The echoing clicks of heels against stone reverberated deafeningly through the silent narrow corridor. The tall figure of a woman was quickly approaching the chambers that lay just beyond the long, winding corridor. Her mind was buzzing with a steady, constant flow of information from her shadow informants she had dispersed throughout the Kingdom. They were constantly dwelling inconspicuously amongst the various races and people of Hyrule, listening in on topics that varied from the frivolous gossip between townsfolk, to tightly guarded secrets of kings and chiefs.
With a snap of her fingers, Veran, the Sorceress of Shadows, had brought them all back to her instantaneously, and was now sifting through the onslaught of meaningless conversations to find tidbits of relevant information as she made her way through the Yiga Hideout. Although her eyes were held tightly closed in focused concentration, she made her way through the twists and turns of the hallway with ease, as though she had been down this path hundreds of times. The path she was on was a secret to even the members of the Yiga, save for a select trusted few. In fact, it was she who had given the order to construct it. With the assistance of the strange, powerful machines the Yiga possessed, they were able to finish construction of the new secret corridor and chambers with record speed. One of which held her room; the sorceress required a new place to stay while living in this foreign land, and the other rooms the Yiga had did not fit the standard of living she was accustomed to.
They also needed a dungeon that could hold and interrogate prisoners. She was quite shocked, and a bit disappointed, to find out that these beings who claimed to be the enemies of this kingdom and faithful servants of the Demon King did not already have a dungeon within their domain. She recalled the feeling of exasperation when she learned of their inadequacies. Of course, once again, everything was left up for her to take care of. Whipping these imbeciles into a functional group of ruthless warriors for her disposal would prove to be much more of a task than she had anticipated. But in the brief time she had been there among their ranks, Veran had made short work of garnering their loyalty. The sorceress only had to demonstrate her power once or twice and to execute a handful of nobody soldiers for them to bow down before her and declare her as their new master. Veran ruled over the Yiga with a seductive air and an iron fist. She lured in men and women alike with her feminine charms and beauty, but at any hint of disloyalty or insubordination, she would crack down upon the offender with a terrifying change of demeanor and cast forth her shadows to deal with the poor Yiga left in her wake. It was quite the fun for her to beguile others with her unrivaled beauty and incredible charm. There wasn't a person alive whom she couldn't seduce, charm, or intimidate into doing her bidding, and she relished in it. Did it cause her ego to skyrocket high into the clouds? Sure, but it was well earned at this point.
Veran went straight past her room and continued down the path to the dungeons, where she had arranged a meeting with her Yiga general Sooga. He and his group of soldiers had returned not too long ago from their encounter with the hero; an endeavor she had warned him against with admittedly little care on her part. With no surprise to her, he and the other five Yiga had returned with critical injuries and practically begged her for relief from their agonizing pain. After giving them an exaggerated eye roll and turning from them dismissively, she raised her hand to grant permission for Veran's right-hand woman and closest confidant, Iris, to begin work on removing the arrows littering their bodies. The small woman then released a pulse of powerful healing magic that swept across them and erased their injuries from existence.
Iris was small, with red hair similar to Veran's but with less shiny luster and was several shades lighter. She wore round glasses that were too big for her small face, resulting in the need for her to constantly push them back up on her nose in a never-ending battle. Iris accompanied Veran wherever she went and was one of the very few people she could trust, as they both originated from the same tribe, just at different time periods. Once the pain had retreated from their bodies, the Yiga lowered themselves to the floor and bowed profusely at her feet in extreme gratitude, but the two merely sneered and retreated from the room. All denizens of the Light Realm were deemed beneath them, including the Yiga Clan. Later that afternoon, Veran had sent her shadow to give Sooga the message to meet her in the dungeons. She needed to discuss everything he had learned from his battle with the hero.
As she turned the corner and began her descent down into the murky darkness, Veran thought of the other person who accompanied her to the land of Hyrule; the man she didn't trust as far as she could throw him, but ultimately needed to accomplish her plans. The General of Darkness, Onox. He was a large, primordial being; a monster disguising himself as a mortal man. He was powerful and had all of the brute strength she did not possess, but lacked the intellect and cunning she had been endowed with. The two had regained their strength from their crushing defeat eons ago by the hands of the Spirit of Legend near simultaneously with one another. From the darkest, deepest corners of the Dark Realm, they planned their rise to power and their return to the Light Realm in the hopes of sowing the seeds of sorrow and destruction they had sought to do ages ago. It was unfortunate timing that the legendary hero happened to reincarnate at the same time as their return, but fortunately for them, he was always reborn in the land of Hyrule. Meanwhile the other surrounding lands were left vulnerable, and the citizens of those lands would struggle to maintain peace and order without any hero to vanquish the monsters who arose there.
Those neighboring countries around Hyrule were the perfect places to conquer and accumulate their power. Veran returned to Labrynna, and her counterpart Onox settled once again to the land of Holodrum. She smirked haughtily to herself in the complete blackness of the Hideout's corridor as she remembered the joy she felt when she overthrew the monarchy in Labrynna.
Complete domination of Labrynna was all too easy for the cunning sorceress. Soon after Veran's arrival, her shadows uncovered the King of Labrynna's shameful secret of multiple affairs with other women. It had really been too easy. Using her powers to gain knowledge of Labrynna's political sphere, she marked herself as a reliable ally and quickly rose through the ranks before ultimately becoming a close confidant to the Queen. After several months of enjoying the luxurious lifestyle that came with living in the Grand Palace, Veran finally revealed the King's damning information directly to the Queen, ripening her heart with beautiful jealousy, rage, and darkness that the sorceress used to sneak her way into her spirit and possess her. Although it wasn't one of her favorite abilities (she'd much rather flaunt her own beauty rather than wear someone else's face), Veran had to admit that it was probably one of her most useful. Completely subjugating another being under her will to do her bidding gave her such a power high that only made her crave for more power.
