Forgotten Instincts

by farore-or-less

Having been torn from Hylia and her sealing power, Zelda travels with Link as a companion to appease the corrupted Divine Beasts, but she must hide her identity because his memory is gone & mentality hanging by a thread. She has to live under an alias until his memory of her returns, even if that means he's falling in love with the woman she's pretending to be. (POV Link & Zelda)

9. Chasing Waterfalls

Chapter Summary: As Link struggles to find the strength to face his past and dispel of the evil that's corrupting Vah Ruta, Zelda struggles to understand the role that has been carved out for her. Will both of them be able to accept who they are and what they mean to one another? And will Zelda be discovered within the Domain by someone who remembers her?

Content warning: swearing, depression, and sexual themes with a lil' strip tease.
Yeah, I said strip tease

Author's Note: Sooo this chapter took forever to get posted. The first half of it had to be rewritten three freakin' times. The first time my laptop updated itself overnight and my dumbass didn't save any of it. I got so frustrated I didn't even want to start rewriting it for weeks but when I did, I just didn't like what I had written from memory, so I scrapped that too.

Needless to say, this chapter kicked my butt.

---

Link misses the cuccos.

He misses the morning light that peers through their curtains while he's making breakfast and Zel is still sound asleep in bed. He misses their clawfoot tub and his garden and his wood fired oven for the ability to cook whatever he wants whenever he pleases because if he doesn't fall asleep on the water sack they call a mattress at the Seabed Inn dreaming about pepper steak, it'd be a fucking miracle.

Now he eats fish for breakfast, fish for lunch, fish for dinner, and fish for every meal he has in-between. It's only been two weeks since they left home and it honestly surprises him how much he misses it. He never considered himself to be a homebody before —always on the move since the moment he woke up in that Shrine, but now he's a homeowner with property to his (and her) name, taxes to be paid, cuccos to be fed, and a garden that needs constant tending to, and he misses every single thing about it.

He misses sharing a bed with Azella, too.

He can tell she's having a hard time being away from home just as much as he is, maybe even more. When they first arrived at Zora's Domain, Link took the liberty to speak to King Dorephan alone —taking into consideration her unease around authoritative figures, albeit she gets along with Prince Sidon well enough, surprisingly. Zel is more quiet than usual and keeps her head down, covered by her elegant hooded cloak, but that must be due to the constant downpour over the city.

There are blatant bags under her eyes from lack of sleep and every night she'll startle him awake with her returning nightmares. He assumes she'd want to sleep together, like they were in Hateno, if the inn beds were large enough for two people. He misses having her so close at night as well, misses her right beside him, helping to regulate each others body temperatures since he's always so hot and she's always so cold, but sometimes they'll lounge together on one bed, usually with their backs against the headboard, and she'd quickly, effortlessly, fall asleep with her head on his shoulder. He would never dare wake her when that happens.

Zel spends most of their dreary, boring days experimenting, trying to replicate her own shock arrows since Muzu won't tell them a damn thing —not unless Link can prove he's the same legendary Hero that lived one hundred years ago, and shocker —his memory isn't very reliable. It's not like he can control when a memory comes to him, but it's not like he's been trying very hard to trigger one either.

Since the moment Muzu stunted their progress, Link has felt subpar, craven. Going through the motions without feeling them, wishing and hoping that their routine would change, but not finding the strength, the right motivation to do anything about it.

He knows he needs something to trigger a memory, like that picture of the Lanayru East Gate, and he can take a wild guess at exactly what that trigger could be, but he's been too afraid to look her in the eyes. He's been pathetically relying on Zel to come up with an alternative solution so he doesn't have to face his past, to remember Mipha, but the guilt is slowly starting to crawl under his skin and creep into his conscious because Zel is trying so hard and he's barely trying at all.

If he wants to get onto that stupid elephant, he's going to have to look at that statue —but he's just not ready yet.

Link is sitting on the handrail at the base of the staircase leading to the Ne'ez Yohma shrine, chewing on a fingernail as he waits for Zel to return. Every few days one of them will fast-travel back to Hateno and check on everything. Karson and his partner promised they'd water their plants and feed the cuccos while they're away, but since they have a mode of quick transportation, they like to pop in just for a quick visit. Whenever it's Zel's turn, she usually works in the lab with Purah and shops in the village for random supplies.

He's considering poking around the Hammerhead workshop to annoy Dento again when he hears the swirling sounds of Zel's return. His boots splash onto the wet steps as her figure materializes and when their eyes meet he forgets his worries for the time being, and beams at her with anticipation.

"How's Cluck Norris?"

She gives him a quick, playful glare before she hops down from the shrine's platform. "He's fine Link."

"And Hilary Fluff?"

"She's fine, too." With a lofty sigh, Zel stands beside him, leaning against the handrail, and crosses her arms over her chest. "They're all fine. Where'd you come up with those ridiculous names anyways?"

"They just come to me," he shrugs and looks down at his water-filled boots. "Maybe we shouldn't have left them so quickly after they moved from house to coop. They're still so young."

"All proud parents must let their little ones leave the nest some day," she chuckles softly and leans into him, hoping to catch his gaze or a small hint of a smile, but he doesn't give her the satisfaction.

Aside from the extra work she's been doing, Zel has been trying to keep him jovial so he doesn't sink into himself with the constant pressure of succeeding, and without her own smile to help brighten this lackluster city, he'd barely be able to stay afloat.

"Anyways," she says with an excited tone. "I want to show you this new ability Purah and I programmed on the slate, you'll love it!"

"Hm?" He says, only acknowledging her when Zel starts walking away from the handrail.

Stepping into the waist-high waters, Zel picks a bouquet of fleet-lotus seeds and places them in the middle of the steps. She unlatches the slate from her belt, taps a couple buttons, and within seconds the sound of fast-travel echoes throughout the alcove and the lotus seeds dissolve into blue pixels until they disappear altogether.

"That's neat," Link tries to sound impressed, but his enthusiasm hasn't been very high for anything lately. "Why would we need to send lotus seeds somewhere?"

The passionate vivacity drains from her face when it's clear he doesn't share the same excitement. "What this means is that one of us can travel somewhere without the slate, but more importantly, we'll be able to send items to places without having to travel with them! We can send ancient tech gear to Purah or— or exotic goods to Kakariko. Once Ganon has been defeated, maybe this could help broaden the market amongst distant regions, especially if Purah and Robbie can help me design other slates specifically designed for this purpose only. Just imagine the trade possibilities!"

He tries to give her the reaction she deserves, but her statement just reminds him that he has an all-encumbering evil to defeat. "That's great Zel. Always thinking ahead," he sends her a fake smile, but she can see right through it.

Mumbling an indistinguishable comment under her breath, Zel slouches her shoulders and latches the slate to her belt again. "Well, that was my exciting news for the day. Anything happen here while I was gone?"

"If you want to call catching frogs exciting—"

"Yes," Zel says avidly, "and beneficial for research." She moves to stand next to him once more, grazing his arm as she stands close.

He sighs, unsure if she's joking or not. "Did you go thrifting in Hateno? You were gone for a long time."

She nods. "I bought a few journals since the one I have is getting full. I think I might start a diary and keep one for research notes. I bought an extra one for you if you'd like?"

"I don't have anything to write about."

She clicks her tongue at him, "Honestly Link, you have more of a reason to write down your experiences than anyone."

In response, he looks the opposite way from her and doesn't answer, so she sighs quietly and shifts a little where she stands, trying to decide on how to change the topic of discussion. Since his mood has plummeted, so has their ease in conversation. For a while they watch the small layer of water trickle down the stairs, keeping their feet permanently drenched throughout the Domain. He wouldn't be surprised if one of them received a strange foot fungus from all this city water they've been standing in.

Zel's voice cuts through the trickling sounds of water. She sounds timid, nervous even. "Listen Link, I think... I think we should give it another try at triggering a memory."

By her comment, Link drops his head into his chest and takes a long inhale. She always tries to make it sound like a group effort but it's not like she has to go through the traumatic experience of remembering someone from an era filled with all his failures. She wasn't even there.

When Link tried to describe the Zora Champion from his first memory at the Lanayru East Gate to Muzu, it wasn't enough. Muzu needed something more personable. Something to prove Link and Mipha's bond was greater than simply sharing a Champion title. That he's the same Hylian whom Princess Mipha loved a century ago, but that's exactly what worries him because deep down he doesn't really want to know.

If what the Zora are telling him is true —that Mipha was in love with him— then he can't quite decide which is worse; breaking her heart by loving her in return, or breaking her heart by not loving her back at all. That's why he has refused to look up at that statue.

"Maybe we can try meditations again?" Zel suggests. "I know it can be boring at times, but clearing the mind might trigger—"

"So you've completely lost hope on trying to recreate shock arrows on your own." He knows she doesn't deserve to be treated this way, but he can't help it. He's in the mood to fight with her.

"Well no, but I think if you kept busy with something while I'm tinkering, you wouldn't be so... irritated with everything."

"Haven't you stopped to think that maybe I've been trying?" He lies and looks at her out of the corner of his eye, a challenge.

She stares back at him for awhile, until her features soften and she gives-in entirely. This isn't like her. Zel is never quick to surrender in a fight because she's always right. Even now she's right, but still she doesn't push him. Doesn't give him the satisfaction of feeling anything other than frustration and pity. She's not pushing him with the force and aggressiveness he's knows she's capable of and that's really considerate of her, but there's a part of him that wishes she would.

He wants her to get angry. Wants to see her flushed in the cheeks and those green eyes raging, pointing an accusing finger at him while she screams in his face to focus for Hylia's sake and start taking this seriously because lives are at stake and the whole kingdom is counting on him. Maybe then will he finally be able to look up at the memorial of Princess Mipha, remember his past, and quit stalling to conquer this first Divine Beast because all of this rests on him— no matter how hard he tries to avoid it.

Softly, she sighs and touches his shoulder, heavy with affection as her fingers smooth against his tunic and rise up to his face to comb through his hair. If he was a better fighter, verbally speaking of course, Link would be able to hold his ground instead of melting into her whenever she touched him like that.

"You're right, I'm sorry. You're doing your best." Her voice is quiet and soothing and her hand has stopped to rest atop his shoulder —a solid, steady comfort. She's silent for a moment before she speaks again, says quietly with a yawn, "That trip to Hateno has made me a little tired so I'm going to rest at the inn for a bit."

That's always code phrase for saying she wants to take a nap with him.

Somewhere during Zel's touch to his hair Link closed his eyes, drowning in the sensation, so he opens them slowly. Turning to face her, he smiles and says; "I'll come with you" —their argument already dropped and forgotten.

