Chapter 3!
So, So far I think it's going good. I'm writing a lot right now, but don't expect this to last.
"Hi!" - Speaking
'Hi' - Thought
"Hi" - Telepathy
"Hi" - Magic
I don't own Legend of Zelda or any of the characters associated with it. If I did, every game would have Romance.
The Sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon when I guided Epona into Wetland stable. She stopped just before one of the ranch hands, kicking up dust. Carefully sliding backward, I dismounted Epona.
"Izra!" He looked over. "Watch her for the night." I tossed him a red rupee. "Don't slack off."
"...fine." He said, sighing.
As he took hold of Epona's reigns, I helped Zelda dismount. She was constantly looking around, trying to take in the view.
"Stables don't have bathhouses, so you'll have to wait until we get to Kakariko. Okay, Princess?"
She nodded absentmindedly, and I led her inside. Sitting at a table near the back, we settled into our seats.
"It's so...lively." She said, looking over the stable. "To think that people could still prosper under the shadow of the castle…" She trailed off.
"Hylians are resilient," I answered. "There are still towns with over a hundred people." She turned back rapidly, hands over her mouth.
"I would have thought it not possible...I thought Hyrule had been ruined."
I shook my head. "Hyrule is still going, maybe weakened, but still...people thrive." I looked over the tavern. "...somehow."
We settled into a comfortable silence. Zelda continued to look excitedly from one person to the next, drawing a few curious looks. We probably looked very out of place. We were both covered in dirt, we had noticeable bruises, and I had several bloodstains dotting my clothes. And, while I was dressed for travel, Zelda was still wearing her ceremonial dress, which stood against the drab clothing most people wore.
Slowly, Zelda began to tire. She moved less frequently, her movements becoming sluggish. I was feeling pretty tired too, but not enough for me to feel the need to actually sleep. I would be content with just resting by the fireplace for tonight. As free as I felt now that Ganon had been defeated, I couldn't help but feel worried that we'd get attacked.
"Lawdon! Could I get a soft bed tonight?" He glanced over at us, before checking to see if he had a room free. Nodding, he tossed me a room key before turning back to serve people waiting at the bar.
I navigated us through the tavern, keeping Zelda in sight at all times. As much as I trusted Lawdon, I did not trust everybody here, and Zelda was an enticing figure among the people. Finally, I keyed the door, opening it for Zelda.
"Thank you, Link…" She said, looking around the room. "I'm so very *yawn* tired…" She sat down on the bed, which conformed to her shape.
"I thought so." I placed the key on the dresser nearby. "Remember to lock the door before you fall asleep."
"Where will you sleep?"
"I'll be by the fire outside." She glared at me.
"Why will you not get yourself a bed?"
"I'll be fine, Princess," I said, rubbing the back of my head. "I have to protect you."
"Not to the detriment of your health!" She stood, jamming her finger into my chest. I raised my hands in submission.
"Princess...It's my duty. I have to. I wouldn't feel right if I didn't." That seemed to make her pause as she mulled my words over.
Finally, she gave a begrudging sigh, backing away from me, sitting on the bed again. "I know from prior experience that nothing I say will change your mind…" I relaxed.
"Alright...Sleep well, Princess." I said, closing the door. I heard her soft footsteps before a slight clink told me that she had locked the door. I walked back down the hall towards the bar.
Lawdon stopped me as I walked past. "I've never seen her with you before. Where's she come from?"
"I saved her from some monsters. She's in my care for now." Normally, I would have told the truth, but I wasn't sure if Zelda wanted people to know about what had happened.
He nodded. "Be careful. I saw some people eyeing her up. I think Yolero might try something." I growled through my teeth, unconsciously tightening my fists.
"I'll be sure to watch out." I forced out. He patted me on the shoulder before going to take a table's order.
Exiting the tavern, I felt the cool air against my skin. People sat around a bonfire, drinking from their bottles, laughing about the latest adventure one of them had been on. I sat down nearby, close enough to feel the heat, but far away enough not to intrude on their conversation.
