a/n; Happy New Year! This turned out to be a monster chapter—it didn't want to end. I hope no one minds a super long chapter. ;)

Also, warning for very minor violence, but it's nothing anyone can't handle. Happy reading!


Before they set off from Eldin, Link shows her around the rest of the mountain. So set have they been in their routine with waking up at dawn, even going to bed in the wee hours of the morning doesn't change their internal schedules. Zelda wakes up at six am on the dot. Link is already up, cooking their breakfast.

He ends up showing her the Daqa Koh and the Kayra Mah shrines. The Daqa Koh is very short and straightforward, using the raising blocks as a jumping platform onto the different platforms around the room until gliding onto the entrance leading to the monk's enclosure. After a few words of persuasion, Link let Zelda use the paraglider on her own. And while Zelda misses the opportunity to wrap herself around Link on the paraglider, she has a blast jumping and gliding from the different platforms.

"Link!" she shouts mid-air, making a circular pattern around the shrine chamber. "This is exhilarating!"

All the while, Link occasionally reminds her to note her stamina, and if she becomes fatigued. Zelda secretly applauds herself that she never slips or needs Link to catch her from falling.

The Kayra Mah shrine is located in the Gorko Tunnel, and on the way there, Link tells her about the brothers Bladon and Gonguron. Bladon had asked Link's assistance to find his brother, and Link—being Link, of course—couldn't refuse reuniting family members. "Gonguron ended up being passed out inside," Link explains as they enter, making their way to the shrine at the end of the pathway. "He worked too hard trying to break through the rocks at the end of the tunnel. In order to wake him up, I had to fetch rock roast at Gortram Cliff and bring it back. After cooking it, Gonguron woke up, ate it in record time, and became so revitalized that he axed through the mounds of rock that were previously covering the shrine. He was on a mission to 'unlock the hero's secret.' I had to keep myself from answering it for him," Link deadpans. Zelda snorts.

"These brothers sound like interesting characters," she says. "I've heard rock roast from Gortram is supposedly the best rock here for feasting." She shakes her head. "I remember Daruk insisted I try one of them. It was some sort of…special cut of rock roast. I felt so bad when I thought about refusing—he was so insistent and excited about it—so I ended up taking a piece of rock and tried to chew through it. He watched me the whole time! I could hardly hide my disgust when it was in my mouth, though I did try," she laughs.

Link smiles at her. "I actually read about that. Daruk kept a…'training journal.' He didn't think it was manly to call it a diary. He wrote about that, too. That you were grimacing about something. He didn't seem to catch on that it was from the rock roast."

Zelda shakes her head in good humor. "That's good to know, then."

"I can't imagine you trying it, Zelda. A princess eating rocks?"

"There are worse things to try," she says. "Take your dubious food, for instance."

Link makes a sound between a huff and a sigh. "It's really not that bad unless you put monster parts in it."

Zelda curls her mouth into a grimace, much like the one she had when eating the rock a long, long time ago. "Link, monster parts?"

"It was a one-time thing. I was curious."

Zelda's never fully known the true meaning of adventurous before he came along.

Once inside the shrine, Link points out the objective, which is very plain and, again, straightforward.

"So you run up the ramp, avoid getting rolled over by the metal spheres, and then you'd be at the Sheikah platform."

"Simple," Zelda says, automatically beginning her trek up the incline. She's stopped abruptly with Link's hand wrapped around her forearm.

"You're not doing this one," he says. "I just wanted to show you."

Zelda gapes at him. "Link! Remember the other shrine where I told you I wouldn't get trampled? This is the same. I'll use the Slate on the spheres."

He shakes his head and holds firm. "I'm sure you would be fine, but this shrine is a higher risk than the one before, and I'm not allowing it."

"Link," she tries in her sternest, most intimidating tone. "I can handle myself—"

"I know you can," he says. "But doing this shrine is a needless danger to your well-being. I would feel much better if you forewent this one, princess."

His continuous refusal grates on her, but it's the formality he uses at the end of his statement that truly irks her. She wonders for a moment if they will ever outgrow the guardian-princess banner that hangs over them.

She sighs deeply, but Link's seriousness clinches her decision.

"Fine, Link," she says. "You, however, must remember that I'm fully capable of accomplishing these things. A cut or bruise won't kill me."

Link tilts his head at her, and he looks relieved. "No, they won't, but recklessness can. And you don't want to be reckless like I am, do you?"

"Link, you can't use that as an argument. It's like saying I'll stop being stubborn."

"Fair point, Zelda."

Next, they make their way toward Goronbi Lake to the Qua Raym shrine. Being on a small rock island in the middle of the lava pool, Zelda is surprised that Link takes them up to a tall, cliff outcropping overlooking the shrine, as well as giving them enough distance to paraglide down. From his reaction from before, it didn't seem like he'd feel comfortable letting her paraglide down with him toward the lava, but it's a nice surprise nonetheless.

Zelda almost mentions it, but she decides against it when he silently kneels for her to climb onto his back.

When they make it inside, Zelda observes all the upraised platforms and boxes. Link helps fill her in on the missing components, the locked door, and where the small key had been located. While he's explaining, Zelda continues on like she does in the other shrines, which includes taking a lot of pictures and making her way up to the monk's platform.

