mercy of the Devil.

Now alone to themselves atop the rampart, the monster spoke freely to the Hylian Knight. "I almost feel sorry…I wanted a great fight to unfold between us, one for the centuries…but this...this is what I get? A wincing pathetic boy?" He said, approaching closer in a few hoofed steps.

The monster smiled. "I can end your suffering right now. But, where would the fun be in that? It would be all so easy…But, I digress…Like a sick dog, I will put you down. Put you out of your misery. Would you like that?"

Malroc was now hovering above him, watching him suffer still on his knees before him.

"And that poor, foolish girl…" He reveled again, letting out a sinister laugh of pure ecstasy before continuing.

"She believed so much in you…to put her trust and faith in someone so…weak…I can just see the look in her eyes now, heart shattered to a million pieces and full of despair…For the whole world shall fall into despair…Whatever hope she thought she had in you is about to go flying out the window with my next attack." The monster said, raising up his majestic yet, corrupted Lynel sword over his head.

Just as he was about to deal the finishing blow, he paused and stared down at the suffering Hylian young man beneath his feet.

The Titan spoke. "Actually,…on second thought…I think I'll wait…savor this moment. Better yet, for his sake….perhaps, it is better that I wait? Yes, I know now…That is what he would want. What I would wish for as well…I want her to see you fall. Watch me break you down inch by inch as I rip the life out of you. And when you are left beaten and broken, when you can take no more and when my Lord is done with you…

"She will be ours!… And there is nothing you can do…Oh, and she will suffer too, That I can promise you…she will be ours….and her unblemished body will be abused beyond reconciliation, tortured as a holy sacrament offered to the Dark Lord! How do you like that? Hero?" He finished in a mocking tone, head crooked overlooking Link, amused at his plight, reaching down with his claws over his head of hair in a horrific gesture of pious pity.

Link heard enough of his vile speech, and no matter what pain he had to endure and what demons plagued his soul, he fought with every vestige of his being and in a terrific yell that even shuddered the King of lynels back a few steps back, he stood tall and unafraid "NO! I will never let you take her! You will never win!" His voice echoed again, more brilliant than ever, but it was now his own.

"So, you have some fight left in you after all? Very well then, we will just have to rework our strategy!" The monster struck an attack pose, readying his dark sword. "Back to the original plan, it is. I prefer it this way. I'm afraid, in your condition, you won't survive this…Now, taste my blade!"

And with that, the monster leaped in a grand attack towards him, but with radical speed, Link shook away the cloud of confusion around him and reached for both his weapons in a marvelous block. The wave of energy from the criss-cross of their weapons colliding slammed all the surrounding area, throwing back the Lynel's cretins from behind off their feet.

But, the power of Malroc was too tremendous, and Link wasn't all himself.

The monster spoke again, shoving the champion back across atop the bridge. "I can feel your fighting spirit begin to falter. It won't be long now. One wrong step, and it's all over for you. If the sickness doesn't take you, I will…"

"Go…Go for it." Link said back, panting as he reoriented himself, standing firm and fearless, blade and ax in hand. "I'm ready!"

The Knight knew that he was weakened from all the battle waged thus far and was tired even more so. Not to mention, his weapons have seen better days as well. They were dulled and worn. But, even with all those odds stacked against him, he had to try, and the very least, he couldn't let that beast know it. He couldn't fail. He mustn't.

After climbing down the old stone steps, Zelda was met with an unimaginable scene in the thick of the war. All around, she saw the army desperately fighting for survival. Eight massive Lynels were on the offense, ripping through lines of men that had tried to rally behind Simon.

She chanced a glance all around and figured that at least a third of their force had been lost. Her heart pitted for them.

She began to think that her whole campaign was a foolish crusade, and before she lost all hope from their dire circumstance, she saw it. Like a glimmering beacon of faith in the blowing wind, it shone in her eye from afar. Not too far off it lay, the sword Ilucifarr!

In her soul, she knew that if Link were to have any chance of slaying a monster as great as that, he would need a weapon mighty enough to defeat him.

The sword lay among some rubble, perched up against some broken stone, still untouched and partially removed from its sheath. The glimmer of its beautiful Jasper red hilt sparkled in her eye from afar. It was out in the open, maybe a hundred feet away at the most, she guessed.

But, how was she to get to it? That was a far cry undertaking, to say the least. War was raging all around her, and men and beast alike were clashing in a full-scale bloodbath. She was defenseless, and to maneuver among the battle out in the open would be suicide. She didn't even have her dagger that Riju graced her days earlier. But, even with that knowledge, she didn't care…Link needed her. And just as she took a breath to make her move regardless of the danger, for her love's sake, not two steps further, she was hit by a stroke of luck.

A familiar voice called out to her from afar. It was Sylmoor. "Princess! You're alive! Thank the Goddess!"

Her ears twitched to the sound of his welcoming voice as she turned to him. Before she could reply, he continued. "Stay there! I'm coming! Don't move an inch! You're safer there behind the rubble!"

Taking two glances over his shoulders, he kicked his stallion and galloped through a battlefield, spectacularly weaving in and out from foes facing soldiers until he reached her.

As he made his approach, Zelda hollered to him over the noise of war. "The sword! I dropped the sword! It fell!"

"What!? Then we have to get you out of here! It's what Link would want—"

"No! I'm not retreating anywhere!"

"I insist!"

"No, We have to retrieve the sword! He needs us!"

"But it's lost. You said—"

"No, it's not! I have found it! See— there! Just beyond the collapsed sanctum bridge! Over there, to the east. You see?" She said, pointing beyond the fray.

And with a short glance over some rubble, Sylmoor saw the foretelling blade sparkle like a jewel in the sun. It was a blessed sight for sore eyes indeed.

Zelda continued her speech, fist raised up to her chest in a desperate plea. "We have to get it! Please! Link is fighting that horrific monster; he needs it! We can't abandon him! I fear….I fear that if he doesn't…

Sylmoor heard all he needed and knew better not to question this particular princess. For she was a very strong-willed young lady. And that in itself could be more dangerous to upset her than an entire legion of Malroc's best. "No need to say a word, princess! We have a sword to fetch! Here, quickly climb atop my horse! We'll get your prize, or I Ain't Sylmoor, son of Alister Illiastar!"

Sylmoor then reached his hand out for her to saddle up behind him, and before he could get her to join him, she shouted over him. "Look out! Behind you!"

Sylmoor spun as he sat, and to his pale shock, as if seconds stood still like hours, he saw his impending fate before his eyes.

A drooling Moblin had snuck up in the commotion and was now perched over them both from behind. With its ax over its head, it was about to drop the killing blow. They were caught!

But, before his crudely crafted ax could slash down upon them, the beast was met with a sharp skewer of a Zora spear to its side, ripping and tearing through its flesh, splitting its entrails. In a miraculous surprise, they were saved by a tall, charging Zora.

Peeking her eyes through her fingers that she flinched shut by what she could have only thought was their doom, she heard the familiar shout of Seabass over to them.

"I told you I would keep our pretty Lord safe, little princess! I am a Zora of my word! Haha!" The great white Zora exclaimed, flexing his arm in a victory pose, reminiscent of Sidon. "Not one hair upon his pristine blonde head! Did I not say, eh?"

Thankful for the save and amused by his antics, Zelda smiled. Sylmoor, on the other hand, was suffering shock, nearly recovering from a heart attack of fright. Noticing the pair was still in awe at what could have been their end, Seabass cleared the air and reached out for the princess to help her saddle up behind Sylmoor.

"Here you are, your majesty!"

Zelda thanked him with another warm smile and composed herself before approaching the shell-shocked Illiastar Lord. Sylmoor was still panting. Gathering deep breaths of courage, reaching for the shiny silver flask he had hidden away under his cloak and armor.

Hands shaking and filled with terror from before, he lamented as he realized all its contents have been drained hours earlier, shaking the small tin upside down dry in despair, on the verge of tears. Zelda couldn't help but smile at his over-the-top reaction and quickly took it upon herself to calm his nerves by setting his mind at ease with a soothing arm to his shoulder.

"It's alright Sylmoor, If your fate was to die today, it would have happened already. I believe in my heart that the good Goddess herself has much more important things in store for your destiny. You really think that a slobbering Moblin would have been your end?" She finished with a wink.

Sylmoor's eyes widened like the two great seas of Hyrule, and rivers of sweat poured down his face. "Oh, geez, that makes me feel loads better! After all this time, it turns out my life happens to be just in the hands of a fickle goddess! That is so much better than it being left in my very capable hands!" He finished with a gulp.

Zelda couldn't help but giggle, realizing that maybe her pep talk wasn't exactly what he was looking for in consolation before returning to address Seabass, who was chomping at the bit to speak.

"I couldn't help but see you two be looking like you be needing some place to be? Now, so where are we off to? Lead the way, my Lord and Lady!" Seabass spoke with an eager, gloated laugh—Ready for another challenge.

"To the sword!" Zelda boldly declared with a ray of determination and hope shone in her eye, hand-stretched across past Sylmoor and pointing to their destination.

Returning to the land of the living from his near-death experience, Sylmoor rolled his eyes upwards, letting out a breath of thanks to the goddesses before kicking his horse onward. They were off to retrieve the lost blade.

Link was dodging and blocking oncoming blows from the great Titan back up above in a heated struggle for survival. But, he was struggling. Severely weakened and with sub-par weapons, it had become clear that he was against the ropes.

"It won't be long now…hero…" Malroc taunted. They were now even higher up in the castle, at the ruined floor where Zelda and the beast fell earlier. They have been engaged in a stupendous battle the whole time. Link valiantly fending him off as best he could. The massive chamber they were in was partially collapsed, and the building's roof was crumbled, open to the air and sunlight.

Link shot back with a fiery reply. "I didn't hear no cucco crow yet! It isn't over until it's over, not by a long shot. I'm ready when you are!"

"Very well then, then death is your wish…" Malroc slowly walked to him, atop the split and broken sanctum floor. Link was at the edge and was cornered, but he didn't care. He wasn't one to ever flee from a fight.

"You know…You know you can't win…Not like that, you can't. I admit earlier, you may have had a chance if you and your friend had got me in a rush, but even with that, I'd say it would have been only just a sliver of a chance. Now I am afraid…you have none…" Malroc's red eyes gleamed in delight.

Link panted but still flexed both his blade and ax in his hands, showing no fear. "You keep saying that, but why don't you come over here and show me?"

Malroc only smiled, and with that invitation, he vanished into the wind. Moving at such great speed that shocked the Knight himself. But, just before his death strike could befall Link, the young Knight's unconscious reactions took control, and he did a marvelous backflip away.

More of the castle shattered beneath their feet and began to crumble and fall. The whole place was becoming unstable.

Malroc didn't let up and, with his other hand, unleashed his demonic whip that carried a spiked ball at the end. The strike was a diversion, though. And, in unison, he slashed with one hand and whipped in the other.

Link blocked the moves as best he could, losing more and more ground after each devastating blow until there was no ground left. Link found himself caught at the end of yet another broken bridge to an adjacent tower. But, it had been broken half across, and he was now at the edge. He gazed over his shoulder and noticed they were now many flights up, and falling down to the warzone below would surely lead to his death.

And in a grand finale of attacks, Malroc dashed and swung his massive sword, narrowly missing Link's throat, just an inch away. In that rage of fury, the chain neckless which he wore around his neck was caught by the tip of Malroc's blade and broke. The same neckless carrying the precious vile which Impa had given him days earlier. The Lunar Tear potion.

