Rising from the cold, hard ground early the next morning was not fun. Link's muscles had completely seized after their excessive strain during the fight with Thunderblight and subsequent lack of care as he fell asleep out in the open. Zelda had fared considerably better but her neck and shoulders did not thank her for sleeping in such an unforgiving place.
They were not given much time after waking to truly chastise themselves before Maz Koshia returned to speak with the both of them.
I must commend you for conquering this Trial thus far
Both Link and Zelda shared a look of suspicion, squinting a little due to lingering fatigue, at the word 'thus far'. However, they were not particularly surprised to hear that the Trial was not, in fact, finished.
The door to the final Trial is now open
at the Shrine of Resurrection
Link slowly lowered himself back against the floor, putting an arm over his face as he huffed out a breath. Of course.
Go, and face your destiny.
He outright groaned at that, as if he hadn't been facing destiny head on for nearly two years since he woke up from that damn place. He could hear Zelda chortling to herself as she checked the Sheikah Slate, which was now beeping at them with the new location.
As if they could forget where the Shrine was.
After Link picked himself back off of the floor, they decided that it was probably safer for them to teleport back to the Shrine just outside of Gerudo Town rather then risk trying to climb down. Their muscles had now begun to scream at them in earnest due to their lack of attention and Link visibly winced just looking at how far away the Town was.
It was a good thing that Zelda was still on the case or Link would have walked straight into the Gerudo guards still wearing his Desert Voe armour. All in all, it was pretty evident that he was still half asleep by the time they found Riju to report that Vah Naboris had been reset and was now in the hands of the Gerudo to decide it's future. He only just barely managed to acknowledge that Riju had said goodbye to him, wishing him safe travels as he waved back while Zelda guided him back out into the desert.
It was time for them to go home.
Destiny could wait a while longer, as there were no more Champions left to free. So, finally, after weeks of travelling all over Hyrule and completing all the demanding challenges thrown their way, they arrived back in Hateno amid a burst of blue light.
Link didn't think he'd ever been happier to see his house, now complete with a trailing wisteria growing over the front porch under an overcast sky.
The plant had been there since Zelda had 'officially' moved in, and over the past few months it had been steadily creeping up the stone foundations next to the front door. Now it had started to spread out sideways, forming a curtain of purple flowers to drop down over the entrance way. It was very pretty and the darkening clouds above threatened a heavy downpour later in the day.
"Home, sweet home," Zelda sighed happily, and it didn't seem to matter how many times she said it, Link always got a thrill hearing her call the place 'home'.
I really hope Robbie gets my letter soon, I don't know how fast the hawks from Gerudo fly.
He had only sent the letter two days ago, after being so thoroughly distracted by Zelda's hands. The hawk would need to go to the furthest point away from Gerudo Town, but he was anxious to hear back as soon as possible. He had a specific idea in mind but he wasn't sure when the best time would be to put it into motion and he was rather specific in his request to Robbie. It was also something that only himself and Zelda would understand.
A proposal was important after all.
He was pulled out of his musings when Zelda wrapped an arm around his back and rested her head against his shoulder.
"Come on. Let's have a nice warm bath and then go to bed," she suggested, placing a finger against his lips when he opened his mouth to protest. "No, I don't care that we woke up barely two hours ago. You have been electrocuted and we have both been emotionally and mentally stressed over the loss of our friends. We are taking time for ourselves and I don't care."
Well, when you put it like that.
The hot water and lavender infusions nearly caused them both to fall asleep in the bath and highlighted just how weary they were. Still, the herbs were doing wonders for Link's achy limbs and the warmth was making them reticent to get out and put clothes back on. So, they devised a comprise by wrapping up in fluffy towels and traipsing water through the house as they ascended the stairs to reach the loft space.
Neither of them bothered to remove the covers and instead collapsed on top of the bed to fall asleep, still wrapped in their towels and radiating heat.
They completely missed the sound of someone knocking on the door, sleeping so deeply that even Link did not stir at the sudden noise. Not even an ear twitch.
The heavy clouds eventually broke to release a deluge of rain, thoroughly soaking the ploughed earth to the side of their house that had yet to be planted. The water droplets cascaded against the glass pane of the window beside the bed, but the two Hylians continued to sleep, completely motionless.
The upturned plot of land had been Link's idea to start growing some vegetables that they could then trade for other kinds grown further down in the village. Their spot higher up in the hills provided better drainage for the soil which was better for certain varieties. Once a sizeable area had been designated as a vegetable patch Zelda had joined him, marking out an area for her own herb garden and augmented plants section. That way she could grow her own supply of materials for her elixir research, however, the climate here would not suit all of the plants in her collection. For that she would have to make regular expeditions out to areas with favourable conditions.
She had absolutely refused to let Link help her till the earth and he didn't press, deciding to make lunch instead.
Unfortunately, they had been thoroughly distracted from their plans by the issue with Vah Ruta well over a month ago, which led them to their current situation.
The rains eventually ebbed away but the cloud cover did not disperse.
Zelda woke up first, noting that despite the dim light it was still daytime and that the sound of dripping water meant that it had rained while they slept. She watched Link continue to dream, his nose twitching like a rabbit every so often and she had to restrain the urge to stroke his face. At least they were dry now.
Stretching, she rubbed her head back against the bed covers, realising that she had not brushed her hair after getting out of the bath. Running a hand through the tangled mess of her golden locks she grimaced, confirming that it was in dire need of a comb. Looking over at Link again, it was clear that his hair was also doing a good job at pretending to be a birds nest.