"Don't worry!" she calls down, smiling cheekily. "I'll avoid the spikes!"

Once they finish up and make their way back outside, Zelda looks doubtfully around them. There doesn't seem to be a way to get back to the main land without drowning in lava.

"Link…" she says. "How will we get back? I suppose you'll use the travel medallion again while I use the Slate?"

Link looks around them before answering, and then making up his mind, he says, "No. There's a better way to do it." He kneels. "Climb on."

Unsure, Zelda does as she's told. She doesn't notice any updraft in the area that might help them, so she doesn't know what to expect. Link's face, as always, gives nothing away.

"Hold on tight," he instructs her. She burrows in close enough to him so that her nose is pressing into his neck. He smells like the wilds, she thinks inadvertently.

"Okay," she whispers.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

Suddenly, they're taken on a swift, very large updraft into the air. Wind rushes up from the ground, propels them up at least ten stories high, and she swears she sees a faint outlining of Revali swirling around them before they begin to paraglide back to the main path leading back to Eldin. Her stomach bottoms out at the force, and she lets out an involuntary shriek.

"Link!" she exclaims. "Is this Revali's Gale?"

She can see the lines on his face form into a grin. "It's fun, isn't it?"

"Let's do this all the time!"

Link laughs at that.

Once they land, Link says, "I wish I could do it more often, but I can only do it three times in succession before needing to wait a few hours until I can do it again."

"Does that go for each other power, as well?" Zelda asks.

He nods. "I can do all of them three times, except Mipha's Grace. I can only do her power once."

"Oh, I see. It's a powerful healing property, isn't it?"

"Yes. It heals me when I'm badly injured or on the verge of unconsciousness," he says.

"You'll have to show me each power, excluding that one," she says. "I'd love to see Mipha's Grace, but I'd rather not see you bleeding profusely."

"It works very quickly. You wouldn't even see any of the blood."

Zelda shakes her head at him in exasperation. "It's almost like you want more scars."

They stop for lunch soon after, near the Medingo Pool down the path. Zelda realizes that Link is more talkative than usual today. Case and point—he begins to talk about the different quests and people he met during his time in Eldin before defeating Ganon without one word to prompt him to start.

Zelda is very pleased with this turn of events. She's not even sure if she can remember a time when he began a conversation all on his own. She eats the meat he hands her and settles in as Link tells her about Bayge, Heehi, and Kabetta, the Goron Blood Brothers, and how Link was initiated as an honorary Goron Brother due to his success on the Gut Check Challenge.

"He also challenged me to an endurance test, where we had to stand on heated rock for a period of time. Heat-resistant armor wasn't allowed, so I used an elixir. They were none the wiser."

Zelda smiles at him. "Isn't that cheating, hero?"

"They didn't mention a word about not using elixirs," Link says, defending his choice. While he keeps a straight face, his eyes are alight with mischief.

"I must say, I am quite surprised at your choice of action, Link."

"I like winning," he says, flashing her a grin.

He also tells her more about Daruk's training journal, and what he read about before.

"I think I had a strong bond with him," Link says, finishing up his meal. He throws the bones into the air and they catch on fire not two seconds later. "More than I realized, until I read his journal. I have a feeling it was because he didn't mind that I didn't talk much. He talked enough for the both of us. And we both liked food. I think that's really what started our friendship."

Zelda thinks back on Daruk, smiling softly at the memories. "He was a gentle giant. He was ferocious and strong, too, of course. Being a champion, those two traits are necessary to have. But he was so easygoing, and he never had it in him to worry for long. He was…lovable. In fact, as fearless as he was, the one thing he couldn't handle were dogs. Of all things!" she laughs briefly. Link's eyes crinkle with amusement.

"Dogs? Really?"

"Yes," she says, shaking her head. "He had some bad experiences when he was young. He never got over it."

"Huh," Link says. "I wouldn't have guessed."

"What about you, Link?" she asks, curious. "Do you have any secret fears? Phobias?"

Link scratches the back of his head. "Good question. I'm…not sure. The only one I can think of now is imagining you getting squashed by a giant metal ball."

Zelda rolls her eyes, but she smiles.

"In all seriousness, though, Link. Is there anything that scares you? Anything at all?"

Link frowns in contemplation, thinking for a long while as he watches a few, stray embers float around them.

"I'm sure there's something trivial and mundane that strikes an immediate fear in me, like spiders or a pit full of spikes."

"A pit full of spikes, mundane?" she says, semi-joking. He shrugs sheepishly.

"It's lost to me," he admits after a few more moments of thinking. "I have a good grasp of what it was before—my big fear. It was the same as yours, Zelda."

Zelda catches his eye. Oh, she thinks. Failure.

"'We're the same, you and I,'" she says, repeating and remembering a conversation they had once, those years ago. "It was a silly question. I always hoped, back then, that the fear of failure could be worse than the outcome of my failure. It was another naïve denial I would tell myself on the bad days," she says, looking away from him. "We both know the price of that failure, don't we? Now, it seems that fear of anything is…obsolete."

Link looks at her for a while, and he regains his characteristic reticence within the span of a few silent, long minutes. His chattiness is gone, and Zelda regrets the course of the conversation. He seems serious and thoughtful, a hardened lowering of his brow creating bold lines on his face.

