Author's Note
Bit of a short chapter, but I didn't feel as if I could add any more to it without detracting from the one after it.
Uploaded
06/21/2023
LEGEND BELOW
"O-Oh goodness, I'm so clumsy!" = Normal speech.
''Dont panic.'' = Normal thoughts.
Chapter 10
Journey through the canyon/Reliving ancient memories
Rated-M
M rating for Romance, and things of explicit nature.
Music of the day
The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess - Gerudo Desert
She was alone again.
After being alone for so many long years, she'd relished the few moments she had together with him, enjoying them for what they were. She'd waited one hundred years for him, to see him again, to touch him, to…
To have him touch her, and want to do so unprompted.
She'd spent so many lonely nights by herself, wishing that he was there in her bed with her, doing all sorts of things…
Oh, simply thinking about it made her heart race with an ocean full of lewd thoughts.
But, not long after he'd finally rejoined her side, he'd left again. She'd barely gotten him back, and he'd already left on his adventure to save the world, a world that she'd forgotten about almost entirely in her sorrow.
So, now, once more, she was again alone.
But, this time it was different.
That hundred year old hole in her heart wasn't simply patched up within a few hours, no. But the holes that were there had been repaired, and in place of them was a newfound hope, something she'd been without for many many years.
It was that hope that allowed her to continue on surviving, knowing now that she had someone to survive for.
Link was real, he was alive and full of life.
She could see it, feel it, touch it. He wasn't dead like her traitorous heart had whispered to her. She'd held him in her arms, and he held her back. She kissed him, passionately slamming her lips to his, as if to reaffirm herself that he truly was alive.
It was magical.
She sighed, the sun setting in the skies above now.
Just thinking back to earlier that day made her heart race, emotions she thought lost to time having come rushing back to the surface with a boiling newfound passion. Seeing him go once more hurt, but, she knew she couldn't greedily keep him to herself.
In her dreams, maybe, but not in the real world.
Sitting there on the grass in front of her laboratory, she found her mind drifting to him once more. She wondered where he'd gone to, and, where he was now. She hoped he'd returned to Kakariko safely, but, knowing him, she was sure that he had.
Just thinking about him made her anxious, and she realized that if she simply allowed herself to ponder his whereabouts and safety all day, she wasn't going to get anything done.
She decided to retire to her bed for the night, desperately in need of some well deserved rest, rest in her bed that was missing a certain dashing blond Hylian.
"O-Oh dear… I'm hopeless…" She muttered bashfully, hands clasped to her flushed cheeks…
After he'd slain the giant beast and made extra sure that the Gerudo women he'd saved were going to be okay, he scavenged the weapons and armaments from the corpse of the man eating monster.
He wanted to continue on his journey quickly without delay…
But, that said, he'd found company in the Hylians, the young men far too afraid to journey on their own without some sort of protection.
When he asked who their protection was supposed to be before he had arrived to rescue them, their wives seemed to become meek under his gaze.
Apparently they were supposed to be the shields that protected their smaller untrained husbands. Unfortunately, none of them were skilled in the arts, and the Hinox made quick work of them. Even though he'd saved them, their weapons and clothing were all gone, leaving the six of them completely defenseless should any more monsters appear.
So, naturally he'd immediately offered his assistance, even knowing it would slow his journey down considerably compared to traveling on his own. But it was worth it, because it meant that he would assure their safety all the way to their destination…
And…
If he was honest with himself, the hero role was in his blood, and he'd not even considered leaving them to their devices while he ventured out solo.
Naturally, the husbands offered to pay him with whatever they could for his help. But he turned them down, saying that he was no sword for hire, and was happy to help.
So, that's how he ended up in the middle of a dusty canyon with a caravan behind him, two of them men walking beside him, while the third manned the caravan and steered the horse along. Their wives, still lacking in clothing, had taken shelter within the confines of said caravan.
Thankfully, he'd a few spare weapons, and offered all three men a soldier's grade sword to protect themselves. But he was hoping it wouldn't come to that, and that he was more than capable of defending them all by himself.
He would've been completely confident in such a claim earlier, but after the intense battle against the Hinox, he was feeling on the lesser end of his stamina.
If he was to engage in a similarly intense battle before he could rest, he'd be in great trouble.
He hoped it didn't come to that.
But, as for now, he was busy trying to familiarize himself with the terrain that was entirely new to him. He was surprised by just how fast everything could shift, from a grassy land with trees and sprawling hills, to dusty lifeless mountains with boulders and dust bunnies rolling all around.
But, of course, this was Hyrule after all. These things seemed commonplace amongst the kingdom's borders.
He was content to continue quietly along the whole stretch of the journey, but the three husbands behind him had begun speaking amongst themselves, and he knew without asking that questions were going to be coming his way shortly.
He found that reality acceptable.
"S-Sir, if we may ask…?" One of the young men spoke up.
Without taking his eyes off of his surroundings, he hummed in acknowledgment of the question.
The men seemed to glance at each other, before nodding. "You… You aren't from around here, are you?" They asked.
He was momentarily confused, wondering how they had reached such a conclusion.
"What do you mean?" He voiced his curiosity.