I took the Master Sword, sheath and all of my back, laying it on the grass next to me. I looked up at the sky, gazing at the stars. Slowly, the people around the fire began to disappear, going to their own rooms, and I was left alone next to the dying embers. The moon shone overhead, illuminating the lands with a pale ethereal light. It was magical.
I lay back, hands underneath my head, staring upwards. It still was hard to believe: I'd done it. The threat hanging over my journey was complete. I'd won.
But now what would I do. What would happen next? 'Maybe I'll settle down, start a family...with who though?' I thought. 'I don't know anybody that well, except Riju, but I don't think of her in that way either…' It didn't matter. I would follow Zelda. As I always had, and always would.
The first rays of sunlight began to rise above the Stable. I had been cautious all night, just in case the Stable was attacked by monsters or by the Yiga. Thankfully, nothing had happened. Checking the Sheikah Slate, I saw that it was still very early in the morning. 5:28. Way too early for me to think about waking Zelda up.
Dinraal descended from the clouds, and I watched as he swooped down towards Death Mountain, disappearing behind it. I sat up, feeling well rested. While I hadn't been healed, I had been able to regain a lot of my energy.
Pulling the Master Sword from its sheath, I found that it was no longer glowing like it used to. Instead, it seemed to reflect all light that touched it, but it wasn't the same blue energy that used to surround it. I stood, swinging it a few times. It even felt different now. To me, the Master Sword had already felt perfectly balanced, but now it felt much lighter. It didn't take much effort to move, and it moved much faster as well. But, somehow, it felt better than before. It was so easy to use, and it required no strain.
'What happened?' I placed the sword back into its sheath, strapping it to my back. 'It wasn't like this before...maybe Impa knows something.' I laid that thought to rest. It didn't matter what had happened, it was a good thing anyway.
I heard soft footsteps behind me, rustling the grass as they approached. Spinning, I held my hand on the Master Sword, ready to kill if necessary.
"Eep!" Yolero shrieked, holding his hand over his head. I sighed taking my hand off my sword.
"Yes?" I asked. I was thinking back to what Lawdon had told me, so I wasn't seeing Yolero in the best light right now. And his insistence on being a hero had been grating my nerves for a long time.
He straightened, trying to hide his fear. "What?" He squeaked.
"What do you want?" I said, irritated.
"Where'd you get her?"
I froze. What did he mean "where'd you get her?". I spoke slowly, trying to keep the edge out of my voice. "I saved her."
"I want her."
"She…" I was fuming. "She isn't an object. I don't own her."
"So I can have her?" He asked. I glared at him, all rational thought was thrown away.
"I know for a fact she wouldn't want to be with you." I clenched my fist. "Why don't you go fuck off with your Master Torch."
"Hey!" He took said torch off his shoulder. "Don't insult the Legendary Weapon."
I snorted. "Legendary my ass…"
"Oh yeah!" He shouted. Two of his friends came from behind him. "Why should she stay with you?" His friends jeered at me, giving him more confidence. "You're short and scrawny. If you could save her from monsters then it should be easy for me to do that."
Okay. First of all, I wasn't short. I was shorter than Yolero, but I was taller than his two friends. Next, I may have been thin, but I had muscle. Fighting would give you that, even without the exercise that I did. And finally, from what I'd seen, Yolero couldn't fight. At all. If he ever encountered anything stronger than a Chuchu, it was likely that he would have died.
'Why am I getting so worked up?' I thought.
"Now give her to us."
'Oh yeah. That's why.' I grit my teeth. I really wanted to hit him, but that wasn't going to solve anything. As nice as Lawdon was, he didn't allow roughhousing. So I wanted to avoid that at all costs.
"I'll have to refuse," I said, holding up my hand. "I won't give her up."
He grit his teeth. "Then I guess I'll force you to."
I sighed. This is what happened when you didn't educate your kids properly. Or, maybe Yolero was special. Ami was respectable if a little distant, so maybe it wasn't the fault of the parents. Either way, this was going in a direction that would get us in trouble.
"What's going on here?" I hear from behind. Glancing back, I saw Rik and Quince coming out of the Tavern.
"He brought a girl, and he's refusing to let us see her!" Yolero said, pointing at me.
