This chapter is probably the shortest one in a while, but it is full of plot movement. It will segway us into the filler chapter in Hateno with Zelda's birthday, then we'll pick things up in the final moments of the Kingdom of Hyrule. Originally, I was going to double upload Chapters 26 and 27 because I return to college next week, but the Hateno chapter will be long (I have written three pages so far, and I'm still at the beginning of what I want to write. Zelda is just meeting Aryll and Colin, and that's literally the first thing to happen in Hateno). I want to say I'll upload it next week, but it might be two weeks from today when you get that chapter.
I'm blown away by the responses over the last week, which is great to have. I do hate "Guest" reviews because I cannot respond to the reviewer directly, but I was baffled by one such review. So to the Guest who said that "Before the Wild" has made their summer enjoyable, thanks.
To the other Guest with SSBU on their mind, two of your choices join the battle THOUGH I hope Impa makes it in. She can be Sheik's echo fighter so easily.
To Lord Halycon (and everyone else), your guess is incorrect, but if no one gets it before the end of the story, I'll explain what I did. It might be obvious once we leave the Spring of Wisdom. And your idea of Hyrule beating Ganon...That's not the plan, but I am open to writing an alternative ending if you guys like. It will come after the actual ending, so it will be the last thing I really write.
?
It was dark. All Zelda could see was pitch black darkness. It was so dark in this void she couldn't even see her golden hair. Confused as to how she got here, Zelda began to panic. "Hello? Is anyone there? Helio?"
Suddenly, a bright light broke against the darkness a few yards away from Zelda. Desiring to be out the dark void, Zelda walked over to the light. As she got closer, she could see that the light was not just so, but it was a woman surrounded by the illuminating particles. She was quite beautiful, and as she came closer, Zelda could see some resemblances between her and the woman. Blond hair, white skin, white dresses, but the woman had blue eyes instead of green. While she was not much older than Zelda, there was wisdom in her years Zelda hadn't possessed yet.
Zelda stood a few feet away, nervous as the woman faced Zelda with some scrutiny. Taking a breath, Zelda was about to speak, but the woman beat her to it. Her mouth began to move, but no words came out. Zelda frowned, confused as she couldn't hear the woman. "Umm, I cannot hear what you are saying."
The woman either didn't hear or understand her, as she spoke more urgently than before. But Zelda never got the chance to repeat her statement. She was suddenly yanked by some force away from the woman. As the darkness swallowed her, Zelda believed she finally heard one word, though she passed it off as the sound of her screams mixed with the air.
"Love."
Day 12, Hyrule Ridge, Zelda
It was Link who suggested that they pause their travel to the Necluda region to take a sunrise carefree stroll around the ridge. Zelda complied without argument, as it was her idea to not head directly to the same region after leaving Akkala, instead planning to circle around the backside of the castle to their present location, and a quiet, fun ride with Link was the remedy to her increasing stress.
Tomorrow was her 17th birthday, and it will be on that day she will make her way up Mount Lanayru. Today they would head to Kakariko Village, where they will stay the night, and head to the mountain the next morning. But for now, she was going to enjoy the ride.
The pair is riding up to the Sanidin Park near Safala Hill, the only sounds they could hear are the early morning sounds of the plains and the hooves of their horses against the rich soil and the crunching grass. The princess rode comfortably, and as she stared at their destination, she began to think about how her attitude towards her own horse had changed.
It was at the gate to the castle that Zelda and Impa met with her father, Sir Ordon, and a boy her age. The older males were speaking to each other, while the boy tended to both the horses, giving each an apple and watching the chew it. He had on the weirdest green tunic, with brown shorts and leather boots underneath it. A cap wavered in the wind at the top of his light brown hair, sparking the vague memory of a young boy climbing her tower to hear her sing. Zelda pushed those thoughts away. She was not that girl anymore.
"Ah, Lady Impa. Princess." Her father had been first to spot them, welcoming the duo. Sir Ordon and his son stayed in their positions while the king walked to the women.
"Father."
"I take it you are prepared?"