Frantically trying to catch his balance from falling over himself, Link lost sight of the small glass jar in slow motion, far away from his grasp. Like a glistening raindrop, it fell down to the war below, surely to be shattered upon the ground and lost forever.

Link's eyes widened over his shoulder, and he saw the blurry height he was at. Phewww, that was close.

Malroc approached calmly. "End of the road for you, my friend…You did put up a good fight, and for that, even I must congratulate you, for you were the only Hylian to ever block my strikes. And for that, I applaud your effort. But, like all good things, they must come to an end."

"Must they? Link forced a fatigued smile, gazing up above Malroc to the dilapidated stone archway above the massive Lynel.

"Hmm?" Malroc eye's questioned.

Without saying a word, Link threw his ax, and before the Lynel could know what the champion was up to, it was too late.

He threw the spiraling ax to hit the dead center to the arch's keystone with such magnificent force, splintering a tremor of cracks the broke the old stone.

"You dare!?" Malroc roared and dashed toward him. And with that, Link used all the strength he had and leapt up overhead the monster as he swung toward him.

The archway fell simultaneously as Link ripped back his ax, circumventing himself over the fall. And as the arch fell, it crashed onto the heavy stricken bridge where the great Titan stood on the other side, shattering the remnants of the bridge to collapse. The monster began to crumble along with the old structure, down to the encompassing battle below.

Out of breath, the hero reoriented himself back safe onto the other side, still high up in the castle, securing his ax.

But just as he let out an overdo sigh of relief, he felt a sudden, sharp, spiraling grasp to his legs; gripping him tight from a hold he couldn't break free. Looking down he saw but couldn't fight back. It was too late.

And, with his last attack, Malroc hurled his demonic whip and pulled the Knight with him as he fell. In the raining destruction, they both fell down to the war below like meteors.

Malroc landed far away from Link and quickly reoriented himself, shaking the dust from the fall. Link, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen. Lost in the dusty maze of broken castle.

But, before he could search out and destroy the hero, he was approached by one of his own that rallied to him.

It was a slithering, gangly, Lizalfos commander.

"My malevolence, we have retrieved the ancient treasure of Hera. One of our own retrieved it from the waters as it fell earlier."

The great Titan arose and shook his head from the dizziness of the fall and spoke clearly. "Where is it?"

"This way, my Lord, we have it secured in the old Knight's chamber.

I must ask, do your orders still stand?" The lizalfos gulped, gripping its chin in worry as it spoke again, voice shaking… "But without the girl, how will we—?"

Malroc growled and interrupted him. And just before he could deal his fierce judgment upon the poor slithering cretin out of the rage of losing sight of the boy, in that opportune moment, his gaze was stolen from him by a far off gift of dark prominence from beyond.

There it was as if it was given from the Demon King himself, drifting and sailing down softly in the breeze up above his servant, the sign he was looking for.

Delicate strands of torn golden hair gently falling in the air to a ledge of old stone just feet away from him. Malroc remembered now. That when he slashed toward her majesty in the castle earlier, he must have cut loose some of her hair. With this new knowledge, the monster silently chuckled to himself. "We have all we need."

"B-but, the witch!" The Lizalfos stuttered and stammered over himself. "The witch said we needed both blood and spirit for the ceremony to work?"

"Silence you! I will not deal words with you or any witch. I serve only his highness Mandrag! And his will shall be done!—

"As it is in Demise, as it is on Earth!" He finished, raising both his arms triumphantly, hailing to the skies in glee. "It is time to show these Goddess filth what true power is…Are they ready?" He said again, grinning toward the cowering lizard.

"Y-yes, m'lord, the eight are in position, and their festering souls are aligned…awaiting your orders."

"Then, let us begin! It is now time…"

"Yes, my lord…" the cretin bowed.

Malroc just smiled and whispered to himself. "It's time…Time for hellfire."

With her new vanguard beside her as they charged through the fray, they were stopped suddenly by a change of disposition from the offensive enemy line. Without warning or any explanation, the advancing eight Lynels halted their onslaught and fell back. The smaller beast retreated as well and scurried behind them.

The soldiers saw and were at a loss for words about why the battle took a sudden standstill, looking at each other confused. The battle went eerily silent.

Simon shouted to his men victoriously as if the war had already been won. "You see! We can win! The devils flee before us!"

"No, no my lord…I don't think so," cut through the wise counsel of Sidon who spoke nearby, quickly taking the wind from his sails.

Who was still mending a wounded Teba in his arms.

"What? What do you mean? Are you blind? Look at them! They run before us like the mindless cowards they are! It's time for us to finish them where they stand! Look at them! They are still, tails tucked in and kneeling, with their eyes closed even!" Simon reiterated, lance pointing toward the split line where the enemy lay in the quiet dusty fog.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" came a cough of an awakened Teba, shocking Sidon, who had been distracted looking away as he held him in his arms. Amazed that he was alright after all.

"You're alive!" Sidon said with a smile, helping the fallen Rito back up to his feet.

"Of course I am! It's just a scratch… Sorry I blew it back up there," Teba smirked back.

"Nonsense, you did well; you saved my life!" Sidon said.

"Well, unfortunately, I couldn't save the princess. Which reminds me! Damnit, She is here! Does Link know?'

"Yes, we all do. But, don't worry, you did all you could. Link himself went up ahead to save her."

"I see…Well, no need to make such a fuss over me; I'll be alright."

"You sure?"

"Yes. Though…I took a pretty shot to my wing back up there...I won't be able to fly. But, don't worry, I can manage well enough on my feet. We Rito train just for these very situations, ya know," he finished with another smirk, right before the ground shook violently.

"What the—-!" Simon shouted, gripping his lance tight yet again, pointing it toward the smoke of the wall where the enemy illusively hid.

"I have a very bad feeling about this!" Teba reiterated, reaching for his hand-crafted Rito blade from behind his back, lining up beside Sidon and the others. The worse was far from over.

"You've got to be kidding me! Is that really all you got?" A faint and unknown voice spoke.

Link was trapped in what could only be a black haze inside his mind, and there he listened silently in the dark.

"Taking a break on the job now, are we?—-

"C'mon, you're embarrassing me! Is this truly the power of the great Champion Link? I'd come to expect more from you…More from the great Hylian with that special shiny sealing sword on his back. Oh, but I must correct myself...my keen eyes see that you don't have your pretty fancy sword? A pity. Well, no matter, don't tell me that's enough to keep you off your feet! Not the Link I used to know!"

"Who? Who are …you?" Link mumbled back, still in a daze.

"Really, you don't know who I am? You must have really bumped your head harder than I thought…Very well then…"

And in the black abyss of his mind, a swirling apparition of pale green light began to form, and in no time before it completely congealed into a personage, Link knew then precisely who he was speaking to as he lay still on the black empty void.

Slowly, his senses returned, and the black nothingness that was wrapped around him began to form into reality, into the true existence around him. The warzone below Hyrule's castle.

He found himself surrounded by broken castle debris. And before the ghost of the past could fully realize its proper form, Link spoke, and he rose up back to his feet. "Revali…You're—-"

"Yup, the one and only! Who else?—Once again, I must clean up everyone else's mess and save your tail feathers," Revali posed, wearing a cocky grin.

"But, how?" Link said, just before falling again to one knee, head throbbing. "Aghhhh!"

Revali sprang up, disappeared, and reappeared again beside him. "C'mon, pull yourself together, man! The princess needs you!" He scolded, but not before noticing that some dark force from the great beyond had a hold of the young Hylian warrior. So, he eased off. "Fight it, Link! Whatever it is, you must!"

The Knight gripped his temples tightly, wincing from the singeing intensity that scorched behind his eyelids. He felt the red glow of evil fill his veins once again and grinned his teeth. Fighting hard not to succumb to the black temptation that took hold of him, desperately clinging on to the familiar yet, most unlikely voice of a friend within his mind, Revali.

"You got this Link! I hate to admit it, but if you can do what even I could not, and destroy those things that stole the Divine Beasts, and beat back the greatest Devil this world has ever known, surely you can beat whatever it is that is plaguing you now! It should be child's play to you! C'mon, don't let him win! You must! Now fight! Fight it!"

Link shook erratically alone among the rubble; he was some far distance from the others who were still waging battle, alone with the spirit of Revali on the other side of the castle grounds in a hidden enclave of crumbled stone.

"That's it, Link, you're doing it!" Revali urged. Fighting with words of encouragement too alongside him.

"Eyarghhhhhh!" The Knight raged and fell to his knees.

Revali paused and watched, waiting for what seemed like an eternity before he could speak again. And just as he was about to, Link arose and returned to his old self.

"I'm alright…I think. For now at least…Thanks….Thank you, Revali," Link said with a grateful smile. Happy to know that least of all, Revali truly did care and had his back after all these long years.

"Alright, alright…Don't get sappy on me now. I was only doing my job!… No need to make such a big deal out of it." The old Rito champion said with a pompous huff, slowly turning to face the broken bit of castle, which allowed a tiny crevice of glimmering sunshine in where they stood. It was the shining hope they needed in this dark hour.

He continued. " Now, you're running out of time, and I only have one chance to help you. After that, all my power will be exhausted, and I'll be gone forever. You got me? So, let's not try and screw this up!"

"Right." Link nodded.

"Alright, let's show this brute bastard what we're made of! Show him the unmatched power of Revali and Link! What do you say?" The old Rito champion affirmed, with a fist hurled made out of feathers. "I mean, with my superior ability to harness the currents of the skies at will, and your…well, you…" he said as he returned smugly to face Link, eyeing the wounded, young royal guard from head to toe.

"I'm sure we will be an unstoppable force. What say you?" He finished, eyes focused skyward, eager on their target.

A demonic voice rumbled. "It's ironic really, one could say it was fate…Through her own sealing power, he was banished, and yet, by her own undoing, he shall be reborn.

"With these sacred keys given to us now, bestowed upon this pearl of great price, we now have the engine to life that can restore our Lord. And with her flesh…He shall be resurrected in all his glory." Malroc gleamed, happy at the thought with eager eyes.

He continued. "Not the weakened apparition of spirit this kingdom has seen thus, but he shall return in all his magnificence, wrought and full of power…

"And his terrible judgment shall be poured out upon all their heads once he claims back his golden prize. This world…will fall, and all who have ever opposed him shall be made slaves to his will!

"May inferno glory be to him and his name forever and ever, the true god of this world—-Mandrag Ganon Dragmire!" Malroc spoke, clawing for the Moon Pearl, which one of his lieutenants offered to him.

They were all safely tucked away in some unknown part of the castle that remained in darkness, planning their schemes.

The lizalfos from before slithered again beside him like the slinking cretin that it was. "But, we don't have her blood and spirit, your evilness?"

"No, we don't…But we will…And in good time…

"But, for now, we have this!" Malroc praised, revealing in his other claws his secret weapon. Strands of beautiful untainted golden hair. "These are from her sanctified and unblemished head…One of a virgin princess. They are a part of her, and that should be more than enough to end this war. They will now feel the wrath that has been prepared for them since before the foundations of the world, " he finished with a smirk.

"But, what of the witch? They said—-"

Malroc growled, dissatisfied with its lack of faith, yet again. "The witch will just have to see for themselves that they were late to the coming of the great one.

