I've been really excited to write this chapter and get it published! Why, might you ask? Just read to the end and you'll see why ;)
"It's never easy for us, is it."
"Well, at least they aren't walking Guardians."
"You're right. They aren't walking, they're flying! That's way better!"
Zelda turned to Link with a huff. "I'm just trying to be optimistic here."
Link sighed. "Alright, alright. Fine. You're right, at least they aren't walking."
"Thank you," Zelda replied curtly, peeking over the boulder to scope out the area again. Link did the same, raising an eyebrow quizzically.
"What is this place, anyway?" He asked.
"The Sheikah Slate called it the Ordorac Quarry."
Link kept looking around the area, narrowing his eyes at the three flying Guardians that hovered above the ground, pink and orange light penetrating the ground underneath them like a spotlight. They reminded him of the scouts Rudania had sent out. Although, these looked much more dangerous. "Strange that they would have a quarry right next to a sacred spring." He said nonchalantly. "Either way, with those Guardians there we'll have to sneak around. I don't want to risk getting caught, especially if they're anything like the walking ones."
Standing, Link held out his hand and helped Zelda to her feet, and with a nod to each other, the two Hylians started forward, keeping to the edge of the quarry. Things were going smoothly until a flying Guardian came way too close to them for comfort. They both froze, the light from the Guardian passing within a few feet of the two. But the Guardian didn't notice them, thankfully, and so they quickly hurried along, winding through the boulders and dodging the Guardian's lights.
"This is going well," Zelda remarked happily, noticing a narrow corridor that obviously led towards the spring and taking a step forward. It wasn't until Link stepped forward when a Guardian light spotted them, instantly glowing the violent pink color of malice, a tracking laser appearing on Zelda's chest.
"Run!" Link shouted, but Zelda was already way ahead of him. She grabbed his wrist and tugged him along, with Link quickly catching up. The tracking laser kept on Zelda as the Guardian beeped rhythmically, slowly speeding up as it charged its attack. Link and Zelda were almost to the corridor, pumping their legs as fast as possible.
And just when it seemed the Guardian would fire its laser and they were doomed, they slid into the corridor, the tracking laser disappearing from Zelda's chest since the Guardian couldn't find them any longer. Relief flooded the two Hylians, both of them breathing hard.
"That went well," Zelda said again, but now with a sarcastic tone, and Link let out a laugh. Things rarely went that well for them anymore.
After catching their breaths again, the two Hylians turned and entered into the spring, with Zelda letting out a little gasp and Link's jaw dropping open.
The place was beautiful.
Multiple small waterfalls slid smoothly over the high cliffs that surrounded the area, with shallow water separating Link and Zelda from the large, gracefully carved Goddesses Statue. Two giant trees stood as if on guard on opposite sides of the statue, the bright green leaves rocking gently in the fresh, crisp breeze. It looked incredibly peaceful, but with Zelda's face paling, Link knew that it wasn't peaceful to her. She began to walk farther into the Spring, stopping just before the waist-high water.
Her eyes widened before they glazed over, her posture becoming relaxed as if she were asleep. Link immediately knew she was experiencing a memory. He let out a sigh, wondering what was running through her head. He looked up at the statue, his brow furrowing before he too was lost in the past.
It was night. Link shivered just slightly as he stood on the platform, his back turned towards Zelda as she prayed in the Spring to give her respected privacy. He always wondered how the Princess could stand being in that water for hours on end, praying and begging for power. It always tugged at his heartstrings, but he would never tell Zelda that he felt pity for her. That would only make her more desperate.
Regardless, he could feel himself dozing off while he stood there, finding it harder and harder to keep his eyes open. His mind drifted, and his eyes were just about to slip closed when-
"I come seeking help…" Zelda began startling Link back awake. He quickly straightened his posture again, hoping Zelda hadn't noticed. He would never have known if she had, however, since she had been praying silently for the past hour, with the only sounds being that of the natural spring. Now at full attention, Link continued to listen in on Zelda, who was speaking in a quiet, reverent tone. "...regarding this power that has been handed down over time… Prayer will awaken my power to seal Ganon away… Or so I've been told all my life. And yet… Grandmother heard them-the voices from the spirit realm. And Mother said her own power would develop within me."
