Chapter 7
Finally, the quest begins! Honestly, these chapters are getting harder and harder to write. Still, I did finish well before the deadline, but I'm not so sure about next week. I hope it doesn't piss anybody off if I don't update on Friday.
Review time!
Lyria Gloris: Thank you! I have been writing with the intention to make myself hungry, and I'm very happy that it has been translating to the readers as well.
DShinobi4: You sure left a lot of reviews. I'm hoping that there's enough plot to satisfy you. For now at least.
CherryxIcedxKisses: You're right. That thing that I wrote in the summary finally happened!
"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. Beautiful, Beautiful Romance.
"Purah!" I shouted, slamming the door open. "What's going on?!"
"I don't know!" She and Symin were rushing around the lab, reading up on papers. "Ganon was defeated! The Blood Moons should have stopped!"
"I don't understand!" Symin yelled. "10,000 years ago, the Blood Moons were said to have stopped after Calamity Ganon was defeated!"
"Fuck." I cursed. "Whatever's going on, we better do something about it." Purah and Symin nodded.
"The Blood Moon...it only happens when Ganon reaches his peak power. He's been sealed away, he shouldn't be able to amass power...unless, I failed to seal him?" She stared at her hands, the Triforce mark showing clearly.
"No!" I took her hands in mine. "I watched! You clearly sealed him away! He's gone! There must be some other reason!"
"B-but-"
"Nope!" I said. "We'll figure out what happened." I turned back to Purah. "We're going back to Kakariko." She nodded.
"My sister probably knows best." She hopped down from the stool, holding a book in her hand. "I deciphered the text. The key's in the front, okay?" Purah was a lot less childish now that something was actually wrong.
"Thank you," I said. "Let's go, Zelda. We'll leave early tomorrow."
I was standing on a plane of water, suspended inside what looked like a stormcloud. Just then, I jumped upwards, impaling someone through the chest with the Master Sword. He screamed in agony, and I backed away. The person rose to his feet.
He glared at me, pure hatred in his eyes. His hair was a flaming orange, a source of light within the storm. The only other source was the Master Sword, which only gleamed around Ganon's influence. His entire form flickered, a familiar black, with small amounts of purple light seeping through. I wasn't sure if you could even call him mortal, he seemed to shine with divine power.
"Extraordinary. You stand as a paragon of your kind, human. You fight like no man or demon I have ever known. Though this is not the end. My hate...never perishes. It is born anew in a cycle no end! I will rise again!" He pointed his finger at me. "Those like you...Those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero...They are eternally bound to this curse. An incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!" Those were his final words before he dissolved into malice. I raised the Master Sword towards the sky, absorbing the darkness.
I woke Zelda at 9:00. After that dream, I had paced all night, even going into the forest. The Blood Moon had happened, but no monsters had appeared, so they still weren't a threat to Hateno. I had already prepared Epona and made us a small breakfast. I could tell that Zelda was tired, but we had to talk to Impa. We had to know what was wrong.
Zelda vaulted onto Epona, finally strong enough to do so without help. At least we'd gotten time to do that. I tucked the Bow of Light and the sword Zelda had been using into Epona's pack. I'd packed my armor and Zelda's extra clothing into a backpack, which I placed on Epona's side. By 10:00, we had left Hateno Village.
Zelda was silent. It made sense, everything we thought we'd accomplished could not be true. That was a scary thought.
While I was terrified of the fact that Ganon may still be out there, I couldn't help feeling some kind of tingle. I was excited in the worst way. I had something that needed to be done.
Looking across the river, I saw for a fact that the Blood Moon had happened. The Bokoblin encampment had been repopulated. But, I did notice something really strange. One of the Bokoblins, the one sitting closest to the fire, was red. And the Golden one that usually watched the river had disappeared.
'I've never seen a red one before…' I thought, gritting my teeth. 'It must be powerful.'
Passing Fort Hateno, we moved swiftly. Epona weaved between the Guardian corpses. Bokoblins on the side of the road, again, instead of blue or black, they were both red.
"Is it just me, or are they slower?" I asked, watching them fall behind. "They are…?" Zelda didn't respond. I knew that she was blaming herself, and I hated that, but she refused to believe otherwise. Nothing that I said got to her.
Making a sharp right, we crossed over the bridge. Ignoring the floating rafts, we raced up the hill, towards Impa.
Stopping at the bottom of the stairs below her mansion, Dorian and Cado ran to us.
"Impa knew you would come," Dorian said. "Ever since the Blood Moon happened. Come." He urged us up the stairs.
"You've come quickly," Impa said as we entered. She observed our panic. "Don't fret, Ganon is still sealed away. You have not failed."
"Thank Hylia…" Zelda sighed, visibly relaxing. I laughed a bit, breathlessly.
"That's good...good…" I walked towards her. "But why are the Blood Moons happening then?" I asked. "He's gone, shouldn't they be too?" Impa shook her head.
"It is not so simple, Link." She said. "Sit, and I will tell you of an old legend, older than the Kingdom of Hyrule…" We sat before her, waiting patiently. Even Paya seemed curious. "This legend has never been documented, by any other than the Sheikah Tribe." She cleared her throat.