"And I wouldn't want to be them when they have to answer for that. Unlike me, our King is not as forgiving for failure as I am." Malroc finished, his dead-eyed red stare glowing fear into the faces of those around him. The others gulped in fright and bowed their head to his final decree. Hellfire was to be unleashed.

Back at the ground level, it was a sea of men standing still. The war was calm as the wind. Enemies skulked away to the outer edges back toward the holes from the ground from whence the demons arose. And in unison, each Lynel knelt.

Zelda didn't have time to inquire what had taken place. Nor did she really care.

She decried atop the stallion alongside Simon, her hand pointing over his shoulder with a smile of hope stretched across her face. "Nows our chance! Over there, the ancient blade of Locke the Valiant! Onward!"

In a blitz of fury, being led by Zora and men alike in a stunning formation, they charged to where it lay. Slaying whatever sad beasts that had been left behind in the disarray. They didn't stand a chance, and in no time, she was inches away from the sacred sword. Wasting no time, she grasped the blade tightly and hid it under her cloak.

"Now, to Link! We must find Link!"

But, as Sylmoor turned back to kick the pale steed to haste, a mighty roar erupted over all the land. A wicked voice she knew all too well. Malroc.

"Behold, your…nothingness!" He said, mocking with his eyes locked, piercing like an arrow right through her.

She knew he was speaking to her.

"Behold, your end…And now, the light of this world that you hold so dear to your bosom shall be ripped away from you, just to fade away into the same nothingness that you are…

"Earth shall be overturned, fire shall raze these lands, and the nightmares of your children's legends shall have dominion once again overall this world! Alas, I summon with this ancient Pearl, Hellfire!"

"What—-NO!" Zelda's pupils shrank, and her heart sank as she screamed. "He—He has the pearl! But, How? We're too late!"

The King of Lynels was high above them, overlooking the entire battle below, from a fortified terrace keep. For the magnificent jewel of Hyrule, its castle had many towers that were open to

the view of the city.

The vile monster presented the mythical pearl of foreboding with one hand and revealed in his other strands of golden hair. In a dark spell forgotten to the memories of men, he murmured under his lips. In that instant, as if possessed, both the pearl and her hair shot up above his head into the sky for all to see.

And in the glisten of the sun, they fused as one, and the once heavenly, milky, twilight luster of the pearl glowed a malignant and hellish red. Its dormant and sacred power, now awakened.

Zelda and the others couldn't think or speak and were stricken, paralyzed by the sheer fear that filled them all. It was too late, and the deed had been done. Their doom was sealed.

From where Link was, he saw the skies' changing as if a sudden storm was forming out of nowhere. But, these clouds were not the natural clash of changing winds; it was something much more sinister.

These clouds were black as his worst nightmares and surged with a steady stream of crimson lightning, cracking and splitting the air above them with a terrible loud thunder.

"What's happening?" Revali spoke, still not quite fully caught up with all the chain of events that had happened thus far.

Link could only whisper back, feeling defeated at the grave peril they were all in now, wondering to himself where he went wrong. "It's over…He has it…"

"Who has it? Has what?" Revali demanded. "What's going on!?"

"He has the pearl…We're too late…"

"I refuse to believe that; you'll think of something! You…you always do," Revali said as he squeezed a fist behind the Knight, not wanting to admit that Link was the better soldier.

The old Rito looked down, noticing a fist he had made, and with resolve flew up behind Link. "Look, I don't know exactly what all this means, nor do I give a damn. I'm not afraid of a little wind and lightning! Are you?"

And with that jolt of tough love, Link snapped out of his momentary self-pity trance, and he shook away the odds that were stacked against them. "No, you're right! But, we have to go now! No time to explain! We have to stop him!"

"Then why are we standing around here for! Let's go! NOW!" Revali grinned.

With his back turned and with his gaze trapped upon the diminishing sky, Link felt the grasp of being pulled as if from a charging bull.

But this was no horned beast. This was the majestic power of a Rito. And before Link could realize what had happened, he was flying and soaring high into the air, straight to the source of the wickedness that had been unleashed upon the skies above them.

Revali summoned a great gale of energy under his wings. A tornado of wind that could even contend against the mightiest of raging gusts that the enemy could have ever hoped of conjuring. Through his strength, he launched them both up high into the clouds to where the pearl was.

The only question was, would they make it in time?

Still out among Hyrule's plains approaching the city walls, the Starlight cavalry that escorted the Wizard of Draene paused their progression. They, too, saw the entire firmament change for the worse. The sky had become sick, and the thunder of chaos was heard from where even they were.

Far off, they could even make out the bright red glow of a shiny orb up in the distance, hovering above the castle, flickering like a beacon of death.

But, before their horses could make another step forward, a crimson bolt of negative energy shot out from the pearl and struck the noon-day sun, piercing it. A whiplash of wind struck them all on their horses as terrible as a typhoon.

The energy soon coalesced and festered around the one bright and shining star and suffocated it into darkness.

And in just mere moments that felt like hours, the sun had eclipsed by the dark power and turned to blood.

The one leading at the troop's head waved his hand for all the others to stop and spoke softly, hand still raised. It was Kelcifer, the so-called wizard. "That's a clever children's trick indeed…"

"Clever? A children's trick!? Have you gone mad? The whole sky is falling apart, raining down like fire!" The captain returned, face drenched in sweat and afraid to move an inch forward. The other men, too, pulled back on their reins in fear, looking to the heavens full of dread.

"Yes, how observant of you?" Kelcifer noted before addressing them further. "Yes, this is old magic…Very old… not since before a time when the seas themselves have covered these lands, has such an elusive and evil power took hold of this kingdom…Back during the ancient world." The young yet, wise man said under his cloak. He spoke without even a hint of fear in his voice. As if he was on just another stroll across the kingdom, without a care or worry in the world.

"What!? Are you not even the least bit worried at all!? Have you ever seen anything ever even remotely like this before?" The captain gulped. Hoping to hear some news, anything that could set their fears at ease.

"No, I cannot say that I have…Not at least….since…well…nevermind—-It's not like you would understand anyway.

"Don't fret yourselves over this trivial matter. It's precisely the reason why I have been summoned here. Am I not a wizard?" Kelcifer grinned softly under his hood.

The old captain could only gaze upon the confident mid-twenties man without knowing what to think. But for now, he had to trust in the plan, whichever that may be.

The wizard spoke again. "Now, come…Come, follow me! We have a princess to save, right? Let us not let her down! There is still much to be done—-

"But, before we depart, there is something that I must do. It is of the utmost importance if my plan is to work. So, with that, I ask, who among you is the bravest?" The man questioned, hand still stretched facing all those who encircled him on their horses.

One by one, he slowly drifted his hand in a waving fashion until it fell onto the youngest soldier of the Starlight Cavalry, who was near his age. "Who has the guts to do their duty to their kingdom and serve her highness?

"There is no room for any doubt and fear in the soul…and there is certainly no room for failure. So, who here dares to do what needs to be done? I will only need one...One who has courage as fierce as dragon fire and a heart as tempered as cold steel. " Kelcifer finished with a soft smile, pale green eyes locked on the youthful soldier.

The young man clad in armor trotted forward. "I guess, I do…I do, sir," the lad coughed, acting brave around the men.

"Very well, so be it…Come, you with me!" The wizard commanded before turning to the others. "You others head to the city gates and await my further orders! I'll be back in no time, now go!" Kelcifer decried, with a wave of his hand stretched toward the city off into the yonder.

Wasting no time, the others made haste atop their horses out of earshot and far from the sight of Kelcifer and the young guardsmen.

They were now alone.

Kelcifer chuckled softly, and the man turned to speak to him. "What's so funny? How can any of this be amusing? The world is falling apart, or haven't you noticed?"

"Don't be so high strung. The world will come and go, and all that will be left to be told of us is bones. But that's not why I am laughing. Not particularly. It's you as to why I'm so amused, my good sir."

"What? Me?"

"Yes, I find it so very curious that young men such as yourself are so eager to run off and die for some high-born prissy they have not and will not ever have the privilege of meeting," Kelcifer said, finishing with a low laugh into his fist.

"It is my duty! All of ours! What else do we have as men, if not our honor? We have sworn an oath," The man returned with a gruff of dissatisfaction.

"If you insist…"

"Now, what is this plan of yours? What can I do to help? Whatever it is, I do it willingly, for my Lord and my princess to be."

"I figured you would say that. Very well then. I will let her know that you gave your all and you were very valiant in the face of danger and death! I'm sure she would be well pleased by such noble devotion from you."

And as the young soldier looked onward to the open meadow ahead of them, eager to see where their heading would be, like cold running water, he felt his chest go numb before it turned into searing fiery pain. And as he looked down to see what the matter was, he saw drenching his armor was his blood.

He had been impaled by what appeared to be a blue crystal dagger of some fine crafting.

"But why?" The man said, stood bleeding out atop his stallion gazing up to the wizard who was dead-locked on him, hand in his gut.

"Why does the wailing willow weep and the nightingale sing, when there are none, no one around to see? Because—-these things are simply meant to be." Kelcifer assured softly, almost pitying him.

The soldier gulped up blood to his lips and gripped the arm of the wizard, trying to stop him as he thrust the blade deeper into him. But, it was too late. He had no more strength to fight, and all he could do was listen to what were his last moments on this earth.

"I think that the princess would agree, that it would be better for one man to die than for an entire nation to dwindle and fall into despair. Wouldn't you agree?"

The man's eyes bulged as he listened to the harrowing sermon before being shoved off his calm horse to the prairie below, to wallow in his slow death.

All was left of the men was an aimlessly wandering horse and a blood-soaked, blue crystal dagger.

Absorbed of the man's blood, Kelcifer quickly sealed it away under his cloak in a jar for safekeeping. Afterward, he continued his speech to the dying man while he gasped for his final breaths upon the cool grass.

"Consider this your oath full-filled. And let your heart not be troubled, for your sacrifice was not in vain.

"I will certainly let her highness know that you indeed, did your duty to the very end, for her sake—

"So, farewell, my friend, and safe travels…to the next dimension…"

A few brief moments passed as the stormy wind kicked up even more around him. And there he stood in silence, gazing up to the diseased red sky that was festering above.

"And so…now the curtain pulls back…and with that, act two begins…" Kelcifer breathed to himself, raising his hand up gracefully in the air, gazing through his eclipsing fingers over the blood red sun.

Authors Notes- Sorry for the late posting. Next chapter will be the the end of this Arc. I hope you enjoy the story. If you do, please drop a review, they motivate me to push forward. Also, It will be some time until the next drop because I have to work on the audiodrama a bit and catch up there. I only get a few hours off a week from work to work on this. But, I do love hearing your thoughts. Please let me know them. And as always, I hope you are all well, and I thank you for reading!

Authors Notes- Sorry for the late posting. Next chapter will be the the end of this Arc. I hope you enjoy the story. If you do, please drop a review, they motivate me to push forward. Also, It will be some time until the next drop because I have to work on the audiodrama a bit and catch up there. I only get a few hours off a week from work to work on this. But, I do love hearing your thoughts. Please let me know them. And as always, I hope you are all well, and I thank you for reading! 

Chapter Text

Chapter 29

Over Ten-thousand years ago, Today

The door slammed open, shuddering the frail wooden walls of the small cottage with the wind of a hurricane. Out from the flash of lightning came the silhouette of a hooded man in the doorway, his weary eyes glowing in the darkness as the cindering embers lighted them up from the hearth. His demeanor remained cold and stony, even against the raging warmth of the fireplace where the middle-aged and curly brown-haired owner of the home sat.