Zelda needed to find a brush, which meant leaving the bed.
Making sure that her towel was still fastened around her she inched her way off the covers, managing to escape without disturbing Link. He continued to sleep, utterly still with slow, soft breathing as his only sign of life. If she hadn't already experienced his near comatose-like naps she would have been concerned.
With a brush in hand, Zelda returned to the bed and started the delicate task of getting Link to wake up so she could attempt to tame his hair.
"Link," she sang, quietly, reaching for his face, "Link. Wake up, Link."
A hand snapped around her wrist before she could touch his head and his eyes opened instantly. Eyes skimmed about the room before focusing on her, pupils constricted. After a few seconds of intense concentration he relaxed, letting his hand drop back to the bed.
"We slept a bit longer than we meant to," Zelda admitted, starting to tease through the strands of her own hair while Link warmed up.
"I've heard that before," he mumbled, inhaling deeply before sitting himself up. His towel loosened and bunched around his hips.
"I probably shouldn't wake you up like that."
Link looked over his shoulder at her, where she still held the brush in one hand, and then shook his head.
"It's fine," he assured her, then he pointed to his hair as he turned back around, swinging his legs off the bed to sit on the edge. "Go on. I know you want to."
Gleefully, Zelda got to work, prying his hair into more manageable sections that she could work the brush through a bit at a time. She was pretty sure he was starting to fall back asleep again and she took the time to give him a look over for any injuries he may have been trying to sneak past her.
There were none that she was not already aware of.
The lightning bruise on his left side was now barely visible, his accelerated healing – courtesy of Mipha's Grace – was working well. She doubted it would ever disappear completely, ending up as just another mark of battle upon his skin, but at least the only damage was superficial.
The steady drip of water falling from the edge of their roof into the puddles below could be heard clearly through the window, adding to the tranquil atmosphere. The smell of rain and damp earth permeated the house, clearing their sinuses from weeks worth of travel on dusty roads.
Once Link's hair was divested of all knots, becoming extremely fluffy in the process, he swivelled around to start tackling Zelda's hair, retrieving a couple of hair pins from the beside table. Framing her with his legs on either side of her body, she settled back against his lap. Her hair was much longer and thicker than his own, it would take some time to get through it all so he decided to fill the silence.
"If we had gifts to give away I wonder what would we call them?"
The spontaneous question caught Zelda off guard for a moment.
"Well mine is the Sealing Power of the Goddess – not very catchy..."
Giving the topic of conversation further consideration, she started to come up with suggestions that matched the Champions gifts. Link seemed to be doing likewise, deep in thought as he passed the brush through golden strands.
"Ok, so we have Mipha's Grace, Revali's Gale, Urbosa's Fury, and Daruk's Protection. Following the same nomenclature pattern mine would be … Zelda's Power? Zelda's Sealing?" She wrinkled her nose, displeased with her ideas now that she had voiced them.
"Zelda's Light," Link offered quietly, pinning up a section of her hair that he had successfully combed through.
"Oh, yes that works out nicely. What about you?"
She wanted to turn around to look at him but he was busy teasing apart a tangle at the back of her head, so moving was ill-advised.
"I don't have a magic skill," he said, speaking through a pin he held between his teeth before he used it to secure more hair aside.
"Yes, you do," she reminded him, "Link's Focus."
He snorted, tugging lightly on her hair in retaliation, but looking into the window directly a head of her, Zelda could see the corners of Link's mouth upturned into a smile. She watched him continue to brush her hair for another minute or so before she decided to voice some suggestions.
"Link?"
"Hmm?"
"Given how much we've done to master the Divine Beasts, I propose we take a couple of weeks to just, unwind for a bit." The brushing slowed but didn't stop so Zelda pressed on, "there isn't anything pressing we need to complete in this last part of our Quest. All of the Champions have been freed, so it can wait a bit for us to recharge, can't it?"
She tried not to sound too obviously hopeful, but she couldn't help the small note of pleading in her voice. Something that Link didn't fail to notice. He was very good at recognising her emotions through the sound of her voice at this point.
"If that's what you want, I can't say I'm opposed to the idea. I do feel like I'm starting to run on empty. A short break might be nice, but only a short one, I want to get this done," Link agreed.
"Ok, so, another suggestion," Zelda proposed, "given that we'll be here for a while. I'm guessing this means we could, maybe, get our puppy back?"
Link dropped the brush.
Admittedly, Paya had not been expecting to see her two close Hylian friends barrelling down the hillside path so late in the day. But if they were teleporting it meant that they had finished their travels and were now ready to pick up Toast. She hoped they would be pleased with the progress Paya had made with the little Hylian Retriever, and she retreated back inside her grandmothers house.
Link and Zelda dashed up towards Impa's abode only for the double doors at the top of the stairs to open inward and a caramel coloured blur to come charging out. Toast clambered down the stairs and made a beeline straight for them, tail wagging manically. They knelt down on the ground to embrace their dog, accepting all the sloppy kisses the pup had to offer.
Despite how long they had spent away, she still recognised them and was happily trying to jump into their arms for a cuddle. A quick whistle sounded from the staircase ahead of them and Toast, begrudgingly, clambered back down but she didn't stop nudging their hands for more pets.