"She's asleep, and you don't need to meet her anyway! We're leaving tonight!"
"Why do you need need to see her?" Rik asked. I sent him a look that I hoped showed my gratitude. He nodded at me. "There's no need for violence."
"She's beautiful, and he's hoarding her!" Yolero whined. "And if he won't budge, we'll make him. She'd be safer with a hero anyway." He smirked.
Quince placed his hand on my shoulder. "Stay calm. We'll solve this one." He turned towards Yolero and his friends. "Leave it be, Yolero. You can't force him or her." Satty followed at his heels.
"We don't care," Yolero said. His friends nodded in agreement. "We want her. And we'll get her." The other two reached for the swords at their side.
"Stop it bro. This is unnecessary." Ami said, coming out of the Stable.
"Shut up Ami." He held his torch up. "I'll do what I want." His friends pulled out Traveler's Swords, forgoing the shields on their backs. Rik pulled out a Traveler's Spear, holding it at the ready. Quince pulled out his Soldier's Sword and Shield, while Satty began to bark.
"Okay, enough." I pulled out my own sword. It gleamed, showing off its sharpness compared to all the other weapons present. Speaking of which, it even seemed sharper than before. "We don't need to fight." I stepped between the two groups.
"I said that I'll do what I want!" Yolero yelled suddenly, swinging his torch at me. Moving quickly, I blocked it with my forearm protector. Kicking him in the chest, he stumbled backward. Righting himself, he charged again, swinging haphazardly. I stepped sideways, tripping him over my foot. He landed on his face, sliding across the ground. I stepped on his back, holding my sword point to his neck.
"That's enough Yolero. I've said before, she isn't property!" I pushed my sword down a little harder. Not enough to draw blood, but enough for him to know what he was feeling. "So fuck off!" I released him, and he scrambled away, his two friends following suit. And if he knew what was good for him, he'd stay away.
"Can someone explain what just happened?" Lawdon asked, walking towards us. He didn't look very happy. Ami stepped forwards.
"My brother was being unreasonable, sir. He attacked Mr. Link." Lawdon looked up.
"Rik?"
"That's what happened." Lawdon nodded.
"Why though?" I stepped forwards, sheathing my sword.
"It was like you said. He wanted to take Zelda from me. I tried to reason with him, but…" I trailed off.
"That guy is unbelievable...come inside." Rik and Quince followed, Satty yipped, rubbing against my leg before following Quince towards the tavern. I shook my head, trying to clear it.
"You want anything?" Lawdon asked as I sat at the bar.
"Could I get some breakfast?" I asked, starving. Lawdon went into the kitchen, preparing a meal. I slumped forward, resting my head in my hands.
'Please don't tell me that this is what I have to protect her from.' I lamented. Thinking about it, now that she didn't have such high status, the consequences for approaching her like that wouldn't be as severe. It would be up to the village or stable to punish you, and they didn't treat all crimes the same. In Gerudo Territory, you'd be executed for rape, while in Lurelin you'd only be banished. The Goron didn't even know what rape was since they didn't have genitalia, so I wasn't even sure if they knew how severe of a crime it was.
A plate of steaming Egg Tart was placed in front of me. I thanked Lawdon, who moved on to greet a couple that had sat down nearby. I poked at the meal, eating without really thinking.
'When should I wake her?' I wondered, moving my fork to my mouth. 'She's must be tired...maybe at noon?' Glancing at the Sheikah Slate, I saw that it read 8:52. Another 3 hours.
A waitress came by, picking up my empty plate. While I was eating, many people had woken up, and the tavern was filled. Waiters and Waitresses rushed around, bringing orders to the kitchen, before running out with food in their hands. I heard laughter resonate throughout the tavern. People were having a good time.
I smiled softly. Now that Ganon was gone, I could have a good time with them, instead of worrying about my next quest. Maybe I'd get a chance to relax sometimes. I stood, opening my seat for someone else. Sure enough, someone came over.
"Is this seat free?" She asked.
"I'm just leaving." I replied. She thanked me, settling down into what had been my seat.
"Wait...I recognize you…" I froze. "You killed that big Molduga, right?!" She squealed. "I remember how cool you looked when you fought!"