"You wear the garb of the Royal Family of the Kingdom of Hyrule." His answer came from not the men, but one of the women, peeking out from the covering of the caravan. "You look like someone who served the Royal Family. I've read about soldiers from the old kingdom before, in the history books at my town. Are you a descendant of someone that served the old kingdom?" She woman asked curiously, apparently kept up to date on her history.
"No…" He responded after a long pause. "I-… I was directly placed in charge of protecting the Princess, Zelda." He said after a moment, voice tense.
"You don't really…" The woman started, but slowed when she realized that he was not pulling her leg. His voice was very serious, his eyes holding a fiery determination that shook the very ground underneath her.
She seemed to look at him truly for the first time, as did her sisters.
He was a Hylian of seemingly pureblood with long pointed ears, long flowing golden blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. He was masterful with a sword, and went hand to hand with a Hinox and came out victorious even after succumbing to a deadly attack. He wore armor that looked to have been made over one hundred years ago, and upon the armor was the engravings of the Hylian Royal Family.
He didn't brag that he was some ancient hero, didn't try to talk himself up, or boast about his power. Instead, he was quiet, reserved, helpful, powerful, kind.
He was a Hero, without a shadow of a doubt. He didn't need to show proof, even though they were sure he had something on him that may make that point.
Suddenly they all looked at him differently, like they were seeing him for the first time as the person he was.
The husbands all were more then a little eager to hear stories and learn things from Hyrule's last remaining Hero, but unfortunately, he explained that due to whatever happened one hundred years ago, he was without most of his memories of the past.
He knew not why he'd fallen, nor what exactly led to him being placed inside the Shrine. But he told them that it didn't matter.
He was here now. He'd returned to the kingdom that he'd let down, and now that he was back, he was going to give it his all to make sure he saved all that was left.
It was his responsibility to see to it that the kingdom survived this Calamity.
At least, what was left of it.
He didn't speak further after revealing his past, and none of the six he was protecting was willing to break that terse silence with even more uncomfortable questions.
Eventually, however, they arrived at a horse stable just a short distance before the exit to the canyon. He planned on continuing to the town, but they decided to part ways with him at the stable to rest for the night.
As a gathering of residents ran out to help the caravan of women, he parted ways with a wave, wishing them well on their travels. Before he could escape earshot, the young man running the caravan tossed a small bag his way, something he instinctively caught. Opening it revealed that it was a bag full of rupees.
"Thank you, Mr. Link! Thank you for everything, we're all in your debt!" The young man waved. The three Gerudo women, despite being tended to by the people who were staying at the stand, waved at him as he left.
One of them, the one he spoke to about his past broke away from the people and ran up to him, her body barely hidden underneath the blanket he'd given her.
He blamed her height for that…
She ran up to him, throwing her arms around him in a hug. He blinked in surprise up at her, unsure what brought on this sudden emotion.
"Don't blame yourself for what happened. You're here now, that's more than enough." She whispered genuinely.
His eyes shot wide as if struck, staring up at her with strange emotions hidden below the surface. She smiled at him, although he couldn't see it.
"We Gerudo are great at sensing emotions, and right now, I know you blaming yourself for the Great Calamity one hundred years ago. I don't know what happened, what really happened that day, but I know you must've done everything you could've." She said, before quickly leaving him to rejoin her sisters.
He stood there for a long moment, dwelling on her words. It was one thing to tell himself that he must've done everything back then, but it was another to hear it from someone else.
Whether or not what she said was true, and he truly gave that past battle his all or not didn't matter anymore. It was in the past, and he was here in the present, still alive. He was again struck with the reality that he alone was the only one in the kingdom, perhaps even the entire world that was strong enough to stop this Calamity from recurring once again.
And he wasn't going to get there by placing the blame of the kingdom's downfall on his shoulders.
He wished he could've gotten the woman's name, so that he could thank her properly. But they were all tired, exhausted from the journey and the terrible experience they'd gone through. He was sure he'd meet her again one day, and when he did, he'd thank her kindly for gently setting him back on the right path.
He needed to keep his head held high, and his eyes firmly set on his destiny.
That's what he told himself as he left the canyon behind, stepping foot into the blistering heat of the desert sands…
After leaving the canyon behind and venturing into the desert, he came to a conclusion.
He hated the desert immediately, and not because of the monsters that seemed to be everywhere, but because of the blistering heat.
His armor was one thing, and it was most certainly hot. If he didn't find a way out of the heat soon, he felt like he was going to collapse.
Thankfully he came prepared. He reached into his bag, and pulled out some of the last frozen Chuchu remains his had, and crushed them above his head. The reaction was nearly instant, his hair turning white in frost, the magical snowy power covering his entire body.
"Phew…" He sighed in relief, feeling far better now than before. He wasn't sure how long it would last, but it would have to suffice for the moment.
He continued along the road, seeing in the distance what looked to be some sort of outpost village. It took some time walking, but he eventually arrived. He felt immensely comfortable after breaking out from the sunlight, the trees that all surrounded a pond providing excellent shade from the heat of the sun.