"I'm glad she still recognises you, I was worried she might forget," Paya said as she walked down the stairs, "but I've been trying to teach her some manners."
She gestured at Toast, who was now sat on the floor neatly even as she pawed at Link to continue ruffling her fur. He nearly fell for it immediately but Paya shook her head and Link dropped his hand as if he had been scolded.
"I've managed to get her to listen to most commands and she's now house trained, so I'd make a sand pit for her if I were you. But she's still very wilful... and demanding, so you must not give in to her demands. It'll only make her worse as an adult," Paya insisted, watching Toast cock her head obliviously.
Link and Zelda stared at Paya, never having heard her sound so authoritative before. They also realised how much care and consideration had been put into her pup-sitting duties. Neither had expected the Sheikah to actually train their dog, but they were glad for it all the same.
"Paya, thank you so much!" Zelda gushed, coming to stand so she could express her gratitude properly with a tight hug.
Paya actually wheezed a little with the force of it, inwardly marvelling over how strong Zelda had gotten since she first met her. Wrapping her arms around her in return, she didn't notice Link's approach until he was hugging her as well. Now, she was wheezing for entirely different reasons.
They would have visited Impa to give an update on their new Quest, but Paya informed them that she had already gone to bed. Instead, Link and Zelda joined the young Sheikah for some tea, filling her in on all of their latest adventures so that she could relay to Impa once she was awake. Paya was entranced by their stories, asking to see Zelda's notes that she had taken alongside all of the challenges and marvelling over the detail in her records. She was also pleased to hear that all of the Champions spirits had now been freed, even though she had never met them.
"Impa is steadily getting me ready to take over as Matriarch. It's a frightening prospect really, I don't think I'm anywhere near ready, thank fully, it will still take some time before I am fully inducted. But, I have been put in contact with the other nations, to introduce myself! They all seem very nice and the Prince of the Zora was very encouraging."
Zelda sent Link a knowing look, which he returned with one of his own.
Shortly after the Calamity's influence was suppressed and it's presence contained within Hyrule Castle, the Sheikah Matriarch at the time had sent out letters to all those in charge of the major settlements. The replies she received confirmed that those settlements were still standing and contained information on the status of their residents. Communication was maintained over the following century, with Impa taking over as Matriarch as the previous one stepped down. Recently, she had included the individuals who had personally helped Link in his efforts to take back the Divine Beasts. It pleased both Hylians to know that Paya was now being brought into the fold to such a warm welcome. Being given this responsibility was a major step for her.
Personally, Link didn't think she had anything to be worried about. Given how much effort she had put into looking after Toast and the dedication she had displayed while guarding the Sheikah's Sacred Heirloom, it was evident that she cared about her duties very much. She would make a wonderful Matriarch.
Still, I can understand she'll still worry, Link considered to himself, watching as Paya began to say her goodbyes to their puppy, people told me I was dutiful to a fault but I still remember the panic.
Once Paya had demonstrated all of the necessary cues she had used to train Toast, she handed the pup over to Zelda for her to carry home. Raising a paw into the air, Zelda made the dog imitate a small wave before exiting the house, but Link remained behind.
"Paya," he said, catching the young Sheikah's attention as she startled at his proximity.
"Yes, Mas- Link."
"If you ever feel overwhelmed by any of this," he waved his mechanical hand through the air at the house interior, vaguely, "just ask for us and we can try and help. I'm not sure how, but we know a thing or two about stress."
He placed his hand on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes, "just know you can call for us, if you need help. Ok?"
They kept eye contact for a second or two, Paya marvelling at the sound of his voice before she threw her arms around his shoulders and squeezed him tight. Now it was his turn to find it difficult to breathe as he heard a whispered 'thank you, thank you so much'. She quickly relented but did not let him go entirely, drawing comfort from his presence before leaning back quickly.
"Oh! I almost forgot. I have something for you, Link," Paya announced, clapping excitedly before she turned around to retrieve something from the other side of the room.
"For me?" Link asked, perplexed, "what for?"
"Have you forgotten what day it is?"
Link squinted as he tried to think of the exact date, drawing a blank with how much they had been travelling. The days had all blended into the next. He shrugged.
"It's your birthday in a couple of days, Link. Your twentieth," Paya reminded him, softly, as she came back with a patterned box in her hands. "That's special, so I want you to take this with you now."
"My birthday?" He murmured, sounding a little breathless as he took the offered gift, "thank you, Paya."
It had been completely missed last year, due to him not remembering when he had been born at all so he had assumed no-one else would have known when it was either. But of course, Impa would have known and Paya had been around when Zelda and himself had found his old military records at the end of last year. The very same records that had been stored in this house for a hundred years and gave him his birth date.
"Any time, Link. Also, let me know what to do about Zelda's birthday too. I know when it is but I wasn't sure if perhaps she wanted to celebrate it on a different day, considering … everything that happened."
The empathy and thoughtfulness of this girl would single handedly bring Hyrule to it's knees, Link was sure of it.
As it happened, the subject of Zelda's age and birthday had already been discussed - the topic explored one afternoon out of mild interest on the scholars part. He explained that Zelda had just turned seventeen when she faced Ganon and entered her own version of stasis. Since she had not experienced time passing within her confinement, the day she came out of stasis with the Calamity's defeat, was logically a continuation of the day she went in. So, her birthday had essentially moved from the beginning of winter, when Ganon was sealed, to halfway through summer, when she was released. Just over a month later than Link's.
