Link let out a sigh of relief as he lied down on his bed, the light from the setting sun bleeding through his windows. He had just finished another long training lesson with the New Hyrulean Army, yet another thing that he found he was becoming unnecessary for. With the growing number of soldiers it became impossible for him to train all of the recruits himself, so instead the recruits were being assigned into smaller groups and placed under senior recruits. Once more Link found his "legendary" status causing him to be slowly phased out of teaching responsibilities, now he was becoming more of a special occasion instructor.
A small frown worked its way across the champion's face, as it stood now there was nothing left that he was needed for this week. Something that was becoming increasingly more frequent as time went on.
"Is there even anything left for me at this point," he wondered to himself as he gazed at the ceiling.
Turning his head, he looked out the window at the fading sunlight over Hateno Village, the sky burning a vivid orange. It had been two months since he had met the spirit of the Hero of Time in the forest, and like many nights before he found himself reflecting on the encounter.
His mind was reeling at all that he had learned, and all that the Hero of Time had revealed. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined that he would meet a past hero of the land, even more so that said hero would offer to send him back in time.
That last thought brought a whole slew of emotions to the amnesiac hero. His gut churned as he recalled the mind-boggling story of the past hero's journey, and what it had caused. On top of that, the hero's request continued to wander through his head.
"If you agree to let me send you back in time, I want you to take me with you."
As he continued to think on the strange meeting, he starts to wonder if he made the right decision.
(Flashback)
"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to decline your offer."
The Hero of Time looked unsurprised at the statement made by the Hylian champion.
"Fair enough," the deceased Link said, "though will you tell me why?"
Link was silent for a moment as he considered his words carefully, he hadn't seemed to upset the past hero by refusing his request but he wasn't going to take any chances.
Finally he spoke, "You said that if I were to leave, that I would be leaving this timeline without a hero for a time. I already left this world alone once by my failures, I won't, can't, leave it alone again because of my selfishness."
"Is that really the only reason," the Hero of Time asked with a knowing, but pleased, grin.
"Well I would be lying if I said I was comfortable freeing and then travelling alongside a prisoner of the goddesses," Link confessed as he looked to the side.
The spirit waved its hand dismissively, "Don't worry about it, I understand it completely. If it wasn't for the experiences I had in my life I probably wouldn't accept it either."
Link gave an appreciative nod to the deceased hero before standing up, stretching as he stood.
"Thank you for your time and the offer, but I should probably get going now."
"No, thank you," the Hero of Time responded before sitting back down, "I wasn't kidding when I said it get's quite lonely and boring out here. Even if you declined my offer it was nice having another person to talk to."
Looking at the ocarina in his hand, the spirit turned his attention to the Hylian Champion that was about to walk out of the tree.
"Would you care for one more song before you go?"
Link turned his head to stare at the Hero of Time, eyes laced with suspicion.
"No need to worry, this one won't have anything to do with that dream or open a new bottle of worms to discuss," the spirit said placatingly.
Link thought for a moment, before giving his consent with a small nod.
The deceased hero raised the instrument once more before playing a cheerful, yet somewhat somber tune. As the song came to an end, Link gave another nod in appreciation before slowly walking outside. As he was departing, his ears caught hold of the spirit's last message to him.
"The flow of time is always cruel. It's speeds seem different for each person, but no one can change it. If you ever decide to reconsider your decision, let me know."
With that Link departed the clearing and entered back into the woods.
The final words of the spirit rang through Link's head as he thought on the events, or lack thereof, of the past two moths. He would be lying if he said the thought of leaving Hyrule wasn't tempting. The current state of the kingdom just didn't seem to have any place for him, and the idea of getting to start over was an enticing one.
He grew increasingly worried as it became harder to convince himself that this is where he belonged, and that he had made the correct decision by staying here.
"No, of course it was right choice. If I left then Hyrule would be all alone and defenseless should darkness rise again," he thought to himself.
