With the dim atmosphere all around them, the light of the morning sun did not reach the two Hylians in their chosen nesting spot. However, Zelda's internal body clock did, as it it always had, without fail. Her body tensed with a stretch, arms coming up to reach for the ceiling and remembering who had been sleeping on her a fraction too late.
As the arm that had been supporting Link's head was removed he fell forward, nearly face-planting into Zelda's lap. He caught himself halfway and looked around blearily, not having a clue where he was and unable to properly care. His head felt like it was about to explode, or implode, he wasn't sure at the moment. A small giggle sounded above him, and he titled his head up slowly to see Zelda grinning at him behind one hand, but not without a certain amount of sympathy in her eyes.
"Goodness, your hair is even worse than it normally is. Come here," she propped him back up and started to comb through his hair with her fingers, taming some of the stronger kinks and working out the odd tangle.
By the end of it, he was feeling more awake and the pressure in his head had disappeared. He grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it, causing her to titter. With a yawn he staggered to his feet, his spine giving the occasional pop as he moved, and Zelda followed suit. While she folded up the blanket to put it away in the Slate, Link was rotating his artificial joints, and thumping the guardium material as the lights along its surface flickered haphazardly.
"Hitting it won't make it any better," she warned, bringing up the map, and he pouted. "Ok, where to next."
The next Shrine to investigate was located below the back of the Temple of Time, and approaching it from above would also give them a good vantage point to attack from. Their choice of approach was wise as they arrived at the encampment to see Stalkoblin riders on there skeletal steeds and more lizalfos darting in and out of cover.
Link sucked in a breath and started to reach for the bow Teba made him, when he felt Zelda give him a small tap on the shoulder. He turned to her, still slightly sluggish, and raised in eyebrow in question.
"Mind if I try? Or do you just want to get this over with?"
He considered the situation for a moment, looking from her face to the swarming camp of monsters. It was a bizarre life they had come to accept when a set of Trials, most probably commanded by the Goddesses themselves, felt like a daily chore. A chore akin to buying food from the village, or preparing the soil in the land by their house to start growing vegetables. Admittedly, he usually didn't feel like Death was breathing over his shoulder when he carried out daily tasks, but such was his life it seemed. Just another day.
Counting the monsters he could see from where they sat, shrouded in the shadow of the cliffs behind them, he wordlessly selected a Forest Dweller's bow from the Sheikah Slate and handed it to Zelda. A small gasp and an excited noise came from his left as she accepted it and shuffled a bit so she could adjust her hold. He nudged her hands a little bit, getting them into the correct positions and flicked her elbow until it was being held at the correct angle while she drew back an empty bow string.
Once he was happy that she had a decent grip, he gave her a handful of arrows, all imbued with fire, and told her to have fun.
[Remember, don't be disappointed if you miss. Hand to eye co-ordination can take years of prac-]
With a thwip of the bow string the arrow was sent soaring through the air, and an unfortunate Lizalfo met it's end with a projectile of fire to the back of it's head. Link dropped his hands to his lap uselessly and he couldn't help but let his jaw drop too.
"We're you actually aiming for that?" Link asked, incredulously, still watching as a small fire burned below them.
"You know, as a matter of fact, I did," Zelda said, sounding just as surprised.
They continued to watch as a curious bokoblin went to inspect the area that was still slightly aflame and caught fire itself. It danced around in panic, creating a lot of noise which brought the other monsters over to inspect. Link grinned.
"Hey, I never did show you how to use the Bomb Rune, did I?" His voice had become rather croaky, but the smile he wore was full of mischievous intent. Zelda was intrigued.
"Oh, please, go on."
Placing the bow down into her lap she leaned in towards Link as he shuffled over, tilting the Slate screen so she could see. Dragging his finger down the screen to highlight the available Runes, he selected the spherical shaped one. A round, luminescent bomb appeared in his hands, and he lobbed it directly into the crowd of monsters. Watching it arc cleanly over their heads, it landed next to the fading corpse of the bokoblin that had finally succumbed to burning and Link pointed to the Bomb Rune again. Zelda pressed it with a single, precise finger.
The explosion was strong enough to blast all of the congregated bokoblins and lizalfos away in an outward ring. Gesturing to the bow in Zelda's lap and then the Slate, Link raised an eyebrow at her, and she understood his meaning clearly. Bow or Bombs? She took the Slate.
She shouldn't have gotten so much enjoyment out of watching their bodies go flying after every successfully tossed bomb. Sometimes, a bomb would miss it's mark and fall short, rolling away with a glowing trail following it. Thankfully, these beasts were incredibly curious, albeit incredibly stupid, and would follow the odd glowing object until it blew up in their face. Link was wheezing with laughter as Zelda pressed the Bomb Rune with increasing dramatical flair, as if she were orchestrating a musical procession. Finally, after many beautiful explosions, the area was clear and the ground shook with the emergence of a third Shrine.