With that sorted out, and Paya now focused on gift ideas for Zelda's upcoming birthday, Link reminded her again to contact them any time she wanted help. Or if she just wanted to visit Toast.
"She's basically your niece now anyway."
It was nice to leave the house with the sound of Paya struggling to keep her giggles muffled into her hands.
Toast had settled back into their home easily enough, reclaiming her dog bed made from a crate immediately upon entering the house. Watching her curl up in the old sheets, Zelda noticed that she had grown since they left her with Paya. Comparing her now to a picture she had taken on the Sheikah Slate when they first saw her it was apparent that their puppy was less stocky. The fur along her back was starting to fill out and her paws were a bit bigger, legs a little longer, but she still had the same endless puppy enthusiasm. That is, until she found a patch of sun on their hardwood floor to take an extended nap on.
The amount of times Zelda nearly tripped over her lying in the doorway to her lab was unbelievable.
To start off their self-imposed break, Zelda began to work on extracting the active compounds from the backlog of magical plant specimens she had collected. She had a lot of material to work through and some were easier to break down than others, but it was all a learning curve she greatly enjoyed. Once each component was collected into separately labelled bottles they were all stored in a set of drawers for her to use at a later date, far out of reach from small, inquisitive puppy noses. When she had been working on creating some concentrated Blue Nightshade extract, Link had settled in to watch, enjoying the soft and gentle glow as it slowly dripped into a glass vial. Once finished, Zelda gave him a vial of liquid luminescence before he could even ask, which he immediately pocketed.
The frogs they had both captured during their trip to Rito Village were now safely introduced to their pond, none the worse for their stint in stasis within the Sheikah Slate. They seemed quite pleased with their new home, despite the occasional presence of a wandering canine that decided to take a swim.
Zelda hoped that they would spawn soon; she had plans to start a cross-breeding programme. Though, according to Link, she wouldn't get hybrids if she kept watching them.
"I don't think they appreciate an audience," he said as he watched her crouched over the pond.
"Oh, I don't know, I've heard some individuals rather like it," she looked up at him with a guileless grin that didn't fool him for a second.
He didn't grace her with a response to that one, looking scandalised as he covered Toast's ears with his hands and hauled her off inside.
A couple of days later, streamers of bright green and bunting decorated to look like leaves were being hung up between the buildings of Hateno. Farore's Festival was due to start and Link was eager to help out.
The villagers smiled knowingly as they watched the two blonde Hylians that lived further up in the hills pitch in to help the town get ready for the festivities. Farore's Festival was all about celebrating the change from Spring into Summer and so everything was coloured green and gold, to welcome in the rush of fruiting trees, lush foliage, and growth of crops.
It was common knowledge who Link and Zelda were - perhaps one of the worst kept secrets for a century - but the villagers had known Link long before people began to put two and two together so they were usually left alone. However, it was hard not to joke when Farore's Champion was literally right in front of them, leaning from a ladder precariously in order to loop a streamer over a tree branch.
Zelda had even made him wear his Hero of the Wild outfit, which only made it worse.
"You blend in," she remarked, hiding a smirk behind her hand as Link graciously accepted a circlet of weaved leaves made by one of the village children while he sat amidst tangled streamers. Toast had already buried herself in decorations, tired from having played with the youngsters all morning.
[Laugh it up now, Zelda] Link warned, after he had adjusted the circlet onto his head. [I may be associated with Farore, but you are both Nayru and Hylia.]
Zelda choked mid-laughter, her amusement turning to dread as she predicted all the teasing she would have to endure for not just one, but twofestivals. She hoped that everyone in the village would go easy on her, and continue to act as if she wasn't a former Princess and a Goddesses direct descendant, but she doubted their restraint would hold entirely.
Over all, the people of Hateno had given both Link and Zelda a lot of space in the months following Ganon's elimination. While neither of them had ever mentioned their involvement in the battle, most of the people they met seemed to have figured it out for themselves. The rumour surrounding Link's identity prior to Zelda's appearance had already given the villagers a head start and word simply travelled from there. Yet, they had been left alone for the most part. Apparently, the people of Hateno had decided that they had earned the right to be left in peace and when the Princess had made absolutely no moves whatsoever to take back her throne, the village had relaxed. In a secluded village like this, the people within it did not like being introduced to change. Something that would have been inevitable if the Monarchy was reinstated, so her decision not to do so enamoured her to the villagers very quickly.
It took an entire day to get the village decorated completely and once the last lantern was lit, everyone gathered in the village pub to enjoy some drinks before they turned in for the night.
Zelda seated herself at a small table, with Toast curled up on her lap, next to a larger table that had Bolson and Karson chatting to the Innkeeper. A nudge at her shoulder alerted her to Link's presence who he handed her a cup of amber liquid before pulling out a chair for himself.
Eyeing the cup with hesitation, she noticed that Link had already taken a big gulp while he surveyed the room looking content, but given the hour and the revelry around her she doubted the drink was simply apple juice. She had never had alcohol before. While it was technically allowed for her to have a glass of wine with dinner or at special functions, she had been advised against it as it dulled the mind. Which was considered counter-productive to her goal of unlocking her sealing powers.
"Link, am I allowed to drink this?"
Blue eyes focused on her, even in the dim light of the tavern.
[Why wouldn't you be? You're over seventeen and it's just cider] Link signed, expression conveying confusion over her hesitation.
