"You really are one special girl, Princess. I've never seen a voe go through half as many sand dunes in all my years for an ideal."

As Link ascended from the basement below, the spirits of his four friends floated on behind him, invisible and inaudible to the one whom their spirits were bound. Just as they informed the last living Champion earlier that night, their souls were one with his, giving them a one-sided window into his travels and thoughts. It granted them the ability to see Hyrule once more, but through the Hylian's tinted eyes. Some of them took it better than others.

"Urbosa has a point, Mipha. I've never seen the little guy as determined now save for when we confronted Ganon. There's… hah… no way I'm gonna miss this!"

"Bah, save your breath Daruk, you're going to need it. This fanciful quest of his to bring about the impossible is wasteful, but I will admit he has earned the right to waste his mortal life as he pleases."

Revali's first statement carried much weight. For the first time, Daruk seemed… fatigued. He wasn't worn out or depleted of stamina, being dead and all, but his ghastly form seemed to be taking in more air than usual, and the untrained eye could easily be fooled into thinking so. As the night went on, the Goron embedded small pants within his sentences. The signs went unnoticed at first, but eventually his companions began to notice after their conversation with Link. He flexed his Protection occasionally to prove he was still in top-shape, but it failed to entirely convince his party.

The Champions unanimously decided not to bring this up with Link should they converse with him again. It was possible that this development was just a side effect of the events on Vah Rudania, and they would wear off over time. It was also possible that it could not only continue, but also similarly affect the others. In any case, they didn't want to shift another burden on their old friend, especially when for the first time in a century, he had time to relax and break loose.

The Zora Princess held mixed feelings about her beloved's recent obsession. On one hand, she was beyond elated that he had remembered her and devoted so much thought to her being, so far as to entertain an "attempt" to bring her back. In all her wildest fantasies and fictions, she never imagined him to try something like this. On the other, she had accepted her fate as a spirit, forever separated from her knight in Zora Armor, and understood the inevitability of death. She knew it was a fool's errand to attempt something as unnatural as resurrection, and she didn't want him to squander his chance at a peaceful life on an obsession over the unchangeable.

"I love you Link, and I appreciate the intent of your actions, more than you'll ever know. Please… don't lose sight of what's in front of you, for my sake."

Blissfully unaware of the conversation held around him, Link reemerged to Purah's main lab room. He was too engrossed with his new Slate to pay much attention to his surroundings, or the direction he was walking in.

At first, he was bothered by the red hue due to its resemblance to Ganon's malice, but it gradually grew on him. For the longest time, the distinct redness only provided images and post-traumatic stress of the Calamity, the monsters run amok, and his inability to stop it all. The Slate hadn't a chance to harm anyone, and the association of the color with the tablet would not only soothe him, but also help the Knight adjust to a post-Ganon world: a world of vibrant colors such as this. He liked the uniqueness of the color and how it complimented the Sheikah scheme on the device. It also helped that many of his favorite things were red: Gourmet Steak Skewers, Mighty Porgy, Mipha…

There was one issue with the Slate: it didn't work. He cursed his luck, thinking that Purah had once again hoodwinked him for some dirty work, and he'd miss out on the festivities that he was mainly responsible for bringing about. He was used to having Sheikah technology pre-programmed for him, ready for his activation. Despite being unparalleled in combat, he was green in this field. After looking around the room, he finally got an idea.

The blonde walked up to the Guidance Stone set off to the side of the lab. It resembled the one in the basement, and he had to make sure if it would fit. He gently placed the Slate into the pedestal, and to his relief it was a perfect fit. It sunk inwards and then turned counterclockwise, before it rested to a loud locking sound, the hum he was all too familiar with.

'Sheikah Slate Authenticated.' The Guidance Stone recognized the device within its domain, which indicated to Link that it was about to receive something. 'Distilling Data.'

