Blooming Skepticism
Time jolted up from a nightmare, breathing hard as the image of a silver tsunami faded from his vision. It was pure luck he didn't wake the other t—the other two!? His eyes fluttered, 'I—I'm going to think about that in a second…' he currently lacked the mind to process it. Looking out the window, the dark sky told him dawn would occur in the next hour or so. Still feeling irked from waking, he felt the smooth rock appear beneath his legs as he took in the typical atmosphere for his void. Everything looked fine. 'Why?' He wondered, trying to find a reason for his dream, 'I just…don't understand. Maybe I'm worse off being able to visualize what's going on.' Thinking back to yesterday, he tried to get his shell to move its arm. Nothing. 'How can that be? How is it my void that I see from this point of view yet I can't even control it!?' His thoughts weren't helping to solve his growing frustration. He shook them away.
The corners of his lips minutely lifted as he recognized his blonde hair coming in and out of his peripherals, 'At least my hair is back to normal…and I'm wearing my tunic now!' It had felt a little indecent to be left with just his underclothes. Another thought crossed his mind as he carefully got out of bed and peered into the mirror at the vanity, lifting his tunic and shirt up, 'Damn, these are taking forever to completely fade…' Din's "reminders" now appeared as noticeable splotches of discoloration, but not the kind that would make one think of a bruise like before.
He could see Link stirring awake out the corner of his eye, making him facepalm as he recalled the one he somehow gave him. 'I still can't believe that…I remember, clear as day, that it wasn't there. I think I'm more surprised I didn't overhear Zelda asking him about it, though I suppose she's more inclined to mind her business when it comes to him given how she feels…' Time smacked at the hand that reached toward his waist, "Link don't you dare!" he hissed.
"I'm just looking," the knight tried to reason.
He yanked the fabric down, "'Just looking,' my ass!" His hands hung at his hips as he sarcastically scoffed. "Anyways, good morning."
"Mornin'." Link glanced at Zelda before looking to the Master Sword, "Are you gonna teach me how to shoot beams out of the sword? When we get back, I mean."
The Hero of Time stared back at him in astonishment, "Wait what? She doesn't—I don't believe it." 'I could have sworn I've seen him…didn't it happen when he? No that was before he pulled the…well…' He grabbed the sacred blade, unsheathing it. Per usual, it emitted a glow while in his hands, entailing he was capable of sending sharp beams of light from it. "It should look something like this. Don't worry if it's not this bright or something."
His descendant held it next, a perplexed brow rising when it went dull in his hand. "Hmm…" he held it in his left to be sure, "Well it doesn't discriminate based on hands."
Now Time peered back at the Princess, "Let's take this outside while we wait for her to wake up." Strapping on his own sword, he took his hand as they found a grassy patch of flat land outside. The sun peeked over the horizon, "Did I wake you up by the way? Sorry if I did."
"Meh, you kinda twitched all night. I figured it was your head torturing you again," Link explained, twisting the blade this way and that in his hand, "You didn't talk though, so I still got some sleep."
"Hey well feel free to get more shuteye after this. You won't be able to rely on the horse they'll give you the same way you do with Twi." He crossed his arms and cocked his head, "Now…why isn't this working?" Link had switched it back into his right hand. Curious, Time placed his hand over the champion's. He quietly gasped, 'It glows!?' He dropped his hand.
Link's eyes went straight from the blade to his, "What are yo—do it again!"
Swallowing, the Hero did as he said, watching the glow reflect blue light onto their clothes. 'What the hell is going on.' Blinking, he made them slash to the right.
The familiar whistle echoed off their surroundings as the beam cut through the grass ahead of them.
They were stupefied.
A thinking frown donned Link's face as the light from the blade faded again when his ancestor removed his hand. He was quiet, "Is this a god thing?"