He finally says, "We are not who we were a hundred years ago. We both know that. It's been hard for me to mourn over what was lost, to discern what I feel and how I should feel. It…would be easy for me to keep busy, stay occupied, and avoid my emotions. The cowardly way, to hide and become nobody. If it weren't for you, Zelda, it wouldn't matter what I did. I would have no one and nothing but a solitary life, shrouded in my own mysteries of who I am." He looks at her, and she feels it deeply, striking the chord of her soul like his gaze tends to do. "Every day, you continue to give meaning to the parts of me that I don't know, and may never know, and…" he glances to the heated earth surrounding them and the lingering haze of smoke. "Maybe that's why I'm so protective—not because I used to be your personal guard and not because I still feel a duty to protect you from the cuts and bruises that won't kill you."

In the spaces between his words, Zelda fears her heart may burst. She swallows the overwhelming onslaught as best she can.

When she remains silent, he continues. "I apologize for earlier, in the Kayra Mah shrine. I was a bit…overbearing. I see that now. I'll let you explore the shrines fully from now on."

As always, he makes it impossible for her to be even slightly mad at anything he does. She opens her mouth, and she's not sure if she'll sob, laugh, or form words at all.

"I don't mind," she says, without any break in her voice. It's a small miracle. It's probably Hylia, pitying me and giving me strength, she thinks. "Link, I don't mind a bit."

"Careful, Zelda," he says, softly but teasingly. "If you tell me that, you might regret it later when I go back on my word."

"I'll allow it if the shrine has a pit full of spikes or spiders crawling along the walls," she says, finding herself in a state of recovery.

Link smiles, and Goddess help her—she's so far into the never-ending abyss, so far fallen, so fully armored with nothing but vulnerability. It's terrifying. Where it used to be a simple fear, nearly overcome the day before in the Springs, it's suddenly evolved into her new, big fear. It doesn't seem so obsolete, in this moment. She spoke too soon beforehand.

Way to go, Zelda. Way to go.

"I'll take it," he says, standing up. She follows his lead. "Where to, next?"

They begin to leave Eldin soon after, the midday sun unforgiving in the cloudless sky. Zelda's drenched in sweat, and she's not upset to carry on from the fiery atmosphere of Daruk's hometown.

They pass through the Maw of Death Mountain within the next hour, recovering at the Foothill Stable and acquiring their horses before moving along the path towards the west, in the direction of Central Hyrule. They pass through the rolling, rocky hills of Trilby Valley to their right, then over the strip of land flanked by the river surrounding the Lanayru Wetlands and Zelo Pond. Once they make it to the fork at Thims Bridge, Link halts his horse. After a moment or two, he seems to decide on something, and dismounts. Zelda follows his lead before asking why they've stopped.

"The sun will set in an hour or two," Link answers. "This is a great area to teach you archery, if you would like."

Zelda gasps, immediately excited. "Oh, that's a wonderful idea!"

"Good, I'm glad you want to," Link says, grabbing one of the many bows in his possession off his back. He hands it to her before grabbing another bow. He leads them off the path and towards a small copse of trees. He begins to show her, by example, the basics: how to hold the bow, how to knock arrows, how to aim, proper stance and breathing.

Link is a thorough and critical teacher. He makes sure she understands the proper techniques, and he commands her to knock back arrows several times without having her release them, so she knows the feel of it with ingrained confidence and familiarity. She can imagine him commanding a garrison of soldiers, teaching them the ways of swordplay and battle strategies.

"Your elbow tends to fall when you bring the arrow fully back," he says, walking up closer to her. She drops her arms and sighs.

"Probably because it's the fiftieth time I've done it."

"Even so," Link says. "Technique goes a long way for effectiveness as well as efficiency. Knock back an arrow, again."

Her face pinches in exasperation, but she does as he instructs, much more aware of her elbow height along with the fatigue burning in her shoulder. Link comes around behind her, and he taps the underside of her elbow with his fingers. Zelda's never realized how sensitive that area of skin is before.

"Keep your elbow here, in line with your shoulder. Keep your chest proud and back straight. Good. Now," he says, his chest touching her back. He leans in close to her, raising his arm up so she can see him point. "Focus on that tree that's about twenty feet in front of us. Take a breath, let it out slowly…then release your arrow."

Zelda concentrates on his words instead of his closeness—or tries well enough, anyway. She follows his directions, and when she exhales her breath, she lets her arrow fly.

The arrow chips the side of the tree, a chunk of bark twirling off into the grasses. Zelda smiles.

"I hit it," she says, relieved that she didn't miss it entirely. She turns her head to look over her shoulder at him, and he's still close to her. If she leans back, she could rest her body inside of his, like a warm cave.

"It was very good," he says. "The first few times to learn and practice is not easy."

"For normal people, you mean?"

He chuckles. "I was better with a sword. I had to practice longer with a bow."

"The almighty hero? I'm shocked."

"You better believe it. I was dismal," he says. "That's something I remember. I hated it, so I think that's why I can remember it so clearly. Now, I'll have you shoot a few more arrows. We have a little time before the sun fully sets."

