The Beast

"Where were you?" He asked, the pain from his leg creeping in. "I couldn't find you at one point and I kinda got worried."

"I could say the same. What happened?"

Zelda's eyes were anxious, "Yes, what happened to you?! Who's blood is that!?"

"Blood?" He wiped what he thought was sweat off his forehead, looking and seeing crimson instead, "Oh. Definitely just Yiga blood. Only blood that's mine is this," He referenced to his leg, "I got shot in the knee."

"Where's the arrow then!?" She exclaimed, frantically looking to see if it had fell on the way there.

He tried his best not to smile, "Well..it um...didn't go all the way through...so I took it out and...shot someone else with it..or something."

Zelda scolded him while Link shook his head, "You realize that you can be permanently hurt by doing things like that, right?"

"Yeah, but the healing properties of potions will really surprise you." The pain in his knee grew, making him groan in pain, "Holy Goddesses this really huuurrrttsss." He winced, the strain in his voice becoming apparent, "Anyway, I've survived numerous gashes and even infections because of potions. Gross I know, but I'll...ugh..be fine."

A medic arrived with a weaker healing potion and bandages for his wound, "Drink this," she instructed, "It'll make you feel better."

"Thanks." He downed it faster than he could taste it, 'That's the trick with potions, drink them so fast you can't taste them. They always taste weird, bad, or somewhere in between.' Immediately, the pain vanished, a sigh of relief soon following, "Ahhh, that's a lot better." He moved his hair out of his face and got a proper look at everything while holding his leg to get wrapped.

It had dawned on him that all of the Gerudo had ruby red hair, whether it was lighter or darker. A lot of them were really fit as well, as fit as the front guards. "Thanks for the bandages." The woman nodded, leaving to attend to someone else. Young Link was going to talk to the others when he saw Impa whispering to Zelda and occasionally glancing at him, "Please tell me that you're not telling her that bringing me was a mistake."

Her expression was briefly shocked, it quickly resuming back to neutral, "No, but you pulled some very interesting moves out there."

"You saw? I thought I was alone for a good portion of all that."

"Of course I did. Your methods of taking out that blade master was interesting, I was amazed you got him to beg for his life."

Link and Zelda's eyes narrowed at the mention of that.

"You're making it sound more serious than it was. He might have sounded like that, but as soon as I kicked away his sword and he didn't vanish, I knew one of the thinner ones were going to come out of nowhere and stab me with the free weapon. That's the only reason I bothered messing up his shoulder." 'Yeah..I shouldn't do that other move. That was really otherworldly…'

She shrugged, "Still, from your standpoint that's quite the feat. I would have never thought to cut the back of their ankles. I'm kinda proud!" Impa giggled.

Zelda looked sick at the mention of it. She shook her head, "I think I'll go stand elsewhere for a bit." Impa followed her, leaving Link standing at the foot of the steps.

He quietly sat, sighing and putting up his shield.

Young Link noticed that it was wooden despite the rest of the metal, 'Interesting. Must be cheap to make, though.' "Are you okay? You've got some scrapes on your armor."

"Me?" His voice was upbeat, "Yeah I'm fine, just tired."

He couldn't keep himself from smiling, "You're something else, y'know that?"

"Nice triforce."

Young Link squinted his eyes, covering the dimly lit mark, "Not like I can help it, . Why are you so quiet around the princess? She's just another person."

"Well, like all of your stories, it's a bit more complicated than that." He leaned up against the wall.

"Ooohhh, it's an image thing then. I get it."

Link looked up at the ceiling, trying to maintain his stoic face but failing against a smirk, "No, that's not it either."

"Ugh, this blood reeks," He sourly commented, his face scrunching at the smell, "Sorry, didn't mean to change the subject."

"You're fine, but yeah, you should definitely wash up," he looked around, "Wherever that would be."

A little wobbly, Young Link stood with the help of the wall. His leg wasn't too bad now that he'd had that potion, "I guess I'll look around for one." Link was getting ready to offer his help when a few of the women promptly took him elsewhere, "Uh, where are we going?"