They leave the alcove of the shrine and make the short walk to the Seabed Inn. The two of them have been the only guests for over a week now because there's only two beds, and more often than not their stuff is sprawled everywhere. Their home in Hateno had spoiled them of having a place to themselves so they've been using what's suppose to be a communal inn as their own personal bedroom. It's also been an unspoken courtesy of the Zora citizens to steer clear of the area, giving the Hylian's their privacy since Link introduced Zel as 'his partner,' even if they're not exactly partners in the way he wants them to be just yet.

Zel blows out a loud exhale, plops onto her bed, and starts tapping at the slate as Link takes his sword and shield off his back and places them down on his own bed, dawdling. Although he may not need one, he always waits until Zel sends him an invitation to lay on the bed with her.

"Come here, I want to show you how to use the new transport program."

Immediately, Link abandons the trivial fiddling of his weapons and closes the small distance between them. He drapes a leg along the mattress as his other dangles off the side, and when he rests his back against the headboard, Zel instantly snuggles up next to him.

In more detail than he can comprehend, Zel describes her newest addition to the Sheikah slate. There's an option to send items already stored on the slate, or an option to select a physical object from the world, and send it to a visited shrine. Link watches her like she's a tutorial; selecting an apple in the slate's inventory, tapping the new 'Send to...' button before the map fills the screen. She picks the Hateno tech lab and their count of 139 apples becomes 138.

She passes the slate to him and Link tests it out a couple times. He can admit the new program is pretty impressive and he can see how this would be useful in the future for a united kingdom, but more than anything it warms his heart knowing that Zel has carved a path right along side his own. Months ago, she had told him that Impa saw something in her; believed that she could help Link awaken the power he needs to wield the Master Sword, and since then he's thought that maybe her wisdom and cleverness is the key.

But the way he watches her grow drowsy, yawning into the palm of her hand and sleepily start to nuzzle against him, it has him reconsidering that maybe her role might be something else.

It's not long until he can feel her body drifting off to sleep, but before she does, she says his name softly. "Link?"

"Yeah?" He looks down at her and the view makes him smile. Her eyes are closed and her cheek is squished against his arm. Just the sight of her so comfortable and calm, so irrevocably Zel, keeps his troubled thoughts and worries at bay.

"I know you can do this," she whispers, then, very hesitantly, with uncertain movements, places a timid hand on his abdomen. "You're so much stronger than you think you are."

When it's clear he's not going to tense up or push her away, she sighs —sated and gentle, and it sends a warm shiver down his body.

She never elaborates on what exactly she's referring to, either his physical strength to tame what's corrupting the Divine Beasts, or the courage to remember and mourn a potentially forgotten lover. No matter the specifics, what she said sinks into his core and drops anchor, replacing the corrupting thoughts that used to linger there.

Link places a hand atop hers, curling his fingers over her own and squeezes gently. "Thanks Zel," he whispers, but she's almost fully asleep by now because all she does in response is exhale quietly and angle her nose a little closer to his shoulder.

As Zel falls asleep, he thinks about the gravity of her sleepy words. Since the moment he spoke to Impa, he's been stubbornly trying to convince himself that he's not good enough, strong enough, courageous enough for what everyone expects him to be and coming to the Domain only heightened those keen insecurities. Everyone acts like he's this ancient, mysterious hero from an age long past, resurrected to mend this broken kingdom and bring the horror that plagues it to a prophesied end, when Link can't even remember who that guy was.

Was he gallant and charming, devoted to his king and kingdom? Was he egotistic and arrogant, foolish and naive —is that why he failed? That man back then was the Chosen Hero —carefully selected from an entire kingdom populated with trained soldiers and mighty warriors, and still he wasn't strong enough, so what gives him the right to think he's strong enough now?

He looks down and finds his answer; long eyelashes fluttering peacefully, lips parted and dangerously close to a snore. Golden strands of hair draped over his shoulder and those sun-kissed breasts rising and falling with every rhythmic breath she takes. It's astonishing that he didn't see it before.

She's it. She's his strength.

He has spent days with his mind fogged over, burdened with infectious thoughts about him and Mipha, what they were to each other, what they may or may not have been, and what if what if what if. Maybe he did have someone that truly cared about him the way he does for Zel, but no matter the type of man he was a century ago, there's a new one that's been forming for months, fighting and fixing the wrongs of his past, all in the presence of a woman who trusts him, follows him, believes in him.

He smiles and holds her hand just a little bit tighter.

» . «

Whenever he thought of Mipha, he thought of sunsets.

Gorgeous, immaculate, with shades of shimmering rays and pinkish hues. A nostalgic plethora of details scattered across his memory ever since he could remember.

She always had a knack for sunsets. Always knew the best place to watch the earth swallow the sun. As a child, Mipha would carry him on her back as she chased the setting sun and he would glide his fingers across the calm waters to create ripples as she swam. When he grew older, the memory of her laughter would ring through his ears when he went for a dip or took a glance at the sun while it was setting. With a smile, he'd close his eyes and think of her.

All those magical sunsets, the times she'd entertain him with legends and tales of mythical water creatures, the numerous cairns they'd build of pebbles and stones —how could he forget them? How could he forget his most cherished friend?

And what was she going to tell him atop Vah Ruta?

"Link? Link, can you hear me?"

That voice is back again, captivating, but far away, luring him to rise to the surface. It can't be Mipha's —her voice was delicate and dainty, nostalgic, and nestled deep within the fabric of his happy childhood memories. He could never mistake a voice so familiar to him, so why can't he place this one?

"Open your eyes, Link."

He does.

Every time he's pulled from a memory, there's a split second that feels like he's being brought back from the brink of death, like how it felt in the Shrine of Resurrection. There's one terrifying second of not knowing who or what or where he is and what has happened —until it all comes back to him.

It wasn't the voice he heard from the Shrine, it was Zel pulling him back to the present. He remembers now; after she woke from her nap, he confessed that he might know how to trigger a memory. She wasn't mad, not even disappointed, she only nodded and followed him to the courtyard. When they got there, Zel asked a guard to retrieve the Prince and Muzu straight away, and that's when Link tilted his head to the statue and the memory took over his vision. It could have been minutes or seconds that passed, he's not really sure. Time was always such a fickle thing when a memory returned to him —never quite aligning with reality correctly.

When he opens his eyes to see the green in hers, a sigh of relief escapes his lips. His heart is racing and his throat feels dry, but he asks anyways.

"Is Sidon... is he here yet?"

"No," she says, sighing a relief of her own. "Muzu waddles slower than a turtle and I'm assuming he's stalling, but Link...are you alright?" He realizes her hands are on both of his biceps when he feels them gently tracing up his shoulders.

"I am now," he says and smiles through the splitting headache that's starting to form. The pain is much more tolerable now since he started taking medicine. Not only does it help to relieve the migraines and headaches, but it also helps to cope with the pain and loss he feels when he remembers another fallen victim of the Calamity that he couldn't save.

His breath eventually slows and syncs up with her own but she doesn't move away from him and she doesn't remove her hands from his shoulders either, she just idles there as conflicted as he feels; wanting to pull her closer and closer until there's no space left between them at all.

Slowly, unsurely, one of her hands leaves his shoulders to touch his cheek, making his heart flutter for the briefest second before Sidon arrives with a grumbling Muzu, so Link pulls away from her and she does the same.

Their new friend, Prince Sidon, strides up and graces them with an award-winning smile before he sees the state Link is in, asks; "Are you unwell, my friend?"

"I'll be fine, Sidon," Link nods courtly. "I just had a memory of your sister return to me," and with that, the two Zoras gasp.

In extreme detail, Link describes the memory; Mipha's blue-glowing healing powers, the color of her eyes, how she spoke so elegantly soft and kind —any details that only someone who lived back then would know, and while the story brings Sidon to tears, it only seems to weaken Muzu's stubbornness. Tears fill the elders eyes, but he gives Link one last task to do before he shares the information they need.

In order to verify the truth of Link's words, Muzu wants to see the Zora armor fit him perfectly since Mipha supposedly made it for him. As respectful as he can, Link discards of his tunic in front of the three —noting how intense Zel and Sidon's stares are at his bare chest— and slips into the slick fabric of the aquatic armor.

It's a little loose since he lost some muscle mass during his revitalization in the Shrine, but it fits well enough for Muzu to finally surrender the location on where to get a large supply of shock arrows.

"Are you kidding me?" Zel says with Link's Hylian tunic waving about in her hand as she gestures. She's been silent just as much as the Prince has, until now. "So the 'grave monster' atop Ploymus Mountain has been the shock arrow hoarder this whole time? If we ventured far enough, we would have been able to find it without your help days ago! I thought you were hoarding them or—or something that didn't involve battling a lynel!"

Muzu turns and stares her down, possibly offended she just spoke out of turn. Since they arrived, he hasn't shown either of them much respect, but he particularly doesn't like Zel for some reason —the scowl he gave when he saw them standing so close beneath Mipha's statue was proof enough. Maybe it's because she's a transient woman or maybe because she doesn't hold any honorary titles like Link does, so Muzu might believe she has no business being involved in their politics at all.

"Well, my dear," Muzu says tauntingly. "You don't necessarily have to defeat the horrid creature, you can pick-pocket the shock arrows if you truly want to avoid detection. I'm sure you're well trained in the field of thievery anyways."

Zel cocks her head to the side and narrows her eyes. "What the hell is that suppose to mean?"

"Do not use such foul language in front of me, young lady," Muzu snaps, then with a huff and disgusted face, turns back and addresses Link. "I cannot see why you would acquaint yourself with such a low-class Hylian, Master Link. You were once held in the highest regard to the Zora peoples and to our beautiful Princess," he shakes his wide head disapprovingly. "Perhaps if that trollop didn't sway around you like a... like a harlot I would have believed you sooner—"

"That's enough."

Before the words can escape his own mouth, it's Prince Sidon's imperial voice that ricochets off the marble structures— defending Zel's honor. His words instantly dispel the thick fog of agitation growing between them, silencing even Zel from adding more fuel to the fire.

Muzu grumbles out a reluctant apology, albeit he never looks at Zel directly, and removes himself from their conversation by shuffling out of the courtyard and back to the throne room. When he's far enough away, Sidon looks to Zel and bows with a gracious humility that would have made his fan club swoon.

"My sincerest apologizes Lady Azella. I believe his distaste for you stems from the grief of my sister's passing, not to you personally." Sidon straightens his large body and looks down at her with a crooked smile. "To witness Mipha's beloved with a new partner must also be difficult for him to accept, though it shouldn't be any of his concern whom Master Link chooses for a mate."

Warmly, Sidon turns to smile at Link but he's already blushing and averting his eyes. Things have been fine between him and Zel, but he's still worried that he made a fool of himself at the Hateno Fire Festival, may have said the most embarrassing things to her, but when he asked about the missing parts of his memory from that drunken night, it only made her smile sweetly and say, "don't fret, you were a complete gentleman," —which just made him fret even more. He has a whole part of his memory missing between being halfway carried up the loft stairs and watching Zel's dress collect, abandoned, on the floor.