At once, the inverted pyramid directly above the Stone began to glow Sheikah Blue. The pillar had a round point, with a Sheikah Eye at the very tip. As it glowed blue, he could see various characters descending from the top of the pyramid down to the eye. He recognized these as Sheikah letters, albeit he never learned what they meant. While the letters descended, a small blue light emitted from the bottom of the Sheikah Eye, which gradually grew bigger. After a few moments, the blue light fell like a teardrop, splashing onto the Slate. At once, the Slate came alive, and he could see a bright screen.

On the screen, a horizontal row of squares showed up. Link recognized these as his Runes. He had his Bombs, Magnesis, Stasis… they were all there. Before he could call it a success, there were two boxes on the right of the screen that he couldn't identify. The first square contained a single, red teardrop. The second one housed a diamond colored with a similar hue to the Luminous Stone. Both had "?" under them, rendering them and their uses unknown.

Link retrieved the Slate, checking the rest of its features. He opened the full map of Hyrule, complete with all of the Sheikah Shrines marked in blue. Swiping right, he also found the album for the Camera Rune, but alas, it had no photos. The Compendium was also empty, which was inconvenient, but so long as the completed version remained on the main Slate, it wasn't an issue. Aside from the small hiccups, it was indiscernible from the original Slate. Purah must have done a thorough job. All that was left was to test it out.

He walked out the front door of the lab into the clear night sky. He could tell that most of the evening had already passed, but it was still a while away before dawn. He took in a deep breath of the crisp, evening air. The smell of the ocean from down below gave a crisp, refreshing scent. He didn't know why, but it gave him pangs of nostalgia.

The sparsely trafficked hour of day burgeoned the ideal environment for the Hylian Hero to test out his favorite explosive runes without fear of hurting any passerby. He took in the serenity of the star-filled sky before preparing a circular bomb rune from the untested device. If all went well, he would quickly experiment then quickly warping back to the Domain before Zelda could notice he was gone.

He selected the first rune, the circular, aerodynamic bomb. In an instant, a blue swirl convened on the rectangle and stabilized into a familiar blue sphere. For some odd reason, he had assumed that they would be red, to match the color scheme, not that it mattered. The mischievous Hylian lobbed the sphere downhill, resulting in an explosion. Success.

The other familiar runes shared a similar rate of continuity, which pleased him. He would give his credit to the creator of this powerful tablet, but also a lament on how dangerous they could be in the hands of evil. Now he would try one of the nameless runes, which his dangerous curiosity drew him towards. As he was about to press the icon, he heard shouting in the distance.

"Help! Help! Someone please!"

'Who would be up at this time of night?... Besides me, of course.'

As fate would have it, Link was in the right place at the right time once again. He turned his head to try and find the source of the shouting, but it wasn't within his sight. The repeated shouting at least confirmed that it wasn't coming from the direction of the village. He paced around the lab trying to find the source, until he had view of the southern end.

Down below the cliff, he spotted figure all the way down in the sea. It was difficult to spot anything in the vast sea at night, but he noticed a peculiarity where the moonlight met the water. The knight used the scope of the Slate to get a better look, and he was able to confirm his sighting. The figure appeared to be an older Hylian engulfed in the Necluda Sea. One arm was raised above his head, flailing repeatedly in an attempt to stay above water. How he got that far from the shore was a mystery, but it was quickly apparent he couldn't swim in his condition.

Without thinking, Link leaped off the cliff and unfurled his Paraglider. Time was off the essence, and he couldn't know how long he was out there, or why. With all the speed that he could muster, he descended and landed on the beach. There were Korok Leaves abound, excellent for sailing the seas, but not a raft in sight. The situation was far from ideal, but when life gives one Monster Extract, they must make Monster Cake.