"As I'll ever be." Rhoam led them over to Zelda's horse, a white stallion white with a thin golden mane. She noticed that it was not outfitted with the royal gear, but with a simple bridle and saddle. She turned to her father to address it. "Where is the rest of the royal gear?"
"You will have to give it to him."
Zelda sighed, turning back to the horse. "I guess you'll have to earn it."
It was noon before Link and Zelda reached another fork in the road, heading north this time away from the Crenel Peak. Zelda didn't ask Link for directions, just knowingly turning left. Link silently complied and followed. Seeing the wooden horse head in the distance, the sign of a stable, Link rode up to Zelda's side, keeping his eyes on his destination. "Princess, we'll make a stop there to rest our horses and ourselves."
Zelda, not wanting to stop, questioned the knight as they crossed the Thims Bridge. "For how long?"
"Maybe an hour or two, Princess. The horses are not used to long travels yet."
"Then maybe they should." Zelda spurred her steed on, not caring for Link's advice. Undeterred, Link kept up, silently heated by the princess' lack of care for her horse. He didn't know what her problem was, but his father and the Sheikah woman he met yesterday did warn him the heir to Hyrule was a handful. More like three handfuls.
It was close to the fourteenth hour that the Princess of Hyrule and her companion arrived at the Woodland Stable. As she implied earlier, she had no intentions of stopping, so it surprised her when Link showed up again in her sight, this time holding the bridle of Gaepora. Zelda tried wrestling Link's grip away, but he held on, determined to defy her. "Unhand my horse!"
"No."
"You would defy a direct order from me, the Princess of Hyrule?!" Zelda made sure to make that clear to everyone at the stable, which gained the crowd she wanted. Meanwhile, Link got off Epona, still gripping Gaepora's bridle, and forcibly lead both horses in his direction. Zelda was appalled by her horse's willingness that she did nothing but burn her gaze into Link's own eyes. He stopped them at a wooden stable, tossing hay into the nearby troughs. Angered, Zelda got off her horse and decided to continue the journey on foot.
"Princess, just where do you think you are going?"
Lucky her, Link had caught back up to her. She whirled around, facing the older and unnoticeably taller male. "I'm going to the Lost Woods."
"On foot?"
"On foot!"
"No, there's no danger. Just because it is called the Breach of Demise doesn't mean we'll see the demon king show up here." Zelda lowered her hand, mocking Link with a smirk. "So on edge."
Link glared back at her. "How do you know?"
Zelda turned around, snapping Gaepora back to trotting. "I am trained in various areas of magic, including the Sheikah's shadow magic. If there were monsters around, I would sense the dark within them. If there were humans or natural animals, I would sense their light. Like I can feel Epona and you coming closer to me...and you're angry. Oh, there's now confusion...now you're feeling invaded, and wishing me to stop."
"Can you stop?!" Zelda giggled as she took point again. To satisfy Link, she did slow down, but not because of danger. Link, on the other hand, took a part of Zelda's rein in hand. She tried knocking his hand off, but he wouldn't budge. "Let go!"
"No."
"I slowed down, just so you wouldn't get all pissy!"
"I worried about Gaepora, not you. He doesn't trust you yet. You don't trust him. So, even if you're right, if you had looked at Gaepora, you'll know he's nervous. Animals can sense danger before we can, but even these surroundings can trigger fear, even if it's false."
Zelda's eyes downcasted. "Oh…"
Link softened his tone, dropping the reins. "Don't worry, one day he'll trust you. To speed things up, be sure to take time to soothe your mount. That's the only way it will know how you truly feel." Zelda nodded, and test Link's words, patted her hand on Gaepora's neck. The horse responded with a low grumble, causing the Princess to retract her hand. Link smiled as he turned away. "Like I said, it'll take some time."
Recalling the last memory, Zelda leaned over and patted the stallion affectionately. It intrigued her how much time it took for her to trust her horse and vice versa. Now Zelda could lead Gaepora anywhere without interference, and she could trust the horse's primal instincts before relying on her own. Without Link, Zelda and Gaepora would still be at square one. "Be sure to take time to soothe your mount. That's the only way it will know how you truly feel. Your advice was quite helpful-thank you. This little one and I are getting along quite well now."
She heard Link sigh humorously. "Zelda, he has a name. Use it."
