Link and Zelda strolled through the village, taking in the sights. Link noticed a dock that was sitting in front of a small pond with torches arranged behind it sticking up and out of the water, and a statue of the Goddess was sitting on the end of the dock.

"Hey, Ari, I'd like to show you something."

He led her by the hand to the dock, and Link knelt down to pray in front of the statue.

"What are you doing, Link? I didn't know you were so devout." It had always been her praying at the statues a century ago, when he would accompany her to the Springs in her countless desperate attempts to awaken her sealing power.

He didn't answer. Appearing suddenly from within the statue, Zelda noticed movement of an object she had never seen before floating toward Link. It was a large red heart adorned with curly gold designs around the outside of it.

"What is that?" Zelda asked. She hadn't seen one before.

"Every time I finish a shrine, I get a Spirit Orb as a kind of prize. If I collect four of them, I have the choice between a Heart Container and a Stamina Wheel. This one is a Heart Container. It increases life force, meaning I can take more hits without…deadly consequences."

Zelda watched in wonder as the beautiful large spinning heart disappeared into Link's chest.

"That's wonderful, Link!" She was happy for any extra protection for him that he could get.

They continued strolling along in the village together, holding hands. As they were walking through the small village, Link decided to open up to her.

"Hey, Ari, I guess the reason I was so dejected earlier when I was looking through the pictures on the slate was because I'm frustrated over not being able to remember the princess."

Zelda stiffened at his mention of her, but Link was oblivious. He went on. "Whenever I try to picture her in my mind I never see her face. If I really was her sworn knight, why can I not remember her?"

"Oh, um…well, I really don't know, Link. I'm sorry. You said the old man told you about being her sworn knight. Who was he? Did you remember him at all?"

"You're going to think I'm nuttier than an acorn if I told you, Ari."

"I promise I won't. You wouldn't believe the things I've seen on my travels out here," she laughed kindly.

Link sighed, pausing for a moment and swallowing hard before speaking. "He was in disguise as an old man. He was really the spirit form of King Rhoam."

Zelda's eyes widened and she gasped audibly. That's right! When we met at Dueling Peaks he did say the old man gave him a Baked Apple and a tube of Bruise Balm! It was Father!

Link noticed her reaction. "See, I told you you'd think I'm nuttier than an acorn. You probably think I'm nuttier than a chickaloo tree nut, actually."

Zelda giggled. "No, that's not it, Link. It's just that I…have also met him, too."

Link breathed an audible sigh of relief, and his voice became excited. "That makes a lot more sense why he carried Bruise Balm with him! You must have given it to him!"

"Yes, I did." She didn't mention that she had done so a century ago. Her mind was racing, and her heart ached with a longing to see him again. Even though her father had turned cold and distant with her in the latter part of his life, she still needed him. He was her father, after all. She tried unsuccessfully to stop the tears from forming in the corners of her eyes as she continued. "Well, if the former King of Hyrule told you you were the princess' sworn knight, it's probably best if you believe him. Maybe that will help you remember."

Link nodded, noticing her glistening eyes. "Are you okay, Ari? Was the old man a friend of yours?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

"I'm so sorry, Ari. He disappeared and went back to the Spirit Realm after he told me everything about who I was. He even projected moving images into my mind of the princess sealing Calamity Ganon, and I heard her voice but never saw her face. Her voice in my mind sounded similar to yours, actually."

Zelda tried not to allow her heart to beat out of her chest as she quickly changed the subject. "Oh! That's odd, Link. Hey, we should probably head over to the inn. It doesn't look too busy, but we probably don't want to wait much later. It's already getting late in the afternoon."

They continued on to the Shuteye Inn, the place where they would be staying for the night. The man at the counter seemed to be dozing off and jumped awake at the sound of the door closing behind them as they walked in. "Oh, I'm sorry, I must have drifted off. Welcome to the Shuteye Inn. My name is Ollie. How may I help you this afternoon?"

"Hi Ollie. We'd like a soft bed for the night," Link said quickly.

"Two soft beds, please," Zelda said, painfully, not really wanting two of them. With nausea in her stomach, she whispered to Link gently, "I'd like to take this a little slower than we have been, if we can."

He whispered back, "Of course, Ari, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." His heart sank at her words, but she was probably right. They still hadn't known each other long.

"That comes to eighty rupees, please."

Link placed the rupees on the counter, and the man thanked him. "Feel free to see more of the village while you're here. We have a great little shop across the street, High Spirits Produce. The older lady who runs it is very friendly."