Their laughter continued for a few more minutes, postures relaxed and weapons stashed away again. Below them, in the now empty encampment, bundles of arrows and various weapons twinkled through the light fog, but neither of the two Hylians on their perch felt the need to move. Link bumped his head against Zelda's.
"Blowing up an entire camp of monsters with a grin on your face. I love you so much."
She tried not to make a big deal out of it, but they didn't say those words to each other often, it was always an implied fact. Still, she couldn't help the intake of breath and the giddy smile on her face when she heard them. She turned to him, placing a hand on his cheek so he faced her directly. He still looked slightly drowsy, but his eyes were brighter than they had been since they started this Trial.
"And I love you," she replied, kissing him squarely on the mouth.
She had only intended for it to be a quick kiss, but when she went to withdraw he followed. Responding in kind, they both closed their eyes and her hands came up to cradle the back of his neck. Leaning back into the grass, Link placed his artificial arm behind him to support him, reducing the need for his muscles to hold his weight. Zelda came with him, leaning forward whilst still maintaining their lip lock, and placed a knee between his legs, pressing forward ever so slightly. He groaned with appreciation but due to the restricted air capacity of his current state he had to stop. He broke away with a gasp, filling his lungs with air again as he admired Zelda's slightly flushed face.
"Maybe when I'm feeling better," he said, sitting back up right.
"Oh?" Zelda didn't miss the suggestive tone in his voice and even though his ears were flushing he gave her nod.
With that in mind, the pair got back to their feet, one slightly more unbalanced than the other, and slowly slid their way down the hill to the Shrine.
The sudden jolt and descent of the platform into the bowels of the Trial no longer affected Zelda. She bounced a little anxiously as she waited to see what Link would have to overcome this time, while Link himself remained still. No doubt conserving energy. However, the brief glimpse she had of what was within the Shrine showed nothing more than a large empty square room. It seemed familiar, but her real cause for alarm came when Link beside her inhaled sharply before whispering an expletive.
"Shit."
The platform touched down and Zelda was whisked away, only having a moment to contemplate where she had seen that room before. Re-appearing before the aged Monk guarding this Shrine, she waited for yet another presence to sweep over her mind.
Greetings, Hylia Descendant. I sense that you are
concerned for the fate of your Hero.
Zelda thought that 'concern' was putting it mildly, but refrained from saying so. Only to remember a second later that the Monk could hear her anyway.
That I can, but I do not begrudge you your worry.
In the Hero's current state, this challenge is not one to be taken lightly.
"I really don't like the sound of that," she sighed, "but I suppose there isn't much I can do about it. Do you have a verse for me?"
Indeed I do, please commit these words to memory;
These foes will never crumble
A series await at length
Watchful sentries you must face
In this Major Test of Strength
Considering the last time she had watched Link take on a test of strength he had ended up being severely injured, despite having upgraded armour and peak physical health, she felt her concern was justified. The plural use of 'foe' was also a worrying indicator for what was awaiting Link but she reasoned with herself that he was carrying a nigh unbeatable weapon. She just hoped that his dodging skills were still up to par.
Do not fear for him, your Grace, he is doing well
Zelda sent waves of gratitude towards the Monk, as the previous ones had given her no indication as to how Link was faring during his Trials. Doing well, appeared to be an understatement as said man stalked into the room, slightly wide eyed, and tapped firmly on the Altar barrier.
It was a joy to meet with you.
The end of the words trailed off into silence as the ancient Sheikah finally released their tether to the mortal world and passed on. They had barely gotten to talk at all, but it was still sad to see them go. She took a moment to ponder that the Monks themselves never seemed melancholy in their departure, and instead shared with her a brief moment of utter peace before they parted. Zelda wished she could impart a mere iota of that peace to her partner who looked more and more rattled the closer she got.
[I have stared death in the face one too many times in here. I would like to leave. Please]
Zelda didn't have to be asked twice, after taking one look at his tense form, as if he were barely holding it together, and guiding him towards the altar to transport them back out.
Up on the surface, Link staggered over to a patch of grass devoid of flowers and flopped down. He blinked up at the sky, completely silent, and she could do little more than sit beside him and survey their dim and foggy surroundings. A drawn out exhale caught her attention but he was still staring up at the sky even as he raised his hands.
[Sorry. Need a minute. Or two]
"Take all the time you need," she encouraged, reaching across to stroke his hair.
Link's arms dropped to his sides again as he nodded. In truth, he was a little concerned about his brushes with death in these Shrines. While in the past whenever he had expired within a Shrine, he would always be returned to the state just before he perished, he wasn't sure if that would still be the case with Ganon gone. He wasn't, strictly speaking, needed any more to prevent the Kingdom falling into chaos completely, and therefore if he died that should be the end of it. Unless Shrines automatically kept a person or object in the same state they arrived in, but that didn't explain his lost weapons. He also wasn't willing to test that theory.