"Heh, right. Gaepora and I are getting along fine, aren't we boy?" The horse whinnied in response, earning a giggle from the princess as she turned to LInk. "See? I say we are a better match than you and Epona."
Link gawked. "What? No way! Epona, my girl, aren't we the better duo?" Unlike Gaepora, Epona huffed in response. Link sighed, disappointed with his chosen steed. "You're stubborn. You're just stubborn."
Zelda smiled at the hero's troubles with his own loyal mare, then proceeded to focus on hers. "At first, I wasn't sure if I should outfit him with the all the royal gear. I thought maybe he'll have to earn it first. But it works! He wears it like a true natural."
"Zelda, are you admitting you were wrong about Gaepora?"
She turned to a smirking Link, shrugging her shoulders yet smiling all the same. "I'm trying to be more empathetic. Benefit of the doubt, you know? Like I did with you, I have changed my mind about many things. In the future, I hope I can start off thinking positively about people instead of degrading them."
Link chuckled. "You're going to give Ganon that same treatment?"
"If we had a hundred years to ourselves, maybe."
Moments later
Zelda stood on the platform surrounding the eastern side of the horse statue, gazing ahead to the land of Hyrule before her. More specifically, she was staring at the distant mountain between Dueling Peaks and Death Mountain, known to the world as Mount Lanayru. But to Zelda, it represented her last hope.
Link stood behind her, not close enough to be in her personal space (not that she would've minded) but not far enough that his job as her guard demands him. Just...a respectable, best friend distance. Not that she thought about it, he was being quite distant (in terms of distance) with her ever since they left the Spring of Power three days ago, yet she hadn't noticed until now. She'll have to talk to him about that.
"See that mountain? That's Mount Lanayru. It takes its name from the Goddess of Wisdom. Lanayru's decree was very specific. It says, "No one is allowed, under the age of seventeen, for only the wise are permitted a place upon the mountain." She sighed, balling her hands as the severity of her situation began to prod her. "I've prayed at the Spring of Courage and at the Spring of Power, yet neither woke anything inside me. But maybe up there… In the stories, it was the princesses who found favor with the Goddess of Wisdom. Perhaps the Spring of Wisdom, the final of the three, will be the one."
She went quiet for a moment, which prompted Link to call her name in concern. She waved off his worries. "I'm fine Link. But… To be honest, I have no real reason to think that will be the case. But there's always the chance the next moment will change everything. Tomorrow...is my seventeenth birthday." Her birthday and she won't be home celebrating it. She won't be adorned with song and with gifts. She won't even be with her father. On her birthday of all birthdays, this one she will be alone with Link, and not even she will celebrate it as she heads up Mount Lanayru.
Saddened by the thought, she turned around to Link, who had snuck up closer to her. She arched her head up to him, green eyes welling with tears, and looking back at her were similarly pained eyes from her not-so invincible hero. She expected him to reach out for her, yet his hands stayed planted to his sides as they gazed into each other. "So then I shall go...and make my way up the mountain."
There Link's countenance changed, his face bearing a slight smile. "Well I hate to spoil your plans, but we're not going to Lanayru tomorrow. Or Kakariko today."
Zelda blinked in surprise, not expecting Link to say such a thing. "Wh-What do you mean by that?"
"Well, tomorrow is your birthday, and though getting to Mount Lanayru is imperative, you're seventeen for a whole year. What's one day? Besides, I can tell the thought of traveling up the mountain on such an occasion isn't something you want to do, so I planned ahead for a detour."
Zelda couldn't help but feel overjoyed that Link considered her feelings over the mission, on her birthday nonetheless. Her heart panged with excitement at the prospect of delaying the trip and emotion towards her hero. "So where is it we are going, to celebrate my birthday I hope?"
Link rubbed the back of his head as his face grew red. "Hateno."
"Hateno?!"
"Yes, Hateno. I'm taking you to my home."
If you read Zelda's diary, there's a portion of it that talks about her having a dream. Now since the memories are technically Link's, we never see such a dream in the game, and I think many authors might have skipped over it.
Anyway, I hope to have 27 done next week, if not, see you guys in two weeks.