Author's Note: Well I have been reading MiniJen's 'Hyrule Warriors' again, and now I am getting distracted. My current stories are still underway, but I have been really wanting to get back into Hyrule Warriors and did this in the mean time. I poured a lot of my own perceptions into this story, especially near the end (you'll see in the last few paragraphs or so), so it is rather close to my heart and hopefully not too confusing. Either way, enjoy!

Beautiful Broken Things

"The Council is dismissed," Zelda called with a tired sigh, allowing her body to sag slightly as the cloaked members amongst the Council filed out of the large chamber. As soon as the doors clicked shut, her face fell into her hands with a loud moan. From beside her, her nanny and ally chuckled lightly with a bemused smile. And between her fingers, Zelda was smiling too. "Don't mock me, Impa," she muttered with a smirk. "Any Council meeting is exhausting, especially the first one since the War. I saw you yawning as well, invulnerable Sheikah."

This elicited a chuckle from her guardian, but no advice or remark like she expected.

To be fair, however, she wasn't the only one who was tired.

The Queen-to-be had her coronation date set, but the attack on Hyrule Castle that soon transformed to War pushed it away so now it was but a week away. She had to take on her duties immediately after she had healed from the final battle, lest her kingdom fall to ruin before she could govern it properly, and thankfully the War meant that there was no time for courtship or other tasks that she simply despised. It would not last forever, of course, yet it was enough for now. The Princess flicked through the notes that she had made; feeling useless if she merely discussed everything and wrote nothing, even if it wasn't her job.

She had been with the Council all day, and even with numerous breaks she was still extremely drained. It was no ordinary meeting, after all, as they had to literally discuss everything; the aftermath of the War, general politics, the upcoming coronation, and everything in between. But she knew that she could endure them and everything else that was thrown at her, because to them and her she was the Queen; and Queens did not fail her people. Nonetheless, as twilight descended upon her kingdom through the windows, a thought occurred to her.

Zelda glanced between the paintings of her ancestors on the walls before turning to her guardian. "Have you heard anything about Link?" Ever since the end of the War, the Princess, White Sorceress Lana, and the Hero had been injured from their fight against Ganondorf; the latter hurt much more than the others. He had taken the Blade of Evil's Bane back to its resting place alongside the Princess before trying to hide his injuries, and it was only their connection that alerted her in the middle of the night when he was almost gone.

His stubborn nature almost cost him his life, again.

Impa's eyes shone with a gleam that Zelda didn't like. The latter had been caught up with business to see him often in his near bedridden state, much to her dismay, so she heard very little other than rumours that worried her. "The doctors still want him to rest, but have allowed him to return to the barracks. Now," she added once rightfully predicting Zelda's reaction. "As general, I've kept an eye on him. Now that he is no longer a mere soldier and has proved his skill, he has been helping to strengthen the Army and enlist more soldiers."

The Princess ran a hand through her hair. "But the infection, Impa… by the Goddesses, he was so in under his head last week when it turned for the worse. How are they letting him go back?"

"He was stubborn enough to fight it, and you didn't see him as he was returning to a proper health once again," the Sheikah said softly, rising from her seat. "I recommend that you see him, though. It will ease your weariness, and I believe that he has been wanting to see you after how much he has pestered me over your free time. They should be dispersing for supper and leaving to see their families before the coronation, so I shall let you go." The Princess smiled warmly to her guardian, nodding firmly before making her way over to the mahogany doors. "And Princess," Impa called before she left.

"Yes?"

Impa hesitated, as if she knew something that her charge did not, then, "I wouldn't mention too much about the War to him. He is still fragile, as much as he tries to hide it."

Zelda raised a brow at her guardian, reading her face and seeing that she clearly wasn't telling the full truth. And yet, she would never get the information, so merely left it after a curt, "I will try."

She moved swiftly down the long corridors. Ganondorf's defeat caused his influence over the Castle to wane and eventually recede entirely. Most of the corridors were safe to traverse, however some still had gaping holes in that revealed the great expanse of Hyrule Field that had been utterly destroyed in their final battle. Its lush green grass was nothing more than muddy dead shoots still covered in blood, blue sky not yet losing its charcoal clouds or crimson pigments on the horizon.

