The sun's heat radiated across the sandy dunes; everything from rocks to trees in the distance looked disoriented due to the heatwaves that filled the desert air. Beads of sweat slid down the Hylian blonde's smooth, pale skin as she and her blue eyed partner traversed through the desert, each step causing their feet to sink into the burning sand.
"Link," Zelda groaned as they continued through the sand. "Why is it so hot? I don't remember the desert being a burning wasteland..."
"Anytime we went to the desert a hundred years ago, we planned for you to go during the more convenient times," Link panted, only a few steps ahead of her as he pushed through the sand. "And that was usually at dawn or dusk when the air was a bit more forgiving."
"Then why are we traveling through the desert at midday!" Zelda called out, wiping a waterfall of sweat from her forehead, then peering at the dark sweat stains on the back of Link's green tunic.
"'Link, if you can travel during the day, I can travel through it as well,'" Link responded, mimicking Zelda's proper voice. "I believe we had this conversation back at the stables when I mentioned we should wait. Maybe the heat is getting to you, Zel."
"Maybe," Zelda groaned again as she looked up towards the scorching sun, raising her hand to shield her eyes from its overwhelming glare. She felt her body becoming increasingly more sticky as her faded Hylian Tunic began to cling to her skin. She didn't know how much more of this she could take. "But that just begs the obvious question: why didn't we just teleport to Gerudo Town?"
Link hesitated for a moment before ultimately sighing. "I need to make a... pit stop at the Bazaar."
"Bazaar?" Zelda asked curiously. "As in the Kara Kara Bazaar? That's still around?"
"It is," he responded simply. "And you need to change... as well as myself."
...
The water of the small lake rippled as the palm tree leaves rustled and swayed, the desert wind blowing through them and Kara Kara Bazaar. Tents had surrounded the lake; one tent was occupied with groups of Hylian travelers and another a small shop full of hydromelons. As beautiful as the place was, only one sandstone structure was of importance to newcomers who had just arrived in the small shopping area.
Zelda crawled up the sandstone steps, desperately trying to get to the patio of the general store and inn. The entrance had been equipped with a large tarp, providing shade to its guests, shielding them from the sun. The moment she was under the protection of the tarp, the girl collapsed as she rolled over onto her back gasping for air.
"We don't... we don't have to walk the rest of the way towards Gerudo Town, do we?" Zelda asked as Link strolled up next to her, not as tired but still just as sweaty as her.
"Nope. We'll teleport after this, promise," Link said as he leaned against the rocky wall of the general store, wiping sweat from his brow. "I don't even think I could make that journey in this heat."
The two rested for a moment before Link held his hand out, allowing Zelda to grasp it before heaving the ex-princess up to her feet.
"Alright, listen," Link said as he dusted sand off his green tunic. "In there is a Gerudo lady by the name of Shaillu. She's always reading a book, and won't notice us move past her. Now, there's a second Gerudo, Kachoo, who runs the inn. But she wants nothing more than silence. As long as we remain as quiet as possible, they won't notice us go into the sleeping area where we can change."
"Okay?" Zelda said, confusion clear in her voice, "but I don't understand. Why do we need to be quiet to change?"
Link frowned, looking away from her eyes as he wiped sweat from his brow once again.
"I... well... Look, you'll understand in a moment. Just... don't laugh, alright?" Link said, shifting in his feet a bit. Zelda couldn't help but raise an eyebrow curiously at the Hylian knight, racking her brain as to what he was so uncomfortable about. However, trusting in his judgement, Zelda nodded.
Link returned the nod before peeking through the entrance of the general store and inn. There, exactly as Link had described sat a Gerudo, sitting peacefully on a stool reading a book. Deeper into the store sat another counter, where a thicker Gerudo stood with her back turned towards the entrance. Link raised his hand, silently signaling for the girl behind him to follow.
The two silently entered the building, crept past the first desk and turned into the room next to the second desk. There in the second room stood multiple bunk beds, usually checked out to those who spend the night.
"Alright," Link said quietly, taking the Sheikah Slate from his belt. With a tap of a few digital buttons, a bundle of silky blue and purple clothing appeared in his hands. "Turn around and change into these."