"What about Zelda? She seems to have gotten considerably adept at using her powers, not to mention the divine beasts are still functioning," another voice countered.
"They may need me, what if they need the help of the Master Sword and no one is around to wield it?"
"You heard the Deku Tree, he told you there was a good chance that you would never wield it again! Besides Calamity Ganon has been vanquished, and last time it took him thousands of years to return."
"Still, it's my responsibility as the hero to be ready in case I'm needed."
"We may be the hero, but we are still a person too. Are we really supposed to just hang around, wasting away on the chances that something bad might happen?"
Link had no response to that last thought, instead just choosing to end that train of thought right there before rolling over and drifting to sleep.
Just before losing consciousness, he sent a prayer to Hylia that it would be a dreamless night as one last thought raced across his mind.
"What if I didn't have to travel back in time to save them?"
(One week later)
Link slowly sat on the ground, sweat covering his forehead while his chest heaved with heavy breaths. He could feel the sweat coating his champion's tunic and the ancient leggings he was wearing and made a mental note to wash them later. Around him a small group of red Bokoblins exploded leaving behind a small pile of teeth and horns. They had attacked him while he had been travelling the nearby area in an effort to find ingredients to cook with.
It was his latest attempt in finding some sort of purpose. Having always enjoyed cooking, he decided he would try his hand at being a professional chef. At first he had been thoroughly optimistic about the idea, even managing to get a small restaurant quickly constructed at discount price thanks to Hudson of Bolson Construction. For a few days things had seemed to go well, and he thought that he might have finally found what he was looking for. Then around the fourth day things rapidly went downhill.
Word of the hero's establishment had quickly spread through the land, and soon travelers from far and wide to sample the legendary figure's cuisine. What had started out as a slow and peaceful break from his fame soon became nothing more than another outlet for it.
Worse many people insisted on overpaying, or making a show of how the food was "the best thing that they had ever tasted." By the time the week ended, he was no longer sure if he wanted to keep going with it.
Once more his mind seemed to go to war with itself on whether or not he made the right choice about the spirit's offer. This time Link found his teeth gritting in frustration at the continually reoccurring argument. They had become for more frequent, sometimes even happening multiple times a day, and each time it was getting harder and harder to dismiss it.
The Hylian Champion shifted his thoughts from the argument to consider why his mind was acting this way. The more he thought, the more he felt his eyes narrow as his suspicions arose.
"Does he have something to do with it? Should I confront him about these thoughts?"
As he was debating whether or not to act on his hunch, he found the stray thought from the previous week making it's way through his head.
"Could I save them without travelling through time?"
With that, his decision was made. It was time to pay a certain spirit a visit.
"Well, I must say this is a surprise. Have you changed your answer," the Hero of Time asked from his relaxed position on his bed.
"No," Link stated sharply, arms folded, "I'm here because I've got some questions for you."
The spirit seemed to think for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and sitting up straight.
"Alright, I'll answer whatever I can. Please have a seat."
The hero waited as Link stood perfectly still, not moving a muscle. After a while it became clear that the Hylian Champion had no intention of sitting, the deceased hero once more shrugged his shoulders.
"Suit yourself. Now, what did you want to ask me?"
"How did you get inside of my head," Link all but demanded.
The Hero of Time blinked, having not expected that question at all, "Beg your pardon?"
"This past 2 months, it feels like my mind has been warring with itself. It keeps going back to that damn offer you made, and how I should accept it. It didn't make any sense but I think I've finally figured it out. You somehow have been reaching in and planting these thoughts into my head, trying to persuade me to give you what you want."
The spirit stared incredulously at his visitor, "I haven't been sending you anything. What in the name of Hylia makes you think that I'm responsible for that?"
Link scoffed, "Maybe the fact that you gloated that I came last time because you wanted me to or that you confessed you sent me a dream with a message in it?"
The Hero of Time opened his mouth to respond, a finger pointing to the ceiling before stopping.
"You know what, fair enough. I can see where you might've gotten the idea from."