Startled, the owner spoke. "Why, Sahasrahla, it's you… but I wasn't expecting you for at least three months? What brings you to Ironside? And at this unholy hour, no less?"

"It is time, Eliazar. It is time," replied the stern man in robes.

"I know that face well enough not to prod any further, but you know me well enough to know that I just can't help myself. Are you sure? Is it really time?" He finished with an eager rise in his voice as if he waited years for this moment, come at last.

"Yes."

"Well, don't just stand there; come in, come in! You're soaked! You'll catch your death of cold out in that swamp! Been pouring for days now!"

With that invitation, the robed elder with his long, rain-drenched white beard lowered his hood, revealing a cleanly shaven head as he stepped further into the home.

"Yes…as we spoke about before… everything, my whole life's work," Sahasrahla began, offering a sober grin as he moved toward the dining table in the middle of the humble abode. A single lit candle sat upon the table, the only light apart from the flaming hearth. "All that I have ever done and have prepared for. All of it has led me to this one task. I — we mustn't fail."

Gulping at the words, the younger man ceased fiddling about with his previous matters, moving away from the stove brewing over the fire to give all his attention to his guest. Not two steps later he stopped suddenly, alarmed by the sudden coo of baby.

Confused more than astonished, he eyed his friend in shock. Before he could utter even a syllable, he saw it as clearly as the nose in front of his face. Swaddled in cloth, safely tucked in Sahasrahla's arms beneath the old man's cloak...was an infant.

As he glanced both to him and the small child, Sahasrahla's deep blue eyes shone with dire urgency as if it carried the weight of the entire world.

"Oh, so, this must be the boy then?" Eliazar ventured to ask. "The one you mentioned would come to be in your care long ago. I have to admit, I never actually believed your—"

"Believe it," the older man interrupted. "Yes, this is the son of Sir Locke and Lady Aryll of the Burntwood. And I must keep him safe at all costs. Everything we hold dear now depends upon him."

"What? How? He's a mere child! An infant, no less!"

"And after today, he will be the last of the Holy Order and his bloodline. There will be no other."

"But that cannot be! News has already come! The KNIGHTs and the Queen are battling that thing on the plains of Veranyah even as we speak!" argued Eliazar, who shuffled about anxiously. "They say that thing annihilated the armies of the Western Fiefdoms before the KNIGHTs and the Queen could join the fray. If they had only gotten there sooner, perhaps they might have been saved. Regardless, if it is the case that they are there now, perhaps peace may be restored after all! Maybe they can win!"

"They will, and she will be victorious," Sahasrahla calmly replied.

"Then why lose hope? Why now if victory is assured? I don't understand!"

"Because, even though she will defeat that monstrous calamity from the pit of Demise and send it back to the scourge from whence it came, his father and all of his brothers will fall in the battle. This is all but inevitable—this very hour, in fact. And..."

"And!?" Eliazar rudely interrupted, becoming more impatient and frightened by the thundering crash of lightning in the night, even as the comforting fire in the hearth continued warming the room.

Sahasrahla breathed, brow raised with clear dissatisfaction at his friend's interruption as he sat down in the chair beside him. The baby cooed softly in his arms, and the older man became lost in the wonder of the soundly sleeping child. He was amazed that he could be sleeping so peacefully during a night such as this, with all that was happening in the world. He was nearly envious of the boy's blissful rest. But there was no more time to let his thoughts wander, so he rose back to his feet to face the gravity of the situation.

"And...his mother already perished two days ago. Gone back to the halls of Nayru by now, no doubt. He is all alone in this world. All whom he has left to care for him are standing here in this room."

Eliazar's voice cracked with fright. "How could you possibly know any of that? The battle still rages on. How could you be so sure? What if—"

"I know. Trust me, Eliazar. When have I ever led you astray, old friend?" the sagely elder man comforted, handing the gentle baby to the arms of his friend to bear witness of history in the making.

He then continued his pontification of what was to come, arm resting on the mantelpiece above the fireplace. "This is the only way. He is not safe here in Hyrule anymore. And when news travels to the four corners of the Kingdom of the Queen's triumph and the loss of the KNIGHTs of Hylia, envious eyes shall focus all their gaze toward the last remaining son of the Holy Order.

"He will be sought after all the days of his life. Attempts will be made upon him while he is still a child and vulnerable. And should his bloodline ever be lost, all future generations of this world would be doomed to peril forever. The KNIGHT's seal above the forsaken sepulcher would be broken. And we cannot let that ever happen…for if we do…a far more terrible threat than the likes of which this world has seen thus far would be unleashed. And, we would all be but powerless to stop it."

"You don't really mean...?" Eliazar whispered, eyes shrunk in terror at the mention while he gently rocked the baby.

"I do. And I cannot remain here much longer. My time left in this world is all but spent, and the well of life that has been granted me has dried up. My tree will shed its last leaf, and now…I fear the Fallen Autumn."

"Then I—"

"No, Eliazar. This course of action we take must be done according to all that has and ever will be written since the dawn of time itself," he cut the man off, spinning around in a wild hurry to unscroll a piece of parchment with reach of the candlelight. Upon the worn page were unfinished murals and inscriptions of old, telling part of a story of what was to come, but its details were of a language unspoken by either of them. "Don't you see? This is the only way. Destiny awaits us all. This is the key to everything, this boy included."

Eliazar returned a confused look at that remark, but shrugged it off as Sahasrahla being his usual self, mysterious and full of wonder. "I don't see. None of this makes any sense. I'm a priest, for Goddess' sake! I am a part of the Holy Pillar, yet you seem to know more than all the members of the Sacracy combined on these matters! All this despite being nothing more than a mere temple novice in your youth, at best,before you were forced to work the ships at Mirkwaster Bay to pay your father's debts when you came to Anchorhead!"

Sahasrahla cut off his babble with a wave of his hand. "None of that matters. This is what matters now. Go to the Grand Sanctuary of Her Holiness in the capital as soon as you can; at midsummer's eve would be best, before the Fallen Autumn. If you want to know everything, head straight down the forbidden corridor, past the Maiden's prayer chapel. You know the one of which I speak? The one restricted to all denizens except the Royal Family?"

"Why, that's the Chamber of the Sages. None can enter there except the High Priest himself, or those granted special permission by the Royal Family. I couldn't possibly...no one can! Even if I wanted to, the sealed door wouldn't open to me!"

"You can, using this," the wise man boldly declared, unfurling yet another surprise from beneath his cloak. He'd been making quite the habit of being full of surprises, of late. Held in his arms now was an artifact far more beautiful than any other mortal eyes had ever seen.

"But, how...where did you get that!?" came the astonished cry from Eliazar, who nearly dropped the baby in his arms before remembering he still held the small child. He was quick to correct himself, even offering the baby a smile.

Sahasrahla shot a smug look at the man, as Elizar returned to gaping in wonder at what the elder held. With eyes wide, glowing from the sacred luster of the finely crafted item, he moved closer to his friend.

"That has been lost for centuries, Sahasrahla," the priest stated. "Last anyone had ever heard, it was said to be sunk in the deepest part of the Poison Sea, at the Broken feet of Hera. For all that it is beautiful to look upon, that cannot possibly be genuine."

He stretched a wavering hand from the baby he held, eager for his fingers to bask in the dancing illumination projected by the object.

"It is, my friend," the elder man replied, smiling through his long beard, holding the ancient heirloom from end to end for both to see. "As real as the child breathing soundly in your arms, I assure you."

"But that's the Royal Scepter! It cradles the Moon Pearl, one of Hyrule's most valuable treasures!"

"Present it to the High Priest. Tell him you recovered it."

"Ha! He won't believe that I simply happened upon something like that! Nobody would! Hell, I am standing here, staring right at the thing, and I don't believe me! They are more than likely to try me for heresy, theft or worse! Better yet, why don't you go?"

"Eliazar, we all have our part to play in this great song of destiny! Mine is with the boy. Yours is, well..."

"Fine, fine! I'll do it…though, I haven't the faintest idea how I ever get mixed up in these things."

"You are a saint, my old friend; the Goddess will surely bless you in the next life," Sahasrahla declared with a smile, placing both hands on his friend's shoulders in thanks and assurance.

"I was hoping for more so in this life, but the next will do, I suppose," Eliazar returned with a smirk. "But the question remains. How could I possibly convince anyone of the truth?"

Sahasrahla was forced to reluctantly agree with his friend's conclusion. How could anyone believe this to be real? And with that, he turned around to contemplate in silence, gazing at the mantelpiece for just a moment before returning to face his friend.

"Then there is only one thing left for you to do," he began. "You must sneak it into the Chamber of Sages. The scepter's crown will open the master door. It carries the full authority and weight of the Royal Family and their song. Just present it to the Trinity Crest of the Goddesses that loom overhead. The crest will burn like the golden sun above, and the door shall open to you. But it must be placed back into the vault at all costs if we are to succeed. It is key you follow these instructions exactly, my old friend."

Eliazar was preoccupied with the baby, having fashioned an old laundry basket to rest the child in as he scurried to find some parchment to write down each detail.

"Also, you have heard of the relic, the Book of Mudora, correct?"

"Aye, I think so…How do you know all this?"

"That's not important. What is important is that you follow these instructions to the letter. I have a critical favor that will require all the wits and will you have in those fragile bones of yours. It must be done, and nothing can be missed. Can you do this?"

The reply did not come soon enough, so he scathingly demanded again. "Can you!?"

"Yes, yes, yes! All will be done according to how you say," Eliazar squinted, trying to take it all in. It was all so much.

"Good. Then it would be best if you fetched it from the Citadel first. In the Room of Remembrance, at Hyrule Castle. That is where all the scriptures and text of the known history of the Kingdom are held. Everything from fact to fiction, to myth and legend. It is un-vaulted, so it will be easier to access than Her Holiness' Sanctuary. I have need of that book. It, too, must be placed in the Chamber of Sages when I am gone. And, just so you know, both of these tasks must be completed. One fulfilled is worthless without the other. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I think so. Wait just a minute, the Book of Mudora! I remember now!" Eliazar hopped up from his writing and gazed with wide eyes in revelation back to Sahasrahla before continuing. "That's the old KNIGHT's scripture! Why on this good earth do you have any need of such a thing as that? Nobody can read it! Not even Sir Locke himself, who is the head of their order, can repeat the verbiage of those ancient texts. It is written in the pure Hyliamic language of their people. But, all memory of those words has fallen from knowledge, even to them."

"Leave that to me."

"But—"

"But nothing! Do you understand the task I bestow you with?"

"...Aye. It will be done. I understand."

"Good. It is very important that you do. And last of all—"

"There's more!?"

"Stop your bellyaching and have some courage, man! These are trifles compared to what others will have to sacrifice, I can assure you! And there will be sacrifices..."

Eliazar gulped and listened.

"After you do these things, hurry back to the Stonelands and to the Miracle Tree Forest. You can still play the ocarina, correct?"

"Yes, of course! As a matter of fact, I have been getting quite good at it; sort of a hobby I have taken up in my free time aside from Sanctuary work. A little routine I have with myself after tea; even began to compose a few original melodies, and I must admit they are quite the ear benders. I actually entertained a few friends at the tavern when a bard couldn't be bothered to play over some pints. You know, perhaps later I can show—"

"A simple 'yes' would suffice! There is no time for such a thing like that tonight. Focus."

