"Ugh," Link grimaces, staring up at the tall towering structure of the stone. Parapets of ancient glory stand like a beacon of a bygone age, massive with their previous owners. "If I never had to return here, it would be too soon."
"Come along, love," Zelda smiles, grabbing his hand as they enter the first gatehouse. "Your 'one-man march upon the castle to save the princess' was made into a poem. You'd think you would be more invested."
He looks atop every tower, his eyes raking the colossal building with a nostalgic hue.
"You're probably gonna think I'm crazy, but I didn't feel alone. I swear I heard war drums beating with every step I made deeper into the Castle, that behind my back, I led an army of dead knights lending me their blades for one last battle."
Zelda offers a reserved grin while stepping beneath the portcullis. "I believe you." Hundreds of souls died trying to defend this castle. They spoke to her in the century she spent keeping Ganon at bay. It was so very lonely. Their faith in her was one of the only things keeping her strength up. They, and the knowledge that Link would one day reawaken to free her from the self-imposed internment.
The devil himself places a hand on the small of her back as they walk, the slowly approaching night offering a low light as they walk to the castle proper.
"We both weren't alone," Link states, the natural furrow of his brow lightening as he looks at her. "Even the dead wanted Ganon gone."
Of course, they both know that. Hell, the ghostly Champions led the charge against Calamity Ganon, offering the first attack to weaken him for the Hero with the Sword. They fulfilled their duties, only for a remnant to regain power.
"For what little good that did," Zelda finds herself guilty. "Their sacrifice will be for naught if we don't stop whatever is causing the Gloom."
"We will." Link states with zeal.
"Yes—oh," Her attention is stolen as they climb the winding path to the sanctum. A flower blooms along the stone wall, a spiky fruit she recognizes from a book. "A bomb flower!"
"Oh jeez, Zelda—!" He calls after her as she runs over. "Please be careful! If you're gonna pick it, go from—"
"The bottom, yes." She gets on her hands and knees in front of the leafy metallic plant, reaching for its petals. "I've been meaning to gather one for study. To think one grows outside of caves! This just shows how little we know of flora and fauna!"
"It's probably because it gets no sun. The Castle and the walls keep this area in a perpetual shade. I feel bad—it's missing out on quite a view." Link grunts as he saunters behind her, and Zelda hears him crouch. "I'll have to take in the sights for the both of us, then."
"What view—?" She asks, turning around and immediately understanding his meaning when she catches his lingering gaze. He's knelt directly behind her, his hand on his freshly shaved chin as he stares intently at Zelda's behind. "Oh, grow up. You're awful."
"It's a Royal relic! I have to keep a close eye on it."
"My tush has nothing to do with relics! Are you calling me old?!"
"Ancient," he grins while Zelda lets out a gasp. "Nearly a century and a quarter, Grandma. We should get you a cane."
"Please, if anything, you'll require a walker before I ever need a cane. You're already a century and a quarter, old man."
"Hey, I'm twenty… three?" He trails, putting thought into it. "I think?"
"Four." Zelda rolls her eyes, turning and focusing back on the bomb flower. "Your birthday was last month. I sent you a cake."
She knows he isn't exactly a century and a quarter, but a lady can be facetious, can she not?
"That was a cake?" His eyes widen. "I thought it was a brownie. A huge one."
"I… put too much flour in." Thankfully, she's faced away from him, so he can't see her blush. "Was it good, at least?"
"You baked it?" He asks, suddenly earnest. "For me? Really?"
"O-of course," Curse this stammer. It only comes out when he has her flustered—which only happens when he gets serious. "I-I wanted to try my hand, that's all. You have always cooked for me, so I wished to return the favour."
Link's silence unnerves her. She keeps her face away from him, trying to focus on the flower or pretend to be so he cannot tease her for her lack of ability in things most other women would excel at.
"You hate cooking." He states as if she weren't aware of that already.
"I-I'm just not good at it. I don't hate it."
…
The bomb flower is remarkably unremarkable. She has looked at every crease and frill. It's frankly getting a bit boring.
…
"Will you bake me another? I shared that one with my Captains. If I had any idea you made it, I'd have kept it all for myself."
A chill runs down Zelda's spine as he finishes speaking, and fear fills her breast.