But it was getting better.

It wasn't much longer before she arrived at the long walkway above the numerous courtyards where the soldiers practised. Of course he was no longer a soldier, but Impa had told her that he enjoyed being with the others who hadn't had such a miraculous promotion. Impa was correct, however, as many of the soldiers were chatting and playfully shoving one another as they returned to the barracks.

Zelda ran her fingers across the smooth stone, recalling the last time that she had seen him here; it was the first time that they had ever seen each other, and it was the day that the War Across the Ages began.

And what a War it was…

The War had left her with many insecurities, much like her other allies, but her more so due to the Black Sorceress, Cia. Cia harboured a hatred for Zelda from the beginning because her ancestors had supposedly used the Hero to gain their needs further every time that they had come into contact with one another, and the Black Sorceress' twisted obsession with the Hero only made it worse.

The Princess had lost confidence whenever she saw Cia, and even now that she had died Zelda still had a lingering lack of confidence that was unlike her.

It was then that she noticed two soldiers who had stayed behind to continue the spar that they were locked in. She almost instantly noticed Link to be one of them, but the other she couldn't recognise. His azure eyes gleamed with determination despite the dark brown hair matted to his forehead. The two were near evenly matched, but it seemed that Link's experience on the battlefield gave him the edge that he needed. Zelda was still proud of the other boy, though, for the glitter in his eye was rare amongst her men. She leaned against the walkway with intrigue.

"So I suppose I should be calling you King soon, huh?" the one boy taunted as he and Link battled on, feining an attack to parry his opponent's counter, although his tone was clearly playful. Link smiled, but said nothing. As their blades clashed, the former grinned back. "Or not? Maybe you'd want to court the Queen-to-be before that. Prince still has a ring, right?"

At the sound of her title, the Hero flinched but covered it with a laugh; she noticed. "I'd prefer to just be your brother by friendship, Pipit. I have enough titles as it is, and I don't want any more of them." They both jumped back, then Pipit took on an offensive stance. "And besides," Link added as he ducked beneath a swing. "You just want to be a Lord."

Pipit faked offence. "Me? A Lord? I do believe that you have changed since I last saw you; too quick to judge!" They both laughed. "And I have Karane back home waiting for the end of the coronation; then it won't be much longer before—" Link took advantage of Pipit's rambling to flip his sword around and catch his friend in the side with the pommel. Pipit glanced up in shock, only to have his feet swept out from underneath him, and within seconds he is on the ground with a blade inches from his throat. He chuckled. "You weren't even trying, were you?"

Link shrugged. "Depends."

"Aren't you confident?" Pipit remarked with a laugh, but Zelda noticed the reaction that he received because she felt the exact same way. She had heard that phrase a long time ago, yet to her it also felt like it was yesterday. Zelda had zoned out as a familiar voice entered her mind, and by the time she had snapped out of it the Hero was helping his friend up and they were leaving promptly.

But she couldn't forget what she had heard.

The group of ten from across the ages raced down the broken steps of the Temple of Souls, distorted images of the Hero watching them as they fled. Ganondorf, who had recently appeared to seize the Triforce of Power, had failed to claim "what was his" and fled, and so had Cia's power with it. Nothing else was pursuing them, and with Fi guiding the way to freedom each one of them felt a tiny ray of hope that had not graced their minds for a long time.

As the entrance loomed in the distance, the Twilight Princess muttered, "I can't wait to get out of this damned place."

"Something we all share," Proxi replied from above. "This place gives me the creeps…"

But as they made it out of the grand open doors, it all changed.

Link was at the back of the group, not only to keep his eye out for any monsters that tried to intercept them from behind but also because of the injuries he had sustained. Cia was cruel in creating a dark version of himself to fight, but he only snapped away from his arrogant mindset because of his allies. He mentally kicked himself for letting himself believe that the Blade of Evil's Bane automatically made him invincible. He didn't mean to, but he simply didn't let himself think logically.