Zel looks away from the Prince and mumbles at the water around their ankles. "Muzu is definitely going to regret saying that."

"Regardless," Sidon nods to reset the conversation, "how shall we strategize our attack?"

Link and Zel share a long glance, then look up at Sidon simultaneously and say, "We are not doing anything."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Your Highness," Zel interjects with a new tenderness to her voice. "You have said so yourself that a single shock arrow could kill a Zora in an instant. You are an important asset in rebuilding Hyrule and we cannot chance that—" her voice cracks so she starts again, "that the heir to the last remaining throne in all of Hyrule be exposed to that much danger."

Sidon eyes her considerably, questioning deeply, though he never shares his contemplative curiosities and it only makes Link feel more uncomfortable with this entire conversation.

The Prince's shoulders sag with acquiesce, but says quietly; "Surely, there must be a way to make myself useful to the two of you."

"Yes, I believe there is," Zel smiles with a spark of cleverness behind her eyes, insinuating she already has an idea.

Without disagreement, the plan is set; Link and Zel will face the lynel tomorrow at day break and the Prince will meet them at the East Reservoir to assist in taking out the water pumps of Vah Ruta. He'll need him to carry them both close enough to the water pumps so Link can swim the waterfalls and Zel can dismiss of any attacks the Beast will throw at them. Everyone seems satisfied with their roles but Link does his best to keep his face unreadable because there's no way he's going to let Azella fight that lynel, either.

She's an amazing warrior and they work so well together in a fight, her archery skills are impeccable —even better than his own, and he can admit that proudly. Zel deals damage per second, using long-distance weaponry, as Link works best with a sword and shield to keep the enemy attacking him, and enemies go down the fastest when they battle together.

However, in the event of him getting injured, even the slightest scratch, she can become easily distracted. She will quickly abandon the fight and rush to his aid, leaving herself defenseless and vulnerable and whatever monster they're battling immediately picks up on that weakness.

If this lynel is anything like what she described to him before, then it will easily learn her pattern before she even reveals it. She's too predictable for an enemy that intelligent, and she means too much to him to be placed in that much danger. He decides that he's going to sneak out of the Domain a couple hours before dawn and battle the monster alone.

She's going to be so pissed at him.

» . «

After the three of them spoke in the courtyard, Zel went to the cooking pot to craft as much medicine and elixirs that their inventory would allow, and Link and Sidon went below the city to train in private together. In the past week they've trained everyday in various locations, but they've both come to a mutual agreement that they prefer the rocks near the bottom of Gruve's waterfall the most because the terrain allows for excellent water combat, and it's secluded enough where they can talk without formalities and no hovering Zoras to eavesdrop on their conversation.

They have already spent over an hour training —the Prince equipped with a silverscale spear and Link with a regular one he found lying around the Domain. He had been able to pick up new and powerful moves from the Prince and vice versa; Link had taught him his signature power-up move and his spin attack.

At this point, the sun is setting low over the mountains and the two of them are doing more swimming and chit-chatting than dodging and parrying —burnt out from another intense training session. Sidon had dove into the waters moments ago and is leisurely floating on his back as Link stands on the rocks, pivoting and spiraling with his spear, the last remaining movements before he abandons their practice altogether and sits on a large rock to take his boots off, roll his trousers to his knees, and dip his toes in the cool water.

Listening to the peaceful sounds of the waterfall, Link lets his mind wander and the first place it leads to is Mipha. It wasn't just the memory of her healing his arm on Vah Ruta that returned to him, it was pieces and snippets of cherished memories he had kept so close to his heart back then. He can remember how much he used to make her laugh and how much she used to scold him if he did something reckless as a child, he can remember her youthful smile that never seemed to age as he grew older. They must have been friends his whole life, must have been best friends, but still he's not sure if they were...?

"Sidon?" he says absentmindedly and the Prince paddles gracefully in the water to face him, so Link takes a long inhale and continues his thought. "I know you were only a fingerling before the Calamity, but do you have any memories of your sister and— and me, together?"

"You mean as...?"

"As more than just friends."

Sidon's gaze wanders away from him for moment, thinking carefully before his answers. "Unfortunately, I was not old enough to understand much on that topic, but I discovered later in life that she loved you."

"Right," he says shyly and looks down at his lap. "I'm just wondering if—"

"If you loved her back the same way?"

"Yeah."

"That, my friend, may always be a question unanswered, but I do know that you cared for her, truly."

He smiles, thankful that Sidon is extremely understanding of his internal uncertainties. "Do you have any memories of us together?"

"Yes, just one," Sidon smiles back. "It was the last time the Princess came to visit the Domain. She had requested you sit at the dining table with her and the Royal family which shocked some of the guards and servants, even my father seemed a little uneasy, but my sister agreed and waved you over. Those who served the Royal families of Hyrule were given their meals afterwards, never during, but I remember you sat between my sister and the Princess. I couldn't take my eyes off you two, even when you were stealing food from her plate."

"The Princess?" Link asks innocently, but Sidon sends him a look of confusion.

"Princess Zelda."

"Oh, right."

Slowly, Sidon swims up to him and rests his broad arms across the rocks nearby. "Do you not remember her, Master Link?"

He sighs heavily and shakes his head. "No. I've only had one memory of her return to me and it was incomplete. I can't remember her face, not even her voice."

"Then... how can you remember her?"

He claws a hand through his hair and takes a long exhale, not really sure how to explain it. "All the Champions were there in my mind, but she was more of a... a feeling. When she spoke, I could feel her sadness more than I could hear her, and when I try to piece her image together, she's just... fragments. It's like the more I try to remember her, the harder it is."

"I see," Whether or not Sidon truly understood, he's silent for a spell before he meets Link's eyes again. "'Tis a shame you can't remember her. Even for the little fingerling that I was, she possesses a beauty that is truly memorable." For some reason, the Prince winks at him.

"What was she like?"

"Well," Sidon takes a deep inhale and starts swimming away from the rocks again, a playfulness entering his tone. "She has a smile that rivals the sun's brightness and a laugh that can instantly melt the heart." The Prince dives underwater for a moment before springing back up again, the splashes of water glittering in the orange sunlight. "Her personality is absolutely captivating, if I might add. Stubborn and persistent, but equally gentle and kind."

"You got all that from one memory? Seems like a little fry had a little crush."

He nods, "she was my first."

"First implies there was a second," Link smiles at the thought of a young Sidon being a hopeless romantic.

"Yes, there was another," the Prince says rather bashfully. "He's also a Hylian. Why do you think I've devoted so much time in studying Hylian culture?"

"I thought it was to find a Hylian able to help with Vah Ruta," Link says, growing suddenly shy.

"Yes, of course," Sidon swims up to him again, closer this time, his fin brushing against Link's shin in the water. "But that wasn't the only reason."

"I see," Link gulps, trying to swallow down the rising heat to his ears and cheeks.

The Prince laughs unceremoniously at his diffidence, and looks down at the rocks for a moment before he looks at him again. With a charming softness, he asks, "I was wondering, Sir Link, have you and Lady Azella... forgive me, but is there something missing from your relationship?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the two of you display a fondness, yet you do not touch. Why is that?"

"I um... I—"

"You see," Sidon tilts his head inquisitively, ignoring Link's stammer. "One of the many things I have studied about Hylians is their intimacies and favorable displays of affection. They're very similar to the Zora I might add."

"Yeah?" Link's voice cracks like he's going through puberty all over again. Where he's sitting, it suddenly feels like a sauna.

"Zoras do not automatically appeal to their opposite gender for instance, like we observe some species do in nature. Instead, there is a sexuality spectrum as opposed to an evolutionary desire to simply propagate. That is also shown in Hylians, is it not?"

Link's ears are bright red and he can only nod. If he could slip from this rock and dunk his face into the water without looking like a complete idiot, he would.

The crease of Sidon's lip rises. "I hope I'm not swimming in murky waters when I speak of this to you, am I?"

In answer, Link shakes his head. He can't help but feel anxious approaching the topic of him and Zel, how they display their affections for one another, lightly hinting on the subject of sex because it still rattles him when he thinks about when or if they'll ever get that far. For a quick moment, he feels like he wants to bottle up his emotions so Sidon doesn't have to be burdened by his silly dilemma, but suddenly Purah's voice is in his head. During game nights in Hateno, she had mentioned how boring he used to be (her words, not his), reserved and unemotional, and that just doesn't sound like him anymore.

Clearing his throat, Link finally admits his inner struggle. "I um... I don't know how to tell her."

"Ah, so I see," the Prince smiles warmly. "You're unsure if she feels the same about you?"

"No, it's not that," Link fiddles with his fingers in his lap. "I'm certain she feels the same, but I don't... I don't want to ruin anything. We have a great partnership and I'm worried that if we rush into anything too soon it'll— and I'll just— and she... when she wants something she just takes it, so why hasn't she— "

"You want her to move first."

"Yeah."

Nervously, Link chuckles and ruffles his dampened hair. He's never really talked about his feelings for Zel to anyone and it honestly feels great to get that off his chest. That by admitting it, he can finally accept that these wants and desires for her are real, and not just in his head.

"You'll be waiting a while then, Sir Link," Sidon sighs loudly. "Lady Azella may know exactly what she wants, but she is, and I mean this in the highest regard... stubborn."

Rolling his eyes languidly, Link says, "Trust me, I know that better than anyone."

"Then I hope you are also aware that she is waiting for you to move first, my friend. A woman like that —her persistence will wear you down until you shatter."

Nodding that he understood, Link drops his gaze from Sidon's and takes a deep breath. She hasn't tried a move on him since Rabia Plain, and nothing so much as innocent, playful flirtations since then. Every touch she's made has been comforting and platonic yet when he pushes and dares her, even slightly, she complies. The day after the Fire Festival when he was wallowing in his hangover and basking in Zel's care, he remembered why she decided to take her white dress off in front of him; because he asked her to.

The Prince is right; she won't break —not until Link does first.

The movement of Sidon taking his hand out from underneath the water pulls Link back to their conversation. He meets his eyes but there's something bashful behind them, then the Prince of the Zora lays a hand dangerously close to Link's thigh, so close he can feel the cool wetness of his skin, and says in a humble, quiet voice; "Master Link, if... if you two ever find yourselves to be in want of a... a third party, well..."

He's about to finish his sentence, but the musical sound of laughter echoing off the rocks has both of them turning their heads to watch the moment a figure curled up in a ball cascades down the waterfall and splashes into the waters nearby.

