Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a cool morning high in the clouds above Hyrule. As Link used his paraglider to reach the Light Dragon, his mind was all over the place. Just the previous day, he had learned the awful, awful, truth: the Light Dragon was, in fact, Zelda herself, having swallowed her Secret Stone and undergone the forbidden act of Draconification to repair the Master Sword and bring it to him in the present day.

As he watched the memory, his mind was screaming at her to stop, to not go through with it. But his pleas were futile as he watched the woman he loved sacrifice her mind and humanity in order to stop the Demon King. After it ended, he found himself in a field of Silent Princesses. Then, off in the distance, he saw the Light Dragon curling in the sky, letting out a haunting cry. And with that, he fell to his knees and began to sob uncontrollably. But he couldn’t give up: Zelda had essentially condemned herself to a fate worse than death to help him, and to falter now would be an insult to her.

After he landed on Zelda’s-no the Light Dragon’s-back, he began making his way towards her head. He had always found the majestic beast to be a very comforting presence. Now, he learned just why that was. She had been watching over him ever since he’d awoken on the Great Sky Island. And now, it was time to find the weapon she had dutifully protected for millenia.

Eventually, he reached the spot where the Master Sword was. It was stuck right in her forehead, her blonde mane tangling around its blade. But before he pulled it out, he got on his knees, tears beginning to fall from his eyes. “Zelda…my beloved…I don’t know if you can hear me…or even recognize me…but I am so, so, sorry. It was my weakness that led to you falling into the past. If I had just been faster, if I had just a little more reach, I could’ve saved you. And now, you’re stuck like this forever. I swear, I will make that bastard Ganondorf pay for all that he’s done to us.” he said in a heartbroken voice. In response, the Light Dragon let out a sound that Link believed was a roar of sorrow

Getting to his feet, he turned to the Master Sword and put his hands around the hilt. He then began to pull with all his might. As he was doing so however, the Light Dragon began roaring in pain and thrashing her head around. The sudden movement caused Link to lose his grip and nearly fall off the dragon’s head entirely.

After getting his bearings back, Link noticed something strange. Typically, the Light Dragon flew in a set path through the sky. This time, she was flying towards a nearby sky island. And after making it there, she actually landed. Was she…trying to help him pull the sword out? Shaking his head clear, Link tried again.

This time, while the dragon was clearly hissing in pain, she wasn’t moving much. Link’s heart ached over the fact that he was hurting his beloved Zelda. Eventually, the sword finally came loose and he hoisted it over his head.

Link looked at the sword with a bittersweet expression on his face. He’d finally reunited with Zelda…just not in the way he expected or wanted. And now, he had the responsibility of making sure her sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain. “Thank you, Zelda. You’ve always been a great help…even when it feels like I didn’t deserve it…” he said in a mournful voice.

Then, suddenly, the Master Sword shined before a familiar voice echoed in his mind. “Don’t sell yourself short, dear.”

Link’s eyes went wide as soon as he heard the voice, and he began looking around him. “Zelda!? Was that you!?”

“Wait…you can understand me!?” Zelda’s voice said, also shocked.

It was then that Link realized what had happened. Somehow, by pulling the Master Sword, he could actually hear Zelda’s thoughts, even as a dragon! He then looked down at the Light Dragon. “Is that you, Zelda!?” he desperately called out.

“Indeed it is, Link! I can hear you, loud and clear!” Zelda replied.

Link was overjoyed to finally see that Zelda wasn’t gone forever. But that joy was short-lived, as the implications became obvious. With a look of horror and sadness, he got off Zelda’s head and turned towards her. “Zelda, for the love of Hylia, do not tell me you were awake the entire time.” he said in a pleading voice.

Zelda then shook her head from side to side. “Thankfully, no. Initially, when I transformed, I assumed it was the same as dying. After all, Mineru said that one loses all memories and sense of self by doing so. But as soon as I opened my eyes, I found myself in this new form. I then began to panic, knowing that I’d have to wait an agonizingly long time to reach you. In fact, I feared that by the time we’d finally meet again, I’d have completely lost myself to the monotony and boredom.”

