AUTHOR'S NOTE:The ending to Breath of the Wild has been altered for plot reasons. I haven't written fanfiction in almost ten years so I'm a bit out of practice, but I have a lot of ideas for these two precious babies. Enjoy!~

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Guardians possessed by Ganon's malice lay destroyed at their feet as hundreds more ascended upon them. Link was near death, and about to lose consciousness as he kneeled protectively in front of Princess Zelda.

"Link, save yourself! Go! I'll be fine, don't worry about me!"

Link staggered to his feet with the legendary sword in hand, in his continued attempt to shield her. He could barely hold himself up, but one was closing in on them now, and pointing its beam. There was no time to think.

"NO!" Zelda cried.

She threw herself between Link and the Guardian as blinding light emanated from her palm. The swordsman watched vaguely as every enemy within radius was struck from her light before falling to the ground, dead. His knees buckled beneath him, and his vision began to fade.

The last recovered memory of his time from 100 years passed, was Zelda sobbing over him.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

As Link slowly became conscious, he was aware of the burning pain on his back and side. It was making breathing quite difficult. Wherever his head was resting felt soft, but he didn't have the energy to move or open his eyes yet. Remembering how he got here was also a struggle. He could remember waking in the Shrine of Resurrection, and freeing the four Champions. He could remember seeing Impa just before all of this.

I went to the castle… I was trying to save Zelda… Did I fail her? I must have.

A range of emotions were circling him now. It vaguely registered that quiet voices were coming from somewhere close, and getting clearer for him to hear.

"...you enough for everything you, Impa, Robbie, well really everyone-"

"Princess Zelda, you really must take a moment to relax. You've not stopped thanking me since you and your … escorts arrived with him on that horse. The sight of you both safe and alive is more than we could ask for."

Zelda.

Link shoots up from his place on the bed inside his Hateno cottage and sucks in sharply through his teeth. With a look of utter bewilderment across his face now, he gazes beyond the railing at the two figures sitting in his kitchen.

"Oh Link!" A frantic voice rang.

The Princess couldn't have looked more out of place in her white gown, as she rose from the table and practically sprinted up the stairs. She was on the edge of his bed instantly, and appraising his condition with worried hands. He could only watch in disbelief as Purah joined their side, now donning a preteen appearance instead of a child-like one.

"How are you feeling?" Zelda asks him softly.

She brushes a few strands of hair away from his eyes. He shakes his head vaguely and glances down at the bandages around his torso.

"I have…questions," Link utters finally.

"You're well enough to speak, that's certainly encouraging," Purah says with a smile. "No one from Kakariko knows what's happened yet, and I need to figure out how I'm sending word. Please excuse me." With that, she hurries down the stairs and out the front door into the night.

There was a small pause between Link and Zelda as they took in the sight of each other. Zelda's expression falls slightly, and she looks away before speaking.

"I am truly sorry for you to be waking up in this state. Had I realized you were struck by one of Ganon's attacks and losing blood, I would have spared you the speech. Your horse is an incredibly intelligent creature. She came to me after you collapsed and lowered herself. The only person I knew with the medical knowledge to help us was Purah. I met some kind people at Dueling Peaks Stable who offered to lead us the remaining distance after I addressed your wounds. Purah has since stitched you up and given you medicine. You've been unconscious for nearly thirteen hours. I've been…beside myself with worry. "

Zelda's eyes were brimming with tears now but his expression was gentle.

"Thank you, Princess…really. Have you had a chance to rest yet?"

A few tears fall past and she shakes her head.

"I'm fine, I've had more than enough rest. I suppose in a way…I was asleep like you all this time. The powers I possess offered more than I ever imagined possible, though they've since weakened. I truly 'woke up' when you defeated Ganon…" Zelda takes both of Link's hands in hers and inhales unevenly.

"...I am so grateful for everything you've done, for this kingdom, for my father and our friends, and for me. All I want for you now is fulfillment and peace. You can live the life you want to. The transition for us both may be difficult, but I find solace in the fact that we are going through it together."

Link squeezes her hands gently and offers an unexpected smile. Her heart eases considerably at the reassuring expression, though one question still lingered.

"Do you really remember me…?" Zelda whispers.

As reasonable as her uncertainty was, it was still devastating to hear. It had been over a century since he'd been in her presence and the sight of her unceasingly overjoyed him.

He pulls her to him, ignoring the pain he felt while doing so, and simply says, "yes."

For a while they hold each other in silence, heads resting against the other's shoulder. The lanterns made the house a dim orange at this time of the night, and the only sounds to be heard were the crickets chirping outside. Zelda was blushing faintly when they broke apart.

"We'll see a lot of each other. I've made arrangements with Prima at the Ton Pu Inn for the moment. Your injuries make me anxious, and I'd like to be close enough to watch over you," She tells him, then quickly asks, "Are you still tired? Are you hungry? Can I do anything for you at all?"