Without a second to lose, he dashed straight into the sea and began swimming. He was never the most talented swimmer, but he could only afford to focus on getting to his target as quickly as possible. The current was washing against him, and the fierce resistance slowed his frantic breaststrokes. One of the most frustrating weaknesses throughout his quest was his swimming capabilities. No matter how powerful or agile he became on land, the master swordsman could never develop a natural affinity for aquatic movement. It forced him to avoid all conflicts within deep water and to strategize accordingly.

Soon he estimated his target to be within 50 meters. All his qualms with swimming were irrelevant now. All that mattered was the goal to be reached. Then 25. For every two strokes, the waves would wash him back one. Then 15. He lunged for the man once he was within a Royal Halberd's reach and latched on. Once his target was secured, he turned his body to face the shore on the edge of the horizon.

Not good.

He knew from past experiences that the distance they were out would take half of the Knight's stamina to swim to shore, alone. With the added baggage of the old man, it would surely take even more exertion to reach landfall. He couldn't rely on Mipha's Grace either: firstly, it could only heal wounds and bring him back from the brink of death, not resuscitate him from drowning, let alone his companion. Secondly, even if it did, the Champion wasn't going to risk exerting his childhood friend's powers and risk losing her forever. He had to rely on other means.

He had no idea of how much stamina he expended reaching the man, but there wasn't time to think about that just yet. Ripple by ripple, Link swam back to shore against the waves, old timer in tow. His vision was entirely devoted to saving this life, and all other ideas were superfluous. He waded closer and closer to the shore, his legs kicking with all the life left in his century-old frame. Just as he felt his heart tugging on his chest indicating his stamina was at its limit, he made one final dash toward the shore, finally reaching solid ground. He immediately laid the old man on the sand, helping him catch his breath, and reached for some Korok Leaves for him to rest on.

A few coughs later, the old man came to, eyes wide open. He immediately sat up and searched his surroundings.

"Wha-what? Where am I? How did I get here?"

"I saw you drowning, sir. I dove in as fast as my feet would allow and brought you to shore."

The old man turned to face the sound of that voice. Upon closer inspection, the man's features were incredibly common. His hair was silver, covered with one of the stable hats Link frequently saw in his travels. He had no facial hair, with a long silver ponytail braided behind him. He wore the popular Hylian Tunic and Trouser set from Hateno Village. It was entirely possible that the hero could have passed him by in his travels and never realized it.

"I never thought I'd bump into a Zora out here at this time of night!"

Link was about to respond, but he looked around first. When he looked down, he recognized his body was covered in a familiar blue.

He never removed the Zora Armor.

It explained both why the old man mistook him for a Zora, and why he was able to swim like he just did. It wasn't sheer luck or a massive boost in his physical capabilities. It was his lost companion's assistance once more. He silently thanked her.

"Ah, I beg my apologies. I didn't see your face, but I couldn't believe a Hylian could swim so fast." The man finally stood up straight, resting his hands behind his back. He rubbed his eyes to get a better look at his savior and nodded when he confirmed it.

"It's understandable. You could call me a special case."

"Say, what's your name, boy? I haven't seen you around in the village."

"The name's Link. I'm not quite from around these parts."

The old man grinned for a moment. "I can tell. Nary a soul of Hateno would be awake at this hour. Oh, and before I forget, my name is Hayek. Thank you for saving my life."

"I have a question for you, sir Hayek. How was it that you were able to get this far into the sea without being able to swim?"

The elder gave a hearty chuckle. "That, my friend, is a worthy question. I used to have a strong set of arms in my younger years, but age has been creeping on my doorstep. I tried my hand at physical exertion to reawaken my swimming muscles, but the tides turned on me as you can clearly see. I… am just an old fool, trying to run counter to the current of time."

"What you're doing is dangerous. To do such a thing, especially in the dead of night, could easily get you killed!"

"But that's the thrill of the wild. I've traveled across Hyrule as a merchant of sorts, and I seldom encounter any assistance with the roadblocks that come my way. Falling boulders, monster raids, frightening weather… it's a wonderful world, this land is."