They smiled, "To get you cleaned up silly! The guards say you fought well."

"But what about the whole guy thing!?" They all laughed in response, causing him to frantically look back at Link, "Why are you just sitting there!? Help meeee!" He helplessly watched his descendant wave goodbye and exit the building.

What ensued next was him getting disrobed and put into a vat of lukewarm water. Instead of fighting it, he simply dealt with it. 'At least I'll be clean…' To his dismay he wasn't given his tunic back, "Hey wait! That's mine!"

The woman with pink hair and lighter skin looked back, her accent was thick, "Yes, but it's covered in the blood of scum. I'll wash it for you."

Another with a darker skin tone spoke next, "Until then, we happen to have some spare clothes for you. It should help you withstand the heat of the desert for the remainder of the time that you're here." The clothes she referenced was a pair of loose fabric pants, a pair of flats, and other accessories from the region.

"Erm, no shirt?" he wondered aloud after putting on what was provided.

"Of course not!"

"Heh? "

The woman stood proudly, both of her hands on her large hips, "Gerudo men are proud of their figure! As are the women! That is why there is no shirt, vehvi."

He held up a weak finger, "B-but I'm Hylian. I..I don't even think you can call me a 'man' yet."

"Nonsense!" The group objected.

"The way you fought proved otherwise!"

"Precisely, your clothes should reflect that!"

He slouched, "Ahh...alright." At least he still had his equipment and belongings.

Afterward, he was promptly pushed out of the palace where Link had been passively standing. "Whoa there, if I didn't know any better, I might have mistaken you for living here."

Young Link couldn't help but keep his arms crossed in an attempt to cover his torso. He felt like a shaved bear. "Please don't lie to my face. It only hurts."

He laughed, "Haha! I mean it! You're almost cute."

"Uuuugh. I really don't like you, ya know."

"Pfft, whatever. I suggest you go look around the town while you can."

He looked up at him, "What about you?"

Link flit his eyes in the other direction, "Well, I think I'm fine over here, in the corner. Go buy something for me."

"Yeah yeah, I'll make sure it's something weird," he replied with an ornery grin. His descendant gave him a look that made him run back into the town square. There were shops for mushrooms, arrows, regular cooking ingredients, fruit, and cooked meat. 'My stomach is growling so I'm definitely going for the food first.'

He bought a roasted chicken leg and tried to eat it as politely as possible, even though there was no silverware. 'I'm impressed that the town jumped back to normal so quickly, especially since there was quite a bit of blood out here last I checked,' He figured as he ate. His curiosity brought him to the northern part of town where a bar was. He thought about going inside but ran into a small group of children, they were all girls of different ages.

"Oh hey it's a voe!" The youngest of them called out.

"He's wearing our type of clothes too," another observed.

"Ah, sav'aaq." He greeted, "If you're wondering how I'm here, I helped defend the town earlier...pretty sure that's the only reason why."

The tallest with large earrings gasped, "So you're the one who took down that blademaster all by yourself!"

He scratched the back of his head, realizing his cap was gone, 'Huh, it's weird having the back of my head exposed..' "Well yeah, it's not that big of a deal though. Just in a day's work."

A smaller girl with maroon hair cocked her head, "Hmm, you look kinda familiar." She was holding a book.

"How so?"

She looked to the others, "Doesn't he look like that one guy that we learned about in history? The one that broke into the hideout and escaped with treasure?"

They all eyed him, the tallest answering, "Kinda, but wasn't that guy an adult? He's about as old as us." The rest nodded, case closed.

"Interesting," Young Link commented, recognizing what she had referenced to, "I didn't know you guys learned about that kind of stuff. However, I can show you guys a song that's kinda about this place." It was the Requiem of Spirit, the song Sheik, aka Zelda in disguise, taught him in order to come back to the desert. It was a somewhat solemn tune, but beautiful, nonetheless.

The group oohed and ahhed when he finished, a small round of applause following after.

"How pretty!"

"Where did you learn to play?"

"Do you think you could serenade someone when you're older?"

