Zelda's POV
Through the echoes of my fathers voice playing on repeat, I hold my head writhing in agony. I want to pull my hair out. I am drowning in a sea of guilt.
Useless…
Useless…
Useless!
I failed you Father. I have failed everyone. We have won at the cost of your sacrifices…I…have no idea where to even start rebuilding our home to the way it was. To rebuild our kingdom, I don't believe I can do it, when I couldn't even protect it at first. My eyes are puffy, from the amount of crying I've done for the past what seems hours. Finally, a beacon. Like a star in space, a bright light beamed in the abyss. I then hear muffled noises of…a woman? The voice…sounds familiar…like it's calling out to me. I reach out hoping it is my escape to this place. I need to get out of here. I…I have to keep living. The warm light embraces me, suddenly my eyelids feel heavy as they slowly open. I hear voices, faint but they're there. A stinging feeling burns on my eyes as they glaze over to a candle lit nearby. I take notice of the Sheikah eye talisman decorated around me. Where…am I? Did we make it to Kakariko? I don't remember. I hear the sound of rain landing softly on the window near me. My body, can I move? I try to hoist myself up, and I barely manage it, I feel so weak, but I'm alive. I look around the room from a better view. The room is dark, with just the one candle that is lit next to my bedside as the only source of luminance for this room. I see a privacy screen to my side, and a desk next to the door. I looked out the window, sure enough we made it. It's pleasant to see that Kakariko has not changed in these 100 years. Something else that has not changed that has made me quite curious…I see in front of me, a traditional sliding door, with two silhouettes outlined. I hear the same voices that awoke me, coming from the other side. They sound gentle, mindful, one voice sounding vaguely familiar... I shimmy my way out of my bed, and beg my body for every ounce of strength to keep me up on my feet as I walk towards the doors to see who our rescuers were. But as I am about to open the door, I feel my feet slip, and my legs betraying my new found strength as I begin falling to the floor. I tried to grab the nearby door handle for some leverage but my grip ended up failing me like the rest of my body.
CRASH
I hear the sliding door open and feel the footsteps coming closer through the tatami beneath me, with the mysterious silhouette emerging into light. "Impatient as ever, are we Princess?" followed by a mischievous cackle. I shake my head and look up to the voice, it's an old, small Sheikah lady…she wears traditional Sheikah clothing with a familiar rice hat with dangling sharply edged Sheikah talismans. I feel like…I should know this woman, but my memory feels so foggy from being imprisoned for so long. A younger Sheikah girl frantically looked over the woman's shoulder and to me. "P-Princess! Are you okay?!"
"I–I'm fine, thank you," I whispered, more in embarrassment. She runs over to me and offers to help me, I take her hand that's reached out to me and pull myself up. "Though, I have felt better," I said as I hoisted myself up with her leverage. "Three days," the old woman said. I look over to her in confusion.
"Three…days…?"
She nodded, I looked over to the younger Sheikah girl and she just wriggled in angst, looking back and forth to me and the older woman. She covers her mouth, trying to hide as much of herself as possible, "Y-you've…o-oh! P-princess y-you've been asleep f-for th-three u-umm…"
The old woman and I remain silent, letting her finish, I can't help but root for her.
"…THREE DAYS!"
WHAT?! I let out an audible gasp, my jaw dropped. It felt like all the air left my body briefly. "Eep!" the girl lets out, I suppose in reaction to my expression. I need an answer, yes, we're in Kakariko, but where? Who are these women? How did I get here…a-and…
…
"W-where…is Link?"
…
All I hear is the raindrops falling on the window…the silence in this room…is deafening. The girl who was just moments ago jittering constantly remained still, and the old Sheikah woman lowered her head. N-no…I mustn't think irrationally. The younger Sheikah girl pipes up,
"M-Master Link is…w-well," she drifts off, I wait for her to finish her sentence, please…where is he? I noticed the elder Sheikah approach us both and intervened.