"Oh, right. Sorry…"

"As I was saying, I will leave a simple transcription of a song that must be played when you arrive at the forest meadow. It must be played exactly to this tune, and on a specific ocarina."

"Where, exactly? The forest is a rather large place, you know."

"You'll know it when you see it. A small clearing by a grove, it can't be missed. Trust me."

"If you say so. What does the song do?"

"That's not important for now, but it must be played accordingly, at that very spot. But do so only after you have completed the other two quests I've given you."

"I will."

"And, once you are done, it is imperative you gift the ocarina I leave there for you back to House Illiastar. This ocarina."

Eliazar saw the precious instrument that the wise man held in his hand. A beautiful, ocean-glazed ocarina, with gold adornments at the mouthpiece shaped in the holy crest of the Royal Family. Eliazar knew instantly that this was no mere flute of some tavern bard, but one that belonged to kings, that most certainly had special powers bestowed upon it.

He shook his head at the wonder, and returned to the discussion at hand. "Illiastar? Why them? They are such highborn prissies, they hardly deserve such a fine treasure. Why couldn't I keep it? If you have no other use for it, I mean. Mine is quite old, if I do say so myself—"

"Eliazar! This must be done. Please."

"Fine, fine, have it your way then. I will gift it to the Lord of that House. Who should I say it is from?"

"Tell him it was Sir Locke the Valiant's. He will understand."

"Very well," Eliazar replied with a shrug.

"Now, I must take my leave with the child. Time is running out on us, and we must be on our journey." Sahasrahla declared, reaching for the baby, and safely concealing him once again in the warmth of his arm beneath his cloak.

"Wait, wait just a minute! Surely you aren't leaving right now? It's storming outside!" Eliazar exclaimed, his panicked voice sounding as though he had a frog stuck in his throat. "And if all you say is true, where are you going to go? You said it yourself, there is nowhere on this good earth where he will be safe, nowhere he will not be hunted down! I don't understand. Surely, if the boy really is in all this danger — and I don't want to sound rude or doubt your abilities, but you're no warrior — how will you keep him safe?"

"He will be safe with me, for where I go, he shall have more than sufficient protection."

"How, Sahasrahla? The whole bloody world will be looking for him! Where will you go!?"

"Not where my old friend, but when."

And with a final smirk on the matter, the sagely old man stepped out into the black unknown of the night, child safely tucked in his arms.

Authors Notes:

Hello friends. This is just an in-between chapter right before the climax. Originally, it was to come afterwards, but after proper review and editing I believe it needs to be here now. Expect the climatic end of this story arc in just a couple weeks. I'm still doing the last finishing touches on it. Thanks for being patient and do let me know with a comment your thoughts. Thanks again and until next time!

Chapter Text

Chapter 29

The war of all against all

The world as they knew it was falling apart at the seams. Everything around them that was once pure, untainted, and familiar had become unknown to them as evil poured out from the epicenter of the sickened sky. Trees and all surrounding buildings were devoured by an unholy red fog that spilled out from the void of hell itself.

Toxic fumes choked the air. Wicked sparks hummed overhead them. Tried as they might, all those left standing could do was hold their breath while they looked on in terror at the evil that was manifesting beyond the ungodly red smoke which permeated out from the pearl.

A gateway to a forgotten alien dimension was broken, and the seal to this world had finally cracked, flowing rivers of malignant energy out from the mysterious beyond like water from a shattered dam. All that they held dear was now on the verge of irreversible corruption, unless…they could stop them.

The army squinted in disgust from the smoke as they fought against the burning sensation to their eyes. Realization sunk in deep their bones that the void beyond surely emptied its pits and the scourge from within which they so feared had finally been unleashed upon this world.

"What am I to do?" Zelda breathed to the others near her, Sylmoor, Seabass, and the company of men that led her. "What are any of us to do? We're…too late."

Cackling above and joyously perched atop a stone keep was Malroc, who was basking in the waves of oozing red energy that flowed freely from the ancient weapon in the sky. There he stood sentiently, soaking in its dark rays and amused at their plight. His hour has come.

Reveling in his victory thus far, the monstrous titan turned to face what was left of the battle-weary army below. "You see? She led you all to your deaths! You never had a chance!"

He stomped and lunged back onto his hind legs, arms stretched across the cursed heavens above. "And now, may the Moon Pearl bring forth that which has fallen! May blood and bone unite and become whole again! May hellfire breathe renewed life into the very sinew that which has been lost to outer darkness! I summon forth-all slaves to Ganon!"

His mighty decree reverberated throughout the capital, and the earth quaked back, bowing at his command. Winding whirling winds whipped the face who stood longing as the thunder of doom cracked above in unison. The marring of this world had begun.

"Oh, no!" Zelda screamed, gut simultaneously stood adjacent to the others on the other side of the castle with the rest of his forces, unknowingly concurred from afar. "What sort of new devilry is this!?"

Beside him, Taleran listened, one eye winced shut from the rumbling clash of clouds above and could only offer up a grunt of bewilderment and steadfastness, bracing for what was to come from the abyss of the darkness, sweat pouring down the thick of his brown brows.

And before anyone could make a move, to everyone's horror, one by one, what was once dead on the battlefield glowed putrid red with terrible swirling power. Hell's hosts' eyes lit up like torches across the darkened battlefield with the fire of Demise himself. Corpses and all manner of filth that which were maimed and broken arose and became whole once again.

First, only one stood up. Then one became three, and then three became ten, and in no time at all, hundreds had risen back up to their feet, their weapons waxed strong in their hands. What was once dead was now alive. And in no time at all, their dwindled numbers swelled to a multitude of ready soldiers. An army brought back for a single purpose. To end the world of men.

"Swords and spears!" Simon commanded, rattling in his own armor before he could let the fear overtake him. "Warriors, assemble! Fall to me! Lines, now!" The lord of Illiastar shouted, rallying his men. Quickly assessing the situation and looking for an escape. But, he knew deep down there was none.

Zelda whispered again, still saddled atop the horse beside Sylmoor. "This was his plan all along…How could I? How could I have been so foolish? Like a stupid little girl, I rushed forward for the prize without even taking a second to look around me to see what was actually happening. Instead, I played right into his hands…" she finished, head hung low.

Overhearing and not wanting to hear any more of the defeat, Sylmoor interrupted her mid-sentence, shoulder turned to her. "No, princess," He spoke softly before finishing with a shout. "Nobody could have foreseen this! Not even you!"

"But, I am the heir; I'm supposed to be wiser than this! The Goddess would never have—"

"Well, I hate to break it to you, but she isn't here right now in case you haven't noticed! All we have is you, my Princess, and that is going to have to be good enough…It is has become painfully clear to all who has eyes to see this day that we mortals are to fight our own battles. Now, we still have a chance if we could just find your man. But damn, where is he!?"

Gazing the situation over shoulder and to the skies he continued . "You cannot lose faith now! I can't lose faith! Please!? We need you, all of us!" He finished, squeezing what withering fait he had left in her hand in his.

Malroc growled again. This time to his lieutenants that surrounded him. "It is as I thought. The power of the Princess and the pearl without her blood and spirit is only strong enough to begin the ceremony of awakening the blood eclipse. We will need all of her if we are to bring Hyrule's Harbinger back."

"And now it would appear you command a renewed army, your malignancy!" the Lizalfos spoke beside him, tongue smacking in delight, joined by a chorus of cackles of other minions nearby. "You can taste their fear from here…so delicious the scent of frightened flesh upon the air!"

"Acquiring her now is all but certain. She is foolish and cares for the boy, though he is already dead. Crushed among a mountain of stone. She will find out soon enough. And the delight of her broken soul in her eyes will be all we need. We can use that to our advantage. Through his memory, she will come willingly to us. I'll see to that. In mere moments she will be ours for the taking," Malroc said, with a gloat in his voice, before offering a low chuckle of pure satisfaction to himself.

He smiled again. "They make this all too easy. And with our numbers replenished, their doom is all but sealed. Surrounded with no way out. Out manned and out speared, they will all die. It is futile for them. Thus this hour marks the end of the Age of Fairies and of Hylians. It is our time now." Malroc finished with a whisper, grinning his fangs with devilish delight down below to unfortunate souls that awaited him.

Surfing through a wake of clouds, Link soared across the crimson sky gifted by the power of his long-lost Rito friend from a century ago. To the mystery of the others and still unseen, he pierced the firmament like an arrow. With the power of Revali behind him, he gathered what strength he had left in his bones and spiraled his ax at the pearl which was hovering in the eye of the cursed storm. The force of his ax colliding with the luminescent orb sent shockwaves. Pulsations of energy rumbled those down below.

Leaves fell from the bark of every tree and buildings of solid stone cracked and split asunder. Those alive among the army and Zelda were unsure where the sudden tremor of violent energy even came from. Looking to the heavens above but they saw nothing, for the clouds of doom concealed everything.

To them below, a mysterious and frightening blinding light flashed throughout the entirety of Hyrule, but to everyone's dismay and primarily to Link, nothing happened. The pearl swirled in a bloody red defiantly, unscathed by his attack. Almost amused by his efforts, it glared more evil and as vibrant than ever. And as if in reply to his feeble attempts, the ancient object pulsated and surged a blackened bolt of negative current right towards Link just as he caught his weapon back in his grasp.

Unable to escape its beam from the catch, Link screeched in shock as he was catapulted away. Charged with a spine curling jolt of terrible dark energy that would have killed anyone instantly, yet, miraculously, he survived, f or now.

Zelda's heart sank into her belly." What's happening!? What was that?" she scanned the skies with her hand shielding her face from the devilish storm, still blinded by the light but saw nothing. Her stomach flopped inside of her, and she knew that, without a doubt, something horrible was happening elsewhere to her unseen eyes.

Malroc gleamed again and roared to all. "You see!? No power or craft you wield in your possession can unmake, which is destiny. You're all too weak!"

Falling through the clouds like a star, Link awoke mid-air again, still wincing from the pain as he felt being lifted up by the eternal vigilance of his partner. "Good grief, is this what I'm supposed to expect from the chosen knight? Get your act back together! At least, I am not willing to give up that easily, not by a long shot. So, let's dive at it again!" Revali said, catching Link in a gust of gale.

Link reoriented himself among the wind, afloat by the spirit of Revali on a whiff of cloud which carried an ever-present whirling gust around the Hylian. Determined not to give up, Link shot up again beyond the clouds, avoiding the bolts of dark power that now anticipated his every move.

From a shock narrowly escaping the locks of hair to his head to another barely singing the edge to his tunic. Nevertheless, Link flew head on straight toward the powerful orb that was eclipsing the sun, determined once and for all to end its hold over this world.

Until ta last, a desperate beam from the pearl shot a concussion wave of malice filled energy in all directions. It was inescapable.

Link saw the blast heading right for him and knew he couldn't evade and, yet uncaring for himself, still unfurled his blade yet again to dash against the pearl. But, like before, his mediocre weapons proved ineffective against the sacred luster of the ancient artifact. It was crafted by Goddesses, after all. What chance could a mere blacksmith knife or ax do ever against the majestic, celestial stone it was molded from?

Once again, he was zapped by another wave of body singing current that torched his senses and burned his flesh. Engulfed in a swirling plume of smoke, he fell.

Like before, Revali's spirit sprang into action and gave him a jolt to his heart and awoke him among the sky. Gasping for life-saving air as he fell and answering the call, Link paused mid-fall, lifted by his friend for another round.