Zelda ends up shooting five more times before calling it quits. She's almost able to hit the middle of the tree by the fifth arrow, and she can't hide her pride in herself. However, her arms are shaky and clumsy, and her lack of muscle conditioning is humbling—especially under the tutelage of Link.

"You'll be sore tomorrow," he tells her, as if reading her thoughts.

She grimaces. "Yes. I figured as much. I'm becoming sore as we speak," she says, holding a hand out in front of her and watching it vibrate with exhaustion.

"It's a minor annoyance," Link says. "The good thing is that if you work into the soreness, it'll go away faster. We'll do that tomorrow morning, if it suits you."

And that's exactly what they do. In the morning, Zelda wants to cry at the deep, penetrating pain in her arms. She tries to hold back her complaints, though she can't avoid squinting, grimacing, and making a lot of uncomfortable, facial contortions when she warms up with postural stances and knocking back arrows.

If Link notices this, he doesn't say a word—which is surprising due to the sole fact that he never passes up an opportunity to tease her. Instead, he comes up to her a few minutes into her warm-up with a jar containing an odd-colored liquid.

"Try this," he says. "It'll increase your strength for a while. It makes soreness more bearable."

Bless him. She smiles at him gratefully before taking the jar. She sniffs the concoction first and begins to cough, the smell distinctly strange and stringent.

"Link…" she starts.

He anticipates this, because he says, "Just plug your nose and swallow it. Trust me."

She looks at him with a dubious stare, then she looks back at the jar. She sighs, succumbing to her fate of possibly throwing up.

"Alright, down the hatch," she says, plugging her nose and trying to swallow the jelly-like substance as quickly as she can. She coughs but is amazed that it doesn't leave a terrible aftertaste like she was expecting. She also feels the effects of it immediately, her muscles feeling stronger and more assertive, as if she could make an arrow fly fifty feet further.

"Oh," she says, staring at the now empty jar, intrigued. "What is this?"

"A mighty elixir," Link says. "It boosts attack power."

"I see," she says, deciding if she wants to know the ingredients. Perhaps not so soon after swallowing, but she is curious, so she stashes the question away for a later time.

Soon, Zelda is aiming at another tree, and once she's able to hit near and around the middle of the tree with consecutive hits, Link decides it's time to make it more challenging. He places an apple—a very, very small apple—on top of a medium-sized rock that he finds somewhere around the area. Zelda was too preoccupied with knocking off arrows to notice where he went within the five minutes she wasn't paying attention.

"Alright," Link says. "When you're ready."

Zelda exhales, staring at the apple. She tries to concentrate. It's only fifteen feet away, but it doesn't change the fact that it's intimidatingly small nor does it change the fact that Link's stare is the most intimidating audience when he's standing just off to the side in her periphery.

Oh, Zelda, she thinks. If you can't even ignore the outline he makes, how are you going to survive the rest of the trip? She pulls back an arrow, doing her best to aim. She takes a short breath in, holds it, and lets the arrow fly.

The arrow soars just above the apple. The apple blinks back at her. She growls under her breath, knocking back another arrow.

She continues her barrage of arrows until Link stops her. She's baffled when he tells her she's been going on for an hour.

"What?" she says, her voice high-pitched. "I've been in this same spot for an hour?"

Link smiles at her incredulity. "Not so unlike when you prayed at the Springs, is it?"

She blinks, the similarity he noted eerily similar. "Yes. Yes, you're right. Old habits, I guess. I still can't tell time."

He has everything packed, she belatedly notices. The horses are aligned parallel with the path. Link walks up to her to take the bow, but she stops him.

"Wait, just one more," she says. She looks forward, back to the still unmarked apple. She glares, bringing her elbow back and up, standing tall. She is going to get it, this time, that damn, stubborn thing. She breathes out, and the arrow flies. It is still just above the apple, but it nicks the stem. The apple topples over off the rock and into the grass. Zelda sighs. A whole hour, and she hasn't shown any progress.

"Better," Link says, tilting his head towards her. "You hit the leaf."

Zelda waves her arms out. She's sure she looks like a child throwing a tantrum. "I've been shooting around it this whole time. I'm not improving, I'm staying the same." She rubs at her forehead, feeling puerile, and yet she can't shake the feeling that she's supposed to be good at this. She decides that talking about it out loud will help.

"I think I wrongly thought that I'd have the skill already—my ancestors were said to be adept with the bow. Skilled and masterful. Of course, they wouldn't have gotten that way without practice…but…I don't know." She rolls her shoulders, feeling a little embarrassed at her explanation. "Maybe I was hoping their skill was passed along and dormant, without the need of practice. After Ganon and unlocking my power, I'd have the skills of generations before."

Link looks over at her, crossing his arms. "Maybe we'll have to reenact our last battle to see if the dormant power will come out, now that you have a bow in your possession."

Zelda smiles at him. "Ha-ha. Right."

"Or we can practice for an hour every day, and then you'll get really good at it."

"As good as you?"

"No," he says, grinning. "I'm supposed to be better than you. What else would you need me around for?"

She merely rolls her eyes at him. "Alright, I believe I'm done for the day," she says, walking up to him to hand him the bow.

"We'll do it again tomorrow unless you change your mind."

"That sounds like a plan," she agrees.