"He's going to be fine," she said confidently. A weight was lifted off my shoulders only for a moment, what does she mean by that?
What happened to Link?
"B-But grandma, M-Master Links condition is…" Condition? What?
"Paya," the elder said sternly, silencing her. The younger girl straightened herself out, and bowed her head apologetically towards both of us. I'm starting to get really frustrated, I need answers now.
"Listen here—" I look sternly over to the elder Sheikah woman, until I start taking in her appearance, there is something I can't quite put my finger on. But I know this woman. "I-I…", I can't finish my sentence when the elder Sheikah gives me a small grin and points her cane at me. "What's the matter Princess? Don't tell me you've forgotten me too?" she said sarcastically. "I may have aged a little bit…but I would hope you wouldn't forget your loyal royal attendant," she finished with pride.
It's not impossible…but with the Calamity, I…I lost everything, if not by Ganon's malice, then the cruel winds of time, everyone I must have known, is either long gone or incredibly old, they have lived out their life though, Sheikah tend to live long lives, even though I suggested to come here in the first place when Link freed me, I still thought I would never see her again…a-any of them…but we really did make it, "I-Impa…" my voice is merely a whisper, she acknowledges me instantly.
"That is you…right?" I ask carefully, she nods, she is definitely hiding back way more excitement than she is letting on, I can't help but grin widely at her simple gesture, I kneel down in relief, my eyes are stinging, Impa was safe, thank goodness. And she was able to live on, have a family…I'm…so happy. I can't stop the tears coming from my eyes as I hug her now frail body in my arms. Impa embraces me, she feels so warm, I hear her nose starting to sniffle, my heart aches for her. "If it weren't for you, Link probably would have never remembered anything right? He wouldn't have gotten to me in time…" I say to her quietly, "Princess, I was merely doing my duty," her voice breaks. "Thank you…Impa…"
I feel a gentle touch on my shoulder and look up and see her granddaughter…Paya was it? She was the spitting image of her grandmother, it was like looking at Impa 100 years ago. But unlike her grandma, she is so nervous, is she always like this?
"G-grandma…P-princess, would you like to perhaps discuss things over some tea?" She offered gently, I would love a cup of tea, any kind would be such a refreshment right now after having nothing for 100 years, but I have to focus, I still need my questions answered. I look back to Impa worried, "I-Impa, where is Link?" I ask bluntly. Impa looks at me and then looks over to Paya who gives her a worried look. "He's going to be fine, but…see for yourself," she says ominously and points her cane over to the privacy screen that was next to my bed. I walk slowly towards the screen and hold the curtain steady, behind this curtain is Link. My heart is beating so fast, what will I do if I lose Link? I can't wait any longer, I must know what happened to him.
I pull the curtain back, and sure enough, Link is there, he's asleep, his body is pale, and has medical gauze wrapped around his body, his head has a wrap around his forehead, his wrists…
…
Link…
I walk closer to him, and place my hand gently on his forehead, he's so warm…I can hear his breathing, he sounds like he's wheezing. "What happened to him…?" I whisper, Impa and Paya stand on the other side of the bed looking down on him, "W-well, once M-Master Link brought you here he…just collapsed," Paya said nervously. Impa grunted in annoyance, "The fool was neglecting his health to get you both here," "G-grandma! M-Master Link is not–" Paya retorted, "Honestly, if the whole point of this was to save the Princess and all of Hyrule, you would think he would have done better to take care of himself," Impa shot back, and then looked down to Link feeling melancholy,
"He barely made it here alive, he had bruised ribs, burns, and deep cuts all over his body, he needs time to recover," Impa ended, I keep my eyes focused on Link, taking in every small movement his body is making, I run my fingers through his bangs stroking his soft honey blonde hair, being careful not to put too much pressure on his headband. This is all my fault…"Luckily, it seems he's recovering quickly…he merely has a fever now, perhaps he could wake up any moment now…" as Impa said this, Paya audibly gasped and blushed with excitement, "Paya was about to get the ingredients to prepare him a tonic that might hopefully help his fever, would like to assist her Princess?" Impa asked. No need to ask twice, I nod my head and looked to Paya for guidance, "What do you need from me?" I ask her, determined, I'm going to help Link no matter what. Paya looks at me with worry, "P-Princess…you still need rest, you must be so drained after using your power for 100 years…a-are you sure?" she said, looking away from me. It doesn't matter, as long as I'm awake and Link is still asleep, I won't rest until he wakes up.