He had decided not to look to closely into it after the first couple of times it had happened. The one time he did analyse it too closely he ended up having to hyperventilate into the dirt for a solid five minutes and then have a three hour nap to forget about it. Suffice to say, he never thought too long on anything if it started to make him uncomfortable – he hadn't had the time, he had a job to do and so everything else was pushed aside. Now, however, his job was done and he could spend as much time as he wanted looking over all the aspects of his quest he had resolutely ignored.
Turning his head to see Zelda occasionally peering over her shoulder to check on him, he knew she would be able to help him parse through his thoughts. I'll have to bring it up at some point, once these Trials are done, he promised himself. Though quite when an appropriate time would be, he didn't know. Never-the-less, he closed the lid on his thoughts again and pushed himself to sit up.
"Guardians and I do not mix well," was all he said, with a tired expression, and he could see that Zelda looked sympathetic.
"I can imagine, are you ready to go?" Link nodded and accepted her hand to help himself up, but as he went to continue walking he found himself stopped by her hand still in his. "Link, if you want to take a break for a little longer. You need only ask. These Trials are asking a lot of you, and I know they're more serious than you're letting on."
He paused, conflicted, but then gave a small shake of his head, "the faster I can get these finished, then the quicker we can both sit down and have a relaxed conversation. For now, I just want to get the next one done before my legs give out."
Zelda could spot the way he covered the seriousness of his words with a casual air and trusted that they would discuss this later.
"Very well, but I will warn you, we're going to need to change."
His response was quickly raised eyebrows and a nonplussed look.
"The final Shrine? It's up the mountain."
"Oh, wonderful."
After changing into their cold weather gear they realised they had to go back up the mountain incline towards the Temple of Time again so they could reach the last Shrine. Getting Link back uphill was a lot harder than it was sliding down, but they managed it with good humour. Fumbling and giggling the entire way like a couple of toddlers.
The snow only came up to their shins but it still made walking through it difficult, and they had to take frequent breaks so that Links stamina could recover. Zelda half joked that the challenge for this Shrine was actually just reaching the damn thing, but her words died in her throat when they spotted various enemies up the trail ahead of them. Moblins, Bokoblins, Ice Keese, and an incredibly odd hovering cloaked figure.
"Wizzrobe," Link informed her and he nocked a fire arrow, aiming straight for it.
She was learning a lot about the way he solved problems and how his tactical mind worked. With his limited movement and energy, his usual strategy of dodging and parrying attacks could prove fatal. Instead, the Wizzrobe dropped it's Ice Rod as it fizzled out of existence from the fire arrow, allowing Link to sneak forward and claim it for himself. Zelda also learned that day that frozen enemies suffered far greater injuries when they were attacked in such a state. Which stands to reason, Zelda surmised, as she watched Link dispatch of the camps inhabitants and reveal the final Shrine.
She had closed her eyes at the beginning of their descent into the Trial this time, determined to have no visual clues for the contents. As she re-materialised at the end of the Shrine, however, she realised that closing her eyes had been a tad pointless.
I see you have discovered the nature of this challenge
She was standing in near total darkness, the only illumination in the area came from the Altar itself. The barrier glowing a soft blue that did not spread light far into the room and barely highlighted the Monks features.
"I imagine there are things hiding in the dark though, or is it more simple than that?" She suddenly had the impression that if the Monk were to move at all from their stasis, they would be tilting their head at her in a curious manner.
If I told you, that would defeat the purpose of your agreement,
would it not?
Zelda attempted to send a feeling, rather than a physical gesture, of acceptance and understanding. She was gratified when she received a sensation of pride and approval from the Monk in return.
Left in the dark, quite literally, she could do little more than practice her ability to express herself using only her mind and spirit. It turned out to be quite a fun exercise, and she realised that this Monk had a small sense of humour. They started to send her overly simplified images of an expression or gesture to match the sensation they were communicating to her, and Zelda would find it a bit difficult to separate her humour from the emotion she was trying to reply with. However, with all fun things, time seemed to pass more quickly, even in a place such as this.
Your Champion approaches, Avatar of the Goddess,
and while your time here has been a blessing it must now end,
but before I leave I must impart to you these words.
May you record them for all time;
Within these walls all is dark
Improve now your sense of sight
Tread carefully and stay calm
Traverse through this Path of Light
The voice faded away and once again Zelda was left with a feeling of slight sadness as this being pulled away from her, ready at last to move on. However, the feeling was also accompanied by a sensation of great longing that did not come from herself, and she realised the Monk was excited to move on. To rejoin their fellows. She felt content.
