A/N I have moved all the stories from my previous account to this one, to make things a little easier for myself. I created a second account due to loosing forgetting my original's log-in information for a long time but have figured it out. I deleted the original of this entry and have re-posted it here, and plan to re-edit most of my stories soon.
Here is a little fic that I decided to write kind of out of nowhere. I know that it's not a popular couple, but they have a good story that supports them. This is a very light Young Link x Ruto chapter, future chapters will go further in-depth to their relationship.
Updated Dec 2018, added 1k words, from 1.7k to 2.8. I'll re-edit chapter 2 and 3 soon.
Disclaimer: I do not own Ocarina of Time... I really wish I did
Link finally had gotten out of the giant whale, instantly working to erase every second of being inside Lord Jabu-Jabu from his memory. The boy had been thrown into the water which he was not a fan of but anything was better then being inside something else's body, especially a giant whale with various parasites and creatures infesting it. Link's eyes quickly adjusted to the outside light, and judging on the sun's low position in the sky he assumed it had taken most of the day to find and rescue Ruto.
The young hero surveyed his surroundings to find land and he quickly spotted a nice little island with a large tree which he began to swim towards. The sun was beginning to set, the golden sky's reflection looking beautiful on the water as Link waded through it. As much of a rush as he was in to have solid ground under his feet the young hero's body ached from the previous adventure and he felt content taking his time to prevent any more muscle soreness than needed.
Link eventually made it to the land, letting out a sigh of relief as his feet hit mud allowing him to stand comfortably in the warm water. Large bodies of water like this had always freaked him out, not knowing what kind of creatures and dangers were lurking below. He didn't feel scared necessarily, he almost never did, but the feeling of not knowing what could be lurking below was not a comfortable one. As Lord Jabu-Jabu's pond had very clear water, Link could see all the way to the bottom and clearly there was nothing he needed to be afraid of lurking below the ripples but he still felt a bit nervous.
One creature in particular kept the young boy surveying his surroundings even as his body finally could relax. This creature scared him more than any other. But taking a final sweep of the lake, she didn't seem to be close by, and Link let out a sigh of relief. "Finally got away..." The young hero fell to his hands and knees into the dry sand and tried to catch his breath. Being in 'adventure mode' for so long had it's strains and even though Link would never show weakness before his foes when finally alone his body felt like it may begin to break down.
From slightly above Link heard a high-pitch and familiar laugh from his fairy companion. "Hey, Link! What exactly are you relieved about getting away from, Lord Jabu-Jabu? Or Princess Ruto?" The Zora princess that Navi spoke of, Ruto, had been the worst part of Lord Jabu Jabu's belly without competition. Link didn't really mind the presence of Ruto herself when they were just taking a quick break and chatting but the way she begged to be carried through every room both exhausted the hero as well as slowed him down. By the time he got to Barinade Link could barely hold his own. Luckily he had a fairy in a bottle on hand to save his life, otherwise there may not be a Hero of Time to finish this quest Princess Zelda had sent him on.
Deciding that the coast was clear, Link struggled over to the large tree on the island and turned to slump down against it. He could spare a few minutes before moving on to the Temple of Time, and rushing on with tired muscles would prove useless. He probably wouldn't be able to make it to Hyrule Castle before sundown, and fighting stalfos all night in front of the gate didn't exactly sound tempting at the moment.
"Not now Navi... that was just... Painful.. I know the Zoras are fish-folk and excel in the water but surely they can walk more than ten seconds on their own on dry land." This earned another giggle from the blue fairy whom seemed to have no sympathy for her travel companion. "I really should go find Princess Ruto though... I still need to get the zora's sapphire from her to finish this quest of mine."
Navi floated down in front of the green-clad boy and smiled, saying "Well you have fun with that Link, I'm goona go look around the Zora's domain for a bit okay? wouldn't want to get between you two lovebirds." Link didn't like the tone of her voice, it sounded less like simply making fun of him and more like she knew something he didn't. With this the fairy gave Link a little wink and flew away before the boy could stop her.
"Navi! Wait! I don't want to talk to her by myself!" It was too late, the blue orb of light slipped into the entrance of Zora's Domain and Link frowned. "And what do you mean lovebirds…" He could go chase after her but decided to wait a little, the hero didn't want to get back into the water right after starting to dry off. Link removed his hat and ran a hand through his blonde hair, it felt good to just relax and close his eyes for a moment but he knew he should be going soon. Any moment of peace that he could take hold of lately seemed to pass all too soon, even sleep was not safe lately as he and Navi often made camp in the wilderness, suspect to assault at any moment.
