Link stayed awake long after the sun began to shine over the distant mountains. Like a cat, the light crawled across the floor softly, drowning the last of the night with its warming paws. The room was quiet and still, just like it was the night before, only the tension of the atmosphere was no longer suffocating.
Yuga was asleep on the bed, dozing away without a stir. Link did not feel as tired as he thought he would have been, but he wasn't going to deny that he felt exhausted. But, at least he was fulfilling his duty: looking after Yuga. Physically, Yuga looked better, but it wasn't hard to tell the ordeal of the previous day sapped away most of his energy.
Link was about to reach out to hold Yuga's hand again—feeling a weird need to do so for no apparent reason—but before he could, a loud, unexpected knock slammed itself onto the door, making Link jump almost literally out of his boots. A voice followed.
"Link! Link! I need to talk to you! Link! C'mon! Wake up already! This is important!" and instantly, Link knew who it was—the undeniable voice of Irene.
"What in the worlds..." Link said to himself, forcing himself to walk across the room to open the door.
"Link!" Irene shouted loudly just as he did so, and Link jumped again.
"Goddesses, Irene!" Link said, rubbing his ear, "What is it?"
Behind him, Yuga was beginning to stir, mumbling in his semi-consciousness, "What spawn of the Gemesaur..."
Link looked back, wanting to address Yuga's awakening, but Irene called back his attention.
"Hey, Link! This is important. And kinda a long story." Irene said.
"What?"
"Okay, so y'know that book I was reading yesterday? About that priestess?" Irene asked, then chuckled, "Well, do I have news about her."
"Link?" Yuga called softly.
"Irene, wait." Link said.
"B-but- wait, am I interrupting something?" Irene said, peering into the room.
But Link couldn't answer Irene's questions because he was too busy trying to keep Yuga in bed—Yuga, who was trying to get out of it.
"Oh, for Lolia's sake, Link." Yuga fussed, "I'm feeling quite well. Don't you dare start fretting."
Though it was somewhat too late—Yuga was already on his feet and Link was still trying to get him back into bed. Yuga grabbed Link's wrists.
"Link."
"Sorry, sorry. I'm just..." Link inhaled, slumping. He huffed, "...worried, I guess."
"Ah. I don't blame you." Yuga said, sitting on the edge of the bed. To Link, he already looked exhausted. Yuga sighed, a hand on his forehead, "I have an agonizing headache this morning."
"Ahem." Irene, still from the doorway, coughed.
Yuga and Link looked to her.
"I don't mean to intrude, but I need to say something." Irene said.
"Ah, yes, yes..." Yuga replied, "But we mustn't discuss here. I insist. It's hardly polite to converse in Her Grace's chambers."
"But this is important." Irene whined.
"As is proper etiquette." Yuga said, returning to his feet.
At first, Link noticed that Yuga was shaking quite a lot and it grew evident that, though Yuga wouldn't admit it, he was not, in fact, 'well' at all. But, despite that, Link said nothing, and followed behind Yuga as he took overly cautious steps.
The trio walked out into the hallway, following Yuga.
"Alright." Irene sighed, "Can we talk now?"
"What is it Irene?" Link asked.
"Okay, so, you know this priestess? Well, get this! Apparently she was able to go into Lorule's Sacred Realm! Or open it, at least. But still!" Irene said, something akin to excitement in her voice.
"Huh?" Link asked, "But that's not...possible, is it? Unless you're like...well, sacred?"
"Yeah, well, I'm going to take a gamble that she was, in fact, sacred. Maybe a sage or even a goddess of some sort." Irene said, "Not that there's much information about what or who she was, and where she came from, but it does say that she was divine."
"And what of her journal?" Yuga asked, though he did not turn to face Irene.
"Well, she did describe the most peculiar ritual to summon Ganon, as I said before. I still don't understand it." Irene admitted, "That was really all that stood out to me, I think...Oh! Actually, there is one thing that seems to be worth mentioning..."
"Go on."
"Apparently...this priestess had a child." Irene said, "A son. The odd part is that...she didn't exactly conceive. It just...happened."