Verbalizing aloud, finding his full consciousness yet again, he remarked to Revali as he attempted to catch his breath, "I can't stop it…it's…it's too powerful…But I have to, I must!"

"Pardon me for intervening, but if it wasn't for me bird-sitting you would've been falling straight for your grave right about now. It doesn't appear you can take much more than that. I suppose we should find another way, before you find yourself ending up on that beasts' menu…"

Revali fell silent, unsure of the words spoken from his beak. He too didn't want to believe that the one he gave all his trust to, the only one to have succeeded where he had faltered would fail. So, he stayed his tongue behind his beak.

Floating above in a part of the cloud that wasn't consumed by the wicked energy that permeated all around, Link took a gander back down to war below for a sign. Anything that could help them end the nightmare once and for all.

"If we can't destroy it, then there has to be another way! There just has to be!"

"Yeah, and what would that be, Mr. Chosen Knight? Not that I don't trust your fine analysis of the situation, but, if I must say anything of any consequence, those lackluster weapons of yours don't even scratch the damned thing! Speaking of which, where the hell is that darkness sealing sword!?"

"A long story…." Link rebuffed quietly.

"Well, our's is about to be over real soon unless you do something! And quick! We need that sword!—"

"I got it!"

"Huh, got what?"

"That's it! We have to cut off its source of power! It's the only way! Has to be!"

Revali rolled his eyes at Links assertion while the knight continued without attention to his words.

"The weapon is neither evil nor kind; it's just a weapon. Zelda said it herself." Link said as his voice slowly trailed away, paused and mesmerized by the defeat thus far. The very mention of her name suddenly caused a wave of worry to tie his tongue. The very notion of not seeing his sweet Princess for so long and the dread of not knowing if she was okay sank his vulnerable heart to the pit of his stomach. She could be dead for all he knew, and the mere belief of such a horrific thing made him loose his arms and fall motionless to the point that his lips quivered in silence. The first-ever that Link felt real fear.

"Well, get on with it! What did she say?"

Shaking away the dread that choked at his heart, he spoke again, firm and fist raised. Determined not to believe his doubts. "She said that Impa mentioned that this artifact was once wielded by a great and noble hero from an age long past to the dust of time. And if he can use it while being righteous…then that means we can too! It's just a tool!"

"So? And we should care because?"

"Because then that means—" Link spoke but before Revali could finish his thoughts. It was as if the torch of a brilliant idea idea consumed them both. "Then it has to be controlled from somewhere or something!?"

Link continued. "It was summoned to do this deed! Which means it is being commanded to do so. If we can just break the dark spell that has a hold of it, all of this will disappear! No more of this hellish sky and the filth that belongs to it. We have to try!"

"And do you have any genius insights where that could be?! Where and more importantly, WHO is controlling this thing?! I am only here for just a few more minutes, Link, in case you have forgotten! If you're going to make your flap, now's the time to do it!"

"There!" Link shouted, eyes emboldened with a finger pointing down below. "There! I see it. The Lynels! That's it! They are the key! They must be! Look at them! They are not on the attack! They are just kneeling…" he finished, stunned by the vision playing before him. Amazed at seeing such ferocious beasts standstill in a trance, unwavering and not on the attack."They have to be it! It's the only explanation!"

"What are you clucking on about? How could they possibly be—"Revali spoke too soon. In no time at all, with his keen eagle eyesight he swallowed his doubt and admitted the young warrior was right in his prognosis. He had to be.

"You see?" Link smirked.

"They are in trance, it is like they are praying or something… Who knew such monstrosities could even speak?" Revali questioned aloud, still carrying his friend among the wind.

Abruptly shaking his head of the mention of the suicidal plan, Revali scorned. "But, there's eight of them Link! How are you, I mean, how are we to defeat eight Lynels alone? You must have really bumped your head harder than I thought! That…Or—you just plain flew the coop!"

"I'm sorry, but, are you not Revali? Legend of the Rito?" Link prodded with a slow creeping smirk of adventure, one eye still half shut from weariness before he continued. "Then the way I see it, they should fear us!"

Revali gazed down below at his words and then back up to the wounded Knight. Meeting Link's confident stare with his own the Rito champion was hit by a surge of pride. Without uttering a word he clasped the young hero in his talons and sped the crusading warrior through the wind below like a vengeful comet.

Encircled, desperate and mostly frozen in fear to their bones, the army was in an inescapable position. Simon knew it, Sylmoor knew it and so did everyone else. At least, almost everyone. Even with all the odds stacked against them and the threat of utter annihilation was looming over, that didn't deter the Princess not one bit. Not at least after the thorough scolding Sylmoor gave minutes earlier. Something awakened in her deep to her core. From her heart to her shaking hands that she stilled with a shake of courage. She knew what she had to do.

"Everyone behind me!" She boldly declared, alerting the ears of all the army who surrounded her.

"What?" Sylmoor questioned. The trembling dryness of his voice shook, before he could gulp to clear it. "Why?…We are to serve you your Highness, not the other way around."

He then faced the men accompanying from the rear and before anything else could be said otherwise, he did what he thought what he could have only done in that moment. Time was slipping and she was about to break. So he shouted an order as fast as his lungs could carry him. "Nobody listen to her, she doesn't know what she is saying! She is clearly saddened with grief—"

"No!" Zelda's decree broke through his, louder than ever and echoed until the silence fell from all those watching, unsure who who's command they should follow. "No…I have a plan…It will work! It must! Everyone…all you men, behind me and form a line."

"Princess, this is madness!" Sylmoor contested.

"The world gone mad long ago Sylmoor…perhaps…" Zelda hummed softly, before taking a moment to contemplate a soft smile of acceptance of fate before taking a breath to continue. "Perhaps, that is what will save it now…" She concluded, almost defeated as the gold of her bangs lofted in the wind against her face from the raging red storm. Ever so gently she raised her head, ready to brave the unspeakable hoard that lurched in front of her. She had no choice after all.

Link was nowhere to be found and if he was really gone, she had to do what she must. For to her, a life without him, was no life to live at all. But, if she could save those around her in her efforts, she had to try.

"What are you going to do?" Sylmoor questioned, still sitting behind her on the horse.

"What I must…" She said, speaking her final word on the matter, before abruptly and without warning, sliding off the noble stallion, walking ahead of the army toward the epicenter of hell itself, facing an army of darkness that was multiplying right in front of her eyes, ready to offer up whatever it is that she felt in her being that she could muster to do.

"Yup! There is no doubt! You have clearly lost the plot!?" Sylmoor erupted, slapping his steed forward to cross her path, barring the way past. "What is this madness?" His horse neigh and stomped in front of her. "I won't let you do this! Link wouldn't want me to! And he would kill me if I did! So, you really leave me with no choice, now do you?"

"I have to try…You don't understand…I alone have the—"

A ferocious bolt of crimson lightning struck beside them and an enormous fire blazed the grass that filled the proud castle courtyard grounds. The once majestic vestige of the all the glory and might of the kingdom which reigned in the light for millennia had been scorched. It was almost unrecognizable. The hot wind rustled even more violent and just as she was about to finish, Malroc roared again from his fortress, interrupting them.

"You can kill them now! But, the girl, leave her to me! Unscathed and unspoiled! GO NOW, MY ARMY OF DARKNESS!"

The collective eyes of the weary army shot up toward the towering castle ramparts from where the thunderous roar emanated and in unified terror they braced themselves for what could have only been their doom.

"No! I won't let you!" Zelda screamed and in the commotion of the flames and the raging Malroc she evaded Sylmoors attention. Enough to quicken her feet past to where the line of the devil's army stood.

Alone she braved the foreboding wind. Against a wall of demonic spawn. The likes of which too malicious and terrible to describe. All manner of resurrected filth faced her, enraged and enticed by her presence they cackled, spat, gnawed and bit at the air while they succulently awaited to claim the prize for their lord. Yet, she stood unafraid. For if she were truly alone then there was nothing they could take from her now, and that filled her with courage. So, she made her last stand.

"No! Princess Zelda, you mustn't! Everyone, to me! We must guard the Princess! Now!" Sylmoor commanded but nobody moved an inch except those close nearby that which weren't even Hylian. Only Seabass and his fellow two compatriots.

"What is this?" Slymoor said, hesitantly glancing back. Only to be met with a shadowy array of pale faces from his men. Not one of their boots treaded against the red fog that covered the grass. "Cowards! The whole lot of you!" He scorned.

" You let your Princess, nay…a scared young girl go to battle for you! Where's your honor!? Is this the finest Illiastar has to offer?" He spoke vehemently, fist clutched at a boiling point.

But, even as he voiced his rage a thought not unlike his own hit him like a wall of bricks. Could he really blame them though? What chance did they really have? And for a girl no one has really known to be any princess for just two days? Why should they throw away their lives so carelessly. They hardly knew her at all. Doubts have been filled and he knew it.

He was hit with a wave of guilt at his own words. Embarrassed that he too, just mere moments ago would have waived. But, yet, he was still here. He did his best to quell any of those thoughts of his own. That even though he couldn't place his finger on it, he was a different man, or so he wanted to believe he could be. Just this once.

If this were just a day or two ago he would have ran for the hills. But, something deep inside of him had changed. He was moved. Something about this boy and girl he had just met touched him. She had to be the princess and he had to be the hero they so desperately needed in this darkest hour. They had to be.

Could it be his blind heroics and willingness to charge head on to brave the fire of hell, to fall into certain death without a thought for himself, or was it her steadfast devotion to the light and truth of this world, neither of which he could know for certain, but whatever it was, filled him with the courage he thought he never had.

Those thoughts swirled in his belly and his mind. And as he gulped them down, Sylmoor raised his fist up high up into the air. "So, this is the so called army that is world renowned? For Shame! Letting a teenage girl fight your war as you skulk away like whimpering dogs you really are!? Go ahead then! Let that be the mark of your gravestones!

"Because mark my words, this day none will be spared! Don't you see, this is to be our end. And if it so, then I say, let us go as men! Do you really want to be remembered as those only valiant in words? That when the minute came and went where you mattered most, and where the kingdom held its last breath you fled?" He finished stern. Only to be met with silence. And after every guilty eye shun away from him he shouted a final say on the matter. "I said do you!?"

With none to heed his word he turned away at their stone cold stares to their feet as they looked away, only to face the brushing wind back toward the princess. And as he did, just a few steps forward, to his stunning surprise, the sudden crunch of grass caught his ears from behind.

Several men broke ranks after he chastised them and followed to his heels as most stayed still and watched.

"So be it…" Sylmoor uttered softly before turning to face the scourge ahead of him. "To the princess!" He finished with a shout, slapping the reins to his horse.

But, before his men could guard her flank, Zelda raised her right hand in the air. With all the hope, memory and love of the people she cared so for so much in her heart she pleaded. "Stop!" She cried into the void, desperate to halt its demonic advance.

In full faith of the belief that she could dispel such a horrific evil; the ever presence of surety filled her heart as much as it ever could. And then, she opened her eyes to an uneasy silence. With a gasp of shock and to her dismay, nothing happened. No golden light befell her. No sparks of divinity. Not even the dim lit pulse on the back of her hand to give her the assurance that she was even a true princess at all. Nothing.