"Oh, these look lovely, Link!" Zelda whispered as she took the Gerudo vai outfit, holding them up to view them in the light. "But, why do you have these?"
Link stayed silent as he continued to tap on the Slates screen, pulling out a similar pair that matched her own, though these were pink.
"Good thing I got a different color," Link mumbled as he inspected the silky materials. "Thank you Vilia for letting me swap them out..."
"Link, you didn't answer my question," Zelda said again, a bit harsher yet still hushed. "Why do you have women's clothing?"
Link frowned, looking into Zelda's eyes with his own as he squinted. The girl looked back into his eyes confused, wondering why he was staring at her as if she should know why he had two Hylian vai outfits. It took her a few moments before her eyes snapped all the way open, a grin forming on her face.
"The Gerudo only allows women into Gerudo Town!" Zelda said excitedly, yet in a hushed voice. "That means- Oh dear Goddess, Link! Did you actually-?"
"Yes! I did!" Link said, unamused with Zelda's excited expression. However, Zelda's happiness quickly turned into horror.
"Wait, hold on a moment! Link, that is breaking so many cultural boundaries!" Zelda said, now processing what they were doing. "Isn't that wrong?"
"Not if you've gotten permission from not one, but two chiefs of the Gerudo," Link muttered. Zelda raised an eyebrow yet again.
"Two chiefs? But I'm assuming the girl you told me about is the only current chief at the moment..." she thought out loud, however Link quickly filled in the missing pieces.
"Urbosa gave me the trick originally," Link said. "I didn't remember until I had retrieved most of my memories. Funny enough, she gave me the trick when someone kept running away from me a hundred years ago."
It was Zelda's turn to be unamused as Link turned with his own grin, beginning to take off the green tunic, revealing the entirety of the brown shirt he wore under it. Zelda blushed.
"Wait, we're changing here?" Zelda asked, her cheeks flushing with color. Link turned back with a confused look.
"Yeah, that's why we sneaked in here," Link said before pulling his brown shirt off as well.
"But.. But..." Zelda said, now staring intensely at Link's scarred back muscles. "That's a bit... unorthodox, wouldn't you say?"
The knight raised an eyebrow as he glanced back at the now sheepish girl. "Coming from the girl who wanted to sleep in the same bed, and have me comfort her with little clothing a month ago back in Hateno?"
"I mean, that's not really my issue here, and that was different!" Zelda said, her cheeks flaring with color. "I was scared and I really needed the support..."
"If you can do that for support, you can do this for a mission," Link said as he turned back, pulling the Gerudo top over his head. "I wasn't going to look, don't worry."
"It's not much about not wanting you to look, and more about the situation..." Zelda murmured, turning around as she began pulling her own Hylian Tunic top off. Link's pointed ears twitched, just barely catching what Zelda had said. It took everything in him not to turn around. Before, it would have been part of the job, and standing stone faced as she changed behind him would have been a breeze. Now however, it took everything in him to maintain his composure.
"Link! You look adorable!" Zelda said the moment they had both turned around to view each other. The clothing on Zelda's body was the first outfit Link had gotten from the cross-dresser, Vilia. With the girl having much more shape to her figure, the clothes fit nicely to Link's amazement. However, as much as he wanted to enjoy the sight of Zelda's now more revealing outfit, her comment only made him frown under his veil.
"Glad you think so," Link responded in a monotone voice as Zelda did her best to suppress a giggle, holding her slender fingers up to her lips. Though the attempt was genuine, it still failed as the giggle soon escaped through her fingers.
"L-Link, I'm sorry," she said through her laughter. "You really do look... pretty, dare I say beautiful."
Link sighed. Usually, he would play up the female façade, especially enjoying joking around with those who knew he was truly a voe. However, something about Zelda in particular viewing him in this fashion quite bothered him. However, he couldn't help but retaliate with a cheeky response of his own.
"And you look downright gorgeous in that attire," Link said, exaggerating his words with a grin. "Dare I say."
Zelda's giggle soon stopped as she went silent, the blush covering the entirety of her face now. She stared at Link for a moment before clearing her throat, unable to keep eye contact with the knight.