For quite some time, she ruled as the Queen and used the power of the matriarch to secretly eliminate the King, as well as all of Labrynna's royal council and closest confidants – all the while managing to keep up the façade of being the Queen's right-hand woman. No one dared to ask why the Queen was suddenly never seen around her beautiful, attractive, young adjutant anymore. And if they did, they were never heard from again.
When the time had finally come, the sorceress-disguised-as-Queen announced before the citizens that she had been plagued with a terrible and deadly illness and did not have much time left in this world. She named her friend and closest ally, Veran, as the new monarch and decreed utmost loyalty to her.
Those who resisted or denied Veran as the new ruler were met with swift and harsh punishments; being arrested and forced to work in labor camps, or in many cases, death by public execution. Everyone else fell into line pretty quickly after that.
Veran had heard later from General Onox that his rise to the throne was one of absolute brutality, forcing his way to power by obliterating anyone who tried standing in his way. Of course, there was no one strong enough to face him in a country that heavily relied on its neighbors to protect them, so his victory had been completely assured from the start.
Many years later, well into the establishment of their dictatorship, whispers floating on the wind told of the Demon King's revival within the Kingdom of Hyrule. With exuberant joy, the two false rulers met with one another on three separate occasions to make plans and gather resources in the hopes of garnering favor with the Demon King after his victory. But as the sorceress awaited news of his claim over the throne, her shadows brought to her the shocking revelation that the Demon King had been completely and utterly annihilated from this plane of existence.
By the hero.
The same infuriating, cursed spirit of the legendary hero who had defeated her, Onox, and their Dark Lord Ganon long ago. The news had boiled her blood, enraging her enough to cause her to slip into her original form and destroy the building she had been standing in at the time. As broken pieces of brick and wood rained back down to the earth, the sorceress calmed herself before returning to her humanoid form and sent her shadows out to the land of Holodrum for an emergency meeting with Onox. A new plan was already forming in her mind.
Standing among the burning rubble of a shattered building, Veran promised herself that she would find a way to end the reincarnation of the legendary hero. This time, he would not be victorious. This time, it would be his own people who was his undoing, as she knew that the hero would never raise a sword against the civilians of the kingdom he's sworn to protect. She laughed hysterically as her plan came together in her mind, the pieces falling into place with ease for the cunning woman. Thinking of the painful death the hero would experience sent her into a fit of delirious cackling.
All the while the townsfolk kept themselves hidden from her view, too terrified of what she might do if she caught sight of them to do anymore than slip quietly back into the shadows that always watched them.
Veran finally reached the end of the corridor and pushed open the heavy wooden doors to make her way inside the dungeon. It was a large room that consisted of many barred cells, complete with heavy metal shackles chained to the wall, all lined together in a row. A walking pathway divided the row of cells facing each other, which would allow some prisoners to be able to see and even communicate with one another. Toward the back of the dungeon, the cells became smaller and consisted of heavy metal doors instead of bars, blocking all light from entering the room. She designed it specifically this way to allow the prisoners withholding secret information to freely communicate with other prisoners in the open cells, while the solitary confinement cells would be reserved for those solely receiving punishment.
It was at the end of this hallway where she found the large Yiga Blademaster standing with a torch in hand. There were other lit torches lining the walls of the dungeon, but the room still remained fairly dark. Veran peered through his mask to see a look of surprise don his face when he realized that she held no source of light for her trek in the darkness. But she cared not for his feelings and immediately jumped in straight to the point of the conversation.
"Sooga, tell me of the hero. What did you see of his power?"
The point-blank question took the Yiga off-guard for a brief moment before he shook his head clear and cleared his throat. "I had…underestimated his strength when I gave the order to attack. Seeing how small and scrawny he looked, I thought that perhaps there was a mistake in who took down the Magnificent One. However, his reputation is well earned. The boy is ruthless in his attacks, powerful and quick; he moved at a speed I could hardly follow with my eyes. When he fired his arrows, I didn't even have time to think before I discovered they had found their way into my chest. But it seems you were correct that he did appear to have an injury to his left leg…not that it mattered at all in our battle. I don't know how he did it, but for a while it seemed he wasn't injured at all!" The Blademaster folded his arms over his chest as he thought back to his earlier skirmish with the Hylian hero.
Veran loudly sighed and rolled her eyes dramatically, already growing tired of his presence. "Yes, yes, I knew of this already. Tell me, did you see anything strange about the boy? Anything that stood out about him?"
Sooga swallowed hard and fought to stay calm at his Master's rising anger before answering, "Yes, well, he did do something that was extraordinary. He seemed to be controlling the wind similar to how the bird people do." At seeing her disbelieving look, the Blademaster quickly continued, "Had I not been there myself to witness it I would not have believed it either. But somehow, he was able to use the wind to launch himself high into the air, where he fired his arrows at impossible speed. And that thieving rat also stole the secret technique of us Blademasters, the Earthwake, and used it against me…only, he wielded it with so much more power. It's infuriating!" Sooga's voice rose with his anger until he was nearly shouting by the end, his fists shaking in uncontrollable rage. Veran approached the seething Blademaster and placed a hand on his shoulder, instantly quelling his rage until he melted against the touch of her skin.
"Calm yourself, Sooga. You'll get your revenge in due time." She smirked seductively at him until he bashfully turned his gaze away, his reaction only fueling her ego further. The sorceress flipped her hair and wheeled around in the opposite direction, thinking aloud as she paced the dungeon corridor. "It seems that despite his injury from the Demon King, the boy is somehow gaining more power. Could it be that he's learned of our plans already?" She whispered the last part to herself as her mind began racing. They couldn't allow the hero to become more powerful than he already was. It seemed that they would have to begin the next phase of their plan earlier she anticipated.