The room slowly began to brighten, and out of the gloom came the Hero the words were meant for. She watched, with bated breath, as Link lurched forward toward the altar and slammed his hand against the Sheikah Eye of the energy barrier which shattered beneath his palm. With his Spirit Orb awarded to him, and the Monk freed, his vitality finally returned and he no longer looked three seconds away from passing out. Even though the weapon in his hands still glowed, it was now chiming softly, leaving only herself and Link within the Shrine.
Her knight was taking deep measured breaths, hands at his waist and staring with open relief at the never ending ceiling. As she approached, overjoyed at seeing him so healthy again, he turned to her looking bright and happy.
"I feel good," he looked at her a little dazed, "I feel really good."
He closed the distance between them slowly and she found that she had already met him halfway without consciously deciding to do so. When she was within reach he reached out for her hips and pulled her flush to him, sealing her lips with a kiss.
Usually, he never took the initiative when they were being intimate, so this was a nice surprise for her as she responded enthusiastically. Burying her fingers into his hair she gradually worked out his hair tie so that his blonde locks could hang loose at the back of his neck. Link's breath hitched when she pressed her hips more firmly into his causing him to shift to one side slightly and pressing his thigh in between her legs. She made a high-pitched noise of approval, and in an effort to get her to make that noise again he dragged her hips up against his thigh. Breaking away from his lips, she dipped her face down so she could breathe hastily as he kept repeating the motion, her fingers tightening in his hair. There was a thump against her shoulder as he dropped his head to rest there and he sighed, stilling her hips for a moment. Turning her head to the side she looked at him curiously, eyelids lowered.
"We shouldn't do this here," he said, even though his hands were still holding onto her.
"Why not?" She asked, nudging his head up with her shoulder so she could see his face.
"Wouldn't you rather be at home?"
With her heart still beating fast and her mind shrouded in a pleasure fog, it took a couple of seconds to register the question and yet more seconds to formulate an answer.
"Nobody can disturb us here, and for our first it's going to be a little awkward anyway. No matter how comfortable we've gotten with each other."
"I don't mind, but wouldn't this be a little blasphemous?"
"I honestly do not give a fuck, Link," and he had to duck his head out of her line of sight to hide his laugh. His next words were muffled into her shoulder.
"Well, I'm hoping you give at least one."
Tugging on his hair to bring his face back up to her own she claimed his lips once more as his hands started to roam with more purpose. He traced up the length of her body along the front and then down again along her back, before Link had an idea of how to proceed. Moving his hands to her hips once more, he gripped them tightly and hefted her up against him. Her legs lifted off from the floor to secure themselves around him as he slowly kneeled down and then placed her gently back along the floor. From here it was a lot easier to work on undoing that winter jacket of hers and spreading it out to fan across the floor on either side of her. Her thermal white shirt followed swiftly after.
Before he could start to work on dragging those leggings down the length of her thighs, she pulled him back up to her eye level by one of his belts, intent on removing all of them to get his tunic off. With each piece of clothing removed, a series of kisses followed, lips slowly melding together and their bare skin pressing up against each other.
Once her leggings had finally been peeled away, and her boots shucked off, Zelda tried to reach for the waistband of Link's trousers but was caught off-guard when his hand slipped into her underwear.
"Oh!"
She reached up to grab onto his shoulders swiftly and Link paused, thinking she might be about to push him away, changing her mind. Instead, he saw that she was displaying a look of pure want.
"Keep going," she breathed, her chest rapidly rising and falling, and once again he cursed his ability to only feel with one hand. But that doesn't stop her from feeling...
Stilling his curious fingers for a moment, he shifted so that he could kneel over her thighs and keep his weight above her as he moved his right hand to gently hold and push up on one of her breasts. The sudden intake of breath and her head tilting back told him that she seemed to appreciate the gesture and he got back to exploring with his other hand. It was evident he had no idea what he was doing but that didn't stop him from trying and being very thorough. Still, he wanted her to sing.
"Zelda?"
"Hmm?" Her voice was lazy and her eyes took a couple of seconds to open. She caught him looking at her beseechingly.
"Show me."
And so, she did just that.
Some time later, after their cries had stopped echoing around the cavernous room, both of their hearts were starting to slow down, their bodies cooling once more, as they stayed where they were for the time being. Link slid his hand out from under her to lean on his forearm, framing Zelda's head on one side as they caught their breath. She had her eyes closed and being this close he could admire the small patches of freckles that adorned her skin. He nuzzled a patch at her shoulder with his nose, and a few lazy kisses were placed on each others skin, but neither seemed to be in a hurry to move.
Eventually, Link sat up taking his hands off of Zelda and grimaced briefly as he shifted, now noticing that his garments were slightly uncomfortable.
