A/N: With the help of a fantastic beta-reader (Mikure), Chapters 1 to 4 have each undergone as massive re-edit; typos are hopefully all gone, the language has been tidied up and some extra world-building has been included. Chapter One has almost doubled in length. We worked hard on the re-edit, so feel free to check it out :)
Zelda held the Sheikah Slate close to her face, and peered through the scope. A few hundred feet below, perched at the centre of the wide and glistening Lake Akkala, stood the tiny outset village called Tarrey Town. Link and Zelda had set camp at the edge of the eastern battlements of Akkala Citadel, and Link was now perched on the wall with his legs swung out over the precipice of the old stone. He leaned back, hand braced against the cool and mossy cobble, and closed his eyes to focus on the warmth from the sun.
"It's good to see that Tarrey Town is still flourishing," Zelda said, pausing to take a photo. "To think, less than a year ago it was nothing more than a barren island."
"From the ground up," Link said, raising his face towards the sun. "They had to start somewhere."
"Hmm, yes, but a shame they couldn't start here." She motioned ruefully to the Citadel ruins that loomed above them.
Although the Calamity had taken the inhabitants and structural integrity of Akkala Citadel, it seemed time had claimed the rest. A century of the battering winds, endless rain, and raging thunderstorms in Akkala had weathered away much of the stone, giving it a shapeless, spongy texture. Moss covered the remaining relics of the Citadel's defence, rendering them rusted and useless. And not far from where Link and Zelda sat, at the base of Akkala Tower, great swaths of Malice clung to the Citadel's Peak as a persistent reminder of the massacre that occurred there.
They had been on the road for less than a week, but already Link felt more at ease than he had during their entire stay in Kakariko Village. They had spent a week within the Sheikah village, under the gloomy skies and increasingly dark and frigid nights. The day after their reprieve at the Ha Dahamar Shrine, Zelda spoke with Link as she had promised. They walked together to the forest in the western hills that surrounded Kakariko, and in the low light of the Great Fairy Fountain, and the soft glow of the Blue Nightshades and Silent Princesses, she found the strength to unburden her thoughts and fears. Her words echoed that which Impa had already told Link - that Zelda's happiness had seemed to wither to dust, along with near everything else she felt, but that she was determined to press on somehow.
Determination or no, the sweeping sadness that had overtaken her was not leaving without a fight. Almost every night that week, Link had awoken to find her crying quietly in the bed next to his in Ollie's Inn. He would speak her name softly, and ask if she was okay. And each time she would apologise, and he would hear no more. By day the Princess spoke little, and wandered listlessly between the inn and Impa's house. By night she hardly ate, and often retired as soon as night fell. If Link was to be honest with himself, seeing her like this had begun to make him sick. Even the weather seemed to be contributing to his unease; the heavy clouds above began to bear down on his spirit, making him sullen and sour. By the end of the week Link was half-convinced that he was doomed the spend the rest of his life sulking.
It was Lady Impa - sensing the gloom in them both - who suggested Zelda and Link travel away from Kakariko on a short, and specific mission. Sanctuary though it may be, she told them, perhaps Kakariko carried too many memories to be their place of healing. Taking inspiration from their escapades in Zora's Domain, the old Sheikah suggested that they induct a suitable candidate to pilot Vah Ruta.
"You can't be serious," Zelda had protested. "Vah Ruta may no longer be within Ganon's clutches, but she is still dangerous."
"It is the quickest way to appease the Zora," Impa countered. "Return to them the autonomy of their Divine Beast, and you will strengthen your ties to them immeasurably."
Impa motioned to the Sheikah Slate, still hanging from Zelda's belt. "The Slate gives you total control, regardless of the pilot. That will be your safeguard."
Impa had also suggested the pair utilise their newfound ability to destroy more of the remaining Malice. After some collective brainstorming over their map, Link and Zelda identified Akkala Citadel as the next major site of corruption. As they planned their route through northern Hyrule - starting from Kakariko, travelling north to Akkala and Robbie's Ancient Tech Lab, and then south through Zora's Domain towards Hateno - Link saw Zelda's spirits lift once again.
As a gift for the road, Paya had given Link and Zelda two traditional Sheikah robes to protect them from the autumn chill. The robes were warm, but breathable and light - certainly more suitable than the snowquill coat Link had picked up in Rito Village some months before. Zelda had taken a liking to hers immediately, trading her bright blue royal blouse for the wide-collared white and red robe and accompanying navy obi.
Their travels were easy going. The route north took them around the Lanayru Wetlands for the third time in almost as many months, and the trade routes that snaked from Lanaryu to Akkala were well maintained, on account of the frequent shipments of ore and stone carried down from Eldin by the Gorons.
Seeing the familiar scenery of southern Akkala rush by reminded Link of his previous adventures in the region. On his first trip to Akkala Citadel Ruins since awakening Link had not dwelled long. The ruins were patrolled by a garrison of Guardian Skywatchers and inhabited by a band of bokoblins, who had been corrupted and enhanced by their proximity to the seeping Malice. But the Skywatchers had all fallen from the sky the day they had sealed Calamity Ganon away, and not long after that many of the foul monsters seemed to die off as well. Link could count on one hand the number he had seen since that day. Perpetual resurrection by Calamity Ganon appeared to have rendered them too reliant on the beast for survival. Now that his essence was gone from Hyrule, it seemed that their tie to the land was severed as well.
Now though, their survey of Akkala Citadel could be carried out in peace. The inhabitants of Akkala - few that they were - must have understood well just how ruined the Citadel was. Link had seen no tourists or curious travellers during his first visit, and had yet to see any that afternoon. Still, he fell comfortably into his old habits and kept watch while Zelda paced through the ruins, her Sheikah Slate in hand to take note of her observations.
An hour into their inspection, a long call that seemed to soar through the cool afternoon air startled them from their solitude. Link spun sharply, and saw that a hundred feet above them was a Hylian man. The stranger stood atop the winding stone stairs that circled the outer edges of the Citadel, a few flights above the eastern battlements.
"Travellers!" he called out, and began to jog down the stairs. Link positioned himself between the Princess and the Hylian, ready to reach for his sword if the need arose. He quickly evaluated the newcomer: the man wore a faded Hylian soldier tunic, the fabric tattered and frayed, with the crimson crest faded to a dull orange. He was armed with little more than a traveller's sword and shield, and Link noted with some relief that he carried nothing in the form of a sickle.
"'Name's Nell," the man introduced himself, once he reached them. "Didn't meant to startle you, I just don't see travellers here very often. Did you find the new bridge manageable?"
The once-ruined citadel bridge had been repaired with a crude rope bridge, a precarious new addition to the area since Link's last trip. 'Manageable' was not quite the word Link would have used.
"I camped at that ruined bridge for nearly a year, bolstering my courage to try to cross." Nell went on. "D'you know the story of this place?"
No but Zelda probably-
"I don't, actually," Zelda replied, tone subdued. "What happened here?"
With a earnest voice, Nell began his tale. According to the young man, Akkala Citadel was the last stand of Hyrule. When the Calamity struck, Hyrule's army was overcome with a threat they could never have prepared for: the possessed guardians, the corrupted Divine Beasts, and an army of monsters. With the fall of Hyrule Castle and Castle Town, the remaining Hylian Knights fell back to Akkala Citadel.
