It burned.

Every inch of her.

From where her toes were all the way up to the top of her head.

Malice consumed her, despite how hard she tried to fight it off. She prayed. Begged the Goddess for the power to break free.

But deeper she fell. Darkness consumed her.

And his laughter.

The demons sick, bitter laughter was all she heard.

Her own screams.

Her own prayers.

All drowned out by the demon's joyous sound, celebrating her failure.

And Link lay before her. Master Sword broken in two as malice crept over him.

Inch by inch.

Limb by limb.

And his ocean eyes stared.

Full of hatred.

She'd failed him.

She'd failed herself.

She'd failed her kingdom.

"Princess!"

Jolting to the sound of her title, Zelda awoke. Her body was covered in a sheen of sweat, her hair sticking to her scalp. Her body shook, bones ached.

Her hand.

It burned hotter than the worst of the malice she remembered.

Was she screaming? She couldn't tell.

She couldn't hear. She couldn't see.

Everything, everyone was lost to her through her panic.

Her legs carried her, her hands out as a guide as she tried to escape the walls of whatever prison cell she was shut behind.

Furniture topped over when she bumped into it, a poster soon falling from the wall. Her feet kept leading her, but something was tugging her back.

Trying to stop her.

It hurt. She tried to beg for it to stop. To be let go. But the hold was so tight she couldn't budge.

She pleaded for release but no words came out. She felt dizzy, but how could the world be spinning when she couldn't see it? When she had no idea where she was?

Somehow she broke free of the hold, running faster than her body seemed capable. A tree, a branch, she tripped here, stumbled there. What her arms couldn't account for was a hill.

A wrong step. She was falling.

And everything stood still.

—

"Princess."

That name again. Zelda sighed. She opened her eyes to meet those of a bright coloured Rito.

"Someone go fetch Master Link," the rito called out, his feathered hand upon her head. "You've taken quite a tumble, Princess. We've been worried."

"Have I?" Zelda tried to sit up, but her body refused, becoming limp in the sheets of the stables bed.

I wonder if it's a soft bed, she thought.

Within moments, the sounds that accompanied Link returned to the stable room. The gentle, steady clang of the Master Sword on his back. Usually, she paid no mind to the common sound, but today it made her want to vomit.

"Princess," Link knelt by her bed.

She'd grown to hate the title. She had no desire to hear it again that day.

"Thank Goddesses, you're finally awake. I thought-"

"You thought a nightmare would be my demise? Honestly, Link, have more faith in me. If I fell so easily after holding back Ganon all this time," she shook her head, whining as she held tight to her scalp, unable to finish her thought.

"It hurts," she breathed, "like fire keese are flapping against my brain and can't escape."

"That doesn't sound very comfortable at all," Link mumbled, rummaging through his bag for something.

The rito left, returning only a moment later with a glass of water, settling it in Zelda's hold. "Drink some water. It will help."

Zelda didn't hesitate, hoping the beverage would magically heal the burning in her throat. She chugged it down, handing the empty glass back with a pleasant, forced smile. "Thank you. I haven't managed to catch your name yet."

"Forgive me. I'm Kass. Master Link and I have been rather close on his journey to return to you."

"It was a journey to save the kingdom," she tried to remind him, hissing at the throbbing of her scalp.

"Here," Link grabbed the blanket from the bed he'd rented for himself, wrapping it around an icy looking spear and tucking it beside Zelda under her own blankets. "This should cool you down. Kass here is going to watch over you while I warp back to see Impa. She may know what's going on."

"Going on? Link, I simply fell and hit my head."

"Do...do you remember doing so?" He stopped everything he was doing, his face full of concern.

"I remember falling. The sensation of it, at least. And then I woke up here."

"You were glowing, Princess. Everyone around us watched you. And your body...it was like...like the light was trying to escape it."

"And then I fell." She swallowed, trying to keep her cool.

"And then you fell. I tried to grab you beforehand but you." Link looked down at his left hand, bandage with gauze. He missed having Mipha's healing gift already. It had disappeared along with the gifts from the other champions, once they were finally able to properly pass away. "Your whole body was burning and you had this unbelievable strength."

"That's nonsense. I simply had a fitful sleep due to an unpleasant dream."

"Princess, you had strength that even I couldn't overpower." He looked at her, "it scared me."

The two fell quiet. For someone like her to be the strength that terrified the chosen hero…she simply couldn't fathom it. "Link?"

"Yes, Princess?" He asked, looking up from the slate and his bag, clearly intending to leave for Impa right away.

"Must you really go?" She looked up like a child, cradling her sore hand to her chest, "to leave me here all alone?"

"Princess," he cupped her hand between his own, using his thumbs to soothe her aching skin, despite how much his own was hurting. "As your appointed knight I must protect you, even if the ways I do aren't in agreement with your desires. Kass, he's one of my best friends. He'll keep watch of you until I get back."