"Thanks, Ollie! We'll head there now!" Zelda exclaimed, wanting to distract herself from the pain in her heart, as she was about to burst into tears. She practically dragged Link out of the inn.

"Are you okay, Ari? You seem eager to go to the produce shop. If you're hungry I can cook you a meal. There's a cooking pot right outside the store, and we could ask her if it's okay for us to use it."

"Yes, that's exactly it, Link. I'm starving!" She admitted she was hungry, but she wasn't about to tell him the truth of why she wanted to get out of the inn so fast.

After selling many of their collected monster parts and extras of items they had collected, they bought a large supply of food ingredients for the road. The older woman from High Spirits Produce was thrilled that they bought everything from her store, so she eagerly offered unlimited use of her cooking pot outside. Link spent a few hours making multiple meals and filling his inventory until it was completely full while Zelda took notes and listened to him teach her. Zelda even cooked a few of the meals herself, with his guidance.

"Link, watching you cook is amazing, but now I'm really starving. Can we make our dinner now?"

He smiled at her. "What would you like, my lady?"

Zelda gasped at the name he called her. I've always loved it when he calls me 'my lady.' I can't go there right now. "I-I don't know Link, let me think. Maybe something with meat in it. I feel like I need something filling."

"Excuse me!" A small, high-pitched voice greeted them. It was a little girl holding a handful of ingredients in her arms. "May I use this cooking pot really quick?"

"Sure thing, little one. We're still deciding what we'd like to make," Link told her.

"Thanks! Oh, my name is Koko by the way. I love to cook and bake!"

"You know, it's not normally a good idea to talk to strangers, Koko," Link told her.

Koko laughed. "That's what my mommy and daddy say. But I knew I didn't have to be afraid because I saw the Sheikah slate on your hip. You're the Chosen Hero we've been waiting for to awaken!"

Understanding crossed Link's face. I guess I'm just going to have to get used to this.

Zelda loved the way he spoke to the young girl. He would make a great father someday.

Link and Zelda smiled down at the little girl, who was completely adorable. "Mister, and miss…if you're looking for something to eat, may I suggest this? It's called Tough Meat Stuffed Pumpkin! It's just raw meat and a Fortified Pumpkin! It's one of my family's favorites!"

Link and Zelda watched as the little girl placed a hollowed out pumpkin and a slab of raw meat inside the pot, and allowed it to cook for several minutes.

There isn't much to it, but it's amazing! Would you like to try a bite of this one?" The little girl carefully removed the pumpkin from the pot, wearing large mits over her hands. She took a couple of forks out of her apron and offered them to Link and Zelda.

"Are you sure?" The little girl insisted.

"Thanks, Koko."

They each tried a bite of the meal Koko made.

"Okay Link, I've decided what I want," Zelda said hungrily.

"I have raw meat, but I don't have any Fortified Pumpkins, Zelda," Link said, disappointed.

Koko tapped him on the shoulder. "My daddy is a farmer. Did you guys see that pumpkin patch up there? That's my daddy's." She was pointing to a level above them.

"No, we just got to Kakariko Village earlier today. We haven't seen the whole village yet," Zelda told her kindly.

"I see. I'll be right back. I'm sure my daddy will let me give you each a pumpkin and you can make some for yourself when I finish making some for my family."

"Thanks, Koko! You're very kind," Link said to her as she dashed out of sight.

Zelda couldn't stop a question from escaping her lips. "Link, have you ever considered if you want to have children someday?"

Link froze and his heart leapt at the personal question she was asking. "Y-yes, Ari. I would love to be a father someday." He was trying not to imagine who he someday wanted to have children with, but she was sitting on the ground in front of him.

Zelda's heart skipped a beat. "Me, too. I mean…not a father. A mother, of course." She giggled and blushed, and Link grinned at her.

Suddenly the little girl ran up to them with her arms full of four Fortified Pumpkins and only one slab of raw meat. They were amazed she was managing to carry everything in her small arms. "I'm sorry, I don't have enough raw meat. I have to make two for my mommy and daddy now. Do you have any extra raw meat I could use for mine, and do you have enough for yours?"

Link had just been hunting earlier that day on their way to the village, and he had plenty of extra raw meat. "Here you go, Koko. I would love to give you some. You're so kind."

"My mommy and daddy taught me a saying. 'Kind acts are like honey, sweet for the soul and nourishing for the body.'"