"No." He sternly shook his head, "I've always been able t—" Though, thinking a moment longer, "Actually, I take that back. When I first pulled the sword, it did not immediately shoot beams." Time began to pace, "Huh…what did I do again? Let me see if I can remember." He scoured through his first adventure, searching for a memory where he used it to cut some grass or something. 'Why is so much of my memory cutting grass in the first place!?' The most he could recall was when the Great Fairy of Power granted his spin-attacks more power if he charged them. "Okay I've got nothing. Surprisingly nothing. Which means it must be something else because that's a thing you can do with this sword. I swear it!" He gestured for him to go off a ways, "Show me a spin-attack for starters."
Link obliged.
His hand held his cheek as he gushed with a rosy heart, "Aw, such perfect form! Haha it makes me so happy to see!~" Time smacked himself out of it, "Shit—right. Sorry, that was my sense of pride. Ahem." He took the sword from him, "Okay, now hold your arm steady and charge energy into this next one, got it? Watch closely." The Hero stepped into a wide stance, rearing the blade behind him as a sparkle of light dimmed their surroundings as it traveled along the edge until it rested at its tip. "Duck for a sec." The powerful attack sent a spinning beam twenty feet ahead of them as well as cutting a larger radius of grass than what the blade could physically reach.
Link had a look of determination in his eyes as he retrieved it, "How do I 'charge energy into' it, though? I can't do magic like you can."
"Actually, this should be more similar to how you can hone your focus for several seconds. I'll word it a little differently: instead of charging it, put your focus into the sword. Let that feeling take you to the tip of the blade. Stay strong—I shouldn't be able to push you over—and unleash that focus into whatever is in front of you." His weight shifted to one side, "At the moment, we're not expecting beams, we're expecting this here." Time pointed to the extra couple of feet that was added on to his swing as demonstrated by the grass.
The champion walked to where the wild grass was high before getting into position.
"Don't close your eyes," The Hero reminded him, "just focus the same way you would before, but direct it elsewhere." He watched him nod, taking a breath. Time was curious if he was steering him the right direction, but as a small sparkle gathered at the hilt of the sword he already felt himself bouncing on the balls of his feet, "Yes! Just like that! Keep going!" More tips came to mind, "Be intentional! Zero in on that feeling and put motion behind it! Don't let it happen by mistake!"
Beads of sweat formed at his temples as the sparkle steadily moved along. A few seconds later, it reached the tip. Link didn't need confirmation. He let the swing fly without hesitation, finding a similar result to the Hero's. He panted as he stood up straighter. His beaming smile shined brighter than the sun as he sheathed the sword and ran back to hug his instructor.
Overjoyed, Time picked him up and squeezed him more! "You did it! I knew you could!" He sat him back down, tapping the center of his chest, "Whatever that feeling was, that's your next objective. We can't have you sweating after just one when this Calamity pops up! Maybe after five in a row."
"Five!?" Link playfully shook his head, "Don't go and kill me!" He wrapped his arms around him again, "But seriously, thank you. I know it's just one thing, but—I dunno—I'm excited again! Believe me when I say I haven't gotten feedback in years! The praise gets old if I'm honest."
"Of course! It could be that beams is just something you'll have to train up to. I can't guarantee it'll happen through that alone, but, that aside, there's a lot of great things that can come from you working on being able to call that focus faster. Redirect it with more force. Really take control of this ability you've had for a while now and expand on it." Then Time pinched his cheek, "But were you saying a second ago that my praise doesn't mean anything? Huh?"
The knight winced as his face moved against his will, "Aaah! No! It's different if it comes from you, dammit! That should be obvious!"
He let go with a mischievous grin, "Hehe, I had to tease you about it. You understand." He motioned back to the fort, "Alright, we'll work on this more later. Let's see if Zelda's awake yet."
When they returned, they found the Princess pulling on her boots with her dress neatly folded on the vanity. Getting back was their priority, so they spared the guards their story, ate, received their horses, and got back on the trail. The Hero already missed the smooth ride from his palomino and he could tell the others longed for their mounts too.
