WARNING

Major spoilers for the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild ahead! Please reconsider reading this story if you are yet to finish the game. You have been warned!


A/N: You…have no idea….how hard it was to…write this memory….

Seriously, Nintendo? A memory has to be from Link's perspective, right? That means Link has to be there when something happens? Or how would he remember that in the first place? That's pure logic? Well if that's the case, then how does this memory even work?

Zelda was seen talking to herself in front of a shrine, buT LiNK wAs cLEarLY mIsSinG fRoM thE scENe. Then how in Malon's peaceful little Lon Lon Ranch does Link know what she was doing? He only joined in later on, riding on his horse, obviously to be chasing after her. That's when the memory is supposed to start…this got me so confused…

This story has to be even more of Link's perspective than the memories (Which, I admit, was not in Link's perspective at all. For example, the champion's ballad memories. How does he remember something Zelda and the other champions experienced. Explain.), so that just made this chapter even harder to write? Should I start with Link finding Zelda at the ancient columns? Should I write about backstory for once? Should I make him talk in frustration while he searches for her? What happened to have made Zelda leave Link's supervision? How did Link find out where she was? There's just…too many questions.

In the end I ended up with including a little backstory. I figured Link might as well be relaxed and casual for once. Spoiler alert, I didn't make him talk, though…It just didn't seem right. I feel like all his personality should be revealed through his thoughts in this fic instead of his actions or dialogue.

(I had at least eight takes of this memory….it was…rather difficult to choose out the final one.)

Well…..that was a whole lotta rambling. Why don't we get started?

I hope you enjoy this chapter!

~ ミ(o*・ω・)ノ


His loosened short hair casually falling on his shoulders, Link returned back to his room, resisting a small yawn as he closed the door gently. His morning training went just as usual; just him, alone, in the training grounds, slicing his sword through the air as fast as he could, while trying to imagine monsters in front of him. The other Royal Guards were still sleeping in their beds, probably dreaming of their wives and their chicken dinners.

He brushed a strand of hair behind his ears as he sat down on his bed comfortingly, staring out at the newly-risen sun outside his window. The bright blue sky now shows a splatter of red, the mountains peeking their heads out from the shadows and the sun swallowed them with its magnificent light. Hyrule was coming to life slowly before his very own eyes: villagers opening their windows and the animals stretching their legs as they prepared for the day. Link let a small smile crack onto his lips as he took in the beautiful scene, before turning back to his small yet comfortable room.

Link let out a surprised yelp as he noticed a delicate note resting on his bed-side table. It was written in a beautiful, fashionable cursive: Sir Link, I, Princess Zelda, have decided to visit the ancient columns for research purposes for the day. I am not in need of an escort, and I have already informed my father about this. Please enjoy your time alone. I shall return before sunset, and there is no need to send forces to bring me anywhere. Deepest thanks. Sincerely, Princess Zelda.

Link felt his heart sink to the bottom of his body as he gently set the note back down onto the table. She went where alone?! The ancient columns, according to his brief studies on geography, was at least half a day's ride away from the Hyrule Castle. It's in the cold, lonely Tabantha region, a few miles away from Rito Village, where they just visited last week. Cold and lonely…Wolves would be everywhere near that place, Link realized as he felt the blood drain from his face.

Oh no, oh no...Zelda wasn't supposed to leave the castle until noon, when Link's duty starts. And now she's left alone without him, to a place half the country away - fear seized Link completely as he realized just how much danger she could be in.

Without even having time to let his mind react, Link found himself charging out of his room and racing down the corridor as fast as he could, excusing himself away from the servants and other guards. Before he knew it, he was in the royal stables, equipping gears and packing basic survival things on his mount at the speed of light, before proficiently tying his loose blond hair with that familiar blue hairband, his hands moving as fast as Hylian possible as his heart thumped against his ribs, screaming for him to hurry up.

After quickly leaving a note for his captain to see, he jumped swiftly onto his mount and rushed out, constantly making sure that Epona was running at her highest speed. The wind whizzed past his long elf ears as he stumped out of the castle gates, giving the guards a quick yet blurry salute as he gripped onto his horse tight, afraid to fall off at such a high speed.

Then he was raging through the castle town, ignoring the villager's weird looks as he rushed over the houses, Epona's thundering steps scaring away the birds nearby. Link shouted loudly for the citizens to move away, not giving a care of his own shame and reputation; and, of course, the people listened, probably because they saw the royal blue on his tunic or the pure-blooded mount he was riding.

The shrine down from Mount Gustaf was as deadly as always, not a single sign of energy coming from it. Epona hurried past the small thing without taking a notice, as if she was just as worried as Link was. The scenes zooming past him, Link spotted a few villagers from Quarry Village taking peaks at him from their high-up residence on the mountains. Link only clenched his jaw tighter and rode even faster, his head only containing one thought: To get to Princess Zelda.