If anything, fighting his "shadow" made him realise this earlier.

He still hated it.

Then he felt something close in around them. It was like a presence, yet it was so subtle that he barely sensed it at first. He went to tell anyone around him, though he didn't want to say anything until he was sure. The presence felt familiar, yet he couldn't perfectly place where he knew it from. His weapon was drawn anyway, the voices of his allies having long since drowned out, and it wasn't until he had made it back out into the gardens with the others that he knew what was going on.

But by then, he had little time to react.

A dark magic rooted itself deep in his heart, a feeling that he had already experienced, bringing him onto one knee and made him throw the Master Sword aside reluctantly. The others had already turned right and began descending the outer steps, although the Princess had by chance glanced over her shoulder and realised what was going on. Her cry signalled for the others to halt, and they raced back to help their fallen ally. Just as Link was about to recover, a thick vine covered in thorns broke free of the cobbles beneath him and wrapped around his left wrist only; yet one vine alone was enough to paralyse him from the waist down.

They all stopped a few metres from him as the Black Sorceress materialised, sauntering around and kneeling before the Hero, taking his chin into her fingers. "Aren't you confident, love?" she mused lightly with a chuckle. "So eager to leave before you can understand what I can do for you. Every time They drag you into a crushing destiny, They always draw you to her in the process. She is poison, love, and won't hesitate to ruin you to further her own needs. But I can save you, Link, before she does it to you again. You are slowly breaking, I have seen it so many times, but I can save you from the cycle."

"I don't need saving," he said, but it was quietly and lacked resolve.

She dropped her hand and shook her head, turning on Zelda. "Look at what you've done. Look at what you've caused. Every time you take his heart and twist it." The Princess began to step forward, but Impa grabbed her arm before she could; desperate to keep negotiations calm.

But then, as Cia returned to Link, Zelda saw a glimmer in his eyes that frightened her. It still had the deep defiance that he always held and she respected, yet she knew that because he had lost his overconfident self, he was rendered with little that he could do. "I won't stop defying you, Cia. You can't do that to me." His eyes softened, and he forced his hand to her cheek, surprising her. "But, if you let this War come to an end... then I will stop fighting."

"Link, don't—" Zelda began, but he merely flashed her a comforting smile before carrying on.

"If you stop this War, let them go, and leave Hyrule be, then we can be together just like you want." He thought of the Princess at he looked at the Black Sorceress, allowing the smile to be more genuine as he continued, "Just let them go, Cia, and we can be together forever. I won't fight it, not this time, but only if you end this."

Her eyes were wide and sparkled in wonder, however his allies were all speechless and filled with defeat; there was nothing that they could do. Zelda was beside herself, yet stuffed with the determination to save who she cared about from having to suffer because of her.

"Oh Link," Cia whispered. "I will do it all for you… but there is one problem…" The beat of silence that ensued felt like years. She leaned in close. "Your courage, while admirable, cannot stay. I will break you. It will be a shame to leave you as a mere shell, but despite your promises it is in your wonderful nature to fight; it has to be done. And you know what?"

She then whispered something in his ear that only he heard, though his pained expression made everything go so fast.

"We will not bow to you, Cia!" came the battle cry from the Princess, and with it a bolt of light energy so strong that it knocked the Black Sorceress away and greatly stunned. She ran over to her reeling Hero and placed her hands onto his cheeks, grabbing his attention. "Let's get you free." She meant it in more ways than one. He nodded and grabbed the Master Sword, sliding it across the vine and sheathing it immediately. Zelda took his hand into hers, and that was all that was needed between them.

And then they were running.

"Just keep going," she had whispered to him over and over again. "Just keep going… Don't stop… never stop…" She had found his hand, both clutching at one another with white knuckled grips.

Her feet were taking her back into the Castle before she could even realise it. The memories that returned to her had sent her skin paler than snow. After what Impa had said to her before she left, and then his reaction to his friend during a fight (the time when he was fazed the least by words), the Princess of Hyrule knew that something was greatly wrong.