"What? I…I don't understand…No…This can't be? But, I believe?" She muttered to herself. Shaking her hand for some miracle that would only never present itself to her. The fright shot up her backside and caught up to her voice as she continued to beg for any god that would dare to listen to her plight. "You have to work…You hear me? This is our only chance…Please! You have to work! No! Please! Everyone, they are all counting on me. Don't do this to me! You hear me—I said I believe!"

It was too late. Hell's spawn of demonic warriors had gathered all around her and the army. Time was up and faced with certain death, she defensively waved her hands to shield herself from the onslaught that was most certain to befall her when—

Raining down full of vengeance, the warrior cry of Link was heard before the entire castle. Right before her eyes, robbing her breath away, he spun out his blade and ax for a decisive blow just beyond the front line, where the corrupted Lynels knelt.

Still unaware of her presence Link spoke to his friend. "They are all synchronized and are powering the pearl! If we destroy them, then the energy commanding the pearl will be hindered to nothing! We have to break their consciousness! It's our only chance!"

"Its worth a shot!" Revali concurred. "Let's do this! Let's show them who's land this is! What do you say!?"

"Yeah." Smirked Link quietly through the air, flexing his weapons wide for a deathblow amongst the enemy.

In a blitz of gust filled energy, garnered by the might of his friend, Link beamed across the castle grounds like a bolt of lightning, slashing and hacking through each Lynel throat. Narrowly dodging any counter attack from any surrounding guardian lizalfos that dared to defend them, killing them swiftly with ease. They never had a chance.

Lost in the fog of a dark trance they couldn't defend themselves from the awesome power of Link and Revali who in tandem took the life from their eyes, one by one. The eight that were bound were no more.

Zelda fell to her knees among the burnt grass, speechless, swirling in a whirl of emotion. She couldn't cry or smile, yet a slow streaked tear of joy trickled down her starstruck cheek. Her Link was alive. She couldn't believe it, yet she wanted it to be true with all her heart.

Just about to bite into his victory, the setting red sky flashed white, and Malroc turned back to the overlook.

The Pearl high in the clouds pulsed a white wave of blinding energy in all directions before splitting away from the accursed hair that bonded to it, only to fall to the outskirts of the castle without a trace to be left in silence. The dark prayer that held it together had split.

Each reanimated beast pulsed violently with a surge of power, and that power had exploded away from them. Melting them back to the bones that they once were.

Zelda nor the army could believe their eyes at what they were witnessing. A miracle, no Link had happened. And as quickly as the extra hoard arrived they disappeared into the night from whence they came. Gone forever. The spell had been broken.

Cheers of the army erupted with their swords and spears ringing in the air at the valiant Knight's swift arrival. Their faith restored. The knight with no banners had saved them from all but certain peril and gave them back the field, which just seconds ago, everyone thought was lost.

Even Simon from where he perched among his swarm of men was in awe. "Yes!" he shouted with an escaped breath under his chin, slapping back one of his own from his men in the regiment in happy reprieve. Curious eyes from his close shouldered counsel shot back at him incredulously. Just moments earlier he had only but curses for the hot shot on his tongue, yet, now he was thankful for his timely arrival.

"Shut up Villamor." Simon quickly mumbled under his breath, catching himself in the act. Leering a stiffening look of silence toward his subordinate. "Not a word. This changes nothing! It's war you hear me?"

All looked upon Link as he soared through the sky above just above their heads; mesmerized by his abilities. Zelda most of all. But, to her she was thankful he was alive. Yet, none could believe their eyes. How could Link be flying?

The how and why of things didn't matter now, she thought. Zelda had to reach him. That's all that mattered. But how? Before she could utter a word, Link flashed by overhead and as quickly as he appeared, he disappeared, lifted up among the miraculous gale. I still need to give him the sword!

Malroc roared. "Who dare!?" Frantically, he scoured the war below and that was when he saw him gracefully and elegantly soaring through the battle, carried in what could have only been described as a hurricane. "That's impossible! No hylian could endure a fall such as that! Not a one I say!

The monster bit his lip, drawing blood. "So, the stupid boy lives…I will break him down once and for all! There will be no more games! She is ours, and if I have to poison his mind to do it, then so be it!"

Caught up in the whirlwind, Link shot a glance up toward Revali, to whom he could only see.

"Let's finish this! What do you say?"

" What do I say?" Revali paused as he held Link, before continuing, hovering in the air above the war. "I say we make an excellent team… Me and you… Combined with my soaring prowess, we'll beat them before they can chirp their goodbyes. I… I suppose... I should've supported you sooner… But now, I'll do everything in my power to help you succeed… my friend."

"Revali…" Link was stunned. Never thought in a dozen lifetimes he would hear Revali say such things. He fell mute among the clouds.

"My power is withering, Link. This is the end of the line for me… My last flight."

"What?"

"There is no use me fighting it, I can feel the winds of change take a hold of me. It won't be long now."

Link listened still in the air. His icy cold blue eyes fixed on his one time rival now turned friend. No, he was his brother.

Revali's spirit breathed faintly, yet still trying to shout with whatever power he had in his soul. The energy within him visibly depleting. As if every second drew more and more breath from the well of life in this world. For he was not of this world anymore. Death's steady hand had finally reached down to take him.

Revali Breathed."It's funny, and here I thought I truly was the best of all and that you were just a wild eyed show off when I first met you, just another brat soldier lucky to be chosen by a blade. Eager to impress and steal my spotlight. Just trying to make a maiden smile or two. But, I couldn't have been more wrong. You are different…"

The humbled Rito warrior smiled at the memory of his old haughty self. "All along it was I that was the bumbling buffoon. You wanted no glory for yourself. Hell, you were happy just to munch into a good home-cooked meal if I remember right. All you only ever wanted was peace for us all and a return to normalcy. To go back home to your quiet life…to your…family…apples wasn't it?"

Link could only glance back, surprised by his revelation.

"Yeah, it was apples…Your uncle? Right? A magnificent orchard if I remember. All the tethering fiefdoms world around would come from miles away, just for a taste…of your orchard. You worked those fields didn't you? Before all this?"

Link remained silent and listened, neither agreeing or disagreeing. He wanted to hear every word.

"Yeah, I remember now. Your father was in the guard but your mother's brother…He left them with quite the estate. Well, maybe not exactly an estate by noble standards. But, it was still a nice quaint farm on the edge of the city. This city. Hyrule…your home."

Revali clenched a fist of feathers. "They took it…They took your home…While you selflessly fought to protect mine and all the others…Valuing everyone else's life above your own. I can see now why you are the true hero that we need. Not unlike me. I understand now…They took everything from you…they took it from all of us…these monsters of Ganon. Ganon…He did this!

"Save your strength Revali…no more, please…I—we still need you!"

"It's alright Link…I just want you to know…Her to know…I was wrong about you…"

Link quizzically stared at the once proud, fabled, now humbled Revali's as his lips quivered while he continued. "It is Ironic…It's my gift to harness the winds of the skies with these wings as my sails. Like a grand ship embarking on a long journey among the horizon. To sail across these skies, stars and sun. And yet, this ship has sunk. Who would have knew a century ago that it would be you who would be the one who would fly to save us all." He finished with a smirk to Link.

"Nonsense, you are here. Now, when it matters most. You can still fly!"

"No, YOU will!" Revali said abruptly, clenching Link in his claws tight, flapping yet another strong gust beneath them. "And I'm sorry it took me this long to admit to it… That it took this goddess awful mess for me to come to terms. Forgive me Link…"

"You couldn't have been more a true friend Revali! You have nothing to be sorry for, you hear me?"

"I'm sorry Link, I have to leave you now. I'm sorry…It's out of my wings! My time is up. Their voices…I can hear them calling me, calling me home…"

"What, what do you mean? No, we are supposed to do this together!? For glory, remember?"

"No, you are. I had my time. I already lived my life. It's time for you to live yours. Protect everything we love, you hear me? It's up to you now! They are all in your capable hands now, her and my people! I know now you are the only one that can do this! For if not you, no one can…"

"But, Revali, wait—"

"No, I have to go, and so do you! Time for you to shine, to continue to be what you were destined to be- my friend!"

"Always!"

Friend… I like the sound of that… yeah… Revali thought to himself, before shedding a tear of closure to himself… Though there was no more his tired soul could give, spirit drained he huffed a silent sigh, and with the last shred of power he held within him pulled his knightly rival for one last time among his angelic talons. Up past the scaling tower walls of the castle, gliding past every guard window, dodging every arrow that dared to strike them down. "You can save her Link!"

Link fell still among the clouds at the mention of her a she glided fast among the peaks of the castle walls. It was always that way with Link, quiet when he wanted to speak all the emotions of his heart to the world. But, he couldn't utter a syllable. All he could do is watch his fellow champion brother say his last farewell as he held him for one last time. Meeting his eyes in solidarity with his own.

"You can save her Link….You can save all of them!" Revali cried, as he gave his last earthly breath. What with the last ounce of his strength that was afforded him he tossed Link high up above to the tallest keep, right where the hooves of the Devil's sentry stood in waiting. The war of all against all had begun. And like the ghost he came, he disappeared into the calm breeze that was left behind them, the same still air from whence he came, fading into all memory.

"Take this you fiend! I have had enough of this!" Link slashed down upon Malroc's head with the fury of a million stars.

Authors notes- Next chapter is finished. wait one week. xoxo

Chapter Text

Chapter 30

Flashback Climax

"Well, aren't you a curious thing?" The youthful wizard whispered to himself. He trotted his horse atop the prairie along the outskirts of the city walls. Easing his steed with a click of his tongue, he slid off to forage nearby, chasing a faint, glimmering glow coming from a bush not too far off.

"Yes, very curious indeed. I see. So, you must be the grand architect behind these series of unfortunate events and mischiefs as of late?" He said softly again as he reached down among the thicket, grabbing for a coruscating treasure to polish the shine of it gently in his hands with his cloak. The sacred luster of it lit up like torches back into the whites of his eyes. "Such small a thing and yet in your glare glistens the intensity of a thousand stars. If only you were left allowed to be unleashed. But, I know that which that forebodes you."

"No, not yet…" He continued to whisper. "Your time will come, old friend. Now is not the time to be greedy. As for now, we shall all wait. Time is the great reckoning and equalizer of us all. Entire wars have been fought and could have been won if not for just a difference in time. Down to the minute, as it were."

"The histories have shown us this. Besides, we are to be very busy today. A young and eager Princess beckons me and, one must never wait on a Princess, ya' know? Terrible things could go awry."

"Why yes, such swift and terrible things that could herald consequences so magnificent, that they could even undo the very foundations of the world if left alone to fester. Not… not that is necessarily a bad thing, per se. Because it has been foretold in the ancient scribes and songs that one day, the hidden and distant twilight road to heaven itself would be made straight. Once focused, it would reveal itself to the mortal eyes of men, and all would witness its splendor as it unraveled before them."

"Those pious ones who took it upon themselves to name them gods over us would finally be brought low from their high thrones. They who had looked down their noses with scorn will soon be met with the fire of their own reflection and affliction, and everything that was lost to chaos would soon be set to order throughout all the Earth."

"Yes, it is written. The song clearly says, 'Seven stars for seven sages, shall be plucked and flown from the heavens. There, seven maidens of their descendants shall carry their almighty relics of their lineage."

" 'Broken, they remain as remnants unless united and aligned. If they are not brought together, then there will be no more divine. Thus, three stars of which had already fallen, and three are left to find. The only question is, will the Princess of destiny be able to in time?' "

Kelcifer murmured the ancient song in a hum even as a few quiet laughs escaped the side of his lips after he finished.

