And we're back! Told you this one would take longer to update. Thanks to everyone reviewing, following, and favoriting. You guys are awesome!
By the way… I'm switching viewpoints for this chapter! It's going to start off at Link's point of view, and it will show a scene inside Hyrule castle, then return to Zelda. Because we need plot development ;)
-=]I[=-
Link led the girl up towards the Plateau. She was small, frail, quite clearly emotionally unstable, and would most likely become annoying. She was also sweet, pure, and the only breath of fresh air in the crumbling world. He hoped that he wouldn't come to regret helping her, even if it did mean killing another member of the Yiga clan. So long as innocence didn't become weakness, he'd help her out. For now.
Stil, something about her seemed… off. For starters, the way she hesitated when she said her name, which was directly from a book. She also didn't carry herself like a traveler, she was more upright and almost… regal? Not to mention she obviously didn't come prepared for a journey. The only thing she had was a strange tablet, which seemed to serve no practical purpose.
She also looked familiar. It was something in her eyes, emerald green and inquisitive. In all honesty, she seemed more like a researcher than an adventurer. He knew he'd seen her before, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. And the Yiga Clan didn't just attack anyone. Surely she had some significance? Whatever the case, he needed to keep an eye on her.
The two of them arrived at the base of the Great Plateau. The girl, Lana, stared up the huge stone wall, eyes shining with wonder.
"You know, I always wanted to go up there. Find someway to climb it, and eventually explore it. But I… never mind." She looked back down at the ground. "But what are we doing here? I thought that no one could make it up the Plateau?"
Link smiled. "There's always a way around things, if you try hard enough."
"But not even the Rito can make it up there? Unless you have wings, I don't think… what on earth are you doing?!"
Link had drawn his bow, aiming it skyward. Lana jumped back in alarm. He rolled his eyes. Surely she didn't think he'd shoot her? Well, it didn't really matter. He notched an arrow with a red ribbon tied around it and fired it up the Plateau. It sailed out of sight and landed somewhere on top, the sound of it lost in the rushing wind.
"Just wait a couple minutes. That arrow was a signal. Hopefully it's seen."
About five minutes later, a rickety looking rope ladder unfurled over the top of the plateau, cascading to the ground. Link grabbed onto it and began climbing, beckoning for Lana to follow. The two of them climbed carefully to the top of the ladder, and eventually they ended up over the wall.
Link walked over to a wolf lying lazily on the ground and began stroking his fur. Lana looked a bit confused.
"Is that… a wolf? Did he let down the ladder? How did he make it to the top in the first place?"
Crap. What was he going to tell her? Oh, this is my wolf, Twilight. I'm pretty sure he comes from a different dimension, he can communicate with me through thoughts, he teleported up here, and he's invisible to most humans, so I really don't know why you can see him, but hey, you're weird already, so you know what? I'm going to end up regretting every decision leading up to this moment.
A voice sounded in the back of his mind, low and gentle, like a soft growl. Twilight.
Tell her that I lived up here, we bonded, and I'm your pet.
Link looked at him quizzically. If there was one thing Twilight hated, it was being called a pet. Something about him being the Hero of Twilight? And pet seemed like a derogatory term to him…. Wow, he'd really spent a bit too much time talking to him. Whatever the case, it was a good enough excuse. He told that to Lana, and that was that.
Link cleared his throat and stretched out his arms, as though he was presenting the plateau to Lana. "Well, welcome to the Great Plateau. You wanted to explore it? Well, explore away. Meet me by the Sheikah Tower by sundown." Link returned to stroking Twilight's fur. Lana, excited, immediately ran off towards the ancient ruins. Link smiled. She was kind of cute, especially in these few moments where she allowed her excitement to shine through.
-]I[-
"My king? What is troubling you?" Impa walked into the King's study and bowed. Hyrule's King was pacing back and forth, a tear hanging off his nose.
"Impa, what did I say about disturbing me when I am in my private study?"
"You said not to, unless I think it of utmost importance. And I do. If the king is Hyrule is sulking rather than leading his kingdom, we'll have some larger problems on our hands." A playful smile danced at the corners of Impa'd lips, but it quickly faded when Impa saw the King's expression.
King Rhoam sighed. "Zelda running off… it's my fault. I didn't tell her the truth about why she was being married."
"The truth? Wasn't the purpose for some trade deal or royal alliance, as arranged marriages usually are?"
"When Zelda was young, she read a story about a princess who was married away as a prize for saving the kingdom. She told me she never wanted that to happen to her. I made a promise that night that I would never force her into marriage, no matter what."
