Link stood in the rain, practicing a kata. He didn't swing with nearly as much ferocity as in a real fight, but that wasn't his goal anyway. Instead, he used a technique his old master had taught him. It was an advanced form that required impeccable aim.
Focusing on a single raindrop, he lunged and sliced clean through the middle of the falling bead of water. He repeated this process again and again. The first time he'd tried this kata, he couldn't even pick out a drop, let alone hit it. But as he progressed, his old master quickly became jealous.
Zelda, who was sitting under the nearby tree against a group of large stones, brought him out of his thoughts. "I doubt this will let up anytime soon."
Link kept swinging, but directed his attention toward her words.
She watched his flowing movements. "Your path seems to mirror your father's. You've dedicated yourself to becoming a knight as well. Your commitment to the training necessary to fulfill your goal is really quite admirable."
He finished the kata, coming to a resting stance with the sword held in front of him.
"I see now why you would be the chosen one." She paused and looked away, her expression growing mournful. "What if, one day... you realized that you just weren't meant to be a fighter?"
Link turned to her, confused for a moment. If he wasn't meant to be a fighter, then Calamity Ganon was a big wimp.
"Yet the only thing people ever said," she continued, "was that you were born into a family of the royal guard, and so no matter what you thought, you had to become a knight."
Then he realized the meaning behind her words. She wasn't really talking about him, but about her own destiny. It was similar to when she had talked about the Silent Princess. She was far wiser with words than he was, and had a way of saying one thing but communicating another.
"If that was the only thing you were ever told, I wonder then... would you have chosen a different path?"
He joined her under the tree, sheathing his blade, and knelt on one knee in front of her. "What do you want to do?"
"Well, I..." she pondered for a moment. "If I could be whatever I wanted, regardless of duties or destinies, I would be a scholar. But I also want to do my part to aid against the Calamity."
He leaned forward and rested a warm hand on her shoulder. "You have a gift, Princess. It will come when you need it."
"Do you really think so?"
He nodded. "What kind of a Goddess would Hylia be if she didn't help you? Try unlocking it like a scholar."
She studied him for a moment, then smiled. "I'll try that. Thank you."
He nodded again.
She stood and brushed off her pants. "Now let's get out of this rain, Sir Knight!"
