Hey guys! This is the first one-shot of my own 30-shot self-challenge, where I have 30 prompts to write complete one-shots for. This is also my first Legend of Zelda fanfiction, so I hope you enjoy it!

Prompt 1: Beginnings (Link and Hylia)

He rose his head up when he heard the door to his cell open. His dirty blonde hair fell over his eyes from going too long without a proper haircut. It had perhaps been a good year and a half since the last haircut if his calculations based off of sunsets and sunrises were correct; a year and a half since everyone had put him to the farthest part of their minds. Truthfully, he had been in this cell for well longer than a year and a half. He'd been here for about four years at the most with his only visitor being the guard that brought him food three times a day and that on three accounts, was kind enough to spare a knife for haircuts.
But then again, that was a year and a half ago.
Since then, he'd gotten a new guard and no new haircut.
"Link," his visitor said sternly, breaking him out of his reverie.
Link. It sounded foreign to him. He hadn't been called that name in all the years of his imprisonment. He'd been called other things of course, 'disgrace', 'scum', 'prisoner' and all the like, but never his own name. No, his name hadn't been used since his trial four years ago when he was just the ripe age of twenty.
"Link," the visitor repeated with more emphasis.
"What?" Link asked, his voice sounding raspy from going too long without use.
"There are a few that wish to speak to you. Would you like me to send them in?"
He rolled his eyes. "What does it matter what I think? For years, you have all done to me whatever you wished, so who cares right?"
The visitor shook his head and opened the door wider, allowing for about four people in hoods to enter with someone else trailing behind them.
"Link. Link the Hero," one of them said in a deep voice.
"Lord Dagianis, the man who framed you, has been killed by the Demon King. Please come out into the light. The Demon King's army will soon be upon us," another explained.
Lord Dagianis was dead. Link wasn't exactly sorry to hear the news. After all, that dreadful Lord was the one that had framed Link for breaking his own sword, sentencing him to the imprisonment he currently served.
"The land needs your help, Hero Link," another finished.
Link scoffed. Loudly. "It was you, my own people, who said you had no need of a powerful Hero. And now that it's convenient for you, you want me to fight? What's more, my sword is broken; I can't even run anymore. Or have you already forgotten about the years I have spent paying for this crime?"
One of the men came forward with a sword with a red hilt in a sheath. The red hilt struck a chord in his memory.
His sword?
"Our little...misunderstanding has been resolved," the man explained. "Your premonition of danger was correct. We all understand that now. You are the only one who can drive off the Demon King and protect Hylia!"
Link only raised an eyebrow.
The man appeared not to notice and handed the sword to the man standing at the back of the group who came forward. His face hadn't been seen by Link's eyes for quite some time, yet Link still recalled it in the back of his memories.
"Orville has tended to it these past four years," the older man continued. "Your weapon."
So it had been four years. Four years. He had kept count, but to actually hear it out loud was entirely something else. And seeing the weapon that had landed him in here in the first place certainly didn't help matters.
Orville stepped forward and knelt before Link's hanging form, presenting him the sword.
"Link, our Hero," he said quietly and a tad timidly. "It is my honour to be able to present this blade to you."
Something sparked in Link's eyes when he saw his old sword complete once more and being presented to him.
He grinned at the group before him. "And here I had thought that I would be able to sleep in peace. But if you wish to wake the lion, then give him fangs!"
The guard came forward and unlocked the chains. Link rubbed his wrists and brushed his bangs out of his eyes.
"Well, I certainly cannot do anything in these ratty clothes. I'll need a new tunic," Link demanded.
"Of course," one of the men replied. "Will that be all?"
His grin returned once more. "A small haircut would be great."

