When Zelda wakes the next morning without Link half draped over her, she reaches a groggy hand to tug him back. He's not beside her. He's gone. Link never wakes up before she does. It's so shocking that she jerks upright, her eyes darting around to find him, sure he must be in danger.

He's standing by the window, leaning his elbows against the windowsill, giving her a bemused look.

"You're awake," she says.

"You don't have to act that surprised."

But she is. He was awake when she went to sleep too, just holding her and stroking her hair and staring at the ceiling. She scooches out of bed to stand with him by the window and drag a hand up his back until he shifts to face her. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." He slips an arm around her waist, and brushes back her bed head with his free hand. He gives her his dopey, early morning and stupid in love look. "Just couldn't sleep."

He ducks to kiss her, and she lets him for a moment, but ends it shortly.

"What's wrong?" she asks.

He sighs, clearly hoping she'd be more distracted. "A lot."

"Tell me."

He cringes, and tkes a moment to think of which of the many things that are bothering him he should tell her about first.

"The tournament is too easy."

She rolls her eyes and almost pulls away from him, but he snorts and keeps her close.

"The last trial, I just stood there for about an hour and still won."

"You'd rather struggle through being electrocuted?"

"I just...haven't felt very impressive lately."

She relaxes back into his arms, resting her hands on his chest and fiddling with his collar. "Daring battles are not the only things that make you impressive."

He makes a face like he doesn't believe her.

"You are also a very impressive chef. And...you're good at running errands and thus winning the trust of the people. And you make a good research assistant. And you're handsome and charming and good at kissing." She bumps his nose with her own.

"When we run out of monsters to fight, I'll be a chef."

"Oh, that would be lovely."

He kisses her again, and she sinks into it. He really is good at kissing.

When he pulls back, she says, "I'm sure you're right and the last Yiga trial will be a combat challenge. You'll be impressive. I can even swoon over you, if you like." She tugs gently on his ear as she teases him.

Instead of teasing her back or letting this comfort him, he changes subjects. "I going to fight Thunderblight Ganon this morning."

And whatever light-hearted, sleepy feeling she had vanishes. Her whole body tenses. "Are...But..." She bites her lip.

Thunderblight Ganon.

He needs to relive Urbosa's last battle.

Because the next time he approaches Vah Naboris it will trigger the battle, and that can't happen when he's in disguise, surrounded by Yiga. Because they're coming to the end of Link's challenges, and this is all that's left. He' right: he's slowly running out of monsters to fight. Slowly coming to the end of ways he views himself as useful. No wonder he couldn't sleep.

But.

Thunderblight Ganon.

Does he want to fight it because he'll look impressive? That's ridiculous! No one will see him! Or does he fear that he's lost his touch, gone soft lately, and worried that he won't be up to the challenge?

He shouldn't tax himself so close to the final Yiga trial. What if he wears himself out? He should put Thunderblight Ganon off until tomorrow—when the attack on Vah Naboris might happen that very evening.

Thunderblight Ganon.

He'll use Urbosa's sword.

Is it possible that if Urbosa was just...better...more impressive, she could have survived? Is that what these trials are saying? Look at Link and how much better he is than everyone else?

What a horrible thing for her to think.

She's shaking so hard her teeth chatter.

"Zel." He pulls her tight against him, his arms squeezing her so strongly that she gasps, and it's the first breath she's drawn in a while. She clutches at him and presses her face to his neck and doesn't beg him not to go, because she can't form words.

"I can go alone if you want. I thought about going while you were asleep."

"Don't you dare." That would be so much worse. "No, I need to...Someone has to watch out for you while you're in your trance."

"Are you sure?"

"I wasn't there for her. But I can be there for you."

#

They know that as soon as they land on Vah Naboris after warping, Link will be pulled into the battle. They don't hold each other any differently, but Zelda stands tall, her chin tilted up and her lips pursed in determination. She looks him straight in the eyes, deadly serious, with complete faith in him and says, "I love you."

He nods. Also deadly serious. "I love you."

They warp.

And Link sucks in a breath and stiffens.

She doesn't want to move her arms from around his neck. She'll need to support his weight when he comes back, but that will take a minute. She has a minute. She brushes her knuckles against his cheek, brushes his hair from his eyes. She drags her hands down to his elbows, unwilling to remove her hands from him even for a moment. Somehow supporting him makes the situation easier. She can focus on him, and not the scene that must be playing out in his mind.

He's absolutely still, and yet the skin around his eyes seems to tense. And maybe the color drains slowly from his cheeks or maybe the sun has shifted, washing out all the color.

She says, "You can do this."

She says, "You're a Champion."

She says, "Avenge her."