…
The travel back through Hyrule field was suspiciously…uneventful. There was a small chuchu Time shot down—to be honest it hadn't even noticed them before death rang at its door—but other than that it was smooth sailing. "Weird," He thought aloud, looking to both of them as they trotted toward the Castle Town gates, "Maybe all of that from yesterday scared them off?" He gestured to Link, "Keep an ear out on that from the other knights should you get the chance."
The guards at the gates anxiously held their spears until they came ecstatically running at the trio. The Hero recognized Kevin's voice, "Thank goodness you guys are okay!" He wailed.
Zelda showed her concern, "What's going on?"
"We've been looking everywhere for you guys since your stallion came back Princess!" The other explained. "We kept getting complaints from the residents that there was a horse at the gates. This palomino kept whinnying and was generally being a nuisance. We all thought, 'weird, why are there three horses without riders at the gate?' Then, we all recognized Storm, and we knew something had to have happened to you guys!"
"Exactly!" Kevin chimed in, "Why else would they come back alone!? The King's been worried sick! We advise you go see him as soon as possible!"
Time fondly thought of Grace, 'Ha, I never thought she'd whinny until she got her way! Then again, I'm sure kicking it down wasn't far around the corner had they not let her in.' He'd much rather go check in on his horse than touch base with the King, but, 'It is what it is, I guess. I'm definitely taking a nap after this.'
And after getting gasped at by multiple guards and castle staff, he was going to need it. He'd forgotten that no one was particularly used to his adult form. 'I can only imagine what this would be like if I didn't have my tunic right now…' Time pushed open the doors to the throne room, finding the King resting his forehead in his hands. He appeared to be deep in thought, though troubled.
"Father?" Zelda called, her voice echoing in the large room, "We're sorry for causing you to worry. I can assure that we're all perfectly fine and no harm has been done."
Rhoam slowly gazed at them from his palm, "Who is this other young man beside you?" Fatigue clung to his voice, but it was clear he was very unhappy. Time's eyes widened at catching the tail end of his murmur, "…-o time for suitors…"
'A second time!? Really?' Seeing as Zelda wasn't going to talk for him, he reintroduced himself, "I'm the Hero of Time…" 'Do I have to say it?' "…Your Majesty." His ear flicked, "I guess I should have noted this before, but even though I can look quite young, I'm eighteen years old." He could already see his lips parting to ask the same question that always follows after he says this. Might as well cut to the chase, "It's a long story. Don't ask."
Such bluntness made the King sit up entirely, "Now I can see the resemblance, but thank you for reminding me." His gaze focused back on his daughter, "Now, I would like the truth on this matter, Zelda."
She was appalled, "The truth!? What are you trying to say!?"
"You gave me a conclusion I can make with my own eyes," He stated, sounding more like a commander than her father, "Why did your horses return with no riders? Where have you been? You told me you were leaving with Impa to consult with the priestess on the Great Plateau, yet I hear nothing from you after we all witnessed a blessing descend from the sky! Days go by and no one can figure out what is going on or what it means. Then, just last night, I hear reports from our knights saying they can hear explosions coming from Faron."
'Figures you heard nothing more from them. My rain should have concealed the area from view.' Time twitched as he kept his contempt from drawing in more ethereal influence. 'Dammit it stop! Keep your cool!'
"That is the truth I seek! I need answers!" His fist pounded on the arm of his chair, sending a crack through the tension-filled air.
Tears rolled down the Princess's cheeks as her fists clenched, "I did consult with the priestess! That blessing you saw was the result of the Hero trying to prove that perhaps saying the Goddess's name might get their attention more! It was his and his alone!" She hastily wiped her face, taking deep breaths, "I was gone for a few more days because I decided to heed the Great Fairy's advice of praying at each of the sacred springs! The next was the Spring of Courage!" Her anguish rang in the air, "I'm sure you can already guess how that went!" Thunder rolled above as Zelda broke into a sob, turning to Time to bury her face into his shoulder.
