Author's Note

These short chapters really help me theme them well, I feel. Right now I'm trying to find a way to make a relationship between Link x Purah x Paya work, seeing as Paya is Purah's grand niece and Purah is a hundred years older then Paya.

But I love the idea of the pairing, and I'm going to keep throwing my head at this. It would be all too easy to make this simply a Link x Purah story, but that's not what I originally set out to do nor what I think many followed this story for, lol...


Uploaded

06/08/2023


LEGEND BELOW

"O-Oh goodness, I'm so clumsy!" = Normal speech.

''Dont panic.'' = Normal thoughts.


Chapter 4

A hundred year old longing

Rated-M

M rating for Romance, and things of explicit nature.


'After sleeping for ages, Master Link has finally awoken. It seems his memory is completely gone. He didn't even know grandmother's name, staring at her like he would a stranger. Oh, I was sure she'd be upset at the reaction…

But that hardly mattered to Grandmother. I believe this is the first time I've ever seen her quite so happy, I was surprised by how well she seemed to take his lacking memories.

Master Link himself looks so gallant... He is the very picture of the hero I always imagined.

His blond sideburns flow like a golden waterfall over his dignified, pointy ears.

And the way his hair is so perfectly parted to the side, wow!

His eyes, so blue and deep, that powerful stare of his set my heart aflutter, I couldn't even catch my breath in his presence, so strong.

I only wish my first interaction with Master Link didn't go so poorly, for due to a mistake on my part, I was without my lower garments that morning, only my undergarments. Oh, this is so embarrassing even to write, yet I cannot help but do so.

I was so embarrassed, he walked right up to the doors and threw them open, only to see me in such an awkward and embarrassing situation, I can't believe that I accidentally showed him my…

Oh, I cannot bring myself to write it, it is too embarrassing!

If that wasn't bad enough, I tripped when I went to stand, and I fell onto him. My face was so hot, I never meant to straddle Master Link...

If anyone from the village saw us, the scene would surely be scandalous at best.

I fear Master Link thinks me a lowly woman with no shame, having thrown myself on him the moment we met.

Oh, I cannot bear the thought! I never gained the confidence to apologize to him for what happened, and I passed out after he faced me once more. When I woke he was gone, having set out on his quest given him by Grandma.

My heart feels heavy, knowing that he surely left that day thinking me so lowly.

If he returns, the first thing I'll do is apologize to him and explain that it was an accident…

I just hope Master Link doesn't cast me aside, I cannot bear the thought…'

Paya sat back, dropping her pen to the side of her diary as she allowed her hand a moment of rest. She sighed despondently, glancing out her bedroom window. The storm had finally broken, and Kakariko was once again bathed in the warmth of the sun.

Link had set out for his journey the day prior, and she'd not seen him since. By now she knew he must've arrived at Hateno, unless things had gone awry.

She shook her head.

Preposterous, the very thought.

Master Link was a strong swordsman, she knew he wouldn't struggle with the low life monsters of the land like the common folk would.

He was a Hero, and the only one all of Hyrule had left.

Even then, she realized, that he was but one man with a monumental task laid out before him, something that he'd have to accomplish alone.

She was no fighter, she'd be of no use to him in a battle…

But…

But maybe she could be of other uses to him?

She'd lived most of her life within the safe confines of Kakariko village, and was barely forced to do anything to survive, having been cared for by the others.

She'd grown to feel useless, for she was no good at battle, nor was she competent in farming or raising livestock.

There was little she could offer besides her handy work when it came to keeping grandma Impa's house clean and well cared for. But that sometimes didn't feel like nearly enough.

So, if there wasn't anything amongst those things listed that she could offer Master Link, then that left her with little she could…

That was, until her eyes widened.

She was bad at many things, and good at very little. But what she did know how to do, and do extremely well was cook and sew. As a caretaker, it was a required skill of hers to come to possess, alongside other personal care and bathing.

Suddenly that little spark of confidence was ignited within her heart, blazing in a small corner that slowly grew ever larger.

When Master Link returned, she'd make him a mighty meal before he was to set out on his next journey, and repair any of his clothes that may be in need of attention.

He'd probably be exhausted from the journey, so she'd offer him her bed for the night. If he was in need of a bath, she could help him with that too!