Soon he was out of Central Hyrule, the wind rippling at his hair as he ran Epona down the Carok bridge. The Northern Hyrule Plains lays in front, the Breach of Demise just about to be crossed.

Epona gave an uncomfortable grunt as they approached the Breach, her pace slightly slowing down. Right...she must be tired at this point, Link realized with a pang of guilt. He never dared to harm his girl; at times, she was all he had for comfort and support, all he could count on at this foreign and royal place. Gently, he gave the horse a little pat and slowed her down, pulling her over on the lawns in front of the Breach of Demise, signifying her to take a rest.

While Epona munched on the grass near him, Link studied the map of Hyrule he quickly stuffed in his pockets before leaving. Looks like he still has a long way to go; but he supposed it wouldn't take as long, seeing just how fast Epona could run, as such a royal horse with nothing not nobility in her blood.

Having to only been to his village school for nothing but a few years, Link struggled as he calculated the amount of time to arrive at the next stable, where they could take a rest, get Epona some water and buy some cold-resistant elixirs for the both of them. How long…how many miles until we get there? How would I even know what these distances on the map mean? And what are those signs at the bottom of the page?Giving off a defeated sigh, Link stuffed the map back, taking a pure guess that it'd take less than an hour to reach the next destination.

Epona raised her head and nudged the Hylian champion softly, letting out a surprised laugh out of him. Guess she's ready, Link nodded at his companion with a warm smile, before climbing on her again and charging out towards the Tabantha region.

The puddles of rainwater on the ground near the Ludfo's Bog showed that there had been a terrific storm near the region last night; Link realized as he guided Epona to skip past the logs and fallen plants on the roads. Hopefully Zelda didn't get too wet coming here…

The Seres Scablands was as same as always: Quiet, isolated, yet so full of life. The trees seemed to have all grown separate eyes, all of them landing on Link as he bolted past them. Epona grunted quietly and sped up a bit, as if she had read Link's mind all the way from down there; Link smiled and gave her an appreciating pat.

Soon the Tabantha Stable appeared from the distance, its tall peak seemingly waving at the two as they ran near the place. Epona slowed down her pace slightly and trotted towards the stable happily, a spring in her steps.

"Welcome!" One of the workers greeted them cheerfully as they stopped before the station. Link gave him a friendly nod and jumped off his mount, giving her a little pat on the back as he did so.

After temporarily leaving Epona in the stables for some caring, Link went off the inquire more about the Tabantha region, having to only been there once, and that time it was with half the royal guards and the princess by his sides. Some folks nearby warned him to equip some arrows and weapons, since there would be lots of monsters and wild animals in such a deadly place; some also informed him to take a few bottles of cold-resistant elixirs for preparation. Concern seized Link's chest as he wondered whether Zelda did all of this: she's clearly not in the condition to be able to shoot at monsters on horseback.

The clock inside the stables showed that it was around two hours until noon. That means the princess have already been alone for more than four hours, Link realized with his only math skills. Fear controlled him yet again - she could easily be killed by now, and he would arrive upon nothing but a dead corpse, a dead corpse of everything he ever cared about-

He shook his head, hard. He needed to forget gruesome possibilities like these, and actually take action so that he could prevent such a thing from happening. Suddenly determined, Link brought three dozens of arrows and four bottles of elixir, in case the princess needs any when he arrives. He could be such a knight in shiny armor when he goes to her, saving her from monsters and cold weathers, healing her wounds gently and—

"Lad, yer horse is ready!" The worker interrupted his ridiculous imagination as he tapped Link from behind, his accent sending a chill down his spine. "Ya can get on yer trip naw!" He waved at Epona, signifying him for him to carry on, before walking off to take in more travelers. Desperately trying to hide his tomato-red face, Link squeaked out a thanks and climbed on his horse again, canting off towards the Tabantha Great Bridge.

As always, the bridge was hanging above the Tanagar Canyon as if it's about to fall off any second, making Link's hands tremble in nervousness as he guided his horse forward. Please don't fall down...please don't fall down...please don't fall down...he found himself chanting in his head, terror ghosting in his chest.

As they reached the end of the bridge, a rush of cold wind almost blew Link off of his horse, making Epona neigh in surprise and stopping in her tracks. Falling back to balance, Link quickly took out the cold-resistant elixirs and drank it down, hoping Epona would be able to stand the cold as he did so. The elixir was as flavorless as always, only this time with a tiny drop of sweetness in it; Link simply shrugged it off as he set the bottle back to his traveling bag, already feeling warmer despite his short champion's tunic and summerly attire.

The monsters slowly started appearing as they made their way down Piper Ridge, all different types, raising their heads up in surprise as they spotted an enemy for once. Taking a preparing breath, Link readied his bow and started aiming, taking out one monster at a time, with his all-time accuracy. Epona ran smoothly as he tightened and release the arrows, making sure that her master wouldn't fall off.