Seconds later, Zel's floppy, golden hair springs from the waters surface, flinging water droplets as she shakes her head like a playful dog, and paddles in the waters to face them, revealing the brightest smile full of laughter that has Link's heart melting in his chest.

Breath rapid and full of adrenaline, Zel says excitedly, "I never realized how much fun that is."

Laughing candidly at her comment, Link dives into the water to meet her, forgetting Sidon's advancement almost entirely.

Almost.

They spend some time together, happily swimming and updating each other on their evening's progress; Link feels confident with all the training him and the Prince have done and Zel has crafted more than enough elixirs that will give them an advantage.

Her apothecary skills have grown immensely since he's known her. She's experimented with all the monster parts he finds and insects she collects to make elixirs that will increase his endurance or his stamina, a stealth potion, even a shock resistant potion made out of zapshrooms and electric darners, but the taste is horrid and the effects don't last very long —she's still working out those kinks.

Bidding the Prince a good evening, Link carries Zel on his back as he uses the Zora armor to swim up the waterfall —her laughter and firm hold around his neck distracting him from the final comment the Prince said in hushed whispers; "my door is always open for you two," which confused Link, but perhaps he might come to understand what he meant as Link figures himself out a little more.

Assisting as best she can, Zel helps him make their supper; spicy seafood stir fry with rice and vegetables. For weeks he's insisted she help with the cooking just incase they ever get separated, which he will never allow, but at least she'll know how to cook the basics —even if that means he has to sacrifice a couple burned meals in order to teach her.

Getting themselves into bed has been slowly morphing into a small performance of sorts. A selfishly pleasurable show that distracts them from their burdening responsibilities, if only for a little while. It's become amusing and thrill-seeking to see how far either of them are willing to go, and which one will look away first.

The lights are dim and the rain patters against the sculptured city, the air thick and muggy, almost steamy, the kind of atmosphere that makes a bead of sweat drip down the spine, and the breath heavy with more than just humidity.

With their clothes now mostly dry from the time spent cooking and chatting by the fire, Zel has draped herself along her bed, Sheikah slate out, and the blue light of the screen illuminating her features, highlighting the roundness of her cheeks and nose, reminding Link about the roundness of other places upon her body.

The night of the Fire Festival will forever be scorched into his memory despite the missing pieces he had been too drunk to remember. He'll never forget the way her curvy thighs pressed against the other when her white dress fell to the floor, the way her breasts filled her white bralette and how they bounced when she shifted on the bed with him, straddling his thigh to help him undo his trousers because he was too far gone and far too distracted to do it himself.

Every night since then, it's been completely unnecessary to undress in private anymore —not like there's a private bathroom in the Domain anyways. It began with backs turned and hesitant movements, until even that felt unnecessary. They've known each other for months, have seen each other at their best and worst, have lived together, fought together, argued and flirted, stripped completely bare of almost all clothing and secrets.

And it usually starts with the unclasping of a belt buckle.

Whether it's the belt securing his weapons or his trousers, the soft clicking noise is enough to get Zel's eyes dragging from the slate's screen and onto his body, like they are now, the predictable cause and effect making him smile. By the time his belt is pulled through most of his trouser loops, the slate lays abandon on the bed beside her.

It's always a mixture of temperatures after that —hot and cold, bashfulness and confidence pulling off the rest of his clothing, but her inquisitive gaze never strays. When he reaches behind him and tugs the Zora armor over his broad shoulders, her chin lifts with it and her eyes grow hungry with the look of a mind completely fogged over with lust —all burdens and worries forgotten like the belt he's already lost somewhere on the floor, discarded and unneeded until he wakes the next morning.

Often he'll stay like that for a few minutes, letting her bask in this form of his; shirtless and trousers loose around his hips and on nights like this one, skin glistening with a small layer of sweat. He likes to comb through his hair with his fingers, wrap the blue tie around his wrist and angle his head towards her, chancing quick glances to make sure she's still watching even though she always is. After months of neglecting his hair, it's thoroughly passed his shoulders and he's considered cutting it a couple times, but the way she bites her lower lip when he claws a hand through his hair tells him he shouldn't dare dream of it.

The confidence washes in like waves when he's half-naked and Zel's eyes dancing across his body. He's no longer afraid that all his bruises and battle scars, his war-torn flaws, will disgust or repel her. Months ago, he wanted to ask if she was attracted to him and he's found the answer somewhere between the first time he tried on his stealth armor and the shameless look she gives him when his fingers pull at the buttons of his trousers and lets them fall to the floor.

But that's when the shyness replaces all his confidence and his movements become a little clumsy. It has nothing to do with the quiet sigh she tries to hide or the way her emerald eyes darken when he stands beside the bed in nothing but his underwear —it has all to do with uncertainty.

Since they began this nightly escapade, he's given her every chance to rise from the bed, walk up to him, and slip her fingers beneath the waistband of his briefs, has wanted Zel to shove his chest onto the mattress and straddle him, take control of both their actions, and kiss his lips senseless, until their bruised and swollen and throbbing.

But that's much easier said than done. For now their little strip tease is fun and distracting, but when the time comes will Link be ready? —or will he make a complete fool of himself because he can't even remember if he's ever kissed anyone before.

His part of the show ends quicker than it begins because it's her turn. She never starts until Link has his old shirt and patchy trousers on —the same ones she had to repair and lengthen because he's grown a few inches in the past several weeks. He's usually lounging on his bed in some way or another when she begins.

With a satisfied sigh, Link lays down and crosses his arms behind his head, ready to watch.

She moves to sit on the edge of her bed, facing him perfectly, feet dangling down to the floor and, with painstakingly slow movements, pulls at the tie of her corset. Her face is calm, composed, a soft smile playing on the corners of her lips as her fingers caper up her abdomen, pulling out the strings, and Link's eyes follow them. As much as he admires how her corset lifts her breasts high on her chest, he admires watching them fall gradually, slowly, onto the only support left; her brassier.

When the corset is fully discarded and the white blouse lays loose around her figure, she'll rise from the bed and slip from the rest of her clothing so gracefully, it makes him squirm a little. Since they've been undressing like this, he's been able to see all her lingerie sets beautifully displayed on her body, the same sets he always noticed in their laundry piles at home. Tonight it's the black set —his favorite. Lacy, intricate, with a plunged brassier that shows the freckles between her breasts and thin underwear that only covers half her butt cheeks.

She likes to savor in this form, turn so her back is to him that way he can stare shamelessly at her ass while she folds the discarded clothes on her bed and reach for her pajamas. Every night she'll unclip her brassier in the same way; once she has on her sleeping tunic and she's fully covered, but tonight, it's a completely different story.

Tonight, she turns back and looks at him.

Her gaze is soft but piercing, an unspoken dare on her lips that makes his heart begin to race. Without tearing her eyes away from his, Zel's hands move behind her, to her back, and it makes him stare curiously until he realizes what she's doing. He sees the moment her brassier unclips and loosens around her figure and his face begins to unravel at the realization. Eyes wide and with a gasp caught in his throat, he looks away.

He fixes his gaze on something pointless; the end of his bed, a bookcase, his foot maybe, it doesn't matter because in his peripheral vision her breasts are exposed, allowing him to look but he's too shy to. With a light-hearted chuckle, she reaches for her sleeping tunic and slowly pulls it over her head and that's when Link makes the split-second decision to look.

Goddess, give him strength.

They're perfect and round and full, one nipple slightly higher than the other, and probably the softest skin ever known in existence. What he wouldn't give to have his lips and tongue lapping over one as he cups the fullness of the other in his palm, to have her sighing and moaning and arching beneath him as he grinds his hips between her legs over and over and over again and—

No.

He has to stay focused. He has a lynel and a Divine fucking Beast to tackle tomorrow.

When Zel's head slips through the tunic, Link is already looking away, eyes staring aimlessly into the air as innocently as he can. Moments later, both of them are in their separate beds and under separate covers, breath sated and minds far from the present, until his own voice breaks through the silence.

"Zel, can I ask you a question?"

He hears her shift on the bed and whisper softly; "Of course."

"Do you think Mipha and I were ever really... together?" He didn't really get the answer he was looking for when he asked Sidon the same question, and he knows she'll give him her honest, unbiased opinion.

After a long pause, she sighs. "I doubt it. Biologically speaking, the two of you would not have been able to reproduce, and maybe that wasn't an issue if you both were accepting of that, however she was the heir to Zora's Domain. If she chose to marry you, she would have had to give up that title and pass it along to her little brother. I'm certain that was a sacrifice she was willing to make, but I... I doubt she ever got the opportunity to tell you."

"Maybe she was going to in the memory that came back to me, but for some reason she decided not to. I don't know why Zel, but I... I wasn't paying much attention to her," he confesses. He remembers looking off into the distance frequently, glancing at the balcony of Vah Ruta. "I think someone was eavesdropping on us."

A sleepy chuckle leaves her throat. "I'm certain that someone you're referring to was the Princess of Hyrule."

"You think?" That's the second time today Princess Zelda has come up in conversation when he barely thinks of her at all. Of course, he knows they must have been close in some way —a business relationship, maybe even friends— but thinking of her does nothing since he can't remember what she even looks like.

He looks over to Zel's bed and meets her eyes in the moonlight. They're dark green and relaxed, staring at him with a soft smile on her lips that's so contagious and beautiful, he thinks to himself that he'd never be able to forget it.

"I'd bet my life on it," she says.

---

One Hundred Years Earlier

How was she suppose to know Mipha was in love with Link? If she had known that then perhaps they would have followed stricter formalities when they arrived at the Domain. She wouldn't have allowed him to walk beside her instead of three paces behind her like he should've been, and she definitely wouldn't have allowed him to pull on her sleeve like a giddy child as he pointed to the first waterfall he ever dove from. She would have tried her best to display there was nothing going on between Princess and Knight when in actuality, their fire was in its early stages of blazing.

Zelda was convinced there's not a mean bone to be found in Mipha's tiny frame, but she had caught what appeared to be a disgruntled look on Mipha's face when she greeted them at the entrance of the city. Mipha was an empath just as much as she was a healer, and it must have been obvious that something had changed between Link and Zelda because at this point in their relationship, she had grown tired of trying to convince herself she hated him. It wasn't true, it was never true, and those malice-infested thoughts of believing he hated her back dissipated the moment he stood between her and the Yiga scouts that had attempted to take her life only a few weeks prior.

Days before they left the castle on their expedition to Gerudo, her father forbade Zelda on carrying any weapons of her own, not even a single dagger to protect herself. "That is what Sir Link is for," King Rhoam told the both of them, but she could tell even Link was weary, especially since it had become a regular occurence for her to sneak away from his unemotional gaze. She had been taking self defense classes for years, before her father forbade that too, and she could usually hold her ground in a fight, but not when she's weaponless and outnumbered, with three rigid sickles aimed straight at her neck and trained assassins have her surrounded.