Link already eyed his ancestor from the rumbling sky alone, but now he bowed, rising as he continued from where she left off, "Your Majesty, after the Princess's prayer, we were threatened by an army of Yiga who had been spying on us without our knowledge. The situation turned more dire when monsters of an unthinkable magnitude rose from this dark purple sludge on the ground. They were strong monsters too. There's a new color variety we'd never seen before: white with purple stripes. My eyes could have deceived me, but I believe I saw lynels that were imbued with elements too." He looked to Time once more, "We were faced with more than certain death, but the Hero of Time saved us all."
King Rhoam slowly nodded as he took in this information, "How did you all escape this? It sounds impossible, especially seeing as you're all unharmed."
His light blue eyes cast to the ground as he bowed again, "I…don't speak for him…Your Majesty. Though," He met his prickly gaze, "he trained his horse, the palomino, to return to the castle stables after she's been alone for too long. We'd left our horses at camp before we traveled to the spring. We believe they sensed the danger, ran out of the forest, and then his palomino led them back, leaving us to regroup at the East Post and borrow their horses in order to return."
'Did I really just hear him say something along the lines of "split loyalties?"' More thunder rumbled in agreement.
The King considered his words before speaking, "Very well." He stowed his irritation when his eyes moved to the Hero, "It seems you and I will discuss this later, hm? You can find me in my office when you find yourself inclined to do so."
"Very smart." The deity's sarcastically impressed tone naturally resounded in the atrium. He heard Zelda's soft gasp, "I'm glad you know better than to give me orders. Perhaps expect me before the day is over." He took the Princess by the waist and sat her on his shoulder, meeting the knight's gaze, "Let's go."
His next destination was the Princess's room. The sight of any man carrying Her Highness in such a way led to several questioning and/or flustered stares. Of course he was stopped by the guards outside her bedroom.
"Halt! You have no need to go any further!" They couldn't seem to make up their minds to point their spears at him or not. Especially seeing as they would technically be pointing them at the Princess too.
Zelda had long stopped crying after they'd left the throne room. Her gloom would fade as she occasionally poked at his blonde hair that bounced with each step. Only now she wore a look of disdain at her guards, "This is not just anyone!" She puffed out a haughty sigh, "This is the Hero of Time! Now let me in my room!"
They were frazzled at her exasperated tone as they scrambled to their spots. This didn't keep them from giving the Hero snake eyes as he passed by.
Once inside, he sat the Princess at the edge of her bed. It'd grown drafty since she'd be gone, so he lit her fireplace as well. Link stood at the foot of her bed frame, quietly observing per usual.
Time sighed as he stood from crouching, his eyes flicking to hers from over his shoulder, "Your father pisses me off." He was glad to see his descendant shared the same opinion.
"He's just so! Ugh!" Zelda squeezed her blankets between her fingers, "I can't stand that he thinks he must know exactly what I'm doing at any given time! It's so overbearing!"
A kind of smirk lifted one side of his mouth, "Though," he curiously crossed his arms, "I can't help but ask…how long have you been lying to him about what you're doing when you leave? I'm by no means saying you shouldn't, but this is a first." 'After all, the whole reason we left to go to the Great Plateau was because of her research. Maybe she really did consult with the priestess while I was away, but she certainly never brought it up the rest of the time we were there.'
Her eyes fell to her lap as she folded her hands, "Well…I know it's obvious to the both of you, and Impa…and Purah and Robbie, but I…I've been trying to hide that I'm still researching the ancient relics." She sounded frantic, "But you have to understand, he doesn't believe in any of it whatsoever!" Her hand went to her chest, "He thinks the only way to stop the Calamity is through me awakening my powers and the blade that seals the darkness, but I believe that these ancient machines such as the guardians and the divine beasts must do something!" She exhaled, a look of defeat overcoming her spite, "I wish he was there when you got that guardian to fire at that rock…I'm not asking you to help me show him that with the ones here, but I like to think that maybe, maybe he would change his mind or even help me if he saw what they're capable of."