He's gone far longer than any of the other trials, but then she's not really timing him so maybe it's just a trick of her anxiety, and then again he had more trouble with Thunderblight Ganon than any of the others the first time around.

When he finally sucks in a breath, she's ready, bracing his weight and greeting him with a sad, proud smile. He twists away, pushes her backwards, and empties his stomach.

"Link!"

He collapses to his hands and knees, gasping and gagging in turn.

"Link..." She hesitates a moment, unsure if she should touch him, but then she kneels beside him and rubs soothing circles into his back. He's shivering, and he's definitely pale now. His shoulders hunch in on themselves as if they're trying to protect him. She's never seen him like this before. She holds down her panic and keeps her voice soft. "Shh. You're alright. You're here, with me, and you're alright."

He shudders.

Eventually, his gasping eases and he straightens enough to fall backwards. She strokes sweaty bangs from his forehead and offers him some water. It takes him a while to take it, because he has to prop himself up on an elbow.

She waits. She has to bite her tongue not to ask. She doesn't want to ask and force him to tell her something awful.

He rubs his face and swears. His other hand clutches at his side in a way that makes her want to check it, press her hands hard against the wound that's surly hiding under his shirt, hiding in his memories.

"Are you alright?" Clearly he's not, but she needs him to tell her.

"He was so fast. He..." He looks at her, then through her, and for a second she thinks he's having a second vision. But then he sits up and looks around. "Did you hear that?"

"Pardon?"

His eyes dart around at the sky, towards the interior of Vah Naboris, back to the sky. "The final challenge is at the Shrine of Resurrection."

She nods slowly, not really understanding, but assuming this at least means he was successful against Thunderblight Ganon. His hand rises from the phantom wound in his side to the center of his chest. It rises as he takes a great, heaving breath.

He isn't going to tell her about his battle, and she shivers with indignation that he won't soothe her anxious curiosity. And Urbosa was her maternal figure, so she deserves to know.

But if Link isn't telling her, then it's probably horrible, and he's right, she doesn't need that.

That or it's slipped his mind already, which doesn't seem likely.

"I need lunch," he says.

"It's barely nine in the morning." Their banter comes slower than usual. But it's there. It's still there."

He frowns. "Then I have time for a nap after we have early lunch."

He starts to stand, and she slips under his arm to prop him up. "An early lunch at this time is called brunch."

"Do we also have to use the right glassware, Miss Princess Face?"

"Don't be asinine. Of course, we do."

#

The final Yiga trial starts in front of the hideout, and Zelda sets herself up high on the cliff overhead. Link looks much better after far too much shwarma and more baklava than she'd thought one person could eat. He's bright eyed and bushy tailed and optimistic that this trial is going to be the good one. Or at least he mostly is. There's still a faint shadow under his eyes and a stiffness to his shoulders.

The master of ceremonies announces that he has hidden fifty bunches bananas along the Karusa Valley. The contestants have an hour to gather as many as they can and get back here. Whoever finds the most bananas wins. Each contestant is presented with a bag to carry their findings and the master of ceremonies makes some very elaborate gestures to show off his giant hourglass, as if it's some strange new device that should captivate everyone's attention.

Zelda rolls her eyes at yet another strange trial. "Bunches of bananas" seems an odd unit. Can't they be split, and then the contestant will have twice as many bunches? And Link has told her that it takes all afternoon to traverse Karusa Valley. There's no way they can get to the end and back in an hour, so either they won't have to travel very far, or they must—

The master of ceremonies rings a gong, at which point the Blademaster on Link's right takes off running and the Blademaster on the left attacks Link.

She's glad she's so far away this time, because she gasps loudly and then can't bring herself to duck out of sight. With their swords crossed and straining, Link lands a good kick to the Blademaster's chest, throwing them apart enough for Link to take off running. He catches up to the Blademaster already down the valley, who has climbed up to a ledge for a bunch of bananas. As soon as he drops down, Link attacks him, and they battle it out for a single bunch of bananas. Or to take each other out of the competition. Who knows?

The other Blademaster soon catches up to them, and Link ducks out of the three-way fight to run further down the valley and out of sight. The two Blademasters swing their giant swords at one anther, dodging faster than should be possible, until one of them blasts the other into the air, using the magic that opens the ground under their feet, sending up a geyser. The thrown Blademaster crashes against the canyon wall, and the other one charges on, chasing after Link and more bananas.

Zelda sits back, assuming the three of them are probably going to spend the next hour fighting it out over no more than four bunches of bananas. She tries to listen in to what the Yiga crowd is saying, but they're far away, and what she does pick up are bawdy jokes and ribbing about how so-and-so let the Undead Knight get the bast of him that once. "You were beaten by the little blue one," is a common insult that seems to end all arguments.

It's a boring hour.