Link glanced to the side, catching onto the shift of tone in Zelda's voice. She wasn't praying anymore.
"But I don't hear… or feel anything!" She exclaimed, and Link had to force himself not to turn around while Zelda continued. "Father has told me time and time again… He always says, 'Quit wasting your time playing at being a scholar!'" Zelda paused, her voice trembling, "Curse you." She spat, accompanied by two small splashes Link guessed were her hands hitting the water. "I've spent every day of my life dedicated to praying! I've pleaded to the spirits tied to the ancient gods… And still, the holy powers have proven deaf to my devotion." Zelda's voice then quieted down to just a whisper, "Please just tell me… What is it…? What's wrong with me?!" She cried.
That was it. He turned around, already in the process of setting the Master Sword onto the ground. He knew this was hard for her. He knew what lengths the Princess had gone to try and awaken her power, and it frustrated Link so much when the Goddesses granted her nothing. Once he set his sword on the ground, he wasted no time and stepped into the cool water, making his way towards the shaking form of the Princess.
Link woke up with a start, seeing Zelda awake, still staring up at the statue. Tears were gathering at the corners of her eyes. After a while of the only sound being that of the waterfalls humming as they tumbled, she broke her gaze away from the statue and looked to Link, quickly wiping her eyes. "You saw and heard all of that too… didn't you." She mumbled.
Link didn't reply for a while, before slowly nodding. "You were praying here, at this spring, trying to awaken your power..."
"And I couldn't." Zelda finished, her eyes watering again. "But I thought I could! That is… I thought I could use my power back then… but I guess… I guess I was wrong."
Link recalled the thoughts that had gone through his head back then during the memory, how he felt for the Princess, and how he 'knew of her struggles'. "That's okay because you can use it now, right?"
Zelda's face darkened, and she looked to the ground. "Yeah… right."
Looking over her face, Link knew there was something else she wanted to say. "And…?" He prompted.
She let out a frustrated groan. "I don't know! It's all just jumbled up in my head. But I know for certain that I… I-" She cut herself off, taking a deep breath before continuing, "I was frustrated with myself. I couldn't get my sealing power to awaken within me, that much is clear now, and I think everyone was pressuring me? I don't know… And then there's my father. I said something about him, didn't I? In the memory?"
Link nodded, encouraging Zelda to continue.
"I think I was mad at him. I think I always felt ridiculed by him. But I don't know why! It's just vague thoughts in my head. The only thing I know for certain is that he didn't have the courage to face me as a ghost back on that cursed plateau."
Looking down for just a moment as he gathered his thoughts, Link raised his gaze to meet Zelda's once more. "Well, no matter what you know for certain, there's nothing more for us here. Besides, I'm sure we'll get all of the answers we need once we collect all of the memories from the Sheikah Slate."
The young girl bit her lip, taking one last look at the spring before sighing and nodding, wiping at her eyes once more. Link smiled softly, and the two turned their backs and made their way through the narrow corridor. They snuck past the flying Guardians again without any trouble, stopping and looking around the long rolling green hills that seemed to make up most of Akkala once they were out of the quarry. It was still in the morning, but noonday would soon be approaching, so Zelda took out the Sheikah Slate to see if there was a stable nearby to stop and eat a meal for lunch.
The search had landed them at the East Akkala Stable, where they had spent a well earned hour, with Link cooking a nice lunch after hunting down a boar they had seen on their way there. While he had cooked, Zelda had looked for a merchant or stablehand who would be able to fix the tear in Link's Champion's Tunic. She had returned with a young lady, who had nervously fixed up Link's tunic for him. She seemed quite flustered when he took the tunic off for her to fix, and Zelda had excused herself to leave elsewhere. And it might've just been the lighting, but Link swore he saw her face bright red.