"This place was built to protect Akkala. To protect Hyrule. You can see it in the sheer enormity of the structure - this was a fortress, unassailable and impenetrable," Nell explained. "But the Citadel was never built with the Guardians in mind - nothing in Hyrule was. It fell within hours, and so to did the remnants of the Knight order."
Retelling the story seemed to sober Nell. As he related the events of the past, he gazed solemnly up at the fortress walls, as if looking beyond and reliving the massacre. After a reverent pause, Nell shook himself free of his musings. Rubbing the frayed tendrils of his soldier's tunic between a thumb and forefinger, his voice sounding like it could break, he concluded his tale. "This tunic belonged to kin of mine. A great uncle. It was not the one he fell in, no, but it was his all the same. I came to pay him my respects - and I suppose I've done that now." He inclined his head with respect towards the fallen citadel, lost to his thoughts once more.
Both Zelda and Link shuddered to look upon the fortress, and the massacre that it represented. Beside him, Link saw that Zelda had wrapped her arms around herself, and that tears were beginning to roll down her cheeks.
"You all right there, miss?" Nell asked. His words seemed to startle her.
"Oh - I just - your story," she hurriedly dabbed away the tears. "It was very moving."
"Well, you can find me down in Tarrey Town later if you wanted to trade tales." Nell seemed to sense her sorrow, and stepped politely out of their way. "I better be off, or I won't reach it before nightfall. Thanks for listening."
Zelda nodded wordlessly, and Link hurried them both away from the man. There was nothing more to do for her than to offer his arm, and escort her up the winding stone stairs to the peak of the Citadel. Link felt uncomfortable prodding her with questions;if she wanted to talk, she would talk. Regardless, the cause of her pain was clear: another place lost to ruin, another few hundred Hylians sacrificed, and from her perspective, all of it entirely her fault.
As they climbed the Citadel, the tragedy of the place began to sink in for Link as well. This was where they died...the last of his brothers from the Hylian Academy. Their names were lost now, but their faces haunted him still. Youths just like him, with long ears and wide, naive eyes. Golden Boy, they'd called him. They'd ruffle his long hair, and tease him for his short stature. You'll catch up, Small Fry, one day. But when he was chosen by the Sword, they had all bowed. And when the Calamity struck, they had all fallen. I'm the last one, he reflected as they approached the peak. I'm the last knight of Hyrule.
Link and Zelda stood at the edge of the Citadel Peak, flanked by the gruesome pools of Malice that almost completely covered the top of the ruins. They had made camp under the only enclosed space on the peak, and their next step was to rid the area of the corruption that still clung to it. They did not have much longer; dusk was approaching, as well as another Akkala rainstorm. They needed time to bunker down and light a fire before the night chill set in. Zelda was re-tying her obi, adjusting the robe so that it was wrapped tighter around her torso.
"Do you think you're ready?" Link asked her, noticing the way her hands fidgeted tensely about the fabric.
"Do you?" She countered.
Link instinctively raised his right hand to the hilt of his sword. What do you think, he asked it. Are we ready?
No reply came, and Zelda was looking at him expectantly. Link glanced at the dark clouds above, and drew the Sword. "Let's find out," he said.
As with the two times previously that they had performed the ritual, Link drew his sword and held it with the blade pointing downwards. He offered the hilt to Zelda, and she wrapped her hands around it, her fingers partially interlaced with his.
Kass' song - and the words the Rito bard had recited - returned to Link as he waited for the Princess to begin the ritual. The Hero - and the Princess - hand in hand….
Link had not stopped to contemplate the rest of the lyrics; the ones that told of the Princess's apparent love for her Knight, and how this love had awoken her powers. The truth of these words seemed just like everything else Link and Zelda once possessed; lost to time and relegated to little more than legend. Before him, the Princess - the real Princess - had closed her eyes and was focusing on the sword. Link followed suit, trying to focus his wayward mind.
He focused his attention on the winged crossguard of his sword, reflecting on the days just before it had chosen him. He was just a newly-minted knight, his first Hinox kill under his belt. The others, now nameless and near faceless, had patted him on his back and ruffled his hair upon his return, the Hinox guts and other foul finds tied to a bag on his saddle. Small Fry's come back, one of them teased. The Golden Boy's done it, joked another. And then, his memory shifting like sands, he recalled standing in the throne room and bowing before the King. You are the youngest to achieve your title, came the booming voice. And for your dedication you will travel north, where the real test of your courage will begin….
Link could feel the blazing heat from their combined powers, though it did not burn him. Unable to resist, he opened his eyes to look upon the radiant light that surrounded them, and the enormous sphere of power that would soon envelop all of Akkala Citadel. In front of him, Zelda's face was strained as she concentrated, and tears were falling heavy from her eyes. Her hands were gripping the hilt so tightly that her knuckles were white and her nails were beginning to dig into his skin. He tried to call out to her, but he could not move, let alone speak.
Just focus on the Sword, he thought, and closed his eyes again. The blaze around them intensified until it was raging and almost too much to bear. However, this time the power felt...off. Unstable, and frantic; he could sense it. Focus, he told himself. Focus!
The sword, the voice, the song; Link tried to collect his thoughts but the volatility that surrounded them kept distracting him. He breathed deeply, reining in his focus to just the movement of the hot air through his lungs. In and out, in and out.
At last, the sphere of light shattered and their work was complete. Link quickly sheathed his sword, and moved forward to catch a staggering Zelda before she fell, remembering the first time she had fainted. Only this time when he caught her, she gasped sharply, and seemed to collapse under her own weight. They fell backwards onto the cobbles and the Princess clung to him, strong fingers clawing at his tunic as she heaved through panting breaths. He tried to lift her to her feet, but she would not - or perhaps could not move. Fighting under her weight, Link struggled to his knees; Zelda was still collapsed against him, but he had managed to get her to sit upright at least.
"Help me," she wheezed, leaning into his chest. "I can't - I can't hold - I can't breathe."
Dumbfounded and overwhelmed, Link could say nothing in reply. He held her as she struggled through more waves of ragged breaths. Her face was red, and her cheeks were streaked with tears. He could feel the racing of her heart.
Her voice was waning, though the gasps did not stop. "I can't breathe, I can't..."
"I-I don't know-" Link said helplessly. Each ragged breath sent a sharp pang of panic through him.
He could not speak. The fear had paralysed him. Desperate, he mouthed a silent prayer, beseeching whoever or whatever could hear him. Help me, please, he begged. I'm going to lose her.
Slicing through the panic and desperation, a voice spoke. Almost too quiet to hear, but with a stunning clarity.
Take her to your camp, Master.
Take her from this place.
Link did not stop to wonder from where the voice came. Summoning his strength, he lifted Zelda off the ground, and carried her back to their camp. He propped her up on her bedroll, against the mossy wall of the enclosed space. Still the heaving gasps continued. He knelt down in front of her.
"What's happening?" he asked aloud. Zelda's head remained bowed, too lost in her struggle to reply.
The ritual has taken a great toll on her, Master.
"Master…?" he breathed. "I don't-"
Find her some water, for when she is ready.
Tell her to focus on you until she is able to calm herself.
Link did as he was bid, scrambling over to find his water skin. He returned to Zelda's side, pushing down his own anxiety, and placed a steadying hand on her shoulder.
