Takes place immediately after the true ending of BotW. Link and Zelda's duties are far from over as they have some people to see after Ganon has at last been sealed away.
BotW: Visitations
Visitations Part 3: Kakariko Village II
After they all entered in, it only took a few moments for Paya to set up the main room with a small center table and seat cushions to surround it. Zelda asked if she could help but was waved off by both Paya and Impa. As they sat down, Paya started to set the small table with simple foods and hot tea for the entire party, bustling to and from the back room. Impa, for the first time in Paya's memory, insisted on sitting on the floor as well, instead of her usual place high atop her three favorite pillows.
Being attended to was nothing new to Zelda but it was the first time she felt a little awkward about it. Perhaps she never paid attention to it before being so busy with her academic studies, pilgrimages to goddess shrines dotted all over the land, and her own secret research practices. The system of serving had been put in place at the castle long before she was born and she didn't question it, nor did she have the wherewithal to do so. But now, her creature comforts seemed like the least important thing in her life, especially as that system was literally lying in ruins. Without the castle and its inhabitants, without her family, without that system, what was she? "Princess" was just an absurd title now; a crown without the support of the people is a crown without meaning.
Zelda started to feel a pointed pressure right between her brows and it brought her out of her reverie. When she looked up, she saw that Impa was leaning in closely towards her and had just jabbed her in the forehead with her index finger.
"If you keep furrowing your brows like that, you'll end up with more wrinkles than I have," Impa said, matter-of-factly.
Zelda stared at her, wide-eyed, and then blinked a few times.
"Grandmother!" cried Paya, frozen in place as she was setting down the last dish, "you just…she's the…!"
Link, seated on the other side of Zelda, was mid-drink when it happened and now all he could do was look from Zelda to Impa and back again, holding the hot cup of tea in his hands.
Suddenly, Zelda burst out into laughter, shattering the unbearable silence.
A corner of Impa's lips went up and, much to Paya's surprise, she then started to giggle. To *giggle.* Had she ever heard such a noise from her grandmother before? There were always affable grunts, a slap on the knee, and of course a smile here and there. But this unbound joy almost made her sound like a little child. Paya told herself that she would gather up enough courage to thank the Princess, at some point, for letting her see this side of her normally austere grandmother.
Link turned away from them and closed his eyes, continuing to take a sip from his tea; not able to remember the last time he had heard Zelda laugh so freely. But then, it came to him.
They were in a field, sitting together; Zelda holding the Sheikah Slate and taking pictures of the various flora and fauna surrounding them. She was informing Link about their attributes and benefits. Of course, he thought, he knew this memory. But it went on further than he had been able to recall before. Zelda presented Link with a frog, saying he should taste it so she could record its power enhancing properties. He expressed his objection by trying to wave her off and leaning away while sitting on his heels, but he ended up falling backwards. Appointed Knight indeed, he remembered thinking as he suddenly found himself on his back, looking up at the blue sky. Then he heard it; Zelda laughing. He lifted himself onto his elbows to see her sitting on her knees over him, the frog now leaping quickly away from her, as she laughed openly.
"I'm so sorry," she said, in between giggles, "but that look on your face…."
Link quickly recovered from his supine position and stood up, his back to her.
Zelda's laughter soon died away as she realized that Link wouldn't look at her.
"I really am sorry, I'd just never seen you look that way before and it was rather…"
"I would have eaten it if you really wanted me to," he interjected seriously, still looking away.
Zelda hadn't meant for things to turn so earnest and must have wondered if she'd hurt his feelings.
"Would you really have…?" she began, tentatively, "I mean…"
"No." he said, cutting her off with impertinence, looking down at her over his shoulder.
He remembered her mouth opening and closing silently and he had wondered how she'd take his audacity.
He got his answer when she suddenly tore out a big clump of grass from the field and threw it at him.
"You're lucky I'm not the type to tattle to my father!" she said, giggling once again, while reaching for another clump.
Link leaped away, much like the frog from before, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Link, you don't want to get poked by Impa, too, do you?" Zelda said, placing her hand on his arm.
"Hm?" was all he replied, realizing that he had been holding his tea up to his face this whole time.
"I guess we're both having a hard time paying attention," she said, her eyes warm with understanding.
"I suppose no one could blame you," Impa said. "These have been trying times, to say the least, and there is much to ponder upon."
"Impa, thank you," Zelda said sincerely. "Thank you for helping Link on his journey and giving him everything I had left you with. Without your guidance, I don't know that he would have ever found himself again. And, if he hadn't, all would have been lost."
Impa looked at Zelda with something of a sadness. "We Sheikah pride ourselves in upholding our long-standing duty to you, to the King, to Hyrule. But, in the end, there was nothing we could do after all. All of our plans, our creations themselves, were used against those we swore to protect. Our technology killed the Champions, the King, decimated the land and anyone unfortunate to be nearby…they nearly slayed the Chosen Knight and left you to fight against Ganon alone. Our bellies were too full for our eyes and we didn't try to understand the consequences, only our ever advancement. We failed you and Hyrule. The least I could do was relay some messages and items as you instructed before you sequestered yourself with that monster inside the castle."
Impa bowed her head slightly before she continued. Zelda wanted to try and comfort her. The responsibility was not for her to bear and she couldn't take seeing her childhood friend laden with such an undue and unwarranted burden.
"Impa, please don't do this to yourself…."
"And what were you thinking, locking yourself up with the primeval?!" Impa suddenly blasted. "How could you have thought that was a good idea? I would shake you with my bare hands if I were stronger!" She then looked over at her granddaughter who was sitting at her side. "Paya, go shake her!"