Link killed two and showed the last one mercy —demanding they return to their Master and explain what happened there on that hot day in the sand, said viciously; "no one will lay a hand on the Princess as long as I live."

When the lone survivor was a mere speck in the dunes, it was then that Link finally turned around and dropped to his knees beside her, dropping his whole stoic façade and cupped her cheek in his hand, forgetting for a moment that he was her heroic knight and she was a destined princess.

"Are you okay?" He asked frantically, voice quivering with fear and adrenaline, and she was so shocked by his unusual intensity she could only nod in response. He pressed his forehead against her own, closed his eyes, and pleaded. "Please, Zelda. Please don't slip away from me like that again. I don't...I don't know what I'd do if—" He choked on his words and angled his face even closer, breath hot and rapid on her lips.

It's not the first time they've been this close before, so intimate and vulnerable, but that was years ago and they were different people back then. They were naive, guileless teenagers before the weight of this world crushed their shoulders, and since then Link had become so emotionally distant and cold, to her and to the world, so the abrupt closeness and the sound of his voice stunned her frozen.

"I'm sorry," she breathed. It was the only thing she could think of to say. Ever since he was appointed, Link barely even looked at her, let alone spoke to her, so she convinced herself she hated him, but the real reason why she had treated him so poorly since that subdued ceremony was because Link had acted like they never met before and she mistook his silence for arrogance.

Laying in the sand together, Link caressed her face the same way he had done once before; fingers tousling into her long hair and thumb grazing along her cheek and she basked in the sensation for several long breaths before she came to her senses. Someone could find them in this state. They weren't far from the bazaar and Zelda knew all too well just how powerful a single rumor could be.

She cleared her throat, dragging them both back to reality, and watched as Link's body froze for one agonizing second until his eyes went wide and he scrambled to his feet once more. Flustered, but quickly regaining his composure, Link held out a hand and Zelda took hold of it.

"Forgive me, Princess." He bowed his head as she rose to her feet. Link went back to his quiet self after that, but something that needed to be changed finally did, and they were both determined to close the gap between them.

Weeks later, when they arrived at Zora's Domain, their relationship had blossomed considerably. Things were a little awkward between them, and it would always be with such ginormous titles they both held, but it was clear Mipha had not been expecting them to get along so well.

During their dinner feast, Zelda had foolishly requested Link eat at the table with the Royal families. It had been weeks since she had a formal meal, and honestly, she didn't miss it. She liked when Link cooked her meat skewers over a crackling fire, appreciated how he could always tell when she was peckish and would whip up a quick plate of honeyed apples for her, she even liked listening to him hum as he cooked or when he'd have to wash the dishes because he lost their playful match of 'rock, parchment, dagger.'

That was what she was thinking about when the words left her lips; "You must be starving Master Link, join me at the table, won't you?" She asked right as a young Prince Sidon was being placed in his booster seat, the first course hadn't even been served yet. When the stifling silence fell, she turned to look at Link. His back was against the wall of the dining hall, standing stiffer than usual, and dared a quick glance at her before he placed his stare at the chandelier above.

No one spoke for a matter of seconds until King Dorephan cleared his throat. "Your Highness, a request like that is surely undigni—"

"I think it's a marvelous idea," Mipha's sweet voice blessed the air and dispelled the awkwardness. "Come, sit between us, Link. After all, you're practically family."

Zelda did not understand the gravity of Mipha's last comment until after dinner. Their meal grew less awkward as Sidon grew fussy in his chair, requesting he sit next to the Princess as well, which made the empty hall fill with soft awes and chuckles. Link was a silent pillar beside her, eating his meal as politely as he could, but every so often he'd steal bites of food from Zelda's plate that he knew she wouldn't eat; snails. When Sidon caught Link in the act, he brought his finger to his lips and smiled, making the Prince and Zelda giggle quietly.

Later that night when Zelda retired Link to his sleeping quarters, the two Princesses took tea to Mipha's bed chamber and that's when she showed Zelda her engagement gift to Link. She sat slightly breathless on the bed as Mipha presented the armor she made. It was beautiful —crafted even better than the garments Zelda had to tailor for the Champions. The armor was decked in dragon scales and sterling silver, enchanted with magical abilities that she just knew Link would absolutely love.

It was a no-brainer; they were perfect for each other. They're both short and quiet, fierce and talented, strong warriors blessed by the Goddess, childhood friends with fun and loving memories, and Zelda was somewhat perturbed for not seeing it earlier.

It's not like she was jealous. Zelda and Link met by chance, early in their teenage years —they didn't even know each other back then. Had no idea their fates would be strangely twisted together like a tangled fishermen's net, didn't know that the same person they shared their first kiss with would be the same one by their side as they tried to save the entire Kingdom of Hyrule.

Maybe she was a little bit jealous.

But she wasn't jealous for long because of what happened the next day. She couldn't stop herself from eavesdropping on their conversation when Mipha and Link sat atop Vah Ruta's trunk. Their voices carried easily in the quiet, open reservoir so it's not like she could have ignored their discussion even if she tried.

It was her idea in the first place for them to spend some quality time together while she ran a few tests on the Beast —making sure all terminals and control units were operating smoothly, though she had no doubt that they were. Link shook his head in protest but she insisted, and Mipha sent her a silent "thank you," then entwined her fingers with his and led him to the trunk of the Beast.

The suggestion of intimate privacy was her way of proving to Mipha she was rooting for her. That she wanted them to be together, to be happy and in love, to grow old and be perfectly talented heroes together, but there was a part of her that was secretly, selfishly, hoping it wouldn't work out. She knew just how terrible it was to have such nasty thoughts and she felt horribly guilty about it, but ever since her and Link started to become more civil to one another, she felt a possessiveness about him that she's never felt before. Link was her knight and she didn't want anyone else to have him.

Why? Why did she feel that way?

Zelda stood on the balcony, just out of sight as Mipha spoke calmly and healed his wound. Zelda had only leaned into his eye-line twice and each time he had been looking in her direction, but Mipha finished her thought, unnoticed and unfazed by Zelda's snooping.

"You know... perhaps we could spend some time together."

"I'd like that," Link smiled warmly. "It would be just like old times, right?" It was the first words he had said all morning.

"Yes —well no, not really, because I—" Mipha said clumsily and took a long inhale to collect her thoughts. When she spoke again her tone was entirely different. "Link, what do you keep looking at?"

"Hm?" Link's eyes snapped away from Zelda's as she quickly moved to hide behind the wall again. Gods, she was going to ruin Mipha's big moment and this was her idea in the first place. She hugged the Sheikah slate to her chest and breathed as quietly as she could.

Mipha exhaled loudly, sounding moderately frustrated. "Princess Zelda will be fine without your protection for a little while. She's quite capable on her own."

"Trust me, I know that better than anyone." His voice was monotone and sarcastic, like he was rolling his eyes when he said it, and it made Zelda smile.

"Then why do you keep searching for her? She's probably on the other side of Vah Ruta working at the main terminal. She's fine."

There was a long, drawn-out silence after that, and Zelda almost peered around the corner to sneak a glance again when Link answered; "It's... it's complicated."

"What's complicated? You can tell me. I know she's not the most joyous person to spend all your time with, but she has a tremendous weight on her shoulders that must be so frustrating. Is she... is she being mean to you? If you want I could talk to her—"

"No, it's not anything like that." Link interrupted softly. "We get along very well. There's not many people in Hyrule that can stomach watching me eat or actually enjoys it when I hum, but she does. And many don't know this about the Princess, but she's kind. Undeniably kind." He took a long pause before he started up again. It sounded like he was smiling. "Did you know that after she spends hours researching, she'll sneak into the hospital ward at night and help tend to the wounded soldiers? That's actually the first place I ever met her, when I was just a knight in training, but don't tell anyone I told you."

"Oh...um, okay—"

"When she first became my charge," Link continued, "that same week I saw her comfort a crying Rito hatchling because he couldn't understand sheet music. She spent the rest of the day with that hatchling, teaching him the fundamentals until he could play a song on his tiny accordion. She even taught him the lullaby her mother used to sing to her." Zelda heard him sigh loudly. "I probably shouldn't be telling you any of this but you're my oldest friend, my best friend, and I... I know I can trust you, and I need to say this out loud."

"Alright," Mipha sounded nervous.

The next half a minute was truly agonizing because Zelda couldn't hear a word either of them had said, though she knew they were speaking in hushed whispers, about her, knew he had told Mipha something that he didn't want her overhearing, and that just made her extremely annoyed. She rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Go," Mipha said sweetly. "Go to your Princess and check on her. She's probably missing your company by now... I know I would be."

The next collection of sounds Zelda heard was the satisfying click of Link's boots on the stone, a brief pause of him possibly bowing to Mipha, then his paraglider flapping through the air. Panicking for the briefest second, Zelda scrambled to make herself look busy, anything to slightly hide the fact that she had been listening obsessively the entire time.

She held the slate in front of her and started walking in a mindless direction, only to collide with a fast-walking Link who had just rounded the corner.

It was like running straight into a wall and Zelda could do nothing but let the force of their impact take her, so she began to fall backwards. The Sheikah slate tumbled to the floor quickly before her body did, but something held her in place. Stationed in the humid air at an odd angle, with warm hands wrapped around her back and surprised cerulean eyes staring straight at her.

He stood with his thigh dangerously high between her legs, face mere inches from her own, and she had the decency for the briefest second to consider Hero and Princess shouldn't be found in this position together, but then the thought evaporated the moment he breathed her name.

"Zelda," he said, glanced down at her lips and swallowed, hard.

She was left breathless, eyes darting around his face and memorizing new features she hadn't noticed before. There's a small scar on his cheek and another one that cut through his left eyebrow, observed that the amount of freckles on his nose have increased since they've been traveling in so much sun lately and how there's the smallest patch of stubble beginning to form, just there, by the corner of his lip.

It was his turn to clear his throat, ridding them of the spell cast between them, and easily pulled her to her feet again. Hastily, Zelda bent down to collect the Sheikah slate off the floor and tried to fill the silence with awkward banter.

"I um... I completed the function tests early and I didn't want to interrupt. Vah Ruta is operating exquisitely, they seem to have bonded the fastest out of the four, which isn't surprising. Mipha is a pure natural. I remember King Dorephan gave me the hardest time when I requested Mipha to be the Zora Champion, and now look a her. She's not only the Princess of an entire Domain, but she's a pilot of a Divine Beast, a Champion, and... and—"

Oh no, Zelda thought. What is Link doing here? Everything happened so fast; they were talking about her and she couldn't hear them and then he left Mipha to come to her and then she fell and he caught her and he stared at her lips and she stared back. He should return to Vah Ruta's trunk to be with Mipha, listened as she confessed her love to him, instead of standing in front of a flustered Zelda.