Link started to curve his lips into a slight smile. The old gentleman was much more alike to him than he believed, at least what he was when he emerged from the Shrine of Resurrection that is. He would never forget the view he received after spending all that time in a solitary cell. As for what came after…

"Some parts are beautiful yes, but there are other things that I'd rather do away with…"

"Oh?" The elder gave a puzzled look toward his "younger" counterpart. "If you had your way to alter this land, what would you change?"

"That's easy. I'd remove the traces of Ganon's malice, the monsters, and all traces of his destruction that scar the land and the natural order of things."

"You'd remove all the dangers from this world then, is that right?"

"Hyrule has suffered for a century, and countless innocents had to die because of a selfish and evil monster. The worst part is that it can never be destroyed, only sealed away for an untold amount of time until the buck is passed to the next generation. Even when everything goes right, it's all for naught!"

The silver-haired man noticed the look of grief on his face. Despite his young age, he could tell that this young adult had seen more than a lifetime's worth of horror.

"Wouldn't you consider this Ganon fellow to be a force of nature?"

"What? Ganon is pure evil, pure maliciousness. No natural force would so deliberately and diligently concoct an outcome that vile!"

Hayek hummed as he mulled over the pained response. Link couldn't help the feeling that he was being judged for his comments.

"Let me put it this way, young man. No matter how tirelessly a farmer plows his field, or how aggressively creatures hunt their prey, or numerous the Sunset Fireflies comingle and grow, winter always comes. The sheet of ice is inevitable and will recur until the end of times. All of nature's bounty from throughout the year will be put to sleep by nature's bedsheet. They all know it's coming, so is all their work for naught?"

"Of course not. Spring comes afterwards to breathe life anew."

"Does it always come?"

"Yes."

"I may not be the best expert on the old myths, but perhaps this Ganon fellow might not be unlike winter. His appearance may be unwelcome and his actions deplorable, his return is all but assured throughout the ages, but he does hold a key niche in the environment."

"Those two are nothing alike! The winter is a natural cycle, and many creatures thrive in those conditions. Ganon is a force of pure evil!"

"What would happen if Ganon didn't exist? What would happen to Hyrule? What would happen to you?"

"There would be no conflict. We would live in harmony and thrive."

"You give too much credit to the hearts of Hylians. I can tell that you've traveled extensively and that you're conditioned much greater than the average Hylian. Am I wrong to assume you've attained this state due to the nature of this land? Would you have been as motivated to reach your current fitness if perpetual threats didn't lurk under every brush?"

"I… do not know."

"I don't think any less of you for it. I'll tell you this much. As terrible the horrors that the Calamity has wrought on these lands and the tragedies I've seen as a result, it's also brought out something even greater. I've seen many a person from all the tribes step up and demonstrate the pinnacle of development amongst the humanoid races of Hyurle. My old friend once had a saying, that hard times create strong Hylians…"

"I'm old enough to have lost many friends to these forces of evil, and I've mourned every one. I too have felt the pain of loss, and many times I've blamed myself for it. But every action has an echo. Just as many lives were taken by these creatures, many were also born in their wake. Children were born, callings were found, and the very land itself transformed in accommodation. If these events never occurred, if these fiends never existed, then it's highly possible that we'd both still be around, but not in the way you and I recognize ourselves."

"I can also tell that you're much older than you let on. I've traveled all across the Hylian settlements in my time and I'd never forget a boy with scars like yours, but I'll leave your story to you. Just remember this: without the terrible tragedies of life, we can never truly appreciate the greatest of joys. Be glad that you can feel pain, suffering, grief: these feelings let you know that you can feel happiness, joy, and love once more. If you worry for the next generation to take up the torch, remember that in our world, Ganon was struck down once, and he will be struck down again. Every winter is followed by spring."