"Just focus on me.," he reassured gently. " Focus on feeling calm. I've got water."
Wordlessly, Zelda nodded, hiccuping through another round of spluttering coughs. She gripped his arm, and slowly her breaths lengthened and the heaves ceased. She coughed, and wiped the tears from her eyes.
Taking in a deep steadying breath, she finally spoke, the words falling from her lips. "I think I'm okay."
Link exhaled, bowing his head under the sheer weight of his relief. He would hug her if he knew it wouldn't hurt her. Zelda dropped her hand from his arm, laughing weakly.
"Did we manage it?" she asked. Link had not even stopped to check.
"I think so," he nodded.
He stayed at her side as she sipped from his water skin and slowly regained her strength. It wasn't until she eventually drifted off to sleep that he stood and unstrapped the Master Sword, leaving it resting against the mossy wall.
"It was you," he said to it, not quite believing his own words. At first the Sword did not respond, but just as Link settled into his own bedroll, he heard it speak.
The song is felt by those who are worthy of it, Master.
And heard by those who are in need of it.
Link looked over at the Princess; asleep and curled up in her bedroll. She was the picture of peace.
"Thank you," he whispered to the Sword, before closing his eyes to sleep.
Despite the toll it had taken, the ritual had indeed succeeded. The ruins on the peak had been bleached a brilliant white, and the clearing of the corruption had revealed a stairwell leading down into the subterranean heart of the Citadel.
Link had not mustered the courage to broach the events of the previous night. Whatever had happened, their success with the ritual had bolstered her spirits, and she was determined to explore the Citadel depths. Using the Sheikah Slate to illuminate the dark hallways, they descended into the fortress, Zelda leading the way. If there had been Malice underneath the peak, it too had been destroyed. And aside from a few collapsed balconies and doorways, the Citadel was in surprisingly good condition.
They explored a huge underground dining hall. The fighting had not reached this chamber, and the still, stale air that had been sealed underneath the peak had served to preserve the hall. Three rows of long wooden tables ran the length of the room, flanked by low and sturdy-looking benches. Tall candlesticks were scattered along the tables. Tapestries bearing the Hyrulean crest lined the walls, as did various portraits of respected Knights of the Academy. Older men and women, faces lined with age and solemnity...Link examined the portraits, reading the plaques below each portrait in turn. He recognised a few of the faces, but none of the names.
Zelda stood by a portrait of the King at the head of the room. It was an older painting, and the date etched on the plaque showed that it had been painted in the years before either Link or Zelda had been born. The King's hair was an ashen blonde and fell thick to his shoulders, though his face was no less stern than it had been in the days before the Calamity. Zelda reached up and placed a hand on the frame, sighing softly as she looked up at the portrait.
"We avenged you," she told the painting. "I only hope it was enough."
The portrait was flanked by two smaller portraits; on the left a middle-aged man with wide shoulders and ink black hair pulled into a low bun, and on the right an elderly man, dressed in navy-blue robes adorned at the chest with the crest of Hyrule, embroidered in thick red thread. The plaques displayed their titles: Battlemaster Otra and Chief Advisor Voswann, the right and left hands of the King. Link gazed upon the hard face and savvy eyes of the Battlemaster, and felt a now-familiar sense of recollection. Otra of Old Lurelin Village; that was what the plaque read.
"I remember him," Link breathed, stepping closer to the portrait. The Battlemaster had been a friend of his father's. The memory was clear, as though it had never been forgotten. He was sitting by his father at a feast, aged no more than ten. Otra and his father had been telling drunken tales of their exploits, their great belly laughs filling the hall; Link's father patted him on the back, pointed to the dark-haired Battlemaster and said, 'You'll know this man better than I do by the time you're a knight.'
And then it was gone. His father's voice had been so crisp; as if he had been in the room with them, speaking the words directly into Link's ear.
Zelda all but materialised beside him. "I remember him as well," she murmured, finger tracing the edges of Otra's plaque. "He and my father would argue for hours. He never approved of the excavations of the Sheikah technology. All risk and no reward, he said."
More flashes of Link's training came back one after the other; the days in the sparring yard, the bruises that marked his body, the stern but ever calm instruction from Otra himself. Don't rely on your strength alone, boy, he'd chided Link. Use your wits. Keep your focus. You can't hear the song with a clouded mind. And the training was more than just fighting, Link remembered. Otra had taught them to meditate as well. To maintain their calm in the face of any foe, and to approach any challenge with a level mind.
"I remember that he was always late for meetings with Father. He was so often in that training yard," Zelda reminisced.
That was true as well, Link realised. Otra's role as Battlemaster did not mandate that he spend time training the would-be knights, or that he train the knights at all. But Otra had seen them all through, eye to eye and blade to blade. And it was Otra that recommended Link to the King.
"He was a good teacher," Link said as the tide of memories began to recede. Drawing her gaze from Otra's portrait, Zelda appraised him with a warm but bittersweet smile.
"He must have been," she agreed.
On their climb back to the Citadel Peak, Link's mind had been occupied by the vestiges of the new memories. It seemed such a vast and intolerable loss; so much talent and so much vigour was there among the Hylians, and now it was all gone. Rebuilding was not enough. There had to be some way to preserve what once was.
One idea had come to him, however. Otra's words, instructing him to listen for the song; they reminded Link of the way the Master Sword had spoken to him the night before. They had both told him to focus; to keep his calm. To meditate, Link surmised.
"I was thinking," he began once he and Zelda returned to camp. "There's something we could try."
Zelda was busy inspecting the base of Akkala Tower, and the damage the Calamity's corruption had done to the peak.
"Sorry, what did you say?" she asked, putting away her Slate.
"Battlemaster Otra taught all of us how to meditate," Link shrugged, not wanting to sound to committed to his idea. "I thought it might help you."
She squinted at him, her face pensive and taut.
"Help you keep a clear head," Link explained. Zelda pondered the idea, a finger lazily scratching her chin.
"If you say so," she said, her tone more congenial than enthused.
They returned to the east battlements overlooking Tarrey Town, and Zelda sat cross-legged on the mossy cobblestones. Link thought of the Battlemaster's face, and tried to place himself within the memory. Where was I? What did I do? What did I say? Gradually, Otra's teachings resurfaced as though they were instinct.
"Concentrate on your breathing. You can close your eyes. And just…" he paused, trying to remember the exact words. "Accept. And observe. Everything you can hear and feel."
Zelda closed her eyes. Link watched her breathe; the slow and rhythmic rising and falling of her shoulders. He sat down next to her, crossing his legs and mirroring her posture. Taking one last lingering look at the lake below, he closed his eyes.
"Acknowledge any thoughts you have," Link explained. "Good thoughts are observed, and noted - like ducks on the water. Negative thoughts are allowed to pass by, like clouds"
For a few minutes they sat in silence. Link extended his awareness to the sounds behind them, listening for any suspicious sounds - just in case.
Zelda's voice was soft and sweet. "What are you thinking about?"
Link's eyes snapped open. He peered to his left; the Princess had her eyes open, and was gazing down at the water. He wanted to tell her again; the thoughts were meant to be observed, not shared. But Impa's words were on his mind, like a warning told in a fable. Support. That is what she needs.