"This may come as a surprise, but I think the fact that he doesn't know may be for the best, Zelda."
She didn't understand, "How so?"
"I think if he saw the sheer power just one guardian has, he would order all of them to be destroyed." He raised his hands as the Princess stood in shock at his theory, "You know him better than I, but I think he's a coward who would be afraid of what they can do. Think about it." Time gestured to the both of them, noticing their wide eyes, "Both of you are people, human. We all have things that make us submit to someone else's orders." His eyes went to Zelda, "That could be family ties," then to Link, "Not…committing treason or something. Either way, he knows—or he feels like he can control you in one way or another. These divine beasts? The guardians?" He threw his arms out, "Who knows! The champions can control them now, but not completely to my knowledge and—more importantly—to his knowledge! If we consider his position as King, I think it makes sense that he'd take the safest bet—both of you, subjects of his kingdom—than a riskier bet that also requires a heck of a lot more effort from him when it comes to solving this inevitable event."
The Hero sighed, waving his words away, "I am by no means trying to make your father out to be evil, nor defend him. That's just my perspective on his nonsense. Believe me when I say I'm dreading talking to him later. I'd choose not to if I didn't think it would somehow violate my allegiance." 'This is where I'd say how much I really hate the confines of castle politics…dear Goddesses. How did I experience less of this when I fought under Queen Zelda during the war that sorceress waged!?'
"How…How long have you thought that?" Zelda asked.
He thought for a moment, "Since you wondered if he would change his mind, or for about five minutes going on six…" He waited a few seconds, "…now." Right on the minute.
This appeared to come as a surprise to her, for her expression initially hardened before softening, "O-Oh. I don't want to think most of what you said is true, but this is the first time someone has managed to make my father's actions make sense." She crossed her arms, sitting down again. A moment later, they fell as her demeanor changed to one of interest, "Speaking of which, would you mind explaining what happened at the spring? It looked like you commanded that storm with the Master Sword! Not to mention, I've never seen it shoot beams like that!"
"I suppose that's a glimpse of the sword's true potential," He started, "Though, the lightning storm afterward is likely more specific to me. I'm sure nearly every hero can work up to shooting beams, however it's similar to the Goddess's descendants where not all of them can use her power the exact same way. Get what I mean?" Both of them nodded, "With that said, I really don't like doing that. I kind of felt like I was drawing some power from the mask."
"Oh right, that makes sense too," Zelda agreed, "Though," She played off his words from the past, "since you didn't transform, the situation could have been worse? Also you were struck by that lightning quite a few times!"
He decided to be slightly transparent, "If I didn't listen to my intuition and set up the spell, I definitely would have transformed. We stared death right in the face. That purple-black ooze? I get the feeling things are going to get harder from here on out. As for the lightning? I'm not entirely sure why I didn't turn into a pile of bones. Maybe since I directed it I had some…" he looked to Link, "resistance?"
"Immunity."
"Yeah that." He strolled to her side, "Well, I'm either going to check on Grace or sleep before I begin to think about talking to the King." He picked up her hand and kissed it goodbye, stopping by the champion before continuing to her doors, "If you want to train later, I'm sure you'll know where to find me." Time smirked at his nod.
He almost burst into laughter when he exited the room and heard:
"Link…"
"Yes, Princess?"
Zelda sounded unsure, "When we reappeared…by the bridge, the Hero hugged you at some point and you—correct me if I'm wrong—ran your fingers through his…hair? Might I ask why?"
Time snickered at the sound of him gulping, 'I figured she was going to ask you about that!'
…
Praising his horse for taking the others home overrode his want to sleep. Though, the need to do so only increased, 'Will these people ever stop staring at me!? Dammit I'm pretty sure I recognized a few of them from before! Why again!?' For now he'd taken her out of her pen and took the time to brush her down, "I think I'll rebraid your hair too." Strands poked out everywhere, "Yeah I'm definitely going to, wow."