Still under him, Zelda began to stretch, first straightening her arms out above her head before then extending her legs back against the floor, toes pointed. With a groan she relaxed once more against her jacket, a pleased expression set in place. She felt Link shuffle off to the side, and opened her eyes to see him sitting on the floor with his hands behind him, also looking happy. They were quite content to just stay like this for some time, staring at one another and sharing gentle smiles.
"Wasn't what I was expecting, but I'm certainly not disappointed," and she grinned as she watched the tips of Link's ears flush with the implied praise. "Still, do you not want to continue?"
He remained silent for a few seconds, but his content expression didn't fade, "I'd really be more comfortable in the house. Preferably in our bed."
"Oh, Link, I'm sorry, I didn't realise that's what you were trying to get at," Zelda said, starting to feel a bit guilty.
"No, no!" Link assured, waving a hand in front of him, "you were right, and I was fine with it. Plus, you were really enthusiastic about it, I didn't really want to stop."
"Fair enough," she giggled, making absolutely no effort to move from her spot on the floor.
Link finally took the initiative as he leaned forward to start gathering his clothes until he got about half way and made a disgusted face again.
"What's wrong?" Zelda asked, also sitting up and wondering where her chest-wear had gone.
"I need to get out of these clothes."
Watching as he moved gingerly over the Sheikah Slate, that had been discarded at some point, she couldn't help but throw her head back and laugh, her mirth now bouncing off the walls all around them.
After finding all of their clothes and redressing, the pair causally made their way back out of the Shrine, and stepped out into the sun and frigid air. No sooner had their skin felt the warmth from the midday rays, then they heard Maz Koshia address them once again.
You have done well to Conquer these Trials laid before you,
But your Trials have only just begun.
The divine weapon shall lead you...
They didn't have time to wonder whether the Monk had been waiting for them to finish or whether it was prompted by leaving the last Shrine because as soon as the words stopped, the weapon upon Link's back chimed louder. He retrieved it quickly, wondering if it was going to start pointing him in a certain direction but instead it flashed a brilliant white before shattering. From within, four balls of light hung in the air, slowly rising up until it spiralled into four streams of colour, high up into the sky. Blue, red, orange, and green all danced together into one mass before splitting off into four directions, streaking across the horizon to fall into the lands of each Divine Beast.
While Link watched as the blue trail of light slowly vanished behind the ridge of Duelling Peaks, Zelda was frantically trying to detach the Sheikah Slate from his belt. Once she had succeeded, she jerked the Slate awake and swiped across the screen to display the entire map of Hyrule. One by one, four new points started to light up across the map each signalling the impact points of those streams of light.
"Well," she said, turning the Slate for Link to see when he finally tore his eyes away from region of Lanayru, "at least now we know where Kass will be."
From there, they agreed to take a leisurely walk home, keeping to their promise of reporting to Purah, but also wanting to relax a bit. At least, until it started getting dark and then they would use the Slate to teleport themselves back to Hateno. The weather was nice; birds were chirping and dancing in the sky, and the two Hylians were full of endorphins over the progress they had made that day. In regards to both these new Trials and their relationship.
Upon reaching the base of Mt. Hylia they could change back into their regular travelling clothes and make their way to the edge of the Plateau. Jumping off and sailing down onto the road below, they began their trek towards Duelling Peaks, discussing when and how they would reach each of the four new destinations on the map. They theorised on what kind of Trials they would have to complete and how it could mirror events each of the Champions had also faced. They just hoped none of them were species specific. All in all, it was shaping up to be a very productive day.
It was just as they were passing through the ruins of an old garrison outpost that their pleasant day was shattered.
One second Zelda had been holding Link's hand, and then in the next second she found herself sat on the dusty road with Link stood over her, sinking his fist into the pale mask of a red clad figure. This figure, that had appeared hovering in the air before them, took the full force of Link's punch, causing their red eye emblazoned mask to crack. Yiga.
The sheer amount of deja vu in this moment sent Zelda reeling for a few precious seconds, until she was able to shake herself out of it and shuffle backward. Keeping an eye out for any more Yiga ambushers, she grabbed her Ancient Sword and glanced back up to see how Link was doing. It was a surprise to find that he wasn't doing well.
The Yiga was keeping his distance away from Link as the smaller Hylian held the Master Sword in his left hand. As his attacker came nearer, he took a quick swipe at the main body of the Yiga and Zelda could tell that something was wrong. His movements were not those of her Knight going on the attack, they were of a wounded forest creature defending itself; pre-emptively lashing out if anything got too close. Only he was trying to defend himself and Zelda. She scanned over his form feverishly, looking for an obvious wound or any other cause for his distress- his inorganic arm was hanging limply by his side.