Link and Zelda couldn't get over how cute Koko was. "Your parents have taught you well, little one," Link told her, holding Zelda's hand. Soon she was finished with her two pumpkins and gave the remaining two to Link and Zelda.

"You're a great cook, Koko!" Zelda exclaimed. "He's very good too," she added, pointing to Link.

"Do you like to cook?" she asked Zelda.

"I'm…not sure. I haven't really done a lot of it myself, but he's teaching me."

"That's wonderful! And thank you for your kind praise. I wish I had time to make you a dessert when you're done. My mommy says my cake is the best in Hyrule!" She smiled proudly.

"Well, if we ever find ourselves in Kakariko Village again, we'll have to find you and have you make some for us," Link said, smiling.

"Please do. Our house is right by the pumpkin patch up there. It was so nice to meet you, um…Chosen Hero and…?"

"I'm Ari, and his name is Link."

"It was so nice to meet you, Miss Ari and Mister Link. I have to go give these to my mommy and daddy before they get cold. Thanks for the meat! Goodbye!" She scooped up the two Tough Meat Stuffed Pumpkins and scrambled away up the hill back to her home.

Link and Zelda looked at each other. "She was so cute!" Zelda exclaimed.

"And wise and well-spoken for her age, too," Link added.

Link and Zelda began to cook their own Tough Meat Stuffed Pumpkins.

"Hey Ari, I have an idea. Watch this." He proceeded to add goat butter, a hearty radish, and a handful of herbs to the pumpkin on top of the raw meat as it cooked. He offered it to Zelda when it was finished.

"Link…you amaze me. This is even better than it was!"

"Thank you, Ari." He proceeded to cook his own Tough Meat Stuffed Pumpkin the same way, and they enjoyed their meal together. Zelda wrapped his arm around Link while he was finishing his.

"Link, it's getting dark. We should probably head back to the inn."

The two of them soon found themselves in their own adjacent beds at the Shuteye Inn, and Zelda quickly fell asleep after their busy day. Link gazed at her from his own bed, thinking about his feelings toward her and how much he longed to hold her again. She's amazing. Pure perfection.

Suddenly, Zelda sat straight up in bed, still asleep. She was saying "No!" and flopped down again, and she began to toss and turn violently. Distressed sounds escaped her lips as Link worriedly watched her fitful sleep. Of course. Her nightmares she told me about.

Ollie walked over to where they were sleeping. "I'm sorry to bother you, but is she okay?"

"She has nightmares a lot. I'm glad we're the only customers here tonight. I'm sorry if it's bothering you."

"Oh, no, it's not bothering me. I just wanted to make sure she was okay."

"Thanks, Ollie. She'll be fine." The truth was, he hated to see her like this, and he didn't know if she was okay, emotionally at least. The thought crossed his mind to join her in the bed, but he wanted to respect her wishes.

"Liiiink…you're going to be just fine…"

Link was startled at the mention of his name. He jumped when she suddenly sat up and stared back at him. "Ari?"

She was breathing hard and had tears in her eyes. "Link, you're here. Thank goodness. I was having a horrible nightmare." She had been dreaming of his death on Blatchery Field, but in her nightmare she was unable to save him.

"Link…please…I need you. Will you hold me through my nightmares tonight? I don't know if I can sleep without you holding me." Tears were running down her cheeks.

Link's heart was torn, hating her nightmares but thankful they were allowing him to be closer to her.

"You can bring one of your blankets from your bed. If you don't mind, I'd like you to be on top of my blankets, for now. You know…taking this slow."

"Of course." He brought a blanket over and placed it on top of him, holding Zelda on top of her own blankets. Even through the many layers between them, the feeling of his arm resting across her was very comforting to both of them.

"Thank you, Link. Goodnight."

He started to move to kiss her, but he turned away. He didn't want to push it.

"You're welcome, Ari. I'm here for you, always." He watched her as she settled into a much more peaceful rest, and he soon did the same.

...

...

The morning sun shone brightly into the windows of the inn, waking Zelda with its warm kiss upon her still-sleepy face. She glanced over at Link, who was already awake and sitting on top of the bed sifting through meals on the Sheikah slate.

"Good morning, Ari. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, after you joined me. Thank you."

"I'm always here for you, whatever you need. I don't mind at all. Would you like breakfast in bed again, my lady?"

Zelda's stomach flipped at how he addressed her, and she took a deep breath. "I'd love that, Link."