He finished brushing her hind leg before grabbing a hairbrush and beginning to undo his previous work, speaking to her, "Oh Grace…do you ever wonder what the heck you're doing here? Ever wonder what's going on? Ask 'why' at everything?" Maybe it was his imagination but she seemed to nod her head, "Hm, me too…and similar to how you can't ask us humans for answers, it feels like I'm in the same boat, albeit the lack of response seems more deliberate."
Time moved on to brushing her hair. There were plenty of tangles. "Y'know, on one hand I was sort of tricked into coming here by someone who I thought was an old friend. I know you don't know the story, but it was an accident. On the other hand, I'm led to think that I'm here on purpose, of my own free will…on a whim." He chuckled, "I feel like I'm at a point where I don't know which to believe, y'know? Say," Their eyes connected, "Do you think I'm human, pretty girl?"
Grace blinked before sniffing at him. A thoughtful gleam shined in her brown eyes as she shook her head no.
He stepped back in disbelief, "What? Are you being serious?"
Her head bobbed up and down.
"You're not just saying that!?"
The bobbing continued; this time followed by a snort.
'I can't believe it…one, my horse understands me. Two, she agrees I'm not human. You just can't make this stuff up, huh?' "Wow…um, would you say it's that obvious to other humans?...No?" He sighed in relief. "Well at least I've got that. To be frank, I feel a little stupid for how I've talked to you before. You don't mind if I'm so mushy like that, right?...Okay, thank goodness, I would've been really sad otherwise."
Weaving braids into recently brushed hair was admittedly a little therapeutic. Not to mention she looked great! He felt like flowers could have fanned from his face, "Aww! You look so nice!~" Time smooched the bridge of her nose, "Also, good job bringing those other two back! I had a feeling you got them out of there." He pat her neck, "Alright, let's get you put up. Hopefully Twi makes good company."
The Hero saw he was walking up on one of the younger stable boys. He paused when the boy quickly scrambled behind a barrel of feed at the sight of him, "Oh hey, are you alright?" 'Did he not hear Grace walking with me?'
"St-Stay away from me!" Only his eyes peeped over the top.
Time's brows came together in confusion as he bent down, "What's this about? I'm the Hero of Time, there's nothing to be afraid of. You can help me put my horse up if you'd like." If there was one way to make a kid feel better, it was letting them do something that made them feel helpful.
"No!" He shouted, "I've heard you're actually a monster or something! Or that you tricked the Goddess! Only monsters do that!"
Now he frowned, 'What the hell are these outlandish claims? Just who gave him these ideas?' "Where are you hearing this from, little one? Besides, Heroes slay monsters." He kept his distance to not potentially frighten him further.
The little boy nervously rose from behind the barrel, "I-I heard it from those people with white hair! They have those eyes on their face and clothes too!" He picked at his thumb, "I know I shouldn't have been eavesdropping, but still! They always help us so what they said must be true!"
"But," Time had to know, "Was it just one of them or all of them?"
"J-Just um…one…but the other two were shaking their heads yes!" He gasped, clapping both hands over his mouth. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes, "Y-You're not going to kill them right!?"
"What th—no!" The Hero stepped back in astonishment, "Dear Goddesses, no!" That seemed to keep an outburst of tears at bay, "Listen, sometimes even the good guys just have the wrong information. If I were really a monster, would I have talked this long or—I dunno—gobbled you up?"
The boy started to shake his head yes, but it changed to "no" as the Hero did the same.
"Nooo, I wouldn't have, silly. Monsters don't think they have enough time to talk. That's why they're always so hasty and clumsy." He gestured to Grace, "See this pretty girl? Monsters wouldn't keep their horses looking nice either. I bet their horses are made of bones. See? She agrees!" 'Wait Grace really? Do you know that or are you helping me?'