"Huh? Grandmother, I can't!" exclaimed Paya.
"It's all right, she's not being serious," Zelda told Paya, trying to allay the girl's anxiety.
"How dare you, I am as serious as death!" Impa went on.
Link continued eating. He was no stranger to one of Impa's rants.
"Not a day went by that I wasn't pounding my chest, knowing you were in there and we couldn't do anything about it. Instead, we had to hole up here, hide, and bide our time, hoping the technology that nearly destroyed this world would bring the Chosen One back from the brink…and back to you."
"But it did, and he did, dear Impa. We are both alive and here now. Without you, without the Sheikah to guide him, he would not have been able to free the Divine Beasts, to free our friends, and regain his precious memories. It was not you who failed, please believe me…" Zelda implored.
Impa saw something flash through the look in Zelda's eyes and decided this was not the road she wanted to go down. Not now.
"In any case," Impa started, regaining her composure, "What are your immediate plans from here on? The evil has been contained and now there are more tangible, every day things we need to deal with. Hyrule needs its Princess…its Queen."
"I am not quite sure. I think I will need to call on your help once again in this matter. This is not the world I knew. And I don't know that the people want or need a Princess, much less a Queen, right now.
"The people. This land. They remember. The bloodline of the Goddess remains forever bound to this world and in the hearts and minds of the men, women, and children of Hyrule. 100 years is a mere drop in the ocean of its history," explained Impa.
Paya nodded.
"I want to do what's right for them. I just don't know if I'm ready," said Zelda.
"You kept the Great Calamity at bay for a century. Alone. We, the Sheikah, are here with you now. And your Chosen Knight, stronger than ever, is at your side. There is nothing you can't do," said Impa, with certainty.
Zelda took a deep breath and looked at Impa with gratitude.
"She's right," Link said, simply.
"Thank you for your kindness," replied Zelda, looking at them both in turn. "I will undoubtedly lean on you all for support. You have strengths that I lack and I will need to ask you the favor of lending them to me from time to time."
"Spoken like a true and wise ruler," Impa said, satisfied.
"Speaking of which, though I hope my father will guide me in spirit, I will need to speak to someone with experience in governing and see what they think of my ideas."
"You plan on visiting Zora's Domain, do you?" asked Impa, knowingly.
"Yes. I think Mipha's father, King Dorephan, will want to speak with us. And, I hope that, despite his suffering, he will help guide me in the right direction," Zelda said, sadness seeping into her voice.
"Hm. I think that is the correct course. Both for him and for you. In the meantime, you both will stay here for a few days and rest. I am going to send for my sister and Robbie. We will need to talk about what we can contribute to rebuilding Hyrule, now that it's safe to do so. We will meet together. Here."
Zelda nodded.
"Now…..eat!" instructed Impa.
Later that evening, Zelda slept without dreaming for once, and was awoken by the sound of driving rain outside the window. She had taken bedding in Paya's room upstairs along with Impa. The soft glow of the small lantern on Paya's desk fell upon the quietly sleeping women on the other side of the room. Zelda loved the sound of rain and couldn't remember the last time she felt it on her face.
Lantern in hand, she went downstairs as quietly as possible and looked upon Link, who was given a comfortable bed near the staircase. For someone who was always so vigilant, he was an incredibly deep sleeper. His body was even facing the wall instead of out toward the open space, which was always dangerous before. She hoped that he would be able to sleep without a care from now on and only wished mundane things for him. He, of anyone, deserved rest.
She spotted the umbrella leaning up against the wall next to the doors and softly stepped toward them. The latch creaked a bit and she flashed a look back at Link but the sound did not betray her. Finally, she closed the door just as gently behind her as she stepped outside.
The hour was late and the rain would certainly have driven anyone who would be outside to find shelter. It was the perfect time for her to walk around a bit. For the first time in a long while, both Cado and Dorian were relieved of their duties so they could spend the evening with their families. After all, the Hero of Hyrule was taking lodgings within and the house could not be safer.
Zelda opened up the umbrella and realized it was made out of a coated fabric. The raindrops each made muted little tapping sounds as they landed on top and she was already enjoying herself immensely. The village had bright lanterns hanging about intermittent posts along the small roads. Though the rain did impede visibility, she could still clearly see the two main roads that led in and out of the village. So, she opted to take the small narrow trail that went northwest; marked but unlit.
As she walked, she reveled in the sound of the pouring rain as it hit the umbrella, the rocky walls on either side of her, and how it made the soil smell underfoot. Her eyes soon adjusted and, even in the darkness, she could still make out the shapes of the posts and wooden boards tied to them above her head; the mild breeze every now and then making them clack against each other. The hollow wooden sounds they made created a rhythm of peacefulness. The air smelled wet and fresh. She continued walking until the end where there was a fence marking off the trail. She couldn't make out what was beyond but she knew it was wide open space as it funneled the breeze to the village from there. To her left, she noticed a formation of rocks. At first, she thought that's just what it was, but as she approached closer, she realized there was a pattern. Guiding herself using her hands, she could make out by sight and touch that there was an indent that led into the center of the formation and then what looked like a tall stone, much taller than the rest. She wondered what the purpose of these stones were.
"Princess…"
Zelda gasped and spun around so quickly that she almost dropped the umbrella. Several paces from her stood Link; she would recognize his silhouette anywhere.
"Goddess! My spirit nearly left me! What are you doing out here?" she asked breathlessly.
Though Link didn't answer, Zelda ran up to him and held the umbrella over his head. "You're soaked!"
"You're getting soaked now," he said.
"I don't actually mind."
"Neither do I."
Coming up Next: Botw Visitations Part 4 – Kakariko III and onto Zora's Domain