Chapter 9: Home

The two figures withdrew with a gasp, gagging on the muddy grass.

Rain fell down in sheets and the clothes they wore clung to their skin. Both shivered desperately but mere physical sensations were at the bottom of a long list of problems.

Much like the last time Link would not meet Zelda's worrisome gaze. Instead he fixed his eyes on an object in the distance though it did not seem as if there was any purpose in his stare. There was nothing behind the eyes. Any emotion he bared was hidden deep beneath the surface.

His mother… She had been such a fool those hundred years prior. Why had he not told her? Even when she believed the space between their minds to be an open field of sharing he had kept this from her. Why?

"I didn't know Link I'm-"

"Stop… Please don't"

Then sun was back once again peeking through the clouds like a restless cricket from the grass. The grass was wet beneath Zelda's feet and it shinned gently in the light, the glimmering armour of the earth. Soon she would have to wear her boots once again but for now she was content with feeling the cool blades on her feet and between her toes.

Link had remained where he had been the whole of the previous night, hunched over the fire under the tree like an estranged creature. Next to him lay the patiently waiting horse Epona. Often the horse seemed restless or even bored but she seemed content with lying by her troubled master's side.

At least the horse could do something to comfort the hero, Zelda once again felt quite useless. The strew of memories they had experienced had been tougher than she could've ever imagined. They brought a great sadness to her, the sort that was a pit, so simple to fall into and yet troublesome to claw back out of and into the light. She so desperately wanted to talk to him, to bathe in the troubles of his mind as a group of mischievous children would to some forbidden lake. He would not let her in though and she knew it.

It was becoming harder to speak with him each time they went back. He was tuning back into the recesses of his mind, trapping himself in that place once again. She could see the emotion dripping from his face like wet paint on a wall.

Still there were other issues at hand, there would be no doubt that both would put on their bravest faces and go about the day as though the stormy seas beneath were calm and peaceful.

"I'm sorry I cut you off," the voice penetrated her thoughts and shocked her into reality with a jump.

She looked at him with awe. His face was a story, years of emotion and experience were etched into it, subtly beneath the surface. It was a story she had gotten good at reading in the past but now she no longer recognised most of the words.

She was unable to reply. "I just need time…" he murmured gently, though his face remained firmly unconvinced by his own statement.

Zelda nodded, "Of course."

Link leant slightly to the side with a sly grin. He always managed to come bounding back from his complex mind.

"Looks like we have some visitors."

Zelda sat on an elaborately decorated Shieka carpet, with Impa and watched the approaching envoys. It seemed they had all arrived in Kakariko a few days ago and had decided to travel to the location themselves. She was surprised at how many there were and yet even up on the hill she could hear the jolly chatting of the group.

"Just to think one hundred years cooped up in a prison of malice and you get to celebrate by sitting down in a cramped tent to talk politics." It was strange to see Impa so old and yet her personality had not dimmed with old age, quite the contrary, it had fined like some wine, almost exploding with flavours now. "You should leave the sitting to me my dear, I've gotten rather good at it."

The Princess allowed herself to laugh. "I never really minded politics, one of the benefits of being a royal. We must get on the matter of rebuilding the kingdom." She swept a look sideways. "Plus I rather like to think of it as the malice was in my prison not the other way round."

"Too right my dear." Impa's voice was equal measures of elegance and terrifying strength. "I won't beat around the bush how has he been?"

It seemed like he was always there, not only in her mind but her conversations too, dominating every moment.

"He's…well him. It's like he's as bright as ever maybe even more then he used to be, like he was when he was a child just brimming with curiosity and good humour." She glided her bottom lip across her teeth, turning it white for a moment before its pink colour returned. "Then it's just gone, and he's as cold as he's ever been."

"It makes sense for him to be at war with himself," Impa said. "Not only must he grapple with his past and who he was in it, but now he must also grapple with his changing role."

Zelda shot a quizzical look at the monk who rolled her eyes.