"Darn fairy, she's supposed to be helping me not leaving me alone. Oh well, better go find Ruto." As he muttered to himself Link didn't notice the looming threat that was bearing down on his position. While the hero could see perfectly fine above the water he was right in fearing what swam below it; Princess Ruto silently made her way to the back of the small island. Zoras were known for being perfect aquatic hunters and the princess made use of her natural-born abilities as she slipped up onto the sand unnoticed.
The Princess had promised Link the Zora's sapphire but had not told him the catch; that he must agree to take her as his bride once he'd reached maturity. At present the young Hylian did not have much going for him, with a rather scrawny build and unimpressive height. However, Ruto saw something in him during their time in Lord Jabu-Jabu that interested her. This small Hylian continued to meet her demands no matter how strenuous they were, even carrying her through most of the whale's belly. Even male zoras of a similar age wouldn't be able to keep that up all day, and end it with two major battles. At first there was no way the Princess would have handed over her sapphire, but now she wanted the young hero.
By the time Link heard the zora's steps behind him in the sand it was too late, he pushed off the tree and spun around to see the blue girl standing just steps away. She was still dripping wet, little droplets of water falling off the tips of her fins. "R-Ruto" Link stuttered as he looked for an escape plan. No use, if he entered the water the zora would easily catch him. He considered climbing the large tree in front of him, not sure if Zoras can climb.
However as his eyes searched frantically for another way out they became stuck on the object that the princess held. The Zora's sapphire. Link realized that he'd not get it until he gave the girl what she wanted, and he had to play it safe to make sure he didn't loose the chance; that sapphire after all was the sole reason he came here. Ruto stepped forward, a small smile playing on her lips and Link had to admit that when she wasn't whining and complaining or sitting on his head she could actually be kind of cute. The setting sun behind him cased Ruto to shine slightly giving her an added natural beauty. As they stood there in silence for a few moments Link couldn't help but also be entranced by the way each water droplet slipped off the princess's fins.
The Zora princess then said something that Link wished he hadn't heard. "My hero, Link. You've saved me from inside Lord Jabu-Jabu and defeated the monster that made him ill; so I will keep my promise and hand the Zora's sapphire over to you." Sounded good so far. Link stepped forward to receive the sapphire when the princess held one hand up to stop him. "I should tell you though... The Zora's Sapphire is a sacred engagement stone that has been passed down through the royal family. So if you want it you will have to agree to marry me." Ruto's lips curled into a smirk, knowing that she had caught her pray in an unescapable trap.
Link took a moment to process what he had just heard. Engagement? He'd heard the word a few times when the Kokiri had spoken of outsiders' way of living. Most of the other races would choose life partners with whom they would spend the rest of their life. This way of life began with 'engagement', a sort of promise to be with another individual. Link's mind suddenly began to flood with thoughts of a life with the Zoras, with Princess Ruto.
The hero's vision moved down to the ground as he thought about what to do; he needed the sapphire to finish his quest for the Hylian princess Zelda. Link found his voice and stated quietly "Marriage?" He looked up, causing blue eyes to meet blue eyes. "Ruto we're too young for that!" It was a crack shot, but the Kokiri had also mentioned that usually people would wait until adulthood to become engaged. Maybe he could wiggle out of this situation. Link expected the zora to be upset but a sly smile still rested happily on her lips causing Link to raise a brow. Again, Link got caught off guard by Ruto's beauty, her big mischievous blue eyes somehow captivated him.
Ruto took another step toward the boy as he took a step back, she was getting frighteningly close. "Oh Link, don't be silly. I wasn't implying that you and I get married now, but once you're older." Link's thoughts continued to race as he ran through possible escape plans. Although the longer it took him to make a plan the more he found his thoughts drifting towards weather marriage to Ruto would really be so awful.
Ruto continued taking another mirrored step towards the hero. "You've already proven that you can protect me so I have decided that I want to keep you close by. You're much more brave than any of the Zora boys around here; and cuter too."