"This is the legend of a great war, fought countless millennia ago when Hylia still walked the earth among us mortals. Very early in the history of the world only shortly after its creation. It was a war of unmatched terror and ferocity, the likes of which has never been seen again. One day, one fateful day, the earth split open beneath our feet, and every terror of mankind, every monster that has ever been seen, emerged from that fissure...they waged war against the mortals, destroying the earth, bringing our people to their demise."
"Then...how are we here today?"
"They came after the holy relic Hylia protected. The Triforce." She said. "They served a master who only lusted after its ultimate power. Their master, the Demon King, wished to rule reality. Wished to shape it. Hylia protected it desperately, fighting alongside the few mortals still left alive...but, it proved to be difficult. The Demon King, Demise refused to be defeated, and when Hylia sealed him away, he struck her with a grievous wound...she was forced to leave our world behind…"
"And then?"
"Demise escaped his prison, attacking once again. However, it's said that the first Hero, the one whose spirit has been passed on throughout the ages, fought and defeated Demise, banishing him from the surface. But Demise cursed the Hero-"
"To forever be bound to a reincarnation of his hatred." I finished. The others looked over to me.
"How did you know?" Impa asked.
"Last night...I dreamed about that fight. I stabbed this man with flaming hair through the chest, and just before he dissolved, he told me that he would curse me, the Spirit of the Hero, and those with the blood of the goddess…" I looked over to Zelda. "I think he means you."
"B-but...Blood of the goddess?" She looked down at her hands. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know...But what does this legend have to do with the Blood Moon?"
"Ganon is that reincarnation. That is why he returns, again and again, to raze Hyrule to the ground. He is tied to the Royal Family, they are cursed...the Blood Moon proves that the everlasting cycle continues. He was defeated, but he will return in the future, to fight the next Hero and Princess." I bristled
"That's bullshit!" I shouted, standing. "We didn't fight to find out that he'll be back! Zelda didn't stay in that castle for 100 years to find out he'll be back! I didn't die to find out that he'll be back!" I panted. "We didn't sacrifice so much to find out he'll be back!"
"Calm down, Link," Impa spoke softly. "Rage is unhealthy."
"He's right!" Zelda stood too. "The Champion's sacrificed their lives, their futures to defeat Ganon! He must be defeated once and for all!" I nodded in agreement.
"But how?" She asked. "Do either of you know where to find him? And what will you do? Demise was the King of Darkness, he was the one and only demon. He stands above all other monsters, the pinnacle of power and greed. His return is inevitable. There is no defeat, only survive."
"That's what quitters say," I said. "We can't give up. It doesn't matter how. I'll do whatever it takes."
"But what about Hyrule?" Impa asked. "Hyrule must be rebuilt...doesn't that take precedence?"
"...look around Impa." I raised my hands, gesturing to our surroundings. "Hyrule might not be Kingdom anymore, but the people are thriving. The people are happy. They'll be alright, whether or not we build now or later."
"...I'll tell you this: We don't know where to start. Ganon could be reincarnated in another plane of existence. We do not know." She punctuated every word. "We do know how to rebuild."
"...we can't do nothing though," I said. "Don't you agree?"
"I agree with Link. We have to do something." Zelda agreed.
"I will begin researching possible locations...but Hyrule comes first."
I considered. Impa was right, we had no idea what to do about the curse, but the fact that he wasn't gone, that we hadn't beaten him, that we'd only drove him away, got me angry. We'd all given so much to win, and we hadn't even won. It was a draw, as it had been throughout history. Every time he was defeated, he came back. It wasn't fair to all of the people who'd suffered at his hands.
"Fine." I conceded. "We'll start rebuilding first." I looked at Zelda. She'd reached the same conclusion that I had. "What do we need to do?"
"We need to regroup. You must travel to each civilization, and inform them that their power should be reconsolidated into the monarchy. The Zora, Goron, Rito, and Gerudo."
"What about the towns?"
"Inform them as you go, but Castle Town should be rebuilt before we move the villagers...we must act swiftly. Ganon was a deterrence, but now that he has disappeared, old enemies will act."
"What?"
"Hyrule was expansionist. We conquered and incorporated land into our borders. We have made enemies of other Kingdoms."
"Dammit." I sighed. "Of course there are more problems. It can't ever be simple…"
"A messenger from the Zora came by yesterday...he said that the Divine Beast Vah Ruta had stopped working," Impa said. "I suggest you start there...perhaps lay your grievances to rest, my dear," Impa said, looking at Zelda.
"We'll leave tomorrow…" I looked at Zelda. Something seemed off about her. She seemed...scared.
I followed her outside. She descended the steps, disconnected from her surroundings. She wandered, walking aimlessly. I followed dutifully, waiting for her to return to reality.
We were walking through the woods when I realized where we were going. We had somehow wandered up the slope, past the Shrine. Zelda paused, eyes focusing on the massive flower before her. Fairies danced across the water, their glow making them seem like tiny fluff balls. The petals glittered, and the water reflected light, illuminating the flower with a warm glow.
"What's this?" She asked, turning to me.
"One of the Great Fairies of Hyrule," I said. "She lives in there." I pointed at the pond.
"It's beautiful...magical." Her eyes flickered back to the flower
"That's true...but I want to know something…" She looked at me. "What is wrong?" She froze.