Veran spun on her heel and barked out, "Sooga!" in a loud, snapping voice, calling him immediately to attention with a salute. "Hasten the gathering of those plants and begin the undercover distribution to every town and domain of Hyrule. It is time for your Yiga to immerse themselves amongst the Hylians to spread the rumors regarding their beloved hero. Ensure that your operatives are not caught or our whole plan will be ruined, understand?" She emphasized her last line with punctuated words.
Sooga bowed at the waist and shouted, "Yes, Master! It will be done!"
The sorceress nodded in approval. "Good. Rise now. I will be away from the Hideout for an unforeseeable amount of time. Onox and Iris will be accompanying me as well. I will trust you to be in charge while I'm away."
Surprise etched itself clearly on the Blademaster's features. His Master hadn't stepped out of the Hideout since her unexpected arrival all that time ago. He hesitated briefly before gathering his courage and saluted once more. "Permission to speak, Master."
"Granted."
"May I ask where it is you are going?"
Veran smiled with an icy coldness that froze the Yiga where he stood. Instead of answering his question, she raised both arms above her and gathered the shadows from around the room. At her beckoning, dark energy amassed in a swirling orb above her head, growing larger by the second. When a sizeable amount hovered over her ominously, Veran spread out her arms wide open. The shadows instantly obeyed and dispersed to cloak her form in a black, misty shroud. Several heart-pounding seconds passed by as the shadows continued to swirl about her obscured form until they abruptly dissipated in a rush to their original locations around the room, leaving behind a completely different woman in their wake.
This woman was much shorter than his Master, but was still considered tall for the average Hylian woman. She had long, flowing auburn hair that ended at the small of her back and wore an elegant gown of pink, white, and navy blue. A large, flashy crown adorned with many sparkling jewels sat atop her head, and when the woman blinked, Sooga could see her eyes flash with a bright reddish brown. She was indescribably beautiful, youthful in appearance but with an air of royalty. This woman's demeanor was completely different from the cold, intimidating one of his Master. She felt warm and trustworthy; like you could confide your deepest, innermost secrets to her and never bat an eye.
"M-Master?" he stammered out quietly in disbelief.
"It is I, Sooga," the young woman said with a sweet, honey-laden voice, "although in this form, please refer to me as Queen Ambur of Labrynna." She flashed him a smile as radiant as the sun, and the Blademaster attempted to hide the blush he knew was showing on his face. Deep beneath the exterior of her new human form, Veran was smiling sinisterly. She took on the same name and likeness as the real Queen of Labrynna, before Veran cruelly poisoned her and ended her life. She had always held disdain and utter contempt for other beautiful women, never actually admitting jealousy but feeling it all the same.
Veran, now disguised as Queen Ambur, continued to smile sweetly as she slowly turned away from the stunned Yiga. "Now, to answer your earlier question…
I believe it's time I met with our beloved hero."
Link held onto the steering stick of the balloon with tightly clenched fists, his chest still clasped in the throes of grief, though he tried his best not to show it on his face. Still deep in thought of the fresh memories made up on the Great Sky Island, he didn't realize he had been holding onto the steering stick for far too long, and the vehicle was now returning upward to the sky. He was snapped out of his thoughts when he felt a feathered hand on his back. The touch startled him enough to cause him to jump slightly, and Link quickly rotated his upper body around to see Tulin standing behind him with a quizzical look on his face. The Rito wordlessly pointed a feather upward, and Link stared at him blankly for a second before finally understanding. Sheepishly, he let a hand drop, reducing the amount of power being supplied from his energy cells to the vehicle and allowed them to slowly descend back to the surface once more. Tulin threw Link a small, sad smile and gave him one more comforting pat on the back before flying back to his perch on top of the balloon.
The hero shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts. He needed to focus on landing them all safely – not get caught up in his memories and emotions. Link glanced over his shoulder to his companions and frowned at the sight. None moved or spoke to one another in pleasantries; a stark contrast to their first trip up. Even Yunobo, who had initially been so terrified that he refused to open his eyes, now sat with a stone-faced expression and gazed out to the horizon without any sign of fear. Riju and Purah sat inside the balloon's interior, Princess Zelda squished between them, each holding one of her hands in a silent gesture of comfort. The princess herself remained still, unmoving with eyes held shut as her mind was likely racing from a myriad of different thoughts. Link's frown deepened as his eyes lingered on his princess. His heart was begging him to embrace her – to comfort her as she was still clearly processing the loss of her close friend and only remaining connection to the distant past. His heart ached at seeing her with such sadness, and it brought back old, painful memories of when they lost their fellow Champions over a century ago…
Link stopped that line of thinking cold in its tracks, not allowing himself to poke at those old, unhealed wounds but instead tried to fill his mind with something more positive. His brain settled on the memory of when the Sages had recited the under-rehearsed lines Link had taught them before they had caught up to Zelda, Mineru, and Purah, inside the Temple of Time. After they had exited the back way out from the bridge that led to the circular platform, Mineru had shed her construct body and directed them all forward in her spirit form. They exchanged words of light pleasantries until Mineru informed them all that her time in Hyrule had come to an end. Link still remembered the princess' reaction of shock and despair. He felt a nagging sense of guilt for not comforting her sooner, but at the same time wanted to give her space while she said her final farewell to her friend.
It was Tulin who had been the one to remember and initiate the ritual of Link's plan. The five of them had lined up in the same order as the ancient Sages, which was intentionally directed by Link to imitate the same loyalty the ancient Sages had given to Rauru, now being given to Princess Zelda. However, when they began to recite their lines, it became quite obvious that they should have practiced reciting it altogether. Still, he was glad that his plan on recreating the ritual of the ancient Sages had a positive impact on the princess, even if they had messed it up a bit. Seeing her moved smile after being genuinely surprised lightened his heart in a way he couldn't properly explain.
