YEP! Here is chapter twelve even though I posted eleven like yesterday! Consider this my treat to all of you for making you guys wait :D
The monsters never stood a chance. Caviar plowed right through them on their way back to Impa, never slowing down. The ride was quick and silent. Link had no intentions to strike up a conversation with Zelda, and if Zelda had tried, he wouldn't have heard it through the roaring wind.
By the time they got back to Kakariko Village, the sun had just slipped behind the tall mountains and hills around them. They had made it to the village before sundown, thanks to Caviar.
Link led Caviar to the front of the long wooden staircase once more, slipping off right as one of the guards walked up to them.
"Master Link, I trust your journey went well?" The guard asked.
Link nodded. "Your gift was useful. Thank you."
The guard smiled. "I'm glad." He said, his eyes shifting to Zelda sliding off of Caviar. His eyes widened and he walked over to Caviar's saddle, pulling the Yiga's sickle out of the leather strap. "Were you attacked?" He asked, staring at the sickle with disgusted eyes.
"By a red suited man who pretended to be a traveler." Zelda answered, looking at the man with confused concern. "He said he was a part of the… Yiga clan?"
The guard's grip tightened on the weapon. "Yes… The Yiga Clan…" He growled. He took a breath and slipped the sickle back through the strap, his hands clenched at his side. "They are a ruthless group of foul traitors who only wish for the demise of the hero and the return of Ganon."
Zelda glanced at Link. He didn't make eye contact. The same sick fear that he felt 100 years ago during Ganon's return was resurfacing.
The guard sighed. "My apologies. I shouldn't trouble you with such words, but… be careful." He began to walk away, but Zelda stopped him.
"I never caught your name." She said with a small smile.
"Dorian." The guard answered. "Impa is waiting." He added, walking towards the wooden staircase. Link and Zelda followed, continuing up the stairs as Dorian stopped at his post.
Link pushed the doors open for him and Zelda, waiting for Zelda to walk in before following behind. Impa was sitting exactly where she was before, lifting her head at the sound of the doors closing behind them. She gave them a crooked smile.
"It seems you two have seen your first memories. And now that you remember certain things… I will hand these gifts back to you before It forget." She said. Paya then walked down the stairs, holding two folded pairs of clothes. Link felt his stomach twist into a knot as he recognized the stunning blue in one of the piles. Paya handed the clothes to both Link and Zelda respectively before stepping back and hiding her face with an almost inaudible whimper.
Link unfolded the blue tunic in his hands, staring at the white designs around the neck and seams. He also had a pair of trousers that looked long enough to actually fit him, unlike the old rags he wore now. Along with the tunic and pants, Paya had also given him a pair of brown boots.
In Zelda's hands was a simple sleeveless white gown with a gold belt. These were the clothes that they were wearing when Ganon awoke and attacked.
Impa studied Link and Zelda's faces before talking. "These clothes you now hold were the clothes you wore when-"
"When Ganon awoke." Zelda finished for her, staring down at the white gown with a similar look that Dorian had given the Yiga's sickle.
Impa nodded. "Yes. They were the clothes you had on before we placed you in the Shrine of Resurrection. We wanted to keep them safe for you for when you both awoke."
Zelda closed her eyes for a moment, as if she were recollecting herself before she opened them and walked to Paya, giving the dress back to her. "Thank you, Impa, really. The gift is… greatly appreciated, but I don't want to see the same dress someone else wore 100 years ago."
"Whatever you wish." Impa replied, giving Zelda a sideways glance before turning her attention to Link. "And what about you?"
Link simply held the tunic closer to his chest, giving the only answer needed.
Impa nodded again. "Very well." She paused. "My dear Zelda, I at least wish to give you some new clothes."
"Oh, it's okay, Impa. Really, these clothes-"
"Are not suitable for a princess whether you like it or not. They'll fall apart once you get on with your travels."
