Malice

By: dontwaitupxx

Chapter Two

The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon. It was early, still very early, however, the Kakariko villagers would soon be beginning their day. And Zelda was still on the roof of the inn, having not slept a wink. She was tired, sure, but the thought of closing her eyes and seeing the malice or seeing Calamity Ganon or seeing her kingdom in flames or seeing her knight fall filled her with anxiety; so she didn't.

But she knew that seeing the princess on the roof of the inn would fill the village with more questions than answers, so she slowly, carefully, lifted herself up onto her arms and slid back into her window at the inn. Her kingdom had enough to worry about, even with the threat of Calamity Ganon eradicated. No reason to give them any cause for concern.

She sat down on her bed and put her head in her hands. There was so much that needed to be done; so much that needed to be rebuilt, or demolished completely, a monarchy to reestablish, villages to visit, people and subjects to listen to, and she didn't know where to start. After a century locked in battle in the castle, within its confined walls, it was overwhelming for her to think about everything she would need to do in this vast new world. Zelda knew she could do it, though it would be easier if she had a castle of trustees and advisors and her father.

Her father… she had a century to mourn his loss, and yet the wound was still fresh; it still felt like it was only yesterday. First her mother, and then her father and all of Hyrule… she truly didn't have anyone left, save for a man with a very limited memory of her.

Zelda stood up and went about getting ready for the day, until she realized she didn't have anything to wear that day. She had the shirt and trousers that Link had let her borrow that night, and her soiled prayer dress, but that was it. As far as she was concerned, that dress could be burned in the fireplace for all she cared, so she stayed in the shirt and trousers from Link. She only had her sandals, however, no other shoes. She made a mental note to stop in town later that day for a pair of boots.

She pulled her hair back into a loose braid and tied it off. She made towards the door of her room, and opened it, only to become face to face with her knight himself, his hand lifted beside his head in a fist, as though he were seconds away from knocking on her door.

Startled, slightly, Zelda took a step back, "Link – I – um…" she stumbled, her heart pounding.

"Sorry, princess, I um…" Link lowered his hand, collecting himself, "I was going to head downstairs and make some breakfast. I wanted to know if you would join me."

Zelda couldn't remember the last time she actually ate… she hadn't eaten anything yesterday, after Link had defeated Calamity Ganon, and then before that… well the Goddess Hylia had provided for her the hundred years before.

Had it really only been yesterday that Link had defeated Calamity Ganon? Yesterday, he stormed the castle, wielding the Master Sword, threatening, dangerous, taking down Bokoblins and Moblins and Guardians and finally Ganon, and here today, he was the same man, but his eyes were softer from sleep, his hair messy and unkempt, while the Master Sword remained sheathed on his back.

She looked up at Link and smiled, "Yes, I'll be down in just a minute."

Link turned to leave, but as he did, his eyes lingered on Zelda's face for a moment longer than he normally would have, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her face in passing. If he was thinking something, he didn't voice it, and instead moved to walk down the hallway and to the stairs down into the main room of the inn.

Once he was out of sight and out of earshot, Zelda pushed her door closed, and slid down the back of it, her thoughts overwhelming her. When was she going to get used to this? When was she going to discover her new normal? All she wanted was to just short of tackle Link and have him hold her and say those magical words, "I remember". But that was a fantasy reserved for fairytales.

She stood up and looked into the mirror in her room, noticing the exhaustion that was clear on her face, the indents under her eyes being more pronounced and her eyes rimmed with a slight bloodshot red. She felt like she had to prove herself all over again, which was partially accurate, seeing as most of the people in the world were not even alive yet when she was living in the castle one hundred years ago. The only people alive that would remember her were a few select Sheikah, the Zora, and Link, in fragments. Her people had been effectively ruling themselves for the past century; who was she to impose herself on them?

She felt like she had to prove herself again to Link, and she knew that anything short of the friendship she had with him one hundred years ago would make her ache with the loss of what she once had. It was so hard when all she wanted to do was pick up where they left off.

She splashed some water on her face, the cold water startling, shaking her senses, making her feel infinitely more alert. She could do this. She had a meeting with Impa that morning after breakfast, and the thought of being able to speak freely with someone that understood what she was going through was enough to give Zelda the courage to go downstairs and face the day… and Link.

She could do this.