"Nothing…"
"I know that's not true Zelda…" I took her hands into mine. "You can tell me...what happened?"
"...I-I dreamed last night...and it-and it-" Her eyes began to leak, tears trailing down her cheek. Her chest heaved as she tried to hold in her cries.
"Go on."
"-It was...about how you died!" She burst into tears. "You-you lay on the floor *sob* and you were-*sob*-you were covered in blood!" She forced out. "-and-*sob*-I couldn't do-do anything!" She cried harder.
"It wasn't real…" I whispered. "I'm here now...I' alright, we're alright…" I pulled her close, wrapping my arms around her. She rested her head on shoulder, and I stroked her head softly, holding her tight.
"Bu-But-*sob*-it was so real!"
"I know it might seem that way…" I said, walking her over to the flower. We sat just at the bottom of the stairway. "But believe me, it wasn't. Remember that Zelda...it wasn't." I smiled at her. "I'm here."
The fairies began to approach, curious. Zelda still cried, but she watched them as the flew. She held onto me, holding me close, trying to reassure herself that I was there.
"Zelda…you don't ever have to worry...I'll always be here...no matter what...even until we're both as old as Impa." She smiled, tears still dripping from her eyes. "I'll stay right by your side, forever...and nothing will stop me."
"...thank you…" She whispered.
"No need. I do it because I want to." I said, smiling.
We sat there for a long time. Zelda had stopped crying a while ago, but I could tell from how she sat that she still felt sad. She still felt scared. And I hated that. She shouldn't have to feel those feelings. She should've been happy. And I promised...I would do anything to do that.
"Link...I think that I'll need a horse…" She said as we walked past the Shrine on our way back into the village.
"What do you mean? We have Epona." I said, confused.
"If I...If I am supposed to take the throne, as Impa has said, when we meet with the civilizations, I will need to seem regal."
"Uh-huh."
"I can't do that while riding on someone else's horse."
"Oh…" I didn't really understand it. It was probably something that only people of higher classes would understand. Lords and such, which was not something I had ever been. I may have been a high ranking member of the military, but my family had still been part of the lower class.
"Do you know where I could get a horse?" She asked. "A strong, able horse?"
"Well...I do have a few horses at Dueling Peaks...oh!" I jumped, remembering that Pure White horse I had tamed a few weeks ago. "I know just the horse. I'll go to the Stable and get him." I said.
"How?" She asked. "You can't take Epona, how will you bring two horses back?"
"I have the Master Cycle...it'll use some of its fuel though," I said. "I'll need the Sheikah Slate."
By now we'd reached the bottom of the slope, just a few steps away from the exit. Zelda took the Sheikah Slate from her hip, handing it to.
"Step back a bit," I commanded, swiping to the rune screen. The air shimmered with ancient energy, summoning the Master Cycle from wherever it was stored when it wasn't in use. It solidified, landing softly on the ground before us.
"Fascinating…" Zelda said, observing the Master Cycle closely. "Where does it come from?"
"I don't really know," I said, shrugging. I sat on it, kicking back the lean stand. I felt the engine heat underneath me. "I'll be back soon. Just give me about an hour." I moved the handle, revving the engine.
"Be safe." She said, backing away from the noise.
"Of course," I said, picking my feet up. "I drove out of the village, though the hills, down the path towards the bridge. The Master Cycle handled effortlessly, responding to every command I gave it. While Epona could track for herself, and fight for herself, the Master Cycle was faster and smoother, though it did require much more fuel than Epona did. Epona only had to graze or be fed a few fruits, and she was good for the day. The Master Cycle would almost be empty by the time I arrived.
I hit the brakes just as I approached the stable. Swinging myself off, I tapped the Sheikah Slate, and the Master Cycle dissolved, disappearing from view.
"Hey, Tesseren!" I called, approaching the counter on the outside of the Tavern. He came from inside, looking towards me.
"What can I do for you today?"
"Can I get my white horse?" I said, tossing a blue rupee onto the counter.
"Do you want us to take Epona into our care?" He asked, flicking through the book.
"Actually, I'd like you to transfer the white horse to someone else."
"And that would be?" He asked.
"Put Storm under the ownership of Zelda," I said. "I'm gifting him to her." He nodded, making note of it in his book. He'd send the information to every other stable, somehow.
"Give me a second." He said. "Hey, Rensa!" He shouted. Rensa emerged from the side of the tavern. "Get that pure white horse, and saddle it too!" He paused, looking back at me. "The special saddle?" I nodded. "Use the fancy one!"
"Got it!" Rensa called, disappearing into the Stable. He emerged a few minutes later, leading Zelda's horse by the reins. He was dressed in the Royal Set, looking as fancy as Blanc had 100 years ago.
"Thanks," I said, taking his reins. He was just shorter than Epona was, and I vaulted on to him easily. He sauntered away from the Stable, still acting slightly wild, but he listened to my commands, and we quickly made our way back to Kakariko.
He slowed as we entered the Village. The sun was getting low in the sky, and the evening was getting dark. He trotted down towards Impa's mansion, coming to a stop just before Epona. He whinnied.
"Calm down...I'm going to get your new owner. You'll love her." I said, jumping off his back. I passed Dorian and Cado, who were beginning to look a bit tired. I climbed the stairs, feeling a cool Summer breeze begin.