"… You shared it? Were they poisoned?!" She jumps to her feet, frantically searching Link's face for a sign. He's still crouched, staring up at her as she runs—trips upon a stone—and runs to him again. "Please don't tell me anybody died! Your constitution is different! If any normal person ate what you did, they would surely perish!"
"'Normal?'" He repeats slowly before shaking his head while she grips his biceps in terror. "They were fine, Zelda. It was yummy."
"Oh," Her feral grabbing pauses as she takes in his statement. "Really? Well, that's good. I was so dreadfully afraid that I screwed it up; I measured the cups four times and still managed to misalign the flour. I wonder how you do it so perfectly every time. You don't even use—"
Link just wryly huffs as he spins her around—she yelps when his hand taps her rump. "Get your specimen. I'd like to be home before dinner."
With a light glare, she saunters back to the bomb flower and carefully picks it. "You could just tell me to shut up, you know."
"Nah, I like my way more." A sultry smile passes over his face as he leans close to her. "I love the way you yell."
Crimson—her cheeks must be crimson.
"Also, if you plan on blowing it up, I have cotton for your eardrums."
Oh, he always knows just what to say!
—
"Hold," Link orders like she's one of his squires. However, even her masterful wit knows when to take a backseat when Link senses something dangerous. His hand is held out in a fist in front of her as they enter the Castle proper, the grand foyer in shambles from a century in disrepair. Zelda's heart twangs at the sight of her ancestral home lying in ruin. "Hear that?"
She silences her breathing, focusing purely on sound with the senses only a Hylian can have. The ears aren't just for show, after all. She definitely hears it—Lizalfos squeaks—the sound is like squeezing the Rubber Armor Link wears during thunderstorms.
"Lizalfos." She affirms with a nod. "Sounds like some Bokoblins, as well. No doubt the silver and black variants."
"We can pray there's no gold," He reaches into his bag, pulling out her bow. "Got my back?"
"Always." Zelda takes the weapon gracefully, twirling the magic apparatus lightly in her hands. It fits just right when she grips it; its weight is perfect for whatever goal she has planned—it has to be. After all, it was born from her very essence. It's a part of her.
Link smiles before he draws his sword, and he disappears from view like a ghost. Stalking forward with the low glow of his blade leading him along its howling trail, the warrior steps with silence. His feet are inaudible, and the sword speaks to him.
Evil. Destroy.
The glow intensifies, letting out an audible thrum of power. She senses Malice.
Already? Didn't Purah say the source was deeper?
Link doesn't like it, but he readily acknowledges that killing whatever's causing the Gloom could be right here, and he cannot squander the opportunity. So, without waiting for Zelda to get into position—he spotted her climbing atop a broken arch—Link rushes in.
He's met by mechanical whirring and the telltale red laser aiming at his chest.
Spider-like segmented and clawed legs tap the cobbled flagstone as a Guardian focuses its monocular upon whatever woke it up. Link is adamant that they have a sort of 'sense' when it comes to him nearing because, from what he could tell, the Lizals and Boko he and Zelda heard were screwing around with the ancient death machine like it were some kind of toy.
Link was sure he killed them all within Hyrule Castle—especially assumed they would deactivate once Ganon was eradicated, but no. This Guardian was definitely what the Master Sword was sensing.
It pulsates with the sickly purple-red hue signifying Malice as it prepares to blast him to smithereens.
"Ah, shit—" He left his shield, so parrying it is out of the question. Thankfully, Daruk's blessing still holds some strength, even after he passed on to the Sacred Realm. He couldn't even dodge if he wanted to, so the old Goron's magic is a godsend as the Guardian's beam explodes into the glowing red shield, forming cracks along its crimson sheen. The blue ray rebounds into the machine's eye, causing it to fall onto its bell-shaped body, spinning like a wound-up top.
Its octuple legs twitch and fling about, knocking the ambushed monsters to their backs.
"Fool of a man!" Zelda shouts at him, drawing back her glowing bowstring and firing a plethora of Light Arrows into the bulbous heads of the still-reeling beasts. "You were meant to wait!"
"Sorry!" He yells back, rushing to the Guardian with two hands choked up on his sword. "The Guardian is tainted by Malice!"