The spirit paused as he leaned back a little, lacing his hands behind his head, "However as I said earlier I'm not the one responsible for those thoughts."
"Oh please, it has to be you. Who else could be causing them, no one else but you would benefit from me accepting your offer."
The deceased hero just stared intently at the Hylian Champion, waiting for him to pick up on the implied message. When it became apparent that his guest wasn't going to figure it out on his own, the Hero of Time let out a small sigh.
"Have you ever considered that these ideas are coming directly from you," the spirit asked.
Link visibly recoiled, "That's ridiculous! I've already accepted that I can't change the past, that I'm needed here and have to move on. Of course those they aren't coming from me!,"
The ancient hero raised an eyebrow, "Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?"
"You! I don't need to convince myself because I already know it!"
The Hero of Time shrugged, "Either way it doesn't change the fact that I haven't been sending you those thoughts. Now you said you had questions, what else did you want to know?"
The Hylian Champion closed his eyes as he took a deep breath to compose himself.
"The last time you were here you talked about those golden triangles, the Triforce I believe, and mentioned that they can grant whatever desire you have. Couldn't I just use that to save those that were lost?"
The spirit shook his head, "That's impossible, the only way you can save the ones you're referring to is by the method I've told you."
"Isn't that convenient," Link snapped bitterly, "the option that suits you best is the only way. Why is it impossible with the Triforce?"
The ancient hero looked to the ceiling, "technically, yes the Triforce could feasibly revive the champions along with many others that were killed because of Ganon. It could even undo much of the damage that was done to the land."
The Hylian Champion smirked in assumed victory, "Well then, where can I-"
"However," the spirit said cutting Link off, "the Triforce is currently unavailable for use and will be for a very long time."
Standing up, the ancient hero continued, "You were about to ask where the Triforce is, weren't you? Well you won't have to go very far as it lies within your very own Princess Zelda."
Link's brow furrowed in confusion before his brain connected the dots. Eyes widening he breathed out, "the sealing power."
The Hero of Time nodded, "Yes, after countless centuries the goddess Hylia, weary of people attempting to abuse the Triforce for their own desires, decided to hide it within the royal bloodline. It's power only accessible to those chosen by fate, like Princess Zelda or the one who possess the spirit of the Hero. Theoretically at least, it's still possible for someone to claim the Triforce as their own should they manage to find a way to steal it from the royal family."
"That still doesn't explain why it can't be used to undo the damage from Calamity Gannon, in fact it seems even more possible now that I know Zelda is in possession of it!"
The Hero of Time sighed, "The reason why you can't use the Triforce to grant your wish, is because it is currently already granting a wish; for a very long time."
Seeing Link's confused look, the spirit explained further, "You said it yourself, the Triforce and the sealing power the princess used to stop Gannon are one and the same. However, Gannon's essence is not destroyed nor will it be for a very long time. Currently the Triforce is in the process of doing exactly that."
Link's eyes narrowed before widening slightly as he started to understand what the Hero of Time was implying.
"If you were to attempt to make a wish with the Triforce, it would stop holding back Calamity Gannon's essence. This would give it the chance to reform once more and run wild, maybe not immediately but it wouldn't take long. Should that happen, Gannon would be a far more dangerous foe than it was when you last fought it. Does that answer your question," the spirit said with narrowed eyes.
Link was silent, head down, eyes staring at the floor. His fists clenched at his sides as he tried to pull his frustration and disappointment back inside. He had thought he'd finally found a way, that he had been so close to having a piece of his old world back with him only to hit another wall.
The ancient hero saw the mounting distress of his visitor; memories started flooding into his mind. He had seen that same look on his face many times throughout the years, and he was once more reminded that despite their many differences that he and this Link were also very similar.
Wanting to try and help the young hero, the spirit pulled out his ocarina and began to play a slow, somber melody. One that he had learned so many eons ago when he had been at his lowest point. One that brought comfort to those as they passed, freed those that were suffering from curses, and always helped him find a sense of peace.