Zelda placed her cup on the table with a tap as she stared ahead of her.
"I am seventeen. I don't feel seventeen," she admitted, taking a small sip and despite the faint amount of alcohol, it was mostly sweet with a hint of spices.
It was nice.
Her passing of the landmark age had been shadowed by the rising of the Calamity, so all of the traditional social events that came with reaching such an age had never happened. But, if anything she felt older after everything she had been through.
[Me neither] Link replied before taking another sip from his cup and Zelda levelled him with a stare.
"That's because you're not. You were already a year older than me and now because of the amount of time I spent in stasis inside the Castle, you aged another year that I didn't. So, while I'm only just about to become eighteen, you're nearly twenty. Speaking of," she eyed him over the rim of her own cup, speaking in a low voice, "your birthday is tomorrow."
Link draped himself against the table top, resting his head against his forearm, and smiled.
[You remembered]
"I'm not the one with a memory problem," Zelda pointed out, wiggling a finger at him while she took another drink.
[Still, you found my birth date a few months ago. I completely forgot what the current time of year was]
"Yes, well, thank fully your birthday is rather easy to remember," she stared rather pointedly at Link's green tunic, even leaning over to flick the tapered end of his hat.
He grunted, reproachfully.
"So?" Zelda prompted, gesturing with her cup towards him, "what do you want to do?"
Link lowered his head to the table, his face nearly disappearing as he folded arms around his face, but she could still see one bright blue eye looking up at her.
"Is staying in bed all day an option?"
She laughed at his simple request muffled into the table.
"If that's what you want to do, of course you can, you dork."
The following morning saw the start of Farore's Festival, with the farmers rising early to spruce up their crops and the bakery wafting a smell of apple pies across the whole village. Link was now officially twenty years old, but had so far not been woken up by the scent of freshly baked goods. He did wake up later in the morning, however, to the smell of pancakes being brought up to bed.
"Morning," Zelda greeted with a kiss to his forehead.
A sudden weight was deposited onto his chest and before he could identify it, he was startled by a wet nose investigating his ear and then a tongue licking his cheek. He could hear Zelda laughing as he rubbed at his face and sat himself up to find Toast now milling about on their bed, sniffing at their bedding.
"Happy birthday!"
The day was spent not really doing much of anything. They laid in bed, flicking through photos that had been taken on the Sheikah Slate before Link had reunited with Zelda and talking about the events that had led up to them. Or followed them.
Link was surprised when, later in the day, Zelda handed him another box alongside the one that Paya had given him. He pointed to it in questioning silence only for Zelda to respond by pointing at herself.
"Did you really think I wouldn't get you something?"
Opening the box from Paya first revealed a small, slim dagger in a moulded leather sheath that had Sheikah patterns along it's surface. The hilt appeared to be made of carved wood that had been varnished to resist weathering. It was very beautiful and very easy to hide under clothing if one ever wanted to be armed with it being obvious.
The note attached to the hilt explained that it was more of an ornamental piece rather than a functional one but it could still do damage if one knew how to use it properly. Within the Sheikah culture, the passing of each decade in someone's life was a milestone and Impa had mentioned that before Link's appointment to the Princess he had undergone training in the Sheikah arts. Therefore, Paya had it on good authority that Link knew exactly how to use the dagger and would respect it's significance.
The sheathed dagger was immediately placed on the bedside table, where he could always see it should he have need of it, and made a mental note to find out Paya's birthday.
Link opened Zelda's gift next, which was much wider, but flatter than Paya's. Zelda was oddly still, obviously trying not to let her excitement or nerves show as Link untied the ribbon around the box and lifted the lid.
Inside was a leather bound collection of papers, fastened together by a loop of twine around a button on the front.
Tilting his head to one side, he lifted the book out of the box and the light coming in through the window caught the embellishing written across the front.
Silvis.
Link stared at the word on the cover and then looked up at Zelda, who was now barely containing herself as she gestured for him to open it up and look.
Silvis, his family name.
The first page was one he had already seen; his personal record from time served under the flag of the Hylian Guard, detailing his immediate lineage, training completed, and any injuries suffered. But the next page and all the pages after were ones he had never seen and never knew still existed.
He stared down at the record for Damien Silvis, his father, and scanned down the list of accomplishments he had achieved in his time. Rising up the ranks until he was a Captain of the Royal Guard and then later stepping down to become an instructor. The date of that decision coincided with a dated addendum to the names in his immediate lineage; Link Silvis, son.
He remembered this, he remembered his mother telling him stories of his father Captaining the Guard but chosing to step back and let another take his place so that he could spend more time at home after Link was born.
Quickly turning the page again he saw a collection of entries that looked like the manuscript of a meeting. What the meeting was about Link didn't find out because a name had caught his attention on the page. One of the people in the meeting had been his mother, Lucinda Silvis. She had been a translator for the ambassadors of the Hylian court – which was how she had met Link's father, and why he had history in Zora's Domain. Here he couldn't tell if she was speaking for herself or translating for someone else but still, here was evidence of something she had done, something completely unrelated to him. She had been a person, outside the confines of his patchy memories.
The more he read, the more he started to remember her voice.
He hadn't even noticed he was crying until he felt Zelda snuggle up next to him.
"I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to make you cry on your birthday," she murmured, cinching her arms around his waist. "I sent a transcribed copy to Aryll as well. I hope you don't mind, I just thought she might find it interesting too."