He found her concern endearing, albeit unnecessary. It made him chuckle as he swung his feet off the bed.

The only true restriction he had was his breathing. His legs worked fine and the pain was something he could ignore. "Princess Zelda, I can't let you concern yourself so much with me." He rose to his feet steadily, and gestured for her to follow him downstairs. Whatever he was up to was a mystery but she was curious. She found herself sitting in his kitchen once again, watching as he began rummaging through cabinets and drawers.

"Please don't over exert yourself," Zelda insists.

Link extracts a piece of flint from the drawer and sparks a fire beneath the cooking pot before grabbing a few more things from the cabinet. "Am I right in assuming you haven't eaten since you woke up?" He glances over his shoulder at her sheepish expression, and she nods.

"You know, it wouldn't hurt you to let others take care of you occasionally… although…I've missed your cooking," She admits.

They both knew the Princess's knowledge was a bit lacking when it came to preparing food. Before the Calamity, it became the unspoken arrangement during their travels that dinner was Link's job. Zelda's curiosity led to entirely too many failed creations, and plenty of wasted ingredients much to Link's dismay. She'd happily let him prepare anything just to see the bliss on his face while eating it. He'd always been such a glutton.

"What are we having?"

"Guess."

Zelda flits beside him and peeks at the contents inside the pot as he stirs. The simplicity of being together for a meal after so long resonates peacefully within them both. Link was humming to himself when she looked at him and smiled.

"It's Risotto, isn't it?"

Link cracks a smile in confirmation.

The front door swings open abruptly and Zelda jumps. They both turn to see Purah lugging an open crate over to the table with a loud 'thud'.

"Excellent! I'm so glad to see your appetite has finally returned, Princess. I was worrying about you. I set these clothes aside YEARS ago for your return, it just took me a while to find them. Everything here will fit, and there's a lot more you can go through later. Symin borrowed your horse by the way Linky, hope you don't mind. We're still unsure why the Sheikah Slate won't warp anymore, and we felt this was rather urgent. I'm also too small to have made the journey myself. At least Kakariko's close." Purah shrugs, then yawns.

Zelda makes her way over and hugs her friend tight. "I know you're sick of me thanking you, so I'll simply say, what would we do without you?"

"Perish, probably," Link says lightly, despite the literal truth of the statement. He grabs a few bowls from the high shelf and fills one with the steaming rice dish before placing it at the table. He gives Purah a questioning look.

"None for me, thanks. I'm dead on my feet," she remarks. "I'm heading back to my lab for some shut-eye. I'll see you two tomorrow, bright and early!" She yawns again before turning to leave, waving over her shoulder as she exits. The door shuts with a click, and it's just the two of them once more.

Link carries his own bowl to the table and sits adjacent to the girl he'd fought so hard to save. It seemed impossible to him that she was really here. She was averting her gaze and it was unclear to him if it was out of embarrassment or something else, but it gave him the chance to admire the precious way her cheeks tinted pink as she took her first bite. Her eyes shut contentedly as she savored it, and he couldn't help but stare. He knew perfectly well just how beautiful she really was.

His attention quickly reverts back to his own food so the Princess wouldn't catch the expression on his face.

The desire to let the night stretch on indefinitely was on both of their minds, but neither of them could produce a reasonable excuse to continue on after the meal was eventually over.

Link stacks their empty bowls and rises from the table to grab Zelda's crate. She does her best not to allude to the anxiety that was slowly creeping back up on her, but he still immediately realizes. They leave the cottage unhurriedly together.

The full moon illuminates the entirety of their surroundings and it's breathtaking enough to stop Zelda in her tracks.

"The shrine's glow seems to be changing. It's almost purple…." She murmurs. "I wonder if Purah noticed."

She gazes across the bridge towards Hateno and Mount Lanayru and lets out a sigh before continuing on.

"I can only imagine how hectic tomorrow's going to be..." she says tiredly.

The bewildered look on Sayge's face inside the Dye Shop as they pass amuses Link to no end. By now he'd undoubtedly heard about the return of dear Princess Zelda and all the man could do was gawk.

"It's like you said before, Princess. We'll help each other through this."

As much as they tried to drag out the walk, the Inn was still relatively close. Zelda opens the main door and carefully takes the crate from Link's grasp, before smiling at him sweetly.

"Thank you Link." There was more on her mind, but it could wait. They had the time for it now.

"Sleep well, Princess Zelda."

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I know this chapter is short, but I wanted to lay the story's foundation before letting it really take off. I thought it would be cute for Zelda to rescue Link. I'm sorry I changed things! I know the layout of Link's house isn't exactly as described here, but we're gonna pretend. I hope you enjoyed what I have so far, please let me know what you think!