Rivulets of burning blue liquid seeped down the armour plating of his prosthetic and dripped onto the floor. The hand that grasped the hilt of the Master Sword crossed over his body to try and cover his elbow which she now spotted was the source of all the blue fluid. The dark fabric, which covered all of the mechanical pieces and gears that allowed Link's arm to function, was torn open, the edges a frayed mess. The golden coloured components of the elbow joint could be seen clearly, despite the copious amounts of viscous, bright blue glowing liquid that had splashed over them. From her vantage point on the floor she could also see the open ends of broken tubing, made from strands of chrome, that weaved in-between the machine components. The arm was completely useless, so Link could only defend or attack; he had decided to defend.
Well then, Zelda thought, bracing herself for her next action as she pushed herself up onto her knees and threw her body weight forward. She channelled the built up momentum into her arm holding the Ancient Sword and flung it forward towards the Yiga scout, letting go of the weapon at the end of her swing. She watched it spin through the air and prayed to any and every Deity listening that the blade would find it's mark. It did.
With a satisfying shunk, a good portion of the blade sunk into the Yiga's thigh. With a yelp, the assassin disappeared in a flurry of paper talismans and smoke, leaving the Ancient Sword behind as it fell in the dust. She darted around Link, who was still standing, to retrieve her blade in case the Yiga member came back. They didn't.
Without the threat of attack, Link dropped down to his knees, clutching his perforated elbow after dropping the Master Sword to the floor with a clang. He curled in on himself slightly, barely registering Zelda as she reached around him to unbuckle the Master Sword sheath from his back and put the legendary blade away into the Slate. Feeling her place a firm hand on his back he allowed himself to lean into it, Zelda easily taking his weight. He felt so tired, but he had barely moved against the Yiga.
What's happening to me, Link thought. At first he worried that the sickle blade the assassin had caught him with was poisoned, but it was only his artificial arm that was damaged. He felt Zelda gently prying his fingers away from the damage on his elbow, exposing the naked components and the steady flow of liquid he was trying to stem.
"We need to get to Purah, immediately," came Zelda's clipped tone, yet Link just couldn't feel her sense of urgency right now.
"But we were going to go for a walk," he muttered, slurring slightly as his head fell to the side to rest against Zelda's chest. She was now holding the majority of his weight against her.
Quickly realising that he was becoming more and more out of it by the second, she hoisted his form up against her and wrapped her arms around his torso. Holding the Slate in his lap, she placed his left hand against the screen and selected the blue icon for the Hateno Lab.
Don't you dare do this to me, I just got him back.
"Oh you're back again, that was quick, so what brings you-" Purah's jaw dropped and her eyes became comically large behind her glasses. "What happened to him?!"
"Yiga. Turns out they're still active, and whatever armour he's wearing, it's magic does not extend to cover his arm. He must have blocked an attack and it tore into the joint. He was just unlucky, but ..." Zelda took her hand and wad of cloth away from Link's elbow, watching as more blue seeped out of the injury and onto the floor. The growing puddle building at Link and Zelda's feet lost it's glow quickly, only pulsing with light when a new drop of liquid landed in it.
Purah sucked in a pained breath and ushered her over to her desk. Symin, who was back to work again, darted forward to help Zelda manoeuvrer her charge to lie back across the desk while Purah started shoving items and papers to the side and onto the floor.
"Well, this brings back memories, at least we're not starting from scratch this time though." She cringed as she took Link's arm into her hands, assessing the damage and then taking her hand away to find it covered in the slightly oily glowing liquid. She pressed her fingers together, recognising the consistency of her own creation. "I didn't expect the fuel to act like this though."
The Hylian researcher frowned.
"I remember Robbie said something about the internal power source, when I last saw him to do some maintenance on Link's arm. I had assumed it was a set of cores in series along his arm. Are you telling me this liquid is what's powering the prosthetic?"
Zelda was watching the Sheikah Scientist with her full attention, her expression now one of astonishment. Purah couldn't help but preen a little under the attention, while Symin started to wordlessly reach for the wad of cloth to place it back onto Links injury.
"Why yes, thank you for asking," she said, pushing her glasses up and tossing her head with a flourish. "It became apparent that if we wanted to give Link the ability to use his arm as a weapon, then we needed a more efficient powering system. As it was, to get the required amount of energy the series of smaller modified cores we had wouldn't be enough. Thankfully, while Robbie had been tinkering with the materials of the Sheikah tech, my area of research was focused on the Runes and the Ancient Flame. I just needed to change the state of the Ancient Flame into a more versatile form. Snap! My state changer rune was able to convert some Ancient Flame into Ancient Liquid. It's normally contained within conduits Robbie made, but they must have been punctured."
She presented her hand that was covered in dark blue, palm up, to Zelda so she could inspect the substance now that it was seemingly inert. With the energy dissipated from it, the fuel just looked dark blue with the consistency of syrup. While the two researchers were staring avidly at the Ancient Liquid, Symin was pressing down on the damaged elbow of Link's arm and making sure that he was still unconscious. The clammy, pale pallor of the Hylian's face caused the Hylian assistant some alarm and he raised a hand up in between his employer and the former Princess of Hyrule.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I believe with all the Ancient... Liquid... Link has lost, he may be suffering greater repercussions than just shock."