It was her responsibility to go after him, for she had gone searching for the Hero in the first place before the War began, and now she had to at least see what was troubling him. But her mind was lost in the memory, and so the journey to his chambers was nothing but a blur to her.

Within minutes she had located the correct door, recalling the bemusing conversation that she had with Link over where he would stay. "I understand why you don't want to stay in a treatment room, but the Castle doesn't need the private ones at the moment and you were in a coma not even two weeks ago. I think you are still healing." He went to protest, so she passed him a stern glare. "Don't be a Hero."

He merely flashed her a smirk. "I didn't know you were the one for irony, Zelda."

So she stood before the guest room and tapped into their connection through the Triforce the check on his condition before entering. Her piece hummed beneath her, then reacted, switching between weak and strong pulsations randomly; like he was panicking. It was something that she had not felt in their connection before; it was usually calm or pumped with adrenaline from battling; and that scared her more than she thought. She entered without knocking, and the sight matched their connection.

Link was rushing around the room in a flurry, placing his few belongings on the bed in the middle of the chamber. The Princess watched on, noting that he wore a simple blue tunic instead of his traditional one; the latter folded neatly on the bedside table alongside the scarf that she had handcrafted for their Hero. She cleared her throat in an attempt to grab his attention, but it was futile. Zelda waited until he crumpled onto the bed to catch his breath before calling his name, snapping him from his daze.

His eyes widened and he forced himself to stand. "O-Oh Zelda…" the Hero stammered, trying without avail to sound collected. "It's good to see you. How are you?"

"I am well, thank you," was her simple reply. "Where are you going?"

He faltered for a moment, which the Princess keenly picked up on, then, "I'm going to stay with the family of a friend. You, um, saw us sparring outside just, but seemed too lost in thought to wave back. But that's fine," he added quickly, desperate the change the conversation. "So… is everything ready for the coronation?"

"More or less," Zelda said quietly, not falling for his ploy. "You have pretty much cleared out everything. I thought that the soldiers were only permitted a few days leave. Surely you won't need all of this for just a few days." She sighed. "If this is about where you are staying again, Link, then I promise you that you will always have a room here. I am Queen, after all, and I won't let them get rid of you; if anything they would give you so much better. You are our—"

"I'm not planning on coming back, Zelda."

She was stunned, flabbergasted, but the few words that could describe it were mere understatements. Zelda noted that he cut in, something he wouldn't normally do, when she went to call him their Hero; the gears began turning in her head. "W-What?" He crossed over to the door leading onto a small balcony, resting on the wall beside it as he watched the sun set.

"I've been thinking about it for a while. I will still be around to help with the rebuilding, of course, but I decided that it would be in everyone's best interests if I wasn't lingering around here. I can't help with the politics, I am not courting, and I'm almost certain that I'll be demoted to soldier again. This way I can still help without having to be a nuisance to anyone here." He chuckled as he faced her. "I'll be the last thing for you to think about; and that should keep the other nobles calm too."

But Zelda was still reeling at the thought. She understood why he believed that he didn't have a rightful place in the Castle grounds, though the Army needed a strong leader and he was more than capable of doing so; he had acted just like one throughout the War. And now he just wanted to leave his friends behind? He was never one to leave because of a mere hunch that he wouldn't have a place in the Castle.

Something was wrong.

The Princess started slow, nodding to the folded tunic on the table. "Will you not take it with you? It is yours, after all."

He passed her a pained smile. "Honestly… I stopped wanting to wear that a long time ago." She raised a brow and took a step forward as he placed something small into his bag, causing him to take one back. "It's alright, Zelda, all I mean is that my time as the Hero is long since finished; it would be… wrong to wear it. I thought that you should have it for when the next one is needed; hopefully not for a while, though." He placed his hands onto the mattress, flinching when she lightly touched his shoulder. "It's only for the best, Zelda…"

She tried to compose herself whilst he wasn't looking, although had to try harder than she expected. A gaping hole was buried deep in her heart, one that she wasn't sure would heal with his absence, and now he would be her first and last thought on her mind every day; the opposite of what he had told her; and after Cia's attack on her land she would fear for his safety and happiness more than her own. Swallowing thickly, she retracted her hand and shuffled away, attempting to find the true cause of his sudden decision.