Link felt his head slowly rise as a soothing melody filled the air. He felt his anger, frustration, sorrows, all these negative emotions began to slowly fade as he listened to the song. Silently, he sat down and let the tears fall as a weight seemed to lift from his shoulders.
The Hero of Time wasn't sure how long he played for, but slowly the song died down and the only sound left in the tree were the quiet sobs of the Hylian Champion.
Carefully, the spirit began to address his visitor, "I know that things are difficult for you, and that you wonder if you'll ever find a place to call home. I can't promise you that you will, I never did. However I can promise you that if you need someone to talk to, a friend that will always be available when you need them, that you are more than welcome to visit whenever you'd like."
Link wiped his eyes with his arm, letting out a soft chuckle.
"Thank you," he said sincerely, then paused before continuing, "is it alright if I'd like to talk a bit now?"
The ancient hero gave a wicked grin, "Absolutely."
(One month later)
"Seriously, you dropped a beehive on them," Link laughed out as the Hero of Time shared some of his adventures.
"Oh yeah, you should've seen them run! I could hardly believe it myself," the spirit cackled.
Link couldn't hold back the grin that spread across his face. For the past month he had been making weekly visits to the ancient hero. While it had started out as him just venting frustrations about how people viewed him or expressing concerns about his memories, it soon morphed into the two heroes regaling each other with stories of their travels. These visits were quickly becoming the highlight of the Hylian Champion's week, and he found himself looking forward to them more and more each time.
"Fearsome pirates, terror of the seas, scared of bees," Link repeated humorously.
"That's not even the best part," the Hero of Time continued with a deep smirk, "remember that mask I told you about, the one I got from the soldier in the canyon?"
Link grasped his chin between his thumb and pointer finger, a pensive look on his face before snapping his fingers.
"Oh, that ugly stone looking one?"
"Yeah, turns out that most of the pirates wouldn't have been able to see that soldier either."
"Wait what, what do you mean by...no, you DIDN'T," Link gasped.
"Yep, slapped it on my face and then walked all around their hideout in broad daylight. Only a few of them actually noticed me."
Link couldn't help it, he leaned back in the chair, holding his stomach as he guffawed. Catching his breath, he wiped a tear from his eye as he straightened himself.
"Man, I could have used a few of those in my journey. Would have made getting the Thunder Helm back so much easier."
"It certainly was an incredibly useful asset, much more than I was expecting it to be," the spirit admitted with a nostalgic expression on his face.
Link shook his head, "still time travel and magical masks? And here I thought your first adventure was insane. How many did you say you collected again?"
"24 in total."
"And all of them had some sort of magical properties?"
"Oh no," the spirit dismissed with a wave, "very few of them possessed any magic in them. Only around 5 actually had anything magical about them."
"Only 5? That seems like a low amount."
"Well if we're getting technical, then about half of them had slight, slight, amounts of magic. Take the Keaton or Garo's mask, while wearing them it could help me meet the respective beings but doesn't really do anything magical."
"I see," Link said slowly, still a little confused.
Seeing that his friend didn't quite understand, the spirit continued, "The Deku, Goron, Zora, and Giants masks are all masks I would consider magical. They each held power within them that granted new strength and abilities, many of which only those capable of using magic could access. The majority of the masks had unique abilities, but even someone without magic power could use them."
The Hylian Champion nodded as it started to make a little more sense, "So all but 5 of the masks were usable without needing any kind of magic, which is why you don't classify them as 'magical'."
"Correct."
Link sat back, his mind wandering to the idea of magic and what it would be like to use it, before a stray thought caught his attention.
"You said 5 masks were magical, though you only mentioned 4. What was the fifth?"
To the Hylian Champion's surprise the spirit seemed to go rigid at the question before an emotionless look came over his face.
"Nothing of any importance," the ancient hero stated coldly.
"But-,"
"DROP IT," the Hero of Time snarled.
Link recoiled in shock while the spirit's eyes widened in realization of what he just did.