"Er, well-" Link raised a hand to the back of his neck, and scratched the nape.
"Tell me," Zelda implored.
There was no denying her. "Lunch, actually," he said with a smile. "What game we can find near here. I was going to ask if I could borrow the Slate."
When he looked over, she'd shut her eyes again. "What are you thinking about?" he asked cautiously.
She did not move, and for a second seemed not to hear him. "Home," Zelda said suddenly. "Whatever that means."
"The castle?"
"I suppose so," Zelda agreed. "I can still remember what my room looked like. I can run my hands along the walls, sit at my desk and place each and every thing. My desk, my books, my mother's portrait...all of it."
Link didn't know what to say. He realised he had sat slightly closer to her than he'd thought, and that their knees were touching.
"Do you want to go to Hyrule Castle?" he asked. "I could take you there-"
Her emerald eyes opened and she gave him a familiar, scolding look.
"-I mean, we could go there. Together."
Zelda closed her eyes and smiled. "Yes, I think I'm ready." She returned her focus to her breathing, deep and measured. "I would like that."
They met Nell again at the base of Akkala Citadel. The previously somber man was brimming with excitement when he saw them. He had a Goron and a Hylian in tow, who Link recognized as Greyson and Hudson from Tarrey Town. They exchanged handshakes and pleasantries, with Hudson reporting that his wife Rhondson had given birth to a baby girl.
"A Gerudo girl with red hair," Hudson added. "As we expected."
They soon found the reason behind Nell's renewed enthusiasm. Akkala Citadel had been enveloped in a sphere of golden light just as he had arrived in Tarrey Town, Nell had explained.
"Yup - all of Tarrey Town saw it," the Goron piped up. "Shone brighter than the belly of Death Mountain itself."
"And when it was done, I saw that the Citadel Peak was clear!" Nell exclaimed. "All that corruption - gone! The goddess herself must have willed it."
Link opened his mouth to explain, but could not. What would he say? Would the trio even believe him?
"It must have been a miracle," Zelda chimed in before he could speak. Link caught the corners of her mouth lifting in amusement.
"Let's not waste time, Nell," Hudson urged. "We need to see what's left of the Citadel."
Link and Zelda left the trio to their exploration, and made for the nearby stables to retrieve their horses. It was late afternoon by the time they set off north through the Akkala Highlands towards the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab, but Zelda was determined to make good time. And Link was happy to risk riding at night if it meant expediting their trip. The incident from the night prior had been stewing within him all day. You need to talk to her about it, he told himself. What if it happens again?
The rain was relentless and unceasing. Whether falling in a persistent fine mist or bucketing down as a thunderstorm tore across the sky, there was no escaping it, and the rain seemed to intensity the further north they rode. By the time they reached the mountain pass, Zelda was sniffly with a cold, and Link could feel his own chest tightening and his throat itch as he too began to fall ill. They were both running a low fever, and their provisions were beginning to dwindle. The rain made hunting a chore; Link's own sniffles scaring away game, and the rain in his eyes affecting his aim. By the time he had hunted enough for supper, he was so tired that Zelda had to take over the cooking. Their days were miserable and damp, their meals lean and charred, and their conversations clipped as they tried not to be irritable with each other. Eventually Zelda fell so ill that she shivered in her saddle, even when the sun shone, though her skin was always hot to the touch. They reached the East Akkala Stables in a daze, both still sniffing and coughing. Link awoke the next evening to the terrifying realisation that he had slept for nearly an entire day - though Zelda had not noticed, for she had done the same.
"I don't remember this aspect of travelling," she croaked as they ate supper.
"Me neither," Link murmured. He tried to stretch the soreness from his muscles, but he was too tired and ill for it to have any effect. They passed an hour in a gloomy silence, punctuated by Zelda's soft sniffles.
"I never thanked you," Zelda finally said. She was sipping a from a warm mug of Hyrule Herb tea, and was holding it close to her face. "After what happened on the peak."
Link shifted awkwardly. He had been secretly hoping she'd forgotten all about it. The whole incident had saddled him with feelings and thoughts that he could not parse through.
"I must have frightened you," Zelda continued. Link gave a small, embarrassed nod. He began to search for the words that he wanted to say, but there was too much. The competing thoughts bombarded him. He felt himself begin to shut down; he pushed the thoughts away and let the feelings pass him by. Just like Otra's teachings - let it all float past. This was how he had managed in the before, right? The silent knight, stoic in the face of adversity.
This is not the same, and you know it, he chided himself.
Zelda didn't seem to notice. She spoke of her burden as if he could even begin to understand. "I don't know why it happened. I only know that...that I'm getting stronger. I feel better every day, I do. But sometimes I also feel worse. D-does that make sense?"
Link did not have an answer for her. All he could do was try to search for a solution. A remedy, of any kind. "I think we should go back to Kakariko," he eventually confessed.
"What? No," Zelda protested. "We have work to do."
"I don't know that we're ready," Link admitted. "Not after what happened."
"But we succeeded!"
"What if it gets worse?"
"Worse?"
"What if it kills you, Zelda?" he asked. "I don't know how to protect you from - from this."
"Protect me? Link - I don't need a protector!"
"What about that guardian in the wetlands? Or when you fainted inside Vah Ruta? Or the Yiga in Central Hyrule? What about those times?"
"Is that all I am then? Even after what we've been through?"
Link closed up, and stood from the fire. "I don't know." he said flatly. There were words he could not say. Feelings he could not wrangle into thoughts. I almost lost you, he wanted to tell her. He was sworn to protect her; he was raised as a knight to stand at her side. He was chosen by a sword to wield it in her service. If he lost her, he may just lose himself. The Princess glared at him incredulously, but said nothing. Link walked back into the stables, and collapsed into his bed.
Even in the early hours of the day, with all of Akkala blanketed in fog, the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab buzzed with activity. The ancient flame in its central furnace flickered in the dawn light, and the windmill on the workshop roof spun steadily with the northern sea breeze. From inside the workshop, the whirs of the ancient oven Cherry could be heard. And atop the workshop, hunched over the eyepiece of the enormous telescope that sat on the workshop roof, was the workshop's own director, Robbie. He paused to adjust the telescope's position, and returned to the lens, muttering something under his breath.
"Are you sure we should disturb him?" Zelda asked as they approached. Link ignored her.
"Hoiii!" he called out, waving up to the director. The elderly Sheikah man had not seen them coming, and started from his scope at the noise. The twin eyepieces of his goggles whirred and rotated as he looked down upon them, but soon a great smile spread across his face.
"Champion! Princess!" he cried out, waving with both hands. And then he disappeared into the workshop.
"Jerrin!" Link heard the old man shout. "Wake up, look who it is!"
The workshop door burst open, and Robbie greeted them with open arms. His wife Jerrin waded sleepily over to the door, but her face lit up when she saw them. "I knew you would do it!" the director said as he lead them into the workshop. "We saw Vah Rudania's attack on Hyrule Castle from our front door. I am sure Impa is well pleased."
"She is," Zelda told him. "She had heard of our success."
"Good, good," Robbie said, scratching his chin. "But still work remains. Otherwise you would not be here."
Jerrin extended her hands out to the Princess. "A pleasure to meet you," she beamed, though her words were still a little slurred.
"And you," Zelda nodded. "Are you the director's assistant?"
