I've been slowly realizing that I'm not following the real, original storyline as tightly as I had hoped for. Nintendo has made it clear that Link got the Master Sword way earlier than what I made it sound like and such, and it... kinda bums me. But maybe it's alright anyway since I probably would have dragged on with the story much more than what I already am. Apologies if you find it boring, but I'm only writing for myself to get my thoughts out so... I'm mainly doing this for myself and I'm just glad if someone else appreciates my story as well.

And by the way, I haven't played the DLC Champion's Ballad version and I don't want to spoil it by looking up those missing memories in case I would ever get to play it. So they won't be added in this story. (But I haven't been able to not read the Champion's diaries on the internet... oops.)

I doodled Link in his Royal Guard uniform the other day and tried to color it as well, so I think I'll use that as a cover for this story. :)

The closer they got to Death Mountain, the hotter did the air become and Zelda was glad that her hair wasn't in the way because then it would surely stick onto her face and annoy her. They had already left their horses at a stable and were just about to follow the road up to Goron City. The heat made the path before them look hazy and stung their cheeks, and it was almost a bit difficult to keep the eyes open.

Link, who was always following Princess Zelda behind her, walked up to stand beside her instead and handed her a bottle of the fire proof elixir he had prepared. She took it from his hands, thanked him and drank it. She immediately felt cooler and let out a relieved sigh when she gave back the empty bottle. Link smirked at her relieved smile, but she didn't notice, and opened up another bottle for himself.

"That is so much better!" the Princess exclaimed. "I don't know about you, but I would love if we could reach Goron City and then get back down in the same day so we wouldn't have to worry about this heat and the elixirs. What do you sa-" She interrupted herself, remembering that her knight wouldn't speak. She quickly moved on. "We can at least try, even though it's a long way to the top. I suppose that we should get going if we want to reach that goal." She pressed her lips together and began to walk. Link didn't stay far behind.

They followed the path for hours, passed smaller mines and Zelda spoke friendly, quick hellos to any curious Goron they saw. And then at noon and after a few emptied bottles, they could see the silhouette of the city in the distance. The vision re-energized Princess Zelda and she quickened her steps, eager to get there as soon as possible. She turned around to face her knight, smiling brightly.

"We're almost there, I almost began to think we had taken the wrong wa-"

An arrow flew by her and she didn't have time to react as Link swiftly picked another one and aimed it slightly to her left. She froze and could only take in the vision of her knight quickly taking a few steps with sword in hand to pass her, hearing him slash down whatever it was that had surprised them before her mind realized what was going on and she turned around with shaking knees to watch him fight. Her eyes widened. The monsters were many and they must have planned to ambush them, but her knight took them down one by one, crying out as he swung the sword and slowly pushed them back. Pieces of red Chuchu laid scattered around him and soon Bokoblins and a Moblin rested at his feet as well.

Link's chest heaved and he caught his breath for a moment before he turned around to Zelda, still holding his sword. She had her hands pressed against her lips and stared at him with frightened eyes. He noticed and took a step towards her but then heard a loud rumble and snapped his head back again to see what had caused it, legs slightly bent and ready for another fight. Something – a large rock? – rolled towards them in a lightning speed and he realized that this was something he couldn't fight and would have to leap away from – but it wasn't necessary as the rock suddenly stopped before them and Link realized that it wasn't a rock. It was a Goron. And it wasn't just any Goron, it was the Goron boss and Champion, Daruk.

"Are you alright?! I saw the monsters attacking some small guy and…!" Daruk blinked. Wait a minute… He recognized this small guy. It was the Hylian Princess' knight! "Oh, it's you! I tried to hurry as fast as I could to aid but I suppose you finished them all – I have to say, the way you handled that sword was mighty impressive! And never once did you back down, now if that ain't courageous, I don't know wha-" Daruk saw, to his confusion, Link's expression quickly change from calm to intimidating and the knight ran past him to strike down a remaining Moblin which had aimed a hit at the Goron boss. Daruk's mouth hung open, surprised by Link's fast reflexes and fascinated by his strength. He shut it and followed Link with his large eyes when the knight turned around again and sheathed his sword, chest still heaving. Sweat dripped from his temples and he clearly needed another fire proof elixir, but he ignored the agonizing heat as he walked up to the Princess to offer her one first. Her hands were no longer covering her mouth and her eyes were less wide but she could only manage to shake her head to let him know that she didn't need one. So he opened a bottle for himself, emptied it and felt his body relax as it began to feel cooler once more.