"I don't mean to pry, but-"

"To answer your question, yes. I lost a fine lady that I dearly loved due to events related to the Calamity. Our lives are unfair, our destinies unremorseful, our fates tragic. Just remember that the history of Hyrule is inexplicably intertwined with the history of Calamity Ganon, and that removing one from the equation could ultimately destroy the other. For quite a long time, I rued the monsters that took my beloved away from me, but had they not existed, I would have never met her, nor enjoyed her company during our shared time in this realm…"

Link needed a moment to digest all that which he heard. He didn't necessarily agree with all of it, but he couldn't say Hayek didn't have a point. He had more questions he wanted to ask the old man, but Hayek held up a finger as if to silence his thoughts.

"I'm terribly sorry, I do have a bad habit of rambling. I believe you dropped this. It isn't one of my possessions anyway. It looks quite valuable, whatever it is."

The old man held up the Sheikah Slate. Link checked his belt and sure enough, the Slate wasn't there. When did it slip off? Did he almost lose it in the water? Too many questions today! He quickly grabbed the device and checked his hook. Apparently, this Slate had a different latch compared to the original one, which meant that it could hook onto his person, but it wasn't nearly as secure. He would have to adjust this in his spare time.

"I do believe I must be going. It's quite past my bedtime, hah."

"Fair enough- "

When Link looked up, he was gone.

What is it with mysterious old men and disappearing so suddenly? At least he didn't have an obnoxious Paraglider he had to bum off of him.

The Hero shrugged off his newfound solitude. He was glad to help another soul in this world, but he really wanted to give this Slate a whirl before he was bound to Zelda's hip again. He flipped open the red tablet and scrolled through the various runes, but he noticed something peculiar. The two new runes that were previously mysteries suddenly had names now.

The first rune, the diamond-shaped one, was called "Projection." "Projection: Open conversation with a linked spirit." This one seemed straightforward enough. It may even be the medium that Urbosa had informed him of.

The second rune, the red droplet, was called "Sanguis." "Sanguis: Transmute to bring the ethereal to the corporeal." This one was much more complicated, and he'd have to come back to it.

He figured it was best time as any to test the Projection rune and see if it would let him do what he thought it would. He quickly flipped to the rune and activated it. Bright white light emanated from the Slate, and to the Hero it appeared to be aiming for something, quite like the Guardian laser beams. He pointed the Slate toward the ground in front of him, and sure enough the laser expanded into a circle on the soft sands. Instinct took over and he pressed the rune again, which goaded a reaction from the Slate.

When the light dissipated, he could feel his jaw drop upon seeing what took its place.

"Wh-where am I?"

There was no denying it. The soft voice could only come from Mipha.

The light from the rune dissipated and was replaced with what appeared to be a perfect recreation of the Zora Princess, identical to her spirit form that he last encountered in Vah Ruta. It was too perfect. She looked confused: at first, she looked into the palms of her hands, and then started turning her head to check her surroundings.

"Mipha! I-it's you!"

"Link? What are you doing? What is this?"

Both Champions were completely dumbfounded, but the Swordsman wouldn't let that stop him. He instinctively rushed to embrace his childhood friend, but no matter how much he charged forward, he never made contact. He opened his eyes and turned around, to find the object of his affection behind him, completely unphased. Did he just run through her?

"What in Hylia's name did you do, Link?"

The Zora's tone started to express her vivid insecurity. She looked down and noticed the soft, green embers at her feet. This wasn't a dream, it was all real.

"I only activated this Projection rune on the Slate, and now this happened."

"I see… and now I'm here, visible and audible to you. This must be the medium of which Urbosa spoke. I would say it's bittersweet, being so close you, yet not able to bring you into an embrace. But I'm happy, elated even, that I can bask in your presence once more."

At this point, nothing could make Link happier, and sadder, to hear the pained tones of her voice. Even through the few conversations they had since the Calamity, he couldn't help but feel reassured in her presence that everything would be okay. She was a perfect personification of the water: gentle, caring, and detoxing of his woes. It added more layers onto the tragedy of her fate. It made the Knight all the more determined to correct this abominable affront against the laws of nature.

