Chapter 26- A Hill Above Hateno

Zelda sulked ahead, Link staying some feet behind just in case she collapse backwards from the invisible weight that seemed to be pushing down on her. The trip was never going to be easy for him but, quickly they had both realised that the world had little care for Zelda either.

To even manage to get the okay from Rhoam, they had to pretend the trip was a journey to the Spring of Courage. They were used to going slightly off the normal plan but this time Zelda had actually wanted to go. It wasn't a short detour for sure, but this trip had gained a heavier effect on the both of them than just physical labour from travel.

When they arrived at the spring and the weather in favourable weather, Link had thought them actually lucky for once. How wrong he had been.

Hours had passed with Zelda stood eyes closed in intense focus, only occasionally looking up to the goddess like a pleading child. Above her knees in water making the ceremonial dress she was wearing cling to skin.

As tradition dictated Link was not allowed to look at her while she was in such sacred prayer, so he turned his back to the princess only hearing a slight murmur from behind. Then the sun had gone down, with it came a cloud of cold sweeping over the waters and Zelda's voice, soft and vulnerable, began to beg the inanimate object before her.

Immediately Link's muscles had begun to tense, his mind fighting against his body, trying to force it into submission. Hours and hours of deep meditation and training had barely prepared him for such a thing. There was always that inclining of duty and responsibility that always helped him stay true to his path but, Zelda always was good at getting under that.

"Please just tell me… What is it…?" She called out softly in that vulnerable voice.

With those words Link had found his body turning to look at the shivering girl in the waters and held in himself a final moment of consideration.

Zelda slinked forwards in the saddle.

After everything, time after time of stepping into the waters and staring up at the unmoving smiling face of the goddess, Zelda had thought it would've gotten better. She had been wrong, just like every other prayer it had ended in despair. This time the feeling was almost unbearable. She splashed the waters like a small frustrated child. In the end that's all she would ever amount to, no amount of reading or research would change that.

Finally relenting from the hours of praying that day, she realised how late it had become. The spring around was only visible in the low light of the moon. It was time to finally go back and turned towards the steps leading out of the now icy cold water.

A small gasp had escaped her when she saw Link stood staring at her, lips slightly parted, brow furrowed, and his knuckles white from holding the scabbard of the sword. With a shuddering realisation Zelda knew that she had voiced her frustrations aloud. Embarrassment rushed up in a wave. She averted her eyes from his and waded back to the steps.

She remembered attempting to walk, as casually as possible past Link, pretending everything wasn't affecting her. It had been a futile attempt. Each step made her draw more into herself and soon she was practically hunched over. Even before she reached the stone of the steps a splash made her look up as Link waded into the waters and they crashed into each other.

It all happened so quickly, like some sort of reflex. His warm arms wrapped around her and her head curled into his shoulder feeling that safe feeling once again. If she had anywhere to hide away from the world it would have to be here.

The thought of the court or her father seeing her like this, being cradled by her appointed knight made her smile. There would be mass uproar over the scandal, of course none of them would know or understand why they were acting in such a way. They did not understand the bond they would always have over their hefty duty or the unspeakable pressure they were under. Of course Link would be banished but, there was still part of her who wanted to get to the Hylian elite, show them that she didn't belong to them for once.

Still even in the calm of his steady arms, there were still so many questions about him. What was happening with Link? Every time she queried about the change in his behaviour since Gerudo, he would always be enigmatic. Impa had told them both that part of Link would be gone when the sword was taken up and to replace it would be something cold and unmoving. Now it seemed like that cold side was gone. Sure he was less open then he was as a bright cheerful child and it was only her who he showed this new side to. Still she wondered what could've possibly brought it out.

More importantly though what did this all mean to him…? She quickly locked that thought away. No matter how rebellious she was feeling, there were some things that went too far to even consider.

Since that night they had travelled in silence. Zelda knew what they were facing soon would be particularly hard on Link. She had to be there for him, even if there was this weight crushing down on her. It wasn't just that she owed him for all the times he risked his life over her for nothing, there was something else there, willing her forwards, that she just couldn't get her head around.

Absentmindedly she passed though the stone walls of Hateno Fort, the guards staring but not saying a word. It was as though the world around her was reflecting her mood.

Both steep rocky cliffs rose from either side. The Cliffs of Quince had always been her favourite on her trip to Hateno. They dominated the path with their grandness and yet through the holes in the formation, the brilliant night sky burst through.

This time she found her eyes glued to them for a different reason. She knew that it would be there in the distance, presiding over her like the darkest of shadows. It was the physical manifestation of her fate. Mount Lanayru, even the name terrified her now. The date was looming of her seventeenth birthday; soon she would be travelling there to pray for one last time. All her dreams and nightmares were all about that day, it had to be significant.

"Hey…" Link said.

Zelda was lost in thought she didn't see his silhouette ride up beside her and almost fell out of the saddle.