Both Purah and Zelda both quickly turned their attention to Link's face, seeing his eyebrows were pinched together and his breathing had become more rapid.
"Oh, oops," the young Sheikah said, lunging for Links arm to apply pressure by the 'wound'. "Symin I need my tools and the cradle please. Prince- Zelda, sorry, sorry, I need you to travel to Akkala and bring Robbie back with you. Tell him what's happened, he'll know what materials to bring, he should have spares. Mainly conduits I think though."
Jotting the specifics down to memory, Zelda wiped her hands covered in blue onto her jacket, and then brought up the Sheikah Slate. Jabbing the location of Robbie's lab in the north of Akkala, she disappeared, desperately trying not to think of the last time she had seen Link look that pale.
Once Robbie had been brought back, after a lot of swearing and turning his entire lab upside down for the spare materials, he immediately settled himself down to work on Link's arm. His state of unconsciousness had been theorised to be a correlation to the Ancient Liquid leak. He did not have enough energy to sustain himself in a conscious state while the arm was leeching from him in an effort to remain functional. What had once been an incredibly useful piece of machinery, was now more of a parasitic attachment.
Zelda had tried to stay with Robbie and watch as he worked, in an effort to remember this procedure in case of future mishaps, but it became apparent that Robbie was far more efficient than she ever would be. She trusted him to have Link back to normal working order soon and got out of his shadow to let him work.
Normal working order? He's a person not a machine...
Sitting on a cushion placed on the floor, face glum, Zelda nursed an untouched cup of tea in both hands while Purah watched her with concern. She sipped her tea, not taking her eyes off her blonde companion, and wondered how best to go about distracting her. Normally, she would have tried to engage her with talk about her latest projects, or perhaps some anecdotes about life while she was suspended out of time for one hundred years. Instead, Purah could only sigh and rub a comforting hand over the other girl's back.
"He'll be fine. He always is."
True to her prediction, he was fully awake and walking the next morning. Even Purah couldn't begrudge Robbie on his achievement this time for being able to work so quickly.
"Ever since our discussion, Princess, I've been practising techniques and trying to make a hypothetical procedure as efficient as possible. I am extremely glad that it has paid off."
"Robbie, I'm not the Princess any more," Zelda reminded him.
"Maybe not the literal Princess, but you'll still always be that young girl that was far more interested in old bits of machinery and complicated experiments than anything else. I still remember those times you would sneak out of the Castle into the Lab before your morning prayers."
"So do I," Link said dryly, who had been directed to sit on a cushion and lean back against Purah's guidance stone while everyone else stood around the room.
"Yo- You knew about that?" Zelda asked, tripping over her words slightly. Her answer was a withering look and a raised eyebrow as if to say who do you think I am? She sniffed, "but Father never knew about it. If he had he would have been furious."
"That's because I never told him. Didn't tell him about a lot of things."
"I did think he was awfully understanding after the incident in the desert. I expected a lecture and instead all I got was 'how were your travels?' I told him what he really wanted to know; still no powers."
Link averted his eyes, "I told him there was evidence of a Yiga scare, so you had to cut your trip short. Urbosa gave the same report later."
"You lied!" She covered her gaping mouth with one hand; Link was a terrible liar. "Why would you lie? If he had found out-"
"Because there were very few things that made you happy," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I can guarantee that if your Father had found out about a direct attack on your life he wouldn't have allowed you to leave the Castle at all unless it was to visit the Springs. And then he'd have you surrounded by guards. There was no way I could have gotten an entire troop to lie and cover for you. They're loyal but they're not that loyal."
Zelda's hand dropped away from her mouth and her eyes became big and watery with tears she struggled to hold back. "You did so much for me, more than I ever knew."
Link's ears dipped down and his eyes flickered away as he shrugged as if it were nothing, but as he switched his gaze back to her he saw that she was becoming more and more agitated by the second.
"I was so mean to you! Why do you even give me the time of day!"
"Because I love you," he answered with a laugh, "and I know it wasn't because you hated me you hated our circumstances. Come here," he reached up for her with his hands, which she took and allowed herself to be settled in next to him on the floor. He cuddled her close to him, whispering things like 'we've been over this' and 'well now you know'. Meanwhile, the two Sheikah scientists and Sheikah research assistant still in the room stood to one side watching the spectacle.
"See what I have to deal with?" Purah muttered, cleaning her glasses so she didn't have to watch the love struck idiots any more.
"Are they always like this?" Robbie asked, slightly dumbfounded by the sheer difference in their interactions from a century before. It had been weird when they visited just before Nayru's Celebration and it was still weird now.