They finished their breakfast quickly, knowing they would have to finish their business in Kakariko Village today, and get on the road to Fort Hateno long before dark. They left the inn, thanking Ollie as they left.

"Ari, I think it might be a good idea for me to spend some time making some rupees. We need to stock up on supplies, and I feel bad for you paying for everything all the time. I'm wondering if there are any odd jobs anyone in the village needs help with."

"That's a great idea, Link! I was planning to go visit with Impa today before we left. I'll go do that while you spend some time finding a job to do. We probably don't have time for more than one."

Once Zelda disappeared up the stairs to Impa's house, Link set off to find a way to earn some rupees.

Link immediately noticed a man standing outside of a large Cuckoo coop, facing the fenced area just to the side of the large shelter. He was muttering "How could this happen?" in a desperate voice as Link approached.

"Um, excuse me?" Link asked timidly.

The man turned around to face him, immediately noticing the Sheikah slate on his hip. "Sir Link?! You've awakened?"

Oh, great. Someone else I don't recognize who seems to know who I am. "Yes, that's me. You can just call me Link, though. It's nice to meet you, uh…"

"Oh, excuse me. My name is Cado."

"Nice to meet you, Cado. I couldn't help but notice that you're clearly upset. Is there something I can do to help? I'm trying to earn some rupees."

"My Cuckoos! My precious Cuckoos!" The man wailed.

Link was amused at the similarities between this man and his Cuckoos and Hestu with his sweet maracas. He was glad he managed not to smile.

The man continued. "They haven't come home yet! Now that my wife wants nothing to do with me, my Cuckoos are my only source of emotional support! Waaahhh! What will I do?"

The man was crying now, and Link genuinely felt bad for him. "I'll find them for you."

"What? You will? THANK YOU SO MUCH! I have ten Cuckoos. Hopefully you'll find them all. If you do, I'll give you some rupees you were looking to earn."

Link immediately set off to find the missing birds. He instantly spotted one next to a campfire under a tree next to the Goddess statue he visited the day before. He picked up the Cuckoo, who immediately began squawking loudly and flapping its wings. He ran back toward the man and the coop, and promptly flung it gently inside the fence.

"You found one! Keep going, only nine left!" The man was beaming at him.

Link searched the village, returning each Cuckoo one by one until all ten cuckoos had been returned. He even discovered it is possible to use a Cuckoo as a paraglider when he accidentally fell off a roof holding a Cuckoo, and it glided him safely back to the ground. Gathering all of the Cuckoos took him longer than he thought, but since Zelda was with Impa, he didn't feel too bad about it.

"Sir Link! My Cuckoos! My sweet little baby Cuckoos! They're all back! Thank you so much! Really, I could never thank you enough! I know this isn't much, but I insist you take it!"

The man handed him a shining purple rupee, which was more than what Link expected for the relatively easy job. "Thank you. It was my pleasure to help you."

"Now I just wish my wife would come back to me, just like my Cuckoos did."

"I'm sorry I won't be of much use for that job, Cado." He waved at the man as he walked up the long stairs. He reached the top, hesitating before he knocked. Oh, no. Paya is going to answer the door.

He took a deep breath and knocked. Paya answered, looking at him with wide eyes and her face of various pink hues. She took a deep breath before speaking, and she looked him in the eye. "Hello, Master Link."

Link was amazed she managed to speak to him, looking him in the eyes without stuttering.

"Please come in. Ari is visiting with Grandma. I wanted to talk to you for a minute."

He couldn't believe Paya managed to speak in full coherent sentences, but he followed Paya to their kitchen. He waved at Zelda as they passed, who waved back. Paya motioned for him to sit on the floor with her.

"I just…w-wanted to tell you…I'm sorry for acting so strangely before. I…get flustered around boys."

"It's okay, Paya. So…what's your story?" He was trying to be friendly.

"Uh, you...I…me…? You want to know…my st-story?" Paya took another deep breath. "Well, my name is Paya, and the reason I was named Paya is because I have a birthmark shaped like a papaya seed."

"Oh, that's interesting. Where is it?" Link asked absentmindedly, suddenly regretting his question. He hadn't meant to ask that out loud.

"Ummm…well…it's…on my l-left…well. Ahem."

Just then Impa's voice rang out from the living room. "It's smack in the middle of her left butt cheek!"