They paused to look at the one who said that. It seemed like they were going to condemn her, but they vigorously nodded instead.

"That's a good point!"

"I would've never thought!"

"Maybe I should learn an instrument.."

He couldn't see their conversation going on for much longer, "Well I'm gonna see about going in there for a bit. See ya." They all waved as he turned toward the bar and went up the steps. When he entered, a wave of alcohol stung his nostrils, 'Whoa now, that's strong .' Young Link stood on his toes in order to look over the counter.

The bartender looked to be an older gerudo woman, but she was just as in shape as all the others. She too looked over the counter, "Small voe, eh? I think you being on your toes says something about whether you should be in this bar or not."

"Trust me, I wasn't even gonna try. Do you serve regular water here?"

She laughed, "Usually I'd say no, but I'll hand you a glass simply because you have a bit of charm."

He took the glass and downed the water, the pure taste being a pleasant surprise, "That's actually really good."

The bartender laughed more, "You know someone is dehydrated when they talk about how good water tastes! You best be on your way before my customers suspect me of serving a vehvi an adult beverage."

After leaving the bar, he did various other things throughout the town, such as finding the goddess statue, finding a class about men (quickly dipped out of that), and watching the guards practice for a while. He took a nap under Link's watch when the practice got repetitive and boring. The knight woke him when it was dark.

"Huh? What is it?" He groggily rubbed his eyes.

"I think we might have to leave soon, it's late in the evening."

He got up with a helping hand, yawning, "I didn't think I'd sleep for so long."

Link smiled, "Me neither, especially since you were up against the hard wall."

A small gust of wind blew by, causing him to shiver, "No kidding, I've never missed wearing a shirt so much! I guess I'll go find Zelda and see what we're doing." He went back into the town, his route set toward the front entrance. However, the stars starting to appear in the sky distracted him, "Wow..I don't think I've ever looked at the night sky here. The stars ar—ow!" He fell backward to the ground after colliding with what felt like a pillar, but after looking up saw it was Lady Urbosa, "Oh! Sorry!"

The tall woman heartily laughed, Zelda appearing at her side, "It's okay, I too can be entranced by our beautiful skies." She leaned forward, smiling at him, "It seems you've been outfitted in our garb. I think it suits him nicely, don't you think, bluebird?"

Zelda had just taken a picture with the Sheikah slate, "Why yes, I do. It's very cute on you, young one."

"Bah!" Young Link shook his head to hide his reddened cheeks, "That's exactly what Link said!" He sighed and put his hands on his hips, "Anyways, I was looking for you. Are we going back to the bazaar to sleep?"

"Nonsense!" Urbosa declared, "You'll sleep here in the town. That way it's easier to keep track of you all in case something like earlier happens again."

"Thank you, Urbosa, that's very kind of you," Zelda smiled.

'Huh, I haven't seen Impa all day,' He realized, "Where's Impa been? I haven't seen her lately."

"She went to go observe the discovery of the divine beast," this caught both his and Urbosa's attention, "When she returns, we'll know if we can go see it for ourselves tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan, princess," the Gerudo chief said with a smirk, "I hope I can look forward to seeing my new plaything in person." She continued toward the throne room, waving, "Sav'orr you two."

Young Link leaned in toward Zelda, "What's that one mean?"

"It means 'goodnight.' Speaking of which, I'm very impressed with the pace that you learned the language."

"Oh, thanks. I pushed myself so I could be understandable and also understand whatever was being said to me. It sucks when you can't tell what people are saying," he explained.

Zelda started walking toward the hotel, the young hero following, "I can see what you mean. Also, would you mind telling me about your mask when we get inside? I only have a few questions."

"Of course." He pointed in Link's direction, "I'll go get Link and meet you there." She nodded as he ran off in the other direction. His descendant still stood nearly in the same place as he did before he left, if not all day. "Y'know, I'm impressed that you've managed to stand there for as long as you have. Especially since we basically have the lucky chance to explore the town and you didn't take it."

He shrugged, "I didn't want to get in the way. Besides, the shade was very nice over here."

