Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda does not belong to me


Zelda watched as the last remnants of her Goddess given magic consumed Calamity Ganon and sealed him away. Her arm fell to her side and the column of light she had created to prevent Beast Ganon from fleeing faded away. The sky, once an awful mix of blood red and violet with clustered black and dark gray clouds, quickly became a bright blue. The scattered white clouds that came with it allowed the noon sun to shine on Hyrule Field.

A short moment of stillness followed before a small smile came across her face. She relaxed as she allowed herself to enjoy her freedom before tensing again at the sound of footsteps.

It was her appointed knight.

As the steps got closer, she found herself being slightly overwhelmed with emotions. She wanted to cry, she wanted to laugh, and a part of her wanted to do both. There were so many things she could do at this moment, but with everything she could do, she wanted to thank Lynk. "I've been keeping watch over you all this time… I've witnessed your struggles to return to us as well as your trials in battle."

Lynk stopped.

"I always thought—no, I always believed—that you would find a way to defeat Ganon." She turned around to face Lynk. "I never lost faith in you over these many years… Thank you, Lynk…" She put one hand over the other and her smile returned. "…the Hero of Hyrule." She hesitated for a moment before quickly building up her confidence to ask her question. "May I ask… Do you really remember me?"

A short but tense moment followed and Zelda found herself now biting her inner lip. What if Lynk didn't remember? Lynk was one of her only friends still alive. If Lynk didn't remember her, then…then what would she do? She took a breath and returned her focus to Lynk, only to see that Lynk seemed to be struggling to find her voice.

"Of…of course I remember you," Lynk said, her voice quiet but gentle and crisp. "I…I remember you better than I remember myself."

Zelda smiled, having missed hearing her friend's voice. Even though she had watched Lynk, she never actually heard her. She didn't hear anything but near deafening silence and Calamity Ganon for the past century. It was the Goddess' blessing that she was still sane. She went to Lynk's side and with a sigh, sat down in lush grass beneath her. Lynk sat down as well before calling over Epona. They stayed like that for a while, quietly enjoying each others' company. Soon, Lynk noticed that the sun was going to set, prompting her to speak.

"Princess, sorry for bothering you, but now would be a good time for you to go to Kakariko Village. I'm sure Impa wants to see you."

"I suppose," Zelda said quietly. She stood up and dusted off her dress. "Perhaps I can get us there. My power is considerably weaker, but it should be strong enough to get us there." She saw Lynk take a step back and take hold of Epona's reins. "Well, I'm not sure if I'm strong enough to get all three of us there."

"…That's fine. Get yourself there."

"But what about you?" she asked as she watched Lynk unhook the Sheikah Slate.

Lynk tapped the slate a few times before quickly giving it to Zelda. "I'll be fine."

"I know you will, but I don't want to leave you behind. Besides, what am I supposed to tell Impa when…when…" Zelda hadn't realized it, but her arms were turning blue. "Lynk?" The blue covered her entire body and the last thing she saw was Lynk waving good-bye to her.


Zelda reappeared on the Lakna Rokee Shrine Travel Gate and stumbled backwards, dropping the Sheikah Slate in the process. She stood frozen for a few seconds, trying to understand what had happened. It then dawned on her, and a wide smile came across her face. "The fast travel ability, of course!" She picked up the slate as she excitedly looked over it. She had seen Lynk use it, so why she forgot about it was beyond her.

Her excitement dulled down, however, as she realized that she didn't know what to do now. Lynk wasn't with her, and she had no clue where she was. She took a breath and started moving, deciding it'd be best not to waste time and find the closest settlement. She passed another shrine and soon saw the quiet but active Kakariko Village and tightened her grip on the Sheikah Slate before going.

As she headed to the chief's house, she felt the eyes of the villagers on her. She should've been 100% used to this, being Hyrule's princess and all, but the century spent with Ganon made it feel a bit foreign. The guards before Impa's house bowed, and she nodded her head in acknowledgment before going up the stairs. As she walked up the stairs, she saw a young woman waiting for her by the door. Upon making it upstairs, the young woman spoke to her.

"You-you're Princess Zelda, correct?"

Zelda nodded.

"My name is Pa… Paaa… Paaay… Paya! My name is Paya! I apologize for stuttering, especially when it's my own name. P-please, come inside. My-my grandmother has been waiting for you." She opened the door and allowed Zelda to step inside before doing the same.

An elderly woman sitting on a stack of pillows looked up from underneath her hat. "Well, well…look who decided to show up."

"Impa!" Zelda exclaimed. She went to her old friend and hugged her.

Impa returned the hug, and they stayed like that for a moment.

"You've changed so much," Zelda started. "If I didn't know any better, I would've mistaken you for someone else entirely," she gave a light laugh.

"Well, you have also changed. Haven't you?"

Zelda smiled. "I suppose."

Impa returned the smile before extending an arm towards Paya. "I'm sure you've met my granddaughter."

Zelda nodded.

"It-it is quite the honor to-to meet you, Princess Zelda," Paya said meekly.

"Same to you," Zelda said with a nod.

