Chapter Text
“So…” An exhausted Zelda asked us as she collapsed next to the blazing fire that Link had started over the stable cooking pot, “What’s the first thing you want to do now that Calamity Ganon has finally left us alone? We could do anything you know.”
Link perked up, his tipped ears stuck out of his hat and made him look as excited as a Hylian Retriever, full to brim with excitement and energy. He put a finger to his chin, and absent-mindedly stirred the overflowing concoction of Pumpkin Stew he was currently brewing. Zelda turned attentively.
“Whatever I want to do? Well, I haven’t really thought about it that much” He shrugged “Honestly, I’ve already done pretty much everything I wanted to.”
“Must be nice” Zelda rolled her eyes, and leaned back on the grass “You got so much done before coming to Hyrule Castle.”
“I had to make sure I was ready.” Link nodded, his long green hat nearly dipping in the food.
He poured more pumpkins into the pot and grabbed his spoon to taste the broth.
“It needs more salt.” He said, rummaging around the camp for his Sheikah Slate. He poured over each inch of his meager supplies, his extra pumpkins and a blanket both of them were sitting on. He looked under it only to find a bed of grass and a few Hot-Footed frogs who had made their home under their blanket. “Oh”
He looked down to find the Sheikah Slate had never even left his pocket. It was simply sitting there in its custom-made pouch, hidden in plain sight. He looked up to see if Zelda had seen it, but she was laying down on the grass smiling at the stars. Good. He was happy that she could finally relax. He held the tablet in his hands and scrolled through the device's many screens until he found the material tab. He pressed on the salt, which appeared above the pot as he pressed the button.
“Umm… princess?” Link asked, rubbing the bottoms of his fingers.
She perked up, “Please, Zelda’s fine. We saved Hyrule together didn’t we?”
“We did, didn’t we?” He smiled, “Well, I never did beat the Goron’s Gut Check Challenge…”
“That stupid challenge where you climb a rock as fast as you can?” She asked, rolling her eyes, “That’s what you want to do?”
“Yes.” Link said “It’s the best game in Hyrule. And the only one I haven’t beat yet!” Link lowered his voice and angrily declared, “I will beat it!”
“Well, if that is indeed what you want to do, then I will accompany you!” Zelda said with a smirk “Just be quick, if you’re too slow I’ll beat you to the top”
Link scoffed, but answered simply, “Please Zelda, I have done the challenge a million times”
“And you’ve failed each time,” Zelda replied with a knowing look in her eyes.
“It’s on!” Link said as he pulled out his Sheikah Slate and placed a marker where Gut Check Rock was. He smiled as he scrolled through the Sheikah Slate, looking for the closest shrine.
“Can I have a look?” Zelda asked, reaching out for the device.
Surprised, Link nodded, and it took a mere second for Zelda to take it from his hands and start scrolling through the menus.
“Right, so this is the bomb rune, oh and the teleportation one, and the… “ She mumbled.
Link said nothing as she ranted on about the slate’s features, most of which he already knew. He simply enjoyed directing Zelda’s attention to new features and watching her squeal with excitement. Zelda sat in complete focus, activating every feature, even ones Link had never even thought about.
“You can summon objects from thin air?” Zelda cried, “Summon me a loaf of Wheat Bread. Link look! Look! Look!”
Link smiled, “You did it?”
“Yeah, I did!”
They were only interrupted, hours later, by the sound of thunder, and the rustling of trees. Zelda lay exhausted on the floor, tightly grasping the Sheikah Slate. Link looked over at her and heartlessly stole the object. Zelda immediately sat up and gasped, Link ignored her, summoning some bowls and spoons for the pair, which he then shoveled some soup into. Zelda stared at the food intently, obviously getting more and more hungry after finally getting a peek at it. She leaned over the Cooking Pot,
“Link… I haven’t eaten in a hundred years…”
“Well, I would never have guessed based on the way you completely ignored the food.” Link rolled his eyes, handing the food over, “I should be the one offended that you don’t like my cooking enough to eat it, even after starving for a hundred years .”
Zelda grumbled but quietly said, “I didn’t mean that!”
“Well, now you have to eat all my food.”
“I get to keep the Slate tonight though,” Zelda said.
Link agreed, and they very soon set to finishing the pot. Zelda ate quickly, shoveling as much food in her mouth as she could, while also scrolling through the Sheikah Slate’s inventory, appearing very bored.
“You know I love thunderstorms…” She mumbled merrily before her eyes widened with excitement, “You have Monster Cake!” She cried through a mouth full of pumpkin.
Link looked up but he swallowed before speaking “Of course?”
“It’s my favorite!” Zelda said, immediately summoning it.
“Hey that’s mine,” Link said, holding his hands out to the Monster Cake to stop it from hitting the ground.
“Oh, come on, Link!” Zelda said, “Just one slice”
“I’ll make you some later,” Link said.
Zelda sighed, “Fine”, and consumed another bowl, which Link stared into with jealousy.
“You know what,” Link said, “You seemed pretty confident that you would beat me to the top of Gut Check Mountain.”
“That’s because I would,” Zelda said confidently.
“Alright, wanna bet? You win, you get the Sheikah Slate and the Monster Cake but if I win, I get your bow” Link said.
Zelda looked around from the Bow of Light laying at her feet to the Sheikah Slate, then at Link “Deal”, she said with a shake of hands.
Link smiled, “You’re never going to beat me”
“Don’t you think you’re a little over-confident?” Zelda questioned, but Link just smiled.
That night, Zelda quickly made work of the majority of the bowl while Link, who preferred to savor his food, was satisfied with only 5 large heaping bowls, filled to the brim with pumpkiny goodness.