"Anyways, we're staying here for the night, and I told Zelda I'd come get you, so let's go." As they walked from where he stood to the hotel, Link caught every other gerudo girl's attention. The young hero's jaw about dropped at all the stares the knight received, he was perplexed when they arrived at the hotel, "What was that!? "

Link sighed, "The reason why I stayed in that one spot."

"Pfft, don't act like you've got it tough! That's an amazing amount of silent compliments I just had to witness go to the person next to me!"

He shrugged and started taking off his armor, "Don't keep the princess waiting."

Young Link huffed, continuing to the other side of the room where a couch was. Impa surprisingly still wasn't back, "So what did you want to know about the mask, Your Highness?" He sat it in his lap.

She giggled, "You don't need to bother with the formalities, Zelda will be fine, young one." The princess flipped open a research diary, turning to a blank page, "My first question is where did you obtain the mask? I figured if I knew where it came from, I might be able to get more information about it."

'Yikes, that's a hard one,' "Um, well I can tell you that it's not of this world. It comes from a land that's very far from this one."

Using a pen, she wrote down his response, "Interesting..what does the mask do? Does it have magical properties?"

"Yes, it being magical is the part that makes the most sense about it. As for what it does, it pretty much transforms me into a more powerful version of myself." He explained. His gut was starting to get a bad feeling about answering these questions, but he wasn't going to let himself do something stupid.

"A more powerful version? In what way?"

"Well, considering it's the Fierce Deity's mask, it practically makes me more powerful in every way. Like, attacks are more lethal, practically nothing can hit me, anything that requires magic is more effective, etc."

"Ah okay. So could anyone wear this mask?"

"Absolutely not. I can't even think of what this mask would do to anyone else if they wore it. The issue is the rush of power you feel after putting it on. If you don't have self-control, what's going to stop you from never taking it off? Why stop being like a deity?"

"What makes you different then?" Zelda inquired, "Being as young as you are."

"I've had a lot of maturing experiences despite being as young as I am, and even I recognize that the power of this mask could go to its wearer's head, including mine. It hasn't happened because I don't let it happen. Plus, it can get really tiring to wear and is a last resort type of thing to use."

"So would you demonstr—"

"Sorry Zelda, I said it before, but I'll do anything but put it on."

She sat back against the couch and wrote more notes, "Would this suggest that you're afraid to wear it?"

He frowned, "No, it's just not necessary to do so. I've never worn it in the presence of other people either, so I don't know what kind of effects it could have on them."

"Effects like?"

"I dunno, eyes bleeding, anxiety, whatever type of feeling comes to mind when a god has stepped in front of you and only looks pissed and you don't know if you're next. I know I'd be scared. Especially if the image of the person wearing it is so sharp it can cut your eyes." He yawned, "Any other questions?"

She looked a little startled at his response, "Er, well since you can't show me, could you possibly describe what you look like?"

He held up the mask, "Basically like this. The markings on the face, the silver hair, my tunic is kinda teal, I guess. Why do you want to see it so bad?"

Zelda sighed, still writing down his description, "It just sounds so interesting. I would love to be able to see it for myself. The transformation, the power, everything you said."

He put it away, "Well, if the situation is dire enough, you just might see it."

"If that's the case you'll practically be dead before you put it on, huh?"

Young Link smiled, "Aw, you get it now. But yep, pretty much." He got up and walked to where Link was sleeping, "Sav'orr, Princess."

"Sav'orr, young one."

The Hero of Time awoke to Link's unforgettable blue eyes, crying out as he pushed his face away and rolled out of bed. "The hell was that!?"

He chuckled, "I was seeing if you were still asleep."

"I swear! You're really something else scaring me like that!"

"It was a coincidence, I promise!"

The young hero rolled his eyes, "Whatever," he put on his equipment, "Are we doing something today?"

"Yep, we're going to see the divine beast with Urbosa. Impa is going to lead the way." The two of them walked to where the others were waiting for them, finding that they were using some interesting mounts.