"Blue nightshade?" I ask, as I'm putting on clothes that Impa made which are similar to my old traveling gear, Paya nodded, "Blue nightshade will be perfect to add for this tonic, it will help break Master Link's fever, we should be able to find some near the Great Fairy's spring," she finishes. "Well then what are we waiting for?" I ask, I get up in excitement, and notice the endless rain coming down all throughout the village with no signs of stopping…
"Blue nightshade is difficult to find in the rain…P-Princess, please don't overexert yourself…" Paya says quietly, she is holding her arm and rocking herself back and forth, trying to soothe herself. "But it will be easier to find if you have someone helping you right?" she nods shyly.
"If I can help Link in any way right now, then that's what I'm going to do," I say confidently. Paya looks up to me and we share a look of determination to each other. We head down the stairs and I place a hood over me to help shield me a little bit from the onslaught of rain. Paya opens the door and looks back to Impa, "I-I'm heading out Grandma!" she says, and we exit the manor. Kakariko hasn't changed at all in the past 100 years. There's no time for me to reminisce though, we start running up the trail towards the shrine up the hill overlooking the whole village. Paya looks over to me and points towards the forest that is past the shrine. "We should be able to find some blue nightshade here," she states. We start walking into the forest, with the gloomy weather and the rain, I can barely see anything on the ground. Paya starts checking behind every single tree she can get to on one side of the forest and I take the other.
The forest is quiet, all we hear are the insects around us chirping and the rain falling softly down on the trees surrounding us, not to mention it's dark. The silence is broken when I hear Paya becoming frustrated by the minute. Scraping at the bottom of trees, looking behind bushes, scooping up the soil, trying to keep in the tears that are slowly seeping out. She's whispering to herself, "Master Link…please…hold on…" pleading to whatever will listen to her. The desperation, the longing look, I know the feeling all too well…
The feeling of love.
"Paya…" I say to her, she turns to me and glows red in embarrassment, and continues her search, she holds a lantern near the stumps of trees and continues scanning the ground. "Y-yes Princess?" she asks quietly. I stare at her,
"We're going to find it,"
She looks at me slightly surprised, but nods in assurance, and we continue our search deeper into the forest. No matter how difficult the find is, we'll find it. Because probably out of anyone, I can understand what Paya is feeling, that feeling…wanting to see Link again…I know exactly how that feels…
I vaguely remember what blue nightshade looks like, but in this weather, it will be a challenge to find anything even closely resembling it. Ugh if I could only remember, my head still feels so cloudy. When I notice a faintly glowing spring in the center of the forest, I start walking towards it. I heard Paya call for me in concern, and followed me.
"This is…"
"The Great Fairies Spring…" Paya finished, we made it! I look over to her in excitement, and she shares a small smile with me. I walk up to the spring and look into the seemingly endless pool, I start to feel the pedestal below me quake when I see something…rising. I backed up just in time to see a large woman emerge in excitement, arms wide open and letting the rain fall over her in content. The giant woman looks down to me and Paya and leans in close to me, giving me her undivided attention.
"Ahaha! What a delightful day this is!" The fairy speaks.
"It's not every day that I am so lucky to come face to face with the Goddess Hylia herself…or…her reincarnation that is…" she giggles in excitement. I look down, and ball my hand in a fist, that cursed name…Hylia…
…
…
…
Has brought me nothing but pain.