He was given brand new everything. The torn and tattered tunic that he had worn for four years straight was replaced with a newly made one as dark a green as the trees had once been in the forest on the outskirts of the city. He had also received a matching green cap and a billowing red cape with coordinating gauntlets.
Most of all, he was free.
For the first time in a long time, he had more space to move around and had fresh air to breathe. However, other than time to change into his new clothes, he wasn't given any time for himself. As soon as he stepped outside, he was greeted by hundreds of his people standing on the outskirts of the castle.
"Why are they here?" he asked Orville, who had been following him around for a bit.
"Why, they're here for you," Orville answered. "They wish to hear from their Hero."
Their Hero? So be it.
He walked towards the edge of the tower and faced his people. "My dear land of Hylia!" he exclaimed. "Though people's hearts may change with time, this land's beauty, pride, and purity never change!"
They cheered. He closed his eyes as he went on. "If you have need of me, then I will forever fight to defend you. Let us fight together, children of Hylia!"
The cheers turned into gasps as everyone began looking at the skies.
His brows furrowed and he followed their gazes upward where a huge animal flew. It was far bigger than any bird—or animal—that he had ever seen.
"It's a demon! A demon come to attack us! Fire arrows!" the men below yelled.
He looked closer at the animal and thought that he could make out a rider sitting atop it.
"Wait!" he commanded. "Hold your fire! There's someone on it!"
They obeyed him and he raced to the ground, where the animal was beginning to land. Upon his closer observation, the animal appeared to be a majestic, giant, red birdlike creature. While it looked vicious, he figured that it could be tamed since it had a rider.
The rider hopped off the bird and much to everyone's surprise, she was a woman. She wore a flowing white gown with flowing sleeves. She had long light blonde hair and a small green crown sat over her forehead.
She was beautiful...breathtakingly beautiful. Link had never seen such a woman in his entire life, and when her azure blue eyes landed on him, he felt his breath catch.
"I am the White Goddess, Hylia," she said in a soft voice that was music to his ears. She gestured to the bird. "This is a Loftwing—a bird of the Gods."
The men around Link had their mouths open in shock.
"Goddess?!" one cried out.
"It's Hylia's Guardian Goddess!" another concluded.
Hmph! Our search is in vain, Hylia, Link heard a deep voice say. They are so fearful that they cannot tell Gods from demons! That is how useless these humans are. The one I seek will not be found here in this lower world; someone able to fight the Demon King with me! Someone worthy to be my rider!
The bird spread his wings open in frustration.
Was the voice belonging to the Goddess' Loftwing?
And did he just call everyone here useless?
"Useless?!" Link yelled angrily. "If you seek souls to fight alongside you, we are here, Loftwing! We will defeat the Demon King!"

Hylia turned to the loud and angry voice coming from the crowd and found a pair of sky blue eyes that caught her attention. The man wore a dark green tunic and red cape that blew in the days wind.
She saw fury lurking behind his eyes, even where she stood.
Link, her mind whispered.
Then she understood.
It was him. He was the one she had been searching for.
He pushed his way through the crowd until he was but a few feet away from her.
Link.
He would save this land.