"What are these?" Young Link asked, cocking his head at the animal's large, blubbery body. It had a mane and two large, but dull fangs that stuck out of its mouth.

The caretaker of the animals smiled, "These are sand seals! They are most suited for desert travel as they bury themselves in the sand and glide right through it!"

"Wow, this is certainly a first.." He scratched the back of his head, "How do we ride them?" 'Certainly not by riding on their backs?'

"That's the easy part!" The woman continued, "You simply attach yourself to the seal, hop on your shield, and let them tug you along. However, that means there can only be one person per seal."

Urbosa smirked, moving a few strands of her ruby red hair out of her face, "I think this vehvi will get it in no time. We're ready when you are, Impa."

It was actually kind of nice to see her. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't just a little worried about her return. The seal handler came and hooked him up to the seal, but the fact that it was just a rope around the waist was a bit concerning. After sticking a foot through the handle of his shield a rude awakening occurred as Impa raced off and all the seals followed. His face twisted in pain, 'Ack! Wait my knee!'

The moment they started, it went back to terribly aching and stinging like it had before he'd taken the potion that was provided. Wincing, he tried to keep his balance on his shield, the true pain occasionally seeping through on hard turns. 'Dear Goddesses!' Sweat ran down the side of his face from both the heat and adrenaline rush of shield surfing, 'If the Song of Healing doesn't work out, I'm making Link take me back. I'm surprised I haven't fallen off yet!'

After another turn that made him put his weight on the painful joint, Young Link took a couple of deep breaths and brushed his hair out of his face as a response to the wave of stinging that followed. He caught Link's eyes for a brief moment, 'Yep...that worried face means he definitely just saw me. Dammit…' The two of them were toward the back of the group due to arriving late. Once sand seals find a formation, they stick to it when traveling in big groups.

When they arrived, Young Link immediately brought his mount to a stop, unlatched himself, and hunched over, attempting to soothe his knee before pulling out his ocarina. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and played the Song of Healing, the notes sounding more bittersweet than sorrowful like they usually were. 'Please...pleeaasse work. I really want to enjoy seeing this divine thingy without my knee killing me!'

A feeling of relief overcame him as the pain in his knee ebbed away. He sat back on his hands and sighed, "Ugh...that was the stupidest thing ever."

Everyone else appeared to be distracted. All except Link who turned back after his muttering, "Oh right. Are you okay?" He helped him to his feet.

He couldn't help but sigh again, "The pain from getting shot in the knee randomly came back during the ride here. It's gone now but geez, if it flares up again, you're figuring out a way to take me back. That was awful."

"Well in the meantime, get a good look before we have to guard this thing."

"Whoa…" His eyes widened at the sight of the beast that was discovered. It appeared to be sitting on it's four legs, like how a cat would...almost. Otherwise, from how he interpreted it, it also had a long neck and two round looking rooms on its back. "What's it supposed to be?" He asked after joining the others.

The group looked to Impa who shrugged, "Not sure." Her eyes glanced at the Sheikah slate, "Oh, Princess! Look! The slate is responding to this one as well!"

She grabbed it from her waist, the symbol had been on and off glowing, "You're right!" Zelda looked to Urbosa, wearing a smile, "Well, I supposed we should get you situated before we leave. If it has good mobility, perhaps you could give us a ride back."

The Gerudo Chief chuckled, "I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out."

They all proceeded between the legs to the underside, finding what looked a way in. As they got closer, Young Link was almost intimidated by its size, "H-how did they make something so big!?" He asked aloud.

"If only they didn't bury their history along with everything else," Impa commented, "I could never pinpoint why our tribe is secretive even to its own members."

"It makes sense to me," Urbosa's tone was taut, "They must have been planning for when part of your tribe would betray you and therefore hid it from everyone in order to keep them from gaining unnecessary power."

He found himself nodding his head, 'I would do the same if I felt like my friends were going to betray me. It's kind of like a 'screw you' except to everyone. I dunno, their history is weird.'