She took a rough inhale and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, adding a dumb, final comment that she hoped would dispel her falter.

"Mipha will make an amazing queen someday."

With a soft expression, he sighed— filled with as much affection as he allowed himself, then bowed graciously. He took her hand into his and guided it to his lips, pressed a soft kiss onto her skin before he tilted his head and met her eyes. He smiled brighter than she had ever seen him do before.

There were no words on his lips, but Zelda could hear exactly what he was thinking.

So will you.

---

One Hundred Years Later
Present Day

Zelda wakes to the sound of running water for what seems like the hundredth day in a row. She can hear the splashes and giggles of the children outside in the courtyard and the Inn Keeper does his best at keeping his voice low as he chats with someone; a visitor inquiring about a bed maybe, or a friend stopping by on their morning stroll. She even hears the sound of the city creaking as the breeze blows lightly through the magnificent sculpture.

Snaking her head underneath the cold pillow, Zelda groans into the bed as she tries to snooze for another five minutes. Link isn't the only one that likes to indulge in a few more minutes of sleep, but the sounds of a bustling city refrain her from doing so. She can hear everything, even the waterfalls cascading down the edges of the Domain... but you know what she can't hear?

The sound of her knight snoring.

Immediately, her eyes snap open and she pulls her head out from beneath the pillow to look over at his bed, only to find it perfectly made and his boots missing. He's taken the Sheikah slate, all his weapons and shields, her extra travel bag full of medicine, her own fucking bow. Everything.

"That mother f—" she grumbles harshly as she pounds a fist against the bed and starts getting dressed in possibly record speed.

How could he do this to her? Link was there when they created this plan, agreed they'd face the lynel together even when he's been severely insecure of himself and she's been exhausted for days. It wasn't the best plan, but they have no other choice and at least he wouldn't be fighting a dangerous enemy alone like he's doing right now as she's stumbling about the inn trying to get her boots on.

He needs her for every step of this journey in order to succeed —that's what Hylia said— and Zelda has been really good so far; patient and committed, keeping him happy and healthy and safe with limited injuries. Lately, she's been so tolerant when he snaps at her because she knows he's just angry at himself, she lets him lead during their flirtatious antics (except for last night when she wanted to reward him for taking initiative to Muzu's demand), and she hasn't pushed him into anything she didn't think he was ready for yet because he still needs her strength and brawn just as much as her wisdom and intelligence.

...Right?

Not even a minute later, Zelda is sprinting across the Domain with her boots barely on her feet and her corset barely around her mid-section. Her hood is down and her golden hair is exposed for any citizens she passes to see, but she doesn't care anymore. If any Zora knew who she was by now, they would have said something.

When she gets to the East Reservoir, Sidon is there waiting like he said he would. He turns, giving her yet another charming smile, but it quickly diminishes when he registers her rushed state of dress and panicked expression.

"Have you seen Link?" She asks, her breath heaving from all those stairs she just climbed.

"No?" Sidon answers nervously. "I just arrived here moments ago. Aren't you suppose to be—" Zelda watches the realization sprinkle across his features. "You don't think he—"

"Yes!" Feeling lost and completely useless, Zelda claws her hands through her hair and starts pacing. She's on the cusp of another panic attack and she knows it. Snapping her eyes back to the Prince, she begs, "Sidon, please, you have to get me up the waterfalls, I— I need him! I need to help him!"

He shakes his head stiffly. "No, Lady Azella. We would only be a distraction for him at this point. He's made his choice so it's best if we stay here and wait."

"For how long!?" She knows she's being hysterical, unreasonable, but she can't help it.

Slowly, Sidon places a gentle hand on her shoulder, a small comfort in the midst of so much hysteria. "We have to trust that he's made the right decision, Princess."

She's about to disagree, but then her blood runs cold, chilling. The fear down her spine trickling like melting ice. "What... what did you call me?"

Sidon blinks once while Zelda doesn't blink at all, but if he was going to explain anything, it's interrupted by the flapping sounds of a paraglider.

It's Link. Of course it is, that asshole. He lands only a few paces away from where she's standing and Zelda immediately notices the new ginormous sword equipped on his back that matches a brand new bow and shield. The worry of Sidon knowing exactly who she is disappears from her mind completely because she's got a bigger bone to pick with someone who deserves all her fury right now.

"That dirty, rotten, lousy, no-good, piece of—" Zelda grumbles as she stomps over to him, ready for war.

When she stands within touching distance of him, Link just smiles at her with a cheeky grin as she scans his body from head to toe, searching for evidence of a broken bone, cut, an injury, anything. There's a fresh cut on his lip and a rip in his tunic that she'll have to mend later, but that's it.

Good. Now that her very real fear of him dying has ceased to become reality, she can finally just be mad at him.

So she shoves him. Hard.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!? —Huh?!" The force she pushed into his chest makes him stagger and trip, falling back into the lake waters with a huge splash. He springs up moments later, whipping his hair out of his face and inhaling quickly, treading water and coughing violently until his vision clears and stares up at her, jaw agape and eyes bewildered.

Gradually, a smile takes over his face and he has the audacity to chuckle at her, even when it's blanketed with fear and nerves. She takes a small, threatening step towards him, making it very clear she's not laughing, so he dunks his head underwater, playfully trying to run away from her raging thunder clouds.

She takes a boot off, one of the only items she has in her vicinity, and throws it at him. Quickly, he raises his arms to shield his face and it hits him right in the elbow.

"Get out of the water and face me. Now," she yells, ignoring the ow he made when the heel of her boot collided with his arm.

He pulls himself from the water and scrambles to get on his feet again, and when he does, Zelda snatches her boot from his hands, making him jump in fright. He's probably more scared of her than he was of that lynel.

Struggling to keep eye contact with her, Link stutters out an excuse, "I just— I wanted you to be—"

She holds up a hand to silence him and the action immediately shuts him up. Even without her Goddess powers, she still manages to be a force that cannot be reckoned with.

Flaring her nostrils as she takes a sharp inhale, she tilts her head and narrows her eyes, asks wickedly; "Do you realize how much I give a fuck about you?"

Link's vernacular must be wearing off on her because Zelda never cusses. Rarely had she ever used foul language in the past. She's suppose to be a woman of class, a lady, but when she's this mad, all elegance and grace goes out the window.

He looks down at the ground for as long as he dares, then chances a glance at her under his lashes. His eyes are so bashful and sweet, and a loving smile spreads across his lips that's borderline charming. Oh, that smug asshole.

"That has got to be the meanest way anyone has ever said they cared about me," he says.

Zelda opens her mouth to get the last word in —whatever that may be— but the Prince juts in first, cutting her off anxiously. "Uh... Master Link, you gave me and your partner quite a fright, but I'm glad to see you're back all in one piece." Sidon lays a hand on Zelda's shoulder to gain her attention, forcing her to meet his eyes. "That's all that matters, right Lady Azella?" he asks with raised brows and a plastered smile.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Zelda mumbles a very reluctant, "'suppose," and lets Sidon become the buffer between them.

"Did you get enough shock arrows, my friend?" Sidon turns back to Link.

"More than enough," he smiles.

They have a whole conversation without her; Link describes his battle with the lynel and Sidon absorbs every word like a hopeless fanatic, but she's not listening because she's trying her best to extinguish this burning rage, which was set ablaze to hide just how scared she was for him.

He could have died all over again.

He doesn't have the strength or stamina, let alone the proper resources to get very far without her, but here he is; defying her beliefs. He's barely unscathed with his stupid smile and stupid cheeky face and those stupid bulky weapons on his back. Where did he find the strength and courage when just yesterday morning he was loafing around the Domain, wallowing in his own self pity?

Maybe he had it in him all along, he was just too scared to embrace it.

"Are you ready, Lady Azella?"

Her shoulders jumps when Sidon's imperial voice tunes her back to their conversation. "Hm? Right, yes —of course," she replies and with a quick nod to both of them, Sidon dives into the waters of the reservoir.

She's about to dive in after him when she feels Link's warm hand on her shoulder. Their eyes meet and he's smiling even when she's scowling. She could shove him all over again if it wasn't for his fingers starting to graze over her cheek, moving to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes betray her and flutter briefly before she remembers how mad she is, then clears her throat, puts her boot back on her foot, and starts fixing her manic state of dress.

"You really hurt me, y'know. I can't believe you threw your boot at me," he laughs.

"If you're expecting an apology, don't hold your breath."

"I don't want an apology."

"Good."

"Good," he echoes with another chuckle, but then his tone becomes more serious. "I really am sorry, Zel. I didn't want you to get hurt. I don't know what I'd do if...if anything were to happen to you."

She huffs and yanks her corset strings with more force than necessary before looking up at him. She's heard him try to say this before, different place different life —but without clearly understanding why, it just makes her more upset.

"And what would I do if anything happened to you?" She stares at him, eyes quivering. "What then? I can't exactly go back to how things were before I met you. You're my— and we— all I have is—" She quits trying and groans loudly, frustrated at the inability to express herself.

He stares at her for a long time, watching every emotion tremble across her face, then with a growing smirk, he says, "You really like me, don't you?"

"Don't flatter yourself," she snaps. "Right now, all I want to do is slap you."

Before she turns and dives into the water, muffling all noises from above, the last sound that rings through her ears is his soft, husky laugh.

» . «

She's going to start designs for a paraglider as soon as she gets out of this freakin' elephant.

The challenge of stunting Vah Ruta's water pumps was quite exhilarating (and fun actually). Zelda operated the Sheikah slate, destroying any blocks of ice Vah Ruta threw at them, while Link used the Zora armor to swim up the waterfalls and take out it's pumps. The three of them worked together flawlessly, but then Sidon carried them to the entrance of the Beast and said to Link with extreme seriousness; "You must protect her, no matter what," which confused Zelda, but Link seemed to understand. After that, they entered the haunted colossal giant with grave faces and heavy hearts.

So far, Vah Ruta looks very similar to how Zelda remembers it even though it's covered in malice and there's a faint energy in the stale air that's eerily dreadful and tragic. When the Sheikah slate had been found in Vah Naboris, it was her and Urbosa that discovered the terminals needed to be activated with the slate by it's designated pilot. After she appointed Mipha, Daruk, Revali, and Urbosa, she entrusted them with the important task of activating their own Beast.

Zelda had explored every nook and cranny before and after all terminals were activated, never during, but it didn't take her very long to understand what needed to be done. How the Champions solved these puzzles without the slate's runes is beyond her. Perhaps their unique talents and capabilities compensated for the advantage that the runes give Link and Zelda, and thankfully the Champions didn't have to deal with possessed Guardians and boiling clumps of malice around every corner.

