Characters: Zelda, Link

Settings: Hyrule Castle

It had been a day since the attack on Hyrule, and Zelda was practically a zombie. No attacks on Hyrule had been attempted since the days of Calamity Ganon, and if anyone was to attack the castle, it was sure to be the Yiga. But these...portals, were an unknown party. In fact the only thing to be gained knowledge wise from the attack, was that they knew nothing about their attackers. For someone who was obsessed with research and scholarly pursuits, such as Zelda, she was used to processing situations that she had substantial data on. There was none here.

The main problem was a lack of ways to deal with the threat. While she had Champions, and an army, the portals didn't seem to have a limit on their forces. They'd stopped appearing, sure, but that didn't mean anything in regards of the legions they may possess.

What they needed was the aid of someone who was strong enough to fight these portals, that would not be worn down, no matter the size of the threat. And then the idea popped into her head. They needed Lin- No. He is RETIRED, Zelda firmly reminded herself. He owes us nothing.

She'd be lying if she said that the prospect of bringing the Hylian Champion back into action, was a bad idea. In fact, it was the best one they had. But Zelda was not going to put Link's life on the table. He'd already died for Hyrule, and what he deserved was a nice, quiet retirement. But he'd accept. She scoffed internally at this thought. She knew if asked, Link wouldn't hesitate to rejoin the Champions, however, that was the problem entirely. He was too willing to risk his life, to the point where even dying under the Great Calamity wasn't enough to sober his spirit.

All her thoughts came back to the one simple truth. His life was not a factor allowed to be involved in this fight. He was to stay in Hateno, and live out the rest of his days in peace.

--

Link made his way to rear of the castle, facing the cave mouth, that would lead into the docks of the castle. Link knew from experience, that at this hour of the night, there were the least amount of guards in the castle patrolling the docks. He'd be sure to take out the few guards there were, and make sure that he gave them as little injury as possible.

Link didn't like the prospect of having to fight the knights of Hyrule. However, if Hyrule was under the threat of assault, he was not going to let a few guards cost the lives of the entire kingdom.

Link was about to pull out his paraglider and glide his way towards the docks, when a glint of orange and silver caught his eye.

He turned left of himself, to see a simple campfire. It was who was sitting at it that disturbed Link. In front of the flames, facing the fire as though entranced, was the armored man from the night before. If he'd noticed Link, he didn't show it. But, like before, Link only had to blink once for the man to disappear.

All thoughts that the man had just been his eyes playing tricks on him now left his head. This man was real, and it was following him. If it had any interest in the Hylian Champion, that could only mean one thing. He will try to kill me. It was not a prospect foreign to the mind of Link. Throughout his quest to save Hyrule from the Calamity, he'd been forced to deal with the Yiga, a cult of former Sheikah, that had taken allegiance with Ganon. Link would have to keep his eyes out for this armored man.

His mind then focused back to the task at hand. Breaking into Hyrule Castle.

He jumped off of the cliff he'd been residing on, before holding his trusty paraglider above his head, harnessing the wind, and allowing him to seamlessly glide down towards the mouth of the cave. This would have been a lot easier if I still had Revali's Gale.

He'd reached the wall of rock that was the cave mouth, before placing his paraglider in his pack, and grabbing hold of the stone handholds that he could find along it. Within about 15 minutes, he'd climbed into the cave, to a point where he had a clear visual of the docks, and where the guards were positioned. In total, there were 3, each standing in relatively close proximity, and all wielding royal guard halberds.

As Link was about to drop down to confront them, an idea entered his head. If the applause he'd received when proclaiming his return to the castle was anything to judge by, it seemed as though a large amount of people still held a lot of respect for him. Maybe they'd just...let me in? It was a silly thought, he reflected, however he had nothing to lose by attempting to ask. If they made too much noise, he'd simply knock them all out.

Link jumped from the wall and in front of the 3 guards, who all turned their halberds on him, startled, with a fierce look engraved into their eyes. Great start Link, he thought to himself, as he scoffed internally at how he'd made his entrance.

However, as the guards' eyes made their way towards Link's tunic, they all gained a sudden realization. They lowered their halberds immediately, but still looked at him, troubled.

Upon scanning their faces, Link recognized 2 of the 3 guards, due to both working here, and seeking their aid during his initial quest. They were 2 treasure hunters named Domidak and Prissen, who had joined the Royal Guard, as soon as it was reinstated. While they had been asses when Link had first met them, they grew acquainted once they had found out that Link was a Champion, and not just some meddling wanderer. However, due to both his age, and having never seen him before, Link could tell that the 3rd guard was new. He'll be the one I need to convince.

"Sir Link", Prissen , nodding to him, and moving aside to let him pass. I didn't even have to ask.

"Um...Sir Prissen", the new guard said nervously. "Weren't we told that under no cir-circumstances was Link allo-allowed to re-enter the cas-castle."