"I think I've found the key. With Purah's help, we can bring, no, we can restore everything as it was. We can restore the Champions, the Kingdom, maybe even old Rhoam himself if he wants! We can finally go back to the ways things used to be when we were young."

"Link, I hope you know, you've made me the happiest and luckiest female in all of Hyrule when I hear this from you. I have immeasurable gratitude and admiration for what you're trying to do. With that said, please take a moment to enjoy this world you created and cherish the blessings you have."

"What do you mean?"

"Please don't stay so fixated upon the past. It is lamentable of what has happened with the Calamity, but at least now the threat is over. Our duties are fulfilled, we are free to choose our own paths now. Even if you never wanted to wield a sword again, there is no Kingdom of Hyrule to tell you otherwise. I want your life to be filled with joy, not sorrow, lest Ganon will have won in the end."

"Mipha, if I've learned anything from my quest across this land, it's that I can do anything I put my mind to. Right now, the path I want to choose is to reverse the damage caused by that monster and restore Hyrule to its former glory. What brings me joy… are my memories with you."

The Princess bent her head down in thought, lightly frustrated that her selfless attempts to help the Hylian were failing. Suddenly a memory came to her mind, and she returned her head to its upright position. "Do you remember that one night when you came to the Domain? The night your mother passed away? There's a song that my own mother passed down to me, that I played for you to console you."

The ghastly Princess closed her eyes and brought her hands up just beneath her chin. She cupped them, forming a heart with her fingers in between. It resembled the details of her wristbands, and he surmised, her emotions toward him. As her lips began to move, she started a soft hum, which felt like a soft splashing of waves to the Hylian's ears.

"Time passes, people move… Like a river's flow, it never ends… A childish mind will turn to noble ambition… Young love will become deep affection… The clear water's surface reflects growth… Now listen to the Serenade of Water to reflect upon yourself…"

At that moment, the Zora continued humming in a detailed manner. The notes were complex and resembled a beautiful melody. What seemed strange to the Hylian was that he was… humming along? He could scarcely recall ever hearing such a theme before, yet he matched her every note perfectly with a hum of his own. For a moment, he imagined a bridge between the worlds and a direct link to the Champion of Vah Ruta. It brought a massive grin to his face, one he hadn't worn in a long time, he could feel.

The Princess completed her refrain, and then opened her amber eyes to meet the hero once more. "I'm deeply fascinated by what makes you, you, Link. Your strength, your compassion for your friends, your boundless courage, and your indominable perseverance make you an incredible individual. You remind me why my heart was drawn to yours, and I shall never regret it."

Her face turned to a small frown. "I sense that the Slate you carry is a formidable tool, and I don't doubt the prowess of Lady Purah. I am concerned with what will follow, and how it will affect you. But there are things that are out of even your reach, my love. You cannot recreate the past, Link."

He snapped up straight in response to the blunt statement. "Can't recreate the past? Why of course you can!"

The usually-reserved Zora gave a shocked expression, but before she could respond, her form started to flicker. For mere moments, it seemed that she became wholly transparent and opaque again. "Link, I take this as my que to leave. Please remember that I will always heal your wounds, but there are some that are outside of even my powers. Until we meet again…"

In a flash, Mipha vanished from the beach. The now-distraught blonde overcame his shock and furiously swiped down on his Slate to reopen the rune. Before he could, another bright light shone down on his face. He looked up from the Slate and saw it was time for something else.

The orange glow of light was racing westward and passed through the hero, yet the sun had not yet rose. It was twilight, and Link had been absent from the party all night long. He didn't want to imagine what the Queen-to-be would do to him if she noticed.

He quickly flipped to the map on the Slate and vanished in a swirl of blue light.

'He's late. AGAIN.'