Impa led the way up a ramp that went inside. The interior was..well...not what he was expecting. "Huh? The inside looks older than the outside does. The weird platforms don't do its pilot a good service either." Zelda flashed him a look, but it was the truth. They looked to be too much trouble for any regular person and were confusing since they didn't lead anywhere most of the time.

"Either way," She said, "I assume this works the same way as Mipha's did. All we have to do is activate the large heart at the center and it should turn on." The terminal she pointed to sat atop a platform that was connected by two steep ramps on either side. In no time, they were watching the heart come to life as the slate made it turn from dark gray to a lively shade of blue.

Nothing happened a few moments after it was activated, so Young Link found his way onto a balcony and was peering over the edge. 'Oooo, this is really high up. Good thing I'm not too afraid of heights.' The horizon caught his attention, 'The canyons off in the distance are super pretty. Imagine just living in one of thes—' "Whoa!"

The divine beast started to rumble and groan, causing him to stumble back into the wall. His heart rate quickened, and his eyes narrowed as he watched the scenery gradually get lower and lower from his point of view, 'We're rising!? ' He ran to the railing and looked over it, his jaw dropping at seeing the legs extending.

Soon he was briefly joined by Impa, who quickly assessed what was happening before going back inside to let everyone know. Link was the second to witness the rest of the movement that the divine beast displayed before it let out a weird cry that caused them to look at one another.

Young Link's long ears were particularly sensitive to sound so he covered them, "The heck is that?"

The knight didn't appear to be phased, "It must be the beast. We should go see what's happening with the others." They walked into the sound of Urbosa's hearty laugh.

"Now that's what I'm talking about! Let's go see how this thing works." She, Zelda, and Impa carried on through a door that was previously blocked. The young hero and the knight caught up with them.

"I can't believe this giant thing was able to stand up on its own like that." He said as he watched the chief and the princess disappear from view, "Wasn't it found like this?"

The princess's friend nodded, "Indeed. I'm a little less surprised, of course. It's not like the Sheikah to engineer something that needs to be completely controlled. Especially right after it turns on."

"Each of the champions get one of these?"

"Mhm, that's how the prophecy goes."

He immediately turned to Link, a sparkle alight in his eyes, "This means you get one too right?! That would be awesome!"

Impa giggled, her hand coming up to her face as she did so, "Well, he is one of the most accomplished knights in Hyrule, but he's not a champion. That's up to the sword that seals the darkness."

Young Link huffed, "Okay, well, theoretically speaking, if he was a champion and did have the Master Sword, would he also get a really cool thing to pilot around as well?"

]Her initial shocked expression was gone in a flash, "Even if that were the case, no. His role would be to face the Calamity head on with the sword. The prophecy says nothing about another divine beast."

"Aww what?!" He crossed his arms, "I mean, I guess the sword is cool and all, but even a super ancient weapon or armor would be fitting, doncha think?"

"You're certainly one to talk. Maybe you're feigning it, but how can you talk about the legendary sword as if it's just any other sword?" Link looked interested in this as well.

'I dunno, maybe because I've used it so many times to do regular things that it's lost its spark? Cutting grass for spare rupees isn't considered very heroic, now is it?' He internally smiled, 'I can't say that, though,' "I've just heard enough stories about it to know. For example, did you know that multiple heroes have used the sword?" He recalled the Zelda from the previous universe telling him about how the sword was even made, "Ooo, even better, did you know that the Master Sword was once a weapon of the gods and had to be reforged by the first one to use it? Pretty interesting stuff if you ask me."

Impa almost looked dismayed, "Are you sure all of that is accurate?"

His eyebrow raised as he nodded, "You don't have to take my word for it, but I believe that it's so. Especially since it's always used to seal evil away." At least Link looked like he believed it, that's really all that mattered.

Before she could get another word in, the divine beast lurched forward one step, the sound of cheering and celebration closely following as the other three all grabbed onto whatever was closest. In the following moments it took another step, and another.

Urbosa proudly stepped out to where they could all see her, "We're moving! We'll make it back to town in no time, and by that, I mean only near the town!" She humbly bowed at the small ovation that concluded her announcement and went back from whence she came.