He then thought back to Mineru's last words before her spirit drifted off into the winds that carried her to the Spirit Realm:
"Rauru and Sonia will be happy to hear of this…And I'll let them know…just how much you care."
Link momentarily slipped into concern as he desperately hoped that she would find her way back to Rauru and Sonia in the Spirit Realm, before remembering that he likely had nothing to worry about. After all, she was the Sage of Spirit. Her abilities are sure to give her opportune advantages in the next realm over other spirits around her.
Just after her spirit had dissipated, her bluish-purple secret stone fell from its spot around her neck to the stone floor with a clatter. He recalled seeing Zelda slowly walk over to pick up the secret stone, which turned bright gold in her hands. The symbol changed to reflect Zelda's time abilities in an identical copy of her previously held secret stone. She stood clutching onto Mineru's old secret stone to her chest as the overwhelming grief and loss of her friend finally hit her, and tears streamed unabated down her cheeks. Link and the other Sages had held back to allow the princess the space she needed to process everything that had just transpired. However, after several, agonizingly-long minutes passed by, Link had made up his mind to make the first move and go over to her. But as if sensing his decision, the princess suddenly turned toward them and invited them all to stand by her side, determination shining on her face through her tears. Link had unapologetically rushed over to her as fast as his leg would allow and enveloped her in a tight embrace, receiving some light-hearted chuckles from the other Sages who had purposefully made their way over at a much slower pace.
His mind now brought back to the present, Link eyed Mineru's secret stone that hung around Zelda's neck, reattached once more to the same necklace she wore in the distant past; a collar adorned with elongated beaded stones in a pattern of white, tan, and brown. The princess had kept it on her person ever since she had returned to this era, keeping it in her pouch after she had first changed out of her white, Zonai dress into her iconic blue adventuring tunic.
With Zelda back in possession of a secret stone, the group currently sitting within the modified vehicle of Robbie's balloon were now the keepers of the last remaining ancient relics of the Zonai, a combined total of six secret stones. The stones amplified their power significantly, and now that the threat of Ganondorf was gone, Link wondered if they should once again hide away their stones.
What if this unknown evil got ahold of one of their stones? Goddess-forbid that any of his friends should end up like Queen Sonia; murdered solely for the sake of obtaining a secret stone. But then again, what if they required the stone's abilities to defeat said evil? Perhaps then they should keep them close by should the evil suddenly decide to strike.
Ugh…, Link thought tiredly as he rubbed at his eyes with his left arm, this isn't something I can just decide on my own. Which means, I'll have to tell Zelda and the others. He made up his mind to speak about this as soon as they landed, before they all parted ways once more. The Sages would be returning to their homelands, and Zelda, Link, and Purah would make the short trek back to Lookout Landing in preparation for Link's recovery with the gathered sundelions.
The group continued their descent toward the surface in stifling silence, broken up only by a few comforting words from Riju or Purah to Zelda. Finally, to the relief of everyone aboard, they became level with the sparse trees that littered the open Hyrule Field and Link brought the vehicle back to life to slow their descent further, bringing it down gently and carefully with control. Not that he had much experience doing it this way; usually he just crash-landed whatever vehicle he was controlling with complete disregard to his own safety. However, this particular vehicle was different. He had made a promise to his friend.
He also didn't think his fellow companions would particularly appreciate his style of landing either.
The wheels connected to the ground with a small – bump – causing everyone to jolt in their seats. Sidon was the first to jump down, followed closely by Yunobo and Tulin. Riju jumped over the edge and assisted Zelda and Purah down, a gesture that may have been unnecessary but was appreciated regardless.
"Well, although that trip may not have had the happiest ending, I can say for certain that it will be a memory I will never forget," Sidon said softly, glancing around to his fellow Sages. The group hummed their agreements and nodded at the Zora King's words.
"I know I'll never forget it," Yunobo added, "I think I'm the first Goron who's ever gone that high up before…and lived to talk about it." This earned a light chuckle from Zelda, a small smile tugging at her lips as her face brightened slightly.
"Yes, it certainly is a moment we will all share for the rest of our lives. No matter what happens in the future, I'll always treasure these moments we have together," she spoke calmly and looked between all of them.
Link stood from his spot next to the steering stick and watched as his friends pulled Zelda into a group hug. The surprised princess gasped before a genuine smile of joy illuminated her face and she let out a laugh alongside her companions. The hero couldn't stop himself from his own smile upon seeing the happy sight, before remembering what he needed to tell them all. He felt the smile disappear off his face.
Zelda pulled back and looked around, noticing that a certain hero was missing from their hug. She turned around and made eye contact with him, still smiling, until she noticed his expression. Her smile was quickly replaced by a frown of worry.
"Link?" The princess called out to him. The others followed her gaze and soon matched her face of concern. "What is it?"
Sidon stepped toward his best friend, "Do you need assistance off of the vehicle? How careless of me to forget about–"
"No, that's not it," Link interjected with a shake of his head. But before he could say anything more, he stopped. Did he really have the heart to interrupt such a heartfelt moment with the terrible news he needed to deliver? He briefly pondered if he should wait to tell them, at least until enough time has passed and they no longer felt the gaping hole Mineru had left behind in her absence.
"Link, please. What is it?" Zelda repeated in a pleading voice. Her green eyes shone with worry for her knight, and Link sighed defeatedly. He recalled one of Mineru's last bits of advice for him during their conversation on the balloon's platform and made up his mind. He wouldn't wait any longer.
"There's something I need to tell you all. But you're not going to like what you're about to hear."
Zelda stormed away in a rare display of anger, stomping off toward the nearest path that led back to Lookout Landing. Link had just finished retelling the other half of his encounter with the Wind God Zephos, imparting the knowledge of his mission to halt the rise of an unknown evil force before it threatened the people of Hyrule, just as Ganondorf had done up until his very recent defeat. He blinked in shock, numbly staring at the princess' receding form as she angrily took off in a huff before his mind caught up with his senses and he shouted after her.