It takes Zelda no time at all for her to access the first three terminals, as Link does his best to assist in any way he can. She's the puzzle expert while he likes to hit things until they work or until they're broken, and since she's still mad at him, he's being overly nice to her and taking every barking command she makes with a perky, nervous energy that pleases her just a little.

But it wasn't long until they hit their first major road block.

Both of them peer over the ledge overlooking Vah Ruta's trunk, gazing at the East Reservoir in silence, their whole view blanketed with a thick layer of humid haze as the sun hangs lower in the sky. They've only been in the Beast for a couple hours, and if everything runs smoothly, they should be able to activate the last couple terminals before night fall.

It's obvious now just how difficult it is for Zelda to maneuver about the Beast without a paraglider. The fourth terminal is located right on the very end of Vah Ruta's trunk and this isn't an opportune moment to test the durability of Link's paraglider to carry an extra person. There's a very real chance that it'll strain and break, and they'll plummet into the waters from a dangerously high altitude.

"Link—"

"I got this one," he says quickly, then holds out his hand for her to put the slate into. Very reluctantly, she hands it to him. She would really prefer for them to be together through all of this, but they have no choice —she's going to have to stay here until he's activated that distant terminal.

She's expecting him to jump immediately, start paragliding straight away, but he doesn't, and his hesitation makes her gaze drag from the floor and up to his eyes. He's staring at her, watching her shallow breath and clenched jaw. It must be so obvious how worried she is for him, how worried she'll always be for him. If she could tame every Divine Beast and slay Ganon herself she would because he's that precious to her —she could never bare to lose him again.

Perhaps that's what makes him lean in and press a kiss against her cheek.

It's the first time he's kissed her face in a hundred years.

Granted, it's just her cheek, but there's nothing platonic about it. It's slow and hard, impulsive and mildly possessive, his lips teasing at the corner of her own. It's not like the way he used to kiss her a century ago; always feather-light and restrained, requesting approval even though she'd given it. In this new life of his, he never rebuilt those same barricades that used to hide his emotions, never had to bury his feelings so deep within him, and now there's nothing holding him back.

He takes a long inhale, breathing in the scent of her, before he pulls away and he says, hot and endearing so close to her skin; "I'll be right back, I promise."

He doesn't give her the satisfaction of anything else, just jumps from the ledge and descends across the hazy air, flying along Vah Ruta's trunk as his figure becomes smaller and smaller in Zelda's vision.

He had been so suave in that moment and it most definitely helped to extinguish some of her anger, until he broke his promise.

Not long after Vah Ruta's trunk stabilized to a level that Link could access the terminal, instead of immediately flying back to her, Link raised the trunk overhead and explored the top of Vah Ruta while Zelda was left by herself, trying to find the best course of action to get back down to the main level. She eventually found a way, but as soon as Link and her met in the archway of the main control room, Zelda deadpanned.

"You must be deliberately trying to get on my bad side," she says as he tucks his paraglider behind his back.

"What?" Link asks innocently, but that sly smile on his face says otherwise. "I said I'd be right back and I was, I just took a quick detour first." She crosses her arms over her chest and raises an eyebrow at him, but he just shrugs in defense. "I found the last terminal up there, it was surrounded by fire. It took me awhile to figure out the puzzle, but I solved it," he adds smugly.

Perhaps it was for the best that he activated the last two terminals by himself. It has been rather difficult trying to pretend that she's never been in the belly of this Beast before —she keeps forgetting to check the map when she already knows where all the terminals are.

However, Zelda's tired of pretending, tired of letting him win every argument since the moment they stepped foot in Zora's Domain. She's been right this whole time, about everything, and now it's her turn to pick a fight with him.

So she jabs a finger in his chest, ignoring his obnoxious "ow," and jabs him again. "Am I not making myself clear, or is your head that thick you can't comprehend it?"

"Comprehend what?"

"That we're taming this Beast together—"

"We are."

"No, we're not. You've left me twice now," she holds up two fingers. "Twice, Link. What if you needed my help activating the last terminal, got burned by the flames and I wasn't there to heal you, or —or Goddess forbid you needed help to fight that lynel. I told you just how dangerous they are and you just left me at the Domain with nothing."

"Ah, I see," Link rolls his eyes lazily, preparing for a lecture. "You're still upset about that."

"Of course I am!" She yells and throws her hands in the air. "How could you be so careless and —and reckless. That was such a selfish thing to do, Link—"

"Careless? You want to talk about careless? You never put your safety before mine, ever. Pretty soon you'll have just as much scars as me," He presses both his palms against his chest. "Was it so selfish that I decided to put your safety first this time?"

"Well, no —but you could've—"

"Zel," he says gently, cutting her off and tearing down the rising energy between them.

He always diffuses arguments by saying her name with a tenderness that sends a comforting shiver down her spine, sympathy and affection so pronounced in his tone. He never raises his voice in an argument, never gets violent, and although he's an aggressive fighter, Link is the type of man that's calm and sensible in the midst of high emotions and even when she's mad, she loves him for it.

He takes a step towards her. "I understand that we're equals in contributing to the fight against the Calamity and you don't want me to get hurt, but... but I don't want you to, either. You have to let me play my part." Timidly, he tries to cup her cheek in his hand, but she turns away from him. Not because she doesn't want his touch —she wants it more than anything— but because if he does touch her, the emotions she's been trying to hold back will break through her reservoirs and the tears will fall so quickly, neither of them would be ready for it.

Since she fell from grace, from Hylia and her sealing power, Zelda has had one mission; keep him safe. Everything else is secondary, but now his counterpoints are making a lot of sense and she can't help but think that maybe... maybe he's right.

Sighing heavily, Link takes that extended, rejected hand and drags it down his own face. Always one step forward, two steps back between them.

"Can I ask you a question?" He asks gently.

She sniffles violently, trying to hold back her tears. "What?"

"What were you doing before we met?"

She crinkles her brow line, caught off guard by his question. "I told you. I was researching that shrine by Proxim Bridge."

"No, before that." Link shakes his head and looks away from her. "I know a lot of Hylians live a vagabond lifestyle, traveling from stable to stable, but—" he meets her eyes again. "Did you... did you travel with someone before I met you, or… had you always been by yourself?"

She looks away, not wanting to answer him. How could she? How could she describe and translate a hundred years of pain and suffering and hell into simplicity? What could she say that wouldn't automatically be a lie or an explanation that wouldn't easily give her away?

"I—" Her mind struggles to find the right words, her voice struggling to say them. "I was alone... and I was afraid," she says.

He lets her words linger in the air as her chin trembles and it becomes harder to breathe. In the corner of her eye, she can see his shoulders ease, releasing the tension between them, then says softly, "You're not going to lose me, I can promise you that."

"You say that—" she whispers, "but just saying it doesn't make it true, and— and I'm still afraid."

"Why? What are you scared of?"

"That I'll be alone again."

A tear escapes her eye and she curses under her breath before she wipes it away with more force than necessary. She doesn't want to feel like this right now, doesn't want to talk about her worries or fears, to feel so open and exposed, revealing what her biggest weakness is; him.

Briefly, she chances a look at him. His lips are parted and his brow is weakened and she can tell he wants to say something, but he's just not sure what. Link has never been very good with words and she's not expecting him to make a final comment, so she decides to do what she does best— bury her emotions way down deep until she's numb or until they gag her in her sleep.

With a flat tone in her voice, she clears her throat and says, "Let's just get this over with. The main control unit is this way."

"O—Okay," he says, trying to match her unemotional demeanor, but his voice cracks. By now, Link can tell when she wants to drop an argument, when a topic becomes too difficult for her to talk about, and thankfully he never pushes her, just follows her lead when that happens.

"That's it then?" Link asks as they begin to walk into the large, opened space. The sound of his voice and their legs trudging through the water ricochet off the walls, making the ambiance around them feel ominous and sinister.

"I think so. This is the main controls." She points to the bulbous, orange glowing structure in front of them, then looks at him. "Why?"

"I don't know. It just seems... too easy."

They approach the steps of the control unit, but Link doesn't unlatch the slate from his belt. Instead, he turns back and looks around the room, observing his surroundings, then asks "If Vah Ruta has been possessed for a hundred years, shouldn't there be some sort of collective evil?"

"Maybe it was just scattered throughout the Beast and once we activated all the terminals and main controls, Vah Ruta will be strong enough to evict of it."

"Yeah, maybe," Link says skeptically as he draws out the words, but turns anyways and places the Sheikah slate on top of the controls.

Instantly, the unit starts expelling furious streams of purple malice, blinding their vision and making them gag. Link grabs for her, pulling both of them out of the line of shooting malice to stand on the edge of the platform as the purple clouds circle around and get larger, more violent. They watch with wide eyes and racing hearts as blue pixels come together at the far end of the room, morphing into a spiraling ball. It grows and grows and grows until it begins to form some strange abstract shape and it's only a matter of seconds until a terrified gasp escapes Zelda's throat and her hand instinctively grabs for his.

"Link, you were right."

"Wish I wasn't."

"It has a spear."

"I see."

"It's getting bigger."

"I know."

"How are we—?"

Their eyes meet and he says, "You're going to kill me for this."

She's about to ask what he means, scold him, argue that now is not the time for jokes, but fear has flooded into her veins and she can't form the words, so she watches helplessly as he shakes his head and taps at the slate's screen quickly, racing to beat the scourge before it materializes completely.

"What? What are y—" she finally musters, but she's interrupted when his head snaps back to hers, stares straight into her eyes and—

He shoves her. Hard.

She would have fallen back into the water, but her body never splashes, never gets wet. The trickling sounds of fast-travel fill her ears and start to cloud her vision because he's used the new transport option on her, sending her Goddess knows where —anywhere else besides here.

"No!" she screams, but no matter what she can say, it won't undo what's already been done. She can't even grab for him because he pushed her away, threw her off kilter.

The last thing she sees is Link's face, unhinged but determined, the face of a warrior ready for battle turning away from her as he grabs for the sword and shield on his back, and heading straight towards the Water Blight Ganon.

» . «

She hits the floor with a harsh thud. Now, she's really angry.

How many times is he going to do this to her? Everything Calamity related, they're suppose to be doing together— so he doesn't die.

As soon as her body fully materializes on the platform of the shrine, Zelda is sprinting up the stairs, quickly trying to figure out how to get back onto Vah Ruta, all because her stupid, idiot partner decided to be noble and self-sacrificing, but she doesn't get very far before she hits a very large, very charming maroon wall.

With a large splash, she's knocked back to the floor of the courtyard, right below the statue of Mipha. Prince Sidon turns with a soft question in his throat and when he realizes that it's her, so much confusion flashes across his face.

"But I just— I thought— How did you—?"