But now they were back on the road, with Link's tunic fixed and back on, but they had decided not to start their journey to leave Akkala just yet. They had overheard some travelers talking about some researcher named Robbie who lived just up the hill, and when they had stepped out to take a look and saw the strange building sitting proudly ahead, Link knew that Zelda wanted to see this so-called researcher.
Consequently, they were now standing at the doorstep of the strange building, which was only stranger up close.
It all seemed to be built from a lighthouse, but saying that it was "built" was an overstatement. The whole place looked like it had been stuck together by a toddler, with its section of stone bricks towards the bottom that crumbled away into haphazard wooden shacks and stairs farther up. A large telescope, (which was the only sign that the place had ever been a lighthouse in the first place,) stretched from the top of the lab towards the center of Hyrule, large and impressive.
Zelda stared up at the lab in awe, an excited gleam in her eyes. "Incredible…" She muttered under her breath, turning to Link. "Come on!" Then without hesitation, the young Hylian opened the door and stepped into the lab, Link following closely behind.
They were met with a strange sight. It was a robot of some kind, a simple figure without arms or legs, with two large eyes closed so only two blue, glowing slits showed. Its mouth was the same; just a single line. Zelda peered at it curiously, stepping forward to reach out and touch it.
"Hey! What are you two doing here?" A voice suddenly called out behind them. Link and Zelda whirled around in surprise, Zelda letting out an involuntary gasp as she did so.
There was a short old man staring right at them a good distance away, his hands firmly clasped on his hips. To his right was a woman who seemed to be in her 40s or so. She was holding a book to her chest, eying Link and Zelda suspiciously. Both the old man and the woman were clad in Sheikah-styled clothing, which hopefully meant they were friendly.
The old man stared at them for a while, which was unsettling with his strange goggles. They whirred around aimlessly, looking in opposite directions then switching again and again. Link was puzzled by them, as well as by the white hair that stuck out to the sides of the old man's head. He was certainly a strange character.
"Hmm?" The old man hummed, his head tilted to give the indication that he was looking at Zelda. "Hmmmm?" He repeated, more intensely. The woman next to him gave him a look, and he waved his hand just slightly. She nodded and walked off towards a bookshelf, obviously no longer worried or interested in Link and Zelda.
"You are… are you…?" The old man stuttered a bit, "Are you Princess Zelda?"
Zelda smiled and nodded. "I am, but just Zelda is fine. And you are?"
The old man's face split into a huge grin, and he looked to Link, ignoring Zelda's question. "Then you are… Link?"
Link glanced at Zelda before giving the old man a small nod. Should I know you? He thought, keeping his mouth shut.
"Ah but these are troubling times… How can I determine with full certainty whether or not you two are what you say you are? Yes, how indeed? Hm?" The old man inquired. He seemed to have a habit of humming quite a bit while he spoke. It was as if he were talking more to himself and thinking aloud more than anything. And before Zelda could open her mouth to reply, the old man hummed again, his head turned downcast with a hand on his chin.
"Hm, hm, yes. I've got it." He looked back up at the two Hylians, "I'm quite positive I know you are Princess Zelda without a doubt, hm… yes, yes. But for you…" He focused his attention on Link, making Link slightly uncomfortable. "If you can show me the wounds your body suffered 100 years ago, that should prove you are truly Link."
The old man shut his mouth, waiting expectantly for Link to do… something. The young Hylian now felt very uncomfortable, hesitantly taking hold of the bottom of his Champion's tunic and lifting it up so his chest was bare. He was well aware of his many, many scars that stretched all over his body, but when the old man leaned forward and inspected them, he felt rather embarrassed. He noticed Zelda looking at him out of the corner of his eye, and when he looked over at her, her cheeks flushed a bright pink and she turned away.