They decide to continue on the path following Thims Bridge toward Central Hyrule. Zelda asked if Link would like to visit the Korok Forest and the Deku Tree to return the Master Sword, but he declines.

"I'll keep it with us during the rest of this journey, just in case," he answers simply. Zelda is just fine with his decision, and they make their way across the Thims Bridge, following the path south past Crenel Peak and towards the Wetland Stable.

"Have you climbed every mountain in Hyrule, Link?" she asks them, her eyes lingering on Crenel Peak as they pass.

Link thinks for a while. "I would like to say that I have. Hylia knows I've tried, but I'm sure there are a few that I've missed. Hebra has several—that's probably the place I don't feel confident in saying I've explored fully, or scaled every mountain."

Zelda suppresses a shiver. "I was about to say I was disappointed, but… Hebra. That's understandable."

"You mean, you don't love it when it gets twenty below and aggressive wind-chill?"

"I prefer the temperatures where my toes don't turn blue."

"That's no fun," Link says, flashing her a grin.

"Says the man with thirty sets of armor and cold-resistant elixirs lining his magical traveling pack."

"It pays to be prepared," he says. "I will say, though, shield-surfing in the Hebra snowdrifts is one of my favorite things to do."

"Shield-surfing?" Zelda asks. "As in, using your shield to ride down a mountain?"

Link smiles. "Yes, exactly like that. But you can surf on any sloped, grassy area. I'll show you, sometime. It's great."

Zelda imagines Link's diving energy converted into surfing down the steepest slope of Hebra Peak, and the image is unsurprisingly easy to visualize. She's sure he does a few flips at breakneck speed for added measure.

They make a quick pit-stop at the Wetland Stable. Link stocks up on more apples, to Zelda's amusement, and Zelda spies another Rumor Mill on the table inside the stable.

"Oh, Link, it's another one!" she says, calling him over to her side. "In this one, she talks about the dragons of Hyrule. I wonder, do you think they're still flying around as frequently as before?"

"I couldn't say, princess," Link says. "It's quite possible. After freeing them from Malice, they seemed to enjoy roaming in the skies above their regions. I saw them quite frequently." He looks over at her. "Dinraal usually travels in Tanagar Canyon during the night, so once we get to the Tabantha Great Bridge, we can see if he's still around."

"Good idea," she says. "I haven't seen the dragons since…well…" she says, trailing. "I guess since I was a little girl. I hope he's still flying. They're magnificent creatures."

They explore the Kaya Wan shrine before continuing on, heading west on the Rebonae Bridge and crossing into Hyrule Field. Zelda feels an immediate wave of comfort and sadness at the familiar grasses, the open land, and the broken and quiet stillness of the breezes that sing by them.

She doesn't have much to say, or that she wants to say. Her eyes repeatedly find their way to Hyrule Castle on their right. Her mind fills in the vacant picture with colors and life—the bustling busyness of Castle Town and the incessant, musical clamoring of noise. The merchants, bards, and families would all have their own tones and echoes across the fields, and the trading routes would always be bustling with transports, coming to and fro from all directions. She sees where the cathedral used to be, the steeple poking up above the houses and markets.

Much of the path is marred with dead husks of guardians, some frozen in motion from their new death, others covered with vines and disconnected parts from the ravaging of years.

As they begin to cross into the northwestern path, Link's voice brings her out of the past.

"Princess," he says. "Can we stop for a moment?"

His tone is…different, but calm. Zelda can't put a finger on what's wrong, but she has an instinctual grip on her stomach that something is, indeed, wrong.

"Of course," she says, stopping her horse besides his. He dismounts and she follows his lead. He immediately comes to walk around beside her.

"Do you smell anything that doesn't belong?"

Zelda frowns, taking deep inhales of the air. She doesn't have any idea what he's talking about until a gentle breeze passes by, carrying with it the faint, sweet smell of ripened…bananas.

"Oh," she says, her stomach drooping. "Yes. The Yiga."

Link is close to her, his entire body concentrated on their surroundings. He nods. "I didn't think they'd be so bold—" he says, but he's cut off by a distant laughter. Three Yiga appear in a burst of orange and red, surrounding them on all sides. Link pushes himself closer to Zelda.

"Stay right here," he says. Link suddenly seems very mighty and very all-encompassing around her, though he is just a bit shorter than she is. Zelda's worry immediately dissipates, and Link has the audacity to grin at her over his shoulder.

"Lookie, here! If it isn't the hero and the princess! Yes, that's right! We know who you are, and we're going to make you wish you'd never destroyed Calamity Ganon or Master K—"

One of the Yiga's speech is cut short by one of Link's arrows, now embedded into his neck. He grasps at it and chokes, falling to his knees. Zelda glances to the side and behind her at the other Yiga, who hesitate, glancing at one another, until dashing towards them, sickles drawn and flashing in the sunlight.

Link throws a spear that materializes into his hands—Zelda does a double take before she understands it came out of his pack—at one of the Yiga, who takes a precious moment to deflect it. Link uses the distraction to slice into the Yiga's midsection with his sword, and the Yiga screeches before vanishing into the swirl of red.