He waited patiently before saying, "You okay?"

Link was leant forwards casually, arms folded and delicately holding the reigns in one hand. For such a comfortable stance, his face sure was concerned. Did Zelda really make her feelings that obvious, in the castle she had gotten good at hiding it but with Link here in the wild, it was almost impossible to hide anything from him.

"We should just keep going," she said and shrugged shoulders sagging back even further. "I'm not sure there's a thing in the world that can make me feel better about it all."

The words only seemed to make Link think harder, as his eyes fixated in the distance, towards her nightmare. His concern was touching but, not even Link had the power to make this feeling go away. If Zelda had known of anything that could relive the insurmountable pressure, she would've found it by now.

"It's okay Link. Sometimes people just get down, all we can do is accept the feeling and carry on," Zelda said putting on a smile that faded away almost instantly.

Link stared back at her, "We're not most people though are we?"

Zelda looked at him clueless; making Link's eyes flicker a bit in what she could only presume was anticipation. He had picked up a habit of leaving her without words in her mouth, it was quite annoying.

"Look just follow me…" Link said before steering his horse to the left of the track and up onto the Oval Plains.

"Link…?" Zelda called but he did not reply and subconsciously found herself moving her white steed after him.

They trotted up the hill until, Link yelled jarringly, making his horse burst into gallop. Really? He wants to race, Zelda thought but found herself snapping into full speed. Immediately, the invigorating feeling of wind ruffling through her hair, hit her. Thank the Goddess that it would be night by the time they arrived in Hateno, the thing on her head would be more comparable to an unkempt wild animal than locks.

Soon it became obvious Link wasn't aiming for a race to Hateno, instead he made for the flowing waterfall in the distance. Not once did he look back at Zelda, an oddity for their horse races. Half the fun was seeing his face grin back at her, truly alive.

"Where are we going?" Zelda called ahead.

Just as though he had read her mind Link turned back and just grinned. Goddesses that boy sure could be annoying sometimes, what in the earth was he planning? Zelda found herself intrigued by the whole thing. When Link was like this she was almost completely and unequivocally certain he was himself. Not the Knightly hard exterior he put on for the masses or the reserved and often quiet front he put on around her. That excitement in his eyes and the ease of his very presence even meters away on a horse showed a person totally at peace.

Reaching a clump of trees the Knight leapt off with that annoying grace and tied his horse quickly. As Zelda arrived he rushed over offering her a hand off and tying her steed to the same tree.

"Link mind telling me—"

"C'mon we'll miss it," Link grinned again and began to sprint off up the hill.

All Zelda could think was, Thank the Goddess I changed out of that horrible dress, as she ran after him calling him to stave off the pace. She scrabbled through the dirt until eventually the ground plateaued out. Link was stood at the edge of the field looking directly at the waterfall in the distance.

She walked up beside him slowly getting her heavy breaths under control. When she looked over the lake however, the breath only caught in her throat. The lake was almost shinning in a green ethereal light and the moonlight bounced across it like skimming stones.

Link tugged on her sleeve and she obliged moving over towards him and looking at the waterfall in the distance, light shimmering off it in an over worldly fashion.

"It's…" Zelda breathed.

"I know," Link said quietly. "You are now one of the few people to know this exists, let alone see it."

"What is it? How did you even—"

Link cut her off again, "Once my father took me up here to see it for the first time. I was just ten years old and already completely committed towards becoming a knight."

"Except for all the climbing," Zelda smiled watching the green dance in the centre of Link's eyes before turning back.

Link laughed for a moment, "Yeah, except for that. He said I was about to learn the most important lesson of my life but I would only understand it years later."

Zelda was completely focused with her ears but that view had seemed to grab up the attention of her eyes and refuse to let go.

"He told me that to fight for nothing but glory, honour and pride was meaningless. The notion that these principles matter is a lie all knights tell themselves to throw their bodies into battle for nothing. It is only when their service comes to end that they will realise just how pointless all the work had been. A long time ago even my father believed it, so many of us did…

"But that doesn't mean you shouldn't fight it just means you can't just spend your whole life fighting and throwing your life aside for nothing. To him there was only one thing that was worth fighting for… Something that captivated you by its beauty, not just in its appearance but in the fact you just couldn't begin to understand how anything like it could exist in this world. You see he fought not just because he had finally seen the beauty in the land around him but, more that he loved the woman who made him finally see it."

"Your mother…" Zelda whispered.

She turned to Link to say more. All the things she wanted to tell him, the feelings and emotions she wanted to convey in this one perfect moment. But before she could even open her mouth Link's whole front suddenly became illuminated in an ever growing light. When she turned towards the source her whole body seemed to spin around at a blinding speed.

Across the lake the green light had come alive, millions of orbs of fantastical light. All of them flowing, shimmering, moving through the air like water that come alive and escaped the boundaries of the earth. It swirled all around the lake moving at with a calm sway that made Zelda question whether she should howl with excitement or sit and relax. Her legs were drawn towards the edge of the tiny plateau.