Young Link could tell that the air went stale for conversation now that the beast had been figured out, "I think I'll go back to the balcony I found. See you guys once we arrive."

'Ahh, the sky is really pretty from this view. I know I already thought the scenery looked cool, but it looks so cool! Makes me wonder about what the next place will look like and the divine beast that we'll find there...well, if it happens to get found.' He sat back on his hands, a breeze rolling by as the beast lumbered toward the town, 'The longer I sit here the more I realize that it's a pretty big responsibility to be in charge of one of these things. At least in Urbosa's case, it's freakin huge!' His brows furrowed as a thought crossed his mind, 'Man, I hope she figures out a way to keep this a secret from the Yiga. There's no telling what they'd do if they got their hands in this! Plus, as far as I'm aware, just because Zelda said that Urbosa is the champion doesn't mean she's the only one that can pilot this thing.'

To his hidden surprise, no one came to join him on the ride back. It was fine, he wouldn't have known what to say anyways. When they arrived, the beast, now known to be called Vah Naboris, promptly sat in the sand and allowed them to leave. Zelda and Urbosa were going to stay a bit longer while both of the heroes and Impa returned to the town.

As they were getting ready to pass through the gates, a Hylian guy suddenly ran up to them, "Wait!" He yelled, " PLEASE! Take me with you! "

Both of them had instinctively turned at the sound of footsteps, "What?" Young Link replied, taken aback, "No. The guards wouldn't let you in anyways since they don't recognize you. Besides, why do you want to get in so bad?"

"I-I just want to see the women!"

Even Link flinched at the desperate response, "What the—!? Are the guards not enough?"

The man now had tears running down his face, "No! They're scary!"

They both looked between each other, "Yeah sucks to be you. Bye." They hurriedly entered town, hearing the guards throw him back as he wailed at their departure. "I can't believe someone like that thought they stood a chance at using us."

Link shrugged, his eyes focused on their surroundings, "I'm less surprised. There are all kinds of thirsty guys that want to get in here."

"Thirsty?" 'Is this slang that I don't know?' "What's that mean?"

His descendant's eyes widened as he looked down at him, "You're serious?"

He nodded, "Well yeah. I've never heard that before."

Link clapped a hand over his face, "It means..like...it's used to describe people that are desperate and just want the attention of the other gender."

"Oh so just people that want to...uhh,' He cocked his head, "I actually don't know that word in this language..wow. I think you get what I mean." He laughed when he saw that Link's ears were red. "Haha! What? I figured that's pretty normal to talk about since you're around a bunch of guys all the time," the young hero teased.

He got glared at in response, "Okay sure, but it's different when you're so much younger than me!" He hissed.

Young Link motioned quotation marks around what he'd said, "Yeah, something like that. So like, as an example, I could say that a lot of the women here are thirsty for you?"

Link shook his head and put his hands on his hips, "Sure. I guess that's accurate." He gestured for him to go off, "Why don't you go get your clothes back, eh? Haha, you sure got used to having your chest exposed."

His cheeks burned at the mention of it, "You're actually awful, I hope you know! Just terrible!" He half joked as he walked back toward the throne room, 'How dare he give any sort of reference to my lack of clothes! Now I feel weird about it again! Just when I had gotten used to it!' Young Link received his tunic, changing back into it and giving the gerudo clothes back. "Ahhh," he sighed, "Much better!"

When he returned, Impa told them that they were leaving at night to avoid getting heat exhaustion during the day. "Sound good? I suggest you sleep for a few hours between now and then."

The two of them nodded, "We're going back to the castle, right?" Young Link asked.

"No, actually. We'll be going straight to Rito Village."

"Huh!? Won't I freeze to death up there?" He was sure Zelda had said that they were going to get him clothes for the colder region before they went.

Impa chuckled, "You're worrying too much. There's a tailor we'll be meeting along the way."

He sighed in relief, "Good. I've dealt with freezing temperatures before, but no matter what the case was, I still wanted to get the hell out of there." Young Link remembered the snow filled mountains in Termina where the gorons had literally been frozen stiff. That was not a good time.