The remaining Yiga aims his bow at Link during the onslaught on his companion, but Link sees it and turns, easily blocking it and rushing forward. The Yiga disappears as Link gets closer, but Link waits patiently for him to reappear, sheathing his sword and aiming his bow until the telltale orange and red emerges. Link doesn't seem to notice when the colors appear behind him, and Zelda shouts his name in sudden panic. But Link already has his sword drawn and swung just as the Yiga resurfaces from his teleportation. His head flies through the air like a toy, and Zelda can't help but look away from the sight.

Link sheaths his sword and replaces his bow into his pack. "Like I was saying," he says, walking up to her and continuing the conversation from earlier. Zelda examines him for any stray cuts as he gets closer, though she doesn't need to. It's still force of habit. "I didn't think they'd be so bold to attack us in broad daylight. I haven't seen any suspicious travelers on our paths. I had thought they would have disappeared once we sealed Ganon away. But perhaps they're even more incensed, and that they know you're alive and well, they'll try that much harder to assassinate one or both of us." He shakes his head, looking over her as well.

Zelda sighs. "Well, this attack does make sense—and I'm sure it's one of many. The Yiga are nothing if not persistent and fueled with spite."

"A bit illogical, too, but what cult isn't crazy?" He gestures to her body. "They didn't touch you anywhere?"

She shakes her head. "No, not at all. I don't think they even had a chance to look at me, much less try anything. You either?" She pushes his bangs back to see his forehead and the sides of his face without realizing what she's doing. It's more out of habit than of need—she knows he didn't allow one of them to get anywhere near him. She takes her hand back.

"No, I'm fine," he says, smiling and watching the arc of her hand. "Let's make sure to keep our noses peeled from now on, okay?"

Zelda blinks and then snorts. "Link, did you just make a pun? About bananas?"

He grins with a sheepish shrug. "I couldn't help it."

"You're a dork," she says affectionately. "Well, this was a lively morning. Who knew we'd be the target of an attempted ambush today."

"With Ganon gone, it could be ten thousand more years before the next prophecy." Link tilts his head. "I'm just not sure why they'd continue existing."

"I guess we'll see what happens to them now that it's all over. And I'll keep my "nose peeled" like you said."

"Yes, of course," he says, flashing her yet another grin. It must be a world-record, Zelda thinks. She wishes he would smile like that all the time.

They mount their horses and continue on, past Mount Gustaf and the Carok Bridge, until they arrive at the Breach of Demise.

"It's such a foreboding name," she says, looking around at the depths of the craggy cliffs and the unpredictable border of sky above them. "Still, it doesn't look any more dangerous than it was a hundred years ago." She takes out the Slate and examines the area. "Oh, look, it says we're close to a shrine!" She looks around at their general area. She spies an opening in the cliff face above them, sighing. "Of course, there would be one in here. We can still go, can't we?"

Link half-shrugs. "Sure, as long as you don't mind a little climbing."

"Definitely not!" she beams.

They make it to the Zalta Wa shrine not too long later. Entitled Two Orbs to Guide You, it's a simple and direct sequence of events.

Link shows her where the first orb was on a column above the bowled divot in the middle of the floor below.

"How did you get the orb down?" she asks. "Did you fan it with a korok leaf?"

Link shakes his head, though he smiles at her. "No, I didn't even think about that. I'm sure it would have worked, but I used stasis and hit it with an arrow. When you use stasis on an object, it incrementally adds the energy you place on it. So, the more you hit it, the farther the object will move for you. Hitting it with an arrow gave it just enough to tap it in."

"Huh," Zelda says, imagining the orb on top of the column. "I didn't realize stasis could work that way."

"It took me a while to realize it, too."

Zelda looks at him over her shoulder with a smirk. "It's hard to believe that when everything you do is perfect."

Link laughs at that. "Not at all, Zelda."

"Uh-huh, save it for the common people, hero. I've seen too much of your smarts and. And skill," she adds after a moment.

Link sighs, but it doesn't seem like he minds the compliment.

He shows her where the other orb had been, inside the drawn door that opened once the first orb had settled in its hole, along with the switch that opened the other door holding the place for the second orb.

"Once both orbs are in place," he tells her, "that stone shelf was activated. It elongated and shortened after every few seconds. It seems that it's inactive, now."

"Hm, I see. I wonder why. I guess it might be that some of the shrines are shutting off, since they've been completed," Zelda comments as they walk toward the orange crystal.

"Could be," Link says. "We'll keep an eye on it." He goes up to the crystal and touches it. "I don't think you've seen one of these, yet, have you?" Zelda is already examining and taking pictures. "If you hit it, it'll change from orange to blue and provoke a mechanism." He looks at her when she's done with her observation. "Would you like to hit it?"

He holds out a Boko club to her, and she delicately takes it.

"Okay..." Zelda says. She grips the club, carefully bringing it over her shoulder, and swings it down. Before she knows it, the ground pushes up from underneath them and they're rocketed into the air. Zelda gives a short, involuntary scream at the sudden motion, dropping the club from the force, and she isn't even sure when Link came up behind her. His arms have found their way around her middle as they come back down and land.

She grips his arms once her feet feel the ground. She takes a deep breath and huffs. "I was not expecting that. Thanks for telling me."