I opened the door, looking around for Zelda. "If you are searching for the princess, she is with my granddaughter," Impa said, observing me. "But we must talk." I walked towards her. "You refer to the Princess too casually. You may have lost your memories, but you have not lost your manners as well." I sighed.
"She doesn't want to be Princess."
"But she must." Impa insisted. "It is her duty...and your duty is as her vassal."
"I know, Impa. Trust me…" I said, running a hand through my hair. "But she deserves a friend. She asked me to be that friend...and I couldn't say no."
"No matter...do not act as though she is not royalty," Impa stated. I could tell that she had nothing else to say, so I walked away, towards the steps up towards Paya's room. I knew what Impa was saying, but she was being short-sighted. She was stuck in the old ways, the ways from 100 years ago, and as Zelda had said: "Hyrule, as a kingdom, no longer exists." We weren't being held to those standards anymore. Only Impa seemed invested in that. Purah had been completely fine with how we'd interacted. Or maybe she'd decided to ignore it. Then maybe she wasn't okay with it.
I shook my head, walking up towards the room. I could hear laughter drifting out of the door. I smiled. It seemed like Zelda and Paya got along just fine. It was good if Zelda was able to make friends. I didn't want her to be alone.
"Zelda?" I asked, rapping on the door. Their laughter stopped. "I got you a horse. It's just outside." I could hear footsteps, and the door swung open. I stepped back as Zelda Paya left the room.
"H-hello, Master Link." Paya stuttered, glancing back towards her desk. I knew she was thinking about her diary.
'Jokes on you, I've already read it!' I thought, smirking. '...I'm an asshole.'
I followed the two girls downstairs, ignoring Impa's pointed look. Zelda opened the door, and Paya and I followed her down the stairs. I ran ahead.
"Alright, ladies, let me introduce you, to a descendant of Blanc," I said, holding Storm by the reins. "I present to you, Storm."
Zelda held her hands over her mouth, shocked. It made sense, Storm looked like an exact replica of Blanc, so it probably brought back some memories. She walked towards us, slowly, eyes locked with Storm's.
"He can be a bit temperamental, but he's a good horse." She nodded, raising her hand. Storm watched her carefully, but he didn't move. She slowly placed her hand on his face, between his eyes. He shimmied a bit, but then, he moved close, accepting her touch. "He likes you."
"He's beautiful…" I handed the Zelda the reins. She took them, leading Storm to the stream, where he could drink. I stepped back, standing next to Paya.
"Where did you find him?" Zelda asked.
"He was roaming around Safula Hill. I captured him and tamed him. I even got the same Bridle that Blanc wore." She noticed the ornaments that Storm was covered in. She ran her hands across them, patting his side. "I don't think you can look any more regal than that." She smiled, laughing slightly.
"Princess Zelda and Master Link are very friendly with each other…" Paya muttered. I turned to her, and she squeaked, having been caught.
"Yeah...we are. Impa keeps getting on my ass about that…" I said. Paya straightened, nervously smoothing her clothing.
"I-I'm sure that g-grandmother means well." She said softly.
"Maybe...but I don't see anything wrong with how we interact…" I trailed off, watching Zelda bond with Storm. I really didn't see anything wrong. Zelda had asked for a friend, and I was more than happy to be that friend. If anything, it worked out for my own interests as well. I was starting to suspect that past me had held the same thoughts as I did now. As soon as I had remembered Zelda, I had felt pangs of longing. I'd wanted to be with her again. I hadn't even realized why until I'd recovered a few more memories. Anything that Zelda asked, I would give. I would do anything for her. She meant everything to me.
I went over to Epona, pulling Zelda's stuff from her pack. I took the sword and Bow of Light, along with her clothes and a few of the books she'd brought with her, and placed them into the pack Storm had while Zelda continued to tend to him. If anything, Storm seemed much happier with her than he did when I'd ridden him.
I went back to Epona, redistributing the weight so that there was an equal amount on each side. She whinnied in gratitude, and I brought her over next to Storm. She began to drink.
"Zelda?" She turned to me, smiling softly. "We should go to bed soon. We woke up early this morning, and we'll need at least a day or two to get to Zora's domain…" She nodded.
"Alright…" She paused, looking up at the sky. The first stars were beginning to appear. "But Impa only has one guest bed. Where will you sleep?"
"There's an inn over there, I'll stay the night." She looked over to where I was pointing. "Have you eaten?"
"Yes, Impa had us eat while you were gone." She nodded. She began to walk towards the mansion, and I followed, leaving her at the stairs. I offered her the Sheikah Slate, which she took from my hands, placing it back on her hip. "Goodnight, Link."
"Goodnight, Zelda." I watched her enter the mansion, before turning towards Shuteye Inn. Ollie was fast asleep behind the counter. I lay a red rupee on the counter, before choosing a small room tucked away in the corner. I opened the door, taking the Master Sword off my back, before throwing myself onto the bed. I'd slept horribly last night, so now that I was laying down, I drifted off quickly.
"Uhh...hey, wake up…" Someone shook me. I groaned, burying myself deeper into the pillow. "...hey…" The voice said, shaking me again.
"What."
"Uhh...this girl...she stood at the desk, and she wouldn't let me sleep until you woke up…"
'It's Ollie…' I thought. I rolled myself out of the bed, sitting for a moment.