After what seemed an eternity, the old man pulled away. The smile was back on his face. Hm! Hmm… Yes, the number of scars on your body are just as I remember. Most seem to have healed, but they do line up with the scars I know you got during the Great Calamity 100 years ago. Hm. Yes, I acknowledge you as the real Link."
Link dropped his tunic to cover himself again, straightening out the wrinkles and looking at the old man with a small, hesitant smile of his own. The old man continued without missing a beat.
"So let us begin again." He cleared his throat, "I am the lead Guardian researcher and director of the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab. I am Doctoooor… Robbie!" The old man suddenly struck a pose, jumping and landing with his feet separated, knees bent, and an arm extended in some sort of… superhero pose?
Then the man straightened and continued as if nothing had happened. "In any case… I really am impressed that you two made it all the way out to this rather remote location. Did you, perchance, meet Purah and borrow her power?"
Zelda immediately stiffened once the Doctor mentioned the lead researcher in Hateno Village. She bit her lip and looked away, so Link stepped in to answer for her. "Uh… Yes, we did, but she was a uh… she was a child."
Robbie looked up, his hand still rubbing his chin. "Hm? Purah? A child?" He suddenly gasped, "What?! She really has a kid?"
"No no she is the child." Link quickly corrected him, "She uh... Somehow aged backward."
"Hm? Are you certain? Hm! So she's as crazy as ever. Okeydoke. Knowing her, I'm guessing she screwed up some experiment. Hm, hm, yes. Typical." The Doctor surprisingly brushed off the topic quite quickly, seemingly unperturbed about the whole thing. "Well now let us return to the subject at hand, hm? Did you know that the Calamity is regaining its power?"
Zelda perked up. "Yes, of course. Purah told us how I sealed it 100 years ago, and that now it's gaining strength to break free."
Robbie nodded knowingly. "Hmm. I see. Then I don't need to tell you my story, hm?"
Link glanced over at Zelda. Apparently, she wasn't about to tell anyone about their encounter with her father anytime soon. Nonetheless, Zelda didn't seem bothered as she responded to Robbie. "No, no, we'd love to hear your story."
A grin spread out across the Doctor's face. "Hm! Yes. I see. In that case…" He cleared his throat again, "The goal of our Sheikah research lab is simple, really. We aim to destroy the Calamity that has endured across time… to rid Hyrule of its dark influence. We have worked ourselves to the bone conducting our research. For a time, I feared I'd pass before we could prevail. However!" He exclaimed, placing his hands on his hips as he regarded the two Hylians before him. "You two, the Princess Zelda herself and the Hylian Champion, managed to awaken before this old sack of flesh gave out. That means… The time is now! Hm, yes, yes!"
Zelda and Link exchanged a glance.
"You two! Now is the time to join forces with us Sheikah, yes?" Robbie continued, his tone excited and energetic, "We must destroy the Calamity!" He struck the pose again, straightening in the blink of an eye. "Yes! That is correct! We are going to join forces to put an end to the Calamity! And on that note… Sorry for the long preamble, but I'd like to provide you with some ancient soldier gear. Hm!"
Zelda's face brightened significantly at that. Link still felt confused, even a little put off by the old man's character, but tried to give him a small smile to not be rude. Robbie then directed their attention to the robot.
"Cherry… erm, the ancient oven… creates ancient soldier gear made using Sheikah technology. With the addition of my upgrades, they have morphed into… Anti-Calamity weapons!" Robbie struck the pose once again, clearing his throat and straightening. "So to speak… Needless to say, I wanted to show you an example by giving you two these." He handed Zelda three arrows, although they weren't normal. Far from that.
It looked like a small chunk of ancient technology was tied onto the end of a normal arrow where the head would've been. Zelda gazed down at the three arrows in wonder, an excited glint in her eye. "What are they called?" She asked Robbie.
"I like to call them… Ancient arrows!" The Doctor answered, striking his strange pose once again with a triumphant grin.
