Zelda watched as she sat on the ground, her leg searing with pain from being snapped, as Link stood in front of her. The Lynel, now turning its attention from her to Link, snarled at the Knight. Link, however, put The Hylian Shield and Master Sword back on his back. He then took out the Sheikah Slate, and stood calmly looking through it. Zelda raised an eyebrow. She thought he would be a bit more... Upset. The Lynel reared on its legs, preparing for a charge as Link looked through the Slate.
"Ah, there it is." Link said, the smallest of smiles appearing on his face. The Lynel began its charge towards the two Hylians as Zelda looked nervously up at Link.
"Um, Link..." Zelda said as the Lynel grew closer and closer. "I don't mean to rush you but..."
"Oh don't worry Zelda," Link said, simply putting the Sheikah Slate on his belt and pulling out his Lynel bow. "This'll be over in a second."
Link waited until the Lynel was only a few meters away before reaching behind and pulling an arrow out of his quiver. Zelda watched, confused as ever. That didn't look like his usual red bomb arrows. Was that arrow... Glowing blue?
Link notched the arrow and took aim.
"This might be a bit overkill for one of the weakest Lynel in Hyrule..." Link mumbled. "But you kinda pissed me off..."
Link waited until the Lynel's forehead was only a few feet away until Link released. Upon the moment of impact, a strong gust of winds blew as a large vibrant blue vortex appeared from the arrow's head, sucking in the large beast's body. As strong as the winds had blown back from the impact, now it seemed as if they were being sucked back in. Zelda gripped the grass, with one hand, holding her other arm up to shield herself from the strong winds. Her hair blew, the vortex trying to suck everything in even from her distance away. Eventually, the vortex faded into nothingness, any remains of the beast, or its weapons, vanished.
Zelda slowly lowered her arm, staring at where the beast had been charging them just moments before. It had just... vanished. Gone, in an instant. Link killed the beast, that powerful being... with one arrow.
"W-Where did it go?" Zelda asked, still staring at where the arrow hit. Link shrugged, putting the bow back on his back.
"Dunno. But hopefully, it's in the most painful place imaginable," Link said. He turned to face Zelda who looked up to face him back. "Stay here a moment will you?"
Zelda gave him a glance of 'Like I can go anywhere at the moment', as Link smiled and turned towards the rock formation Zelda had thrown the kids behind. Link peered over the rocks down at the three children, who were sitting with their backs to the rocks, hands over their heads, shaking.
"Now. What do you three have to say for yourselves?" Link boomed. The three Zora children jolted as they slowly looked up at the dirty blonde Knight.
"W-Well..." Laruta started.
"We didn't think the monster was that scary so..." Keke continued.
"We asked another Hylian to beat it for us so we can play on the mountain again..." Tumbo finished.
"That monster doesn't stay dead you three. I come back and beat it every Blood Moon. I'm sure at least someone in Zora's Domain has told you what that is." Link said sternly as he climbed onto the boulder and sat on top of it. "I'm sorry but this mountain needs to stay off-limits."
"We understand Mr. Link Sir..." The three said.
"That monster is way scarier than we thought," Laruta said.
"Is that Hylian girl okay?" Tumbo asked. Link smiled warmly. "Yes, she will be just fine. But she did get hurt because you didn't take everyone's warning seriously. One day, maybe the beast will stop reviving up here. Until then... Stay off the mountain."
"Yes Mr. Link Sir." The three said together yet again. Link nodded.
"Now run along. Back to the Domain, alright?"
The three nodded as they turned and ran back down the mountain towards the Domain. Link's smile faded as he sighed. Good thing he had caught sight of them from the air when he had flown down. He slide of the rock, quickly making his way back to injured girl behind him.
"Are they alright?" Zelda asked as soon as Link was in front of her, crouching down to examine her leg. Link nodded.
"Looks like the Lynels attention was completely focused on you. You did a really good job protecting them." Link said, slowly and gently taking off Zelda's boot in order to roll her leg pants up. Zelda winced at the pain. Even as gently as Link was touching her, the pain of her leg was astronomical.
"Yup, it's definitely broken." Link muttered. Zelda's leg was bent out of shape, a now large and ever growing bruise appearing where the severing had occurred. "We should honestly be glad this is all you came out with. I'm not sure how we're going to get you down the waterfall though. We could use the Sheikah Slate and teleport but I'm not sure what'll happen teleporting with a snapped bone..."
"I guess we'll figure that out in due time..." Zelda said, taking deep breaths from the pain. "Just... Lets just leave it for now?"
Link stared at her for a second before nodding, allowing her leg to rest from his gentle prodding. Link sat in the grass as the two looked up at the sky.
"Sorry Zelda." Link said, adjusting himself to sit next to her properly. "I... I should have been here."