Shortly, they arrived before the Rayne Highlands, a small and poorly-decorated wooden sign pointing to their left: To th An ient Colu ns. Realizing how close he was to getting to her, Link clenched his teeth together tightly and yelled at Epona to race towards the direction, her hoof leaving heavy tracks in the snow as they left the clean road behind. From this point on, there were no roads left, leaving Epona confused and Link alone to guide their direction. Slowly his companion down, Link took out his map and estimated their current position - probably at the bottom of the Rayne Highlands, next to that underground shrine Zelda had been ever so curious about. That means…I'll only have to go up the mountain to get to her! Link's clear blue eyes suddenly shone brightly as hope dawned into his chest. He's finally close….I hope she's okay….

Epona thundered her way up the Highlands, her breathing turning heavier and heavier as the road in front of them became steeper and steeper. Link, suddenly deadly worried about so many things, soothed the girl gently and whispered encouraging words to her, knowing well in his heart that she could understand him just fine: and she really did. The horse gave off a triumphal neigh and finally stepped onto the Ancient Columns region, her steps slightly slowly down as if she spotted something.

Link's nerves tightened as his large eyes searched for that familiar figure: that beautiful, long, blonde hair and those magnificent green eyes he falls deep, deep into. Epona seemed to have already found her, slowly down more and more as they trotted deeper and deeper into the ruins; But where is she?

Wait….There she is! Zelda was standing in front of a shrine, her head bowed low as she studied the structure, seemingly deep in thought. As soon as Link's eyes landed on her, he started frantically searching all over her body for any kinds of bruises and injuries, his mouth already set to ask the question he's been thinking over for the entire journey: Are you alright, princess?

Epona neighed yet again, this time finally drawing Zelda's attention. That burning feeling was back as the princess's eyes landed on Link; but, of course, that wasn't important right now, he scolded himself as he jumped off his companion and hurried towards Zelda, his eyes large with concern.

The princess glared at him and equipped the Sheikah Slate back on her belt, walking towards him with her fists clenched. Link, seeing her approach, slowed down and let his eyes wonder freely across her, searching for any signs of bruises yet again.

"I thought I made it clear that I am not in need of an escort." Link's head jerked up as he took in the princess's harsh tone. Wait…did I do something wrong..? Maybe I shouldn't have…Zelda stopped briefly in front of him, those green eyes filled with hate and resentment as she studied the Hylian knight dismissively, before putting her hands on her hips with arrogance. "It seems I'm the only one with a mind of my own." She set her right hand on her chest bluntly, closing her eyes as Link stared at her, filled with disappointment in himself, while still desperately trying to keep his face expressionless. "I, the person in question, am fine, regardless of the king's orders."

The joy of seeing the princess unharmed vanished completely into thin air as Zelda pushed her way away from Link, tracking her way back to her horse. "Return to the castle." She gave him one last hateful glare. "And tell that to my father, please." The coldness in her voice seemed to already have started a blizzard in Link's chest, making him feel even colder than the Tabantha air. But…I came all this way for you…are you even okay…?

Curling his gloved fingers together in a tight fist, Link ran after her, refusing to let his hopes drop and to leave her unguarded. Zelda, hearing his footsteps behind her, slowed down, suddenly setting a little fire next to the cold pits of hell inside Link's chest. What is she…
An impatient sigh, a loud stump on the grass. The princess turned back at him, anger clear on her beautiful face. "And stop following me!" She spat, her voice filled with malice and so, so much disappointment. That fire died out completely, replacing it with so much ice that Link thought he would physically freeze over. His face must have slipped a few signs of emotion for once: Zelda stared at him for just a second too long, some awe on her face as he took a small step away from her. The princess took in his gesture and gave him another hateful scowl, before turning back to her horse angrily, her hair whipping in the wind as she did so.

Then Link was nodding and responding to her, his body moving without him even thinking about it at all. His head was bowed low as he paced his way back to Epona, hiding his hurt face behind the horse's long brown mane when the princess looked back at him one last time, acid in her eyes. Then, as Zelda and her royal mount made their way away from him, Link buried his face in Epona's neck defeatedly, holding back a thousand tears.


NEXT UPDATE: September/6th


A/N: Aaaaa poor boyyyyyyyy

Jeez Zelda, Link was just trying to do his job, stop treating him like that, he's trying his best for Din's sake.

(Side thing am I the only one totally digging the idea of Link with his hair loosened? He just- I- he just looks so fricking good like that do you have any idea)

Epona is such a good girl, we all love her, don't we. Thanks to FashionLuver98 for giving the suggestion of naming Link's horse Epona!

Thanks for all the support y'all, you're all the best :3

Also hey! We're finally getting close to that oh-so-important memory in Kara Kara Bazaar where Zelda totally thought "Oh no he's not"! I'm so excited! Aren't you?

Haha anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Please have a great day!

~ ミ(o*・ω・)ノ