The Princess was sitting in the dining hall into the wee hours of the morning. She had more than eaten her fill of the feast, but she was still missing something. She gently placed her goblet on the table and rested her elbow on the table, palming her head in her right hand while spinning a drumstick in the other.

Ever since she locked herself into the Sanctuary with Ganon, she continually fantasized about her knight's eventual return and rescue of her from that nightmare. Her own sealing magic, important powers that were denied to the Kingdom and could have prevented many important deaths, only awoke when she realized her feelings for her appointed knight. By then, the Kingdom was in ruins, the Champions were dead, and her most cherished companion had fallen under. She was able to hold the nightmare at bay but was nowhere near experienced enough to stop it on her own.

Just as her abilities began to falter, she sensed that Link had awoken from the Shrine of Resurrection. At first, she was relieved that everything worked. He had lost his memories and his muscle memory, but over the course of his quest to free each Divine Beast, he had gradually regained the strength he had lost, and more memories filled his mind. When he finally returned to Hyrule Castle, she knew he was stronger than the last time, and she was beyond elated to see her love once again.

Though everything around her was alien and virtually all familiar faces were dead, she at least had Link's companionship as an anchor. Through some magical means, she had not aged a day since that fateful encounter, and the two of them were able to resume their lives without a hitch. They had both lost everything and were relics of a forgotten kingdom, but she didn't care as long as they were together. She could finally have her hero to herself without any overbearing burden interfering.

Zelda could be selfish at times, but she knew the right thing to do was to help Link restore all his memories, even the ones she'd rather him not remember. She recalled one particular memory that stung her, but deep down she knew that it was important for him to recall. She made the detour to Mount Lanayru to jog her knight's memory. No princess with feelings as true to heart as hers could be selfish enough to use amnesia to rewrite history. It shocked her to discover that his heart was placed with Lady Mipha, but she wasn't one to judge. She'd let him have his mourning period and then they would rebuild Hyrule, together…

It wasn't meant to be so. Ever since he regained that memory, Link's behavior changed. He became much more attached to the Domain, which was natural, but it came at the expense of his attention to her. What kind of knight would abandon his princess, even for a moment? However, it was the scene on Vah Ruta that pierced her heart. The hero was clearly talking to himself in the Control Room, but she could feel that something was amyss. The conversations he was having were too fluid, and it had to have been more than a coincidence that he knew extensive knowledge on the subjects they were investigating. Another thought permeated her mind: Was he still hooked on that Zora? How was she supposed to compete with a dead girl?

The Queen-to-be was hurt. For the longest time she imagined herself ruling a rebuilt Hyrule, with Link at her side, Queen and Consort, maybe even King. She felt for her love and wanted him to have as much time as he needed, but she thought that eventually he'd come around and realize what was available to him. She even entertained the idea of confessing her feelings to him on this very night, to take the initiative into her own hands. She didn't want to be conceited, but it was as if every force in the universe was trying to put them together, save his will. All her dreams for the future she conceived in that Sanctum, all the promise of a beautiful world, of a family life they would lead together, they were just fantasies.

She had to reassure herself. These events were only occurring over the span of a couple days, at most. The bond that she shared with him lasted a century and was one of the few things to survive the Calamity unscathed. Perhaps in a week or two, he would get over the delusions, realize the futility of his actions, and things would return to as they were. She did have him wrapped around her finger as her personal escort, but she also knew the dangers of trying to force something through. She'd no-doubt fill a couple more pages of her diary if she still had it. For all she knew, all her personal belongings within the Castle were ransacked or destroyed. Everything except her heart, which stubbornly stayed.

She pondered these thoughts while downing drink after drink to the hum of chatter in the background. She did enjoy the company of Sidon and having a fellow royal of similar maturity who remembered life before the Calamity was very rare. However, her heart yearned for something more than a friendship, and she wanted a knight to sweep her off her feet. She loaned Link the Sheikah Slate in a foolhardy fantasy that he was going to get her a surprise gift, perhaps a bouquet of Silent Princesses. As each hour dragged on, and the chatter began to dim, she slowly realized this wasn't the case. She wanted to cry, but she had to use every ounce of her being to remain stoic, lest the atmosphere was ruined.