A couple of hours later found Zelda sitting in front of her oldest friend, both in longevity and in actual age. Rationally, she had known that after one hundred years, her oldest friend would be… well, old. However, seeing her up close for the first time in a century, seeing the firm, deep creases on her face that held years of pain and worry and laughter and happiness and memories filled Zelda with a sense of deep regret and sadness. She had missed one hundred years, and Impa was old and wouldn't be around forever. But it was her eyes that made Zelda want to cry, but not in a sad way. She saw the fire in Impa's eyes, the memories and the recognition and the friendship that she had been craving. No matter the years between them, she was still Impa.

Impa was the first to speak, "I had no doubt in my mind that I would see you again, princess," She spoke, her voice grainy and rough from her years, "My only regret is that it would take so long."

Zelda smiled softly at Impa, "It's good to see you too."

"I have to say," Impa continued, "One hundred years is quite a long time. The world has changed, inevitably so, yet you, princess, look not a day older than I remember," Impa paused, studying her, "What do you plan to do, now that Calamity Ganon has been defeated?"

"I plan to rebuild Hyrule, and reestablish the monarchy," Zelda answered, sitting up straighter on the floor of Impa's house, "I know it will not be the same Hyrule, but I believe that if we all work together, we can rebuild a new Hyrule from the ashes."

"And you plan to do that with that knight of yours." It wasn't a question. Impa was stating a fact.

Zelda smiled, "Yes. He has told me that there is nothing more he wants to do than to stay at my side and help rebuild the kingdom."

Impa let out a short, dry laugh, "That sounds just like him… you know, for a man that only remembers bits and pieces from his life before the Great Calamity, there are some things about him that will never change… some very essential things."

Zelda's brow furrowed slightly, "What do you mean?"

This time, Impa let out a hearty laugh, and it took Zelda back to her friend from a century before, "You'll come to understand in due time, princess. Now…" Impa trailed off, studying the princess, "Let's talk about you; more specifically, your well-being. How are you faring, princess?"

"I'm doing well," Zelda answered, a little stiffly, though she hoped Impa didn't notice, "After fighting Ganon for one hundred years, it feels wonderful to finally be able to rest."

"You mean how you didn't rest last night, and were on the roof of the inn until sunrise?" Impa interrogated.

Zelda gasped, trying to collect herself, "I just – I… How did you know?"

Impa gave her a wry smile, "I may be old, but before I am old, I am Sheikah… of course I knew. Also," Impa continued, "It is written all over your face. You look like a princess that has not slept in a century. Which is false: now it is a century and one day. So I'll ask again, princess: How are you faring?"

Zelda sighed, her shoulders slumping forward, "Impa… it's all just so overwhelming. I fought the Calamity for the past one hundred years, and I am finally back, but the world is so different. Everything is gone, none of the people are the same… so many people died because I couldn't figure out how to awaken my powers in time… the champions… my father…" Zelda trailed off, a sob threatening to escape.

"And princess, if I may," Impa intervened, "Do you happen to know what it was that unlocked your powers in the first place?"

Zelda had spent the last century contemplating that question, and yet, "I'm not sure. My powers were awakened at the battle against the guardians at Fort Hateno on the Blatchery Plain…" Zelda gulped, "and Link had been fighting the guardians, and he was so badly hurt… I was so scared of losing him, and in the moment when I thought that we were going to lose and he was going to die… the powers were then awakened."

"Did you realize in that moment that you loved your knight?"

Zelda froze. Impa was just diving right in.

Impa started cackling, "Oh come now, child, even a blind man could see the way you looked at your knight. Even if you didn't realize it, everything you would come to do following that day would be motivated by that one fact. It's what kept you strong for one hundred years, isn't it?"

Zelda nodded, faintly, "Yes."

"While I cannot say if the man we see today feels the same way about you, I can confidently say that the both of you are going to need each other desperately as you both cope with the aftermath of the Calamity. The events you both went through are things that no person should ever have to go through. You'll both need to help each other. He is the only one alive that knows a fraction of the demons that haunt you, and you to him." Impa paused, "And while I thank you for being honest with me thus far, I feel there is more that ails you."

Zelda sighed, her hands shaking slightly in her lap, "Even though we won… it still feels like I have lost. And when I close my eyes… I see him, I feel his malice around me, engulfing me. It almost feels like this is a dream, and that we haven't actually won. So what can I do?"

"You fight, princess," Impa said, a fiery look in her eyes, "You fight like hell. You hold onto the people in your life and you fight these demons. You give yourself time to rest, and heal and cope. And to do that… I suggest that you hold off on rebuilding Hyrule."