Oh? And who might you be? the Loftwing asked.
"Link, a knight of the land of Hylia," Link explained. "Humans may look small in the eyes of a God, but there are those among us who have the courage to fight!"
If this is so, then show me how much a human is worth!
With that, the Loftwing flew away in a rage.
Her Grace watched it fly away with, what Link believed to be, calculations happening in her mind before she turned to face him. Again, he was struck by her beauty and had to take a small step back.
"The fearsome Demon King will soon raze the surface world with the fires of destruction. I cannot stand aside while my land and people fall to ruin."
She moved her hands from behind her back and revealed herself to be holding a sheathed sword with a hilt designed after wings sticking out.
"My people, you can escape to the sky," she continued. "The Loftwing will show you the way."
"To the sky?" someone asked.
"We aren't birds, and the Loftwing has already left," someone else added.
"That needn't matter," Her Grace answered. "He shall return at my command. Now disperse! I wish to have a word with the Hero."
No one wanting to go against the command of a Goddess, they all went in their separate directions except for Link.
She looked him straight on. "Come closer, dear Hero."
He made the few steps needed to reach her. "Feel free to call me Link, Your Grace."
She gave a small illuminating smile. "As you wish." She unsheathed the sword and Goddesses above, it was an amazing sword.
"This is the Master Sword," she explained. "A blade that repels evil, will sunder the Earth and act as a pillar to support the land as it floats up to the sky. And yet, it was created by the Gods, meant for our use alone. In order to exert its power on the surface world, it must be reforged by human hands; the hands of the most honourable Hero in the land. You." She presented the sword and gestured for him to take it.
His eyes widened in shock. "Goddess...I was imprisoned for a long time and my honour tarnished. I...I couldn't possibly lay my tainted hands on this sacred sword."
She looked up at him sadly. "Link..." she whispered.
His heart seemed to have skipped a beat when she said his name. It sounded soft and lucid coming from her lips.
He looked up at her. "Your Grace..."
"Link," she repeated. "This blade knows whether or not you are tarnished. Do you intend to take revenge on the kingdom that held you in contempt? Or will you save it from doom?"
The question had an obvious answer. There was no doubt about it. "Regardless of whether it be humans or Gods, all seek my answer. Truly, I am used whenever it suits everyone. But right now, it goes without saying—my spirit will always stand with my friends, Your Grace!"
She presented the sword hilt-first. Taking a deep breath, he took the hilt and lifted the sword, surprised to find it almost as light as a feather.
"I knew you had it in you, Link," she said.
He looked at her once more. "Thank you, Your Grace."
Her smile from earlier reappeared. "Please. If you wish for me to call you Link, then call me Hylia."
"As you wish."

Time went on. Link trained with the various men willing to fight in the battle while Hylia handled the resources. They spent many hours together, very often alone, to organize strategies and plan attacks. Despite spending much time by her side, he still had to catch his breath every now and then when her eyes caught his for a brief moment before she kept talking again. Sometimes, he even felt her eyes on him only to look her way and see her staring intently at the walls.
She intrigued him. There was no denying that.

He amazed her. Over the course of the few weeks they had to plan, he never ceased to amaze her. The way he poured himself into his training and fighting, only to talk formally when speaking to other officials. The only time he seemed to speak like his normal, sometimes sarcastic, self was when they were alone. She too felt comfortable around him, as if she no longer had to be the uptight Goddess she often felt like she was. She also appreciated that he didn't use formal titles around her anymore.
And sometimes...just sometimes...she could get lost in his eyes and forget the rest of the world. But then there were the times when she let her gaze drop a bit lower to his lips...
She bit her bottom lip.
This wasn't something that she had ever known—this feeling inside her. It felt almost as if she would willingly jump straight into death to save his life.
She never really had a complex understanding of powerful human emotions. They were some of the most mysterious things to her. She had yet to understand the crippling depression and mourning that humans felt when a loved one died. She had yet to understand the immense joy of getting exactly what one wanted. Most of all, she had yet to understand the feeling of love; that pull one felt towards another, the feeling of never wanting to part with them ever again.
Yet...she felt as if she was beginning to understand love. Towards her Hero, out of all people.
He stood next to her, looking over maps of the land. His face was hard in concentration as he made plans to decide who would go where.
"Is there anyone specific that you wish to protect tomorrow in battle, Link?" she asked, instantly regretting the question.
He looked up at her and for a moment, she had forgotten how blue those eyes of his were.
"Everyone, if I can," he responded.
"Of course. But what I meant was, is there anyone in particular: family, close friends...loves?"
He raised an eyebrow at the last word. "I can't say that there are. My family is long dead and my imprisonment didn't allow for me to keep close relationships. Anyone who I may have referred to as a friend no longer holds the title after four years of my absence. As for loves...well, there has never been anyone in this land that has caught my heart."
"No one?" She was surprised. "But you are without a doubt a handsome man! I do not believe that there has been absolutely no one to show any interest in you romantically."
His eyes narrowed and a playful smile appeared on his face. "Why thank you for the compliment, Hylia. However, while I have indeed been the object of a few affections, there hasn't exactly been anyone here that intrigued me. What about you, though? Anyone specific that you have set your sights on during your time here?"
Her heartbeat quickened and her eyes widened. "I..."