"What?" Link gawked.
"But I don't know much about it. And I'm pretty sure it doesn't say anything else about her son, because that's when the journal ends." Irene said, and then she sighed, "I might have to dig a little deeper, but this pile ain't exactly deep. Hey, come to think of it...it does remind me of another story somewhat similar about Twinrova."
"That's right...Twinrova bared an unconceived son, too, didn't they?" Link said, "Woah. That's...a little too coincidental..."
"I was thinking the same thing." Irene said with a shake of her head, "There's still so much to learn. I should probably go back to the library. But before I do, I want to hear what Yuga thinks about this."
Yuga stopped, turned around with a thoughtful looking his face, "It's curious. And the connections are certainly topics of interest. And now more questions are brought up: who is the son of this priestess? And more importantly, what does this all mean, especially for the future of Lorule? What does this have to do with Lorule?"
There was silence for a bit as Irene reflected.
"Good point." Irene said, "I don't know for sure yet. But we know it's something."
Again, silence reigned as the three continued to walk to where ever they were going. Then, Irene spoke again.
"Oh, dang it, I totally forgot the most important thing!" she said, "Hilda's been waiting for you for quite some time now, Link!"
Link gasped, "Oh, shoot! I completely forgot!"
"You had a meeting with Her Grace, and you forgot?" Yuga asked, his expression becoming lively.
"Yes...?" Link chuckled sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders partially in apology.
Yuga looked like he had just been smacked across the face, "Then, we have no time for dawdling!"
And quicker than Link anticipated, Yuga grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him down the hallway in a huff. And Irene, with a small surprised shout, dashed to follow Yuga as he stormed off towards Hilda.
o/o/o
"Your Grace, I apologize profusely for his tardiness!" Yuga stated loudly, bursting into the grand hall with Link in his grasps.
Ravio and Hilda were seated at the table, enjoying their tranquil breakfast—well, it was tranquil up until now. Upon Yuga's rather dramatic entry, Hilda snapped to her feet, her chair screeching loudly against the tile on the floor.
"Yuga!" she said, surprised, "You're supposed to be in bed! What are you dare doing here?"
"Thousand apologies, Your Grace." Yuga said, "I have brought Link for you. I was told you have called for him." Yuga urged Link forward with a small shove on his shoulder.
Hilda frowned, looking to Link, and then back to Yuga.
"I have...Thank you, Yuga." Hilda said, "However, you know how it irks me when you work despite your health."
"Again, I apologize sincerely."
"But, I suppose there's nothing to be done about that now. Well then," Hilda sighed, clasping her hands together, "I am ready whenever you are, Link."
"Of course. Uh, I just need my sword, and we'll be off." Link said.
Yuga was suddenly alert, "Off? Where do you plan on going?" he looked to Hilda, "With Her Grace, nevertheless!"
"If I tell you, you would fuss." Hilda said, raising her eyebrows knowingly.
Yuga frowned at that response.
"Oh, by the way, here you go, Link." Irene said, handing Link the Master Sword.
"Huh? Where'd you get this?"
"You made me hold it when you were carrying the groceries yesterday, and I've been holding onto it every since." Irene said with a small shrug.
"Thanks, Irene. What would I do without you?"
Irene grinned, shrugging again, "I'm just lookin' out for you, Greenie."
"Then you are prepared to go?" Hilda asked.
Link nodded.
"Excellent." Hilda turned to Yuga, who was beginning to look irritated, "Yuga, Ravio will be caring for you in Link's absence. Don't you dare be the one fussing over him."
Yuga grimaced, but nodded anyway.
o/o/o
Once Link left the castle, there was a certain kind of anxiety that plagued him, and Link couldn't put his finger on why. It could have been because he was nervous about Yuga, or maybe it was because he hadn't slept at all the night before. Or, likely, it was a combination of both.
The walk with Hilda was otherwise rather quiet and peaceful—a welcomed change from the tension from recent events. Hilda didn't speak much, but Link could tell she was lost in her own thoughts, which Link could understand.