"W-Well, thank you, Link," Zelda said, trying not to show how much his words had actually flustered her. Link smiled as he began to walk out, the girl following him with her head hung low. She had lost that battle.
...
The sun had begun to set as the two had strolled through the entrance of Gerudo town, the Gerudo warriors nodding to them in approval as they entered. Zelda's eyes widened with glee as she looked around, the unnaturally tall palm trees swaying in the wind as the waters flowed down under the small town's bridges. Even at twilight, the shop owners were hard at work, calling out to visitors and clapping their hands to get as much traffic as possible.
"Oh, Link! It hasn't changed at all in the last hundred years!" Zelda said happily as she enthusiastically looked around as they walked through the town. Link smiled, watching as the girl happily indulged herself into the town's atmosphere, twisting and turning her head to glance at every building and person in the town square.
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Link said, pulling the Sheikah Slate out to check the time. "However, it's starting to get late. I need to inform Riju that we've arrived."
"I'm not going with you?" Zelda asked, a clear disappointment in her voice. Link shook his head, the two Hylians slowing their pace as they stopped in the middle of the bustling shopping center.
"I need to make sure everything is in order," Link said, returning the Sheikah Slate back on his waist. "I didn't necessarily tell them we were coming, and I'm not sure if they are ready to meet the Princess of Hyrule."
"Even when I'm not going by the title anymore?" Zelda sulked.
"Even so. They remember you as the special acquaintance of Chief Urbosa. They'll want to respectfully meet you regardless of title," Link said as he looked up towards the large sandstone palace. Zelda frowned, however she nodded in acceptance. There was no way she could deny those reasons, especially with the pain of losing Urbosa still deep within her heart.
"I should give them words of praise regarding Lady Urbosa," Zelda said, matching Link's gaze as she too now stared at the palace. Link nodded slowly at her words as the sun began to fall lower. The two stood for a moment before Zelda's voice broke through once again. "So Link, where shall I reside until everything is ready?"
"Ah," Link said, jolting back to reality. "I've got just the place. I hang out here from time to time when waiting or relaxing. Follow me."
Link began walking towards one of the side entrances that led to one of the sandstone town's alleyways. Zelda, with a curious face, briskly followed in anticipation. The two walked for a few minutes before the knight had turned, heading up a tall flight of stairs. Zelda soon followed suit, only after reading the sign sitting peacefully at the bottom of the stairs that had read "The Noble Canteen." The two continued up the stairs before entering through the wall's opening.
"Hi Furosa!" Link called out in the most feminine voice possible towards the elderly Gerudo at the front counter. Zelda, standing behind the cross-dressing voe, couldn't help but admire the knight's voice change. If she hadn't known better, she herself would have likely been fooled. The aged Gerudo looked up from her glasses as she glanced at the two Hylians in front of her.
"Why if it isn't the little Hylian vai, Link!" she croaked in her old, yet happy voice. "You've created quite a name for yourself in this town, young one. Everyone knows of the pretty blue-eyed vai that comes to visit, especially since you're at this old canteen so often. Weren't you here just a few days ago?"
"I was!" Link said playfully. "And this time I brought one of my Hylian girl friends to see your wonderful part of town! Furosa, this is Zelda."
The knight sidestepped to reveal the girl standing behind him, who jerked slightly at the abrupt introduction.
"H-Hello," Zelda said with a small nervous bow. The old Gerudo leaned in a bit as she inspected, squinting her tired eyes at the clear skin and green eyes of the new visitor.
"Careful, Link. Your friend here might be a contender for prettiest Hylian vai," Furosa chuckled, looking between the two.
"Believe me, she already won!" Link said with a wink. It took Zelda all of her self control not to blush furiously.
"Well you two enjoy yourselves. You know the rules, Link," Furosa said, nodding in approval. Link nodded back, guiding Zelda through the pub. They soon found themselves in the familiar open-air room, one wall being completely gone with a roof made of nothing but three large reddish tarps. Two identical sets of couches lined one of the walls, tables full of bottles centering each set, with a group of Gerudo sitting and filling one of the two. The secondary set of couches remained fairly empty, though a familiar purple-haired girl sat alone filling in only part of the cushions.