"Traysi, right?" I asked. She nodded excitedly. "Didn't you want to write a story about the Gerudo?" She slumped in her seat.
"I did, but they didn't let me get any information!" She sighed, before looking at me. "You'd be a fantastic story though."
I shook my head. "I don't need more stories about me, thanks."
"What do you mean more?" She asked, smirking.
"Ehh…" I rubbed the back of my head. "I'm...I've done some things over in Hateno, they tell stories about me all the time." I was referring to the big thank you letter that Koyin had pinned to the board in the middle of the Village.
"So...why in Hateno?" She asked.
"I live there."
"So what were you doing all the way in Gerudo Desert?"
"I was uhh... traveling. Seeing the world, ya know?"
"Okay…" She motioned for a waiter, trying to get herself some food. I took that as my cue to leave. I grabbed some sugar cubes as I passed an open tray.
I stepped outside, walking towards the stable. Making my way past the horses, I found Epona standing near the back, eating out of a hay rack. She stopped when I got close, looking up.
"Hey girl," I cooed, stroking her mane. She nuzzled close. "Have a good night?" She nodded. "Good, good. Look what I found." I held my hand open.
She slurped the sugar cubes from my hand. I laughed. "You did a really good job yesterday." She nickered. "Yeah, I have some more." I pulled two more from my pouch, holding them in front of her. She blew out her nose, before plucking them from my hand. I looked at the Slate. 9:40.
I spent the next hour, grooming Epona, pulling any ticks out of her hair. She stayed silent and stood still as I worked. After I'd finished her tail, she shook herself, getting anything I'd missed off.
I led her outside, towards the dirt road leading away from the Stable.
"HEY!" Beedle shouted. "I always see you around! It's like fate!" He grinned. "You wanna buy anything? I only have the best stuff!"
"Not today Beedle!" I shouted back. I didn't have a bow, so I didn't need any arrows. I did have The Bow of Light, but why would I use normal arrows when I could use the bow's light arrows.
He sighed, trudging down the road. I felt kinda bad, but it didn't make sense to spend money unnecessarily. I released Epona into the woods, letting her graze for a while.
Suddenly, a large group of people exited the tavern. They all wore a moderate amount of armor and seemed relatively well equipped.
"What's going on?" I asked their leader. He turned to me.
"We're going to attack the Lizalfos encampment in Lanayru Wetlands." He strapped his own horse. "Wanna come?"
I shook my head. "I can't. Why though?"
"One of my guys said that he'd spotted some chests around. We're hoping for some money."
"Be careful. Lizalfos can be dangerous." He laughed.
"We've been doing this for years!" He vaulted onto his horse. "I think you're the one who should be careful."
I sighed. Monster hunting had become a profession while I'd been asleep, so it wasn't unusual for people to attack encampments. I just hoped it went alright.
The Sheikah Slate beeped. I pulled it from my hip.
*Low power. Disabling Unnecessary Abilities*
'What?!' I looked through the Sheikah Slate. I still had access to the map, but I couldn't select warp points anymore. 'Is this what it meant?' I figured that I couldn't teleport anymore. It looked like I could still use runes though, which was confirmed by creating a bomb. 'At least those still work…Why did it lose power though?'
Looking back through the Sheikah Slate, I confirmed everything, just before noticing the projected weather. It was going to rain soon. Really badly. I had to get Zelda to Kakariko before it started.
I entered the tavern. Now that it was nearing noon, and that big group of Monster Hunters had left, it seemed pretty empty.
"Lawdon!" He turned to me. "I'm gonna go wake her up. Could you give me Two Vegetable Omelettes, Two Warm Glasses of Milk, and some Warmed Wheat Bread? He wrote it all down on a pad, walking into the kitchen.
I walked to the back of the tavern, to the door where Zelda was sleeping. I knocked softly. "Princess?"
I heard the sound of shuffling sheets, but she didn't respond. I knocked again, slightly louder. "Princess, it's time to wake up."
"Hm…" I heard through the door. I rapped again.
"Princess."