"Zelda, wait!"
The other Sages were all still trying to process this new information Link had told them in their own ways, but were stunned out of their thoughts when the princess had walked away in a rage. Link hobbled after the princess; his leg was throbbing with searing pain after having to stand the entire descent down to the surface – he really needed to remember to take his crutch out of his pouch more often – but he did his best to ignore it as he nearly hopped on one leg toward Zelda. They watched as the princess whirled around, her eyes flashing with anger and hurt, stopping the hero cold in his tracks.
"How could you not tell me? How could you keep something so important, so vital, from me? Me, Link! I'm the Princess of Hyrule! If anyone should know about another threat to this land, it's me! And not only that, I thought we had agreed not to keep anymore secrets between us. I thought we were closer than that…" All of the anger left her voice and her face crumpled into a look of hurt and betrayal. Her eyes watered but she refused to let any tears fall. At seeing her face, Link's heart shattered into millions of pieces.
He did that…he had caused her pain, had caused her to be hurt. It was a feeling worse than all of the injuries he had ever sustained combined together. Guilt and shame flooded his body, but he willed himself to take another limp step forward, his left hand clutching at the uninjured skin surrounding his wound to try and alleviate the rising pain.
"I know, Zelda, I know, and I'm so sorry. I…I should have found a way to tell you sooner," he pleaded in a voice barely above a whisper. He wasn't even sure if she could hear him. A ruffling sound of feathers and the figure of Tulin appeared in his peripherals as he landed slightly in front of him, off to the side.
The young Rito looked between the two heartbroken Hylians and said placatingly, "To be fair, Link did warn us and say that there was more to the story he needed to tell us."
Sidon also approached and stood by Link, calmly adding, "I understand your feelings, princess. But I think right now we need to discuss what our next course of action will be. We should come up with some sort of plan before we all head back home. Who knows when the next time we can meet altogether will be." Tulin and Yunobo nodded in agreement, but seeing their display of solidarity behind Link somehow angered the princess further. She couldn't rationally explain it and she knew it, which caused her even more frustration.
Zelda closed her eyes and fought for control over her emotions. "I understand," she finally forced out, "I just…need a few moments to collect myself." She turned her back to them and continued her walk toward the path.
"Zelda! Please—"
Link tried to hurry after her once more, but found himself falling forward when his leg gave out under his weight, his hands barely stopping his face from colliding with the ground. He let out an involuntary grunt as he hit the ground and a fresh wave of pain mixed with embarrassment and guilt wreaked through his body. He wasn't sure which one felt worse. Loud gasps rang out from behind him as the Sages rushed forward to check on him. But Link kept his eyes fixed on the princess' back. Her feet stopped suddenly when she heard him fall, but then she continued walking away without ever turning around. Link felt the shattered remains of his heart crumbling into a fine dust and drift away from the breeze she created in her wake.
"Are you alright my friend?" Sidon asked, kneeling right at his side. Link remained unmoving, eyes still following the princess. The glint of unshed tears shone in his bright blue eyes.
"No," he whispered, and Sidon could tell that he wasn't referring to his physical state. Riju and Purah exchanged looks with one another before looking out to the princess.
"We'll go and speak with her." Riju left with Purah as they hurried to catch up with Zelda. Those who remained watched in silence as the two women approached the princess and spoke with moving lips, unable to hear any of their words. Yunobo held out his hand just as Sidon carefully lifted the small Hylian from under his arms and placed him back on his feet. Link nodded his thanks to the Goron and leaned heavily against his hand while he rummaged through his pouch for his crutch. He brought it out and shifted his weight over to lean against the sturdy wood. His eyes returned to Zelda, who was speaking animatedly to the other two women with wild gestures. Every now and then they would occasionally throw a glance in his direction.
The hero let out a heavy sigh.
"The first fights are always the hardest in a new relationship. But as long as you remain committed, you'll find a way to work through them in due time." Sidon patted his friend's shoulder comfortingly. Link nodded in understanding before finally processing what the Zora said.
"Hang on, Zelda and I aren't in a relationship!" He craned his neck up to stare at his incredibly tall friend in puzzlement, only to receive a smirk of amusement back.
"Oh, maybe not officially, but we're not blind, my small-but-mighty friend. It's painfully obvious that you two are in love. Take it from a happily married man such as myself that I can see all of the signs." Sidon winked and flashed the blushing Hylian a sharp-toothed grin. Seeing the rising heat on Link's face sent Yunobo and Sidon into a fit of laughter. Tulin watched the display with genuine confusion.
"Link and Zelda are in love?!" the Rito shouted, utterly baffled. His reaction only deepened Link's blush and fueled the other two's laughter further. The hero shushed Tulin quickly, glancing out to the three women standing a good distance away to ensure that they had not heard his outburst, before rounding on his two laughing companions angrily.
"We are not in a relationship," he hissed out, stopping their laughter. Sidon held out his hands placatingly.
"Alright, alright, I concede this victory to you." The Zora dropped the air of humor and adopted a more serious tone. "Do you want to be?"
Link averted his gaze, choosing to stare at a particularly interesting rock he spotted hidden within the grass next to his foot. "Maybe," he finally answered.
"I think you two would be great for each other!" Yunobo said cheerfully. "I mean, you're already practically inseparable. I'm more surprised that you guys aren't officially together, goro."
"Yeah, you and Zelda would be the perfect couple!" Tulin added with a supportive smile. The corners of Link's lips tugged upward as he felt sincerely moved by his friends' show of support. But then Zelda's look of hurt and betrayal flashed across his mind in a quick replay of events his brain cruelly brought up, and he frowned once more.
