Chapter One
"The story has been told time and time again.
Long ago, the world lived in peace. The Goddess Hylia, a being of light, watched over the land, ensuring that tranquility prevailed, and order was kept.
The three-ancient Goddesses, Din, Farore, and Nayru bestowed upon the land a heavenly gift: The Triforce, a golden treasure which would grant the wish of any man. The Ancient Ones entrusted the treasure to Hylia, ensuring that the Triforce would only be used for good, keeping it away from the grasp of evil.
However, peace would not last. A being of darkness, Demise, heard about the power of the Triforce. Eager to use the Triforce to quench his thirst for power, he and his army of demons and monsters began to ravage the land, slaying anyone they came across, and rushed forward to defeat Hylia and take the Triforce for his own.
The goddess, however, in order to combat Demise, put together her own army, and charged into battle against the Demon Lord.
The war raged on for many years, and great were the losses on both sides. Yet, light prevailed as Hylia finally defeated Demise, and shackling him. But capturing Demise sapped the goddess of her power, and, using the last of her strength, Hylia crafted a sword, imbued with a spirit, which would serve her and her chosen hero when Demise would eventually break out of his prison.
Centuries passed, and a mighty hero, the chosen one, garbed in green and blessed by both Hylia and the goddess, Farore, set out to battle Demise and keep him from capturing the Triforce.
Alongside him, a fair maiden, who embodied the blessing of the goddess Nayru, and thought to be the physical embodiment of Hylia herself also aided the hero in his travels.
The hero lost his maiden, which only steeled his will to destroy Demise, if it meant he would see Her once again. Trudging through the challenges thrown at him, the Hero grew in strength, and in courage. Demise, too, acknowledged the heroism that the chosen one portrayed, and challenged him to a duel.
Yet Demise grossly underestimated the power of the Hero and was soon overcome by him. As the Demon Lord lay on the ground, struck down by the Sacred Sword, he spoke.
"Those like you… Those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero… They are eternally bound to this curse. And Incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!"
His head the flames on his body began to dwindle. With his dying breath, he sealed his fate.
"I… I will rise again…"
And thus, the hero and his princess were bound to a destiny that transcended time itself. Through countless eras and generations, facing unimaginable trials and tribulations, they managed to keep the incarnations of evil from overtaking the land.
Yet, until just a few days ago, our land was once again plagued by an unimaginable force, unlike anything we have ever seen: Calamity Ganon, an incarnation of the Demon Lord that represented nothing but hatred and rage for the hero and the princess. But the Hero rose from the unknown and faced off against the Beast, the Legendary Sword in hand,
In an attempt to end the chosen ones, Calamity Ganon gave up on its limitations and assumed an even more awesome form, that of a Dark Beast with unstoppable power. Yet the chosen ones fought for many hours, until at long last, the Beast was beaten, destroyed. Along with the defeat of the Dark Beast, the long line of reincarnation was also broken, meaning that the ever-present threat of the prophecy of legend has finally come to its close… but the story of the hero, and his princess, will continue to live on…
It has lived on in the breaths of every one of us, and will continue to do so as long as the wind blows in Hyrule…
This is the Legend of Hyrule."
-o-
The stable was quiet as the Rito Poet played the final chord on his accordion. Kass looked around at the crowd that had gathered; The stable owner and his employess, as well as some of the people who had rented beds overnight. Even a few of the backpackers that had passed by stopped and listened, enraptured by his tale.
Eventually, a man close to Kass, wearing a standard Hylian set began clapping, and others joined in, and within seconds the air was filled with cheers and whistles from those who had heard his tale. Humbly, Kass bowed and thanked those who had heard him, and within minutes the crowd had dispersed. The man who began clapping walked up to Kass, a woman by his side. The bard turned around, a knowing smile on his beak.
"I'm sure you enjoyed being regaled with the tales of the hero, didn't you?" He folded his wings, looking between the two figures.
The man pulled down his hood, shaking his head to free his brown hair. "Yeah! I'm amazed at how you know those tales so well!" His eyes sparkled with curiosity. "If I may ask, who taught you these legends?"
Kass gestured in at the air and tilted his head. "My teacher taught me a few of them, and others I had learned from people I had met throughout Hyrule." He looked up and closed his eyes, wind ruffling his feathers. "Yet most of them were learned from someone who roams the land, in order to bring peace to our land…"
"Is there any way I could meet him?"
Kass looked back at the man and leaned in closer to him. "Chances are, my friend, you already have."
-o-
Link wondered what he'd done to get himself in this situation.
He had saved the Divine Beasts, not to mention the rest of Hyrule. He had helped as many people as he could along the way, spreading joy and happiness to those who lived in even the most remote corners of the world. He had defeated an evil that threatened existence itself…
So, he decided that the predicament he was in was either karma for slaying the multitude of monsters that he had come across during his travels, or Hylia playing a sick, sick prank on him.
"Come on, Link! Step out of there! You've been behind that screen for 10 minutes!"
Yep, he thought. The goddess has a twisted sense of humor.
"Link, I swear… If I have to call you one more time, I will use the Sheikah Slate on you!"
Reluctantly, Link stepped out from behind the changing screen, and instantly regretted leaving its privacy as a shocked gasp met his ears. Looking up, he rolled his eyes as a lady with long golden hair had covered her mouth with her hands.
"Princess…" he began, inching away from the woman as she began walking towards him, her green eyes shining with humor.
"I-I must say, Link," she said, eyeing him up and down as she grinned even wider than she had before. "You make a most stunning Hylian vai, don't you think so?"
"I had to do this, Zelda!" Link groaned as the Princess in question snickered at his plight. "There was no other way for me to get into Gerudo Town!" He tugged at the Gerudo Top that fit snugly against his chest. "Can I please change out of this now?"