The contestants return staggering, but still swiping at each other if they get too close to one another. Their sacks are now full and lugged over their shoulders. One of the Blademasters has wrapped a makeshift bandage around his arm. The other has a slash across his shirt. Link has a black eye.

They all grudgingly take their places to present their findings to the master of ceremonies as the last of the sand runs from the hourglass.

"Kanna!" the master of ceremonies shouts, "How many bananas did you find?"

The Blademaster on the left steps forward, and upends his bag. "I found thirty bunches of bananas!" he announces.

As ridiculous as this competition is, Zelda's heart sinks. This one Yiga found more than half the bananas.

Link gives Kanna a venomous look, and the other Blademaster is standing in such a way that if she could see his face under his mask, she's sure he would be glaring too.

"Harson!" the master of ceremonies shouts, "How many bananas did you find?"

Link steps forward, and upends his sack. "I found thirty-five bunches of bananas." Link turns to raise his eyebrows meaningfully at Kanna, and the audience explodes in shouts and laughter and jeers.

One of them is cheating. It very well might be Kanna, but it is also most definitely Link.

Zelda holds back a groan. How is it possible for him to be this outrageous? He is absurd. Asking for trouble. Why does he carry around so much fruit?! He's probably very proud of his preparedness. He's probably annoyed that there wasn't a real challenge to actually find bananas.

The master of ceremonies gets everyone to quiet down, then turns to the final contestant. "Stoji! How many bananas did you find?"

The last Blademaster struts up, upends his sack, and shouts, "I found fifty bunches of bananas!"

Kanna shouts in outrage and throws himself forward to attack Stoji, who was definitely expecting to be called out. They clash together for a few swipes and parries, before Link throws himself into their midst and throws off their rhythm. Stoji swings wide. Kanna ducks to the side and loses his footing. Link slips behind Stoji and has him in a headlock for only a moment before Kanna is rushing towards them again with his blade raised, screaming a war cry, and Link has to drop his hold to duck away.

In the flying steal and thrown sand, Zelda loses track of which Blademaster is which, only marking Link as he darts between two enemies. None of them team up. None of them can keep their focus on a single opponent. Link spins left to block a sword and right to block a sword, then ducks and rolls away as the two Blademasers go after each other over his head. They have reach on him, but he is faster. Link slices one of them in the leg, and the Yiga stumbles to one knee, at which point the other Blademaster brings his sword down in a deathblow, that is knocked wide as Link takes a flying leap into the attacker's side, knocking him over, pinning him beneath him, and punching him in the mask, which cracks so loudly Zelda hears it clear as the gong that started this nasty business.

Link is the only one who stands up.

The Yiga are silent for a long moment. Then they erupt into cheers.

#

It's another long wait for Link to extract himself from the Yiga party. He's getting all the information he needs for the Yiga assault. When and were they'll meet and how they'll approach and how many will attack. But it seems as though the Yiga are more interested in slinging banana flavored beer at him, offering their congratulations, and cheering that they will soon murder the Heinous Monarch! Zelda rolls her eyes and rolls onto her back to watch the stars again. It's a better view from here than she had last night.

She hears Link coming, and sits up to meet him, but something makes her still. He's walking strangely. Is he drunk? And he's looking around as if he doesn't quite remember where he left her. The poor lighting stretches his silhouette makes him look thinner, the poof of his hair higher. Or has he had to redo it because it got mussed? Or—

He shifts, and the silhouette of his face in profile is missing, replaced with a flat mask.

It's not Link at all.

She flattens herself against the dirt, half hidden by a slight rise in the ground, half hidden by the dark. She gently pulls out the slate and sets it to warp. But she'll wait. Maybe the footsoldier won't see her. Maybe he'll just turn around and head back the way he came.

Her heart is pounding so loudly that she can no longer hear his approach. She can no longer hear how loud she's breathing. She can't think for the pounding that's turning to panic.

Link said to leave. Link said to leave. She can't leave Link here.

The footsoldier freezes. His head snaps in her direction. She holds so still she might be trapped in stasis. She might be electrocuted. He can't see her. He can't see her. He can't—

He pulls out a spiked ring like a deadly tambourine and drops into a defensive stance. Before he can teleport closer, she jabs the slate and warps.

She lands outside Gerudo Town, stretched flat against the stone, and she's shaking so hard she can't get the slate back into its holster. She left him. She left him. How could she leave him?

She crosses her arms over her face and chokes.

She can imagine the way it will play out: the foot soldier will rush back to camp to say she was there and she was spying. They'll shout about how awful she is, and then they'll rush to search the area, looking for Link. And finally, the Yiga will put it all together and turn on their newly appointed Champion. They'll head to Vah Naboris tonight.