"Did you speak with Proxi about this?"

He snorted. "That's why she isn't here right now. She left to fume."

"Link… are you sure that this is right?" He glanced up at her with a raised brow. "Think about yourself for a change… Is this what you want? Lana left for her duty, but she still comes back to see us. Couldn't you simply do the same and still stay here? You would be sorely missed. Please don't leave us because you think that it will make it better here because it won't. Just… make this decision on your own terms instead of thinking of us. This is a big choice, and not one you should make lightly."

She studied his slightly hunched over form, begging to the Goddesses that he would stay, massaging her palm as she coped with the silence. Then, after a pregnant silence, he straightened yet didn't cast his gaze over to see her. "It has to be done. I deserve it."

The latter part was supposed to be a whisper, but Zelda heard it clear as day.

"Deserve it? How could you—?"

"You don't understand," he began, partially turning towards her. "The people look at me and call me the Hero, but they don't understand either. My mind should be tortured over what Ganon did to me…" His hand found his shoulder where the beast's claws had begun to tear across his chest, the injury ending just above his hip, and they both shuddered together. "But after what she said, what she did, how can I give myself such a title when she killed near thousands because of me?"

And there it was.

The Princess shook her head. "You never asked for her to fall in love with you. It was Ganondorf who twisted her boundaries and warped her mind into an obsessive world. You cannot be blamed—"

"But I can!" he cried back, jerking away when Zelda went to take his hand. "I can never be the Hero that everyone needs, and now that the War is over I can leave before I ruin anyone else who wants to be near me. I can't—" His back hit the door leading onto the balcony as Zelda advanced, and so Link pushed open the door through his panic; regretting how it left him enclosed and vulnerable. He forced a smile onto his face. "It has to happen, Zelda, and nothing can change that. I have to stop being so selfish!"

Her heart tore as she realised the extent of the damage that Cia had inflicted on him without even using a weapon. She was thankful that she had not captured him or worse, but the damage had already been dealt.

"It is not selfish to feel, Link," she said quietly, pulling his hands from the stone railing. "Because of what she did, you don't feel like you should be allowed to love or feel love and happiness without it ruining the other person. You believe that no one else should be near you because they see why Cia started this War and they blame you. But they don't, Link, they don't hate you. How could we after all that you have done for this land?"

He lowered his head as the words sunk in, and she waited patiently for him. He had always waited for her, whether it be venting in her tent during the War or merely when he waited for her until her meeting was over. It was trivial things, of course, but it warmed her heart when she saw him waiting for her beneath the large oak tree in the gardens, bathed in sunlight. And yet, she had never thought to wait for him after training or a day or work mostly because she was so busy and partially because she couldn't understand how she felt towards him.

He murmured something under his breath, however she didn't hear it. "Are you...?"

"Did you hear what she said to me at the Temple?" he asked suddenly, meeting her gaze evenly. Zelda shook her head slightly, dreading what he was going to say but hopeful that his would help his recovery. "After she said that she would break me she… said, 'You will be so beautiful when you are broken.' And I…" His eyes were so pained, causing her heart to be pained as well. As he released his hands from her, he asked desperately. "Am I… broken, Zelda?"

This time her smile was genuine and did not falter as cupped his cheek. "Maybe, but maybe not; it is not my call. And you know what?" she added, hoping to replace Cia's words with her own. He stiffened as she leaned in to whisper in his ear, "You are just as beautiful to me no matter how you see yourself."

And when they parted they peered into each other's eyes, cerulean on cobalt. The Hero smiled softly. "Maybe I will stay for a while… if I am needed."