He watched her become flustered, and he knew immediately what her answer was.
"Who, may I ask?" he questioned.
She laughed under her breath. "Is it that obvious?"
He shook his head. "Not at all. But your hesitation was answer enough."
She closed her eyes in thought; her lashes flaring out just above her cheeks.
"Do I know him?" he asked.
"Yes, you do."
His eyebrows rose. "Let me guess...Orville has won your heart," he joked.
To this, she laughed again, louder this time. "No, I cannot say that it is him."
"Very well," he replied with a grin. "How well do I know him?"
Her smile grew. "Extremely well."
He appreciated that she wasn't as uptight as many people believed that the Goddesses were. He liked that she allowed herself to laugh and joke around with him a bit to lift the dreary mood.
"Ah, I know him very well?"
She nodded.
"Handsome, I take it?" he added.
"Very handsome."
"Will you protect him in battle?"
"I would like to, but I fear that I may be too occupied with the Demon King to have a chance to keep him safe. Besides, knowing him, he will most definitely not shy away from the action."
"He sounds brave, courageous even."
"He is. That may be what brought me to him in the first place. That, and he is incredibly selfless."
"He must be a good man to earn the heart of a Goddess," Link responded.
"I suppose so. But I am unsure if he feels the same way towards me when there are so many others," she admitted.
"How could he not?"
She paused for a moment and looked down at the table. "I do not even have experience with love. I have never been taken into the arms of another, nor have I shared a kiss either."
He supposed that it shouldn't have been much of a surprise, but nevertheless, it was. A woman like this...how could she have never experienced love? Perhaps it was simply because she was a Goddess and had no time for it, but he could not, would not, take that as the whole truth.
"What have you been waiting for?" he asked, his smirk disappearing.
"Someone special, I suppose. Someone who I gladly give my whole heart to," Hylia explained.
He crept closer. "And this man of yours, that you have met here; is he deserving of a kiss?"
He watched her gaze involuntarily flicker downwards as he came closer to her.
"Yes," she whispered. "Definitely yes."
He was close enough to feel her breath, close enough to very faintly hear her heart racing.

Her lips parted as he came just an inch away from her face. She had never seen him this close, and now that she had, she was amazed more than ever before.
He set a thumb underneath her chin, lifting her face towards his.
"Your Grace..." he spoke. "If I may..."
Her heart was beating so loudly that she was sure that he could hear it. "You may," she answered, surer of the words than anything else that she had said in her entire life.
His lips met hers.
And it was as simple as that.
What she felt was not merely passion, but a love so strong that it made her shake inside. For the first time in her long lifetime, she felt truly afraid.
She was scared of the feelings rushing inside of her. She was terrified of the way she felt. She felt as though she would kill anyone or anything that hurt him; would hunt down anything that even threatened him. Goddesses above, she was frightened.

He pulled away and they were both gasping for breath, their foreheads pressed together and their hands on each other's shoulders.
It's you," she said. "It was you."
A corner of his mouth went up. "I figured."
She smiled and he kissed her again.
She moved her hands to the soft fabric of his tunic and pulled him closer to her while he ran a hand through her hair.
He began pushing her backward until her back was pressed against the cold stone wall. With a swift flick of her hand, she locked the door leading to the room to ensure that no one would disturb this moment of pure joy. She moved a hand to his hair and lightly knocked down his cap so she could run her fingers in his soft locks.
The feeling from earlier began returning but this time, she wasn't afraid of it. She welcomed it with open arms as Link kept kissing her and kissing her.
He parted away from her and just looked at her while they both panted. She looked at him in awe, feeling as though this moment was what she had been waiting for her whole life.
She was at a loss for words and only one coherent thought was running through her mind at the moment, so she spoke it aloud.
"I think that I'm falling in love with you, Hero."
His lips parted and he replied, "I think that I've fallen in love with you, Goddess."