He huffed a laugh, "they're happy tears, Zel, and of course I don't mind. Thank you. I love you so much."
Link continued to read through the bound assorted histories of his family, well into the night, recalling more and more about them the further he went. Apparently, he had come from a long line of knights, which had prompted some of Link's fellow trainees to tease him a little, but his father had earned the highest rank thus far.
For some reason, Link didn't think his status as an Appointed Knight counted, given the circumstances. Regardless, he hoped that his family would have been proud of who he had become.
It wasn't until the Festival was almost over when Link finally received a reply from Robbie, which Zelda was not allowed to see for whatever reason. Not that she had a habit of reading his mail.
He teleported for Akkala Tech lab almost immediately and stayed there for the next two days before coming back to Hateno looking pleased with himself. Zelda had assumed the visit was for some prosthetic upgrades, but nothing about his arm seemed different when he returned aside from the mesh on the inside of his elbow, which had been replaced. Perhaps some of the scuff marks had been removed too. Was it shinier perhaps?
He wouldn't tell her what had him in such a good mood either, no matter how much she pried, spending his time reading another compendium rescued from the Castle instead. He had been reading a lot of those lately.
If it weren't for the fact that he was so obviously keeping a secret, Zelda would have been more engaged with his new hobby. Still, she trusted it wasn't anything to be worried about by how high his spirits were.
She would let him have this and instead began leaving random collective works about the house for him to find.
Thank fully for Link, Zelda discovered something about the Sheikah Slate upon his return that thoroughly distracted her from his 'secret' plans.
After cooking a large amount of food – mostly out of boredom – Link decided to share what he had made in the village tavern and then stored what remained within the Slate. Some time later, he produced a meat skewer as a snack to eat while he lay in the grass beside Zelda, who was updating her research notes.
"Link, when you store cooked food, is it still hot when you take it out?" She asked, eyeing the skewer that he was devouring with alarming speed.
Link's gaze went from the clear, blue sky above him to the now completely bare skewer that he had pulled out of his mouth. He blinked, realising that he had made that skewer hours previously and that normally it should have been cold by now. But the meat had still been as hot as if he had only just cooked it.
"Yeah, it does. Huh, I'd never thought about it."
He looked back up at Zelda to offer her a skewer but her eyes were wide with excitement, eyes practically shining. Wait, was she actually glowing?
"Do you know what this means?"
"No, but you're going to tell me anyway," Link grinned, and was proved right within the next breath.
"The Sheikah Slate can store energy. Do you have any idea how versatile that could be if we can harness that same ability?"
He could imagine a few things off the top of his head but no doubt Zelda was probably miles ahead of him. She was looking a little dazed.
"What if it can convert energy, from one type into another, without any loss in-between?"
Link put another skewer in his mouth and left her to it, happily listening to her ramble and jotting down notes at her behest as she fired off on all cylinders. He could do this for the rest of his life.
He planned to.
It was a good thing Zelda now had a new project to work on and put all of her attention into, because it meant that the small pouch Link had brought back from Robbie's could now be hidden safely in Link's pack without catching her eye.
It was now just a question of when.
Their allotted time for a rest came to an end when Link and Zelda woke up one day and simultaneously announced that they had both run out of things to do. Any projects they still had left were long term and therefore they could not justify starting them when they still had this last part of their quest to complete.
The herb garden had been seeded, the propagated magical plants were establishing themselves in individual pots, they had been keeping up with their sparring every morning, and Link had visited Purah for regular check ups on his mechanical arm.
The diminutive Sheikah Researcher had been impressed with the emergency maintenance that Zelda had completed while they were in Gerudo. She became nearly manic when she heard about the Sheikah Slate's ability to store energy, but not nearly as excited as when she caught sight of their new family member.
Toast had trotted after Link and Zelda as they left the Tech Lab sporting a fancy new bandanna around her fluffy neck, emblazoned with the Sheikah Eye.
But the two Hylians could not put off returning to the Great Plateau any longer.
While Zelda ran through the Slates inventory, Link retrieved their puppy from under the dining table – along with her new accessory - and headed for Bolson's house across the bridge. He'd watched Toast before and the man seemed to have enjoyed the pup's exuberant nature, if the time he had spent on the constructed dog-bed was any indication. Now that Toast responded to commands, he should have an even easier time of it.
Link knocked on his door.
"Helloooo?" Bolson called out before he opened the door to see Link standing there with the Hylian Retriever pup held in his arms like a baby. "Dog sitting duty?"
"Please," Link said, relieved he didn't have to explain any further than that as he handed over their dog. Again. "It's just for a couple of days."
One day, he would be able to enjoy Toast's presence uninterrupted. Soon.
"Sure thing, just let me know when you want the little blossom back, ok?"
Link wasn't sure when Toast had earned the nickname 'little blossom' but the construction boss had already started scratching behind the dogs ears and making odd noises at her.
"Who's a fashionable girl now? Where did you get this, it looks so good on you."
Link decided to just leave them to it.
Returning home, he received a resolute nod from Zelda to confirm that they had everything they needed. Link picked up the Master Sword, where it lay within it's sheath on the dining room table, and strapped it to his back, tightening the buckle up across his chest. He took a breath to ready himself and then joined Zelda in holding the Sheikah Slate and tapping on the icon for the Shrine of Resurrection.