Zelda frowned, "But I have to… how will Hyrule ever-"

"Hyrule has survived the past one hundred years without a monarch ruling over it, and it can survive a few more while its future queen focuses on rebuilding herself so that way the kingdom will have a future queen." Impa said, and then in a softer tone, "The road moving forward is not going to be easy. But if anyone is strong enough, it's you, princess," Impa smiled, "And I hope you know that the doors here in Kakariko Village are always open to you."

A sad smile reached Zelda's lips, her eyes crinkling slightly, "Thank you, Impa," She looked down at her knees, and saw the old trousers and shirt that Link had lent her the night before. A real smile began to creep on her face, and she looked at her old friend once more, "Impa… you remember when I gave you Link's Champion tunic one hundred years ago? You wouldn't happen to still have mine, would you?"

Zelda laced up her boots and stood up in her blue Champion's tunic, riding pants, and boots. For at least that moment, she felt like her old self again.

She bounded out of Impa's house, down the stairs, almost with glee. Regardless of how small of a token it was, the fact that Impa had held onto her Champion's tunic for one hundred years meant the world to her. It was a small, tangible piece of her life that she could hold onto. It wasn't much, but it was something.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she took a sharp right, and nearly smacked into a young woman around her own height, tending to the guardian deities outside of Impa's house. The young woman had strikingly white hair, as the Sheikah all did, and it was tied up into a very intricate bun. She looked first at her blue Champion's tunic, then finally looked to Zelda's face, her eyes becoming as wide as saucers.

"P-p-princess Zelda! I did not mean to run into you, I'm so sorry!"

"Run into me?" Zelda asked, "On the contrary, I think it was I who ran into you. I wasn't looking where I was going. And…" She paused, thinking about what Impa had advised her of before. If she were to hold off on building Hyrule, she wouldn't necessarily be princess, "Please: call me Zelda."

Rather than an answer, the young woman simply nodded twice, and bounded up the stairs towards Impa's house, slamming the door behind her, loudly.

…That was strange.

Zelda continued on towards the inn, but up ahead, she saw Link sitting down on a log by the general store, tending to the Master Sword. As she approached, he looked up at her, and seeing her in her Champions tunic, smiled and stood up to greet her.

"Now there's the princess I remember."

Zelda laughed, "Of that you can remember… and please, call me Zelda."

Link nodded, "I can do that," He paused, studying her face, having the same look on his face as he had that morning at the inn. Slowly, taking a deep breath, he asked, "Zelda, are you okay?"

Zelda, in response, sat down on the ground beside the log. Link, rather than sitting down on the log, sat down in front of her on the ground, cross-legged, "You know," Zelda began, "Impa asked me the same question when I met with her today."

"And what did you say?"

Zelda bit her lip. There was a lot that was said with Impa about her very knight right in front of her, and a lot of it were things she didn't exactly want to throw out on the table, "I'm struggling. It feels like I'm still being haunted by Ganon."

"Zelda, it's only been a day. This time yesterday we were literally fighting Ganon. It's okay to feel this way."

"Impa also thinks I should hold off on rebuilding Hyrule."

"I happen to agree with Impa."

Zelda's head snapped towards her knight, where he was sitting across from her, looking at her with a firm look on his face, "You just said yesterday that you would help me rebuild Hyrule."

"And in due time, princess, I will."

"My name is Zelda."

"Okay, Zelda, in due time I will help you rebuild, but in the aftermath of the Calamity, while everyone is still picking up the pieces, I think you should slow down."

Zelda paused, thinking back to an earlier thought of hers, "Do you… do you think my people want to be governed by the royal family? It's like what Impa said, they have all been governing themselves for the past one hundred years."

Link sighed, taking one of her hands in his, "I don't know. While I was freeing the Divine Beasts, I travelled all across Hyrule to the different towns and cities. The problem at the moment… is there's not much left to govern. The only towns left with Hylians are Hateno Village and Lurelin Village… and then, of course, the Sheikah here in Kakariko Village. But other than that the Hylians were all but wiped out in the Calamity. The Zora have been governing themselves in Zora's Domain the past one hundred years, and quite frankly, are prospering, as well as the Goron's in Goron City and the Gerudo in Gerudo Town." Link paused, looking up at Zelda, "But I think you should know that your people have already begun to rebuild. Up in the Akkala region, a new town has been built from the ground up. It's called Tarrey Town, and it features people from all the different races here in Hyrule… and from what I've heard, more people want to create villages like that. Your people will do the rebuilding for you." Link took her other hand, a look of concern in his eyes, "Zelda, you've been fighting for one hundred years straight. It's okay to take a break. No one is going to fault you for it."

"You talk more now than you used to."

Link was taken aback, pulling his hands from hers, "I'm sorry?"