"Wow. I never would've guessed." Link muttered to Zelda, and she rolled her eyes and nudged him playfully.
"Hush." She whispered back, although a side smile was prominent on her face.
"Hm, yes and in addition to ancient arrows, Cherry can make all kinds of ancient soldier gear. If you're looking to acquire some, give your ancient materials…" Robbie lowered his voice, sounding sheepish, "and rupees… to Cherry."
Link raised an eyebrow. "Rupees?"
The old man chuckled nervously. "Ah, forgive me, Link, Princess Zelda. Ever since the fall of Hyrule Castle, we haven't had much in the way of funds for our research."
"It's alright. Completely understandable." Zelda cut in, shooting Link another look, which he returned with a smile. "How much for more ancient arrows?" She then asked.
Robbie's face lit up and he patted Cherry proudly. "For one arrow, that will be 90 rupees, an ancient shaft and 2 ancient screws from a Guardian, and one normal arrow. Quite a bargain, really, hm?"
Zelda's smile wavered and she glanced at Link. They were completely out of all arrows except the six ice arrows Link had managed to find in the ruins, and they were nowhere near getting those Guardian parts. They didn't even know you could scavenge for parts.
"Ah… well, guess we'll have to come another time." Zelda said.
The Doctor's smile fell and he rubbed his chin. "Hm…alright then. I guess you should be on your way if you aren't going to be exchanging anytime soon. Unless of course, you would wish to stay for a while to discuss our plans to vanquish the Calamity, hm?"
Zelda handed the ancient arrows to Link, who slipped them into his quiver with his ice arrows. "No, that's alright. We'll be on our way." She said with a small nod.
With her gaze lingering on the robot, or 'Cherry,' as Robbie called it, Zelda turned and made her way to the door. Link followed, both of them glancing back and waving.
"Farewell Princess, Champion, and may we finally defeat the Calamity which has plagued our land for far too long, hm?" Robbie said, waving goodbye.
Zelda nodded. "Of course. We'll see you again soon!"
And with that, the two Hylians left the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab to continue on their way out of Akkala. As they walked down the path, Zelda asked Link for an ancient arrow, to which he obliged and handed one over. And for the next hour, she examined it and fiddled with the device as they walked, commenting on its strange qualities and technological quirks that Link didn't find as appealing.
They were still in Akkala by the middle of the afternoon, with Zelda following their route with the Sheikah Slate. "We're passing by the East Akkala Beach and coming up on the East Akkala Plains. Over there is the Rist Peninsula." She narrated, pointing towards a strangely shaped peninsula. It was in the shape of a spiral.
"That's cool." Link commented.
"Yeah! Maybe we could take a short detour and explore it a bit?"
Link shrugged. "Whatever you want."
Smiling, Zelda looked back down at the Sheikah Slate. Link watched for a bit, finding himself smiling as well. His bag bobbed on his back as they walked, and a thought jumped into his head. "Oh! Hey, while we're walking, how about we read Daruk's diary?" He suggested, bringing his bag around and opening it.
Zelda's head immediately snapped up. "Good idea!" She exclaimed, hooking the Sheikah Slate back onto her hip.
Link pulled out the diary, which was rather heavy since it was made out of metal, slung his bag back onto his shoulders, and opened to the first page. A rush of emotions flooded through him as he stared at the words, not even reading them just… looking. After a moment he finally sucked in a breath, steeled himself, and began.
"I'm gonna start writin' in this "diary" thing startin'... now. Ugh, a diary... Maybe I'll call it my training journal." Link paused, chuckling a bit. "Guess we ought to call it Daruk's Training Journal then."
Chuckling, Zelda nodded. "Makes sense. I mean, the mighty Daruk really doesn't seem to be someone who would write in a diary."
With a smile on his face, Link nodded and continued. "They say all ya gotta do is write down stuff that happens. Us Gorons prefer the simple life, so I hope simple stuff counts. Let's see. For today's journal entry, what should I write about? Oh, I know! I had some rock roast from the peak of Death Mountain. It was delicious! I think I'll eat more of it soon."