"Even if I did want something more, it might already be too late. I broke her trust. I caused her pain. I don't think I deserve to have the honor of being with her," Link stated despondently. To his surprise, the Zora King chuckled in response. Link tore his gaze away from the rock to look at his friend, waiting for an explanation.
"I know it feels that way now. Trust me, I've felt it too on far too many occasions. But as long as your love remains strong and true, you two will get through this. Show her that you're willing to take responsibility and own up to your mistakes. Apologize with genuine remorse, and take action to ensure that it doesn't happen again. You'll rebuild trust with continued consistency. And always take the time to tell her that she's loved. Do that, and your relationship will remain strong even in the toughest times." Sidon folded his arms confidently and smiled down at Link, who was openly staring back and in admiration of the wisdom he had just received. And it seemed he was not the only one; Yunobo and Tulin were also staring at Sidon with open mouths.
"Wow, goro. It seems that marriage really does change a man after all." Yunobo said with a shake of his head. Sidon laughed heartily at their reactions.
"Only if you're with the right person," he replied with a wink.
Zelda returned after the sun had lowered itself closer to the horizon, accompanied by Riju and Purah. Her face was considerably less angry and hurt, replaced now by a look of contemplation. Her mind was racing as she walked back to the four boys, but as to what she was thinking about Link could only guess. The two groups finally reunited once more with Zelda and Link standing at the forefront. A hush befell them as they all seemed to be waiting for a moment that had yet to happen. Link stared at the princess, but she seemed to be refusing to make eye contact with him. His chest ached and her silence stung him but he pushed it away, remembering Sidon's words.
"Zelda…" Link began. His gentle voice grabbed her attention, her eyes reluctantly being pulled to his as she anticipated his next words. Link inhaled deeply through his nose and gathered his courage. "I'm so sorry I didn't explain things to you sooner. I think I had been afraid of this very reaction and tried to avoid it for as long as possible. I didn't want to cause you any more stress or worry." He paused and turned his gaze down to his feet, no longer able to look directly at her as guilt flooded his mind. "But that's exactly what I did. I broke your trust and caused you pain. And I know I can't take it back or change the past. But I promise with all that I am that I will work every day to rebuild your trust. I know I don't deserve—"
He was cut off when something slammed into him, startling the hero back a step but without enough force to knock him down entirely. Arms found their way around his neck and held onto him tightly, golden hair filling his vision. The warmth of her body pressed up against his made him blush, erasing the look of surprise off of his face. Zelda squeezed him tightly, and Link hesitantly brought his hands up to return her embrace. Several moments passed by as they simply enjoyed the physical proximity of one another again, using this hug as a moment of reconnection. Finally, Link reluctantly pulled away and stared quizzically at her, his expression practically asking the question he was thinking for him. Zelda graced him with a small smile before speaking, "That's all that I was looking for. I understand, Link. And I forgive you. I shouldn't expect perfection from you…I apologize for my unrealistic expectations." She squeezed his hands and glanced over to Riju and Purah, who stood off to the side and grinned proudly at her upon hearing her say this. It seemed that was something they had discussed in their recent conversation. But Link responded by shaking his head back and forth.
"No, you should expect better. You're Hyrule's princess, you deserve only the very best," he said earnestly. A pause hung in the air and the very world around them fell away to silence. A ghost of a breeze danced between them and played with their hair, brushing them off to the side.
"And that's what I have. With you, Link."
Zelda impulsively leaned forward and grazed her lips on his, kissing him ever so softly, and earning them a chorus of oooh's and giggles from their companions. Link ignored them and placed a hand on his lips where he could still feel the impression of hers against him. Heat crept up on his face in a mirror expression of the princess, whose face was already burning with a deep crimson. She turned her eyes away and tucked some of her short hair behind her ear, unable to look directly at her knight in front of her, and let out a nervous giggle. Link's chest suddenly felt much too constricted as his heart seemed to burst with unequivocal love. He gripped the fabric of his blue Champion's tunic tightly on his chest, as if it would help contain the overflowing cascade of emotions he was currently experiencing.
Zelda, the Princess of Hyrule, just kissed him on the lips, something that Link had unashamedly never done before but was well aware of what it meant.
He reached out and grasped her hand, giving it a gentle yet firm pull. She stumbled into his chest and elicited a sharp gasp of surprise. Link held her tight, as if this moment might suddenly slip away from him, and gazed fervently in her eyes. Zelda's deep green irises seemed to reflect all of his own feelings; a nervous storm of wanting and affection. Her lips parted slightly and her head was already beginning to tilt forward in a move that needed no further explanation. No longer hesitating, Link met her lips with his own and kissed her passionately. He mentally distanced himself from his inhibition and allowed himself to do what felt natural in the moment. Which seemed to mean tangling one hand through her hair while the other wrapped around her waist, begging her to be closer to him. Zelda happily obliged and was back to wrapping both arms around his neck, returning his kiss with fiery passion. Sparks erupted within him like bolts of lightning and in that moment, Link realized without a shadow of a doubt that he was completely head-over-heels in love with Zelda.
Behind them, the group of Sages and Purah had snapped out of their shock and were now openly cheering and clapping in support. Riju was attempting to cover Tulin's eyes with her hand while the Rito was dancing around her to try and peek, until he got fed up with it and flew up in the air out of her reach. Everyone laughed at their antics, but the two Hylians didn't register any of the noise. They were completely alone in their own separate realm of bliss and reciprocal love. Both of them knew that this moment had completely changed the status of their relationship, and although it brought about new feelings of uncertainty, they pushed aside those for the time being to be fully present with one another.
After what felt like both a lifetime and a single second simultaneously, the two pulled apart slowly, gasping slightly with heavy breaths. Link smiled at his princess, who smiled back at him, and placed his forehead against hers. He spoke so softly that if she hadn't been right there with him, she would have missed it. His words were for her ears alone.
"I love you, Zelda."