"No. Stop that." Zelda said immediately, her tone much more sour than she had intended. "Link, you've been like this all day! Even before today! Link, it's not your fault-"
"It is my fault!" Link said, a bit roughly back at her. "It's my job to protect you, to look out for you, to make sure you don't get hurt-"
"No it's not!" Zelda said loudly, continuing the pattern of cutting each other off. "You're not my knight anymore, it's not your job to protect me."
"Maybe I don't want to protect you just because I'm a Knight!" Link yelled, his eyes meeting hers with a bit of a flare in them. Immediately his eyes grew a bit wider and softer, realizing his actions, as he turned to stare at the grass. Zelda blinked. She had never heard him get that loud at her before.
"Sorry, I... I didn't mean to-"
"No!" Zelda said, pushing through the pain in her leg and scooting closer to him. "Please... Yell, shout... do whatever... just talk to me... I know there's more going on with you Link. There must be so much in your head. I've just never noticed until now, but I want you to talk to me! Not as your superior, but as your friend! I've never had to pay attention to other peoples actions... to understand what their feeling are so I never asked. So please Link. Let me ask now. What's going on?"
Link continued to look down at the ground for a moment before lifting his head to stare up at the clouds.
"It's just... This is all so new you know." He started quietly. "When you first landed in front of me a month ago... After Sealing Calamity Ganon... I was so happy. I couldn't do anything but smile. And when I woke up that next morning... I felt so warm around you..."
Link paused for a moment, causing Zelda to scoot closer to him, their arms almost touching.
"But... Now you're with me all the time just like before. But this time... There's no supervision. No rules that are outlines to me. I'm going off my own intuition. And I have a lot of my memories back but, not all of them. What if I forgot something you don't like? What if I overstep my bounds?"
Link shifted, as if he were physically uncomfortable, using the few moments of silence to collect himself.
"What if those watching over us are disappointed in me for wanting a closer relationship with you? What if the King of Old is disappointed in me for touching his daughter in ways a Knight shouldn't? And what if... What if I'm betraying Mipha?"
That last part hit Zelda harder in the chest than the Lynel did, however she stayed strong. Link was opening up more than he had ever done with her before. She would not ruin this.
"I want to protect you. To keep you safe. It's just, I'm starting to feel like I want to protect you for more reasons other than my Knighthood... More... personal reasons..."
"Personal like... what exactly?" Zelda asked quietly, her face burning just slightly. She leaned in, their arms properly pressed against each other now. Link however shook his head.
"I'm... I'm not sure yet. And all of that, not to mention whatever is going on between the Master Sword and I... I don't even want to talk about that yet. That's a thing all in its own."
Zelda's eyebrow rose slightly at the sound of that. The Master Sword and Link? Were they in disagreement? Or was it something else? Had Link been having conversations with the Sword? Well... He wasn't ready to talk about hat yet. She would leave that be for now.
"Link, please listen to me," Zelda said. " First and foremost, nothing you could do would ever push me away from you. You would have to do something pretty crazy for me to just tell you to go away. If anything Link... I want you to act even more familiar with me... Trust me if my father has an issue with anything like that, I'll talk to him in the afterlife myself. Though after reading his diary, something tells me he has nothing but joy in his heart."
"As for you protecting me, you said it yourself back in Kakariko, and yes I'm sure you only said it to spare my feelings of guilt, but you aren't my Knight anymore. At least not professionally. Link, I'm going to get hurt. It's inevitable. You can't blame yourself for everytime something like this happens. My leg is broken right now, not because of you, but because I went off on my own without asking questions. Without waiting for you..."
Zelda adjusted herself, shifting on the moist grass. Mentioning her leg made the pain much more noticable.
"Link, I get it. It's new. I can't just tell you 'stop being my knight!' and expect you to just... act different. If anything I'm learning from my own actions that change is... more difficult than I thought. Getting rid of old Royal habits... Like not asking what's going on... it's hard. And traveling like you. That's hard too. These clothes and the off roading... It's fun but it's definitely something to get used too." Zelda chuckled, gaining a small laugh from Link. Her face soon reverted back to it's serious gaze however.
"But changing... and simply feeling sorry about everything is different Link. You are my best friend. I know you don't like being the Silent Knight. Please... I know you feel fractured, and more memories will come to you. But be what's most natural for you. I can take jokes and fun you know! I'm not boring!"
"I dunno about that." Link said a bit snarky. Zelda pushed him lightly, though a smirk was on her face.
"But... Link I'm going to get into danger. It's going to get hard. I need to learn these things. And I want you next to me. As my best friend or... whatever we are. Monsters are a lot stronger than they were a hundred years ago, you can't protect me from every little thing. I'm sure I'll only get more injured and scars will appear as time go on. So please... Please protect me... But also please just, walk... with me along our journey. Be my Knight, but also be my teacher. Let me learn. Okay?"