"Perfect," Zelda heard Link mumble before feeling herself being pulled towards the couch. She looked down to see Link had grabbed her wrist, guiding her towards the couch. He was getting quite personal recently, not that Zelda had minded at all. On the contrary, she was rather enjoying the sudden touches from the knight.
However, the feeling of Link's warm hand against her arm soon faded. It had only taken a few moments for them to reach the couch the purple haired girl remained on, a group of bottles on the table just in front of her couch while one glass remained in her hand.
"Good to see you again, Jules," Link said in his regular voice, though it was significantly lowered. Jules looked up, her eyes a bit glossy before squinting at the figure now calling her name. She hiccupped before smiling, her already reddish cheeks growing even redder.
"Link! What are you doing here? You had only left a few days ago!" Jules said as she swayed. "I didn't think you'd come back to see me so soon."
"Are you already drunk?" Link questioned with disapproving eyes. "How many Pursuits have you had? Twilight is only just now fading."
"Oh come on, Link! You're always so stuck up when it comes to my drinking," Jules said, waving the knight's disapproval off. Jules chuckled, and while she couldn't see it, she knew she had gotten Link to smile slightly as well.
While the drunk and the knight chuckled, Zelda had a rather large frown on her face as she stood a bit behind Link. She furrowed her eyes as she glanced down at Jules. Who was this Jules? Why was this Jules so familiar with her knight?
As if to answer her inner questions, Link once again stepped aside a bit, revealing Zelda to his friend.
"Zelda, this is Jules. She's one of the few friends I have in Gerudo Town that actually knows my identity. She's been really trustworthy in keeping it, though she has a bit of a drinking problem," Link said. He turned his head, looking back at Jules, who was now making perfect, unwavering eye contact with Zelda. "Jules, this is Zelda. My-"
"The travel partner you mentioned," Jules said, the drunk almost vanishing from her speech. Link nodded, though Jules quickly noticed Zelda's disapproval of the title.
"That would be her. I was hoping you could maybe keep her company?" Link asked. "I need to head to the palace for a bit to speak to the chief."
Jules raised an eyebrow as she eyes the blonde Hylian girl once again. She had a nice figure, a figure similar to her own. However, her blue Gerudo outfit enhanced it; Jules commoner's dress was no match. It also didn't help that this girl's green eyes, which were locked onto Link's face, were almost mesmerizing. This Zelda girl was downright beautiful.
So Link was travelling with this unmatched beauty, while only referring to her as a simple travel partner? Nothing more?
"Why of course, Link," Jules said with a sweet smile, finally answering the knight's question. "I'd be happy to keep her company."
"Great, it's much appreciated," Link said with a nod of the head. He turned to Zelda, the slightest bit of shock to find her gaze rather intimidating. "Will you be alright?" he asked her.
Zelda stared at Link for a moment before sighing.
"I believe I'll be alright, Link. Try not to take too long, alright?" Zelda asked. Link nodded, a smile under his veil. With one last nod towards Jules, he turned, walking out of the pub with the purple-winged sword swaying on his back. The blonde watched as Link disappeared before turning back to Jules, an unknowing frown on her face. The two stared at each other before Jules hiccupped again, beckoning for her newfound company to take a seat next to her. After a moment of contemplation, Zelda reluctantly sat.
"So? You're his travel partner," Jules said, taking a sip from her glass. Zelda blew from her nostrils as she folded her arms.
"In his own words, yes I am," Zelda said, still not happy with such a professional term.
"In his own words, huh?" Jules asked curiously, swirling the drink in her glass. "So what would you say you two are?"
"Well, closer than travel partners, that's for sure," responded Zelda. "Though why are you so curious? What's your relationship with him?"
"A friend, a pretty close one if I do say so myself," Jules said, taking a sip from her glass once again. Zelda huffed, easily noticed by Jules. "Don't worry, I won't be taking your spot. I already asked Link if I can travel the land with him. He said he already had a travel partner."
"H-he did?" Zelda questioned. Jules nodded.