"Apologies, I shouldn't have snapped like that. It's just-,"
"No, no it's ok. I shouldn't have pried so much, I mean it was pretty obvious you didn't want to talk about it."
The spirit let out a small sigh of appreciation, "Thank you for understanding, still I feel bad about it."
"You shouldn't, I mean it's only fair after all the times I've yelled at you in the past month," the Hylian Champion joked, hoping to alleviate some of the tension in the air.
"I guess you're right," the Hero of Time laughed.
"No worries, and just like you said to me, if you ever need someone to talk to I'll be there."
The spirit gave a grin, "Again, thank you."
Link matched the grin with his own, "Hey, what're friends for?"
Zelda was concerned. She was no fool, she knew that her knight, and friend Link was more troubled than he let on. He was good at hiding it, but after spending so much time around him she could almost read him like a book. It was why she gave him leave from her meetings with the other races among other things, and why she had asked Impa to keep tabs on him.
While she didn't think her fellow champion would do anything drastic, she didn't want to be in the dark should his struggles get worse.
If only she didn't have to spend so much time regulating the kingdom's affairs. With all the damage done to the land, she had to almost completely rework the country's layout and infrastructure from the ground up. She understood why she needed to, it was her duty to her people after all, but it left her little time to even sleep let alone spend time with a friend.
That and there was her upcoming coronation, where she would be officially crowned as queen of Hyrule. Now that all the chaos had finally died down, and the kingdom was beginning to get back on its feet, she could finally succeed her father's position as monarch. Once that happened, any free time she might've once had would be gone forever. Instead she would have to spend her days listening to various lords trying to curry favor with her for greater influence, what joy. If she had it her way, she would've never appointed any in the first place but she knew that it was a necessary evil. The population was too widespread and the kingdom was too fresh, it would be impossible for her to govern the nation from the castle alone nor could she travel to each area herself. Thus, she needed people to act as stewards and representatives for the many different territories to keep her apprised of the kingdom's needs.
It was while she was reading a letter from one such individual that a sealed document appeared on her desk in a puff of smoke. Stowing the nobleman's letter away for the moment, she grabbed the newly delivered letter and carefully unfolded it.
Your highness,
My loyal sheikah scouts have been following our friend for a while now, as per your orders. I must say we got many more volunteers for the task then I was expecting, especially from the young ladies!
Though I shouldn't be too surprised, he is quite a looker after all. I used to catch Paya staring at him when he visited, it was quite amusing.
My apologies, I'm rambling and I'm sure you aren't interested in your knight's popularity with the fairer sex.
For a long time, my scouts would report that nothing was amiss with our friend, that he was in about the same state that we had last seen him in. That was the case until about three months ago. Shortly after his visit to Korok Forest to return the sword that seals the darkness, my agents reported that he seemed to be becoming increasingly conflicted about something. His nights became more restless, and he would often appear to be lost in thought.
Then around a month ago, shortly after he opened his restaurant, (have you tried the food there per chance? it is quite delectable), he made another trip to the forest. Since that visit, he has been making weekly trips there every weekend.
Interestingly, my scouts have claimed that Link has been in better spirits lately and that its after each of his visits to the forest he seems the happiest.
The worrying issue is that they have no clue what he's doing there. They've tried following him inside the woods, but each time they lose track of him; only finding themselves at the entrance to the forest. They also report the presence of they can only describe as music from some kind of woodwind.
Princess, while I'm sure that whatever Link is doing in the forest is harmless, I still worry that he is walking into something potentially dangerous. His emotional state while not critical makes me worried that someone or something could have found a way to manipulate and take advantage of him. For whatever this may be, seeing such a rapid change in him makes me suspicious.
While I feel it wise to potentially keep him away from the forest for a time, I would advise caution as well. If he feels you're trying to cut him off from this source of happiness, then it may drive him away from you.
May the goddess give you wisdom.
Your friend,
Impa
Zelda read the letter over twice, questions filling her mind as she took in Impa's words. Something about what her friend said about the forest caught in her mind, filling it with questions.