The inside of the Shrine had not changed much since Link had woken up in it over a year ago. The only additions being the One-Hit Obliterator hovering over it's cradle and the korok that had taken up residence in the healing pod. Oddly enough, Link noticed that the korok was currently missing.
Wonder where it went.
As Zelda followed him into the chamber, Link turned his attention to the pedestal in the room. He placed the Sheikah Slate into it's holder and waited for it to be authenticated. The Slate glowed to confirm activation and then the room was sealed shut as stone blocks dropped down to close off the entrance.
Descending. Please be aware of tremors, the Sheikah Slate chimed.
"Excuse me?!" Zelda demanded, bewildered as she stared at the Slate as if it had offended her while Link eyed the closed door with concern.
No more than a second later, the room they stood in, the place that Link had been asleep in for one hundred years, moved. The entire chamber reverberated as stone ground against stone for a moment before smoothly lowering down into the earth.
Both Hylians shared a look of complete shock. Neither of them had been expecting the Shrine of Resurrection to be an opening for something else hidden underground. There had been no mention of such a place in the Prophecy – which had not amounted to a lot in the end – and there were no records describing that a place had ever been built.
Their steady descent reminded them of the platforms that lowered them into the puzzle rooms of the Shrines dotted about the Kingdom, only this one had to be huge.
"See?" Zelda said, prompting Link to look at her, "this is why accurately detailed records are not only necessary but vital. Imagine how much easier this would have been had we known all this a century ago."
Link smiled at her, it was always pleasing to see her be animated about her interests, even in their current situation. Especially when those interests had once been so dismissively brushed aside.
The stone door retreated back up into the ceiling, allowing them to walk onto what remained of the platform outside to see walls of stone pass by them as they continued to move down. There were patterns and inscriptions highlighted in blue on the walls, streaming past them illegibly. They had been going down for a while now.
An open archway was approaching below them, Link turned to point it out to Zelda only to watch as she was teleported away in a whirlwind of glowing particles.
Oh, right, Link thought, a feeling of disappointment welling up inside him. I have to do these alone.
He watched the last fragments of blue light float away as the chamber came to a stop before the opening. Looking through the entrance into this new challenge set before him, Link saw that despite being a long way underground, this place was well lit. The atmosphere appeared as if sunlight were shining down through a canopy of leaves, casting a pale green tint onto the floor below.
While Link took his first steps forward to stride into this last Trial, Zelda was re-materialised next to an altar that contained the last Sheikah Monk in Hyrule.
While this room was laid out similarly to the other Monk chambers she had encountered, the place she was currently standing in was more spacious. There was only one solid wall, behind her, and the others all opened out to scenes that looked like the sides of mountains bathed in sunlight and fog. But they were far beneath the ground and that was impossible.
Illusions were once a speciality of the Sheikah
Using such magic, it is easy to trick the mind
Zelda attention quickly focused onto the Monk sat in front of her, his wide brimmed hat obscuring most of his facial features. What was not covered by the hat was hidden behind a piece of square cloth that had the Sheikah eye painted on in red, but she did not need to see a face. The voice that she had heard was familiar enough to identify him.
"I take it, you are Maz Koshia. The one who has been guiding us?"
That I am, I have waited a long time
while my abilities allow me to see past this place
I, myself, must remain here
You have questions
It was a statement, rather than a query, and Zelda had to remind herself that these Monks had natural telepathy and could easily sense her surface emotions. Currently she felt apprehension, for Link, but also curiosity for this was something new and Maz Koshia seemed to know much. Stating that she had questions was a logical, and correct, assumption.
"Why did you summon us here? If it was just to bring attention to the spirits of the Champions that still needed to be freed, why are you still making Link go through this? He already proved himself with the first Trial you set him and he has reclaimed all of the Divine Beasts. Not to mention all of the completed Shrines across Hyrule. Ganon is gone, is he not?"
Yes, the being known as Ganon has been destroyed, now and forever
but I must ensure that the Kingdom will be kept safe for years to come
"This is a test, to make sure that we- Link can prepare others to protect this place after him. With Ganon gone there's nothing left for us to fight," Zelda had an idea of where this was going and a feeling of encouragement graced her mind from the Sheikah Monk. "You want us to become wards of the Kingdom. Guardians. To ensure that the following generations will also take care of this land once we are gone... because it won't see people like us again. So, it is true … What I felt in Ganon's last moments; he used everything he had. Not to claim Hyrule but to take it away from us."
For this answer, you must understand truly what Ganon is
Ganon as you know him is a malevolent force that wishes to destroy Hyrule
It's origin is not so simple.
The Monk shared an image with Zelda through their psychic connection, an image of a colossal humanoid figure, fanged, with skin the colour of charcoal. The being's hair flickered and swayed as if it were on fire. It took her a moment to realise that it was fire, that flames were burning at the top of this entities head and over it's shoulders. The skin nearest the scorching flames had become flaky and white like ash, as if burnt by the flickering heat. The being also wielded a vicious looking great blade.
Demise, the Demon King, a God of his domain
As he appeared before Hylia when he tried to take the surface world
Zelda knew this legend, had spoken to Link of it already on their journey. Demise had been vanquished, but so too had Hylia and she was reborn on the mortal plane. Zelda's very first ancestor.
The Demon King was sealed away but never truly destroyed
He never has been, through every Era, Demise has never been killed
Only defeated
"How is that possible?" She asked, aghast, but the gears were turning and she was starting to see as more of Maz Koshia's story bled over into her own understanding.