The smile that formed on her face was surely impossible to remove, and she couldn't help but feel proud of herself for thinking of new ways to be useful to Hyrule's last Hero.

So eager to get set on her plan, she quickly dressed herself appropriately, and set out into town to purchase some supplies she would need in order to make his meal…

She'd missed it, her excitement bubbling so powerfully that it was blinding, but Impa was surely not blind to her granddaughter's newfound energy, obviously inspired by her infatuation with the Hero.

The elder lady shook her head, knowing that once her granddaughter realized her emotions towards the Hero, things were going to get spicy…

If they hadn't already, for by now she was sure that Link had finally reached her sister in Hateno. Purah was anything but complacent, and she wasn't one to allow age to stop her from getting what she wanted.

She smiled sadly, knowing that her dear sister had waited for one hundred years just to profess her love for the young man.

She hadn't heard from the woman in many, many long years. She'd grown afraid that after all this time, time may have finally taken her away.

Her heart hurt thinking about such a fact, that after all that time, she never got to tell him her feelings.

But, on the offhand she was still alive, then that meant that Link had a woman who'd waited over one hundred years to give herself to the one man she'd ever cared about in that manner. And, had she been successful in her age reduction experiments, the man may have a pretty face waiting for him.

That only left her with one question. If her sister had been successful with her experiments, then why hadn't she heard about it?

Had something gone wrong?

She supposed that should Link return, he'd fill her in on the details…


She eventually ran out of tears to cry, yet would not relinquish her tight and desperate hold of him. And, as alone as they were, safely atop the hillside where she lived, he saw no reason to rush her.

He kept his arms wrapped snugly around her, giving her whatever it was that she wanted from him; And in that moment, he knew that she just needed to convince herself that he was truly there, that he was real, to her and the world.

His grasp on her tightened ever so slightly, his breathing soft and gentle, as if hoping his calming presence would sooth her bleeding heart.

Eventually she quieted, but she didn't seem to want to let him go.

He smiled gently to himself, patting her back as he went to speak.

"Lady Impa told me to meet with you here. I wasn't sure what to expect, but, you surprised me for sure." He muttered quietly, just enough for her to hear it. "Why is it that Impa has aged, yet you… W-Well, haven't?" He found himself asking curiously, slightly embarrassed by the situation that lead up to their sitting together.

If this woman had been waiting over a hundred years for him, then why did she look like she couldn't have been older than twenty four? And if she was indeed well over a century old, why did she look so young and breathtakingly beautiful, while Impa had suffered the debilitating effects of old age?

He was very interested in finding out the truth, but he wouldn't push her, instead merely bringing up the topic of conversation to hopefully pull her out of her state.

She sniffed, hitting him in the back weakly. "I-It's for you, y-you dolt!" She exclaimed, voice hitching. "I-I'd waited so long I grew old and frail… I was…"

She paused, gathering herself, swallowing thickly. "I was afraid that if you returned… If you saw me as an old woman, you'd never return my… r-return my affection for you…" She admitted quietly, grasping him just a bit tighter. "B-But, then another fear appeared, and I became worried that age would take me before I… B-Before I even got the chance to see you again, even once…"

She finally pulled away, sitting comfortably in lap, legs wrapped around his waist. She looked him straight in the eyes, her once sparkling red orbs puffy and bloodshot from her tears. "O-Oh Linky…" She mumbled, lips quivering as she tried to gather herself while in his presence. "I'm one hundred and twenty five years old…" She revealed quietly.

Link's eyes widened in shock, mouth opening slightly. "B-But…? How do you…?" He found himself asking.

Her despondent expression lightened somewhat, a tiny amused smile leaking through. "Why d-do I look so stunning?" She asked, figuring out what it was he was intending on saying.

His cheeks flushed as she leaned forward a bit, pressing her large chest into his armor covered one. He swallowed nervously, kindly not staring at the large bouncy flesh pillows she pressed against his chest. "W-Well… Yes." He muttered bashfully.

She sighed, secretly pleased with his response to her. "When I turned ninety, I realized that you… T-That you wouldn't come in time… I was afraid I'd die before you returned. So, I began experimenting with an ancient Sheikah rune, one that would reverse the effects of old age…" She explained, getting into her flow little by little as she did.

"Oh?" He asked, thoroughly intrigued.