She doesn't respond, focusing purely on riddling whatever continues to move with her bow. Link appreciates her tenacity. She's got the little guys handled, so he'll take on the Guardian. He lunges forward, stabbing his sword out after gaining momentum with a pirouette. Link barely misses the eye—grazing the tip of the blade against the ancient stone-like alloy encasing the shell the machine wears. His sword scrapes a chunk of it, but not enough to kill the damned thing. Reacting quickly, he changes stance and steps to the side, avoiding yet another searing hot blast that bursts the flagstone into liquid. Cursing again, he grips one of the splaying legs struggling to get some 'breathing' room within the cramped corridor of the Castle and jumps onto it.
He nearly falls off, losing his balance once the machine realizes what he's doing and attempts to buck him. However, before reaching the climax of its attempt, it reels back again, its head spinning on a swivel.
Link catches a glimpse of a golden arrow shaft piercing outward from the eye-piece.
"Finish it! The monsters are all dust!"
He doesn't need to be told twice. After all, he's known for inhuman feats of strength and constitution. Grabbing hold of the Guardian's 'ears' on its swivelling head to cease its movement—It halts instantly, unable to break his grip—he one-hands the massive sword and thrusts the blade into its eye, destroying it instantly.
The machine falls limp, letting out one final whine of electric dissipation.
His sword is sheathed in one smooth, practiced motion. It clicks when metal meets metal, and he sighs. That was cathartic.
"I thought the Guardians would be free from Ganon's control," Zelda states as she jumps from her pillar.
"Me too," Link grimaces as he steps away from the corpse and cracks his neck. "We know we need to be here, at least."
The Princess nods as she stares down at his handiwork before shrugging.
"Feeling better?" He looks over. Zelda's walking to him, her hand spinning the all-powerful weapon she created as if it were a plaything.
Link huffs, a light laugh that escapes his nose. "A bit."
"Good," Zelda grins. "Can't have you getting moody, now can we?"
He smiles, but it's more subdued when she walks past, heading to wherever she remembered the passage to be. Of course, he knows she's just trying to lighten the mood, but he doesn't think he will ever 'feel better' after what happened in Mabe. He sees the villagers in his dreams, sometimes even during wakeful moments. It's barely nearing a week since the massacre, and he has no idea why everyone is so okay with what he's done.
The irony is not lost on him; he expected punishment yet received nothing but praise for destroying a prospering town. Karma will catch up to him, and he will never expect when. For that is his curse.
A sigh escapes his lips, and he pushes himself forward to keep up with his wife-to-be. A lump pokes out of his pocket—the feeling grounds him.
"Screw it," He states to nobody, watching Zelda walk further ahead and finger his pocket to retrieve the box. "Might as well do it now."
He may not get the chance later. Recompense is due. No overfilled wallet will pay what he owes like he could with his soldiers. He has a niggling feeling that something terrible will happen, and usually, those feelings tend to be correct.
"Zelda," Link calls after her, retrieving the box from his pocket. "Wait for a moment, will you?"
"Hmm?" She spins, raising an eyebrow and cocking her hip. "Going too fast, am I, Oldtimer?"
"No, just don't want you to blow out a hip socket," he snickers as he catches up. "I—uh…"
His tongue catches in his mouth, tying together like a butterfly knot. Zelda stares at him confusedly, finding Link's sudden inability to speak out of character. Sure, he chooses not to speak, but never has he been unable.
"Um…"
"Well? Cat got your tongue, darling?"
"N-no," Ah, this damn stutter. "I, uh. Look, you know you mean the world to me, right?"
Zelda stares at him, confusion mounting at his strange out-of-character behaviour. He rubs the back of his neck as he tries to formulate a coherent sentence.
"Yes, of course, I do."
"You, um… always…" His tongue feels like it's made of sandpaper, the words he's trying to give her laying upon it like a two-tonne weight. "Catch me when I fall."
"But you didn't fall. I hit the Guardian's eye before you could."
"No, no," Link sighs, groaning as he struggles to get his feelings across to her. He runs a hand through his hair—She's never been good with metaphors. "I-I mean in the metaphorical sense. And I guess literal, too, but that's not what I'm trying to say."