Tears of joy squeezed out of her eyes as she shut them closed and allowed herself to feel all of the wonderful emotions flowing through her. She breathed in and committed to memory this moment. It would become her most precious one throughout all of her lifetimes.
"I love you too."
Link and Zelda walked back to the balloon, hand in hand, where they rejoined with the others. Once the initial bewilderment of their kiss had died down, Purah had shooed the Sages away from the two Hylians to give them some space and a semblance of privacy. As the couple approached, the hushed whispers of conversation fell silent and they turned to watch them with wide grins. Sidon was the first to speak up, walking forward to meet them and grasping both of their conjoined hands with his.
"Congratulations you two. I had all the faith in the world that you would sort things out." He shook their hands enthusiastically, earning chuckles from the pair.
Purah waved her recorder and looked at her two friends, and added, "It's about time the two of you got together! I wouldn't have guessed it would happen directly after a confrontation, but I won't look a gift horse in the mouth!" She gave them a genuine smile and opened her arms wide, pulling them into a joint hug. "I'm proud of you," she whispered in both of their ears.
Zelda giggled and pulled herself away, followed by Link. Yunobo gave them a thumbs up accompanied by a wide smile. Tulin flew over and stood beside Link, who placed a hand on his head fondly and smiled down at the Rito. Riju walked over and grasped both of Zelda's hands in hers and the two girls giggled knowingly with one another. While continuing to hold her friend's hands, Zelda swiveled around to smile at each of her companions. "Thank you everyone for your support." Her eyes settled on Link's, who was now openly gazing at her with affection shining in his eyes. It made her heart flutter in her chest and flipped her stomach in ways she's never felt before. The sun was setting behind him and illuminated his frame in an ethereal golden light, making him appear as if he were glowing otherworldly. His dark blonde hair softly swayed with the gentle breeze that suddenly blew past them, and his bright, blue eyes seemed to shine against the backdrop of the sun, crinkling around the edges as he smiled lovingly at her. Zelda let out a small gasp upon seeing her knight.
He's so beautiful, she admitted to herself with admiration, and he's all mine.
She still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Link had openly declared his feelings for her. The hero had always been so reserved with his feelings, even with her. Something must have changed since her return to Hyrule after Ganondorf's defeat. Not that she was complaining – far from it. Zelda was completely overjoyed that finally, finally, her love toward her hero was being reciprocated out in the open. Their relationship would stay the same in many ways, but will also change completely. She hoped with every fiber of her being that everything will work out in their favor and they will remain by each other's sides for the rest of their lives. Zelda couldn't bear the thought of a life without her knight alongside her. Which would mean they would eventually need to become betrothed in order to secure the throne and the future of Hyrule.
A brief thought flashed across her mind and snapped her out of the hypnotic stare she was directing at Link. What will happen when we finally open the borders to the rest of the world? Will the other leaders and figureheads of the other nations approve of Link as King if they catch word of his upbringing? Zelda only remembered an embarrassingly small amount of information about Hyrule's neighboring countries; once the prophecy of the Calamity was foretold, her education and training became completely focused on awakening her sealing powers. So whatever sparse knowledge she had previously learned about the political climate of the time had been was put on the back-burner. Regardless, Zelda had never been enthusiastic about politics. That had been her father's area of expertise. She had been, and still is, a researcher at heart, and preferred to go out into the field to interact with her subjects face-to-face instead of within the stone walls of the Castle. But what information she did remember was that most other nations were still very much proponents of the old ways of monarchy, the way Hyrule used to be over a century ago before the Calamity nearly destroyed the entire Kingdom. Which meant that one had to be born into a place of power, and royalty only ever married other royalty. For someone of commonborn lineage to be crowned King was absolutely unheard of, and Zelda suddenly worried that they would not accept Link for who he is, only seeing him for what his birthright dictated of him.
Before her thoughts threatened to consume her and drag her into a state of anxiety, Zelda dropped her gaze and shook her head clear. Then she slowly pulled away from the Gerudo chief and clasped her own hands together in front of her, taking a deep breath to gather herself once more. There were more pressing matters that needed her attention first.
"We need to discuss what our next course of action will be regarding the new information Link has brought to our attention," she said, matter-of-factly. Link's brows furrowed as he tried to make eye contact with her. He noticed the subtle shift in her demeanor, and it alarmed him that she now seemed to avoid looking at him.
"Right. It is rather alarming that something else is coming to threaten Hyrule so soon after the Demon King, but I suppose it's to be expected. Our enemies will likely see all of the destruction both the Calamity and the Demon King had brought upon our land and try to seize their opportunity to claim power." Sidon said while glancing around to each of them.
"Oh man, and here I thought we'd get to enjoy a bit of peace after all this!" Yunobo cried out, and the others nodded in understanding. They all wanted, and expected, to have a respite from all of the fighting they had done with Ganondorf's army of monsters.
"It can't be helped," Riju sighed, "we just have to focus on what we can do now in the present moment." The Gerudo Chief turned to face Link. "What was it again that the Wind God said you needed to do?"
Link scrunched his face up in thought as he tried to recall the details of his mission from Zephos. "He said I need to gather together the four elemental powers first. I'll need to gain mastery over them as well as my own power of Spirit so that I can travel between here and the Spirit Realm. That's where I'll need to find and resolve the conflicts that the shadows have caused in order to weaken the enemy."
"Is that really necessary? I mean, we have all of the awakened Sages with their secret stones, plus the Master Sword that Zel— I mean, the Light Dragon, powered up with sacred light for tens of thousands of years!" Purah's brows lifted perplexedly. Link shook his head in response.
"I wondered the same thing myself, but he made it pretty clear that it wouldn't help against our foe. We'll need to weaken their control over the shadows for us to win, and a lot of their power comes from the suffering of the denizens of the Spirit Realm," Link explained. Then he added more softly, "Also, I wouldn't want to leave the spirits there to suffer if there's a way that I can help them."