"Princess!" Daruk took two large steps towards them. "I am so sorry, I hope you aren't hurt?"

She shook her head and looked at Link. The rumors were true. He was exceptionally skilled for his age. She had just witnessed it.
Noticing her stunned silence, Link looked back into her eyes with a worrying look, as if asking her if she truly was feeling fine. "I am alright" she said, more to Link than to Daruk. And the words made her believe that she was.

"That's a relief to hear. I haven't heard that the monsters on the mountain attacked in a group like that, it must be most uncommon. Princess, let me follow you to Goron City so we can be sure that it won't happen again." Daruk stretched out a hand for the Princess to take, and she did, glad for the comfort of his large, rough hand and the trio entered Goron City.

Daruk had suggested Link to come up with them on the Divine Beast and now he was standing for the first time on one. The last one he had seen had the shape of a bird but Vah Rudania was built to resemble a lizard. He thought to himself that they might have a pattern and figured that the two remaining Beasts were probably inspired by animals as well. And that fact made them feel less intimidating to him.

Link had just given Zelda one more elixir before she went to the control room to work on the adjustments (he would have to remind himself to cook up some more before they left, most bottles were now empty) and Daruk had left her to work alone since he didn't know enough about the technology to help her. They stood at the top of Vah Rudania while they waited for her to finish. Funnily enough, it was strangely easy to stand on it while it crawled on the mountain cliffs and their legs were stable. But then it stopped and Link and Daruk looked out over the mountain and the mile wide horizon. The cliffs were red, almost imitating the flowing lava and smoke and steam from mines and magma lakes could be seen here and there. The climate made it almost impossible for any plants to survive but Link could still see the beauty around them. Death Mountain could be seen from Hyrule's fields and he always been curious about it but never been on it until now. He didn't know if he would get a chance to return one day, so he admired the view as Daruk spoke. He couldn't really agree with Daruk that rocks was a delicacy but he was glad to hear that hey both were prepared to do everything in their power to protect their homes and Hyrule. Link looked up to the large Goron standing to his left, saw the determination in his eyes but wasn't prepared for the strong pat on his back which was meant to be friendly.
Link tried to stifle a pained grunt when the rock hard hand hit his back, the force of the pat more suited for a Goron, and he took a few trembling steps forward and reached a hand to his back and the aching pain. He had to stay crouched for a moment or two, clenching his jaw before the pain slowly faded away and he slowly tried to stretch up again. It felt better. Daruk didn't seem to notice and continued to talk, congratulating Link on becoming Princess Zelda's knight (this time the pat was lighter and Daruk kept his hand around him) and… seemed to give him advice about the Princess.

They were interrupted by a loud rumble and the ground began to shake, causing Link to sway on Vah Rudania and they both looked up when they heard an explosion. Link's eyes grew when he saw a huge piece of rock falling right at them – he froze, thinking that this would be the end if the rock would land on them and his instincts told him to cover his head and prepare for the worst. Daruk let out a loud growl, refusing to let the rock crush them and Link suddenly heard the rock crumble into pieces and blocks in an almost deafening sound. And he dared to glance up at Daruk. Smoke from pulverized rock surrounded them but he managed to see the magical field, shaped like an orb, around Daruk and realized that he had saved them both from what would have been an instant death. He held his breath until Daruk turned around, looking as if nothing had happened (Link stood up straight again and tried his best to not look spooked) and began to continue talking… until his thoughts caught up on him and he looked back to the top of Death Mountain and mumbled something about how unusual it was for the mountain to erupt like that.

Link could now see why the mountain was called Death Mountain. One's life could easy be stripped away if you weren't paying attention to your surroundings.
But what Daruk last said made it sound as if Link's fight against Ganon was coming sooner than they had expected.