And with that, just half an hour later, Zelda was wearing some new tan trousers and a red tunic that they had found at the clothes shop. The outfit was free, thanks to Impa. Link was also now wearing his Champion's tunic, feeling perfectly at home with the breathable blue fabric. It was complete bliss compared to the old scratchy clothes he had been wearing before. Now they were back in Impa's home, waiting while she tinkered with the Sheikah Slate.
"The only way to defeat Ganon is to cleanse the Divine Beasts of his control. I'm placing marks down on your Sheikah Slate at the four locations where the Beasts lay." She handed the Slate back to Zelda. "I suggest going to Zora's Domain first. It's the closest from here." Impa explained.
Zelda smiled and nodded. "Thank you. But how do we cleanse them?"
"The only way to truly gain the Divine Beasts loyalty, you must use your sealing power, Zelda, and banish the corruptions for the Beasts."
"My sealing power?" Zelda repeated. "But I don't…" She trailed off.
"You remember your struggles at Mount Lanayru. Soon your other labors will come back to you. But you will also remember your success, and you will know how to use the sacred gift that is your birthright." Impa said.
Zelda sighed. "Thank you for the clothes, Impa. But we should get going now." Without wasting a second, Zelda turned and marched out of the house, leaving Link and Impa alone. Link began to turn to follow her, but Impa stopped him.
"Wait." The old woman croaked, her hand hovering in the air as if she were about to grip his shoulder. "In the memory that you saw, did you perhaps see a sword on your back?"
The image of the Master Sword flashed in Link's mind. He nodded.
Impa's hand fell back down to her side. "That sword can only be wielded by chosen hero. After you fell 100 years ago, the Princess took the sword to the center of the Korok Forest, where she lay it to rest. Before you face Ganon, seek out the Great Deku Tree and find the Master Sword."
Link nodded again. His hand was resting on the sword that Dorian, the guard, had given him. Before it had felt just right, but now it felt awkward and flimsy. "Thank you." Link said, turning on his heel, but before he could leave, Impa told him one last thing.
"Link," she began, her old voice carrying across the room. "Take care of the princess. She doesn't want to look back on her past, but she must in order to conquer the present."
Link hesitated for a moment before nodding weakly and walking out of the house.
When Link reached the end of the stairs, Zelda was already on Caviar, and Dorian was handing her a fabric bag that bulged from what it contained.
"The food here will sustain the both of you for two, maybe three days. Hopefully you'll be able to get to Zora's Domain in that time." Dorian said as Zelda clasped the bag onto Caviar's saddle. "Are you sure you don't want to stay the night?"
"I'm sure." Zelda answered. "But thank you, again…for everything." She added politely.
"Of course." Dorian replied. Link climbed up onto Caviar in front of Zelda. "Safe travels." Dorian waved them off as Link stirred Caviar into a trot. And in just a few short moments, they were out of the village and back in the familiar canyon that they had rode through to get to Kakariko in the first place.
"Link…" Zelda began, and Link had to stop himself from sighing. He didn't want to talk. He only wanted to get to Zora's Domain. "You've been awfully quiet ever since that memory we saw. Something on your mind?"
The moonlight just barely illuminated the path before them, and Link had to focus to keep Caviar on the road, making his response sound hollow and unattached. "We should see if we can get any more memories on our way." He replied.
Zelda stayed quiet for a moment. Then, she held the Sheikah Slate in front of Link for him to see. "Well, there's this one. It looks like it's near a large bridge that stretches over Lake Hylia."
Link slowed Caviar to a stop, taking the Slate into his hands, studying the picture. It had a large leafy tree with two statues huddled underneath it. In the background was a large distant bridge spanning the length of a lake. He handed the Slate back to Zelda and nudged Caviar back into a trot.
"But that's not what I wanted to talk about." Zelda said pointedly, trying to urge Link into saying anything. When he stayed silent, Zelda let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't get you." She huffed. "One second you're joking around about rupees, and then when something of minor inconvenience happens, you close right back up."
I don't want to talk about this right now. Link thought. He stayed silent, which felt almost unbearably familiar. How often did he ignore Zelda 100 years ago? Based on the memory he had seen, he was and always had been as silent as ever. So, he would stay that way. He had a duty to the land of Hyrule and to his kingdom, even if it was in shambles. He failed 100 years ago, and he was determined not to fail again.