Link stared at her a moment before smiling. Jeez he hated when Impa was right. Maybe... Maybe Link was a bit to hard on himself. Zelda was going to get hurt. No matter how hard he fought. It was a given. Monsters were stronger, silver and gold Bokoblins and other enemies are much stronger than the simple hordes of red and blue from before. Instead of trying to shield her from everything... They would just have to learn to fight together. And heal together.
"Alright then... I give." Link said, holding his hands up in defeat. "But this was way to far! Fighting a Lynel? You aren't ready for that! Why didn't you just wait for me? I would have come down from the top of the Domain eventually..."
Zelda gulped, looking down. Looks like it was her turn to talk about her thoughts.
"Muzu... Muzu said some things that kind of... hurt." Zelda said nervously. Link's face hardened.
"What did he say?" Link asked. Zelda explained what had happened during the meeting. Link balled his fist in anger.
"That damn stingray. He did something similar when I first came. I expected something but not of that caliber. I'll do something about-"
"No Link, you won't." Zelda said simply, smiling at how much Link cared. "I just... need to prove to them that I can rule. But... I don't plan to take the crown for a long time, so I've got quite a while to prove to them. If anything... I want to show them that I can at least try and help them as best I can here and now."
Link turning and looked at her, Zelda's attention now towards the slightly orange clouds in the sky. He smiled. She really was incredible. She wasn't worried about how she looked in terms of becoming someone of power. She simply just wanted to help the people in Hyrule. And that was someone he could follow.
"Well... I'll be here to help you." Link said, allowing his arm to press against Zelda's with a bit more force. Zelda jolted slightly at the deepend touch, not expecting Link to take a bit of action, however she smiled, accepting it more than willingly. In fact... Maybe this was a good time to bring this up...
"L-Link... C-Can I ask you something a bit... personal...?" Zelda managed to get out. Link turned curiously towards her.
"What is it Zelda?" He asked. Zelda coughed a few times trying to find her words, using her free hand to tap her chest a bit.
"Did you ... Did you um... Did you happen to... Love... Mipha...?" Zelda stuttered out. Link blinked a few times before looking down at his hands gripping the grass.
"I... I'm actually not sure. That's why this is so confusing." Link said quietly. "I don't want to betray Mipha's heart if I did... But as of right now. I just... Anytime she's brought up I feel nothing but friendship and admiration. I wanted to find a way to control the powers she has within me... But it works on its own, as if her will lives in me. It's only ever worked on myself. I wanted to take your scars away if I could control it myself but... Would that be a betrayal of Mipha's memory if I used the power on someone I... may be... interested in...?"
Link got quieter as his sentence continued until he was silent. Zelda blushed heavily before looking down at Link's callused hands.
"I... I had the same thought..." Zelda said. Link just barely turned his head to look her way. "Not the healing part... But the betrayal of a friend... I just wish... I wish there was a way Mipha could tell us. Tell us what she thinks of us... whether as friends or... maybe... more..."
"Yea..." Link said. The two sat in silence. Link watched his hands as the grass flowed beneath them. He sighed as he looked up at the now orange sky. If only Mipha could give them a sign...
"Link... Link..." Zelda called a few times. Link turned towards her.
"What is it?" He asked. Zelda's eyes were wide as they were looking up and down his body. "W-What?"
"Are those... Bubbles?" Zelda asked curiously. Link's eyes grew wide as he looked down at himself. Slowly, a faint blue light formed around not only himself, but Zelda as well. The bubbles encased them, the bubbles circling and rising into the air.
"Link whats happening? Whats with the bubbles?" Zelda asked, never having seen the power for herself. Link however stared forward, paying Zelda no mind. Zelda grew worried.
"Link what are you-"
However, Zelda's question was answered the moment she looked in the same direction Link was looking in. There in front of them, was the faint blue outline of the Zora Princess herself. The afterimage of Mipha faintly smiled, disappearing almost as quickly as she arrived, the bubbles around Link and Zelda slowly disappearing as well. Link stared forward, even as Mipha's Grace disappeared, preparing itself for its slumber until it was needed again. Was that... Mipha's Will? Did the Will of Mipha inside Mipha's Grace... Respond to their chat?
"Link... My leg..." Zelda said. Link turned to stare at Zelda's leg, the boot still off and the trousers still rolled up slightly. Her leg was healed, perfectly normal.
"And your scars are gone..." Link mumbled, staring at what was visible of Zelda's pure skin peeking out of the Hylian Tunic.
"Link... Was that...?" Zelda asked, turning her attention slowly. Link nodded, looking in the direction Mipha's Grace had been, now only the bright sunset visible. The orange light of the sunset encased the two Hylians and the mountain they sat on.
"Yea... Mipha's Grace was showing her will... her answer to our questions..."
...
Okay this chapter was much longer, (About three times as long) as the usual size for these. There was also a LOT of dialogue and information. Please tell me what you guys thought and if you guys enjoy longer chapters like this, or if you prefer their usual length. I hope the dialogue between them wasn't too much to read!
Kenny Boi