The sullen Princess made for her chambers at three in the morning. The Zora Prince offered to place some guardsmen at her door with the absence of her usual detail, but she assured him that Link would arrive momentarily. It was her last attempt to her fantasy that her beloved would surprise her and wash away all her doubts and insecurities. She had arranged to meet with Purah in the morning to assess the state of her physical health, and she had to get some rest in order to gauge an accurate reading. Zelda was so tired that she didn't even bother locking the door and collapsed on her bed while still in her traveling attire.

Woosh

Link had arrived at the shrine directly underneath the Zora Throne Room. He quickly checked his surroundings. It seemed that nobody was awake except for the local watchmen. The revelry had subsided and the people were taking a much-needed breather. This is what "peace and quiet" was like. It felt much different from the rancor and unpredictability of the wilds, but the knight could get used to this, not having to be on edge at any given moment.

With nobody within eyeshot, the belated guest of honor changed back into his usual Champion's Tunic and Hylian Trousers. He felt the attachment to his Zora Armor, but his Hylian garb served as his sort of uniform for his profession. He much preferred it to the overbearing chain mail of the soldier's attire. He still feared losing the irreparable engagement gift, despite his efforts to maximize its durability. It was possibly the most valuable possession on his person to him, more so than even his sword of evil's bane.

He also had another decision on his new Sheikah Slate. He placed the red one in his travel sack, while the original rested in its traditional spot. While it was technically possible for him to holster both of them, he didn't deem it wise for the world to know that there were two of them, least of all Zelda, at least not yet. Her reaction was unpredictable, and it was for the best that she was kept in the dark about a few things, until he found the right words to explain everything.

He slowly stammered out into the main plaza, where the large statue defined the area. The statue in question was an enlarged likeness of Mipha herself, complete with her replica Lightscale Trident pointed downward in an elegant splash. It was almost as beautiful as the real thing. Usually when he visited the Domain at night, Sidon could be seen gazing by the statue, contemplating his fondness for his late sister. This time, he wasn't present, indicating he was too tired to maintain his normal watch. The poor prince deserved every minute of rest.

Link had a vague idea around the Zora Palace. It wasn't quite as large as Hyrule Castle by any stretch of the imagination, but it was still impressive, fit for royalty. The revelry drew to a dim and servants were seen cleaning up the mess. The only ones who paid him any mind were the guards, who viewed him as a straggler retiring to his sleeping quarters, not as an intruder. He had no time to waste and needed to reach a certain woman before dawn.

After asking around, the absentee bodyguard found the quarters were Zelda was sleeping. To his fortune, the door was unlocked, and he gingerly snuck into the chambers. He encountered the Princess's slumbering form, and he grinned at how peaceful he seemed to be resting. Silently, he gently draped the covers over her and placed the Sheikah Slate on the nightstand beside her. Purah was probably asleep as well, and she couldn't have gotten far, so he'd reconnoiter with her in the morning. Content with the arrangements, he passed through the other corridor and settled into the couch within the generous suite.

What the Champion didn't know was that his companion was partially awake and watched him enter. He was out like a light in a manner of minutes and never noticed the tear that descended from her cheek.

A/N: If you've read this far, I'm greatly humbled, and I thank you. Please leave a review and tell me what I'm doing well and/or where I can improve. My goal is ultimately to provide a satisfying story, and we can all stand to improve in some areas. Thank you to those of you who have commented already, it's greatly encouraging!

If this chapter seems shorter than the previous two, that's because this was originally the first half of the next chapter, but I chose to cut them up since they had two different main plot threads. It's still being written and polished, but I have a clear direction for where this story is going.

Cheers.