Link's eyes widened, and he immediately covered his mouth with his hand as he heard Zelda's sudden loud guffaws from the living room. Paya went as white a sheet, followed by turning several shades of red.

"I'm sorry Paya, I didn't mean to laugh," Zelda called. "I was laughing at Impa, not you."

Her apology didn't seem to help the poor girl. She was covering her face with her hands as she sat awkwardly on the floor in front of Link. "GRANDMOTHER!" She shouted suddenly, making Link jump.

Link genuinely felt bad. "I'm sorry, Paya, I shouldn't have asked. That question sort of tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop it. That seems to happen a lot with me now. Forgive me." He dropped to his knee in front of her to apologize. Her eyes grew wide, and then she promptly ran upstairs, presumably to her room. Link quickly left the kitchen and walked over to Zelda, who immediately burst into another fit of laughter, which set Impa into giggles.

"Why did you even ask that, Link? You do realize who you were talking to?" Zelda whispered, trying not to burst into laughter again.

"I don't know, it just kind of slipped out of my mouth. I feel awful."

Zelda put her arm around him.

"Honestly, Master Link, I'm surprised she worked up the courage to talk to you. She gets so flustered around boys," Impa said.

"That's what she told me. It's not my fault. I can't help my dashing good looks!"

Zelda smacked him playfully on the arm and Impa giggled.

"You do get that quite a lot, Link. You really are very handsome," Zelda said, kissing him on the cheek.

"You're not bad yourself, my lady. You're very beautiful," he said in a sultry voice. Zelda blushed at his sudden change in the tone of his voice.

"All right you two! Behave yourselves!" Impa joked, eyeing Zelda. She grinned.

"This has been really fun, Impa. We should probably go, but I'd like to apologize to Paya before we leave," Link offered.

"If you insist. She really needs to learn how to handle herself around men."

Link and Zelda made their way up the stairs to Paya's room. Her door was closed, but Zelda could faintly hear her crying.

Zelda softly knocked, and Paya opened the door.

"Hello, Your Highness and Master Link," Paya said, wiping her tears. "Please come in."

They sat on the floor of her room.

"Paya, I'm sorry I laughed. I didn't mean to embarrass you," Zelda said, placing a hand on the young Sheikah woman's knee.

"And neither did I, Paya." Link genuinely felt bad for what he had caused.

"It's okay, it's not that. I just can't ever have a decent conversation with a man without making a fool of myself, or without Grandmother embarrassing me. I'll never find anyone who wants to be with someone as awkward as me."

"I understand those feelings, Paya. I've been there. I used to think the same thing." Zelda answered truthfully.

"You? But you're so beautiful, Ari!"

"And so are you, Paya. You're a beautiful woman."

The young Sheikah woman blushed. The Princess thinks I'm beautiful?

Link took Paya's hand, and she let out a squeak and blushed even more, which he ignored. "Paya, I'm certain you will find someone someday who will sweep you off your feet. You're a very nice girl, and you're going to make someone very happy someday."

She turned around, letting go of his hand reluctantly as she took a few deep breaths before she responded, then faced him again. "T-thank you, M-Master L-Link. I hope you're right."

"Of course I'm right!" he exclaimed, jokingly. "Seriously, Paya, I never thought I'd ever find someone, and Ari quite literally came running into my life on the back of a horse when I least expected it. I'm sure something like that will happen for you someday, too."

Paya sighed, trying not to look either of them in the eye. "It's probably not a surprise to either of you that I have feelings for you, Master Link…but you two are perfect for each other."

Zelda could see Paya was trying not to cry while she spoke. "Oh, Paya…you're so sweet. I understand heartbreak, too. Think of it this way. Your heart now knows what it means to love someone. Even if those feelings aren't shared or returned, just knowing what your heart is capable of is a great and wondrous gift." Link nodded in agreement.

Paya peeked down from her bed at Zelda with tears in her eyes. "Thank you, Ari. That means a lot." The Sheikah woman looked at Link who was on the floor in front of her. "Thank you, Master Link. Thank you both, really. I have a lot of things to consider."

"You're very welcome, Paya. I hope we see each other again soon," Zelda said, giving her a hug.

They went downstairs, and Zelda hugged Impa once more. "Goodbye Impa. Thank you so much for everything. "It was my pleasure, Ari. And Master Link, it was wonderful to see you again. You both better remember to behave yourselves!" Link's face turned red and Zelda giggled as they turned to leave Impa's house to head to the arrow shop for last-minute supplies.