An image then flashed in Link's mind of him trying to eat a rock roast, and then the memory of his nightmare where that happened slipped in. "I think Daruk had me try a rock roast once." He said to Zelda, trying to shove away the thoughts of his nightmare and focus more on the faint memory of the times he had spent with the Goron champion.
Zelda winced at Link's words. "I bet that wasn't very good for your teeth."
Thinking more on the memory, Link vividly remembered the sharp pain that had lanced up his jaw when he had tried biting into it. "No, it really wasn't." He said with a chuckle, continuing to read as they walked.
"I talked to some Hylians at the base of the mountain. All anyone wants to talk about these days is Calamity Ganon. Reminds me of when those tiny Sheikah came to Death Mountain a few years ago to dig up that Divine Beast or whatever. The Hylians were sayin' that beast thing is a weapon someone will need to learn how to control. Back in the good ol' days. Gorons didn't worry about relics we couldn't eat. Mmm... Now I'm hungry. Maybe I'll track down a prime rock roast for one of my dinners tonight!"
"Today I saw someone bein' attacked when I was out lookin' for lunch rocks at the peak. He was a little tiny guy, so I rushed down the mountain to help him. I was shocked to find he was handy with a sword! By the time I rolled his way, he'd already taken out all the monsters! I couldn't help but admire his Goron-like strength. While I was distracted, a monster almost got the jump on me. He stopped it. The Great Daruk...saved by a tiny Hylian. I must have had a dopey look on my face when that happened. Hope he didn't notice."
As Link read, more and more memories slowly revealed themselves in his head, and he felt warm and at peace. He remembered seeing Daruk for the first time quite well now, how he did, in fact, have a dopey look on his face. It was comical. Charming, even. The steady flow of memories popping into his head urged Link to keep reading, and he felt himself becoming more and more engrossed as he did so. The world around him was fading. He was back before the Calamity attacked, when things were stressful, yes, but the times he spent with the Champions were always worth spending.
"That little Hylian from before is named Link. He's got a respectable appetite. Loves to eat meat, fruit, vegetables... all sorts of things a decent person wouldn't dream of eating. Link will cook up and eat just about anything. I offered him some Grade-A rock roast to help refine his palette. I asked him how it tasted. He liked it so much, he was speechless. I knew Hylians could eat rocks too. Eating isn't the only thing Link and I have in common. The little guy is also incredibly strong! He said sometimes when he focuses, it feels like time slows down. Heh! I really like that guy. He's the type of guy you can trust to have your back and also have a nice hearty meal with. Yeah! That settles it! From now on, Link is an official brother"
Link stared at the final words on the page, hesitating to flip to the next. A wave of emotions washed over him, and he had to blink rapidly to keep himself from tearing up. After a moment he finally wiped at his eyes and turned to the next page, opening his mouth to continue reading when Zelda held out an arm in front of him to keep him from walking farther. He stopped and looked up at her, a puzzled look on his face.
She was staring straight forward at something, her face pale. Link frowned and followed her line of sight, spotting out in the green field before them what she was staring at. It was a monster. A giant one, in fact, but it wasn't a Hinox. "Oh no." Link breathed, knowing immediately just what danger they were now in.
It was a Lynel. However, unlike the one they had fought on Shatterback Point, this one's skin was colored a dark, dirty blue, with its hair a light purple that looked more gray than anything, all accompanied with two, glowing orange eyes. On its back was a large, silver crusher with sharp edges that looked like it could easily shatter bones. And with the Lynel wielding it, it could definitely end their lives with a single swing.
Recalling how the fight had gone on Shatterback Point, Link felt his own face pale. Granted he had fought the beast with an injured arm, but the monster had withstood countless attacks from him, and it had been smart enough to back Link into a corner. Of course, that had been its own demise, but there was no hundred-foot tall cliff that Link could use to his advantage again out here in the field and rolling hills. In fact, there was nothing they could use as shelter, and the path they were on led right next to the beast. They would either have to take a large detour to avoid being seen, or try their luck and continue on the path.