To Princess Zelda's disappointment, she would have to stay the night at Death Mountain before heading back to the castle. It wasn't much she could do about it since the sun was already low and night would soon begin.
She sat with her back leaning forward and head resting in her hands, telling herself to not be grumpy about it since that would be seen as immature of her. But when Daruk had explained to her what the blast she had heard earlier that day was, she didn't want to stay much longer in case it would happen again. But she had to trust Daruk when he said that it was very unusual for the mountain to behave like that. That was funny… first the mob of monsters and now an eruption, two unusual things in the same day. She didn't like that.
She had spent the rest of the afternoon touristing the mines since that was almost the only thing worth visiting. She got to see the hard labor in order to collect gems and minerals worth selling (she got to keep a small diamond as a souvenir) but the visit didn't last long before the sun was already setting. And by then she had realized that she was a bit hungry as well. She played with the diamond in her hand while she waited for her knight to cook up something for dinner. The Gorons only ate rocks and Link and her were currently the only Hylians in the city so it was up to Link to create something. Luckily they could buy some products at one of the tourist shops since they hadn't brought much with them.

Link hesitantly did as the Gorons around him had suggested and placed a Hylian shroom on a stone and saw to his surprise that they were right when they had told him that he could cook directly on stones. He had almost forgotten how hot it was since he had kept drinking the elixir all day which blocked out the heat. So he started experimenting and grinned when the skewers he had prepared began to shift in color and smell oh so deliciously. It had been hours since he had eaten and he was starving. He was glad for the company of Gorons, their humoristic character lifting his spirits up and he momentarily forgot about all his troubles and even… spoke a little. Nobody was judging him here and it almost felt as if he was among friends.

"Hey, little guy." Daruk got Link's attention. "I want you to try this, it's the finest quality of rock roast you will ever see. Have a taste and tell us how good it is, hm? Perhaps even the Princess would like some." Daruk offered him a large stone. A rock roast was considered a delicacy among the Gorons, but Link only looked at it with skepticism. He took the "roast" to hold it in his hands anyway and felt how heavy it was. He wasn't sure what to do with it. It wasn't exactly like he could eat it like the Gorons. But he smiled at the Goron boss to show his appreciation, it was the thought behind the gesture that mattered after all, and was about to put it down next to him when Daruk (and the rest of the Gorons) suddenly seemed shocked and insisted that Link would try it.
So Link held the stone before him again.
And he glanced over the anticipating Gorons who were waiting for him to go on and tell them just how delicious it was. Link guessed that they didn't seem to be joking with him. They really did think he could eat it.
And he would have grimaced if he dared to but he stuck his tongue out and licked it once. It didn't taste bad but it didn't really taste… anything at all. It was just like any other stone after all, just a bit warmer than the ones you would find in Hyrule field. They waited for him to say something, anything, but Link only looked up at them with a confused smile. All was silent for a few seconds.

"He loves it!" a Goron suddenly exclaimed. "It's so good that it left him speechless!"

The Gorons cheered and Link tried to give back the rock roast (and he was relieved when someone took it from his hands) and flipped the skewers so they wouldn't burn. He didn't add much to their conversations and mostly kept himself occupied with the sizzling food but he couldn't help but to grin at their jokes, no matter how good or bad they were, and was in better spirits than he had been for a long time.

Princess Zelda noticed the cheering and peeked curiously outside the inn's entrance. Everyone seemed to have fun and she wished she could forget about her anxiety and her father's wish for her to find her sealing power and join them. She considered it for a moment. Having company would keep her thoughts away, especially if they could make her cheer up as well. She took a hesitating step outside but then stopped when she saw Link… talking?
It had only been a word or two, but still. He had said something. And it felt as if a hand squeezed tightly around her heart and it pained her, it hurt her more than she could imagine seeing him talking and she stepped back in the inn. She ignored the inn manager's questioning look and sat down.