"Grant me a moment, Link." I conceded, stepping away from the door. After a few minutes, she stepped out. Seems like she had gone to the bathroom. She'd washed the dirt off her face. "What time is it?" She yawned.
"It's...11:20," I said, checking the Sheikah Slate. "I let you sleep in."
"Thank you, Link." She walked down the hall towards the main seating area. "Could I get something to eat?"
"I already ordered us some food," I said. "It should be out soon." She sat at a table by the wall, and I sat down across from her.
I unfastened the Sheikah Slate. "I think you should take this back." She stared at it for a moment.
"But...it's meant for the hero." She looked up at me. "I couldn't."
"But it was yours before. I don't need it anymore anyway." I prompted. She hesitated.
"May I?"
"Of course." I smiled. She tentatively took it from my hands.
She tapped at the screen for a moment, eyes widening. "I've never seen such runes before!" She began to go through the Sheikah Slate with rigor. "What's this one?" She tapped it, and a bomb appeared in the middle of the table.
I stared for a moment. "Don't tap it again!" I shouted. She froze.
"What?" She looked at me in confusion.
"That's a bomb...if you tap it, you'll blow us up, along with this part of the tavern."
"Oh…" She looked at the Slate closely. "Should I press return?"
"Yes." The bomb disappeared. I wiped the sweat off my forehead.
"Sorry…" Her voice was quiet.
"No, it's fine!" I started. "You didn't know. Really, it's fine."
"What does Magnesis do?" She asked, being more apprehensive about touching things.
"You can move anything made of metal. It's actually pretty neat."
"And Stasis?"
"It lets you pause time for objects and monsters."
"Cryonis?"
"You can turn water to ice and back."
"And amiibo?"
"Uhh...that one's kinda random. It just does whatever it wants."
"...!" She peered closer at the Slate. "What is the Master Cycle Zero?"
"That's an ancient piece of Sheikah Technology. It's actually like a mix between a Guardian and a Horse. You can ride it as long as it has fuel." I said. It was actually a lot of fun. It felt really cool to ride across Hyrule. I'd even found some nice places to start from.
"I've seen such a detailed map of Hyrule…"
"Yeah...the Sheikah Slate shows elevation too." She nodded, more interested in the camera.
"You've...you've taken many pictures Link." She commented, scrolling through the Slate.
"Symin asked me to fill my Compendium…"
"Symin?"
"He works at the lab in Hateno." Had she really seen so little? It seemed like she'd been disconnected from the world. If that was true, then how had she known what I was doing?
"Here you go." I looked up to see Lawdon balancing plates on his arms. He placed the omelets in front of us, placing the bread in between. He turned, going back towards the bar. He came back with two mugs of Warm Milk.
"Thanks, Lawdon." I pulled out some rupees. "How much do I owe you?"
"With the bed and the food from this morning, it's around 60 rupees." I pulled three red rupees from my pouch, along with a blue one. "Thanks." He smiled, pocketing the tip.
"Can I truly spend this much?" Zelda asked, staring at the food.
"I'm rich. There's nothing that I can't pay for." I grabbed my utensils. "Dig in, before it gets cold." Saying that I stabbed my own omelet.
As I was chewing, I noticed a slight spice to the omelet. Lawdon had probably used pepper when preparing the meal. It actually tasted pretty good. I would try to recreate this later.
"It's tasty!" Zelda exclaimed. She began to eat faster, almost forgoing her manners.
"I'll keep that in mind." I used my knife to cut the bread in half. Zelda bit into her half with rigor. She must have been pretty hungry.
I drank quickly. The milk warmed my insides, and I felt rejuvenated. Looking over at Zelda, I saw her doing the same. She put her mug down. I looked at her for a moment before snorting.
"You have a mustache," I laughed, giving her my napkin. 'Shit! I'm not supposed to say that to the Princess. That's rude!'
She snatched the napkin from my hands, quickly wiping her mouth. Her face was burning red, and she couldn't meet my eye.
"Sorry, Princess." I rubbed the back of my head. "I didn't mean to be rude."
"Link…" She met my eyes, still blushing heavily, though it was beginning to lessen. "I would like to ask something of you."
"Yeah?" I straightened in my seat.