"Pretty much," Symin sighed, though he couldn't begrudge them this if the stories Purah told him about them were true. They had not had the best of introductions apparently.
"My condolences," Robbie quipped.
Having finished cleaning her glasses and deciding that she had to take matters into her own hands, Purah coughed loudly to catch the attention of the Hylian pair on the floor.
"Actually, while we're all here. Link, could we ask you some questions about your experiences with your arm? Zelda has discussed with Robbie and I how we could start using the Sheikah Technology to make prosthetics for the general populace. Of course, now that we know damage can cause that sort of reaction we may have to change our build somewhat, but that can be worked on. Hopefully, people won't be so suspicious or distrustful if they see how you've gotten along with it over the past year."
"It's been a year?" Link asked, truly astonished with how much time had passed, but when he thought about it, it had been a very busy year.
"Over a year, actually," Robbie said, tapping a pen against a clipboard with a fresh piece of paper already in place. He raised the pen into the air dramatically, "now, shall we start?"
The next hour consisted of technical questions and demonstrations, both researchers taking notes avidly as Link answered to the best of his ability. He still moved his arm as little as possible, bending it gingerly for fear it would tear again but his hands were still motile. What he wasn't able to properly convey, Zelda was there right next to him to explain in a way the two fellow scientists would understand. Everything from reaction time, range of use upon regaining consciousness, and it's dexterity were discussed. Zelda made sure to bring up the point that the glow from the arm would brighten and dim depending on Link's energy levels. This then tied in with their recent discovery that the fuel system in the prosthetic was able to feed back and respond to Link's metabolism. It was also mentioned that the fluid currently running through Link's arm was probably a derivative of the liquid he was immersed in within the Shrine of Resurrection.
The Divine Beasts themselves were able to form a telepathic connection with their pilots and their functions acted as mechanical homologues to biological processes. It stood to reason that Links arm, operated by a similar telepathic method, would have integrated with his biological system. Perhaps even enhanced by his time healing in the Shrine. This, the researchers theorised, explained how he was able to utilise the arm so quickly and without rejection.
Once the questions began to turn into more personal waters about how Link himself viewed the technology, Zelda got up to leave, giving him a kiss on the cheek as she went. She hadn't slept the night before and so she intended to head home for a quick nap. He watched her go with a sigh that made Purah roll her eyes in disgust and prompted Robbie to fetch some more tea, as an excuse to move away.
Once the older man returned, providing them all with some hot and relaxing green tea, he opened up the line of questioning again.
"So, no phantom pains? Any feelings as if you're still experiencing the loss of your arm?"
[Not that I know of] Link eyed his arm, [I don't feel anything from it. Even the scarring on my shoulder has lost feeling]
"Yet the lack of sensation does not effect your movement. There is no hesitation even when there is no physical stimuli to indicate a response."
Link considered for a few seconds on how best to explain how it felt. [I know there's something there, I know I have an arm but … it doesn't feel anything]
His eyes started to become downcast and a little sad, which caused Purah and Robbie to stop their note taking.
"Hey Linky, what's wrong?" Purah asked.
[It's more than numb. There's no touch at all. No pressure, no temperature. Pushing I can feel in my shoulder. Hand to eye took some time to line up again. It's the same length as my old arm which helped.] Link inclined his head towards Robbie gratefully, signs slow and deliberate, before he continued. [Sometimes I realise what I miss without two hands. Feel the weight of a weapon... texture of clothes... holding fragile plants when exploring Hyrule with Zelda] His hands slowed to a stop, falling before taking a deep calming breath.
"Sometimes … I don't even realise she's holding my hand."
Neither of the researchers knew how to answer this, looking at each other helplessly hoping inspiration struck them. But before they could, Link shook himself out of it.
[That's the main thing I think, but that's not fault of the technology. With no arm, I couldn't hold her hand at all. So for that, I thank you both.]
"Aww, you're welcome, Linky," Purah gushed, mentally sighing with relief; she wasn't great with trying to cheer people up.
"We'll always be here to patch you up, just try not to make it habit, please," Robbie said, voice very nearly imploring. "But, I take it this means you'd give this procedure a winning endorsement should anyone ask?"
Link brought his technologically advanced arm up to his eye level, twisting his hand around the wrist joint lazily and admiring the shimmering blue light that could be seen there.
"Oh, most definitely."
Let the games begin! I wanted to write some drawbacks to Links arm, in that it doesn't just stop working when it's damaged, it actually drains from Link in an effort to keep itself working. This prosthetics equivalent of bleeding out.
Also any more acts of intimacy they may or may not be having will be kept equally vague – I am an awkward person, who finds writing sexual scenes challenging and I prefer my nsfw content to be more suggestive... Just as an FYI, they didn't go all the way just yet. Zelda is ready, but Link isn't.