"I thought you'd like the surprise," his voice rumbles into her ear. His lips brush her skin, and she is suddenly on high alert. She tries to make herself relax.

"It was kind of fun, after I realized I wasn't going to die."

His laugh resounds through her back, and the sensation is lovely. She allows herself to fall against it, sighing and lowering her shoulders.

"You were never in any existing danger. The fall was short, and I made sure to cushion your landing," he says, but it's all unnecessary to her. "It's the rush of the unexpected—that's my favorite thing. Did you feel it?"

Yes, she thinks straightaway. The strong band of his arms, the grip of his hand against her stomach, the wall of his chest, his lips in her ear—sure, the upward shove into the air was unanticipated and her adrenaline was breathtaking, but the unforeseen position they're in now is much more appealing.

"Yes," she answers aloud, breathlessly. If she turns her head to the right, they'll be close, she thinks. If she turns her whole body around, it'll be even better.

Just as soon as that though comes, another one rushes through her. It's too soon for that. Link isn't even sure of himself, let alone if he might love her. And, also importantly for her, the action is too bold. Courage, courage, wherefore art thou courage, she internally bemoans.

He lets go of her soon after, and he walks around to grab the forgotten Boko club from the ground.

"Alright, are you ready to go up this time?" he asks, looking at her. There's a faint smile on his face, and a vibrant glow from the rush he spoke of earlier. It's so devastating to look upon that she can't look away.

"Um, yes, okay," she says, pushing a lock of hair back behind her ear. She follows him to the crystal, and he kneels down in front of her so she can climb on. It's nearly a thoughtless action now that they've done it so many times. She takes a deep, selfish inhale of his wild smell as he goes to stand.

"Hang on," he says, before hitting the crystal with the club to reset the stone platform, then hitting it a second time to rocket them in the air. He pulls out the paraglider as soon as they're in the air, landing right inside of the inner shell of the stone. They then make their way up the ramps and to the monk's platform.

Zelda completes her ritualistic examination of the enclosure, noting any potential differences that may be relevant for future deliberations. When she turns around to tell Link she's ready to go, she finds that he's already gazing at her. His arms are crossed, and his face holds nothing but a serene thoughtfulness. It's something akin to how he looked at her back at the Goron Hot Springs—it's as inscrutable now as it was then, and Zelda is not sure what it could mean, if it means anything at all.

And, as before, he doesn't seem to be even slightly embarrassed that he's been caught. He merely continues to stare.

Zelda asks, though she knows the answer to it already, "Did you remember something?"

Link shakes his head. "No, not really," he says. "Just the memory of emotions, with no memory to accompany them."

"Oh?" Zelda says, and she's suddenly nervous. "What kind of emotions?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. A handful of them. They're hard to discern—but I've never been good at knowing my emotions, only shutting them away." He smiles, and it's a bit sad. "It's not the best thing to have done when you have amnesia. I think I've found a worthy imperfection."

"Impossible," she says, forcing herself to be light-hearted. It's unsettling, seeing a fragment of sadness show upon his face. It's out of place, and she closes the distance between them, needing to do something to comfort him. "I daresay those emotions will become known, sooner or later. Perhaps all they need is a little fleshing out." She places a hand on one of his crossed ones. "Didn't you say I've been helping you rediscover yourself? It just looks like we have a little more work to do, is all."

His throat bobs in a swallow, and he glances down at their hands. He uncrosses one of his arms and turns his hand so that it rests inside of his own. "Yes," he says, and he brushes her knuckles with his thumb before squeezing it. "You have, and you're right."

"When am I not?"

"I'm sure there are plenty of times I can't remember."

She laughs.

They make their way out of the shrine, climbing back down from the small cave the shrine was enclosed in and stopping for a quick lunch before continuing along the path through Hyrule Ridge. She smells the heavy, thick scent of rain wafting in from Ludfo's Bog to their right, spying a few lightning strikes. She isn't surprised to see that there are several clouds cluttering the afternoon sky, suggesting a light shower sometime in the near future.

As they pass by the Seres Scablands, Zelda admits, "I've always loved rainy weather. I used to play in all the puddles and mud pits when I was a child. It's gray and dreary and gloomy, but it gives me a sense of calm, too. I'm not sure what it is."

Link watches the storm brewing in the Thundra Plains and the encroaching clouds overhead. "I understand your meaning, Zelda, though I don't love it as much as you do," he smiles. "The rain has never bothered me in the sense that it's gloomy or depressing. Mostly, it annoys me because it keeps me from climbing or getting where I want to go in regular time. I like the smell of storms, though," he says. "If that counts."

Zelda chuckles. "That doesn't surprise me," she says. "How dare it keep you from climbing all around Hyrule."

"It's true," he says. "I hate waiting around for the rain to end. Sometimes it lasts all day."

"That's tragic. I can't believe you haven't figured out a way to climb in the rain, yet."

"It's one of my many flaws."

"Oh, shut up, Link!" she laughs, good-naturedly.

"Hey, Zelda," he says, stopping his horse. She follows his lead.

"What is it?"

"The silent princess. There's a small outcrop of them right there," he says, pointing to their left.