"I…" She played with her hands. "I would like if you would no longer call me Princess." I stared at her.
"Umm...what should I call you then?" She looked at me, completely serious.
"I would like you to use my name."
"But...I...I'm not supposed to talk to royalty like that...right?" I stuttered.
"Hyrule...as a kingdom, no longer exists. I would prefer that you abandon any notion that I am a Princess."
"But you are!" I said. "You're the princess. I can't address you as my equal. It's not right."
"That is not true!" She raised her voice. "You are my equal. I would...I would just like you to be my friend. I do not wish for a vassal." Her voice softened. "Please?"
I could tell that she was completely serious about this. Personally, I had no problem with calling her Zelda, but I felt like I was supposed to. Maybe because it was her father who had asked me to save her, I didn't know.
"I can do that."
"Oh…" She seemed to relax in her seat, her posture becoming less stiff. "I thought that you would object."
"Nah." I shrugged. "I'm fine with it."
"Thank you." I nodded.
"Welp, I think we should get going," I said, standing. "Impa'll want to know what happened."
"Impa's alive?!" Zelda gasped. "How?"
"I don't know." I shrugged. "She can't move much, but she still leads Kakariko." Zelda's eyes shined. Now that was adorable. She looked so happy. "Come on."
Leaving the stable, I put my hand to my mouth.
Zelda covered her ears at the unexpected sound. I ignored it, looking into the forest. I could make out the shape of Epona running through the trees. Sure enough, she raced out of the woods, coming to a stop just short of us. I patted her mane, whispering about how good she was. She really was the best horse.
As I was helping Zelda onto Epona, I felt the heat of the sun disappear. Looking up, I could see dark clouds forming above, covering the sky.
"Shit."
Quickly, I vaulted on behind Zelda, keeping her in between my arms as I held the reins. I followed the road West, which quickly turned South as we went. The trip seemed to be going well, at least until we reached the tree in between Millennio Sandbar and Sahasra Slope. The Yiga Clan member who sat underneath the tree wasn't there. I slowed Epona to a trot, carefully watching for an ambush.
"Has something happened?" Zelda asked.
"There is usually a Yiga Clan member here. He's missing, and I don't think that's a good thing."
"You're certainly correct. It's not a good thing. For you that is." A Yiga Clan BladeMaster appeared. "You killed Master Kohga and defeated Calamity Ganon." He raised his sword. "For that, you must be slain!"
Suddenly, the field was filled with smoke. When it cleared, we were greeted to the sight of a massive group of Yiga. They must've organized most of their manpower. They began to spread out, trying to surround Epona, who was beginning to get a bit jumpy.
"Alright listen," I whispered into Zelda's ear. "I want you to take Epona up the slope. Kakariko is just behind the hills."
"I can not leave you to fight them alone!"
"Sorry." Before she could retort, I vaulted off of Epona, towards the nearest one. I pulled out the Bow of Light. The Clan Member, fell to the ground, dead. "Run Epona!" Epona sprinted away.
"Don't let her escape!" The Blademaster commanded.
"Teleport away if you're injured!" Another commanded. "We don't need any casualties!"
I pulled out the Master Sword, slicing one of them in the shoulder. He disappeared into smoke, retreating from the battle. I turned, running after Epona, who was trying to force her way through a group of Yiga.
One of them slice at her leg, and she reared up, throwing Zelda off her back, before kicking one of them in the face. He flew backward, disappearing into smoke.
"Zelda!" I shouted.
"Got her!" One of the archers shouted, jumping into the air. Zelda stared up at him, eyes widening. I raced in between them.
I planted my sword in the ground, facing my back to the Yiga. I felt two arrows sink into my skin, and it took all my effort not to cry out in pain. Reaching back, I ripped the arrows out, throwing them to the ground.
"How dare you!" I shouted, turning towards them. Zelda quickly scrambled to her feet. My hand was burning. "HOW DARE YOU!"
I was mad. Really, really mad. They tried to kill Zelda in front of me?! ME!
"He's injured! Let's get 'em! One of them cheered. They began to encircle getting closer.
"FUCK OFF!" The pain on my hand increased. It felt like something was being seared into my skin. I swung my sword, almost slashing one of them. Still, they kept coming closer.