She looked him with all the wonder in the world; a look that was too beautiful for him not to kiss her again.
Soon enough, his cape and tunic fell away along with her dress and they belonged solely to each other.

Blood. So much blood.
The fabric was darkened with his blood and there was nothing that she could do about it.

Death. Death was creeping by his fallen form and would take him away from her.
And there was nothing she could do.

Sadness. Her sadness threatened to drown her in its dark abyss.
And there was absolutely nothing that she could do.

She opened her eyes and put the dream to the back of her mind. She nestled her face back into his warm chest and drifted back to sleep.

The sun had decided not to shine the next day as everyone in the land began preparing for the oncoming battle. Soldiers were putting on their armour, blacksmiths were sharpening the weapons and mothers were preparing their children for their departure into the sky.
Hylia stood at the window of the small room that she had slept in with him the previous night. The events of last night had been a wonderful distraction from the oncoming battle, but now that the euphoria was over, she had to face the reality that her people were going to war today; that Link was going into battle today.

She jumped when she felt his strong arms wrap around her waist and he set his head on her shoulder.
"Did you have a good sleep?" he asked.
She gave a sad smile. "The best sleep I've had in a long time. Good thing too; I'll need as much energy today as I can get."
He sighed. "Today's the day, isn't it?"
She nodded. "Unfortunately." She sighed like had had earlier. "I do not wish to leave this room."
"Neither do I." He pressed a warm kiss on her shoulder. "But we must."

As soon as they were dressed and the evidence of last night's events were erased, they headed down to the courtyard hand in hand, only to instantly be pulled in separate directions to prepare. She sneaked glances his way whenever she could and he always returned those glances with some of his own. They weren't given a moment alone until the army was starting to march out onto the field.
When she had him in her sights, she went towards him and he immediately pulled her into his arms, pressing her head into the crook of his neck.
"No matter what happens today, Hylia, I want you to know that I love you," he whispered.
Her eyes began to water and she breathed in his woodsy scent, burying her face deeper into his tunic.
"I love you too, Link," she replied. She pulled away to look him in the eyes and she quickly made the decision in her mind.
"If we survive this...I will shed my divinity."
His eyes widened in surprise. "What? Hylia, I—you needn't do that for me."
"I know I don't have to, but I want to. I do not wish to live a life with you only to live without you for the rest of time. I will become human and if you'll have me, I'll spend my life with you."
"If I'll have—of course I'll have you." He took her face in his hands and kissed her. She wrapped her hands around his wrists.
"I choose to be mortal for you," she said softly against his lips.
He hugged her tighter and only let her go when the battle finally began.

Link was wounded.
The Demon King had gotten in a good stab before the Loftwing appeared before Link.
Climb atop my back. I have kept a close eye on your battle, the bird explained in his mind.
"You mean you'll take me as your rider?" Link asked shakily.
It seemed to have nodded. We shall fight together for eternity!
Link picked himself up off the ground and gritted his teeth together to ignore the pain. He climbed atop the Lofting and they began to fly.
"Loftwing, will you show our people to the skies? I ask your guidance," he begged.
As long as you will fly with me henceforth.
"Yes...I swear it!"
He raised his sword in the air to guide the people, only to pause when he saw something—a symbol—being scratched into it near the hilt.
"This symbol—what?"