"What could he be doing there," Zelda thought to herself as she leaned back, "visiting with the Deku Tree or the Koroks perhaps?"
Shaking her head slightly, a small frown came across her face as she begun to think aloud.
"No, that couldn't be it, the sheikah have become well acquainted with the forest since Ganon's demise. If Link was going to see the Deku Tree and Koroks, then the scouts would have been able to follow him."
Confident that Link wasn't paying social calls to the guardian or children of the forest, she tried to recall if she knew any other forest spirits. Thinking for a few minutes, she faintly remembered reading about things while trying to find a way to awaken the sealing power.
Moving to one of her many bookshelves, she quickly scanned through the various tomes and scrolls until she found the one she was looking for. It was a medium-sized book, with an olive green covering. On the cover the words, "Legends of the Kokiri," were embroidered in golden lettering.
Placing the tome on her desk she quickly flipped through it, skimming the first few words on each page. Finally she stopped on one titled, 'Skull Kid', the next page containing a depiction of a small imp in a pointed hat.
"The Skull Kid is one of the more mysterious spirits that was once found in Hyrule's enchanted woods. No one knows where they came from, though some theorize that they were the spirits of children who get lost within the forest.
Their mischievous natures were ill-matched with their malicious tendencies. Legend has it that they greatly disliked adults, and would often try to lead them away into the woods through various methods such as games like hide-n-seek, or by promising them wealth and riches. Their reason for doing so would be in an attempt to abandon them within the forest, leaving them to eventually perish and reanimate as the skeletal monster known as a 'Stalfos'.
Should their prey end up catching on to their game, it is said that they would fly into a fit of rage and attempt to kill their victim themselves. Exactly what methods they use are unknown, as no known encounters with a Skull Kid have ever been recorded."
"Could this be why Link is spending so much time in the forest, did he meet a Skull Kid," Zelda asked herself, looking up from the book and towards the window in her study. Looking back at the text, she continued to read; dread filling her as she read the last passage.
While it is unknown if this spirit actually exists, this warning given by the legends should be heeded. If you are ever in the forest, and hear what sounds to be a flute playing: ignore it and get out as fast as you can! It just might be that a Skull Kid is lurking nearby, searching for its next victim."
Alarm bells ringing in her head, she quickly grabbed a pen, some ink, and paper she quickly wrote out a response to Impa.
"Paya," she called out, her personal sheikah assistant appearing in a puff of smoke.
"Yes milday," the granddaughter of Impa responded dutifully, kneeling in front of Zelda.
"Take this letter to your grandmother and return promptly, I'll have another delivery for you when your done," the princess ordered, handing Paya the letter.
"At once your majesty," the sheikah said before disappearing the same way she appeared.
Now alone once more, Zelda returned to her desk and carefully begun drafting a letter to Link.
"I've got to keep him away from that forest," she thought determinedly, "I can't take the chance of him falling prey to a Skull Kid, even if it hurts him in the moment. I failed the other champions, I won't fail him!"
Link let out a contented sigh before glancing outside the tree. He could see the sun beginning to fade over the edge of the clearing, signaling that it was time for him to get going once more.
"Man, it seems like these chats go by faster each time," the Hylian Champion said shaking his head.
"Someone once told me that time flies when you're having fun," the ancient hero mused, "but considering how fast time went while I was in Termina, I'm going to have to call bull on that one."
Link let out a laugh, "Well considering you're the expert on time, I'll take your word for it."
The Hylian Champion was about to stand up when he remembered a question he had been meaning to ask his friend.
"Hey, there's been something I've been meaning to ask you," Link began slowly.
"Oh, what's that?"
"Well, when you first made that offer to me, you didn't seem too fazed by the idea of going against the goddesses' orders. Why is that?"
The spirit was silent for a while, and Link was worried he might've touched on another sensitive subject. It was short lived as the Hero of Time, having anticipated Link's concerns, sent him a look that showed he wasn't bothered by the question.