"Mmhmm! I spent the next many years working on it… But, I felt as if I had run out of time… So I used it on myself, unsure of what would happen…" She muttered quietly.

His eyes widened, but he patiently waited for her to continue.

"It… It worked… And over night I'd turned fifty again… and then by the next morning, twenty. I-It kept reversing my body until it eventually stopped, leaving me in the body of an eight year old…" Her face flushed in embarrassment, having said such for the first time.

His expression faltered.

She puffed indignantly up at him, pouting underneath his expression. "D-Don't give me that! It worked didn't it?" She said, averting her eyes.

That stupid amused smirk of his made her heart jump, but he probably wasn't even aware of it.

They sat there for a little while longer before another question came to the forgetful Hero's mind, and it pertained to the woman currently occupying his entire lap.

"Please do not get upset at me… But, I want to know… What is… Well, was our relationship… one hundred years ago?" He asked, head tilting curiously to the side in question.

Purah froze, contemplating the question he asked her.

It was a fairly simple and straightforward question, with a fairly simple and straightforward answer.

He wanted to know if they were romantically involved in any way before the Calamity, or, if they were not.

She felt terribly guilty that the first thought that came to her mind was to lie to him and tell him, yes, yes they were dating. It would be far too easy for her to convince him that they were romantically involved together before, and even now, having lost his memory of the past, he was the type of man who would believe her with his whole heart.

He was too open, too pure of heart when it came to people in need that he'd believe her lie in a heartbeat.

She wouldn't even need to sell it very well, he'd still believe her…

But…

But would that be what she wanted?

Would lying to him to secure her relationship with him give her what she defied the natural course of life for? Would she be okay living a lie for the rest of her life, knowing that she'd tricked him into getting involved with her?

No…

No, she…

She could never do that…

No matter how desperate and selfish she was for him, she could never do that. She wasn't sure if she could live with herself if she did…

But, the worst thing?

The worst part of that whole situation was the fact that she wanted to. She wanted to lie to him just to secure that future with him…

Because she was so unbelievably scared that he wouldn't involve himself with her otherwise…

She was upset at herself, that she'd almost convinced herself to lie to him, all for her own selfish reasons…

"I'm sorry if I upset you, I-I didn't mean to." Link apologized solemnly, expression falling as the woman in his lap devolved into a quiet silence, tears beginning to again fall from her eyes.

"N-No, please, I'm not mad at you…" She whispered, pulling him into a hug again, lest he see the sad look that marked her otherwise beautiful face. "I-I… Our relationship was one sided back then…" She whispered quietly.

His eyes widened, now placed with even more questions.

But he let her continue.

Because the Hero of Hyrule was a terrific listener, his patience long lasting and seemingly unbreakable.

"I'd always watched you from a distance, helping you whenever you needed, but you would never ask. You were so busy back then, every day of every minute dedicated to serving and protecting the Princess. You…" She paused, looking away, even though he couldn't see her. "You barely knew me, only speaking with me on a rare occasion… I-I never blamed you, nor grew upset with you. You were under so much stress, such a heavy load placed on your shoulders at a young age, I couldn't even imagine."

"You rarely spoke during those days, silently serving and protecting the Princess, even when she shouted and berated you for ignoring her orders… You told me once, that… that your silence wasn't due to some vein sense of stoicism, but…" She bit her lips, struggling with finding the right words.

"You told me once that you choose not to speak because your silence helps you bear the weight of everything placed upon you, and that… that you don't want to worry others. So, in the end you choose to be silent. So many were fooled by your quiet stoicism, thinking you a man with the courage of a god, that nothing in the world could topple you nor break your will. They looked at you without ever once thinking about how you were struggling, about the fate that awaited you, y-y-your destiny! No… N-No one seemed to care about you or your well being over the Princess's…" She hissed, the ancient memories coming back to her.

"It made me so upset, that you were forgotten in the midst of everyone else… I-I couldn't stand seeing you on the sidelines, quietly standing there, knowing no one bothered to see how you were fairing… I-I-It-!" She would've kept ranting, so caught up in her hundred year old emotions that it would've consumed her.

Then her eyes widened as his hands began gently stroking her hair, his scarred yet gentle fingers running through her beautiful white locks. It made her franticly beating heart slow, calming down. His soft breathing, his gentle touch gracing her head, fingers deftly roaming her scalp as he hummed a quiet little song.