"I'm awake…" I said, yawning. He nodded, leaving the room. I stretched myself out, hearing my bones pop a bit before I pulled the Master Sword over my head. Apparently, I'd slept with my boots on.
After going to the bathroom, I stepped outside, closing the door behind me. Walking back towards the front, I saw Zelda waiting at the desk, Ollie leaning backward, away from her glare.
"Hey," I said, waving. "Morning." She turned towards me.
"How long did you plan on sleeping?" She asked, stepping forwards. I raised both my hands, leaning back a bit.
"Sorry...I was tired." She pointed her finger at me, poking me in the chest. "What time is it anyway?" I said, stifling a yawn.
"It's already past 10:00!" She poked me again.
"Oh...I slept for a while…" There was no way we were going to make it to Zora's Domain before Sundown. Granted, leaving earlier wouldn't have guaranteed it, but now there was definitely no way.
"Yes, you did…" She stepped back, huffing. "Impa wouldn't stop talking about how irresponsible you've become. She went on and on!" She said. We walked outside, leaving Ollie to his nap.
"Do you think I'm irresponsible?" I asked.
"No! You've only been as careful as possible since we've been together, and she refused to hear it!" I smirked. Zelda wasn't mad that I'd slept long. She was mad that Impa had kept talking about the fact that I slept long. Epona and Storm were waiting for us, already packed from the day before. We escorted them towards Sahasra Slope.
"Link?" Zelda asked quietly. "This morning, Claree came to me...she said that Impa had asked her to create this...I'd thought you would have noticed by now…" I paused, trying to figure out what she was implying. Claree was a tailer, so if she had made anything, it would have been clothing. But what was it about the clothing that I was supposed to notice...oh.
Zelda was wearing the same set of clothing she'd worn 100 years ago. The same set that she'd traveled in, the same set that most of my memories contained. She was dressed in the same Blue of my Tunic, with the Black Trousers. Her boots came to the bottom of her knee, with a Silver Triforce on the front. The same brown sash across her waist, where the Sheikah Slate was attached. She had a golden thread laced just beneath her breast, and her tunic opened at the elbows, showing the pure white tunic underneath. She even wore the same fingerless gloves.
"What do you think?" She asked nervously.
"I...It's a bit of a shock actually…" I said. Her eyes dropped. "But...it looks nice. It reminds of...simpler times." She looked back at me, smiling. I observed her again. "You look beautiful." I blurted.
She seemed to freeze for a moment, just before she turned away. 'Shit. I let my mouth run away…' I hadn't meant to voice my thoughts, but they'd tumbled out of my mouth. 'I made it weird.' I groaned internally.
Zelda cleared her throat, looking back to me. She looked slightly red, but she smiled at me. "Thank you." Her voice shook slightly.
We emerged from the hills, stepping into the sunlight. I covered my face, squinting. From up here, I could see all of Hyrule from here. The castle was dark, gray and silent. It loomed over Hyrule, no longer surrounded by evil's influence. Instead, it seemed abandoned, dead. I pulled my hand away from my face, my eyes finally adjusting to the light.
'Is it just me, or are the pillars lower?' I thought. They were, they used to be around the same height as the castle, but now, the five pillars had sunk, only going up to a third of the height.
Zelda stepped forwards, letting Storm go off to graze. I did the same, staying to her right. She held the Sheikah Slate in her hands, staring at the map. She seemed deep in thought.
"We'll make our way to Zora's Domain. Divine Beast Vah Ruta...they said that it stopped working. Let's investigate the situation…" She tapered off, looking towards the castle, a frown on her features. Mipha's father...I think he would like to hear more about her. The least we can do is visit him and offer him some closure…"
"Zelda…" I said softly. She shook her head.
"Although Ganon is gone, for now, there is still so much for us to do. And...so many painful memories...But, I believe in my heart, that if all of us work together...we can restore Hyrule to its former glory. Maybe...even beyond...But it all must start with us. Let's go." She put the Sheikah Slate back to her hip, walking towards our horses, who were grazing to our right. I followed behind her, feeling a bit down.
"I can't hear the voice inside the sword anymore. I guess it would make sense if my powers had dwindled over the past 100 years…" She seemed grim, but then, she looked up at me, smiling. "I'm surprised to admit it...But I can accept that."
I knew that that wasn't the only thing she was accepting. She'd accepted the fact that we were the only survivors, and that we had to carry the other Champions memories. She was telling me that she would try to move on, try to stop grieving.
"No matter what, Zelda." I reminded her. "We loved you...we swore, that no matter what, we'd support you...I swore."
"I know…" She looked away. "Sometimes, it's easy to forget that." I jogged towards her, smiling.
"Then I'll just have to be around to remind you," I said. A slow breeze began to pick up, moving petals through the air. "Look," I said, gesturing towards the Slope. "Like you hoped, they thrived in the wild."
She looked across the Slope, her eyes brightening. She crouched down, plucking one from the ground at her feet. I looked away, blushing slightly.
'It's so round!' Zelda shimmied a bit, and I forced my mind to think of something else. Anything else!
Zelda stood, holding a Silent Princess in her hands. Surrounded by the petals floating through the air, she looked adorable. Her rounded face, her small smile, her soft green eyes, her luscious hair waving in the breeze...