No. No. He'll be safe in his stupid disguise. She did what he told her to do. When the footsoldier announces that he saw her and she warped away, Link will know exactly what happened. He'll find her. He'll make his way across the desert and find her. She just needs to go back to the palace and wait for him.

She'll also tell Riju. The chief can send people to rescue him. Yes, good.

With a plan, she sniffs and wipes her tears on the sleeve of her snowquill coat before heading into town.

Riju nods at Zelda's story, and says, "You mean he won? That's the best news I've gotten all day. What was the last challenge? He better have some secrets to share with me when he gets back tomorrow."

Zelda hesitates, then says, "If he gets back tomorrow."

Riju waves a hand. "Even if this party of his doesn't wind down until sunrise and then he naps until noon, he'll still get here tomorrow. There's plenty of sand seals to catch over there. And knowing him, he'll be back by morning...Or he'll get distracted and show up next week sometime...But you're here, so I'm sure it'll be tomorrow morning."

Zelda can't sleep. This is a different room from the one in which Zelda used to stay, for which she's grateful. And the sandstone walls and cozy wall hangings are familiar enough to be comforting. But the windows are vast and there's no glass in them so the room can catch a breeze, and she can't help imagining a Yiga head popping through those windows. She can't help but think every padding step in the hallway is a Yiga intruder, come to slice her throat and steal the slate.

Link's fine, she tells herself. He'll be back with a clueless story about sand seal surfing and no notion of her distress.

It's nearing dawn when footsteps sound in the hall, and just as she has every other time she's heard noises tonight, she tenses. The doorknob jiggles, then unlocks, then opens, and Link steps in. It's definitely Link. The way he stands. His familiar Gerudo vai clothes.

She sits up even as all her muscles release. He locks the door behind him and rushes to the bed, dropping beside her and taking her arms in his hands. Before he can ask if she's alright, she tears off his veil and kisses him, scared and angry and desperate and needing to feel the heat of him. She cups his face and drags her fingers into his hair, ridding him of his head covering.

He meets her just as desperately, and she warms at the thought that he was worried about her. Worried that he wasn't there to protect her or worried because he knew she'd be a mess after leaving him, she doesn't know.

She yanks on the buckle of the baldric across his chest and the Master Sword and a bow and a battered lizalfo shield clatter to the floor. She twists, dragging him over her and onto his back. She climbs on top of him and kisses him harder. He tastes like bananas, and she hates it so much that she's going to make him taste like her instead.

His sleeves jingle as he strokes up and down her spine, and she wants that to stop too. Her roving hands slip under the tight, bottom hem of his top, ready to pull it off over his head, but he hisses and grabs her wrists. "Zelda—"

"Take it off. Take it off right now." She tugs, but he holds her hands.

"We shouldn't."

"Why not? I just want—I just need—I need to feel you here and safe with me, and—Goddess!—I need you to not be in disguise."

He hesitates. Then lets go of her wrists.

She honestly wasn't expecting him to give in without more of an argument, and it takes her aback for a moment. Enough to slow her wildness, enough to make her feel slightly timid as she eases her hands further inside his shirt. He sucks in a breath, and his skin is so warm. Pulling up the fabric, she drags her hands up his chest—all places she's touched him before, but this is different.

He props himself up to sitting so she can pull the fabric over his head, then he lies back as she works on his sleeves, unclamping the bands above his biceps, slipping off the rings on his fingers that hold the sleeves down. She's methodical, taking her time to marvel at every inch of skin she exposes. His breathing grows heavier as he watches her, his muscles jumping under her hands.

She imagined that finally ripping off his clothes would be a wild, heated scrambling.

He's bare from the waist up, spread out under her, his hands tight against her hips, his eyes dark and lips parted, and finally—finally—he looks like himself. She takes a moment to appreciate it. Takes a moment to feel safe. Normal. At home. Then she tucks her hair behind her ear and bends to kiss him.

Her clothes stay on, and that's fine. After she claims his chest with kisses and licks and bites that have him moaning softly and rutting under her, she sits up and rolls her hips against him, one hand splayed on his chest, until he surges up and clutches her tight to his chest and sucks so hard against her neck that she cries out, and he gasps out a reminder that there are people around and she needs to be quiet. And she starts to giggle uncontrollably, because they are doing something elicit and secret and exciting, and yet it doesn't involve any sort of bodily danger.

What if someone hears them? Then they have mundane teenager problems. It's the most joyous thought she's had all day.

He looks up at her with a grin. "What? You get loud sometimes."

"Shhhhh," she says. She presses a finger to his mouth, then replaces it with her lips, trying not to giggle and failing but managing to do it silently. She's very very quiet for a good long time.

Until she gets too distracted again and forgets.