Zelda grins widely. "Oh, let me take a look," she says, dismounting her horse and quickly making her way to them. She falls to her knees in front of them, touching just underneath the petals like she's tipping up someone's chin. She glances around and counts half a dozen of them, clustered together like a family.

"They're beautiful and thriving," she says, looking at each individual one, before she takes out the Slate and stands. She pulls up the camera function to take a picture and has to back up to get them all inside of the view box. She's not sure when he followed her, but she ends up bumping into Link as she backs up.

"Oh, I'm sorry!"

"Sorry."

They both say it at the same time, Zelda looking at him over her shoulder. Link places a hand on the small of her back to keep her from losing her balance.

Zelda's not sure why this small moment makes her blush furiously, but it does. Link being so close to her again, her feeling clumsy and awkward and not having anything at all to say to make it…less.

She turns her head quickly back to the Slate's camera, attempting to concentrate on taking the perfect picture of the flowers. Link slowly takes his hand from her back, though he remains behind her, glancing over her shoulder at the picture—which doesn't help matters at all.

A large thunderclap booms above them not moments later, and Zelda shrieks. Link laughs gently at her.

"It's looking like it's about to pour down on us," he says, looking at the darkening, gray and purple clouds. "We might be able to make it to the Tabantha Stable before we get caught in the rain."

Zelda agrees, and puts the Slate away. They both go to mount their horses and begin to make their mad dash through the rest of the Scablands.

Thankfully, the rain hits when they are just a few yards away from the stable. However, the rainfall is not placid and gentle. It's a deluge, and it plasters Zelda's hair to her face within seconds. They're both soaked to the bone after they board their horses, and Zelda can't stop shivering once they're inside the inn area. It only contains a few beds and no walls for privacy, so changing her clothes is out of the question.

The innkeeper is kind enough to offer towels to their guests, and there is a roaring fire in the pit in the middle of the room. Once Zelda wrings out and dries her hair as best she can, she goes to stand in front of the fire, rubbing her hands together to fight the chill and heat her clothes.

After a few minutes, Link comes to stand by her. He surprises her by draping a dry towel over her shoulders. "You looked cold," he says.

She smiles at him gratefully. "Yeah, freezing. You're not?"

He shrugs. "A little. I changed clothing. I have a Snowquil armor set, if you'd like to wear the tunic. I'm sure it'll fit you."

She glances down and realizes he did change from his champion garb into his Hylian tunic and Snowquil trousers. They look so plush and warm, Zelda wants to immediately take up his suggestion, but she hesitates.

Link notices. "I can hold up a towel so nobody sees you, princess."

The first thought that runs through her mind at the offer is that there will only be a towel separating Link and her modesty. Then she rolls her eyes at how ridiculous she's becoming.

"I would…really appreciate that Link. Thank you."

She goes to her bed, and Link holds up the towel. She changes as quickly as she can, and as soon as the Snowquil hits her skin, she is instantly assaulted with a profound, soul-wrapping warmth. It's deeply steeped with Link's smell, too, and Zelda is bombarded with it with every inhale.

"I thought we could wait out the storm here," Link says on the other side of the towel. "It's almost evening, but Dinraal doesn't fly through the canyon until around midnight. We could rest until then."

Zelda changes pants, too. Thank the Goddess she packed more than one pair. Once she's decent, she says, "Okay, I'm finished. And yes, that sounds just fine to me."

Link removes the towel.

Zelda takes a seat at the head of her bed, sighing with comfort. They both settle in, Zelda taking out the Slate to read over Robbie's journal notes, and Link taking a seat in front of Zelda's bed on the floor.

Zelda furrows her brows at the back of Link's head, bemused. "Link, why aren't you sitting on your bed? You don't have to sit on the floor."

Link looks back at her, then down at his seat. "I think it's force of habit, princess," he says, though it comes out as a slight inquiry.

"Yes…" Zelda answers. "You used to take up guarding my door or any opening in my room during our journeying. But you don't have to do that now, Link. No Yiga is going to come attack us in this rain."

"I…" Link starts. "I'd feel more comfortable being here instead of the bed. The bed is…too far away."

Zelda looks over to his bed, but it's only ten feet from her own. She shakes her head at him and says without thought, "Oh, Link. Well, I have plenty of room on my bed. Here." She moves over to the side, and there's ample space for two people. "That way you'll be right beside me. And we'll be here for a while, so might as well be comfortable."

He stares at the spot beside her, then at her, and he seems uncertain and possibly bashful. It's funny—any other time they've sat near each other, he hasn't seemed to be bothered in the slightest. Then she realizes it must be because a bed is involved, and it would break a rule of decency. It doesn't much bother Zelda. They're fully clothed, for one thing. She smiles at him to assure him, and she thinks she sees a light blush coat his cheeks.

"Ah, alright. If you're sure."

"I'm sure," she says, and he comes to sit beside her. His back his ramrod straight, and he's very rigid as he leans against the backboard. There are still a few inches of breathing room between them, and Link crosses his arms, becoming a stalwart as he watches the room of the inn and the open entryway filled with sheets of rain.

Zelda watches him for a moment before she goes back to reading over Robbie's journal. Maybe the pattering of rain drops and the warmth of the fire will eventually relax him. Until then, she is happy to read over the Slate with Link beside her, the lovely sound of the storm filtering through the air.