The Princess stared at their hands. At one point, she'd done the same, back when her stomach was full of butterflies at Link's mere touch. But today, she stared for a different reason. A curious one. "The light was trying to escape me." She whispered, mostly to herself. "Interesting."

Link remained another minute before beginning to retract his hands, grabbing the slate and settling on his feet. "Kass will stay with you. If I don't return in the morning, assume the worst."

"Link, please. I've waited 100 years for you to return. I trust you'll come back in one piece."

Link only smiled at her, holding the slate confidently, "See you soon."

And with a string of blue light, he vanished.

Another flash of blue and Link was emerging from the lip of the Ta'Loh Naeg shrine.

The village seemed as peaceful and mysterious as always, something even Link couldn't help but admire. Even now, in the rush of it all, he took a moment to take in the village below him before opening his paraglider and jumping from the edge of the hill.

He landed with ease in front of the village Elder's home, taking the stairs up two at a time, only to nearly run into Impa's granddaughter.

"Master Link!" Paya gasped, steadying herself from Link's near collision, "Where is the Princess? Shouldn't you be headed to the Domain by now?"

"Long story," he waved at the girl to follow him as he headed inside, pushing the doors open with either hand to make a rather grand entrance.

"Should I assume you've missed my company already? Or is there trouble with the Princess so soon?" Impa hummed. She didn't look up. She didn't need to. There was something about Link's presence in any space that filled the area with an aura of someone special.

Link stood before the woman. Even short and settled on a mound of pillows she seemed to loom over Link like all the monks he'd seen in the shrines.

"It's hard to explain," Link sighed, rubbing his forehead briefly with the heel of his hand before running his fingers through his hair.

The door closed behind him, a lock placed to indicate a private meeting. Paya then took a stand at Impa's side. Her grandmother's shadow, trying to learn all she could before taking the elder's place.

"She said she had a bad dream or something, but she...she was glowing. The power, the triforce, it all seemed like it was trying to escape her."

"That is rather odd, isn't it." Impa spoke, looking towards her granddaughter who merely nodded. "It isn't uncommon for those possessing her power to have struggled containing it in the past. Considering how much, and the extent of time she's housed it, I had suspected a negative reaction would occur."

"The thing is, I tried to stop her from getting away. She ended up falling," he added in hopes to clarify his jumbled train of thought, "But, I grabbed her. She was so strong. A strength I've never experienced before. And her body, it was cold to touch, yet it burned me," he took the bandages from his hand, holding them out to her.

Paya, instead, took Link's hand to examine it. "The Princess did this?"

"Or the Goddess that resides in her blood. Either way, it's not safe for her or anyone around her." Link looked to Impa helplessly. "What do I do?"

"Nothing." Impa hummed once more, looking up so her hat shifted and her eyes were revealed to Link. "This may be a battle she'll have to face alone this time. I say we wait, and if the issue continues, you should inform my sister. She or Robbie may be able to come up with some sort of contraption to contain her powers when they're not needed."

"To contain something she worked so hard for. The poor Princess," Paya frowned, "Isn't there anything we can do to help her?"

"Unfortunately no mortal can contain a Goddess." Impa sighed, "She will have to learn how to contain her powers, day and night. Awake and asleep. For the safety of her land. She is strong. She'll manage it."

"There must be something I can do." It was Link once more who spoke up.

"You can be by her side, just as you were in her efforts to awaken her powers. You could not make them appear, but you could stand by her side as she traveled and prayed in hopes that the Goddesses would help her accomplish her goal."

"It's still such a pity," Paya frowned and looked to Link, "If there's any way I can assist the two of you, please don't be afraid to approach me."

"I won't. I never have been." Link replied, looking back at Impa. "If you think she'll be okay, I'll be heading back to the stable. I think we'll skip staying at the next and make a camp outside. That way we can avoid another incident around anyone but us."

"Do keep me updated. This is a rather curious case, and I'd like to keep it written in my books of memories." Impa looked to her granddaughter, "the ones I'll be leaving behind for Paya to study."

Link nodded sternly at the two, taking his slate back out. "We'll be back soon. I doubt the Domain is a place the Princess will want to be long, anyways."

Link gave them a half hearted wave before warping away once more.

Hello, loves. Thanks for joining me thus far into my fanfiction baby.

This, by far, is the shortest chapter. It felt awkward to keep it as apart of either chapter 3 or 5, so it sits alone at less than 2,000 words.

I've decided to keep posting twice a week - Sunday and Wednesday - as this story is turning out to be far longer than I anticipated.

I have a good chunk of it written so far, and I'm excited to continue sharing it with you all.

Thank you for all those who have followed and favourited this story so far! And please, I, like most writers on this platform, love to read you comments so don't be afraid to leave them!

See you all Wednesday!