She had never felt this way before. She never had the butterflies in her stomach or the general attraction to others like she did then; maybe because she had to be the Princess of Hyrule, maybe because she knew that she would end up in an arranged marriage anyway, maybe something else. And yet, even though she knew that Link would never be approved by the nobles no matter how much she wanted him to be, even though she knew that it may never last, she resolved to begin both of their recoveries with love and affection.

Time was supposed to heal all wounds, but Cia had said that he would never choose the White or Black Sorceress in the end; he would always choose her.

And in that moment, the fates decided.

"I'd like that," Zelda said quietly. "Because I need you…"

Their lips brushed; innocent, chaste and hesitant as befitting young lovers; but it soon deepened and flourished and the world seemed to pause for a moment. He was stunned at first and tried to pull away, harsh flashbacks returning with a vengeance, but then it seemed to fade when he thought of the Princess; and he permitted his future to become a little brighter. They both needed to hold each other together, save each other, protect each other.

He would always choose her.

Din had graced the skies above them with a deep crimson and oranges, the thick twilight battling of the deep blues and purples from Nayru as She went to claim the sky with nightfall. And Farore, who had no part in the shifting of the skies, graced the lovers with a light fall of rain as they joined. The two broke away in surprise, staying inches apart as they were slowly soaked, laughing with passion and joy. The pain and ghosts of the past were lost to them, their hearts beating as one and pieces pulsating in tune to their love.

"I love you… ever since I met you, there was something," Zelda breathed, the trees susurrating behind them

Link laughed warmly. "Oh I would hope so." He brushed some hair from her eyes. "But, for the record, I love you too." Her smile was uncontainable as they kissed again, but this time when they parted the two slipped inside and out of the rain.

Hours passed and the sun had long since set, the rain rolling on into the distant fields. The Hero's belongings had been forgotten about. Nothing more had happened; they were too hesitant for such acts; however were still just as passionate. The lovers sat together before the lit fire to dry off and were thankfully undisturbed as they did so. Their Triforce pieces hummed with contentment, even when the Princess came to a realisation. As the rain poured outside, she turned to the Hero. "You know, I think I have realised something."

He glanced down at her, golden flames dancing in his irises. "Hmm?"

"Maybe we will reach our breaking point in the future, or we may be cracking even now, but having a moment of weakness doesn't mean you are not strong. One small crack does not equal broken, it just means that we were put to the test and didn't fall apart." She focused on him, a small smile tugging at her lips as she leaned onto his shoulder. "Do you see, Link? You faced it all and didn't fall apart, and no matter what happens, you'll always be beautiful. You have so much time to truly live, and now you just need to take it." Link wrapped his arm around her, daring to move closer without saying a word.

Broken has many connotations. To some it is just physical pain when they break a bone or a glass that was too close to the edge of the table. But to others it goes so much deeper. To them it is facing past present and future all at once with all hope snuffed out. It is laying down at night with every thought imaginable, staring at the walls with a numbness that you cannot break out of. To them it is denying being in trouble through distractions and trying to ignore whatever gives them another weakness for their mind to exploit.

To them, being told that they are broken or are going to break is harder to stomach than anything else.

For Link, he had his unfair share of feeling broken after the War. Spending those first few nights awake from his coma were the worst; staring at the ceiling with nothing but his thoughts to relentlessly torture him. Going back into active service was his only way of coping and keeping his mind busy to ward off his negative thoughts and unworthy mind set.

He was never one to ask for help unless he needed it, and he finally realised there and then that Zelda was right; being broken or merely cracking at the edges did not automatically mean that he was weak or that Cia's resolve would ever come true Having someone who at least partially understood how he felt was not burdening another, but sharing the pain that they mutually had.

Being broken did not mean being weak.

Cracking at the edges did not mean that he was ruined.

It just meant that he was human, and held a strength that made his spirit more beautiful to behold.

So as he sat beside her, planting a kiss atop the crown of her head, he whispered, "As long as I have you, we'll be alright. If we do break…" He smiled. "We can be beautiful, broken things together."

"To be human is to be broken and broken is its own kind of beautiful."

~R.M. Drake~