'Dear Hylia do I love her…'
Zelda took the Silent Princess, holding it close. "It makes me so happy…" She said, gazing across Hyrule. She walked slowly, enthralled by the view. She was right, it was beautiful. Silent Princess's dotted the fields of Sahasra Slope. They covered the green grass with their light blue, looking like tiny stars from a distance.
"Let's go." She said finally, climbing onto Storm. He waited dutifully, much calmer than he had ever been with me. I vaulted onto Epona and walked towards Zelda's side. She seemed hesitant
"Should I lead?" I asked. While Zelda did have the Sheikah Slate, she would need to check the map to guide us, while I had already memorized the route towards Zora's Domain. She nodded, slightly embarrassed at being caught. "Just follow me." I leaned down, whispering into Epona's ear. "You're faster than Storm, so try to slow down a bit for him." She nodded, understanding quickly.
We descended the slope, Epona staying at a slower speed, allowing Storm to follow only a few strides behind. Coming around Millennio Sandbar, I was given a choice. We could either cut through Lanayru Wetlands or pass Wetland Stable and cross Thims Bridge.
I wasn't dumb though. Passing through the Wetlands would force us into the center of a massive monster encampment, as well as a Guardians line of sight. It would be much faster, but it wasn't worth the risk. We'd take the long way. I directed Epona onto the left road, towards Wetland Stable.
During the ride towards the Crenel Hills, intrusive thoughts continued to enter my mind. 'How does it keep its shape? Is it firm, or is it soft?' I tried to keep them out, but my mind refused to let it go. 'It looks soft...and it's probably bouncy too…! Go away!' I was probably sporting the biggest blush ever. It was a good thing that I was in front of Zelda, or this would have been very hard to explain.
'I wanna squeeze it…' I thought longingly. Images of that very scene popped into my head. I could feel the blood rushing through my face.
Thims bridge came into view, and Epona thundered across it, followed by Storm. I directed her to the right, racing past Zelo Pond.
'She'd probably be shy about it…' My mind was started to stray into more perverted territories. Honestly, I wasn't sure how long I could bear it. Just one glance and my mind was filled with these kinds of thoughts. How would I be able to deal with traveling with her for the next few weeks?!
We were approaching the encampment, near Zora River. I watched Hylia River flow towards Castle Town. Epona followed the path, slowly turning left, ever closer to Zora River. By now, the sun was just past my head, around 4:00. Epona slowed down as we neared the fork in the road. I shifted her to the right, and she followed, galloping towards Inogo bridge.
I shaking away the thoughts re-entering my head when Epona suddenly reared up, stopping abruptly. I held on tight, almost getting thrown off. Storm came in behind us, and Zelda pulled him to a stop, pulling up just next to me. I dismounted quickly, trying to find the problem.
"What's wrong?" Zelda asked from atop Storm.
"I forgot that there was a rockslide when it was raining...our horses can't climb it," I said. The wall before us wasn't that tall, only about twice my height, but there was no way to get Epona or Storm up there. I'd have to tell them about it when we arrived. "We have to walk."
I pulled the Zora Set out of Epona's pack, folding it into a small backpack. Zelda did the same with her clothes, and she took the Bow of Light out of Storm's pack, hooking it to her pack. We would let Epona and Storm graze around here while we were gone. They'd be fine, there were no monsters in the immediate area.
"Alright," I said, grabbing a nearby hold. "Up we go." With a grunt, I vaulted myself to the top, scrambling over the edge. Zelda climbed up slowly, carefully choosing which crevices she could put her foot in. Still, she only took a few seconds, and I helped her up over the edge.
Just then, I heard a snap to my left, just as Zelda's eyes focused on something behind me. Unsheathing the Master Sword, I swung hard as I turned around, and the Lizalfos lost its head, exploding into smoke.
"Careful...Lizalfos like to hang around here." I told her, sheathing my sword.
"Of course." She said, starting to walk towards Inogo Bridge.
"OH!" I heard. Looking towards the top of the platform, I spotted Gruve waving down at us. Carefully, he hopped down. "What are you doing here?" He asked.
"We came because of the message you sent," I said. "About Vah Ruta." He nodded.
"You're lucky I was looking for a good diving spot. I'll go ahead and tell them you're coming." He said. He glanced at Zelda, who shuffled closer to me, seemingly shy. Ignoring her, he waved goodbye, before flinging himself into the water, swimming towards Zora's Domain.
"Are you okay?" I asked, watching him climb the waterfall. "You seem...nervous?"
"I-I don't know anybody…" She trailed off, embarrassed by her shyness. I found it cute.
"It's fine," I said, walking across the bridge. She followed, still nervous. "They'll love you." I smiled. "I'm sure of it."
We made small talk as we walked towards Tabahl Woods. As we walked across the river, Zelda seemed less and less nervous, before she eventually became just as excited as she had been before.
"I was reading one of Purah's research books, and I saw notes about a strange blue creature?" She said as we crossed the river again.
"A Blupee?" I said, looking towards the waterfall. "They hop around, and if you hit it, it drops Rupees?"
"Yes! That one!" She turned around, walking backward. "How do you know about them?"