"We are not fighting that thing," Zelda said, shaking her head to emphasize her point.
Link nodded. "I agree. We should go back the way we came by the quarry."
"That'll probably take us an extra day to get out of Akkala, but it's definitely worth it," Zelda replied, already turning to walk back up the hill towards the stable. Link followed without hesitation, praying that they hadn't been spotted by the Lynel already.
"AAAH!" A scream suddenly sounded behind them, making both Hylians whirl around. Another Hylian was running along the path towards them a good distance away, the Lynel chasing after them, crusher out and ready to kill.
Link immediately burst into action, his previous fears gone. Zelda called after him, but it was no use. He was already sprinting down the hill, having dumped his bag next to Zelda and now drawing his travelers bow and stringing an ice arrow. The Hylian running from the Lynel spotted Link coming towards her, noticing the bow in his hands and hurrying off of the path to give Link a clear shot.
The Lynel hesitated, stopping its pursuit and looking up at Link instead. It's beady eyes widened and it let out a thunderous roar. Link narrowed his eyes and let the arrow fly, nailing the beast right in the shoulder. The monster didn't even flinch, only looking down at the arrow stuck in its shoulder and picking it out, flinging it to the side with a growl. The ice hadn't affected it either, with the monster brushing off the ice from its shoulder and chest.
Trying not to panic, Link slowed to a walk towards the monster and took out an ancient arrow, stringing it and pulling his arm back. Time to see what this thing can do. He thought to himself before activating its glowing blue tip and letting the arrow fly.
The Lynel's eyes widened and it leaped to the side just as the arrow whizzed past, tendrils of blue light trickling from it as it flew into the distance. Link frowned and put his bow away, not wanting to waste the other two ancient arrows if the Lynel was able to dodge them. Besides, they could be completely useless against this brute for all he knew.
Now standing in place, Link pulled out his Guardian sword and shield. The Lynel waited patiently until Link was almost ten feet away, staring him down with its furious eyes. Link looked right back up at the beast, waiting for it to make the first move.
It did indeed make the first move, charging at Link and swinging its crusher. Link readied himself until the last possible second, jumping over the attack and spinning around to face the Lynel that was now behind him. He lunged forward with a backhand strike, slicing across the Lynel's side. The monster reared up on its hind legs and growled in anger, holding its crusher above its head and preparing to strike.
Before the Lynel could attack, however, Link darted behind the beast and climbed onto its back, slipping his shield away so that he could use both hands and stabbed his sword into the beast's back. Releasing an agonized roar, the Lynel began to buck and thrash, trying to throw Link off. Link tightly held onto his Guardian sword which was still stuck into the monster, using it as an anchor to keep himself from falling.
Just when he felt his grip begin to slip, the Lynel stopped, and Link had just enough time to rip his sword out and jump off of its back when it swung its crusher behind it where Link had been moments before. The Lynel was now infuriated when it found that it had yet to hit Link, whirling around and slamming its crusher onto the ground. Link sidestepped the blow, thinking he was safe, but the sheer force of the hit against the ground threw him back a few feet. He landed on his back with a grunt, his eyes widening when he saw the crusher coming right for him from the side. He only had enough time to take out his shield and hold it out in front of him, still lying down while he braced for impact.
It didn't come. A blue bomb suddenly appeared behind the Lynel's head, exploding once it hit the beast and sending it stumbling forward. Link scrambled onto his feet out of the way of the stunned monster, spotting Zelda just a few feet away and lowering her Sheikah Slate. Her face was filled with relief. Link flashed her a grateful smile before he turned to the Lynel, tightening his grip on his sword and slipping his shield onto his back. It was time to finish this. The beast was already in pain from his blow to its back, and now it was stunned and disoriented from the bomb.