The others smiled knowingly at him, including Zelda, who brought her gaze back to Link's and met his fierce blue eyes with her own deep green. Ever the hero, she thought as he smiled warmly back at her.
"So, you need to master the powers that we have, right?" Tulin said, interrupting their gaze and bringing the focus onto him. "You already absorbed the power of Wind, so now we just need to practice. I can help you with that!" he exclaimed. Link flashed him a smile and bowed his head slightly to the young Rito.
"I would be honored."
Tulin gave him a wide grin and bristled his feathers in pride as Yunobo stepped forward to speak. "Maybe you should absorb all of the other powers now too, while we're all here. You can only do it when we're present too, right?"
Link nodded slowly, hesitation coming through in his words. "Yes, at least that's what it seemed with Tulin and the Wind." He thought back to when he confronted the Wind God disguised as Tulin's spirit and remembered the sheer agony of absorbing all of that power at once. His body gave an involuntary shudder; he couldn't imagine going through that again but multiplied three more times. "I don't think I'm meant to do it all at once," Link spoke carefully, "it was…an overwhelming experience gaining that power. I don't think I could handle it again so soon after the first time."
Zelda noticed Link's body tense up when he spoke, his eyes flashing a hint of pain. She moved closer to him to give his hand a comforting squeeze and he whipped his head around in surprise. Zelda's lips turned upward in a ghost of a smile, her eyes conveying a silent message to him.
I'm here. You don't have to go through this alone.
Link smiled appreciatively at her and returned the squeeze. He was still unused to the open show of affection they were now giving each other, but was enjoying it immensely. After sharing a brief moment with one another, the princess spoke up.
"We'll take thing slow then," Zelda said softly. She reluctantly tore her eyes away from her knight to look at the others. "Everyone, return back to your homelands and your people – I know we cannot keep you very long from your responsibilities. Link and I will travel and visit each of your regions to spend some time training and re-establishing our treaties and agreements set in place before the Upheaval. It will give Link the time to practice with each of you and myself the chance to survey the damage caused by Ganondorf. Afterwards, we'll reconvene and decide what to do next from there, given that this evil being doesn't arrive by then."
Everyone nodded together in agreement with the princess' plan. They were all trying hard not to think too much about the future and the prospect of another war looming over their heads. While they all moved to say their goodbyes to one another, a thought flashed through Link's mind. One last parting gift that he could give to them before they were reunited again. He pulled away from Zelda's side and turned away from the group, getting to work by sending a wave of energy through his right arm. Everyone noticed the sudden green glow from the hero and glanced around in group puzzlement, but shrugged it off and continued their goodbyes.
After several minutes, and after they had finished their departing words for one another, they looked back at Link and gasped at what they saw. Link had assembled four vehicles of various sizes, each fitted with large wheels and fans attached to the back for increased speed. Several large batteries sat atop the platforms so that they did not require use of his energy cells to operate the vehicles.
"Wow, Link! That's incredible! Just what are those strange contraptions? They look like carts." Sidon said in awe, moving forward to circle one of the vehicles in utter fascination.
"I call them cars. They're not quite carts since they don't need any horses to pull them. But hopefully they'll make the trip back home much faster." He laughed when Sidon whipped his head back and gave him the widest grin he had seen on the large Zora, which spoke volumes to his level of excitement.
"Thank you, my friend! I will treasure it always!" After shaking his hand profusely, the Zora King hopped aboard the car with grace and stood next to the steering stick.
"What a wonderful gift, thank you Link." Riju said, and gave him a hug. "This will make my journey to the desert much easier." Link returned her hug and stood back as she selected the smaller car to take with her, leaving the large car for Yunobo.
Link turned to face the large Goron. "I know you can roll much faster with your fire ability, but I made one for you just in case you wanted to try it out."
Yunobo grinned happily at his small, Hylian friend, "Of course I do! Thanks Link!" He climbed on top of the largest car built for his weight and size.
"Is the last one for me?" Tulin asked excitedly, and flew over to land on top of the remaining car. Link let out a small chuckle and limped over to the Rito.
"I'm afraid not, Tulin. That one is for Zelda, Purah and I to go back to Lookout Landing. Driving this car would only slow you down. You'll reach Rito Village much more quickly by flying."
"Aww man, no fair!" Tulin pouted but didn't argue against it. Link laughed again as Zelda came up to his side. She placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned over to press a kiss onto his cheek, throwing him completely off-guard once again. Tulin made a face and turned away. "Blech, I guess that will be something I need to get used to." He took off into the sky, Zelda and Link's laughter following him up as he rose higher. With one final wave to each other, the four Sages all departed in various directions to return to their homelands. Link, Zelda, and Purah watched them leave until they could no longer make out their forms in the setting sun. Finally, Purah spoke up and broke the silence.
"Shall we head back too, lovebirds?"
The trio made their way up on the car and Link took hold of the steering stick. "Hold on tight," he instructed as he gripped the control stick with both hands. Purah quickly sat herself down against one of the batteries and threw an arm around it to secure herself, while Zelda continued to stand behind her knight. She wrapped both arms around his waist to steady herself as the car roared to life and dashed forward in the direction of Lookout Landing. As they traveled along the path at a comfortable speed, Zelda rested her head against his back, bringing warmth and comfort to both of them at their closeness. Purah rolled her eyes at the sight.
"This is going to be a long trip."
A/N: Hi Everyone! I apologize for the delay. It took forever to get past the writer's block and feelings of inadequacy for writing. But ultimately this turned out to be a fun chapter to write! I didn't want to let this fic be a slowburn - although I do enjoy those types of stories. By the end of TotK I just wanted Link and Zelda to finally be together. It's a real shame it didn't happen in the game (not that I was expecting it to, just would have been nice). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the bit of happiness! Next chapter is when things really begin ;) ...Until next time!