A month and a half would pass since that visit to Zora's Domain.

The two would often go out on excursions for Ancient Sheikah Technology, or discovery of lost shrines. And today was no different, they were out by the Proxim Bridge studying a shrine that was recently discovered by Purah's team. Most of these endeavours concluded with Zelda having more questions than answers, but every time, she'd look back at Link before they'd head back, and smile. A smile so radiant, a smile so full of passion. He didn't understand why. Wasn't she frustrated? Frustrated at the fact that she couldn't unlock the secrets of their ancestors? Frustrated that, yet again, they were left with only speculation while Ganon's approach grew ever closer?

Yet, that smile...

Link recalled what Zelda told him back at the campfire after they parted ways with Mipha.

And after she was finished saying what she had to say, she gave me that exact smile. Since then... I can't get it out of my head.

But today was different, after she was done with her research and testing, there was no smile.

"I'm ready to go." she said in a low tone.

Something is clearly bothering her, but if I know her... She'll come to me when she's ready.

He took a deep breath while taking a quick glance around. Nodding to himself, he gave Zelda's arm a slight tug with his bracer and guided her towards the bridge instead of the castle.

"Where are we going? The castle is that way, Link." she said, pointing out the direction.

"There's a thunderstorm coming. I know a spot where we can wait it out." he replied.

She looked up at the sky in confusion, and frowned, "Link... there's not a single dark cloud to be seen. How can you be so sure?"

Looking at her through the corner of his eye, he simply shrugged his shoulders before returning his attention on the road ahead.

Typical Link.

Though she'd be lying if she said that she wasn't happy to see how far he'd come. When they first met, he'd barely say a word, but now, it was almost second-nature to strike a conversation with him. Even if it was only with the people he was most comfortable with. But Zelda preferred it that way, Link was a treasure that so many had passed by, unaware of the contents hidden inside.

A half hour would pass until they reached a massive oak tree, that had two statues dedicated to the goddess carved out of the boulder that resided next to the tree.

On cue, Zelda could feel a few droplets of rain splash onto her cheeks. Link quickly moved her to a spot where she could sit comfortably out of the rain.

"What about you?"

Pulling the Master Sword out of its scabbard he replied, "I'm going to practice, now's a good a time as any."

The light drizzle almost immediately turned into a torrential downpour when he leaned his scabbard next to Zelda, "Just don't catch a cold!" she warned.

An hour passed.

This rain hasn't let up, if anything, it's gotten worse.

She was admiring Link as he practiced. She thought it was interesting how he would imagine that there was an enemy in front of him, and envision himself making the perfect cuts that would ensure a kill.

But that look of admiration soon turned into one of forlorn.

"I doubt this will let up any time soon..." commented Zelda as she continued to watch him train. "Your path seems to mirror your father's. You've dedicated yourself to becoming a knight, as well. Your commitment to the training necessary to fulfill your goal is really quite admirable."

Her comments struck something in Link, causing him to still his movements and give her is full undivided attention.

"I see now why you would be the chosen one." she offered a sad smile, "What if... One day... You realized that you just weren't meant to be a fighter. Yet the only thing people ever said... was that you were born into a family of the royal guard, and so matter what you thought, you had to become a knight. If that was the only thing you were ever told..." she frowned, unable to look into his eyes, "I wonder, then... would you have chosen a different path?"

She feels like her role was forced upon her, and I can't blame her for feeling that way. Nearly her entire life she's been on this quest to unlock her birthright, and has been forced to live a certain lifestyle that no ordinary child; royalty or not, should have to live. Zelda has been told her entire life that she was meant for something greater, that she was "special." Of course everyday folk would tell her such things, but the people closest to her; Urbosa, Revali, her father, and even her mother have all said that she was meant to achieve greater things. She's never been asked, let alone been allowed to choose what she wants. Thinking back to our talk about destiny... We talked about destiny being a destination that you work your entire life towards, and it having many different paths that lead there. Some paths inter-lap with others, and if the stars align you can share your path with another. Each path is not without its own set of unique challenges... In her case, there are things at work that force her to walk a certain path, meaning, she's not allowed to create her own destiny. Rather...

His eyes widened slightly at a sudden revelation.

But of course! Everything I said about the monarchy and the corruption must've hit her with full force. The King is the one who is forcing her to walk this path. My error did two things. First, it would've awakened things that she, herself would've been blind to or in denial of. And second, it would've felt like the biggest slap to the face having me tell her the things she's already surmised.

He silently reprimanded himself.

How could I have been so blind? When she said that we walk the same path, she meant that we're both being forced to walk a path with a destination not of our choosing. It had nothing to do with being together. I just didn't see my predicament until just now. But for Zelda, her her path began soon after her mother passed. She's been treading alone for so long, that when she seen I was there... How did she know? Was what she said meant to inspire me? No... it was meant to open my eyes. Then why ask for my opinion on the state of the kingdom then? Why kiss me and tell me that it was okay? At Zora's Domain, why tell me...? There would've been no point unless-

The realization caused him to drop to his knees. He looked up at the sky, closed his eyes, and allowed himself to feel the rain touch his cheeks.

My eyes have been closed this entire time... unable to see the storm I'm in. I can only feel the rain after it hits my face. I can only hear it after it's made contact with the surface. I can only taste it after I've felt it touch my tongue. And rain has no smell, it's the effect of bacterial spores, plant oils, and ozone that causes rain to have a "smell" after a thunderstorm. My life is in the middle of a storm right now, and I didn't even realize it. I had no idea what was hitting me, because I haven't been able to open my eyes to what's been happening around me, I've only been reacting to it. There would've been no way for me to know what had hit me until after the storm, when it would be too late. I was right when I said my destiny was not my own, but I was blind to the true reasons why. And I was blind in believing that it could be so easily fixed.