"Zelda! Freeze it with stasis!" Link shouted, already racing towards the Lynel.
"Right!" Zelda yelled back, already raising her Sheikah Slate.
Link then leaped into the air, the Lynel freezing from the Stasis thanks to Zelda. Link landed on the monsters back again, grabbing onto one of its horns with one hand right when it broke free. The beast didn't even have time to move before Link let go of its horn and, with both hands, thrust his sword right into its head with a grunt.
The Lynel immediately let out a booming cry, thrashing around wildly in pain. Startled by the sudden movements, Link let go of his sword and used both hands to hold onto the monster's horns, trying to keep from flying off.
The monster continued to buck and jump around, showing no signs of stopping. Link was baffled. How is this thing still standing? Now the beast was reaching up with its hands and trying to grab at Link, who ducked and dodged while still holding onto the horns. He was so busy focusing on that that he wasn't prepared for when the Lynel suddenly dove onto its side, landing harshly and crushing Link's leg underneath its bulk. He lost his grip on the horns and cried out in pain, bringing his leg to his chest once the Lynel got back onto its hooves, it's eyes narrowing on Link who was trying to see past the pain that was shooting up from his leg. It was for sure broken in multiple areas, the sheer weight of the Lynel's body having crushed his bones.
"Link!" Zelda shouted, running towards him with a bomb in hand. Link saw her coming, his head already spinning from the pain. He glanced over at the Lynel, who had its crusher back and ready to swing. He knew what was coming, looking back at Zelda with half-slitted eyes, already threatening to fall unconscious from the horrible pain in his leg.
Zelda then saw the crusher right as the Lynel swung it, her eyes widening in horror. "Link! No!" She screamed, sprinting towards him, but she would never reach him in time. She chucked the bomb, trying to do all she could to prevent what happened next.
Time seemed to slow as the crusher came hurtling straight towards Link, and he only had enough time to gasp before it slammed right into him. Blinding pain erupted throughout his body, the force of the blow sending him more than ten feet away.
He roughly landed on the ground, a strangled cry of pain bursting from his throat. He opened his eyes just a bit, spotting the vague silhouette of the Lynel thrashing from some sort of explosion, and another figure sprinting towards him. He could hear the figure calling out his name, but the sound was muffled and echoed painfully in his head. His body felt numb and overwhelmed with pain that he couldn't feel any more as the figure continued to scream and run. He felt as if he were in water, slowly drifting away from his body, drifting… drifting… drifting…
"Link! Oh Goddesses no… no no no!" The figure was kneeling by him now, finally coming into focus.
Ah… Zelda. It was Zelda.
She now had him cradled in her lap, looking down on him with tears gathering in her eyes. Link looked right back up, suddenly feeling the strong urge to sleep. His eyelids drooped, causing Zelda to panic and hold him tighter. The motion sent a burst of pain through Link's body as if he just resurfaced before everything went numb and muffled around him again as he sunk back under.
"Link! Link, stay awake! Stay awake! Please! Don't close your eyes, stay with me! Stay!" Zelda cried out, the tears tumbling down her cheeks.
But I'm so tired. I don't think I can… can…
"Stay with me! Stay, please! Link, please!"
I'll only sleep for a moment. Just a second… just a minute… maybe a day…
The roar of a monster pierced Link's mind, making him wince. Zelda looked behind her fearfully, her eyes widening before darting right back at Link. Her mouth was moving as if she were saying something, but no sound was coming. The ground was shaking. Why was it shaking? There was a sound like hooves thundering… oh! There was Zelda's voice! What was she saying? Don't… sleep?
"Stay… please… don't… can't…"
Link's chest heaved and shuddered as he stared up at Zelda, and for the last time, everything slowed… until…
There was nothing more.
Do you get why I was so excited to write and publish this now? Mwahaha
Also! I just realized that this chapter officially lengthens this fic past 100k words! Holy crap! This is an insane milestone you guys. Thanks for sticking with me!