He continued his pontification to the majestic orb. "I will live to see its rightful order and constitution restored. That I promise you, my friend. That the proper justice due to those would be served, and swift vengeance would be dealt upon the heads of the guilty."

"But today is not that day, nor do I foresee it to come too soon. As for now, and until then, I am here to lend a helping hand upon the course of nature… For in nature, not even the divine can upend. For even they are bound by the laws of their own making."

He beheld the artifact in his robed hand, continuing to engage it as if it were a long and trusted friend he met on the road. One greeted after an arduous adventure came to its conclusion. "Let's say we put a hasty end to all this nonsense, shall we, hmmm? Then we can move forward with what else needs to be done. Does that agree with you?" he said, eyeing the pearl deeply as if listening for a quiet reply for where there was none.

"Of course it does. Because it agrees with me." He finished with a sharp smirk, a small laugh breathing yet again from him as he glanced up to the castle to where the war raged. There on the grassy knoll of the city, he carefully secured the pearl hidden within a pocket of his robe. With that small gesture, he mounted his beast and kicked it onto the war, where he needed to be.

"Yes! Come to me!" Malroc roared. In a blink of an eye, coalescing red arrays of dark energy manifested a magnificent block to Link's assault before it suddenly scorched into a brightly burning physical object. Pulsating from that blinding evil light, a shield began to take shape from where the flickering glare was. Link beheld a malicious device that could have only been crafted by some demonic spell forsaken from a time when darkness reigned over the land.

It appeared as a carapace of some gruesome, ghastly bug, reinforced with thick iron bands. The thing seemed part shield, part spider, and part skull. What looked to be the vile remains of some grotesque beast from an ancient world that should have been forgotten long ago, had returned. An ageless armament hearkening back to the nightmares whispered only in children's stories, one of which that until now, to Link's dismay, became real.

The cataclysmic clash of bone and steel sent crashing waves of green and red sparks flying overhead in glowing spiral dances. The shockwave of their collision launched Link hovering in the air with a delayed hum of unnerving vibrations that rattled him from his ax to his bones. Although shaking him all the way to his core, he still found the strength to hold on to his weapons.

"That's the way, boy! Show me your wrath! Let your anger overcome you and bring it to fester in your soul! Let the fury burn within you." Malroc's eyes blazed with flames as he summoned dark power to shove the hero back.

A few laughs escaped the side of Malroc's cruel smile as he saw Link settle to the stone keep floor ahead of him. "Look who believes, no, thinks he is one of the KNIGHTs of legend… How… amusing…" Malroc gloated again in a deep laugh that trembled the tower.

His demonic vision scoured low from Link's feet up to the fiery gaze that was locked on him. The soldier was poised, in a battle stance, ready and focused. "It's a fantasy, boy…" he finished, with an unnerving creek and growl in his voice on his last word. "There hasn't been a KNIGHT alive in well over ten thousand years."

"So, what? Screw your damn legends! I'm the one that's going to defeat you! I don't need any fairytales! Here and now, it's going to be me! Just me! Link!"

"So, that is your name? How quaint and ordinary…" he laughed into his claws, "But be aware boy, I have seen the ferocity of many of true knights, and you are none of them! I've even defeated some in battle, as a matter of fact. I have been bathed in the blood of Mandrag. Set apart and sanctified by his perfect power when he still had the golden relics from an age even further beyond your comprehension.

"What makes you believe a pathetic specimen such as yourself could even come close to compare? What makes you think you might succeed where they have utterly and foolishly failed? What makes you think you can win when there is no hope? Soon, he will return in all his glory. His black trumpets will sound, and the heavens shall divide and bend their knees to his will as they were always meant to!"

Disgusted by his taunts, Link spat on the ground. The foul metallic taste of bloody spit singed his tongue. He was wounded, but that didn't waver his fighting spirit. Not one bit. Though the warrior couldn't be sure if he was bleeding so much from the fight, or because he was so enraged by the Titan that he bit down so hard that it drew blood.

Link stood firm in his resolve as a freshly smelted iron blade glowing from the forge of a hardened smith. "If you're so sure about that, then you're going to have to get through me first."

Malroc drew in a breath as Link interjected again. "So, are you going to face me or just stand there and wallow in your own dribble? So far, babbling seems to be your only attack. If you're as powerful a warrior you say you are, then throwdown. I'm ready; show me what you got!" He scorned while having a play at the old beast, right to where he thought it would hurt him most; his pride.

"Insolent child! I will break you down and tear you limb from limb." Malroc erupted, hawing back on his hind legs into the air, looming overhead like a doomsday eclipse. "Your flesh shall be scorched away from your very bones! You will beg for the end! The end you shall only see once I acquire my prize. Helpless, unable to be saved... and then, in your last breaths, you will see your failure complete!" He concluded with a closed clawed fist raised to the valiant soldier, slamming back down and centering himself.

"What?" Link questioned, uneasy and unsure what he meant.

That's when the knight caught the demon's eyes quickly scurrying over his shoulder to the side rampart, down below the castle walls. Focusing his devilish stare, he fixed on a single target. Her. And at that moment, Link knew everything and fell into a blinding rage. Drunk on anger and in a blood-boiling torrent, he lashed out with maximum ferocity.

He didn't care how powerful Malroc was or that he massacred entire armies under his hooves. That he erased them from the pages of history. He didn't care that he could devour an entire man whole with just a single bite. All he knew was that he had to save her from him. And that he was the only one that could stop him.

Even if it killed him. She would be safe, and Hyrule would be at peace at last. That's all that mattered to him.

Uncaring and unafraid, he went full bore. With all the power he had left, Link dashed after the monstrous behemoth with the rage of a hurricane. Link assaulted him with his ax and dagger at every opening, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake. Ringing out strike after strike, none made contact against the defiantly dancing monster to his dismay, since the fiend could anticipate every blow with a block from his impenetrable shield.

"You see!? You have no chance! No blade which you possess can pierce its hull! Especially not those pitiful weapons you wield in those fragile hands of yours. What a joke. And this… this is the man who I am to believe beat back the great one? I don't believe it!"

"Well, believe it… Because the criss-cross of my blades will be the last your eyes will ever see!"

"Will they?" Malroc boasted. "Even if I did this?"

The colossal monstrosity leaned back on his hooves and roared. "Now… you… are mine!"

Instantaneously, Link felt a rush of dark current consume him. Not some outwardly force, but from deep within his own flesh. Some plague he was unaware of had suddenly bottled up to the surface and surrounded him. His muscles bulged, and his veins pulsed like blackened poisonous vines.

"Eyarghh! What are you doing!?" Link demanded, collapsing to his knees before him. "What is happening to me?"

A fell voice that wasn't his beamed at him, echoing into his mind. Not that of Malroc but another, even more sinister. He heard it only once before. There was no doubt… it was him. The king of the Demons himself, Ganon.

Malroc reverberated with laughter. "You see? Only now, at your destruction, do you finally understand! It won't be me who destroys her… You will!"

Preoccupied with the sickness that consumed him, Link fought against his own senses. Desperately, he tried to shake away the compulsory commands to his body. In the struggle, the malignant voice in his head grew louder and louder until it sounded like an explosion of pure wrath. And now, like all the foolish others who came before you, are now… mine. Hero of failure… Hero of my own making. Hero turned to shadow…

Link's veins swelled so much that his flesh began to turn to pitch. Even his eyes flickered back and forth between blue and blood red. All seemed lost and hopeless. As he was about to falter, the strength of another spoke, piercing through the demonic voice that was raging at him. Like an arrow splitting the dark sky, it shattered it like a broken mirror.

At the foot of the castle, Simon watched the war exploding atop the tower alongside his marshals.

"What the hell is going on up there!?"

"It appears to be that knight m'lord!"

"I can see that Villamor! You think I'm blind?" Simon clenched his lance in his hands. "He just vanquished eight Lynels and scattered the remnants to flee, and you think I don't know who he is?

Villamor fell back.

Simon continued. "So, he thinks he can take on that monster all by himself? The hopeless fool…Well, fool or not, I'm not going to stand here and watch a massacre happen right before my eyes. He's too powerful, even for him. He's going to die if nobody helps him!"

"M'lord," Villamor questioned, unsure what else to say and slightly confused by his liege.

"I'm going!"

"But, I thought you don't like the lad?"

"So what! This is war. And yes, I may dislike him and what he stands for, but I care for my country far more than that; and if beating that beast is the only chance we have at truly restoring peace to the kingdom, then so be it!"

Simon focused and let out a breath of contemplation. "My Helmet. Now!" he said, palm stretched out for one of his men to hand it to him.

Braced for battle, Simon saw an opening ahead of him. It was a straight shot up some spiraling stairs that led straight to the bridge where Link was fighting on. There were hardly any enemies left that could slow him. And even if they were, he could easily dispatch them.

"Don't go, my lord! You could be killed!" Villamor pleaded. "Let the boy fight it out, and you wait. Maybe—maybe he could wound the monster enough. Just enough to weaken him. And-Then we can all surround him afterward. Then you would have all the glory to yourself!"

Simon eyed the man up and down atop his steed. "You disgust me, Villamor. You coward!? What sort of man you take me for! I may not like this lad, but I refuse to see any more Hylian blood spilled on this day! Even his. Not if I have anything to say about it. Get out of my way and out of my sight!"

Another marshal came to the side of his horse. "And what of us?"

"Clear the area here and find the princess. She is to be guarded at all costs. Don't fail me, or it will be you that will be skewered when I return. Understand me?"

The man gulped with a nod, hand across his breastplate. "Y-yes, my liege."

Simon couldn't understand it himself. This was just too perfect of an opportunity to rid himself of the troublesome Link and Malroc, yet he had already ridden off to aid the young warrior. What could have come over him? Even he didn't know. Just this once, he was going to do the right thing. Some goddess inspiration, perhaps? Or maybe some half-ass atonement for the many less than noble things he has done throughout his life? He couldn't be sure.

"Don't you die on me kid, I'll be there in just a few more moments. Hang on!" Simon breathed as he sped away.

Link fell to the ground while Malroc circled him like a lion ensnares his prey. Patiently waiting until its victim gives up its last breath of vigilance.

To Malrocs misfortune and shocking surprise, Link did not surrender himself. One foot after the other, the hero rose back up to his feet. Swelling darkness consumed his body, but in his mind, he was still there, and a sweet angelic voice spoke to his heart again.

"Fight back, Link! You must!" She said. "You already have all the power you need to beat this fiend. You just have to believe. Have courage, my brave warrior….now, unleash it!"

Overcoming all the pain that scorched his senses, Link belched out a war cry. So loud in fact that it could smother out the roar of Malroc himself, and all heard it across the battlefield.

In that instant, Link came to. The sickness inside him cowered and regressed back as he resumed complete control of his body, yet again.

Malroc went almost speechless. The monster composed himself and spoke. "What the… So, you still have some fight left in you after all… Okay then, now it's my turn! If you won't allow yourself to fall under his power, then you'll just have to die!"

Link opened his eyes and dashed away from Malroc's incoming assault in a flash of speed. In a miraculous flip over the beast, he slashed his hatchet right toward his mane. But, the victory was short-lived. This fight wasn't going to be that easy. The titan blocked with his shield and pushed him back before any blow could inflict upon him.

Link's burst of renewed life sapped a lot of his energy. Every advance he made tired him, and Malroc quickly was gaining the upper hand.