All the orbs gathered into one flowing stream and then began to move towards her, brushing occasionally across the surface of the water. As it reached Zelda it parted around her, the rock in a sea of beauty. Just as soon as one light captured her attention, it was gone only for her to be captivated by another, until eventually she found herself lost in it all. She reached up with an arm and to watch the stream brush past. Soon she was laughing and dancing through the light which surrounded her. In this moment she wasn't the chosen princess or the decedent of Hylia, she was just a girl and what a feeling it was.

When she looked back to Link he was not lost in the sea of light. Instead he simply was looking at her with a peaceful gaze. Involuntarily she found her legs walking over to him.

He kept his eyes on her, "I'm proud of them you know… my parents. When I was in that cave with Alfonzo he called them both weak, that their lives were meaningless and that all had mattered was his goal. There was part of me that believed him in there. But when I let myself free from whatever prison I hid myself in I realised just how wrong he was. Letting all this emotion out, it's terrifying; it scares me more than the Yiga or Ganon. I've come so far through it all but, to tell you what made me break out of that cave it's… almost too hard."

Zelda just stood and watched motionless as the light waved across his face in dazzling beauty, forcing emotion inside her churn up and mix. Breath came from her mouth evenly even though she could practically feel her heart thumping away in her throat. He was getting closer but she had no idea whether it was him or herself who was moving forwards.

"Zelda…" Link breathed in a dry voice. "I understand now, everything he said. I have something I want to fight for more than anything."

"You're father seemed to know more than he let on. I know exactly what he means too, someone who helps you see the beauty in everything. Makes you want to keep fighting," her speech ended as his hand found its way to hers. Zelda looked up and smiled forgetting about the lights around them.

"It's you…"

Her lips parted slightly, the words already buzzing around her head sending off pulses of joy. "I don't—"

"I— I love you. Goddess save me, I know it's wrong but I— "

Link almost looked different now he said it. Those angry eyebrows now eased in comfort and his posture no longer ready for a fight. "I just can't—"

"Shut up."

His face contorted with surprise, it was payback for before but not enough. Zelda reached up with both hands and cradled his face, his eyes closing gently with her touch. Then with all the strength she could muster she brought down his lips on hers.

His hands landed on her hips lightly and she felt his chest tighten. But as he kissed her back Zelda felt like her brain was melting in her body. How long she had wanted this without even realising.

Even before all the questions and inhibitions could circle through her mind they both relaxed into the embrace, Link's arms wrapped around her waist and Zelda's around his neck. It was just them and the dazzling lights around them. Tightening their arms around each other each pause for breath was only a moment before they were drawn in again.

"We shouldn't be…" Link began before immediately breaking and bringing her in again. The force sent them to the ground, where she lay on top of him bringing him in as close as she could only pausing to explore the dancing light in his eyes.

From Kakariko to Hateno to the far towns and villages, to the farthest parts of the kingdom, there could be seen a dazzling green light in the sky of which no one had ever seen.

It was strange to go to such a perfect night to standing by a tree shrouding three gravestones. Link looked down sombrely. In the far distance stretched the ocean and whatever lay beyond and below the sleepy houses of Hateno began to stir for the day.

It was a short funeral. Link didn't say any words. His father didn't like that sort of thing.

He stared trying to just remember the good things. It still felt like the pain was raw, maybe it would never heal but in time he would move on. He never even considered that he'd be confident of that much. That in spite of everything and in the face of unspeakable darkness, he felt more ready than ever.

With a hand he held up the green charm his mother had given him as a child. It was the only thing he had left of them save for the empty house. Link considered leaving it by the graves but decided against it, putting it back where it belonged around his neck.

It had been so long since he had been here. Link had not visited his mother's grave once since that night. His father had given him a way to take away the pain but Link had never known it was a temporary solution. It felt right to be here again but there was a sickening feeling that it would be the last he would see it for some time.

Zelda gripped his arm letting him know she was there. He could see her looking up as though she was afraid he was going to disappear.

When the sun had fully emerged from the horizon Link looked to Zelda and smiled. He could barely believe the night before, or should he say this morning. As all things go for those his age he had still kept things pretty respectable or at least what he could manage with his now ruined discipline.

She gave his hand a quick squeeze before turning and walking back down to the horses, the sun lighting up her hair golden as she left.

Link gave the stones one last look and followed her down towards the empty house.

I might come back to this and do some edits. I've spent the past few days writing parts of it over and over again, nothing really felt right. It was either too cliché or I was being too prude. Still not sure if I'm totally happy but it got the point where I was just like "c'mon just get it out man, it's fine".

There'll be another four chapters after this so look out for them. Nearly at the end!

Thanks for reading and doing all the reviewing, favouriting and following makes me a happy guy.