Impa frowned. "But if it wasn't for a trade deal, or for an alliance, and you swore to never let that happen, then why? Why did you do it?"
The king picked up a journal and handed it to Impa. She flicked through the pages, her expression darkening with every moment.
"You… you really think it's returning, then?"
"Yes. I do. You've seen the signs. The Yiga Clan has resurfaced. More monsters have begun to appear. The old Sheikah towers rose once again not a month ago. And of course, you saw the sky last night."
"The blood moon."
King Rhoam looked at Impa. "I thought I could protect her. If she was bound to the best swordsman in the kingdom, she was bound to be alright. Right?"
He broke, another tear spilling down his cheek. "I tried to keep her safe, Impa, but I fear I have just killed her."
-]I[-
The Plateau was larger than Zelda could have ever imagined, larger than even Hyrule Castle. She spent the first few hours gazing at the scenery, the mountains, forests, plains, and rivers.
The Temple of Time lay in the exact center of the Plateau. Zelda wandered into it, staring at the ancient architecture. Huge columns and arches, intricate patterns, and towering spires all made the somewhat crumbling temple beautiful. At the center was the shrine to Hylia, identical to the one inside Hyrule Castle. Zelda walked over and respectfully bowed her head, whispering her thanks to the goddess for helping her make it this far. Although unlikely, it seemed as if the shrine was glowing with an otherworldly aura. As if the goddess was with her at this very moment.
Smiling, Zelda walked out of the Temple of Time.
She wandered about for a while, gazing at the ancient ruins. She found a deactivated guardian in the center of a labyrinth-like ruin, and for a moment, she stared at it, imagining what it must have been like in its prime. Surely it was a being of immense power, capable of destroying armies on its own. When it was with other guardians… it must have been unstoppable.
The eye still seemed to gleam at her in the sunlight. Zelda backed away from it. Legend told that Ganon had corrupted them once, and that his machines had walked the land a hundred years later. Ganon was dead, but his influence was not. If the Yiga Clan was back, anything was possible.
The sun was getting lower. Zelda only had around an hour left to explore for today. She wandered around, unsure where to go. She was about to head back when something caught her eye.
It looked like a door, embedded in the side of a rise. Ancient Sheikah lettering decorated each bar. Vines had begun to creep up the door, indicating its ancient age. Zelda walked over to it, tracing her hand over the door. It was quite strange, to say the least. And… the marks on it seemed familiar…
Zelda whipped the sheikah slate out of her pocket. The letters on screen matched those of the door. Maybe if she just…
Zelda raised the slate up and pressed it against the doorframe. The device glowed blue, and with a rumble, the door slowly slid open. Dust flew in the air, obstructing whatever was inside. Zelda wandered inside, passing several empty crates and entering a chamber with a strange pool in the center.
"How did you do that?"
Zelda turned around to find Link in the doorway, arms crossed.
"W-what?"
"The door. I've been trying to get it open for ages. So, how did you manage to open it?"
"I used this." Zelda held up the slate, which suddenly felt heavier in her hand. If he recognized it as a royal artefact, she would have a lot to explain.
Link inspected it. "I see the eye of the Sheikah. Did you get this from Kakariko village? How come I never saw anything like it before?"
"I've had it for as long as I can remember." Technically not a lie, but not the whole truth. Hopefully enough to fool him.
"Well, it doesn't matter. Come on, we're going to do some training."
"Training? For what?"
Link drew a sturdy looking broadsword. "We're going to make you into a warrior."
-=]I[=-
Alright, I tried resist putting Wolf Link in. I really did. But he's my favorite character (other than Urbosa.)
I've been getting a few reviews, so I thought I might respond to them here!
GreenTunic suggested I keep a quieter Link. In this story, Link is more talkative when it concerns other people, but he'll avoid questions about himself, or just clam up completely. I wanted to have some discussion between the two main characters, otherwise I'd be writing a mess of attempted action. Gabriel Herrol asked about the setting. Yeah, I've set it a few hundred years after BotW. The kingdom is rebuilt, and I'm going to have lots of references to the game. And no, Zelda did not prepare adequately. It is her first time adventuring, after all. TheFriendlyCritiquer talked about Zelda's personality a little bit. I was going to address her emotional state later, in some flashback chapters. She hasn't built up her emotional tolerance very well, so I made her a bit more emotional in the earlier chapters. She's going to get stronger (both physically and mentally) in the next few chapters, but for now, she's just been neglected for pretty much her own life. But you'll find out more about her view of things later… I've been planning some flashback chapters that'll explain more of Zelda's character, but for now, don't expect to be too attached. I would say more, but spoilers! I don't want to ruin anything.