The legacy of the Gods dwells within the Master Sword, he heard a strange, unknown voice explain. Hero! Present thy sword before the Goddess!
He raised the sword higher than ever before and Hylia swept past him and took it.
"My country...my beloved people of Hylia...my humans," he heard her exclaim sadly. "Live on and bear descendants where the hands of the wicked cannot reach you, beyond the great sea of clouds, at the highest limits of the sky! And there, guard the legacy of the Gods—the Triforce—from the wicked!"
She swung the sword once before yelling to Link, "Take it!"
She threw the sword and he caught it by the hilt. The Loftwing brought him back down and as soon as he reached the ground, he plunged the Master Sword into the earth.
"Long live the beautiful land of Hylia!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.
A large beam came from the sword and he was knocked back as it drifted towards the heavens, taking a large piece of earth containing his people to the sky.
"Link!" Orville shouted from the piece of land. He held out a hand. "What are you doing? Hurry!"
Link simply shook his head and went onto the ground. He sat upright against a rock as his pain, which had disappeared during the moments with the Master Sword, began returning sharply. He pressed a hand against his wound only to remove it, choosing to let his death come swiftly.
"May you thrive, my comrades," he said weaker than before. "I pray for your happiness with all my heart. In truth...I wanted to take to the skies with you," he added when no one else was around. "But my body is heavy. It feels as though I'm stuck to the ground. I cannot move. Loftwing...I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise. But crimson bird, I hope that you can somehow grant my final wish."
He leaned his head back. "Ah...it doesn't hurt anymore. My spirit will always be with you..."
He felt his strength disappear along with the pain and his limbs began to go limp. He whispered one final word before Death could take him in its icy grip.
"Hylia," he said.
Then he was gone.

She sent the Demon King away in a whirlwind of elements, choosing to ignore his promised return for now. That would be something that would be dealt with later.
When he was gone, Hylia looked around at the land. It was empty with the exception of the limp bodies of the dead.
Then she saw a familiar shade of green sitting against a rock formation.
Widening her eyes, she ran towards him. His tunic was heavily stained with his blood. She didn't even have to check for his heartbeat to know that Death had taken him away from her.
Her eyes began to water and she lost her fortitude as she sank to her knees beside him. She was gasping for breath as tears trickled down her face.
She took his body into her arms, silently praying to all the Goddesses that he wasn't truly gone.
"Link..." she spoke softly. She sniffed and decided that it was a good a time as any to finally be honest.
"Your imprisonment was willed by the heavens," she confessed. "It was meant to make you strong, like a sword hammered and honed so that it would never break. The sword was tempered by your spirit. You woke it...and you shall serve as its master for all of eternity. This is because you deeply love the land of Hylia and all its people...as I do."
She shut her eyes but quickly opened them again. She did not deserve to say the final words without looking at him.
That would be too easy.
"But because of this," she continued, "your life has been full of suffering. I have watched you and felt your pain like a knife through my body. Link, I...I knew that you were not going to survive this ordeal as soon as we first met. I had had the vision well before I found you and before...before I loved you. I had it again last night, but when I chose to be mortal earlier today, I thought that I would be able to save you." She hesitated. "But I was wrong. This had been fate's plan all along and I couldn't save you from it. For that, I am eternally sorry. However, I will ensure that your gentle, heroic spirit will live on. And I—just as I told you—will shed my divinity. The next time we meet, I wish to stand before you as a simple human. Whenever the land of Hylia is in danger, we shall be reborn so that we may save it."
She did not regret loving him. She was incredibly grateful that she had. He had taught her what it was like to love, he had shown her joy.
And he had shown her sadness; the crippling sadness of a love lost.
She held her head high as the sun finally appeared behind the clouds after a long grey day. Looking down at Link, she pressed a soft kiss against his lips for one final time and set him down.
Little did she know that this was only the beginning of her story with Link, the Hero chosen by the Gods.
There was still much, much more to come.

Hope you enjoyed it! If it was not obvious, this is based on the Skyward Sword prequel manga released in Hyrule Historia. I clearly took many liberties, but I kept the main idea the same.
Thanks for reading!