"Son", Domidak said sternly looking down at the new guard. "If Link has business in the castle, it's probably important."

"B-but...that would b-be treason right?"

Prissen gave a wide grin. "Son, if you wanna try and stop him, be my guest."

Link felt a rush of gratitude at Domidak and Prissen. The new guard turned his head to face Link, his eyes full of fear, as they met Link's impassive optics. Link could tell that the guard was unsure of his choice. He was to either commit possible treason or he would have to fight the most deadly man in Hyrule. Not very good choices all in all, Link reflected.

The guard chose the latter. He raised his halberd once more and pointed it at Link. "By decree of Princess Zelda of Hyrule, you are under arrest."

Not emotion crossed Link's face, as he unsheathed the Master Sword. "I deny your arrest."

The guard's eyes were blazing with both fear and determination. He took a forward jab at Link. Link anticipated the attack, he dodged right, and he felt as though time slowed down around him. It wasn't a sensation he was new to. It was dubbed a "flurry rush", a move that, when one moves fast enough, they transcend the normal flow of time. Link was the only person alive that was fast enough to pull it off, and by this point in his life, he'd mastered it.

He took advantage of his flurry rush, and swiftly swung the Master Sword under the guard's halberd, causing it to fly out of his hands.

When the guard realized that it hadn't even been a second since he struck, and not only was his weapon no longer in his hands, but that Link was no longer in front of him, he had to do a double take. When his eyes found Link to his right with the Master Sword pointed at him, all signs of resolve or determination within his eyes was gone.

Link, knowing that there would be no further attacks, sheathed his weapon, and continued through the docks, up the stairway that led into the castle. However, at the top of these stairs was a dead end. He smirked to himself. He'd been up these stairs hundreds of times, and knew that the only thing separating him from the castle, was a fake metal wall.

The Hylian pulled out his Sheikah Slate, turned on the Magnesis rune, and applied it to the wall. Link then, pushed the wall forward slightly, in order to not cause a disturbance, and alert the guards that resided in the library.

Link, now that he had gotten through the docks, had decided it was time to put on a disguise. From his many travels in during the age of Ganon's reign, he had obtained many different armor sets, some of which, were from the old Hylian military.

Link pulled out his Sheikah Slate, and scrolled through the armor section. Should I go with the Royal Guard uniform. No. Face is exposed. The Knight Armor would be far better. He'd made up his mind. Tapping his finger to the slate, he summoned the Hylian Knight Armor. Once on, he lowered the face guard on the helmet to cover the bottom half of his face, leaving only his eyes exposed. Link then squeezed his way through the wall, so as not to be detected, and then walked onward to his destination. Zelda's quarters.

--

Zelda had decided it would be best to turn in for the night. Her mind was fried, her body tired, and honestly, it had been a tiring day. Hell, she had not been able to find peace of mind since Link had been retired. While she had made sure to visit him at least once a week, if not, every other week, her guilt of stripping him of his hard earned title, haunted her every day. And, visiting him now, did not seem ideal, due to the predicament the kingdom was facing overall.

The walk to her chambers seemed longer tonight. At the entrance of her door, stood a man in Knight's Armor. This struck Zelda as odd. Usually, the one who guarded her chambers was one of the Royal Guard, who always wore a striking blue, gold, red, and white uniform. This man was in simple soldier gear. Zelda thought of questioning it, but decided the better of it. She was too tired to indulge a conversation with someone, and knew that regardless of if, or if not he was the usual guard, he was still there for protection.

However, as always, she bid whoever was at the door, good night. It was just in Zelda's rambling nature, and she didn't wish to be rude to the people who's soul purpose was to protect her from any given threat. She stopped at the door. "I believe I'll turn in for the night. Please notify me if anything odd transpires in the castle. Good night sir." She then grabbed the door handle, and started to push it open.

"Good night Princess."

Zelda stopped dead in her tracks. She knew that voice. It wasn't a sound that it's owner liked to grace anyone with too often, yet she'd know it anywhere. She turned her head to the knight, who was still facing forward. She couldn't see his face, but upon closer inspection, she could tell that his armor had considerably more wear than any of the current soldiers. Zelda tried to get a good look at his face, but all she could see was his eyes. And just like the voice, she knew those eyes. Sky blue, and always impassive.

It was Link. Somehow, he'd managed to break into the castle, and sneak his way up to her chambers, through every highly trained guard in the castle. She wasn't too surprised he'd managed it to be honest.

"Sir, could you please remove your helmet?"

Zelda could hear a quiet laugh from under the helmet, as it's wearer slowly pulled off his head, revealing the scraggly blond hair, that was so custom of Link, as well as exposing his full face. While his face was as impassive as ever, she could catch a glimpse of humor in his eyes.

"Was I that obvious?", he said quietly, trying to suppress the urge to laugh.