"STOP!" They kept going. "I SAID, STOP!"
Light burst from my hand, washing over everything. The pain disappeared.
"Link?" Zelda asked. I breathed heavily. "What did you do?" I glanced back at her.
"What?" I asked, breathless.
"They aren't moving anymore." I looked back at them.
They weren't moving. 'But I didn't use Stasis...what?!' I approached one of them, sword raised at the ready. 'Wait...he is moving. Just really slowly.'
They were all traveling super slowly. Just like when I narrowly dodged something. But that didn't make sense either, because there hadn't been anything to dodge. And why wasn't Zelda affected? Neither was Epona, who was standing just behind Zelda.
"Your hand…"
'My hand?' I glanced at it. Staring back at me, was the same symbol that I'd seen within Zelda's seal. 'Since when was this here?' It began to pulse, and, in a seemingly magical way, urged me towards Zelda.
"What happened?" She asked. That's when I noticed. Her hand was glowing too.
"It's not just me...look at your hand." I prompted.
"What?" She examined her own symbol. It seemed to be three triangles, all connected at their points. They shined with a golden light, pulsing as we got closer. "I don't understand." She exclaimed, looking to me.
"Me neither," I said, looking at the Yiga. "But I won't complain." I took the Bow of Light off my back. "I don't know how long they'll be like this, so if any of them catch me off guard, could you shoot them?"
"I have never used a bow before…" She started
"Just pull the string and aim. You'll hit your target. Trust me." Pushing the bow into her hands, I turned away. The Yiga had moved a step closer, still slowed in time. "I don't understand what's going on, but I think it's a good thing." I raised my sword to the nearest ones neck. "I don't like killing other people, but if I let you live, you'll only cause more problems in the future. Sorry." I sliced through his neck, and his body sped up, resuming normal time. His head fell to the ground at my feet.
I repeated this, beheading five or so Yiga. As I got further away from Zelda, I could feel the triangle urging me, begging me to go back to her. I ignored it, moving towards the next one.
I was beginning to get tired, much more tired than I should have been. Whatever the triangle was doing, it was using up a lot of my Stamina.
"Zelda!" She perked up. "Could you shoot into that group over there?" I pointed. "I don't know how much longer I can keep them like this!" Sweat began to form on my brow. I was really feeling the strain.
Zelda held the bow up to her eye. When she pulled the string back, golden energy sparked off her, forming a massive arrow of light. The arrow soared into the heart of the Yiga, before forming an explosion at least four times bigger as one created with an ancient arrow. Just then, my Stamina gave out. I couldn't maintain it anymore.
I felt the drain stop, just as the Yiga resumed their normal speed. They paused, seeing the heads on the ground, and the blood coating my sword.
"Retreat!" One of the BladeMasters ordered. They complied, disappearing from the field.
I breathed deeply. That was tiring. I could hear Zelda breathing behind me as well. Maybe using all that energy had drained her too?
"Are you okay?"
"I will be fine." She answered. "What about you? You are bleeding!" I shook my head.
"I'll be alright. But whatever this triangle did, it's exhausting." She nodded. She seemed to have lost just as much energy as I had.
"Did...did you feel the need to get closer to me?" I nodded.
"Yeah. It kept telling me to go back to you. It told you too?"
"Yes. It seems that the triangles don't want to be separated…" I walked back to her, wiping blood off the Master Sword.
"Do you know what they are?" She paused.
"I feel as though I've seen them before, but I can't seem to remember…" She examined her own, seemingly trying to figure out its properties. "...It's fading!"
Sure enough, the triangle was fading. It wasn't glowing as brightly anymore, and it quickly disappeared from my view.
"It's...gone?" Zelda looked up at me
"No no. I can still see it." I said, looking at her hand. The symbol was still there faintly, but it seemed tattooed on her skin. The bottom left triangle seemed to be brighter than the others.
Pulling off my glove, I examined my own hand. There it was, sitting on my skin. But the bottom right was brighter on mine. "This is insane…" I ruffled my hair. "What is it?"
"Perhaps Impa may know?"