Zelda laughed, standing up and brushing off the grass and dirt from her pants, "I don't mean it in a bad way, just observing. One hundred years ago, you were seldom to say anything. It wasn't until you were long into my service and right upon the dawn of the Great Calamity that you truly began to open up to me. Now, you have a vague outline of memories of our friendship, and yet you speak and talk like a different man."

"I am a different man."

"I know… and I'm coming to realize that it's okay." Zelda held out one of her hands for Link. He grabbed it, and she hoisted him up off the ground. Their hands lingered together for a second longer than they should have before they let go.

"So you've travelled all across this new Hyrule, huh?" Zelda started, walking a few steps away from him.

"Yeah, I have."

"And you have met a lot of people on your travels, haven't you?"

"What are you getting at?"

Zelda turned towards him, "Do you happen to know who that girl is over by Impa's house? She seemed so flustered when I spoke to her."

Link's hand went to his face, and he sighed, "Oh damn it all, what did she say to you?"

"What?"

"What?"

"Well she didn't really say much to me," Zelda started, taking a few steps towards him, "She realized who I was and then bounded up the stairs. What did you think just now that she said to me?"

"Nothing."

"No, it is definitely something!"

"Zelda -"

"Link."

Link took a few steps away, rubbing his hand on his face, which was getting redder by the second, before turning back to her "Okay, her name is Paya, and she is Impa's granddaughter. And well, she - oh, Hylia, how do I say this? - she has the biggest crush on me."

Zelda's stomach dropped, though she did her best to keep her composure, "Oh? So she told you?"

Link stammered, incredibly out of character for him, "Well no, I just -"

"Then how do you know she likes you?"

Link's cheeks were going red, "What I mean is… I might have…" and the rest was mumbled under his breath.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Zelda questioned, taking a step towards him.

Link signed, looking up, "Skies, I might have read her diary."

"Link!" Zelda reprimanded, "You read the poor girl's diary? That's an invasion of her privacy!"

Link's face dropped, looking much more guilty than the situation called for. Link plumped down on the log, "Well she had it just laying out, and I knew that I shouldn't have read it, and yet... Anyways, she has the biggest crush on me. I was afraid that she had said something… I don't know, petty, to you."

Zelda burst out laughing, despite it all. Link was fully red in the face, and he wouldn't even look in her direction, "That hardly seems like something Paya would do, she seems as dainty as a flower!"

"Well, yes, I'm now realizing how absurd that thought was."

"And do you return her feelings?"

Zelda kept a straight face while she asked this. She had to know, because Link was a different man, and it didn't matter what dreams they might have had together a century prior. He had lived for months prior his one hundred year sleep, and had known other people for much longer than he knew her. He essentially knew her for one day. That was not long enough for someone to fall in love.

Link sighed, rubbing his face, "Paya is a sweet girl, but I don't feel that way towards her," he grinned, wryly, "I don't know if you've noticed, princess, but as the hero, I've just been a little bit preoccupied the past couple of months, you know…"

Zelda playfully slapped his arm and laughed. Part of her felt relieved. This felt normal. This felt like a fragment of the friendship she once had with Link. She didn't know for certain, but the fact that they were able to joke about the calamity and their struggles made her think that maybe they were going to be okay.

Perhaps they could pick up where they left off.

They both parted soon after that, and Zelda soon found herself on the outskirts of town, overlooking the Rikoka Hills, looking at her castle. From the distance away, it almost seemed whole; complete. But looking ahead of it, she saw the plains of town ruins, which could not hide its destruction as well. She thought back to what Link had said earlier, about how Hateno Village and Lurelin Village were the only two Hylian towns left. Hyrule Field used to be home to so many villages and ranches, different government and military structures, now all lost to history.

She looked back at her castle, and gasped, seeing the malice swirling around it and a giant, pig shaped demon whirling above it. She heard a deafening roar, and she fell down on her hands and feet, scampering backwards and shook her head, blinking. She looked back up, hearing a bird chirp. The malice was gone. Ganon was gone. Hyrule was at peace.

She leaned backwards against the tree, shaking and breathing hard. Rationally, she knew that Ganon was gone and had been defeated, and was never coming back, but every time she thought she saw the malice or Ganon, her heart raced and she struggled to breathe.

Perhaps Impa was right. Perhaps it was in her best interests to focus on herself rather than on her kingdom. She drew her knees up to her chest, laying her head down on her knees, facing away from the castle. Like Link said, no one was going to fault for her it.

And as far as Zelda knew, no one would miss her for it, either.