AN AT THE BOTTOM!
Chapter Five
Zora's Domain was almost like a second home for the Princess. Before her father forced her into her role as the Goddess Incarnate, she was rather carefree. Oftentimes, she and her father would venture to the aquatic wonderland in search of rest and relaxation. She met Mipha there during one of her little expeditions, where they had become good friends. So, in the 100 years she had been gone, she was extremely pleased to have found that the area had remained rather unaffected by the darkness that had plagued the land.
The sunlight glinted off of the sparkling waterfalls in the distance, and young Zora were playing in the water below. At the top of a peak in the distance, she could make out the clear figure of Vah Ruta, standing majestically, its gaze still on Hyrule Castle, or whatever was left of it.
In front of her, her knight – no, her friend – was speaking with the Zora Prince, who had grown remarkably since she had last seen him. As her gaze shifted between the two, she realized that Link looked much tinier than Sidon. His muscles seemed almost puny compared to the robust prince, and the shift in stature between the two made them seem like complete opposites. She knew, though, that Link's shape was misleading; she had seen first-hand how strong he could be, should the need arise. His lithe muscles were still visible through his tunic, and the Princess caught herself staring at him as they moved around the Domain.
Her gaze shifted to his face, still capturing the stoic expression he had all those years ago. But the Link she knew now, even though he had regained some of his lost memories, was a completely different one. His return in Kakariko exposed a side of him she had never seen; One that was vulnerable, and shy, but kind and humorous, as well. There was a glint of mischief in his eyes now, as if he was always planning something. He smiled much more, too. Before the Calamity, he seldom showed any emotion, only doing so at events if a foreign dignitary struck up conversation with him. But his smile, his emotions now seemed so much more… Natural. He was no longer the knight she had known, who had pledged himself to his land and his princess, even though there was no reward. He was just as selfless… But he was reborn. His whole demeanor itself was as if he was a completely new person. And he was, in a sense.
He glanced back and held her gaze for just a little longer than necessary and smirked lightly. It was almost unnoticeable, but it took effect immediately. The princess felt her face flush as she averted her face but walking a little faster all the same, coming within earshot of the men.
"- You must know something about Hinoxes, Link! I need to defeat the one near Ralis Pond in order to keep the little ones safe!" The crimson Zora exclaimed as his Hylian friend listened intently. "I'm sure he won't come back, now that the Blood Moons have ended!"
"You need to learn how to deal with them yourself," Link responded, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Or you'll never grow stronger." After seeing the deflated look on the Prince's face, the Hero sighed. "But… They do have one weak spot that you can exploit." He added. "Their eye. How to reach there… That's up to you."
The Prince's exuberance had returned in record time as he turned to Link, shaking his hand with bone-rattling force as he smiled widely. "Thank you!" He cried. "I am in your debt!" He let go of Link's hand as Zelda stifled a giggle, maintaining her composure. The slight laugh did not go unnoticed, however, by Link, who smiled sheepishly as her. In her chest, Zelda felt her heart flutter. He never had this effect on her Before… So why now?
Shaking her head and regaining control of her composure, she turned to the Zora. "So, Prince Sidon," she said sweetly, her arms gesturing slightly. "When will we get to meet King Dorephan? I'm sure he must be curious about the outcome of Link's battle."
The Prince smiled slightly. "As of now, Princess, he is asleep. He was overcome with fatigue not three days ago, so he will be unconscious for some more time. He should be awake by tonight, though." A large grin grew across his face as he pointed upwards towards Polymous Mountain. "I did, however, manage the relay a message to one of the guard Zora's that you had arrived. So, in order to allow you some time to yourselves, a little picnic has been put together, with wonderful Zora delicacies that I'm sure you two will enjoy." He turned and kept walking. "A new path has been constructed, making the journey to the mountain much less dangerous."
"But what about the Lynel?" Link asked. Lynel? Thought Zelda. Those vicious things?
"Ha!" The prince exclaimed, startling the Hylians. "While you were away, I decided to brave the dangers of the mountain, and defeated that damned beast once and for all. He will no longer put any of the lives of my people in danger."
Link's worried expression quickly shifted to one of newfound respect, as he smiled, impressed. "Well, I guess as long as you're around here, the Princess and I, along with all of your people, have nothing to worry about, huh?"