"Yup. Apparently I can't replace you. Which begs the question: why are you so important to him?" Jules asked, raising an eyebrow towards her rival. Zelda furrowed her eyebrows in disgust.
"Excuse me? What do you mean why?" she asked, clearly offended.
"I mean... you're just a travel partner, right? As beautiful as you are, you don't seem all that special," Jules said, clearly poking at the green eyed girl, who was now burning a bright red with anger. "Unless you two are actually... more?"
"Why if you must know, yes! I do believe we are more than just travel partners!" Zelda said defensively. "He's important to me! He doesn't want me to stop journeying with him at all! We even sleep in the same bed!"
Zelda's face exploded with a furious blush. She hadn't meant to throw that last part out, especially as loud as she had. Jules raised both her eyebrows, impressed with the girl's sudden boldness. Though now it was clear, the girl was very much still trying to become a thing with Link. It wasn't official yet.
"And here I was, thinking he preferred older girls to... well," Jules said with a shrug. Zelda's bright red face instantly focused on Jules once again, the blush only continuing to grow stronger through her eyes remained ferociously focused.
"What do you mean by that!? I'm only a year younger than him!" Zelda said rather loudly.
"I dunno, Zelda," Jules said in a rather teasing manner. "Link can be quite the stoic knight at times. Once you know he's a guy, even beyond those Gerudo girl clothes, his manliness does come out. I'm only a year older than him and I can drink."
"Are you calling me young?" Zelda burned. "I'll have you know, I'm much older than you!"
"Oh really?" Jules asked. "By how much?"
"At least a hundred years so," Zelda said confidently. Jules snorted. Was this girl insane?
"With that clear skin? Nice try," Jules said. "What kind of skin routine do you use?"
"The magic kind," Zelda huffed, her eye contact unwavering as she stared into Jules bright blue eyes. Jules returned her feisty glare. For as odd as it seemed, the girl didn't seem to be lying but there was no way she could actually be a hundred years old. The purple haired girl grinned. Her drunk might have been taking over, but she couldn't help but give in to the temptation. if this girl wanted to play old, then so be it.
"Alright then, old girl," Jules said. "If you're a hundred years older than me, then you'll have no problem holding your drink? I'm positive I can hold my drinks much better than you, but if you've got a hundred years of experience?"
At this point, Jules wouldn't have been surprised if steam had begun rising from the girl's head as she puffed out her cheeks in anger.
"Fine!" Zelda called out, slamming her fist onto her thighs. Jules grinned as she quickly brought her glass to her lips, downing the rest of her Noble Pursuit. She slammed the glass on the table before turning back to Zelda as the two locked eyes once again.
"You're on. I'll go get the first round. Let the drinking game begin."
...
Link sighed as he walked back up the stairs to the Noble Canteen. The stars now shone brightly against the dark night sky, the moon's presence clear as very little clouds covered its light. He had just gotten done with quite the conversation with Buliara and Riju, though Riju took up most of the back and forth. The girl wanted to know every little detail about Zelda before Link had actually brought the Hylian to visit. It had taken much longer than he had anticipated.
I hope I didn't take too long, Link thought to himself as he turned into the entrance of the bar. Maybe she won't be too mad.
"Evening Furosa," Link said in his girlish voice, though much more tired than before. "Are Zelda and Jules still here?"
"They are, and you better be glad I know how that purple-headed Hylian can get or your Zelda would be in for it," Furosa said, cleaning the used drinking glasses. "I had to stop those two, however they were far too gone by the time I realized what Jules was up to."
"I'm sorry, what do you mean?" Link asked, almost losing his female voice in worry.
"See for yourself," the woman said, gesturing her head towards the open room. Link quickly walked into the room, his eyes immediately locking onto the couch area, where two Hylian girls remained on the couch. Both seemed to be swaying, though Zelda's swaying seemed to be much more severe than Jules.
"Oh, by the three goddesses themselves," Link said under his breath as he briskly made his way to the couches. He immediately went for Zelda, taking a knee as he grabbed her shoulders trying to keep her steady as he inspected her face. Her eyelids were drooping as her usually sparkling green eyes now remained watery and glossy, her cheeks burned a bright red, and to top it off the girl seemingly hadn't even noticed him.