“Then how’d you stay sane!? 100 years as Calamity Ganon’s seal is one thing, but you were like this for millenia!” Link shouted in despair.

“Well, I had a little help in that regard. Do you remember the spirit said to live inside the Master Sword?” Zelda asked.

“Yeah? What about her?” Link asked in response, looking down at the sword in his hand.

“As I was panicking over having to wait that long to see you again, I heard a voice calling out to me, telling me to calm down. I had no idea where the voice was coming from until she clarified that she was the spirit in the sword. Her name is Fi, and she has served as an assistant to all heroes who have wielded the Blade of Evil's Bane. She kept me company in our long voyage together, and even taught me a special meditation technique that allowed me to unfocus my mind and let the years pass me by. One time, I had been in a trance for so long that 500 years had passed by the time I woke up!” Zelda said, happiness in her voice.

Link then began smiling at the Master Sword. “Thank you, Fi. You helped protect the woman I love, and I can’t thank you enough for that.” he said, tears beginning to come out once more.

The Master Sword then shined again before Zelda began talking. “And that’s not all, either. She allowed me to pick her brain about all the different heroes and princesses that came before us. It was quite an enriching experience!”

Link gave a chuckle in response to this. Even as a dragon, Zelda still retained her scholarly nature and love of learning. But he then became saddened and looked her in the eyes. “So…what do you do now?” he asked. “From what I know, this is irreversible. And I don’t want you to suffer this loneliness even more…”

Zelda then narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t say that. Fi told me something about all those that came before us: even when seemingly impossible obstacles stood in his way, the hero would always save the princess. And I have nothing but faith in you. If anybody can find a way to undo draconification, it would be you, dear.”

Link was stunned by this. But he then felt a fire in his chest. He nodded in affirmation. “Yeah. I don’t care how much pain it brings me. I will get you back to normal, Zelda.” he said before he walked up to Zelda’s head and hugged her.

Zelda closed her eyes in contentment. Link was never a man to break a promise, and she knew that he could do anything he set his mind too. And this would be no different.

Chapter Text

Over the next few weeks, Link was taking care of some last preparations before he went and fought Ganondorf head on. This entailed things like completing shrines, finding more powerful weaponry, and upgrading his equipment to contend with dangerous foes. And the entire time, he and Zelda kept in telepathic contact with each other. But sometimes, he liked to directly visit her, lay down on her head, and talk for a while.

Zelda always enjoyed these little moments. Link got her up to speed about what had been going on in Hyrule ever since she disappeared. She felt pride in her friends becoming the successors of the ancient Sages, and her blood boiled when she learned that Ganondorf was still using that fake puppet of her to cause problems. Meanwhile, Zelda told Link about all of the wonderful people she’d seen in the past, and of her involvement in the Imprisoning War. And the entire time, Link listened with rapt attention.

At one point, he asked if he could use some of her scales, claws, and horns to improve the tunic she’d left behind for him. She readily accepted, happy to be of use in any way she could.

Eventually, she spotted Link heading towards her once again. “Hello again, dear! Are you doing okay?” Zelda telepathically asked, angling her head to let him land atop it.

Link smiled in response. “I am Zelda. Me and the Sages are almost ready to take Ganondorf on. I just wanted to come and pray for good luck.” he said before sitting down on her mane.

Zelda let out a snort. “Trust me, dear: Ganondorf is going to be the one needing good luck when he faces you.”

Link actually laughed when he heard that. “Thank you for the vote of confidence! But…last time…he took me down so easily…” he said, suddenly becoming melancholic.

“Don’t you worry, Link. Last time, he caught you off guard. Now, you’re prepared, and stronger than ever. He won’t stand a chance against you like this.” Zelda encouraged.

“In that case…do you think you could fly around Hyrule Castle? Just in case anything bad happens?” Link asked.

“I will. While you deal with him down below, I’ll make sure his minions don’t cause too many problems up here. Does that sound good to you?”

“It does. Just knowing that you’re supporting me, even from a distance, gives me greater strength. But before I go, I want to do something.” Link said before grabbing something out of his satchel.

“What is it?” Zelda curiously asked, wondering what Link had in mind.