She, Impa, and Paya then spent the next few moments talking. It wasn't long after the conversation started that Impa suggested that Zelda rest. Even though she wasn't tired, Zelda listened to the elder, figuring it wouldn't hurt to get some rest. Following Paya upstairs, she was lead to a simplistic bedroom with a single bed. She placed the Sheikah Slate on the nightstand and sat down on the bed. She took off her shoes and jewelry before laying down and falling asleep.

Upon waking up the next morning, Zelda noticed a bedroll on the floor. She sat up and wondered, Is Lynk here? She stood up and found the answer to her own question. No, if Lynk was here, then there would be two bedrolls, not just one. This is probably Paya's. With a sigh, she went downstairs an sat down besides Impa.

"Good morning, Princess," Impa said.

Zelda sighed before saying, "Good morning, Impa."

Impa noticed her attitude. "Is everything all right? You sound down for one who is no longer trapped with the Calamity."

"Yes, everything's fine. Thank you for your concern."

"Well, if everything's fine, then what's on your mind? Whatever it is, it's clearly bothering you."

Zelda shook her head. "Nothing's bothering me, I'm just thinking about Lynk. She gave me the Sheikah Slate so I could get here quickly, but what about her? I know she has Epona, but I don't know if she has access to a map. And the last thing I want is for her to get lost simply because she was helping me."

Impa smiled reassuringly, "You shouldn't worry yourself about such things, but if it helps, I'm sure Mistress Lynk has access to everything she needs."

"She better. Because we need to talk when she gets here."

"Well, it'll take a few days, so instead of brooding your annoyance for Lynk, perhaps you can meet some of the villagers. I'm positive they'll want to meet you."

Zelda considered the idea, but she wasn't sure how comfortable she would feel meeting new people right now. Well, it couldn't be that bad. She didn't talk to a lot of people, only Cado and Dorian.

The next day, she met Claree, the rather enthusiastic owner of Enchanted. Claree had offered to remake her field research outfit from 100 years ago. Zelda accepted, but then realized Lynk would probably have to go back to the castle to retrieve the design for the clothes. If they survived, of course. She promised Claree she'd have Lynk find the designs in the castle if they were close by. So for the time being, Zelda decided to get the Hylian set.

"Well, Mistress Lynk already bought a red Hylian tunic, so perhaps you'd want a different color," Claree suggested as she got a set of Hylian trousers and boots Zelda's size. "I may have a few dyed ones in the back. I can check if you want."

Zelda nodded, "Yes, please."

"What color?"

"Light blue." Zelda waited for a moment before seeing Claree come back with not only the tunic, but with a measuring tape, pencil, and paper.

Claree set the tunic down before going to the princess and measuring her. When finished, Claree said, "I have to fix the garment so it can fit you, but it should be quick. A day, at most!"

Zelda nodded, "Thank you."

"No problem!"

Right before Zelda left though, Claree suggested the princess take a bath, saying she'd look prettier without mud clinging to her face and hair. Zelda thanked her again, although now feeling a little embarrassed. But that explained why she didn't want to meet anyone. It wasn't that she was nervous, it was that she was subconsciously reminding herself that she had fallen in mud 100 years ago and still had the stains to prove it. But now that showering was on her to-do list, she remembered that she didn't have anything to change into.

When she went back to Impa's house, she asked Paya if she had any spare clothes that she could borrow for the day. Upon getting the clothes, Zelda went to bathe. When she came back, she, Impa, and Paya spent the rest of the day quietly chatting. It wasn't much, but it was enjoyable.

The next few days were pretty uneventful. Zelda spent most of her time with Impa and Paya. She was now wearing a light blue Hylian tunic and a pair of Hylian trousers. It was comfortable, but she missed her field outfit. Well, she supposed that gave her all the more reason to go to the castle soon. She flipped to the next page in a book she had picked up about Sheikah culture and something caught her eye.

"Impa, is this true?" Zelda looked at Impa.

"Is what true?" Impa asked.

"This." Zelda pointed to a section of the book before handing it to Impa. "It says that for the Sheikah, the cutting of hair is a way to symbolize renewal."

"That is true. I've never done it myself, but I know a few people who have. You remember Lady Elfrida, right?"

Zelda nodded.

"Well, you may not have known this, but Lady Elfrida was part Sheikah, so she took some parts of Sheikah culture to heart. The hair cutting being one of them. A while before you were born, Lady Elfrida cut her hair to represent a new era of her life."

"I never would've guessed."

Impa chuckled, "Well, Lady Elfrida did like her privacy. And by the time you were born, it was long again, so she found no point in bringing it up."

"But why did she cut her hair? What was she starting over in her life?"

"Hmm… I have a feeling she wouldn't want us talking about that right now, so we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Just know that it means renewal to us Sheikah."

Zelda nodded and continued to read her book. She heard the door open and as she looked up, said, "Hello, Pay—Lynk!" She was happy; her appointed knight finally made it to Kakariko Village. However, she was also angry. Lynk had just shoved the Sheikah Slate into her hands without any explanation and just let her go. If she didn't know Lynk any better, she could've been sent off to Hebra or something. She closed her book and stood up. Zelda was going to kill her…


(Hey, I wanted you to know that the story is being rewritten. Go to chapter 7/the notice for more info.) I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Once in a Blood Moon. And here's the part where I semi-promote myself. Feel free to leave a review, ask a question, or something. I don't know. You do you. Until next time. Bye~