Robbie and Jerrin exchanged a knowing look. The Sheikah woman giggled. "In work and in life. I'm Jerrin, Robbie's wife."
Zelda seemed taken aback at that. "Oh! But, you work together?"
Jerrin just laughed. "We do," she smiled.
Robbie led them to the workshop roof while Jerrin began preparing breakfast. His telescope was angled towards Akkala Citadel. He explained that he had been examining their work on the Malice that remained from a distance, and that it appeared as though none had returned. Link stepped around the base of the telescope while Robbie detailed his research, running his hand over the large gears and cogs that kept it in position.
"Anything else to report, Robbie?"
"If you came for an update on my research, there is not much to tell you," Robbie confided to Zelda. "Not a single active Guardian has been spotted."
"We haven't seen any either," Zelda remarked. Link peeked through the telescope again, and spotted a pair of dilapidated Guardian Skywatchers at the base of the Citadel. They had been smashed against the rocks, no doubt powering down the minute Calamity Ganon had been sealed away. If the Guardians all deactivated, why is the Malice still present? he wondered.
"But not to worry! My research is not complete, Princess," Robbie assured her. "With Cherry and Jerrin's help - and with the Hyrule Castle library back at our disposal - I will commence work on attempting to reactivate the Guardians."
Link's eyes snapped up from the telescope, and he wheeled around to face Zelda and Robbie. The Princess had been taken aback.
"No!" they cried in unison, startling the old man. For a moment their eyes met, and Link knew they were remembering the same moment. Burning fields all around them. The whirs of the mechanical beasts, possessed with the singular mission to destroy all that they found.
Robbie did not back down, his hands firmly on his hips. "The Calamity is gone. There is no risk."
"There is a risk," Zelda said sternly. "We never learned to control them. We don't know how the Calamity affected them and subverted their original purpose."
"Questions that can be answered through research, Princess! I cannot believe that you of all people would advocate against this."
"I am just trying to protect our kingdom."
"And that is what the Guardians were for!"
"I'm sorry, Robbie. As...as your Princess, I'm ordering you to wait. There are those that remain - Hylians and Zora alike - who remember the Guardians, and remember the destruction they caused. Let me first reclaim Hyrule Castle, and then perhaps we can talk."
The director begrudgingly agreed, though he pointedly urged her not to dawdle. The castle was once thought impenetrable, the director told them, but the Calamity had changed that.
"Just like the Citadel," Link pointed out.
"Yes," Robbie frowned. "Yes, indeed."
Jerrin served them a breakfast of creamy-heart soup ('For the long journey together!' she told them as she dished it up) and Link and Zelda departed south. As they descended the hill towards the East Akkala Stables, they stopped to examine a decayed Guardian, whose gargantuan body was half buried in the ground. It had been active recently, Link remembered. He had sparred with it and dodged its fire more than once. But now it was without power, and its singular beady eye gazed unseeingly, unaffected by their presence. Link placed a hand on its rusted outer shell, tracing one of the decorative swirls that swam across its body. He had killed more of its kind than he could count. He could feel the searing pain on his skin from each time one of them struck him. He could remember the visceral fear and surge of adrenaline that rushed through him each time he had met one. But still, seeing them all lifeless and robbed of their original purpose; it gave him pause, and filled him with sorrow.
Zelda had not wanted to forewarn the Zora of their arrival, or their plan. She wanted to see how the Zora were treating Vah Ruta without the prying eyes of the Champion or the Princess upon them. And she knew from what little time she had spent in their court that there were schemers and squabblers among them, adorned in their proud jewels and perched in their marble seats of the court gallery. Any small advantage was one she was tempted to take, but Impa had cautioned against antagonising the Zora any further.
"You did not part from the Zora with hostility, Zelda, but neither did you part amicably," were her friend's words. Begrudgingly she agreed to send a letter addressed to the King, to inform them of her plan for Vah Ruta and to beseech them to choose a suitable pilot. Someone quick in the water, she had advised. With a strong spirit, and respect for Vah Ruta.
Zelda was not surprised to learn upon their arrival in Zora's Domain that King Dorephan had not selected a candidate. "We have many fast swimmers, truth be told," the King explained from high upon his watery throne. Link and Zelda had arrived early in the day, and so were mercifully able to secure a private audience with just the King and Prince Sidon.
"My concern, Princess," the King continued. "Is the danger Vah Ruta poses. I need not tell you that our Divine Beast killed my daughter, and nearly killed my son as well."
Zelda had to fight down the urge to refute the King's words, and rebuke him for his close-mindedness. Ganon killed your daughter, she could have said. And it was not Vah Ruta that attacked your son. However she had been considering Link's teachings the entire ride from Akkala to Zora's Domain. His outburst at the stables had infuriated her, but each time she wanted to snap at him, she couldn't help but think of his words. Let the negative thoughts pass by, like clouds. To Zelda's surprise the words had resonated with her. Ten years of rigorous prayer and dedication peppered with intermittent attempts at meditation had made her skeptical of any form of mindfulness; after all, it had done little for her in the past. But the world had changed - she had changed. There was no escaping that.
Zelda took a deep breath, and let the wave of frustration pass.
"I understand your concern," she told the Zora King. "I suggest then that Vah Ruta need not be piloted regularly. Myself and Link can induct a pilot, aid them in moving Vah Ruta to a safer location, and then the Zora will only need take control of the Divine Beast in emergency situations."
"Emergency situations?" probed the King.
"You don't mean fighting do you?" Prince Sidon cut in. He was standing by his father, now occupying more the role of the Zora heir than the role of their friend. His face was almost as solemn as his father's, though softened by his youthful exuberance.
Zelda recited the reasons she had memorised, trying her best not to sound rehearsed. "Vah Ruta is an excellent swimmer. Were anything ever to happen to Zora's Domain, she could be used to evacuate your citizens. Or, if moved to the Eastern Reservoir, she could be aid in regulating the water levels in the event of high rainfall season, or a large storm event."
The King nodded slowly as she spoke, though his face gave no indication of his inner thoughts. Zelda waited for a response, and realised she was holding her breath. Link's words were in her ear once more. Focus on your breathing.
"You have clearly thought this through, Princess. All of these benefits would do the Domain well, and would please Lady Mipha to see them realised." The King almost seemed to smile, but then his face hardened. "But I cannot give this responsibility to any one of our subjects."
"Then it is clear," Prince Sidon asserted. "I will pilot Vah Ruta."
"No," the King said firmly. "That cannot happen."
"You read what the Princess sought, Father. A strong swimmer. One who respects Vah Ruta," Sidon argued.
The King swept his arm aside, fins flicking with anger, his sudden frustration indicating that this was not the first time they had argued on the matter. "I will not send another one of my children into that thing!"
Sidon showed no remorse, only placating logic. "Someone must be sent. The Zora must take control. Those who attacked me must have sought to take Vah Ruta for themselves."
King Dorephan scowled darkly. "I have had enough of this, Sidon."
"As have I, Father. The Champion and the Princess come before us with an immense gift, and you shun them out of fear? One hundred years have passed. I may not have known my sister well, but I know she would not have us leave Vah Ruta vulnerable out of fear of being hurt."
"Enough! Go then!" bellowed the King. He sighed and looked towards Link and Zelda. "I apologise that you saw this weakness."