"I told you that after I left the 'future' timeline, that I wasn't able to return to it. And that because of that it was left defenseless when Ganondorf rose again," the spirit started slowly.
Link gave a nod of affirmation, signaling the ancient hero to keep going.
"With no other options, the people of the land prayed to the goddesses for deliverance. The goddesses answered their prayers, though not in the way they were expecting," the Hero of Time continued, his voice growing more bitter with each word.
The Hylian Champion shifted nervously as he began to grow uneasy, at both the tone and direction the story seemed to be going.
"You'd think that the all-powerful golden goddesses would have stepped in to spare those that worshipped them, the very creatures they had created. You think they'd take responsibility for the fact that it was the very power they left behind that was destroying the land. You think, that after their designs caused someone's soul to be sealed for seven years before sending that person to fight against a great evil in an effort to preserve Hyrule; that their sacrifices might not have been in vain those goddesses would protect the land" the ancient hero let out a humorless chuckle, "You'd be wrong. Instead they destroy the very people that flocked to them for protection, sending a deluge so great that it swallowed the land of Hyrule and left it at the bottom of a thick ocean."
Link was taken aback at what the spirit had revealed, "they destroyed Hyrule, just like that?!"
"Oh it gets even better, the flood didn't even kill Ganondorf."
"WHAT!"
"Yep, because they didn't just wipe Hyrule off the map. Instead they essentially sealed it under the newly formed ocean, frozen in a moment in time and completely devoid of any life. Ganon, however, was hardly affected by any of this and eventually broke free of his prison."
Link felt his gut twist at the scenario the Hero of Time described to him, before a sharp pang of betrayal ran through him.
"Hold on," Link started with an accusatory glance, "if you knew that the goddesses would just destroy Hyrule if there wasn't a hero to save it, how could you even ask me to leave this timeline!"
The spirit gave a slightly hurt look in response, "do you honestly think that after my own experiences I would knowingly leave a Hyrule defenseless against evil?"
Link calmed down slightly, confusion filling the spot where his anger had been.
"What do you mean?"
"Remember when I said the goddess of time owes me a few favors, well she's not the only one. I've got boons from people, spirits, guardians, and even a few deities all throughout time that I can cash in should I need to. Should you accept my offer, I'll call in a couple of them and arrange it so that if this Hyrule ever is threatened by evil, such as Calamity Ganon reviving, that a hero will appear to protect it."
Link was dumbfounded, "You can do that? Hold on, why didn't you tell me this when you first made me the offer," Link paused before another thought crossed his mind, "why didn't you do that when Calamity Ganon first struck 100 years ago?"
"Firstly, yes I can do that. Secondly, I didn't tell you because it was a test to see what kind of character you were. If you had accepted my offer, knowingly leaving Hyrule defenseless, I wouldn't have taken you...ever. Thirdly, doing so would have causes a lot of hassle for the goddesses. While I don't need any more excuse to try and piss them off, doing so would have caused a lot of problems for me. However in the case of my offer, we would already be doing something that would irritate them, so might as well go all in."
The Hylian Champion stared at the spirit in disbelief, trying to make sense of what he'd just been told.
"Well, there goes your excuse of defending Hyrule," the voice in his head argued.
"Not now," Link internally hissed, trying to move his thoughts away from accepting the offer.
Sensing his friend's inner turmoil, the ancient hero spoke, "It's getting late, you should probably be on your way. Again, do not worry about my offer unless it is something you truly wish to do. Take some time, think things over before you make a hasty decision you'll come to regret."
Link let out a small sigh, before nodding.
"Thanks again for always being here," the Hylian Champion said as he moved towards the exit, "same time next week?"
"Well not like I have anywhere else to be," the spirit chuckled, "see you then."
Link gave a final wave, before stepping out into the forest once more his spirits high.
He was completely unprepared for what he would find waiting for him at home.