It still seemed like there was no way the young hero would agree, but Ruto wasn't finished yet. "Link, I promise that I'm not always that needy. I just wanted to test you to see if you were a man worthy of my engagement stone." The Princess looked genuinely apologetic as she spoke, her once fixated gaze lowering to the sand at Link's feet. It was odd seeing the charismatic young girl suddenly look upset, and Link felt his chest tighten a bit. Seeing her sad made him uncomfortable, he had to stop his arm from reflexively moving to console the Zora.
"Also before you showed up I got attacked by some of those big jellyfish and sprained my ankle running away.. I needed your help." At this statement the green-clad boy looked down to Ruto's ankles and saw that one looked unnaturally swollen and slightly red. In the water this sort of injury shouldn't affect the Princess much as she also had upper body fins to swim with but on land, she did seem to have a slight limp which Link had not previously noticed. This time as Ruto took a awkward step towards the hero he did not retreat back. He had no idea how he hadn't noticed before but now felt kind of bad as he looked back up to renew eye contact.
Link nodded slowly, he wanted to believe what the princess was saying. Now that they were safe and out of Lord Jabu-Jabu Ruto was acting normal and the hero didn't see anything wrong with her at all. Maybe marriage wouldn't be so bad. The chances that he would even live to marriage were slowly dwindling anyways with these ridiculous fetch quests the Hylian Princess was sending him on. And would he even be accepted back with the Kokiri after all is said and done? Maybe having a concrete plan for his future would be a good idea.
Maintaining eye contact with the Zora Link swallowed his arguments and nodded softly. "Okay Ruto, I accept." Ruto's eyes regained their glow, but she still seemed hesitant to accept his words. "Once I am an adult I'll take your hand in marriage." Link finished, straightening his posture as if to show his conviction. Ruto's smile grew to one of genuine happiness and the girl jumped at Link, dropping the sapphire to the dirt. She threw her arms around Link's neck and he had to use a leg to brace himself from falling back as he caught her with his arms around her slender hips.
"Oh thank you Link! You won't regret it, I promise!" Ruto shouted. letting go of the boy and stepping away, she left her arms outstretched towards him holding the young boy's hands in her own. Her smile had not faded, and Link could swear that he saw tears building in Ruto's eyes. He smiled softly, starting to believe that maybe it would be good. Ruto seemed to truly care for him and he was starting to care for her as well. Having someone look at him in this loving manor felt good, it was a feeling that Link wanted to last.
The hero squeezed Ruto's hand, dropping the other to turn towards the large door leading to the King Zora's throne. He assumed that that's where Ruto wanted to go next, as her eyes had also moved in that direction. She happily walked behind him, and Link decided that if he was going to go through with this he may start their relationship now, keeping her hand held tightly. The two entered the water to swim over to the gate, and Link felt much more comfortable in the massive pool with Ruto there beside him; but as they reached the water' edge Link stopped the zora. Without even a second's delay she turned to face the boy.
"Link? What's wrong?" She asked timidly, obviously scared that the hero was having second thoughts. As Link looked over the zora he found that she was quite beautiful in the water, even more so than on land. Her fins flowed freely keeping her afloat, but it looked natural. She seemed to not even have to think about swimming while Link still sometimes struggled to keep his head above the surface. Ruto's blue skin seemed to glow through the water as the golden sun's rays reflected off it's surface.
Without replying directly to the princess's questions Link spoke; "Ruto, I want you to close your eyes for a second okay? Your father can wait another moment to see you, and don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." The princess continued to bob in the water a few seconds before nodding and shutting her eyes. Her hand squeezed Link's a little tighter, obviously still scared that he would be gone when she opened them. To Ruto this was starting to all feel like a dream, never before had another being made her feel the way she did. Her chest felt tight and her mind was flooded with various thoughts of what Link was planning.
However Link did not try to escape the Zora Princess. The boy took his free hand and moved it to Ruto's cheek, her shin was soft and cool. It felt good under his warm fingertips and he knew that he could get used to the sensation rather easily. The zora's cheeks seemed to flush as he began to lean towards her, Link assumed that Ruto had figured out what would happen next. Link slipped one arm around the princess' waist to pull her closer, now feeling the girl's body against his own; finally before their lips met Link whispered quietly "I will come back for you."
A/N: I hope you liked it! I know it was a little short, but chapter two is done and I'll start chapter 3 soon! Anyways, please let me know what you think! I love reading reviews / PMs.