"There is no need," Zelda said. The King bowed his head, and seemed to slump in his throne.
"I will not condone or condemn what I know you will do," the King said. He leaned forward, his voice grave and intense, and his the weight of his gaze bearing down on Zelda. "Just know, Princess. If my son is harmed, the consequences will fall to you."
Vah Ruta had thankfully been left undisturbed. The Divine Beast remained semi-buoyant in the deep lake of her high plateau, her engravings pulsing with a faint cerulean glow. Zelda ran a quick diagnostics with the Sheikah Slate, and determining that Ruta was in good condition, cleared the trio for entry. She teleported to Vah Ruta's travel gate, while Link and Sidon swam across the clear lake towards the Divine Beast. They met in the lofty chamber that housed Ruta's main control unit, the morning sun streaming in through the wide windows that lined the outer walls of the Beast.
For once it seemed that Sidon's normal fervour had been diminished; he turned slowly to observe the extent of the room, his face grave and reverent. There was no ignoring the gravity of where they were; this chamber was ancient, sacred and cursed all at once. And though Link's face was steady as always, Zelda could guess what he must be feeling. She remembered with a twinge of sorrow the time she had found him in here, weeping and wet. No longer a hero, but a boy - a child - grieving for a life he could not even fully recall.
We should not linger here, Zelda decided.
"With me, Sidon," Zelda instructed, her voice reverberating across the high stone walls. "Link, I'll just need you to keep watch."
The knight nodded, and walked to the chamber entrance. Zelda led Sidon over to the main control unit and scanned her Sheikah Slate.
"I'm ready when you are," Sidon smiled down at her, one webbed hand balled into an enthusiastic fist.
Zelda nodded, and turned her attention to the control unit. "Ruta's vital functions and power level can be controlled by the Sheikah Slate from within the structure itself. However actual control over her movements and abilities only requires that you be registered as her pilot."
Zelda shuffled nervously on her feet. "And…," she added with hesitation. "That Ruta accepts you."
As she spoke she felt her voice waver. Before the Calamity, she had aided the original Champions in learning to control their Divine Beasts - but she had never actually piloted one alone. Sidon did not seem to notice.
"Fascinating," he murmured. "To think how ancient this technology is."
"Ancient and unlike anything in all of Hyrule," Zelda agreed. She motioned towards the terminal. "Stand before the control unit, Sidon. The Slate will be used to register you, and we will know if Ruta has accepted you."
Sidon did as he was bid, placing a hand on either side of the terminal. His eyes were fixed on the ornate Eye of the Sheikah at the terminal centre. If he was afraid, he did not show it.
Zelda raised the Sheikah Slate, and tapped through the registration function. It was as quick as taking a photo; the Slate beeped twice and a small note reading Registration Complete appeared at the bottom of the screen. All around them, the chamber was filled with the deafening trumpeting of an elephant. The chamber shook and the low waters around their ankles rippled and splashed. At the entrance, Zelda saw Link reach for his sword and shield. The sound continued, and Vah Ruta shook so violently that they were nearly thrown from their feet.
And then it stopped. The noise and the rumbling ceased. The waters still splashed at Zelda's feet, but otherwise Vah Ruta was still. Apprehensively, Zelda raised the Slate again to check Ruta's vitals.
"Prince Sidon," she said. The Prince eyed her nervously, and stepped slowly away from the terminal. Zelda lowered the Slate and smiled. "Vah Ruta has accepted you. I officially induct you into the role as pilot of Divine Beast Vah Ruta."
The Prince beamed down at her before bowing his head and raising a fist to his heart. "It's an honour, Princess. Let's hope we can do Mipha proud."
It took nearly the rest of the day before Zelda felt they were ready to move Vah Ruta to the Eastern Reservoir. Much like her own abilities, control of Vah Ruta required intuition and experimentation. As the Champions before had discovered, the Beasts were not automatons; somewhere amongst the machinery and stone they seemed to have a soul.
Sidon however did well to allay her fears. His enthusiasm was unmatched, and his purity of spirit was reminiscent of his sister's. He guided Vah Ruta with both firmness and compassion, and by the time the afternoon was waning, he had learned to control her by voice alone. Zelda stepped him through instructing Vah Ruta to move back and forth, to raise or lower her trunk and eventually, to dive and resurface. The Sheikah had built Ruta in such a way that she could be completely sealed from the inside, allowing the Beast to be submerged without damaging her interior (or washing away her pilot, for that matter). Finally, as the western sun began to set, Zelda gave Sidon the clear to submerge Vah Ruta fully, and take her through the dense and sprawling underwater caverns that snaked their way underneath Zora's Domain. The Beast groaned and whirred as each entrance and cavity was covered and sealed with panels of ancient metal and stone. The interior glowing etchings and main control unit provided a dim but serviceable light, and soon the entire structure was shuddering and rocking as they descended into the waters of the plateau.
"How do I know which way to take her?" Sidon asked. He was standing by the main control unit, a hand resting gently on the terminal as if to reassure the Beast that he was there to guide her.
"Ruta should know where to go," Zelda replied. For ten tense minutes they waited inside the dark chamber, listening to the rush of waters around them and the low groaning of Ruta's mechanical body. Zelda stood by the main control unit, inhaling deeply to calm her nerves, while Link maintained his guard at the chamber entrance. Ruta lumbered slowly through the waters, her movements gradual and deliberate. With no view through the thick stone walls, Zelda had no way of telling if she was taking them the correct way. Sidon, however, was determined and calm; he kept his hand on the terminal during their entire voyage through the canals, murmuring encouragement and praise as Ruta made her way through the waters.
"We're almost there," he announced suddenly. "I can feel it."
Sure enough, Vah Ruta soon shuddered to a halt, and Zelda could hear the waters break around them. The Divine Beast roared as she raised herself above the water's surface, and light filled the chamber once the panels that had sealed her were slid open. The trio hurried to the entrance leading to Vah Ruta's travel gate and saw that Sidon had maneuvered her to the docks of Rutela Dam, on the south side of the Eastern Reservoir. The first thing to catch their attention were two Zoran guards, whose silver Zora armor and long fighting spears caught the gleaming light of the setting sun. The guards waved excitedly at them from the docks, cheering in amazement.
"Well, I would say that was a success," Sidon grinned as they waved back at the Guards. He helped Link and Zelda disembark onto the docks, and walked over to the guards with arms outstretched.
"Rilla! Finn! Did you see that?" he called to them before pointing towards Vah Ruta. "What a marvelous Beast we have!"
"And what a marvelous pilot," Zelda added as she caught up to him. The Guards were completely enamoured, and demanded their Prince tell them all about his new skill as Vah Ruta's pilot. Zelda too was swept up in the celebration; she had not expected, or even hoped, that Vah Ruta would take to Sidon as well as she had. Well, he is Mipha's brother, she reminded herself. The Prince happily boasted of his new ability, taking ample time to thank Zelda for her aid, of course.
"What a gift," Rinna beamed. She was a young grey-scaled Zora, with sweet round eyes. The other was Finn, a middle-aged Zora with a weathered face, though his age did not temper his excitement.
"We'll be working under Vah Ruta's shadow from now on, Rilla," he commented to his younger companion. "It will be an honour."