Waves crashed against the steep cliffside of eastern Hyrule. On the coast outside of Hateno Village Link sat watching the restless ocean. In his hand was a letter that he had recently received from the princess. Looking at it once more, he could almost hear Zelda speaking as he read.
Dearest Link,
Zelda, garbed in her champions attire, sat at her desk furiously scribbling on a piece of paper. There were bags under her eyes making her exhaustion clear.
"I would like to begin by offering my sincerest apologies. These past few months I have been rather busy in the restoration efforts of Hyrule, something you're already well aware of. Unfortunately, these efforts have been limited to meetings with delegates of various territories. As such, I felt your presence unnecessary due to the lack of danger and excitement. This, coupled with the other numerous issues pertaining to the kingdom, has led me to neglect you and for that I am most sorry. While it is true that I am the princess and future queen of Hyrule, I am also a friend and moving forward I shall try to act more like one."
Zelda paused her writing and slowly deposited her pen back into the vial of ink. Standing up, she lightly stretched before walking over to the window where she could see the sun sinking behind the Gerudo Highlands.
"I am aware that what my goals are not easy ones, especially with the crown of my father looming ever closer. Soon it shall be nigh impossible for me to venture outside of the castle for extended periods of time. However I believe that I have found a solution:
Still standing at the window, Zelda gently grabbed the shiekah slate from her hip. Activating it, she then opened the camera roll and started searching through various pictures.
Link, Champion of Hyrule, by the authority of the crown princess of Hyrule, I officially renew your station as the princess and future queen's sworn knight, effective immediately.
Zelda looked down at the photo she had stopped on and smiled. It was one of all the champions standing together. Revali with his arms crossed off to the left side, Mipha standing on the right subtly looking towards Link, Daruk front and center with one hand raised in the air and the other around Link's shoulder, Link standing on the front right side of Daruk, with Zelda standing halfway between the Goron and Rito champions, and finally Urbosa standing directly behind Zelda. Despite the circumstances, and the varying issues among them they were all smiling. Though for some it was easier to tell than others.
"This is not a decision I've made lightly, nor is it one that I wished to have made. Yet, the members of my court insist that as queen I have some sort of protection. I do not intend to force you to spend all of your time with me as you once did, for I know that those meetings do not particularly appeal to you and that you have your own business affairs. That is why I shall only require your services on the weekends, just enough to appease the nobles.
Zelda powered down the slate and reattached it to its holster. Slowly, she started moving back towards her desk.
"If you are worried about travel between your home to attend to your restaurant and the castle for your knightly duties, then know the castle has already taken measures to construct you a new establishment here in the capital. I have heard great things about your culinary talents, and I humbly request that you continue to in your cooking endeavors.
Zelda sat down once more and picked up the pen. Bringing it to the bottom of the paper, she quickly scrawled out her signature.
Thank you for your efforts,
Princess Zelda Hyrule
The Hylian Champion was silent as he took in Zelda's words, his mind once more filled with turmoil.
"Zelda wants me to be her knight again, but only on the weekends. The rest of the time, she wants me to run a restaurant. That would mean I can't visit the Hero of Time anymore."
He was confused by the emotions that it brought. Weeks ago, such an announcement might have filled him with elation. Now it only brought emptiness.
"Is this really what my life is going to be? Slaving away in throughout the week, only to stand around doing nothing on my time off?
A sense of bitterness towards Zelda wormed its way into his heart, stung by her unintentional betrayal.
"How could she do this? I finally find someone who understands my struggles, someone who I can relate to, and she just waltzes in and takes that away? And for what, to appease some lousy nobles?!"
Reigning his emotions in, he slowly became lost in thought.
"Should I accept her 'demands'? Then again, do I really have any say in the matter?"
He sighed and shook his head.
"No, it's my duty as the hero to protect the land. Zelda hasn't led me wrong yet, so I'll continue to trust her for now."
Despite this, the ancient hero's offer floated into his mind and once more he tried to find a reason for him to stay.
He was surprised when he couldn't find one.