"There's this mountain, Satori Mountain, and the Lord of the Mountain lives up there. So when I went up there, it turns out there's an entire colony of Blupees...and when it's dark, you can actually see their glow from all across Hyrule." She turned back towards Central Hyrule, but the view was obscured by the Plateau with the Sheikah Tower, so she was unable to see anything.
We rounded the bend, climbing the hill past two waterfalls.
"For a Blood Moon, there aren't as many monsters as I thought there would be…" I said, absentmindedly.
"Do you want there to be more?" She asked, glaring back at me.
"N-no!" I said, raising my hands in surrender. "I'm just saying." She looked forward again. I sighed, slumping over. Sometimes it was hard to win.
Passing through the log, I heard a shuffling to my left. Zelda did too, turning towards the sound. She began to tread lightly, trying to spot whatever had made the sound. Just then, a boar broke through the bush, squealing as it ran between us.
"Oh-mmph!" I clapped my hand over her mouth, pulling the Master Sword from my back. That boar had had an arrow in its back. It had been running from the Lizalfos in the area. Zelda looked up at me, very confused.
"Lizalfos," I whispered. I stepped forwards, carefully moving around any of the dry leaves. "Stay quiet." She nodded, and I removed my hand.
Crouching, I peeked around the bush. There were two Blue Lizalfos standing in the road. They seemed upset. Probably because they'd lost their prey. They were croaking to each other, communicating. One of them turned around, away from me. I signaled to Zelda to stay behind.
I shot out of the foliage, rushing towards the two. The one facing me noticed, pointing towards me, caught completely unawares. The other one began to turn just as I lept into the air. Its eyes widened, and the last thing it saw was the gleam of my sword.
I'd sliced directly into the Lizalfos' brain, and it exploded into purple smoke. The other one rushed towards me, brandishing a Forked Lizal Boomerang. However, before it could react, I lopped it's horn off its head, before slashing back, cutting a hole in its side. It collapsed to the ground in pain, and I stabbed it through the head, ending its life.
I placed my sword back into its scabbard. Zelda ran towards me, coming out of the bushes.
"Are you alright?" She asked, looking me over for injuries.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, stopping her. "They're pretty weak anyway."
"But you can be really reckless sometimes, and you take hits that you don't have to!" She exclaimed, in exasperation. She was probably thinking about how I'd acted before. It was true, I had been reckless. But I thought that now I was better. I was stupid sometimes, but I wasn't reckless.
"Don't worry," I said. "I'm careful." She looked like she didn't believe me in the slightest, but she dropped the topic. "Let's keep going," I said, picking up the horn I had chopped off. "We need to make camp somewhere."
She walked ahead, resuming our hike towards Zora's Domain. Walking between the crude watchtowers, again, I found it really weird that there weren't as many monsters as usual.
'Maybe without Ganon, not as many of them can reform?' I thought. Zelda ran ahead, spotting a restless cricket. I watched as her hips swayed, showing off her round buttocks. '...I can see her panties…' I could feel the blood rushing towards my face...along with other places.
She pounced on it, missing by just a hair, and it flew away, out of reach. She stood, dusting herself off, before looking back at me curiously. I averted my eyes, hoping that I hadn't been caught. What would I do if she thought I was a pervert!
'You are though.'
'Shut up!'
Fortunately, Zelda turned back, confused, but she wrote it off as nothing important, and we continued towards the Bank of Wishes. I continued to watch them bounce back and forth, back and forth. It was almost hypnotic.
She seemed stiff. She could probably feel my gaze on her. I knew that I shouldn't have been watching her like this, but it just drew my eyes back, again and again. It was like a magnet. Still, it looked like she didn't know why I was watching her so closely, so I was in the clear. For now.
Suddenly, Zelda froze up. I forced myself to look ahead. Two Lizalfos. One of them was Blue, but the other was a color I'd never seen before. Green.
'Dammit! This wouldn't have happened if you'd paid any attention!' The logical side of my brain said.
'Yeah, but watching her ass is more fun.' I ignored the other voice, running in front of her.
They rushed at us, the blue one reaching us noticeably faster than the Green one. It swung at me before it jumped backward, almost landing on his partner. It opened its mouth, and its tongue shot out at me. I dodged sideways, shoving Zelda out of the way. It retracted its tongue, before rushing towards me again. I lifted my sword, driving it into its chest as it ran. Twisting, I cut a nice hole in its lung, before pulling my sword back. It collapsed, bleeding its purple blood before it turned black and exploded into smoke. I turned towards the Green Lizalfos.
It seemed hesitant since I'd just killed its partner, but it ran forwards anyway. I slashed as it approached, barely making a mark in its side.
It collapsed, exploding immediately.
"...what?!" I yelled, completely confused. "It...it just died?! That's it?!"
"It was only a green one…" Zelda said, returning to my side.
"I've never seen one before! I thought they were the next level up or something!"
"No...Green Lizalfos are the weakest variant...have you really never seen one?"
"Never! Not a single time. It's always been the blue ones that are the weakest. And then it was Black, Silver, and finally Gold."
"Gold?" She said. "I've never seen a golden monster before…"
"That's a good thing because even a golden Bokoblin is powerful..." I shook my head, putting the Master Sword away. "So then the red one I saw yesterday…?"