There was a bunch of people wandering about, some older Gerudo women selling their wares at a tent, while another younger woman tried waving others down to rest at her inn instead a building that seemed to share itself with a general store.
The thought of staying at the inn was one he dwelled on for a moment, but decided against ultimately. However, far off to his left he could see it, the massive Devine Beast stomping around the desert. Surrounding it was a storm cloud of sand, lightning sparkling within the clouds.
Almost as if it reacted to his presence, it's desperate plea for help could be heard echoing across the kingdom in a loud and powerful roar.
He found himself unable to take his eyes off of it, as if something, someone there was staring right back at him, trapped upon the mighty mechanical beast.
He felt a chill run down his spine, a plea for help whispered to his ears, and the ghostly touch of a hand, as if cupping his cheek from a terrible distance…
He wondered in that moment, if it could've been the Gerudo Champion that had died one hundred years ago. Her spirit, grieved by the fateful battle that had been lost. Could she have become trapped there, even after her death?
He shook his head. He wanted desperately to know. For if she had, it was his duty to her to bring her closure. The kingdom had waited one hundred years for a savior to arrive, and he was going to make sure that said kingdom knew that its savior had indeed come.
He turned his back from the Devine Beast, promising to himself that it wasn't long now before he'd rescue it from the clutches of Calamity Ganon.
As for now, he decided he needed to speak with whoever was in charge of the Gerudo, and ask for their help in stopping the rampaging weapon. He just hoped that they would lend him a listening ear, not push him away.
Upon approaching the bazaar ahead, he paused underneath the shade of a tall tree.
His eyes widened suddenly, looking around him.
Something about this place was familiar, extremely familiar.
He…
He couldn't place his finger on it…
But.
He reached down to his hip, pulling out the Sheikah Slate. He scrolled through the old photos, images taken one hundred years ago. He glanced at each one, until he arrived at the one he was looking for.
It was a picture of the bazaar, the exact same one he stood before now, taken from where he stood as well. It looked strikingly similar, even after one hundred years.
What…?
What was he doing here back then? Why had he come here, and for what purpose…?
He closed his eyes, a headache forming out of nowhere. But he wasn't going to relent this time, reaching out and grabbing onto that faded memory with all that he had…
…
…
…
He was running, sprinting as fast as he could.
There was sand everywhere, the desert surrounding him. His lungs burned, burned from the heat and his rapid intake of air.
In his hand was the blade of evil's bane, the Master Sword.
But he was running, chasing someone, or something…
His heart was anxious, more so in that moment then ever before. The weight of the world seemed to be pinning him down, screaming obscenities at him for something.
Then he saw it, a beautiful woman in a mix of blue and white, her golden hair fluttering in the wind. She was on the ground, surrounded by three men in dark red clothes, their faces hidden by masks.
They…
They were holding sharp viscous sickles, and…
And they were going to kill her, cut her down where she cowered underneath them, mercy found nowhere in their bodies.
That was Zelda, he could see it now, her terrified screams as those men suddenly surrounded her with the intention of ending her life.
That's why he was running so hastily. He was supposed to protect her. He was placed in charge of her life, and for some reason, he allowed himself to become separated from her. And because of his folly, he was moments away from watching her death.
In that moment he felt a hot red anger pass through him, and the one that dared raise his blade against her was suddenly and ruthlessly cut down, his own hand offering no mercy.
He slid to a stop just in front of her downed form, spreading his body out wide in front of her as if to protect her from harm, even if it meant he was harmed in the process.
The two shadowy men still left standing cowered in fear, the look on his face cold and ruthless. His blade was stained with the blood of the third member, the man laying badly wounded between the both of them, the attack having come dangerously close to instantly ending his life.
In that moment, he didn't care whether or not the assassin lived. His fate was decided the moment he willingly chose to raise his hand to the Princess with murderous intentions, something he would prevent from happening again if either dared to take up arms against him or the Princess behind him.
The two assassins quickly gathered up their downed companion, promising that they would return for his life one day.
Only once they were gone did he finally turn to face the Princess, eyes wrought with worry.
Worry for her.
Once the situation had ended, and she realized that she wasn't going to die, the emotions came flooding forth.
He remembered her collapsing in a fit of tears, giving way to her fear and bottled up emotions. And he remembered pulling her into a firm and caring hug, letting her know that he'd never again let something like this happen again.
But, in that moment, it was almost as if she was comforting him. He lied to himself than he was comforting her, whispering sweet nothings to her to calm her worries and appease her fears, caring not that her tears stained his blue garb.
But he would be lying if he said most of them weren't for him as well.
"I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere. You're safe now, they can't hurt you... It's okay, it's okay..." He muttered in a shaky voice, eyes stinging with unshed tears...
He was so close to losing her...
If he'd been just a moment slower...?
Then his eyes shot wide open, the events rushing back to him like a title wave crashing into the shores.
He remembered. The Princess was being attacked by assassins that were out for her life, but, he was still unsure who they were and what their reason for hunting her down was.
More than that, however, he found himself surprised by how ruthless his response was to seeing her in such grave danger.
Glancing to the skies above, he wondered just how bad things had become right before the Calamity befell the kingdom of Hyrule…
Chapter
10
End