She'd been so caught up in herself that she'd not heard it at first, but once she did, she felt her anger and deep distress fade away within his presence. Those three notes he hummed nearly perfectly in a slowly descending rhythm, repeating every three notes before continuing on.

She felt her sorrow lift, if even only just a bit at the sound of his gentle singing.

Even now, with barely a shadow of the man she once knew remaining inside him, he still had his mannerisms that made him who he once was, memories or not.

He was still Link…

Her Link…

"My mother taught me that song when I was very little. She told me it was an ancient song, yet it still holds power to this day…" He explained gently, never raising his voice. "Although it sounds somber, it always lifted her heart when I sang it for her…" He smiled sadly.

"Whenever she was down, thoughts dwelling on the fate of my late father, I would sing it for her. She would always cry, but she'd smile too. It helped her move on, to let go of sorrow and regret. It helped her heal." He explained, a small quiver in his voice.

She'd died before the Calamity, when he was still young.

And he missed her as dearly now, one hundred plus years later as he did the day he'd lost her. But he'd not let it consume him.

"I'm grateful she taught me her song of healing…" He said, almost to himself at that point.

He didn't say anything after that, happy to sit there and be her indomitable tower for her to lean on for support. He knew she needed it far more than anyone else right then.

And, she was immensely grateful for it.

But, she realized that she'd gone off on a tangent, and had not gained his response to her truth.

They weren't in a relationship, but she'd always been there for him, watching from the sidelines, offering her help and assistance whenever needed. She was there to care for him and support him even when his own Kingdom seemed to forget he existed.

Even…

Even if she never got the chance to tell him she loved him…

"You were so consumed with your duty, I felt it selfish of myself to tell you the truth back then…" She whispered to herself, voice quiet. "I thought it better to wait until after the Calamity was dealt with… But things changed. And now, I don't… I-I don't want to wait to say what I've been waiting over one hundred years to say."

She pulled away from him, facing him once more. She searched his eyes, looking for something, anything that would give her a sign that he remembered her and the time they'd spent together, although fleeting as it had been.

But there was nothing there…

Nothing at all…

But…

That wasn't going to stop her from saying what she needed to say. She'd waited over a hundred years to get this off of her chest. "Link… I-I…" She paused, freezing at the last moment.

Then she remembered her passionate and desperate kiss with him earlier and that confidence came back. "I love you… I always have…" She professed her love, glancing away nervously. "A-And I know you probably don't feel the same way, but, I hope that… t-that you'll at least give me a chance…?" She finished, finding the courage to turn back to him to gauge his reaction.

He smiled at her, that closed eyed kind hearted grin that told her everything was going to be alright.

"Of course, on one condition." He said, smiling at her.

She felt her heart skip a beat, stop functioning entirely, then return from beyond the grave at his words. It was a feeling she couldn't describe with words, hearing him say he was willing to try and learn to love her back the same way she loved him.

She practically jumped at the opportunity.

"Y-Yes, anything you want." She said, cheeks warming.

"I don't know if it's possible, but if you're willing to help me regain my memory, I'd love the assistance." He smiled, laughing that genuine tiny little sound.

She couldn't restrain herself, pulling him into another passionate kiss.

He laughed in surprise, shyly returning the kiss.

Eventually she pulled away again, and he found himself studying her face curiously.

"What? What is it, Linky?" She asked. He shook his head, a blush forming on his cheeks.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just noticed that you look related to Paya, Lady Impa's caretaker..." He admitted bashfully, cheeks flushing as an image came up in his mind once more.

"Oh? Who is she?" Purah asked curiously. Seeing his face go flushed from speaking about her, she must've been pretty.

"I'm not sure exactly, I hadn't asked. When we first met... W-Well... I didn't catch the relationship, but I think Lday Impa is her grandmother." He explained, scratching his cheek nervously, averting his gaze.

"So you're telling me I have an adorably hot great-niece I didn't know about? I can't believe sister didn't tell me..." She pouted, looking away. Link's eyebrows raised.

"When was the last time you spoke with her...?" He asked.

...

...

...

She didn't say anything, but her embarrassed flushed cheeks said it all. It had been a long, long time since they last spoke...

Link sighed.


Chapter

4

End