"Oh my, it seems I have upset you! My sisters wouldn't let me hear the end of it if you leave angry…"
I remain frozen…I feel like I can hear them…the screams of the townsfolk on that day, Fathers last words…the mechanical sounds from the Guardians, the sound of explosions, the Champions suffering…the never ending, soulless screeches from the Calamity…
Everyone…
All because of me…
"What can I do for you…your Grace?" she asks formally. I feel the mental whiplash coming back to reality, is the Great Fairy willing to help us…? Then I can get Link the help he desperately needs. "I need blue nightshade," I demand. The Great Fairy gave me a puzzled look, and looked over to Paya, "You're kidding right?" she asks bluntly, I scoff, what does she mean? Is she going to help me or not? I explained Link's situation to her. She gasps dramatically, it seems like I've got her attention now.
"OH! My dear Link is sick?!" She places her hand on her chest and then comes in closer to me, "I can help you but…Princess…don't you know…?" she looks at me with a cheeky grin, "I need, blue nightshade…" she turns around and looks back at me and Paya, my jaw nearly drops in confusion, I thought…she was helping us. "Princess, don't you want to know what can save the ones you care for?" Is she sending me…on a fetch-quest? "Don't look at me like that, that is how my services work your Grace, but I promise you, once you bring me back just a stem of blue nightshade, I will create something that will surely help your chosen hero," she argues.
"Where can we find them in this rain?!" I retort back to her in frustration. She chuckles slightly, and she dives back into her endless spring once again. Paya and I look toward each other in confusion, but not for long as I raise my leg and stomp on the pedestal in frustration, it's one thing after another…but the most frustrating thing is…
"She's right…isn't she…?" Paya says coldly.
I feel like I've been struck by lightning, I look toward Paya, who is doing her best to maintain eye contact with me.
"Th-this world is too cruel to have luxuries handed to you…I-I'm sure you already know that…Princess…the Great Fairy…she…she's helping you and Master Link…isn't she…? She finishes seriously.
I look towards the spring. "In her own way I suppose…but Link is…"
"Running out of time," Paya says sternly, "So let's get looking, there should be some around here," she continues. I nod in agreement and get on all fours, looking through the brush and the trees. It's so dark and this endless rain is tormenting, but…it won't stop me. I notice a faint light, a small fairy emerging from a bush that I was looking in, its faint light offers enough luminance for me to see the ground for only a moment when it hurriedly flutters away, when in the corner of my eye, I see a faint blue glow next to me. Just for a second, but it was there…think Zelda…what did blue nightshade look like…?
…
I remember a time when I once studied botany, studying the benefits of the many floral and herbal plants in Hyrule. I learned about many flowers…what they looked like, and their benefits, for instance, the different colors of safflina flowers, the bold royal purple amouranth, and of course the infamous Silent Princess's duo colored petals…and…blue nightshade a delicate and calming blue, I remember…I waste no time, and quickly reach my hand in the bush beside me, when I instantly feel a tearing pain in my palm, lucky me, a thorned bush, but, I've got something. I tighten my grip and pull out of the bush quickly, scratching up my whole arm. But emerging from the bush was a faint blue glow emitting from bell-like buds, delicately in formation, no doubt about it, this is it.