Zelda forgot herself for a moment as she teased him back. "You didn't even bother to alter your voice." Then, she realized the gravity of the situation. He could not have come to the castle for no reason, or he would have already done so. There was only one explanation. He knows of the attack. Her face turned from humorous, to stern, almost as soon as the humor had appeared. "I believe I mentioned at one of my visits, that you are not to return to the castle, unless invited, Link."

Like Zelda, the humor that had appeared in his eyes had been erased. "You did."

"Then why, might I ask, are you here now?", she asked him, fear starting to well up inside her. She had no wishes for him to fight in the coming conflict, however, she also didn't have many ways to stop him, besides ones that required the use of methods that Zelda had no intention of inflicting upon her former knight. She'd have to talk it out of him.

"Hyrule has been attacked", he said simply, in his usual calm manner. It was rare for him to speak many words at once.

"So it has", Zelda rebuked. "I don't see how that is any of your concern."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Are you now?", she scoffed. "You are not of the Hylian military anymore. You are a citizen of this kingdom, and have no obligation to the fight ahead."

"I will fight where I am needed, regardless of my title."

She glared at him. How could he be so...this! He had been given the chance at a peaceful life, the chance to die of old age, and yet, he refused to accept any gateway out of dying a warrior's death. It was admirable, but also incredibly hard to counter. How could Zelda talk a man out of a fight, when the man in question had zero selfish motivation. There was nothing he'd wanted in his life, except to defend Hyrule. And Zelda, had nothing else to give him, except the thing she so desperately wanted to keep away from him. It was infuriating.

"Link, I do not wish to have to do this, but if I need to, I will-"

"You will what?", Link interrupted, eerily calm. "Call for the guards to escort me out, and watch as they all get injured? I am rejoining Hyrule's forces, whether you want it or not Princess."

Zelda couldn't take it anymore. "Dammit Link! Can't you see that I keeping you away from this so that you don't...you don't..." She leaned her head against the frame of her door. When she spoke next, her voice was not of anger, but of sadness. "You don't understand... If you die, I will be the only one that remembers what it was like before the Calamity. You've died for the kingdom once, and I can't afford for it to happen a second time."

Link studied her for a moment silently. The wait for a response, to Zelda, felt like hours, however, she had grown accustomed to his high response time, and quiet nature. He then spoke up. "Princess, if I die, I die. I am a weapon, and all weapons someday break. A weapon that sits on a rack all day is useless. I refuse to be useless."

Zelda's anger was already morphing into sadness, however it was completely transformed into it upon hearing his statement. Is this truly what he thought of himself? A mere weapon, a tool? How could one of such high accomplishment think so little of his own life? She was about to respond, when a loud rustling sound could be heard from outside the castle, and Castle Town's walls. It was coming from Hyrule field. The sound wasn't one she had heard before, but she could tell that whatever it was, was airborne.

"Stay here, Link said, as he turned on his heel to sprint down the hall. Zelda knew he was going to find the source of the sound, and while she was curious as to what cause such a loud disruption, she was also saddened by the fact that she didn't get a chance to rectify Link's rather depressing statement...

She cleared her mind of those emotions. There was a greater task at hand. For all she knew, the sound could have been another portal. She turned in the direction that Link had, and despite her regal dress, had started into a run of her own. It was time to rally the other Champions, to send them to aid Link. If this was another portal, it would be irresponsible to allow him to fight it alone. This night is about to get longer.

--

Author's note: So, I'd stated before that the first meeting between the Hylian faction, and the Arbiter's team would be in this chapter, however, I have decided to push it to the next one, being Chapter 5. This is due to me wanting each chapter to have a focus on the events that are going on in it, this one being Link's rejoining of the Hylian faction, and developing his and Zelda's characters. If I were to add onto that, the meeting of the 2 groups, the chapter would feel a bit disjointed. I instead, teased that meeting, when describing the flying object that arrived outside the castle(if you couldn't tell, said object is in fact, Arbiter's ship. I apologize for those that wanted this chapter to contain their meeting, as I originally did as well, bud I believe that taking time to flesh out each event will serve the story better later on.

In other news, I fixed an issue in the opening fight scene between Mario and the Penetrator in Chapter 1. I had idiotically cut out a small part of the fight, that while is inconsequential to the rest, explains Mario's injury. Me cutting that out was an accident, and I hope the rectification satisfies anyone that is confused.

Also, for mobile users, spacing between certain events in the story, like transitions may not appear, or at least they don't for me when I got to proof read my work. It could just be my phone, however, if some of the transitions, like the switching of perspectives in Chapter 2, were gone, and made the flow of the story feel off, I would recommend switching to a laptop. Like I said, it may just be me though.

Anyway, sorry for the long note at the end. I just wanted to get all of this news out. I hope to anyone that is reading this has a good day, and that you enjoyed this chapter.