He heard Zelda take a breath to keep talking, but no words came. He heard her sigh and that was the last of it.
All throughout the night, Link and Zelda rode past the Dueling Peaks stable and through the two mountains themselves, shared a quick small midnight snack while riding on Caviar, and steered off of the road towards the memory's location. Soon the grass underneath them turned into mud, which then gradually changed into shallow water.
To say that the view before them was devastating was an understatement. The bright moon had just broke through the clouds, reflecting off of the murky waters that shifted lazily through wooden ruins of a small village. A chill seemed to seep through the air, making Link shudder as he gazed at the broken beams and roofs of the homes that once held a story of their own. This was the result of the Calamity. Link quickly snapped the reigns, keeping Caviar at a gallop until they were out of the ruins. They climbed a short hill until the large tree came into view with the two small statues from the picture sitting underneath it.
"We're here already?" Zelda asked, amazed. She slid off of Caviar and walked to the statues, bending down and brushing her hand over the top of them. Link knew that she was ignoring the jarring sight of the ruined village that they had just rode through.
Link jumped down from Caviar and looked around the place. He pushed his thoughts about the ruins back from the forefront of his mind and focused on recalling any memory that sparked. He was almost scared to see his next memory. But, he was still as eager as he was before.
Zelda stood up from the statues and took a step towards the tree, looking up at its intricate web of branches and leaves. She sat down on a rock near the statues, looking over at Link. "Is this familiar to you?" She asked.
Link glanced over the tree and the statues, focusing on where Zelda was sitting. That was definitely familiar. He had definitely been here befor-
"I doubt this will let up anytime soon…" Zelda mumbled, looking up at the murky storm clouds. She was sitting on a rock underneath the tree to keep dry from the rain.
Maybe princesses didn't like to get wet, but Link didn't mind. He had grudgingly stopped their travels when the first of the rainfall occurred, deciding that the best way to spend his time was to train. So, that's what he did, swinging his sword and stabbing with surprising vigor, as if he were attacking something more than air.
Zelda watched him with mild interest. "Your path seems to mirror your father's." She said. "You've dedicated yourself to becoming a knight, as well. Your commitment to the training necessary to fulfill your goal is really quite admirable."
Link paused his routine, glancing over his shoulder at Zelda. He had a feeling that she was trying to say something more than compliments.
"I see now why you would be the chosen one." She gave him a small smile before looking away with sad eyes. "What if… One day… You realized that you just weren't meant to be a fighter."
Turning to face Zelda, Link lowered his sword. He was used to hearing strange things come out of the princess's mouth, but this was different.
"Yet the only thing people ever said… was that you were born into a family of the royal guard, and so no matter what you thought, you had to become a knight. If that was the only thing that you were ever told… I wonder, then… would you have chosen a different path?"
Link gasped, his eyes shooting open as the foggy images of rainfall slowly faded from his mind's eye. Zelda was staring at him, her eyes telling him that she remembered the storm as well. Her gaze fell to the ground, her eyes searching for answers.
"Let's go." Link said plainly, taking a breath to calm his racing heart.
Zelda's head shot up. "Already?" She asked.
Link nodded and walked back to Caviar. He climbed on, looking over at Zelda who was still sitting on the rock.
"I just need time to think." She said, finally standing. "I don't understand what I meant…" She muttered.
Link held out his hand, ready to help Zelda get onto Caviar. Zelda eyed the hand with a closed off expression. She walked towards Caviar and accepted the hand, climbing into the saddle. They both took one last look at the two statues and the large tree before Link led Caviar back down the hill and through the drowned ruins of past lives.
also, quick note, I just want to mention how freaking blown away I am from the attention this fic has been getting. It's INSANE! in like three months, this fic has already gotten over 3k hits! THAT'S CRAZY YOU GUYS! So thank you thank you thank you sooo much to everyone who's spent some of their time reading my work :) I hope I continue entertaining ya'll!
Happy reading!