The Skull Woods were not far now. It was possible to see the treeline in a distance and to hear the cawing birds from inside the thicket. Hilda slowed to a stop and took a deep breath, determination clear in her eyes.
"In order to retrieve the sword, I must pass through a trial of courage." Hilda said, "To see if I am worthy..."
"What?" Link asked, looking to her, "You mean, you have to get...pendants?"
"No. That is not the trial." Hidla shook her head. Link hadn't noticed, but Hilda was suddenly holding a small wooden box in her hands. Hilda opened the top, revealing three different colored pendants, "Though, I do have them. They were a gift from Yuga. They were in his possession for a while, but he gifted it to me because he sensed their importance."
"Oh." Link blinked, "Why would Yuga have them?"
"I don't know. He told me he suspected my mother may have had it, or perhaps even his own mother." Hilda said, looking thoughtfully to the pendants, "I do I know I must use them to pass my trial."
"Okay. So, what do you want me to do while you're in your trial?" Link asked with a tilt of his head.
"I need you to protect me from any possible harm because I, admittedly, do now know what lies ahead." Hilda said, snapping the box shut, "May I count on you?"
"Of course."
"Wonderful. Let's press on." Hilda said, leading the way into the daunting woods.
The woods were even more eerie than Link remembered. Though it was still majestic, there was a certain air of mystery. Maybe it was the heavy fog that swallowed the path ahead, or maybe it was how the forest became suddenly quiet, but there was something uncanny about the atmosphere.
Hilda led him blindly, or so it seemed. The odd part was that Link noticed her eyes were closed, like she was in a deep trance. Though Link was beginning to feel uneasy, he trusted the princess as she walked forward, deeper into the thicket.
Only when the pendants began to glow did Hilda stop. She opened her eyes slowly, watching the pendants float from where they slept in the box. They glowed intensely, pulsing as the three orbs grew closer and closer together. Suddenly, there was a blinding light, too bright that Link looked away, his arm covering his face. When he opened his eyes again, there was a new opening in the thicket, one that Link knew wasn't there before. Up ahead along the new path was a clearing, and that's when Link began to doubt his own eyes.
Ahead in the clearing was a stone alter, and stabbed deep into the stone was a glowing blade with a hilt the color of blood. Hovering above it, shimmering gently like a sun, was a triangular shape the color of the night.
'A piece of the Triforce!' Link thought, but he remained speechless as he took in the sight, his mouth agape.
Hilda strolled towards the alter with a look of steeled determination, and Link followed her in, making sure that no danger was present. Link could feel Hilda grow increasingly nervous as she approached the sword. For a moment, she hesitated taking it. Slowly, she brought her hand towards it, and with a deep breath, she took hold of the hilt.
Again, Hilda was lost in a trance, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. This must be the trial, Link thought.
There was nothing for a moment. Hilda was completely still, but her body began to pulse like the pendants, and the floating piece of the Triforce was beginning to shine brighter. Everything became too quiet.
After a few more moments, Hilda suddenly gasped, her eyes snapping open, and the sword came loose from its stone prison.
There was another blinding gleam, forcing Link to look away, and only when the overwhelming light dissipated did Link dare look back. He was met with a sight that made him speechless, and by the looks of it, Hilda looked speechless, too.
The sword was no longer in the pedestal and the Triforce was no longer hovering above the alter. Instead, a triangular symbol glowed on Hilda's hand, and the sword with the blood-red hilt was clenched tightly in Hilda's hand.
Hilda, however, did not look okay. She was paler than a ghost and her eyes had become lifeless. She reached out to Link, her head nodding and her body stumbling.
Link barely caught her when she crumpled to the ground, sword clattering from her hand.
A/N: Sorry for such a long wait, and I really apologize if this story doesn't make any sense/has inconsistencies. I'm beginning to be confused by my own plot haha R.I.P.
Anyway, next chapter will hopefully be more Yuga x Link centric, so stay tuned! Also, thank you so much for the reviews!