"The weakest variant." She confirmed.
"Of thank Hylia…" I breathed a sigh of relief. "So I've been worried for nothing, huh?"
"I guess so." She laughed. I looked down the road. We'd just passed the Bank of Wishes, and I could barely see Oren Bridge. Looking up at the sky, the sun was hidden behind the hills. "What time is it?"
"Um…" She pulled the Sheikah Slate off her hip. "It's...6:55" I cringed. The sun was going to go down soon. Looking around, I spotted the pot that the Lizalfos had been camping around.
"Let's make camp for the night," I said, pointing at the fire. "I'll cook us something." We sat before the fire, feeling it heat us as the air began to cool. I found a grill rack the Lizalfos had fashioned out of sticks and placed it over the pot. The fire was already hot, so I threw some Hyrule Herb along with Swift Carrots and a Hearty Radish. I quickly cut them with the knife I'd brought with me, before salting them. Within minutes the air was filled with the smell of Grilled Greens.
"I didn't bring plates, so we're gonna have to eat from the grill," I told her, handing her a fork. She had been looking up at Divine Beast Vah Ruta, bit at the sound of my voice, she looked back at me.
"Mm-hm." She nodded. We ate slowly, savoring the taste. By the time the food was gone, night had fallen, and you could hear the crickets sing through the night.
Zelda was leaning against the rock, watching the fire. I moved next to her, staring out towards the river.
"This reminds me of old times…" I said softly. She nodded.
"It does...but you're so much more talkative." She looked up at me. "Why is that?"
"Well…" I started. "You know that I felt like everyone had their eyes on me, and I didn't want to let them down, so I stopped talking, right?" She nodded. "Well, when I woke up, I didn't remember any of that. I didn't even know I did that until I was told...so by the time I could remember that I used to do that, I stopped caring so much. I thought, "Hey, it's okay to be scared, and it's okay to be confused, as long as you keep going." I trailed off for a moment. "I didn't know anybody, so who was gonna judge me?" I laughed. "It didn't matter anyway."
She was silent for a moment. Before she looked back towards the fire. "I like you like this...you were kind and chivalrous before...but now you seem more...human. You say what you feel. I feel like I've learned more about you in the last week than I did in all those months we traveled together…"
"Maybe…" We both stared off into the distance, wrapped in our own heads. Eventually, it got boring, and I began to shift, looking for something to do. Pulling my backpack towards me, I rummaged through it. Zelda watched me curiously.
"Let's start reading this," I said, pulling the book Impa had given us. "I want to know more about what this thing can do," I said, pointing to the back of my hand.
"Okay." She said, taking Purah's key out of the front cover. I opened to the first page, holding it so we could both see it.
"Uh...The Triforce...is a legendary...artifact...right?" She nodded. "Okay…" I took a moment, trying to translate the rest in my head. "The Triforce is a legendary artifact created by the Three Golden Goddesses just after the creation…That was a long time ago." I noted. "It is a binding force, holding this world together...and Hyrule would not exist without it...That's a pretty shitty deal. Can grant any wish, so people want it, but we need to keep it around or else Hyrule falls?"
"Just keep reading," Zelda commanded.
"Fine, fine…" I cleared my throat. "The Triforce has three parts, each part having its own properties...The Triforce of Power, created by Din, is the triangle on the top and is known to bless the user with unimaginable strength and attack power. It grants a boost to all magic and physical attacks, and gives the user an unlimited mana pool...and of course, the bad guy has to get that."
Zelda snorted, hiding her laughter. I grinned, happy that I'd gotten her to laugh. "Stop commentating!" She chided.
"But I thought you liked it!" I chuckled, looking down at her. She pouted, glaring back at me. "Jeez...let's see...The Triforce of Wisdom, created by Nayru, is the bottom left triangle and blesses the user with knowledge of all magic. It can be used to heal, seal, attack and defend. It is very versatile and will grant knowledge of magic the user did not know of before...hey, that means you know every magic ever!" I remarked. Zelda nodded against my shoulder, suppressing a yawn. "Tired?"
"Yes." She said, glancing up at me. "Very."
"Well let me just finish this page. Okay?" She nodded. "The Triforce of Courage...little is known about its effects, and it is only granted to those already possessing unshakable wills...Well, that's dumb. It won't even tell me what I can do!" I said. "Did no one know that it can pause time?!" I asked, looking down at Zelda.
I stopped talking when I realized that Zelda had fallen asleep. She was leaning against my shoulder, breathing softly, only illuminated by the fire's light. I closed the book, taking the key back from Zelda. I put the book back in my backpack, before I leaned forward, resting my arms on my knees. I settled down, watching the fire burn the last of the logs away.
'I really do love her...how will I even talk about it though...I've never done this before.' I thought, looking at her sleeping face. She seemed content. I could even see a faint smile gracing her lips. '...whatever I do, I'll stay right by her side. She's my everything. She's the one who gives my life a purpose.' The fire finally died, revealing the stars to me. 'I won't ever let her go.'
So, Link is getting distracted. ;)
I'm trying to justify the M rating that I gave this, but there won't be anything adult for a while. Not until they've actually gotten together.
Please tell me if I made any mistakes. If you have any questions or are confused about anything, leave a review and I'll answer it when I post the next chapter.