"He's a warrior that's all he knows, it's all he's been doing since he woke up and most of what he was doing before he fell asleep. Link has just forgotten how to allow himself to relax and be happy. And perhaps share that with another."

The monks eyes bore into her but Zelda's gaze strayed to the horizon. Instead it was those eyes were in her thoughts, those striking blue eyes that threatened to swallow her up and never let her go.

Impa huffed impatiently. "If you want the advice of an old woman, I'd say time fixes most things but you do have to keep pushing him in that direction. But you are both binded to each other, in more ways than you think."

Zelda rose and straightened her skirt. It was all too scary to think about now and there were other things to attend to. Impa got up also and hobbled her way over to the tent. The shocked Shieka that had been supposed to be carrying her during the event scrambled after her, calling out.

Before her the envoys from each race were walking up the hill towards her. There was the Zora with that warm smile which looked like it might as well have been glued to his face. Then the two Gorons thumped forwards, the younger fell slightly behind his elder and seemed to have formed a fascination with his feet. And Riju…Goddess be damned she looked so much like Urbosa it almost hurt, the girl tried to stand tall despite the fact the other envoys towered above her. The Rito walked with elegance and was glaring at her with piercing eyes. He looked either permanently angry about something or permanently bored.

He was there by her side in an instant. Link positioned himself slightly forwards and had unstrapped the sword from his back and placed two hands on the hilt as the tip bore slightly into the ground. Reassuring didn't do his presence justice.

All the envoys eyes lit up, to varying degrees when they saw Link there. The tall Zora, who was presumably Sidon, rushed forwards and grabbed Link's hand before he could react and with one swift motion turned Link into what could only be described as a very shocked ragdoll. Link retracted rubbing his shoulder.

"It is just amazing to see you in good health. Ganon didn't stand a chance against out might," the Prince moved his arms so quickly and frequently, that Zelda would not have been shocked if had taken off into the sky. "You must tell me in great length the story of your most wondrous battle I yearn to hear it with all my heart."

"Yeah…I can't wait," Link grumbled.

"Me neither!" he exclaimed. Link had been right about the not getting sarcasm thing. "I personally cannot wait a minute, no wait a second. Yes that is a good one." He slapped Link's back.

He turned to Zelda and walked towards her taking her hand and kissing it gently with rather overstated actions. "It pleases me greatly to see you well and in such good condition, I just can't wait to get this meeting started," for most the extravagant tone of Sidon's voice would make the statement seem disingenuous but the prince managed to pull it off.

Zelda couldn't help but smile as the other Zora Knights followed him into the tent, one of them shooting Link a quick wink.

A sudden slam caused the Princess to turn suddenly back to group arriving. Link was bent over heaving, to laughs of several Gorons. I seemed that they had decided to pat "brother Link" on the back much like Daruk once did. From the look on Link's face he clearly still didn't enjoy it.

"Bludo, pleased to meet you princess," the old Goron extended out a rocky hand and Zelda took it gladly, shuddering at the idea of that same hand hitting her in the back. "This is Yunobo the guy who saved us all from oblivion."

The smaller Goron blushed, a feat Zelda didn't think was even possible for Gorons. "Please Boss, it was all Link."

"I am pleased to meet both of you and I am thankful for your help," she continued to smile at them. It wasn't going that bad, they all seemed to be quite friendly.

Riju was next to come forward her towering Guard clinging to her like a shadow in the last light of the sun.

It was Link she spoke to first, "You know it's always strange to see you with so many clothes on." She grinned up at him as his ears started to become the same colour as radishes.

What the hell was that about?

"Pleased to meet you Princess," they shared a warm smile.

"And I you,"

She had noticed Link was now staring fondly at the last guest.

The Rito had eased his hard posture and softened his sharp gaze. They nodded to each other. It was a simple gesture but Zelda could feel the respect emanating between the two of them. But, before they could say a word to each other Link was swarmed by a flock of five colourful rito children. They squawked with happiness and clung to him like an adorable fluffy cobweb. Link moved towards the tent in a mess of beaks and feathers. It seemed unlikely that he was going to survive the day in one piece.