"It was Link," she pants, grabbing for Sidon's offered hand and pulls her to her feet. "He transported me back to the city so he... he could battle the monster that's... that's corrupting Vah Ruta." She hunches over, out of breath from fear and panic. "He can't do this to me, not again. He— he needs me! I... I have to get back—"

"You have to trust him."

"No!" She screams, "No I don't, he could die!"

"He's a hero."

"He's an idiot! He's going to get himself killed!"

"No, he won't!"

"Yes, he will!"

"Princess!"

Her blood runs cold again and that thick, humid rage clears from her mind as Sidon's word hangs in the air. She knows she heard him right this time.

"You knew," she blinks and meets his eyes, "how did you—"

"Shh, not here." Sidon brings a finger to his lips.

It's only when Zelda nods cautiously that he begins to guide her away from Mipha's statue, up one of the spiral ramps and into a castle turret, high above and out of ear shot from any nosey Zora's.

With her face in both her hands and elbows on both her knees, Zelda sits down on the ledge and takes a couple slow breaths while Sidon waits patiently beside her, crouching down on one knee, closer to her face so his voice doesn't carry.

She drops her hands from her face and drags her eyes to his. "How did you know it was me?" she asks.

He grins. "I've had my suspicions since we met at Inogo Bridge, but I wasn't positive until you dove off that waterfall and blessed my ears with your laugh."

"I see," she sighs, a soft smiling teasing around her eyes. "Does anyone else...?"

"No, Princess," he shakes his head. "Your secret is safe with me. I believe many Zora have difficulty differentiating Hylian characteristics. It even took awhile for Bazz to recognize Link and they were good friends back then. Also, it seems to help that you've been his silent, hooded shadow and not his loquacious, golden-haired leader like you were before."

Smiling weakly, she scoffs a little at his comment. Things have certainly changed, haven't they? She thinks to herself. If Sidon wasn't the sweet, trusting gentleman that he is, Zelda's whole alias would have been destroyed, her true identity exposed, and to have gone this far with Link still calling her Azella, she assumes the whole situation would have been messy and soul-shattering for both of them.

"I am slightly perplexed by your situation, however," Sidon says, "because if you're here... then who is restraining Ganon inside Hyrule Castle?"

With a heavy sigh, she drags her eyes to his again. They're bright yellow and cat-like, curious but composed. No judgement or ridicule, just the face of a concerned friend that's willing to listen.

She swallows down the fear of Link currently in battle with a malice-controlled scourge. Vah Ruta would sound an alarm if Link defeated the evil or vice versa, right? Besides, he still has the slate —if he has any smarts, any at all, he'd transport himself out of there before he was badly injured and prepare for a better battle strategy.

"Hylia and I—" Zelda's voice strains, "She separated herself from me so I could help Link. He wasn't strong enough when he resurrected."

"So you were sent to guide him?"

"More or less."

"I see," Sidon replies, heavy with compassion. "And why does he called you Azella, if I may ask?"

"Because he can't remember me and the Goddess instructed that I had to let his memory return naturally. That I shouldn't provoke him," she looks away and sighs. "—And because it was the only name I could come up with posthaste."

Sidon chuckles softly. "Well, it certainly is convenient that he can still call you Zel."

"Yes, quiet." It feels good to laugh, even if it's just faintly.

They sit in silence for a while; Sidon absorbing such a gargantuan situation and Zelda feeling the pressure ease off her shoulders. Goddess, does it feel good to talk to someone about what happened to her. So far, the only people in Hyrule that knows she's the Princess is Impa, Paya, Purah, Symin, and now Sidon.

"Nevertheless Zelda," Sidon leans in closer. "His memory has returned. Do you think it's safe enough to tell him who you really are?"

She opens her mouth to reply, but then stops, realizing she doesn't have an answer.

His memories have been coming back more vividly, easier, and perhaps it's only a matter of time before Zelda's face is found somewhere within them, but she's been conflicted with this internal struggle since she started committing to this new role, since the moment she introduced herself as Azella.

She doesn't want to be the Princess anymore.

They had a few cherished memories when she was the Princess and he was the Hero, and she was Zelda: the heir to the throne of Hyrule when she fell in love with him, but she's been Azella for all the things that matter most in a relationship, things they would have never been able to experience back then. They bicker and argue and introduce each other as partners, she's seen him black out drunk and hilarious, and seen him panicked, naked in the bath when a spider crawled in with him. He tries to make her laugh, to make her happy, because it makes him feel good when he's succeeded and she always tries to do the same for him. They own a house together with a garden and cuccos and beautifully hand-crafted birdhouses and toad homes, have gotten to know each other's little quirks and strange habits, and whenever he's ready to add intimacy to their relationship she wants to be Azella, not Zelda, because of how open and honest and equal he is with her.

What difference would it make anyways if she never tells him and he never remembers? She has no ties to Zelda anymore. The Kingdom she was suppose to inherit is gone, the royal bloodline is tarnished, and after a hundred years, a century of war and fighting, she's changed just like Link has. It wouldn't be very fair if she was expected to remain exactly the same, either.

Perhaps she'll never have to tell him who she used to be.

Just then a loud, rumbling roar off in the distance fills the air and it's so loud Zelda has to clasp her hands over her ears. Below them, the Zora citizens gasp in unison, parents grab for their children while guards stand, terrified, grasping their spears just a little bit tighter. All heads snap towards the Beast, but it's already submerged below the water's surface, creating harsh waves in the reservoir right before their very eyes.

"What does that mean?" She yells over the trumpeting of Vah Ruta.

"It's never done that before!" Sidon shouts back.

"Do you think Link—"

The colossal elephant interrupts her question with an even louder roar and a stomp that rumbles and shakes the entire city. Many Zora look around frantically in all directions, trying to find the new location of the Beast, but Zelda and Sidon have a clear view from where they're standing. Vah Ruta's new position is on a flat area of the Lanayru mountain range, facing away from the Domain. They watch as it raises it's trunk to the sky and blasts a red target straight at Hyrule castle, and it's then, in the corner of her eye, Zelda notices a trail of stardust slowly trailing it's way to the entrance of the city.

With a gasp caught in her throat, Zelda grabs Sidon by the hand and yanks him until he's following her down the ramp and passed the stunned guards and they only stop when the trail of gold is several steps ahead of them. It flashes for the briefest second, making her eyes shut quickly, but when she opens them again, her heart soars.

Link is there, gulping in a fresh breath of air with a startled, confused face. He stares at his hands, turning them over a couple times before he places them on his abdomen, and Zelda notices the new gash through the fabric of his Zora armor that wasn't there before, but she sees no indication of an injury underneath it. In fact, she sees no injuries at all.

His head jerks up quickly, finally noticing her, and she can see the sigh of relief he makes from where she's standing, so she closes the distance between them until they're only a step away from each other.

Scanning his body from head to toe, their eyes finally meet again and she says, "How? How are you...healed?"

"Mipha, she— I saw her. She healed me."

"How is that possible?"

"She's a spirit, just like the King, but she's been trapped in the Beast this whole time. She saw everything that we did... she was watching us."

"She was?" Zelda eyes grow even wider, cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"Yeah," Link chuckles softly and scratches the nape of his neck, feeling equally bashful about it. "She thanked me... for um..."

"For freeing her?"

"No," he shakes his head. "For saving you."

"What?" she gasps, "I... I'm not sure I follow."

"Me neither," he sighs. "The last thing she said was that she's not sure how it happened but she's happy to see me with... with you."

Slowly, her eyes leave his to rest on the Divine Beast in the distance, just behind him. It stands tall and proud and strong, a powerful pillar of the Zora piloted by someone that loves Link just as much as she does. There was never any competition between them, no love quarrels or love triangles filled with drama or pettiness. Mipha was above all that and she took honor in her role, accepted her part to play, and Zelda realizes she should probably do the same.

Goddess, she's been so blind.

But in this moment, right now, all she wants is to feel him solid and sturdy and warm against her. Link had just taken on and defeated his first Divine Beast, and nothing is going to stop her from crashing into his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck, and hugging him so tight he struggles to breathe.

A laugh is punched out of his throat the moment Zelda embraces him, but he just smiles and holds onto to her just as tightly.

"Does that mean you're not mad at me anymore?" He asks, whispering softly into her ear.

"Give me a few days."

"Okay," he chuckles and squeezes her tighter, closes his eyes, and takes a long inhale of her.

The moment carries on long and slow, until they both begin to pull away at the same time, extremely aware of all the eyes on them. Sidon had been patiently standing with the rest of the curious guards and citizens, watching from a respectable distance, but now, Sidon approaches.

"My sister," he says fervently, desperately, meeting Link's eyes. "You saw her?"

"Yes," he answers while Zelda flips her hood and turns to face the Prince and the rest of the city. "She gave me her healing power. She said she didn't need it anymore and— and I can feel her with me, right here," he places a hand over his heart.

"Incredible." Tears begin to flood the Prince's eyes as a murmur begins to form amongst the citizens, passing the words to those who couldn't hear.

And then that murmur grows to whispers, and those whispers grow to laughter, then cheers and shouts, and Link and Mipha's names are chanted throughout the city, enrapturing and echoing so sweetly, Zelda is able to hear the ringing it leaves in her ears for days afterwards.

He turns to her, with a smile so bright on his face. "We did it," he says.

"You did it," she smiles back.

"Well, either way, I'm happy we're together," he takes her hand in his, entwining their fingers together, and squeezes lightly.

"Me too," she squeezes back, but there's a tinge of sadness dwelling in her chest.

She's realized now that she'll have to accept she won't be able to be by his side every step of the way anymore.

It's true, they had worked together to tame Vah Ruta but she's been selfish, taking what Hylia told her way too literally. The Goddess said he won't be strong enough without her aid so she's been by his side since the moment he descended from the Plateau, has been fighting his battles just as hard as he's been, but Link had been right; she needs to let him play his part, let him fulfill his destiny, and maybe, just maybe, Impa had been onto something.

Maybe he wouldn't have been able to get this far if he didn't have someone keeping him on track, didn't have anything worth fighting for. There is the Kingdom to consider and the entire crumbling land of Hyrule to fight for, but that would have been a blow to the system if something that enormous was the main reason from the start, especially if he can't remember any of it. Why would he fight for a land he has no memory of?

Zelda is still needed in wit and research, knowledge and wisdom, the very things she's talented in, but today she's realized the part she's now destined to play, the role without her Princess title or her sealing power.

He needed something pretty, someone playful and intriguing, to push him along to the Dueling Peaks stable. Something worth defending when the stalnox knocked her into the river and he screamed her name. He needed a shoulder to cry on when he learned his fate in Kakariko, and someone to always confide in when the weight of this world gets too heavy. Someone who cares for him, needs him, believes in him.

He doesn't need someone to help fight with him, he needs a reason to keep fighting.

And that reason is her.