A quick flash of gratefulness flashed across the large person's face, as he gestured to a bridge in front of them. "Come along now, my friends. We should get you to the top."
After a couple of hours and much awe at the scenery from the reservoir walls and damp cliffs, the trio arrived at the clearing near the top of Polymous Mountain. Shock arrows were still stuck in the trees around them, but the Lynel was truly gone. A small blanket and basket were already waiting for them as they entered the area, and after a few parting words, and a promise to meet later that night, the exuberant Zora jumped off the edge of the mountain, plummeting in the water and leaving the Princess and the Hero alone at the top.
"Well, Link," Zelda cleared her throat and sat down carefully at the blanket. "Shall we get started? We wouldn't want to turn down the Zoran hospitality."
Silently, Link sat down next to her, and carefully began unpacking their lunch, consisting of a simple Salmon Meuniere, Crab Stir Fry, and a large Fruit Cake as dessert. There were also two containers, each filled with a clear liquid. Link's eyes lit up in recognition.
"This," he said, holding up the container. "Is water straight from Vah Ruta." He swished the water around in the container, and a faint blue glow began emanating from the water. "Sidon once told me that, if collected correctly, this water could heal any ailment and rejuvenate any one, no matter their race. Basically, it's a universal Elixir."
Zelda looked over at her companion with utter shock on her face. He knew more about the Divine Beasts, much more, in fact, than her. Quickly regaining her composure, she took the Sheikah Slate and began tapping away at its screen. "I-I see… I should make note of this for future reference…" Still typing away, she hardly noticed Link's hand inching towards her until it was blocking her view of the screen. Before she could react, he grabbed the Sheikah Slate and put it away, a small smirk etching itself into his features.
"We can worry about that later, Pri – Zelda." He said, laying out their plates. "But right now, I would enjoy a nice lunch with you. It's not very often that we're only in each other's company, right?" He looked away slightly, the tips of his ears turning pink. It took the Princess a second to realize that he was embarrassed… And that he wanted to spend time with her. While this didn't seem odd to her – they did endure 100 years of fighting and healing, after all – She couldn't help but feel that same flutter in her chest, a tightening of sorts, that managed to fill her being. Ignoring this, she nodded her head sagely. "Indeed, we must."
As the hours passed, and the sun had begun its descent from the apex of the sky, the two Hylians enjoyed a much-needed break, full of discussions of the past, and little adventures and quests Link had embarked on his quest to save Hyrule. However, along with its incredible healing powers, the water from the Divine Beast also had a downside: It had the same effects as alcohol. The duo, therefore, realized the crucial fact a little too late, after they had a little too much of the drink.
"Z-Zelly…" Link slurred, looking down at the girl who was currently splayed out on the ground in front of him. "What're ya doing?"
"I," she replied, her voice still retaining some of its formal articulation, even though she, too, was inebriated. "Am lying down. For I am tired."
Link scowled, and leaned forward, his face scrunched up funnily. "There're better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know."
"Then what do you propose I do?"
At a loss for words, his brow furrowed even more. "I-I dunno!" He exclaimed finally, leaning back, momentum carrying him a little further than he expected, as he landed on the ground behind him with a resounding oof.
The Princess looked over at him, and crawled over to him, lying beside him and resting her head on his shoulder. She could feel him tense as she touched him, and he glanced at her, swallowing hard.
"Princess?" He said, reverting back to his old way of speech unconsciously. "What… What are you doing?"
She smiled sweetly at him as she adjusted herself, getting even closer to the Hero. "I was taking your advice, Link. Rather than sleep on the ground, I'd rather fall asleep on you."
His eyes widened even more as the words left her mouth, and after a moment of intense concentration, Link's last shred of normal thinking broke down, and his drunken mind took over. He curled his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. Closing his eyes and ignoring the squeak that came from her, he relaxed, dozing off, the rays of the afternoon sun beaming down lazily upon him and the princess. A new thought etched its way into his mind as his consciousness dwindled.
My princess…
THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN EXTREMELY OVERDUE AND I'M SO SORRY PLEASE FORGIVE ME (^o^)
Updates are gonna be a little more frequent, but still pretty random, but thanks for checking in. R&R if you dare… XD
P.S. If any of you are Fire Emblem fans, you should get the reference I slipped in. It's pretty obvious, but I couldn't resist.