"Well, what are you trying to say?" Zelda asks with a quirked head. "You're acting very strange."
He opens his mouth, then closes it. Building up his courage, Link takes a deep breath and kneels on one knee. He brings up the box, and Zelda's eyes widen.
"Wha—?"
"I know we've been on this rigamarole before, but I actually have a ring this time." Link finds the coming speech pretty easy as if the dam within his throat has broken. It's cathartic. "While the world may know our story as me saving you, I am adamant that you have always been the one saving me. Without you, I would be on an aimless path without purpose or meaning. I know we already took our vows, but I'm adding another. I promise to always keep you safe—but not because of some Oath, I made a century ago. As your husband, I promise you will never be unhappy. You will always be healthy and loved. No matter our challenges, I will always be at your side. By this, I swear upon my sword and my very soul."
Zelda is speechless as he takes her hand with his free one, the opposite of the one holding the ring box. "Zelda Delphine Hyla Hyrule, my world, my Princess, my Lady. Will you marry me?"
It takes her a second to break out of her daze, and when she does, the Princess snatches the ring from his hands like a magpie that spotted something shiny. Leaving the Hero hanging, she holds the jewelry with stars in her eyes. "Yes! It's perfect! Now the women in Hateno can no longer look at me in disbelief when I tell them I married him! I have proof now!"
"Uh, Zelda?"
"Hm?" She looks away for a second from her new trophy. "Oh, yes. Of course, dear."
"'Of course?'" The wind leaves his sails. He had to build himself up so hard for the courage to do this.
"We're already married, are we not? Your ears are pierced. That was all I needed." She waves him off, placing the sparkling ring on her finger. She holds out her hand, inspecting it in the sunset, peeking through the holes in the ceiling. "Our ceremony is in the Spring. We already decided on it. Keep up, won't you?"
All motivation leaves his body as his shoulders fall with his ego. "Yes, dear…"
—
"You'd think after spending three days in this damned Castle, I'd know every nook and cranny." Link says, standing off to the side with his arms crossed as Zelda coughs from the dust of the explosion she caused. "You alright? I got water."
She had thrown a bomb flower picked outside, found along one of the walls of the gatehouse. The woman is a researcher, first and foremost. A firsthand account of any test is a must—thus, she threw the bomb.
Her laugh of excitement after the explosion makes Link think it was a little more than just 'an experiment,' as she said.
"That was brilliant!" Zelda coughs again, waving away the debris. "What a resounding boom!"
"Easy, pyro," Link chuckles, stepping closer to the new hole in the dilapidated Castle wall. "Huh. This one goes down."
"Huh?!" She yells, looking over at Link. "What'd you say?!"
Wryly, he walks over and pulls out the cotton from her ears.
"Oh. I forgot about those."
"This tunnel goes down," He says again, pointing at the massive hole. "You got your torch?"
"Of course," Zelda reaches for her pack, which is significantly shallower than Link's, as she hasn't yet had the opportunity to meet Hestu. She rummages, leafing through papers and drawings she kept as mementos from the children at school. "Aha! There it is."
She holds out a folded piece of metal with a grate on top.
"What is that?"
"I built it! See, it uses a wick to carry a spark, which I light by flicking the flint near the grate!" Zelda immediately holds out the contraption, letting him view the marvel she created. "Purah had some ethanol lying around from her experiments, so I used it as a fuel source." She unfolds the metal bar and grips a handle near the top with a grin aimed at him. "Watch my masterpiece ignite!"
Link takes a step back, knowing what usually occurs whenever she shows off one of her inventions. However, this time, it sparks and lights up like any other regular torch would. It has a blue and white flame, though. But it's still bright enough to see.
"Sometimes, my brilliance amazes me."
"At least it didn't blow up this time." He remarks before pointing at it. "What's the point? It's just a metal torch. Why not stick to a regular one?"
"It's reusable and doesn't leave a mess behind." She shrugs before giving him a pointed stare. "I dunno, I was bored. There was a lot of free time and spare parts at Lookout Landing."
"Sorry," He sheepishly grins while stepping into the newly formed hole. He gestures for her to lead the way, which she graciously accepts with her nose upturned. "I wanted to be sure things were running smoothly before heading out. Captain Hoz is the only one I can trust to keep things oiled while I'm away, and Scorpis is… kind of a dunderhead."