Zelda had, however, cornered Link and had begun inspecting the clothes, her inquisitive mind taking over as a serious look came across her face. He noticed that she was jotting down notes into a small journal that she had in her hands. "Light silk… most likely engineered for Hylians like us to have heat resistance, along with mobility, while also allowing for traditional Gerudo styling…"
Resisting the urge to face palm, the Hero stood as still as possible as the Princess walked around him, muttering and writing down her findings. At long last, she stood up straight and snapped her book shut, and smiled charmingly at him. "Alright, Link. You can put on your normal clothing again."
It took him a few moments to process her words, and his face flushed as he swiftly turned away and went behind the screen once more, pulling off the tight Gerudo clothes.
Ever since she had returned, things were… different, to say that least. Promptly after the defeat of Ganon, and reuniting with her savior, Zelda had fallen into a deep sleep, and only awoke three days later, in Link's House. Upon her awakening, she sought out Lnk and talked to him for hours on end. While doing so, she insisted upon a few things to him.
"First off, I don't want you calling me Princess, anymore, Link." She had said. When asked why, the response came back, posthaste. "Though it pains me to say it, the truth is that the Kingdom died 100 years ago. I'm no longer a princess. No longer an heir to a lost kingdom. Now, I am simply Zelda." It would prove most challenging for Link to undo this habit, as it turned out.
She also had begun talking to him about new things she would discover, be it on the Sheikah Slate or in the changed land, but much to her surprise, Link voiced his thoughts, a stark contrast to his stoic nature from the past. Upon learning of this change in him, her second demand came forward.
"Link, from now on I would like you to tell me whatever you are thinking, anything at all. Especially when you would've otherwise kept to yourself, understood?" He nodded without hesitation.
Yet, the most startling change he found within himself was how he reacted to her now. Perhaps it was due to the long years that were spent away from her, even if he was asleep for them, or maybe it was due to the change in his personality during that time.
Whatever the case, he managed to keep control over himself. For the most part. There was still the chance where he would get flustered quite easily, or would just end up staring at her, lost in a daze. He didn't know why this new habit had developed, or when for that matter, but he made a silent vow to make sure that it wouldn't get in the way of him keeping her safe. Even though she had said that the kingdom had fallen, and so had his role as her knight, he still felt the need to maintain the position, kingdom or no.
Donning his Champion's Tunic and Hylian Pants, Link returned back to the open living room of his house… Only to find that Zelda was nowhere in sight.
"Zelda?" He called, looking around the small house, peering up the stairs. After waiting a few moments, he walked towards the door, slipping the Master Sword onto his back as he walked into the warm summer air of Hateno Village.
He never ceased to revel at the sight that met him as he stepped out. It seemed almost a like a dream that there had once been a vile evil that nearly destroyed this land. A light breeze was blowing, and the shadows cast by the other houses proved to be a most cool and peaceful place to relax.
Nevertheless, he was slightly surprised to see the former-missing person dozing peacefully in front of his house.
Ever since she had returned, he noticed changes in her, changes he only recognized as his memory had begun flooding back to him.
She was much more energetic and livelier than she was before the Calamity. He had expected her to mourn for the loss of the Champions, her friends. She did, but, as she had told him, "Spending 100 years in battle with the Calamity had given me much time for retrospection. Rather than lamenting the loss of people I cared about, I should be hopeful for what the future may hold. My time for mourning and grief lasted many years, but seeing your journey (Apparently, she had been able to see him as he travelled throughout Hyrule) and seeing you reconnect with their spirits, how they, the Champions, had no regrets about what had happened… It left me stunned beyond words."
Thus, Zelda had quickly payed respects to the Champions, and her father, and had returned to a state of wonder as she explored around his house, questioning every piece of armor and weaponry he had collected, leading to his embarrassment as she discovered his Vai outfit.
He knew she must've seen him wearing it (she did say she was watching him after all), but she insisted on him wearing it again in order to "study" it.
Link shook himself out of his thoughts and sat down next to her. While she did say she was no longer a Princess, Link still found himself thinking how she still was one, in his eyes at least. No, not the princess of Hyrule, but certainly a Princess nonetheless.
"The breeze feels so good, doesn't it?"
Link started as he stared at Zelda once more. She hadn't moved at all. Her breaths were slow and light, her face calm and serene. Even so, he could almost see a faint grin tugging the edge of her lips.
Suddenly, her eyes fluttered open, and she stared at him. Grinning, she pushed herself up, assuming the sitting position that Link was currently in.
"So, Link," she began, matter-of-factly. "When are we going to leave for Kakariko?"
He looked at her, bewildered and contemplating what had just happened, before comprehending her words.
"I think we will leave in a few days, Princess," he began, smiling at her. "I also think you would like to meet with Purah again. She'd be furious at me if I didn't bring you to see her." He grinned sheepishly, as Zelda giggled at the thought.
"Indeed…" She jumped to her feet, dusting off her leggings. Thanks to Link, and the help of both a Sheikah Seamstress, Claree, and the Gerudo Tailor, Rhondson, he had been able to bring back a near exact replica of her traveling clothes.
"Well?" She reached out a hand to the man beside her. "Come on!" She took her hand and stood up, just as she turned around and began walking towards the village. She looked over her shoulder at him, a small smile on her face. "I suppose we should head over now. We have nothing else to do."
Link followed behind the Princess, as she went ahead. His mind was still reeling over the fact that, after 100 years and then some, she was finally safe. She was finally back with him.
No matter what she said, the Princess had returned.
HEY GUYS I'M BACK
I've been working on this for a few months, trying to make it as good as I could. I feel really good about this, and I hope y'all enjoy.
R&R, and thanks!