She got her answer soon enough: Link was braiding Silent Princesses into her mane! If she could, Zelda would be blushing like a schoolgirl right now. Then, after he was finished, he knelt down and planted a kiss on her forehead. “I love you so much, Zelda.” he said, tears beginning to emerge in his eyes.

“I love you too, Link. Now, go show Ganondorf why he should’ve stayed dead!” Zelda enthusiastically said. Link nodded in response before using the Purah Pad to warp away.

The following day, Zelda felt the power below Hyrule Castle. That was certainly Link and their friends battling Ganondorf and his army of monsters. As the battle went on, she felt Ganondorf’s wicked energy beginning to dim. She initially rejoiced, believing the battle to be almost over. However, she then felt a massive surge. She turned her head towards the castle, and she could only stare in muted horror at what she saw.

A gigantic, serpentine mass of Gloom was emerging from the depths. Eventually, it coalesced into a dragon with black scales, red spines, a fiery red mane, and a mass of horns around its head. She immediately realized that Ganondorf had undergone Draconification himself in a last ditch move to win. Even from this distance, she could feel the sheer hatred and malice emanating from the abomination.

But she then noticed something else: Link was trapped in the unholy beast’s jaws! After a momentary gasp, she immediately rushed forward, desperate to save her beloved. “LINK! I’M COMING!” she cried out as she barreled towards the Demon Dragon.

As she came closer, the Demon Dragon took notice and tried to bite her. By doing so, Link fell right out of its mouth. Thinking quickly, she swerved around the lunge and caught Link in mid-air. “Are you okay!?” she asked as she frantically climbed higher and higher, the Demon Dragon in hot pursuit.

“I’m fine! But we need to find a way to kill this thing before it devastates Hyrule!” Link responded as he desperately clung onto her mane.

Dodging past some Gloom balls, Zelda scanned the Demon Dragon. Eventually, she took notice of 4 protrusions of eyes along the beast’s body. “There! If you destroy those masses, I’m sure you’ll hurt it! Are you ready to dive?”

“You bet I am! Now let's do this, together!” Link said, pulling the Master Sword from its sheath.

And so, the final battle truly began. Link would dive off of Zelda, aiming for the eyes along the Demon Dragon. Meanwhile, Zelda played the role of distraction, keeping the beast’s attention by shooting blasts of light and flying around its head. Every time Link destroyed the eyes, the Demon Dragon roared in pain before Link was blasted off into the air. And each time, Zelda dutifully caught him and brought him up once more.

After all 4 masses had been destroyed, the Demon Dragon let out a roar of rage. A Blood Moon appeared in the sky, drenching the entire world in its eerie red light. But they also saw something emerge from the Demon Dragon’s head: a Secret Stone! “If you destroy that, the battle is won! Let’s do this, Link!” Zelda said.

Zelda then dove straight down, Link holding on for dear life. She dodged around the numerous projectiles the beast fired at her, and returned fire with some of her own. Eventually, after getting close enough, Link jumped off and drove the Master Sword straight into its forehead.

The Demon Dragon began roaring in pain as Link kept attacking the stone until, finally, it broke entirely. As the Demon Dragon rose into the air, Link jumped off and landed safely on Zelda’s head as she flew past. The two watched as the beast flailed around in agony until it violently exploded, creating a large pillar of light in the process.

“Did we…do it?” Link said while panting.

“We…we did it! The Demon King is no more!” Zelda said, relief and joy in her voice.

“So that leaves…getting you back to normal…” Link responded, trying to stand upright.

“I think we can help with that.” two gentle voices said in unison.

Turning their heads, the two saw Rauru and Sonia’s spirits. Zelda nearly burst into tears seeing them once more. “Link, please hold out your right hand.” Rauru gently commanded.

Link did as he was instructed. Then with great effort, he began to use Recall on Zelda. Both Rauru and Sonia then began pouring their own power into Link, increasing its effectiveness. “Draw out your memory of her! Think of how she arrived here, and coax her back to normal!” Sonia shouted out.

Zelda began feeling the effects. Her scales slowly faded away until, eventually, her Hylian body was restored. And she felt immense happiness, right before she fell unconscious. But she knew she’d be alright. After all, Link was there to catch her as she fell.