"Well, I gathered that much," Zelda scoffs as they venture deeper, taking in the sights of murals built in an age distant. "He needed you to explain four times that he was to be guarding the bunker. Hold a moment, will you, love? I would like to take a photo of these murals for further study."
"'Course," He reaches for her torch as she unholsters the Sheikah Slate. It isn't as new as the Purah Pad, but it does the job, and Zelda is sentimental. She has a lot of pictures she refuses to lose saved on the device. Besides, who doesn't like being able to summon Ice, Magnitize metal anything and stop time itself?
The bombs are mediocre, but they do the job. Not well, but they help to get ore.
A quick snap or two is all she needs before they continue downward, entering depths he didn't think possible. He can't tell if it's anxiety, but the hairs on his arm beneath his unarmored tunic stand on end.
He wishes he took the time to buy chainmail, maybe get some spaulders. The tunic was fine at first, and the enchantments held pretty well, but the passage of time has not done it any favours. It's time for an upgrade on his old, traditional Champion's Tunic.
"I wish I got chainmail," Link grouses as he steps over a large stone. It's getting progressively more challenging to see the deeper they go. "This old tunic is starting to go."
"It's good I started making you a new one." Zelda barely looks up from her Slate, using the torch to lead their way. "I finished the enchantments, but I feel like armouring it would look rather dashing, don't you?"
"I thought you couldn't sew?" Link teases.
"I've been practicing~" she basically sings. "I made the one you're wearing, too. The stitching was crass and frayed because I didn't like you then. I can do whatever I set my mind to—"
All mirth leaves them as the Gloom twists itself from the endless stairwell. Link pushes in front of her, his hand on his sword as he watches the wisps dissipate.
"They look… It's concentrated here but doesn't look as malignant as it did in Hyrule Field." Zelda steps forward, kneeling to get a closer look. Link doesn't like it, but he also doesn't stop her. "The Gloom is definitely coming from down below."
Link can't shake the feeling that something terrible is about to happen. He follows his lady ever-downward, his hand on his sword the whole time.
—Tears of a Silent General: Prologue End—
Link awakens with a gasp, naked and alone. His body feels heavier and weaker. Taking a breath is difficult, and he can feel his blood struggling to fill his veins.
That mummy took more than just his damned arm. It took his vitality, too. He hasn't felt this weak since awakening in the Shrine of Resurrection.
The roof above is unrecognizable; roots poke out from a dilapidated ceiling from an eon past.
Familiar.
He sits up, finding himself—thankfully—not within a sarcophagus filled with blue liquid this time and takes solace in the fact that he didn't die. Immediately, he checks himself for injury.
Legs, check. Hands—
His heart drops, taking in the sight of his new right hand—all the way up to his shoulder. It's good he didn't lose it to the Gloom like he'd thought he would, but this one looks… alien. Its fingers are long, the nails are sharp, and the forearm is large—segmented, like valleys of brownstone and rivers of green-blue light. Chitinous? Link taps the material it's made from, feeling the touch vaguely from behind a thick layer of skin. It's lime green, almost glowing—definitely some kind of magic, probably similar to that circular cloud-like thing floating above that mummy. It doesn't feel like his own. It's weightier, clumsier.
It saved him, didn't it? When he fell after…
It caught him as if it were a marionette pulled by strings.
Link does not like it. But it will do. He tests its grip, finding comfort in the strength within its fingers. As a matter of fact, he resolves to try if it's strong enough to crush a stone. It feels like it can.
His eyes catch on a gleam in the corner of the room he awakened, his chest filling with despair when he realizes what it is. The Master Sword, or whatever's left of her, is lodged into one of the twining roots spitting from dirt walls. She offers a glimpse of her true power, giving off a shine to let him know she's still there.
She's barely a dagger now. Her large, magnificent blade shattered to pieces, blackened and broken from the mummy's disgusting magic.
Rage pools into his chest, followed closely by harrowing regret as he pushes himself to his feet with a desperate speed. He failed her, too. His poor partner is broken and rusted.