"Princess, have you found anything yet?" Paya asks as she shines her lantern towards me, and I can't tell if she's reacting to my now bloodied arm or the blue nightshade. But looks mortified. She quickly rushes over to me and looks closely at my arm, "P-Princess! Are you alright? What happened?" She then looks over to the blue nightshade I'm holding and looks at me and I can see her eyes beginning to gloss over. "Y-you've found it…" she lets out a huge exhale, and whispers, "Thank goodness…" she looks up to me, trying to keep it together, "H-hurry! We must return to the Great Fairy," you don't have to tell me twice, and we head off to her spring once again. When we make it back to the spring and I bring the blue nightshade up to the pedestal, I'm not sure how I managed to call for her last time,
"Great Fairy, I've returned with the blue nightshade!" I shout out, and I receive no response, I can't help but feel slightly silly, but…moments later, I hear the sounds of humming, and feel the ground shake beneath me. Then suddenly, she emerges in all of her glory, Great Fairies do tend to be a bit…theatrical. "You found it a lot sooner than I expected your highness hehehehe…" she giggles, and holds out her hand waiting for her offering. I brush off her comment and immediately hand over the flower to her. "Wait just a moment," she cheers, and spins back into her infinite spring. We wait for what seems like an eternity, I'm getting frustrated, Link is suffering every minute we're out here, my worries are brushed aside when I feel the earth below me quake once again, and I see the titan of a fairy emerge from her spring once again, just as flashy as her first entrance. She's holding something in her hands and lowers herself to my level and hands me a glass bottle with a pink fluid inside it. She nudges at me to take it, "This will heal your hero right up, think of this as a cure-all tonic, even his fever won't stand a chance against my magical concoction," she says with pride. She gently places the bottle in my hands and I look down at the bottle and up too her, I feel so many emotions right now, but I push everything down, stay focused, with this…Link will feel better…I look up to her with glossy eyes and bow my head to her, "Thank you…Great Fairy," she looks surprised, "Raise your head your highness, you've done well," she says calmly, very out of her character from what I have observed, Paya thanks her too and urges leads us both back to the village. The Great Fairy, blows us a kiss and waves us off, laughing in joy while spinning back down into her spring. Waiting for her next visitor.
We made it back to the village and entered Impas manor, Impa was of course awaiting our return, but perhaps not for us to get back so quickly, she looked over to us, and had a look of concern. Immediately I was worried, and by the looks of it, so was Paya.
"Paya! Zelda! Thank goodness!"
"Grandma! What's wrong? I-is something wrong with Master Link?"
"Quickly we have to get upstairs, his breathing is becoming erratic," Impa says calmly, hearing this and my heart instantly drops. Link's condition…it's gotten worse…? I look down at the Great Fairies tonic and squeeze the bottle slightly, I hurry upstairs with everyone following suit. No way am I losing Link…
No way.
The climb up the stairs was agonizing, I hear Links voice on the way up, I almost tripped at the speed I was walking to get to the top floor, I finally make it and immediately head towards his side and opened the tonic bottle, sweat is dripping off his forehead, his chest is convulsing, he looks as though he's gasping for air, seeing Link like this…I start to choke up, I don't know what else to do except opening up the bottle, I look over to Impa and Paya, Paya gently lifts his body up and tilts his head so I can place the tonic in his mouth slowly, waiting for him to drink the tonic unconsciously, his body seems to calm slightly as soon as he feels the touch of the bottle pressed on his lips. Soon after, he is quiet, like his condition hadn't escalated moments ago, but the sweat on his body remains, I look around the room to find a source for water, I need to help lower his body temperature,
"Where can we get cold water?" I ask calmly. Paya nods to me, and directs me to follow her, and walks towards the end of the hallway outside the room. I am completely useless, I have no idea where anything is, I watch her find a source of water and find a small basket with folded washcloths nearby. Paya grabs one of the rags and begins saturating it in a water filled porcelain bowl. Payas movements are rigged, she is muttering to herself. I get up close to her to try to hear her properly.
"Paya…are you alright…?"
"I-it's t-time too…" she whispers, "Huh?"
"It's time t-to ch-change…" I remain silent, Paya pauses and shakes her head and briefly inhales, and then…
"IT'S TIME TO CHANGE MASTER LINKS BANDAGES…Princess…" she hides her red-flushed face, I don't see why that would be embarra–...w-well…
Come to think of it…the thought of unbandaging Link…
I'm a complete hypocrite…
I feel my cheeks and ears go warm as well, I…I can't be feeling this way…n-not right now…if that's what Link needs right now, then that's what I'll do…I look away from Paya, if she knows I feel the same way, perhaps we will never get this done. "W-where are the bandages…?"
"J-just up there…." she points to a cabinet directly above me, I look over and open the cupboard, I grab as many as I can, and start heading back to Link. Paya, quietly following behind me.
