AN: What? Another Link chapter?! Yes, but I PROMISE the next one is a Shadow chapter!
Present Daddy:
Link raced to Hyrule Castle at breakneck speed. He had to tell Princess Zelda about his communication with Saria. Epona hardly needed pushing—her ears were erect, facing forward, and she could sense Link's need to move quickly. The guards atop the wall saw them coming and barely lowered the drawbridge in time. As it was, Epona leaped onto the bridge before it touched ground, and slid down and landed harshly on the cobblestones. Link didn't like riding Epona on stone, since it tended to damage her hooves, but at this point he couldn't have stopped the mare even if he tried.
They made it to the castle in record time. Link didn't wait for Epona to stop before leaping off her and charging through the front doors. He had never run faster in his life. Zelda would not be in the throne room at this time of night. Or was it morning? But when he reached the living area of the castle, he found the whole place in an uproar. Chmabermaids were flying to and fro, carrying pans of warm water and towels. Link stopped a middle-aged woman carrying towels. "What's going on?"
"The princess went into labor!"
A metaphorical bucket of water splashed Link over the head. His next thoughts came in a flash. Zelda was having her baby? There was no way she could listen to him right now . . . Malon nor Shadow had told him a lot of her previous delivery, but he knew well enough that it had been difficult. He also knew that Shadow had been at her side the entire time, but Shadow was nowhere to be found right now. Zelda must be terrified.
Link asked the chambermaid, "Has the doctor been called?"
"Yes, and the midwife!"
"Good!" Link charged down the hall to Zelda's room, from which he could hear her cries already.
Impa was outside, having just come out, and held out a hand with widened eyes as Link approached. "WHOA, there Hero. The princess is in a very exposed position right now."
Link's eyes bulged out of his head and he rose his hands to the air. "I'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS FOUR—no—FIVE TIMES! DO YOU REALLY THINK THERE'S ANYTHING I HAVEN'T SEEN?!" He walked past Impa and through the door, leaving the Sheikahn woman bemused.
Zelda lay on her back on her bed, propped up with pillows, surrounded by nurses, the doctor, and the midwife. Impa came in behind him. Link rushed to Zelda's side. Zelda's eyes were scrunched closed, her fists clutching the bed covers underneath her. "Zelda?"
Her eyes snapped open suddenly and turned to him. "Sh-Shadow?"
Link froze. Her eyes suddenly half closed in utter disappointment. "Oh. It's just you." Link took no offense. "Oh, Link, I don't know if I can do this . . ."
He pried her hand from the covers and held it. "Of course you can, you're the Princess of Destiny!"
Zelda squeezed his hand gratefully. "But all the other Princesses of Destiny DIED in childbirth!"
"Not all of them, and besides, you're no ordinary Princess of Destiny. You've fought Ganon TWICE."
"If you say so, Mr. Hero!"
Of course he said so. There was no way he'd leave Zelda alone, even if he hadn't cared for her as much as his sister. Shadow was like a brother to him, and Link KNEW his reflection would hate that he missed this and would feel like a failure for not being here. Link HAD to fill in, as best he could. "I'll be here the whole time, Zelda, don't you worry. You just . . . ouch . . . yes, just grab my hand as tightly as you want!"
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAH! LINK!"
"Yes, yes, I'm here."
She glanced at him. "I had . . . urgh! . . . a vision."
"Saria? The sages?"
Surprised, she nodded.
"Yeah, me too."
"Oh Link, I'm so sorry."
Link's mouth opened and shut several times incredulously. "Zelda! STOP FEELING BAD ABOUT YOURSELF AND HAVE YOUR BABY!"
A small smile graced Zelda's face, barely visible. She went back to focusing on the delivery, Link shaking his head at her, hoping he had fully dissuaded any and all negativity about THAT.
It was a close contest, Link thought. Who gripped harder, Zelda or Malon? OOF! Zelda . . . No, Malon. ACK! . . . definitely Zelda. Thoughts of the twins' delivery crossed his mind. No way. DEFINITELY Malon . . .
It was fully morning, almost afternoon, Zelda had been in labor fourteen hours, when a baby's cry filled the room. The doctor seemed greatly relieved. "It's a boy!"
Zelda, even as exhausted as she was, managed to look at the doctor in confusion. "What?"
The doctor handed the bundled baby to Link, who carefully carried him to Zelda. Link grinned like an idiot. "He IS a boy! You have a boy!"
Link recognized the wonder in Zelda's face as she took her baby in her arms. She stared at the tiny little face silently for a moment, then addressed him directly. "You told me you were gonna be a little girl!" She felt something from the baby, something like a knowing feeling. Was that a tiny satisfied grin on his face, or did she just imagine it? Half her nose crinkled as one side of her mouth quirked up. "You little Sheik."