"Maybe...we'll ask her." I put my glove back on.
"Thank you for allowing me to use it." Zelda said, handing me the Bow of Light.
"Actually, why don't you keep it?" I said. "That explosion was really powerful, a lot more powerful than I've ever gotten. I think it's suited for you."
"Are you certain?" She asked.
"Yeah, I am." Just then, I felt droplets of rain hit me. "Oh yeah…let's hurry."
Zelda moved quickly, getting onto Epona with little effort. I snapped the reins, and Epona climbed Sahasra Slope.
At first, it was a light drizzle, but soon it began to hit harder. Luckily, my Champions Tunic was water repellent, but the princess didn't have that luxury. She'd begun to shiver at the halfway point. I didn't have any blankets or anything like that, so I had no way to warm her. The only thing I could do was move closer to her. I had been keeping a respectable distance between us, but now, my only focus was keeping her warm, so I would use my own body heat to do that.
To my surprise, instead of asking what I was doing, Zelda sunk deeper against me. That made me feel very...weird. I liked it, she felt nice, but it felt wrong to me. 'I shouldn't be doing this…' I thought.
'But it feels good.' Though another part of me. In the end, I didn't say anything, and we sped into the hills that surrounded Kakariko.
Epona slowed as we entered the town. She passed by the General Store and the Inn before I stopped her at the foot of Impa's Mansion.
"Is that…?" Cado asked.
"This is Zelda." I nodded.
"Come inside, quickly!" Dorian said, racing up the stairs. "Before you get cold!" I followed him quickly, holding Zelda's hand as we climbed the stairs. Dorian opened the door.
"He's back!"
Impa looked up from her seat. Paya came running down the stairs.
"So...you succeeded." She said. "And you even brought our beloved Princess back. How are you, young one?" She smiled from underneath her hat. Zelda rushed forward, throwing herself around Impa. From what I remembered, Impa had been Zelda's caretaker in her earlier years, so Zelda was fairly attached to her.
"So much energy...and you haven't changed a bit."
"Paya, could you get us some blankets? We got caught in the rain." Paya nodded, going over to the closet. She pulled out two, heavy wool blankets. "Thanks."
I unfurled one of them, placing the other on the floor. I stepped forward, toward the two.
"My...it seems that Link is just as chivalrous as before."Said Impa. Zelda stood, wrapping the blanket around herself.
"Thank you."
"Of course." Stepping back, I was about to wrap myself in a blanket, but then I remembered that I was covered in blood.
"Y-you're injured!" Paya yelled.
"Yeah. While I was fighting, Ganon got me with some ice shards, and then I got shot by the Yiga Clan." I explained.
"It seems that we have much to talk about...but that can wait until the morning, right?" She smiled. "I'm sure that you are both very tired."
I nodded in confirmation. I was tired. Very. Whatever I had done had drained me of all my energy, and all I wanted to do was sleep. Zelda seemed to be in the same boat, already asleep where she stood.
"Paya," Impa said. "Take them to the guest room. We will speak in the morning."
"Yes, Grandmother," Paya said. "F-follow me." She lead us to the left of the main room, a part of the mansion that I'd never been to before. "We only have one guest room…"
"I can sleep on the floor." I offered.
"I-I guess?" Paya responded. Zelda leaned against me, not hearing. "Here we are." She opened the door. There was a bed tucked in the corner, and a small closet to it's right. Simple.
"L-let me get you a pillow." She disappeared down the hall.
I helped Zelda over to the bed. As soon as she lay down, she relaxed. She'd fallen asleep. I sat by the door, waiting patiently for Paya to come back. She returned moments later.
"H-here!" She squeaked.
"Thanks." I said, stifling a yawn. She closed the door behind her.
I lay the pillow on the floor, wrapping myself up like a crepe. Soon after I lay my head down, I drifted away.
As I said before, every Stable has a tavern. I need Hyrule to be heavily populated. Yes, there were casualties, but Hyrule is massive, and I'm sure more people survived than died.
Any technology that Hyrule does have is for lifestyle improvement only. Like bathrooms, plumbing and so on. I know it's not perfect, but it seems necessary to me.
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