Zelda felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Link, and his face was knotted with concern. He pulled her gently away from the trio of Zora, and muttered, "We need to go."
"What is it?" Zelda said in a low voice. She quickly peered over her shoulder to the Zora; they had not noticed.
He cocked his head, discreetly motioning towards the rocky hills that flanked the docks. "Movement. On both sides."
Zelda tried to subtly crane her neck, scanning the rocks above for any signs of life. At first she saw little more than the rustling of the trees on the outcrop - but then, at the corner of her eye; the glint of a golden weapon, and the flicker of a shadow across the rocks.
"Teleport back to the Domain, we'll catch up," Link instructed.
"No," Zelda shook her head. "I won't leave you two."
"Zelda, you can't fight-"
"No, I won't have this argument again. I'm staying and that's-"
An arrow whistled past her face, snapping on the marble of the docks. Link moved like lightning, raising his shield in front of her. Zelda spun back towards Sidon and saw two figures leaping from their hiding places among the rocky flank to the left. From the right, three more were advancing. Three of the attackers were tall and lean, with golden weapons and flowing red hair. Gerudo!
"Sidon! Get her out of here!" Link bellowed, shoving Zelda towards the Zora. Another arrow sailed past from the direction of one of the advancing Gerudo warriors. Zelda saw Link raise and fire his crossbow retaliation, sending the archer tumbling across the marble as a bolt found her chest. Zelda's vision swam as the docks were filled with the clamour of shouts and steel. The Zora guards had sprung into action. Rilla was fending off two assailants: a Gerudo expertly wielding a shining scimitar and a Hylian woman advancing with a long spear. Zelda caught a glimpse of Finn just as he charged the fourth attacker. Sidon was pushing her out onto the pier, away from the fighting. Over her shoulder, Zelda could see that a fifth bandit - a Hylian man wielding a simple sword and shield - was hot on their heels. Sidon whirled around to face the attacker, and landed a solid blow across the man's jaw. The Hylian flew backwards across the docks, landing unceremoniously on the smooth marble. Behind them, Link and Rilla were toe to toe with the Gerudo and Hylian attackers. Zelda tensed, watching and waiting for a moment to assist them - to send a strike a magic energy across the docks - but no good opening came. She noticed then that every attacker wore the same embroidered blue neckerchief that she and Link had found on the Yiga assassin some weeks before. Even the Gerudo, dressed otherwise in their traditional garb, bore the same blue accessory. A glint of sunlight caught one of the Zora guards' weapons, and Zelda's attention was drawn back to the fight. Finn had been cornered on the edge of the dam wall. He attempted to parry an incoming blow from his Gerudo attacker, but lost his footing. Flailing desperately, the male Zora managed to pull his Gerudo assailant with him as he toppled from the wall. Zelda cried out in horror, but the pair was gone.
Another arrow whistled past, narrowly missing Sidon's shoulder. The Zoran Prince did not seem to notice; the Hylian man pursuing them had recovered, managing to leap to his feet to recommence his attack. Sidon was hard-pressed trying to evade the oncoming blows. The Prince landed a second, stronger punch, sinking the full weight of his upper body, and this time the Hylian man did not rise. Meanwhile, had Zelda followed the trajectory of the arrow to its source and saw - crouched atop the highest rocks of right flank - a tanned-skin man with red hair, wielding a brightly painted bow. From his harsh features and aquiline nose Zelda surmised - though she nearly could not bring herself to believe it - that the man was indeed Gerudo himself. He reached back into his quiver, and drew another arrow, nocking it to his bowstring.
No! Zelda sprang forward, leaping into the Gerudo man's line of sight. Without time to think, she raised her hand in the direction of the Gerudo archer. He was too far away to hit with a pulse of energy, so Zelda focused her power inwards. She felt the fabric of reality folding under her palm, her magic warping and winding under and over itself until it was twisted into something physical...something real.
Two arrows soared towards her almost in unison, but snapped like twigs before they met their intended target. A great, beaming barrier of light had unfolded around her hand,protecting her from the archer's attacks. Up on the outcrop the Gerudo man scowled, firing another four arrows that continued to splinter ineffectually against the barrier. There was a piercing scream as Rilla cut down the last Gerudo attacker, while Link and the Hylian woman still danced across the docks. She was fighting defensively, Zelda noticed. Her long black hair swept about her face as she dodged Link's advance across the slippery marble, yet not once did she attempt a strike. From the outcrop Zelda heard the Gerudo man's voice echo down across the docks.
"Milagre!" he shouted. "To the Beast!"
"Yes, Chief!" the Hylian woman called back. She immediately disengaged from Link and dove into the water. The Gerudo man had shouldered his bow and was racing to the edge of the outcrop. He vaulted off the rocks, pulling a Rito paraglider from his belt. They're heading for Ruta! Zelda realised with a sudden terror. She caught a split-second glimpse at the Gerudo's neck as he flew overhead - he too wore a dark blue neckerchief, embroidered with thick white thread. And then the fragmented events fell into place: the initial attack on Vah Ruta that had nearly killed Sidon, the Hylian woman they had tussled with in Central Hyrule who spoke of the Yiga Massacre, and the blue neckerchief among her clothes. This attack was linked to all the others. She ripped the Sheikah Slate from her belt and pulled up the map of Vah Ruta. Breaking into a sprint towards the Divine Beast, she selected the second travel gate situated at Ruta's main control unit. Link and Sidon were running behind her, shouting for her to stop. Ignoring them both, Zelda tapped the teleport function on the Sheikah Slate, and closed her eyes.
Zelda materialised in front of the main control unit just as the Hylian woman named Milagre ran into the towering chamber. When she saw Zelda, she smiled menacingly, and raised her spear.
"You will not take Ruta," Zelda challenged the woman, raising both hands out in front of her chest. Steadying herself, Zelda sent a thundering beam of energy towards the bandit. Milagre dodged, boots splashing through the shallow waters.
"So brave," she mocked, dodging another incoming lance of golden light. "Out of the way, child."
Zelda felt the blood rush to her head, and the fury pulse through her veins. "I'm not a child!" she shouted, sending a third bolt of energy towards Milagre. Again the woman dodged nimbly, before surging forward to close the distance between herself and Zelda.
Zelda blocked the swift stab from Milagre's spear with a quickly-erected barrier, but the momentum of the blow knocked her backwards, and she faltered. The barrier fell. The second stab found her left shoulder, and a searing pain lanced down her arm. Zelda managed to summon another barrage of energy against the woman. This one finally found its target, giving Zelda enough time to spin away from her attacker. She crashed against the chamber wall, raising another barrier just in time to block Milagre's leaping stab. Holding her magic firm, Zelda used all of her might to push the barrier forward and Milagre was knocked from her feet. Zelda wasted no time, and sprinted back towards the main control unit.
From the Vah Ruta's central chamber, she could hear shouting as no doubt Link and Sidon engaged the Gerudo male. Milagre was advancing on her again, but Zelda countered her attack with a well-timed barrier, sending the woman skidding back across the watery stone.
Sidon burst into the chamber and barrelled into Milagre before the spear-wielder could even turn. They tumbled and rolled across the shallow waters, Milagre's spear flying from her grasp and clanging against stone wall of the chamber.
"Princess!" Sidon called out as he struggled to keep the Hylian woman down. "Take Link from Ruta and run!"