The Rito smiled at the unfolding scene. "I am Teba, warrior of the Rito… We should probably just get this started."

Zelda could only wholeheartedly agree.

"This has certainly been a most astonishing and ground breaking achievement today. I for one am proud to be a part of this historic occasion." The Zora prince had now stood up on the table and was proudly clenching his fists.

Riju's face hit her hand hard. "Will you just get down we've not done that much. But, he's right we've done enough for today. I for one am more ready to get some sleep."

A murmur of agreement echoed through the tent as the prince unashamedly got down from the table.

Of course sleep, Zelda had completely forgotten about it. She probably had some pretty tired looking eyes, the bags beneath them almost seemed to have a weight to them.

Zelda suddenly realised. Where was Link sleeping? He had only set up one quite small travel tent and he could hardly just camp out under a fire like the night before, she would not allow that. Thoughts of the alternative sent tremors through her.

Come to think of it where was Link? He was no longer positioned behind her in the back of the tent leaning rather too charmingly on a post of the canopy. He must've got bored of Sidon's stupidly long speech and decided to get some fresh air. She suddenly realised everyone was looking at her.

Her eyes widened slightly. "Yes we shall reconvene tomorrow at midday."

Not so difficult right?

She exited the back of the tent panting heavily. Her father didn't tell her just how damned difficult it was to be in that leading role. They all looked to her for guidance already, to solve their numerous problems and it terrified her.

She leant heavily on a barrel, shoving the air gladly into her lungs. The room had been tenser than she could've ever expected.

She focused on the horizon, which was supposed to help, at least that was as much as she could remember.

There was a figure on the road to Hateno riding their horse gently but purposefully in the direction of the town. She could make out the night blue Hylian hood and the brownish horse carrying him. Of course…it was Link.

Where he was going probably no one knew. Zelda hesitated. Should she follow? Would that make it worse? Why were there so many damn questions drifting through her mind? It was like some sort of demon was trapped in her head banging to be let out from its cage.

"You know you should probably go after him…"

She turned with a gasp to see Teba there, reading her with knowing eyes.

"I don't think he wants to talk to me," she said gently her gaze focusing on the shrinking figure on the horizon.

Teba chuckled. "I heard about his little memory problem, must have been rough on you, for someone to just forget you like that."

She felt content with just listening to him.

"And yet with no memory he comes into my town like he's been possessed by the demon king himself. He just demands that I take him, some crazy wingless guy, up into the freezing air to a floating bird fortress that has actual laser cannons," Teba said, his tone could even be mistaken for being slightly mocking, like he was describing a situation that he found quite amusing.

She shrugged. "That's just Link."

"Yeah…" Teba had moved to her side now pressing the advance he had. Zelda's heart had seemed to speed up its rhythm quickly. "And yet when I asked him why he's risking his life and everything all he can say is that he has to save you. Not like it's just something he casually wants to do with breakfast but something that if he doesn't complete he may as well just curl up on the floor and sleep for another one hundred years."

He put a feathered wing on her shoulder and forced her to look up at him. His face was not at all soft but deadly serious. "Memories are just stories and that's all they are. If you think that's all there is to how we connect to another person then you're more of a fool then he is."

"Teba I…"

"Just get going already, at this rate I'll be the first male Rito to lay an egg."

Dust swirled gently across the dimly lit room. It twisted and writhed like the spiritual dragons that often lit up the night sky. The fires and candles Link had put on before had now died and the only light to enter the room was the white glow from the moon.

Link stood there at the edge of his home not daring to take another step in. It seemed like some barrier covered the door and would not allow him to. Still he was content with just looking in. Memories lined every surface and every area of the building and just by standing there he could take in all the emotion that resonated through the house.

Outside under the tree, where the cooking pot lay, was where you could find Grandpa. He would just sit there smoking his pipe, probably grumbling about the weather, or how the food that was grown today was terrible compared to when he was younger. How many times had Link sat under that tree and just listened, captivated by his stories.