Demise spirit could never return to his original form
So, he inhabited another, one influenced to fit his needs
one who shared his ambitions
One who wished for Power
Power that Demise could provide
"Ganondorf..." Zelda whispered, the legends she was told as a child by her mother coming back to her. "The Gerudo King. Demise targetted him, like a vessel?"
Yes, but when faced with destruction, Demise and Ganondorf
simply became Ganon, a single entity, consumed by malice
Rising again and again, to seize Hyrule
"Show me."
Immediately, images and snippets of sound rushed past her, obscuring the altar room from view as they coalesced before her eyes. Having the entire history of events surrounding Demise also meant seeing the history of the Triforce. It left Zelda reeling.
This was the ability that her ancestors has displayed, the ability to see into different times linked through the Sword of Evil's Bane. Except, they only ever experienced visions once or twice throughout their whole lifetime, some never saw anything. Zelda seemed to be witnessing everything all at once.
Floating islands above a blanket of clouds. A sea of monsters spewing out from the cracked earth like ants. A blue-eyed wolf howling a tune into the sky as a shadow watched on. A giant beast with huge tusks charging down a room. Huge flowers and towering blades of grass casting shadows over a tiny figure wielding a sword. A colossal scaled creature with a gaping maw bursting up through the ground. An ocean stretching on for as far as the eye could see. Two children in a garden looking through a window of a castle at a kneeling man. A disintegrating Kingdom bathed in shadow that mirrored one made of light.
In each one there was a blonde, blue-eyed boy adorned in green that met a Princess who pointed him in the direction he needed to go.
Zelda knew those eyes.
The visions stopped and the altar room came back into view, with Maz Koshia still sat inside the cage of light, completely still.
It is important that you realise what this Kingdom has already seen
And that your actions in this time have ensured that Demise will never rise again
But he is not Hyrule's only foe
There will always be a darkness cast in the wake of light in this world
Now, you must prepare it for a future that is still to come
The presence of Maz Koshia receded from Zelda's mind, sensing that she was more than a little overwhelmed. Still, she was handling all of this information well. Hyrule was in good hands.
Zelda was left to parse through all this new information at her own pace, which was admittedly rather fast, and she had several reactions in response to it all. A part of her was overjoyed at having so much information, which she was itching to write down, so that she could preserve it for years to come. She was also relieved to know that Ganon would not be returning. Her senses had been correct. Ganon – Demise – had used all of his remaining life force in order to try and lay waste to the Kingdom as a beast, sacrificing any potential future reincarnations for one last attempt
All or nothing. He had failed.
The parting words of warning of other potential threats to the Kingdom were concerning, but she had already begun the task of ensuring this Kingdom would not be left uninformed again. She would make sure of it.
However, there was a more desperate part of her that could not move past the fact that each Hero from every Era that she had been shown all looked so much like her own. Previously, she had assumed that the Hero described in the tales was just a person who fit the role because they had all the necessary qualities. But the implications of what Maz Koshia had shared with her made her wonder and her working theory made her feel a little nauseous too.
They all had the same eyes. Eyes were a window to the soul.
A soul that was only ever birthed into this world in order to battle a great evil. Tied to the re-emergence of the same entity that became more desperate and bitter with every new attempt to take over Hyrule. A soul that would always be forced to go through great hardship and suffering on account of the Kingdom, and all who lived within it, because of events that happened in a forgotten time. A soul that had no choice in the matter, and yet, because of the virtues held within that soul, the Hero would always appear to answer the call willingly.
Zelda couldn't tell whether she should be angry on his behalf or not.
Oh, if only she had known this a century before, they could both have been so petty together behind closed doors.
Regardless, she decided that she would discuss her findings with Link, to see if anything she told him rang a bell or instilled a feeling he could not quite explain. It was doubtful that anything would strike a chord, as no other Hero had ever hinted at any prior knowledge before his calling but then again, information on the Hero had always been lacking.
A sudden sound behind her distracted her from her musings and she turned around.
The central gear inset into the one solid wall of stone began to rotate, forcing the wall apart into two pieces. Once the wall had opened up fully, the Hero of this Era walked through, looking more grimly determined than after any other Shrine he had been through. From what she could see of the room behind Link, it looked more like a long forgotten temple rather than a Shrine buried deep below the surface. It was a sight to behold.
Link approached Maz Koshia and tapped on the box of light surrounding the Monk. The blue bars rippled with the action and then glowed with a glaring intensity before bursting outwards, sending shards of blue off in every direction as they dissipated into the air.
You have proven to possess the power
of a true Hero
Zelda breathed a sigh of relief. They had done it, the final Shrine had been completed and now Maz Koshia would be released to join his fellow Monks in eternal peace. They could go back home safe in the knowledge that their destiny had been fulfilled and that this Kingdom would be left undisturbed for the foreseeable future.
Maz Koshia's fist clenched.
In the name of Goddess Hylia...
Zelda's peace was short lived as she saw Link immediately drop into a battle ready stance. The aged Monk stood up from his lotus position upon the altar and placed his hands in front of the painted Sheikah eye that covered his face.
I offer this final Trial!
I wanted to give these two a bit of a break at the start before they tackle the last challenge and I needed time to get some things set up for events that'll happen in the next chapter.
Man, I had to cross-check and double check with my very Zelda savvy friend to ensure I had all that exposition as canon compliant as possible. Phew~