She tilted her head, "This won't be your first time in the Tabantha region?"

'Right, she assumed that I've only ever been here,' "It will, I'm talking about somewhere else," He explained. Impa shrugged and nodded her goodbye before walking in the other direction. When she was gone, he turned to Link, "So...you know how to use other weapons too? I remember the other knights mentioning a two-handed sword."

Link smiled, "Yep!" They chatted the morning away with different tactical skills and weapons they've come across. The young hero was surprised to learn that he never used any spells before, though he avoided making it sound like he used them himself, merely that he'd heard of it before.

"So you're also one of the best spearmen too?" He asked, "I've never used one before."

He scratched the back of his head and looked the other way, "Weelll..I wouldn't, y'know, say that, but I can for certain tell you that I'm decent."

"Well I look forward to the day I might meet whoever is the best." A thought popped into his mind, "Oh yeah, do you know someone named Kevin?"

Link nodded, "Yeah I do! He's a friend of mine, we grew up training together."

"Yeah well, I dunno if you've talked to him lately, but we're basically in the same expedition group, and he keeps talking about how similar you and I are. Just don't be surprised if that's all he talks about. He seems very intent on it."

"I'll be sure to keep it in mind," He chuckled, "Though I'm not surprised. I'll actually hear other guards talking to each other about us being brothers. I'm usually busy, so I can't dispute the rumor, but it's funny to know that others are coming up with it in the first place."

That caught Young Link's attention, "Well that's a first. I can see where they might get that from, but then again not really."

Link nodded, "Anyways, I guess I might explore this town for a little bit."

Young Link smirked, "Well I heard the same place we sleep at gives massages! You think we could get one that's discounted?"

His descendant blinked at him, "I guess it wouldn't kill us if we tried." The both of them walked to the inn and talked to the lady at the desk, "Hi, do you guys offer massages?"

Young Link saw a bead of sweat forming on his descendant's face. He kept his snickering to himself.

The woman smiled, "I was hoping you'd ask! Given our rules, I hardly have the opportunity to work on men! This one's on the house." She gestured for them to follow her back to a different room than they'd previously seen. She kindly asked them to undress, and left the room.

Young Link was excited, but the knight seemed tense. He tapped him, "You okay? She's not gonna hurt us y'know."

"I'm fine," His voice said otherwise, "I've just never had this done before."

"Me neither! I'll let you go first though." He cackled at Link's scowl.

The Hero of Time felt like sleep was imminent after he left the room and joined Link in the room they slept in. "Aahhhh, I'd totally do that again some other time."

Link was already dressed, "Actually yeah, that wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be. Let's take advantage of the available beds and sleep while we can."

A few hours later, the early evening had arrived, and it was time to go. Young Link made sure he had everything before joining the others. Impa was right, leaving at this time beat traveling in the day in every way.

"Don't get too comfortable," Zelda said as they were further from town, "The sun may be down, but the Yiga are still out. I'm keeping my hopes up that they'll leave us be, but you never know."

'Well, that's one less reason why night travel is cool. Dang, I feel bad for these people considering they have to put up with such a murderous clan all the time.' He thought back to when the Yiga swordsman was begging for his life, 'I don't actually expect that to work, but for this one instance I hope it does.'

The group continued in silence, and for good reason. Any talking would have made it harder to hear if someone were getting ready to ambush them. Luckily, they were able to make it to the stables and get their horses. It felt like a sigh of relief when they left the canyons and were back in the southern part of Hyrule field.

"Hey Impa," the young hero asked, "How do the Yiga teleport everywhere? Since they're technically Sheikah, I thought you might know."

She sighed, "That's a good question, and honestly, from my own experiences and knowing others from my clan, teleporting can't take them from their hideout to Hyrule Field, but it can get them out of their hideout and into the desert. I'd say the most they can travel is probably 50 meters, but you have to consider that they can teleport multiple times before they get tired."

"Hm, that's good to know, thanks."