There was the tale of the hero who lived on the clouds themselves and fell to the surface to find his love. Or the child who defeated an evil king by travelling through time itself. They were stories you couldn't tire of, no matter how similar they were to one another.

Then where Link stood by the wooden post of the door was where his father would lean and look out over the field. Ma would always complain about the leaf smoking which was pungent around the outside of the house. Link didn't mind though, it was a comforting smell and he felt safe when it was around.

And there in the yard where he and his father would play fight. Laughs and cheers would reverberate through the village, right up until Link got a little too into it and gave himself a bloody nose. Once he had accidentally smashed his father's eye, giving him a pretty bad black eye.

On the inside however, there lay other memories.

Link allowed himself to take a tentative step forwards. One foot after the other until soon he found himself in the middle of the room. Never before had it felt so oddly cold and yet he did not have the energy to light a fire. It felt almost wrong to.

Before there had been a rocking chair, over there in the corner. There his Ma would sit. Often she would be reading quietly, other times she would sing. Oh how wonderful the sound was. It could fill a space up and make any terrible feeling just melt away like the last snows of winter. When he was younger he would often get lonely, perhaps the other children had ignored him again, or called him "strange" or "a baby". Link would come here and they would rock gently together, making nothing matter anymore.

All that…everything it was still here, even if the memorabilia had been lost, those moments lived on they could not be destroyed. So why did he feel so cold? It felt as though a man had taken a shovel and started digging away at his stomach, not daring to fill the empty space he had left.

He crouched down on the floorboards and placed a spread had gently to the floor.

"I want to remember, but every time I do I feel more lost than before."

The dust continued to stir through the air.

"I should be grieving you, mourning as much as possible." The words seemed to catch in his throat.

"But each time I go back I…" he swallowed thickly. "Why can't I feel anything for you?"

"Link?" He turned to see her there. Of course she was, she was in everything, every thought, every memory. Every positive feeling he had seemed to link back to her. He pushed them to the side.

He felt the words come forwards involuntarily like he sometimes did but he was glad to be sharing something for once. "I bought this place, on my journey. They were going to take it down, Bolson and his other cronies." He moved his gaze of the room. "I didn't know why I did, I just had to do it, now I understand why. This is my home."

"Memories aren't everything," Zelda whispered.

"Then why are they the only thing I can think about," Link had also adopted a quiet voice, the dust only moving slightly under the expulsion of air. "I keep playing it back in my head over and over. It's like I can hear the screams over and over again."

"Link you were just a child, there was nothing you could've done," Zelda had moved from the doorway and into the house. She was approaching him gently, much like a person to an injured animal on the side of the path.

"I felt so useless and so angry." As he looked down at the floor he could almost see the blood there, feel its strange warmth under his fingertips. "They took her from me, why did they do that?"

"We were both part of a larger game, it didn't matter to them," She was almost by him now.

"We didn't seem to matter to any of them, not even the people on our side. But Ma…"

Her hand glided down the side of his neck and onto his shoulder. Link allowed himself to lean into its comforting embrace. The princesses reassuring heat was all around him as her head rested itself on his other shoulder her other arm wrapping around his chest.

"Link…" her voice wisped down the back of his neck as it hit his ear lightly. "These next memories aren't going to be kind on you but I want you to know…"

She had stopped and Link felt the slight quiver in her jaw where it rested on his shoulder. "I am here. Please don't forget that."

Link allowed himself to rise gently with her still wrapped around him. He turned himself towards her as her grip fell off. There was a gentle glow of green that shined onto her face.

Link looked for the words he wanted to say but found his throat dry, barren of all expression. So instead for the first time since they had been reunited he pulled her into a tight hug, this time in full earnestness. She let out a hot breath of air against his chin and in return squeezed against him.

Unlike the past two times the dam did not break, nor did the memories arrive in a crushing flood. But as Link closed his eyes he allowed the thoughts and feelings to return in gentle drips, washing over him like the light of the morning sun.