He looked down at his hands.

The reason why Zelda would constantly ask me about seemingly trivial or unimportant things, why she kissed me, why she's so keen on spending time together, why she showed me her soul and everything in between. Is that for even the briefest of moments, it makes her forget about the storm she's in. She gets to experience the type of life she thought was out of reach. She's willing to torture herself for just a taste of a life that she knows will never happen, before being yanked back into the storm. This entire time... I've failed to notice that we were in the exact same boat.

Tears trickled down his cheeks, and onto his hands.

You can't even tell the difference. I couldn't see the impact it was having on her. Her smile was a mask to conceal her hurt. In those brief moments where our paths crossed, what I didn't see was that not every drop of rain was actually rain... I've pieced it together now... She walks a stormy, lonely road. One that she doesn't know where it goes, but it's the only one she's ever known because that's what she's been told her entire life. She's shackled, guided forward by chains so that she can never deviate from her path and, if necessary, be forced forward towards the end goal. There never was any choice. And I'm not walking with her, I'm walking parallel to her along in the same situation. Our paths may cross, but it's at these parts that intersect that we're fed the illusion that we will eventually walk the same path together. When in reality, we will continue to be at arms length away from each other, walking totally separate roads. We may see each other... But we will never be able to; touch the other, to listen to the other, to experience life together. Despite knowing it's only temporary, Zelda fights as hard as she can to stay in it, because for her, she'd rather suffer to stay in these brief moments in the illusion than face the harsh reality. Because each time she's forced back into reality; the storm only rages stronger, the weight of the chains become heavier, the bumps in the road become more rigid.

Link could feel himself suffocating as the once invisible chain around his neck was becoming more vivid and constricting his airways. He stumbled backwards when he realized that it wasn't just his neck, but his arms, his legs... there was no way to escape.

The one pulling the chains at the end of the road, is also the one responsible for putting her and I on these paths to begin with. And he doesn't care what becomes of us along the way, just as long as arrive at the end. Even if that means...

The chains grew tighter, the onslaught of rain continued...

This entire time... I had no idea. And now that I do know... I... don't know what to do... There's no amount of training that I've done, no amount of books I've read that could've prepared me for this. Not even the Master Sword... Why did Zelda ask me if I'd choose a different path, knowing full well that we can't escape our paths?

"I... don't know." he mumbled.

"What was that?" asked Zelda who was now kneeling in front of him in the rain, concern written on her face.

When he looked up at her, he could see those same chains wrapped around her. Rusted from the years out in the rain, dirtied from trudging along in the mud for so long, and bloodied from her resisting so much. He could now see the scars and wounds on her soul that he couldn't see before.

With tears in his eyes, he met her gaze and muttered, "I don't know..."

The expression he gave her was one she had never seen before.

Link always has an answer, he never says, "I don't know."

"Link, I..." her voice trailed off.

"I'm sorry. I should've realized sooner. I'm a fool for being this blind."

"You're not a fool, Link."

"But I am. I've lived my entire life with my eyes closed, only relying on my other senses. While it may have gotten me this far, I could never see the..." his voice became barely above a whisper. "I could never see the actual pain you were in."

Link...

She had never seen Link like this before, she cupped his cheeks with her own set of tears, "I-I was afraid. Afraid of losing you if I told you, and that you'd think I'm crazy. I needed you to find out for yourself the situation we're in or else you'd never truly realize it. I never intended for-" she could feel the knot expand in her throat the longer she looked at Link, which caused her to blurt out, "I'm so sorry!"

"I could never discount your thoughts and consider you crazy. There's no need to apologize, I should thank you. You've opened my eyes to the reality, something I needed to see."

"You were the one who first opened my eyes. I was in denial for so long, and unwilling to accept my situation that I grew numb to the pain and allowed it to control me... The reason why I keep fighting now, is that I believe there is a way to make our illusion a reality. I want to walk my own path, end this cycle of despair, and I want to do it with you, Link. Because you're the one who showed me my destiny." She smiled, that same smile he'd been seeing for the last month and a half, "And that's you, Link. You're the end goal I'm working towards, and I'll fight until I can't anymore to make that happen."

I'm her destiny?

Her words sparked something in Link.

I've been trying to figure out my own destiny all this time, and I never realized until now that this woman... This beautiful, weird, clumsy woman that I've come to know was my true destiny.

He smiled, a smile that only she ever got to see, "Zelda I-" As if she read his mind, Zelda cut off his words with her lips sealing his as they shared a passionate kiss while the storm raged around them. For in that moment, the illusion became reality...

A/N: We can see how in the previous chapter, Link opened Zelda's eyes to a possibility she forgot existed. And how in this chapter, she essentially does the same to Link. She's had over a month to run things through her mind and rediscover that feeling of, "I walk my own path." For the longest time she's been blindly accepting her role as High Priestess and never entertained the idea of anything else, because that's what she's been told is the "tradition." What Link said in the previous chapter lit a fire in Zelda and now she's fighting to break that tradition. Link has been oblivious to the fact that his path was never truly his own and his concerns about his future were misplaced. Zelda helps him realize this and shows him his situation; one that he didn't know he was in. And for the first time, the roles are reversed. Link has a moment of weakness, something we're not akin to, and Zelda is the one to show wisdom and light the fire within him to change his destiny.

How can the pair change their destiny? How tough is it really to change something you've been told your entire life? Can they break millenia long tradition? Let me know your guy's thoughts below.

See you guys in the next chapter.