Why wouldn't he talk to her? Hadn't she tried so many times to start a conversation, to ask questions, to just let him comment back on anything? Hadn't she tried to be kind and fair? What had she done to deserve this treatment? Nothing! She wasn't upset over the fact that he had spoken. She had already guessed that he had to sometimes in the guard's chambers in the castle because she didn't truly believe he was a mute. No, she was upset that he refused to talk to her. Theories over why he was behaving like he did ran over each other in her darkening mind and she could only think of one explanation why.
He must loathe her.
Link was a natural talent when it came to archery and the sword had chosen him. He took his job as her knight and protector seriously. The goddesses must have blessed him for a reason she couldn't tell. Perhaps he was more deserving than she was. And everybody, especially females, seemed to praise and admire him. Also for a reason she couldn't understand. But it wasn't hard to imagine that with all those good things about him, and so few about her, he simply had to hate being forced to share the same fate with her.

Link stepped inside with a plate of food and placed it on the table before her. He wouldn't touch it before she did but he sat down on the floor with crossed legs, waiting for her to start. But she wasn't in the mood for eating right now. She kept her eyes on the floor and couldn't bring herself to pick one of the skewers. She didn't see Link looking with worrying eyes at her, sensing that something was wrong, she could only feel what she thought was a gaze filled with criticism. He wasn't keeping a soldier like composure or air anymore and he shuffled slightly to get a better look at her and opened his mouth as if to say something, but then a loud rumble could be heard from the Princess' stomach and interrupted him. Her cheeks grew red of embarrassment. Link didn't comment it. And then she reached out for a skewer and held it for a moment before starting to eat slowly.
Even the skewers were good. Was there nothing he was lacking in?
She could feel her stomach crying for more but she just couldn't eat. Not with him judging her. And a tiny part of her whispered that she wasn't worthy food until she had found the sealing power.

Link had always seen the Princess either as cheerful or filled with determination, always with a strong face, and seeing her as she was now only made him worry. Never had she let anyone see her like this in the castle, or on the field with him, with fingers tightly holding onto the skewer in her hands and a frown on her face. It wasn't like her and he didn't know why, maybe the food wasn't pleasing her? She was used to the fine cuisine of the castle after all. He thought about it for a moment before he discarded the theory. Maybe the monsters from earlier had frightened her more than he thought? He only knew that she was clearly not feeling well and he wasn't sure if he should address his concern or not.

"If you wouldn't mind, could you leave me alone for a moment?" She still kept her eyes low and not on him when she spoke. She needed some privacy. She couldn't eat right now when all she could think of was how much he must detest her and her ill fortune. "Just… take as much food as you want and go."

Link tried to read her face and emotions once more, tried to understand what she was thinking of, but he couldn't. With hesitation, he stood up, took a few shrooms, skewers and a fried egg, looked at her once more before he left her alone. Perhaps, he thought, she was just like her and needed to be alone when dealing with dark thoughts. But he didn't go very far away, not back to Daruk and the rest of the Gorons. He sat down on the ground just outside the entrance to the inn and finished his meal.

It had been another long day but Link couldn't sleep and it wasn't because of the heat. Daruk had been kind enough to keep him company for a while, him doing most of the talk as he tried to get to know Link better. And it had worked a little. He found out that this tiny Hylian wasn't only a great swordsman and loved food perhaps as much as himself, he also got him to talk a little bit about training. He had even shyly confessed, thinking that it must sound silly, that it almost seems as if time slowed down when he's really focused. That made Daruk laugh and he wouldn't be so surprised if that was truly what could happen in Link's mind. He had seen what the guy was capable of anyway. He began to like him more the more he found out their similarities.

But eventually Daruk had to wish Link a good night as well and left him outside the inn, thinking that Link would go inside when he got tired as well. But Link only stepped inside to leave two bottles of elixir next to Zelda's bed, ready for her to use in case she would wake up in the middle of the night when the effect wore off or if she would need some in the morning. He looked at her for a moment as she slept. Her face was calm. And he thought that she was really pretty when she wasn't feeling worried or anxious and he wished that she wouldn't have to be.
She turned over in her bed and Link's adrenaline rose when he thought that she might wake up and scold him for being in her room. But she seemed to stay asleep and he sneaked out as quietly as he could and sat down outside the inn's entrance again. He leaned against the wall and felt the drowsiness take over him once he had calmed down.