"I'm sorry," He basically sobs, falling to his knees as he slides over to her. "I'm sorry. I failed you. I wasn't strong enough for him, and now you're…"
She sings—her telltale warbling that sounds like music. Her whispers dance within his ears.
I will never leave your side. Even damaged and decayed, I am yours. We must fight, Master.
Even now, all but destroyed, she wants to continue her mission. Her resolve pushes him, and he gathers himself with zeal. If she's still up for a battle, so is he.
"…right." Link sniffs before standing tall. "If not us, then who?"
They still have to find Zelda. He prays for her safety.
The Sword doesn't respond, but he spies another gleam spark out from her golden gemstone and smiles at it. With a breath, he grips her hilt and dislodges her. She comes loose easily, and he feels comforted knowing she's with him.
Looking around the room, he finds his old clothes thrown in a corner—tattered and barely cloth anymore.
The Tunic is destroyed, and his pants are riddled with holes.
Deciding they're better than nothing, he puts on the trousers, but the shirt is too far gone to be worn. Instead, he fashions a strap, then a sheath for his sword. Time to get outta here.
Now, he's just gotta find out where the hell here is.
"So you're the 'Warrior King.'" A woman's voice suddenly draws out like a cascade of velvety tones. She sounds… almost disappointed. He doesn't recognize it, so Link immediately places his hand on the hilt. "Calm yourself. I gave you a new arm. That's my brother's hand, you know. Be grateful."
"Who are you?" Link demands. Warrior King?
"I'm the one who saved your life. You would have lost more than just your arm to the Gloom; it would have taken your life. So, I performed the operation. Against my own wishes, of course." She doesn't sound happy to see him. All it does is make Link angry. "All that talk I heard about you being unstoppable, and you go out barely even scratching him." She scoffs. "That hand made its choice. I can only hope it didn't choose wrong."
"Tell me what I'm doing here, and I'll get out of your hair." Link growls. He can tell when someone doesn't like him, and boy, does she not like him. "I need to find my wife. Stop wasting my time."
"Go then," The voice grunts. "Find your way. See what you've awoken to—What you've unleashed with your arrogance."
He doesn't need to be told twice. Link stomps away, almost shaking with developing anger. This voice is really getting on his nerves, and he has no idea why. He hasn't felt this way since Zelda hated his guts for existing.
He enters a large causeway, something of a waterworks. Maybe an aqueduct? There are water wheels. The architecture is beautiful, so distant from any Sheikah or Hylian structure that it looks… divine. Link's seen his fair share of divinity, and this is exactly what he expected when thinking about it. He wonders what this room was used for. Was it an aqueduct, as he assumes? Or maybe a bathhouse? Questions mount, the beauty of it all not lost on him. Stepping forward as he takes in the sites, something chimes ahead of him, and he jumps, on guard instantly.
Instead of some monster—which would be greatly appreciated to rid himself of this rage—he spies an ouroboros, lifted like a monument from the ground. Two snakes eat each other's tails. That same Lime-Green light ebbing from his new arm and the magic—technology?—he's seen lights up like a familiar Sheikah Shrine blessing wall. He thinks he knows what to do.
Looking down at his new hand, he shrugs and hopes for the best. Last time, the Sheikah Shrines were only ever activated by someone with the Spirit of the Hero—it's pretty safe to assume these would work with the hand.
It explodes with colour when he touches it, almost liquid, not unlike when he'd update the Slate with new runes. The 'magic'—he's seriously considering just calling it technology. Divine Technology, but he's getting pedantic—is frankly beautiful. He hopes this isn't the last time he gets to do that.
Heyo, I hope you enjoyed it. Yep, everything up to this point was just the prologue. I hope you guys don't mind me skipping the intro. I just felt like getting into it would be really pedantic. If you're reading this, you've most likely played the game or at least watched it on Youtube. You don't need me to rewrite that scene, and it's the only part I can safely say in this story that's exactly the same as it was in the game. That part was one of the main reasons I wanted to write this story. I'm sure you guys know who the voice is, but if not, it'll be explained in the next chap. She's one of the characters I wished had more depth given to them, and I felt like her character was a little wasted and stuck where she was in comparison to everyone else. Thus, here she is. Lemme know your thoughts. Comments are legit the things giving me the drive to keep going lmfao. I crave validation SO MUCH.