"Zelda... Zelda..." Link called gently, trying not to panic. Zelda blinked a few times as her head swayed on her shoulders before registering her name being called. "Zelda? Hey there. Hey. Focus on my voice, okay?"
"Link?" she called out, though it took her a moment to actually face his direction. Her eyes slightly lit up as she looked into his worried blue eyes. "Link! Link, you're back! Hi! Hello there!"
Zelda smiled as she swayed her arms up, roughly wrapping them around Link's neck as she pressed her burning cheeks to his own.
"Link! Jules is being mean!" she said, her words slurred as she pressed her entire weight onto him. "She says—hic—she says I'm young, and not actually a hundred—hic—years old..."
"H-Hey! She's the one that said she was a hundred years old..." Jules said, her words also slurring as she had trouble finding the right words. "I... I... I just put her... her... claims to the test is all."
"I knew... I knew you would come back for me! You always, always do!" Zelda called, sliding down Link's neck and torso as she lost much of her strength, periodically hiccupping.
Link, completely lost in the moment, blinked a few times as he looked between Zelda and Jules.
"Jules..." he called out after he collected his thoughts. "What... did you do?"
"I... already told you!" Jules sloshed, falling sideways as she now laid down. "She said she was... hundred... old. So... test..."
She raised an inaccurate finger towards the table that sat in front of the couches. Link glanced over in the general direction she was pointing in before his eyes grew wide. There sitting on the table was an unimaginable amount of Noble Pursuit glasses, most of them toppled over and empty.
"You two drank all of this..?" Link asked Jules, however the moment his eyes landed on the purple-haired girl, it was clear that she had fallen completely asleep.
"Link!" he heard Zelda's slurred voice. He looked down to see Zelda, her arms still loosely wrapped around his torso as she had her face pressed against his stomach. "Why are you giving all of your attention to her? Is she prettier than me? I can be pretty too..."
As horrible of a situation as he knew it was, Link could not help but admit to himself that drunk Zelda was absolutely adorable. However, it quickly became not adorable the moment she began to open her mouth once again.
"You're supposed to be my knight! She called you manly; you're supposed to be mine! Why are you being masculine in front of other girls here?" Zelda said loudly between her hiccups. "Why won't you just love me?"
"Okay, Zelda, I really need you to stop talking now," Link said as his face went white. He quickly looked around at the Gerudo in the room that had been laughing at them, however the murmur quickly died down the moment Zelda had uttered those words. However, the girl did not stop there.
"No! I want to claim you as mine now! As the Princess of Hyrule, I declare that-" Zelda began loudly, however Link quickly covered her mouth with his hand, having run out of options.
Okay, time to go, Link thought to himself as the murmur had begun to rise in the room once again. With impressive swiftness, Link quickly got Zelda onto his back. While she did struggle, her drunken nature was no match for the knight. Link quickly began to walk out, Zelda still struggling on his back, before he was stopped.
"Link!" Furosa called out. He turned, trying his utmost hardest to keep a struggling Zelda on his back. "Sorry to do this, young vai, but someone has to pay for those drinks..."
The knight looked between himself and Zelda before immediately sighing.
"Right... Of course..."
…..
I'm going to be completely honest... I absolutely adore drunk Zelda. I had so much fun writing her, and her drunken adventure has only just begun! What's Link going to do now that his partner is completely wasted? Next chapter will be quite enjoyable...
Don't forget guys, I stream Skyward Sword every Friday on the Kenlair twitch channel. Just look up Kenlair on twitch and you'll see it! Skyward Sword will play a big part in this story later so come refresh!
I also answer a lot f questions regarding the story, and I take request so it's not just me playing games! It's more of a discussion than anything. I explained the Zelda timeline last stream. Come join in on the fun, we hit about 15 viewers last time, so can we break 20 this time? Friday 6P.M Arizona time.
And if you want more updated information and chapter updates, ask for the discord! We've got 35 people in there currently, who will be 26?
Hope to see you there!
Kenny Boi