"W-what about-"
Sidon blocked an incoming punch from the Hylian. "Ruta and I have a plan," he said through gritted teeth.
Though she did not understand, Zelda trusted Sidon, and ran to the central chamber. The Gerudo man had Link on the defensive. The Gerudo feinted left, and smacked the pommel of his Rito-made sword into Link's ribs. The knight staggered backwards, winded and wincing from the blow, the suddenness of the assault leaving him vulnerable. Racing forward, Zelda raised a barrier just in time to block the second pommel strike that was intended for Link. Both the knight and his attacker glared incredulously at the shimmering barrier, before turning towards Zelda in unison. Through his shock and confusion, Zelda saw a small, affected smile flicker across Link's face. He used the opportunity created by the Gerudo's surprise to leap around the barrier, before knocking the man to the ground with a swift shield bash.
"Time to go!" Zelda called out, dashing towards Vah Ruta's exit. Link spun away from the Gerudo and darted across the stone to meet her.
"Sidon!?"
"No time!" Zelda gripped his arm and pulled him towards the exit, feeling her shoulder throb where she had been stabbed. Vah Ruta had begun to rattle and shudder, a thunderous trumpeting ringing out within the chamber. Together, Link and Zelda leapt from the Divine Beast. They swam desperately, weighted down by their clothes and gear, but reached the pier just in time to turn and see Vah Ruta disappear into the waters - with Sidon, Milagre, and the Gerudo still inside.
Once more they stood before the Zora King and his court. There had been no time to heal Zelda's wounds, and thus the pretty white robe Paya had given her was ruined by the large bloodstain that marred her left sleeve. The King was inconsolable, his usual tempered facade stripped away.
"This is why I forbade him!" he bellowed. "The second he boarded that Beast, another attack!"
Sidon had thankfully resurfaced with Vah Ruta in the Eastern Reservoir less than an hour after he had disappeared. Being a Zora the dive had posed no risk to him, even if he had not sealed Vah Ruta beforehand; however the nurses of the Zoran infirmary were determined to put him through a medical examination regardless.
"I am confident that Vah Ruta is safe," Zelda told the King. "The attackers that were with him were a Hylian, and a Gerudo, and cannot breathe-"
"A Gerudo!?" the King all but shouted. The nobles of the court began to simmer with anger. They echoed his words, face twisted with anger. Rilla was in the audience chamber with them; she had found the bedraggled Link and Zelda on the pier, and had demanded to take them before the King.
"As were the other attackers!" she told the King.
"It's-it's true that the attacks were Gerudo led but-" Zelda began to protest, her words soon drowned out by the rage of the court. The nobles and retainers were in uproar, and the King had to bang his fist on the marble armrest of his throne to quieten them.
"This cannot go unpunished!" cried Muzu, the confidant of the King. "They attacked our sacred Divine Beast, the resting place of Princess Mipha, and they threatened the life of your heir twice!"
"No, wait-" Zelda tried to say, but she was drowned out again by the court's impassioned cheers of agreement.
"It is decided then. The Gerudo are not a foe that fight fair, nor are they one that I wish to engage," the King boomed, silencing the court. He looked down towards Zelda. "But I am reminded of your words Princess. There are choices we must make when we have no choice at all."
The King took a deep breath, pausing to collect his words. "Muzu - collect ten of our finest warriors, and five members of this court. We will send an envoy to Gerudo Town, to have them answer for what they have done."
No! No, no, no...Zelda could not speak. There was no point; she would not have been heard over the rambunctious cheering and shouts from the court. Link gave her a nudge, and they helplessly skulked away from the audience chamber.
After returning to their beds at the inn, Zelda carefully unwrapped her sleeve where her shoulder had been pierced. She scowled at the ruined fabric. Without the adrenaline from the fighting - both with the Gerudo and the Zora - the pain was back full force. The ache from the wound, and from her sorrows, and from her failure; all at once, it overwhelmed her. What was it that Impa had said? United, a kingdom can rebuild. Torn apart, and it will become nothing. Now not only did the Zora distrust her, they were about to go to war against the Gerudo. So wrapped up in her grief, she hadn't noticed Link move to sit by her side, nor did she noticed him raise his hands to her injured shoulder. It was only when she felt the pleasant warmth emanating from her injury that she turned to see him. A gentle light was radiating from Link's hands, and Zelda saw the wound begin to heal.
She lowered her eyes and steadied her thoughts, evening out her breaths. Like clouds, she thought, feeling the pain recede.
"It's a shame that power doesn't also mend fabric," she mused.
"Mm, very inconvenient," Link said dryly. He held her arm steady, his concentration never leaving the light between his hands.
Zelda sighed; the meditation would not help her now. "What are we going to do?" she lamented. "I suppose you still think we should go back to Kakariko."
Link opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated. Zelda looked down and saw that her arm was almost healed.
"I was wrong about you," he eventually admitted. The words were so novel that they were almost sweet.
"What do you mean?" Zelda pressed.
"In Vah Ruta," Link recalled. "I saw you fighting the spear-wielder. And you saved me from that Gerudo."
"Gerudo man," Zelda added. Link's eyes went wide in acknowledgement, and he sucked in air through his teeth.
"I know. Another surprise," he murmured, clearly unnerved.
"Well, I'm not invulnerable, am I?" Zelda teased, a hint of vitriol in her voice. "I've learned that much."
A moment of uncomfortable silence passed between them, and Zelda heard Link sigh.
"I'm sorry for what I said," he said, his eyes fixed once more on her shoulder. "At the stables. I shouldn't-"
"No, don't apologise," Zelda cut him off. She was tired of this routine, but she couldn't ignore her own brashness in assuming she needed no protection whatsoever. The injury from the woman's spear was sufficient proof. "No point dawdling on an argument between fools."
Link smiled, exhaling with a soft laugh. The words were unspoken, but Zelda knew what his comments had meant. You held your own. You don't always need me.
The healing was soon complete, and Zelda paused to run a finger across the darkened scar. Outside the inn, the Domain was still abuzz with activity; King Dorephan's decree had set every Zora - noble or common - gossiping and speculating on who would be chosen to face the Gerudo.
"We've got to outpace that envoy," Link said as he rose from the bed.
The suggestion gave Zelda a start. "Wait, really?"
"The Gerudo didn't do this. They couldn't have. We need to warn them," Link explained. He looked out towards the plaza and the Zora that were milling about.
"No, I mean - you would be okay with us, with me, travelling into the desert?"
Link shrugged, and spoke as though his words meant nothing. "You're a fighter, like I am. Out there is where we should be."
That was it then. Zelda rose as well, her exhaustion and grief falling away. She re-tied her robe, suddenly not caring that it was damaged. It would be mended in time.
"Then let's not waste a moment," she agreed, hooking her Sheikah Slate to her hip and beginning to bundle up her possessions. Link turned back towards her, his face quizzical.
"To the desert?" Zelda asked. She had to temper her eagerness lest she squeak as she spoke.
Link grinned, and he gave her a short, resolute nod. "To the desert," he said.
Apologies that this chapter went up later than I had planned. I just want to say that I really appreciate all the favourites/follows and reviews :) You guys make writing this fic a joy and so much more than the writing exercise that it was initially planned to be