"Ooohh," He reached his hand out to put her muzzle, "I guess you're right. I'm sorry about that, mister." A hopeful sparkle appeared in his pupils, "C-Can I still help you?"
Smiling now and revealing his fangs would destroy everything he just worked up to. He happily nodded instead, "Of course! You'll see that she's a really nice horsey."
When that was over, he walked a ways from the stable before zipping to the training arena, glad to see he could be alone with his thoughts for a little longer. He unsheathed his black blade, infusing ice into it. He was nearly entranced at how the black edges dissolved as the light blue element raced from the hilt to the tip. However, this ice wasn't fiery, it held a soft glow as it created particles of snow from the moisture in the air. The once cloudy gems brightly shined the same color. Din's message was the same. He had to grin, 'Next to my own sword and the Master Sword, this is probably one of the coolest weapons I've ever owned, wow.' Even the Biggoron Sword had competition!
Man did it feel great to use too! While a little hefty after first drawing it, the weight seemed to disappear the longer he wielded it. He figured out the element he put into the blade only lasted about seven to ten swings before it disappeared. However, he could tell when it was getting ready to give out because the last swing always caused the entire blade to light up in its color before going completely black again. It reminded him of the way soot and ash could turn something pitch black in mere seconds, which was fitting considering a fire dragon smithed it.
While he practiced, the child's words rang in his head, 'The Sheikah were saying this? This is a really bad time to be in some strange predicament with them again. First it was because of the old tongue, now it's because they got this random idea that I'm not Hylian? I tricked the Goddess of Power!?' Time tried to keep his swings just out of reach of the dummy to ensure it lasted. He remembered how the knights were blamed and lectured after he broke several of them when he first arrived. This thought ended with a large gash through the center of it. He bit the inside of his lip and shuffled half a step backwards.
'Right…I bet—no I know this converges somewhere. I had to have done something that tipped them off. Was it the priestess?' He considered how he turned the beam of light she cast at him into a puddle of sparkles, 'Why bother calling me a sorcerer then? That's awfully specific…not to mention she didn't seem to find my blessing to be a farce or something.' His mind traveled back to the grounds in front of the Spring of Courage, 'Sooga…I'd think he'd know better than to show his face around me again. If I remember correctly, I don't exactly recall him giving the signal to attack me? I feel like I would have had groups of five and ten surrounding me rather than the one or two I got. Hell…I don't think he was there by the time I sent down all that lightning!'
Nothing about the clouds above him changed, but it felt like they disagreed.
'Hmph, okay maybe he was. He must have gone back to spying then…spying. SPYING!?' He sliced straight through the dummy, blinking in dismay as the top part of it slid off and hit the dirt, "Ugh! Dammit!" He'd deal with that later, for now his mind raced to think of everything they could have seen, 'Shit! They know I can talk to the dragons!' He made a face, 'Ugh…perverts, I remember that same feeling when I was bathing too…Oh my—THEY SAW ME USE MY SWORD ON THAT LYNEL!'
A low growl from the gray clouds only fed his frustration, but he didn't want to be angry, 'You're not helping! Lighten up!' He paced in circles around the stand of the dummy, kicking away the sloughed-off part of its corpse when it got in his way, 'This must be them. It must be. They're the only ones who know more than anyone else what I'm capable of doing. So then WHY? What the hell do they gain from poking me with a stick!? More dead members? Are they sending out the ones they hate or something?'
He stopped.
A memory of what he told the King popped into his head. "They can look like anyone…a traveler beside the road…even one of your guards…" He muttered, feeling his heart beginning to bounce off his ribs. His glare fixed on a blonde who flinched as they took a step back.
"Did I interrupt you?" Came Link's cautious voice.
Time relaxed as his eyes closed, "No…" He groaned, shaking his head, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to spook you. I'm just…" His lips pressed together as he slowly took a breath, "Things are slowly starting to add up and…ha, I don't even know what to say."
Link's brows furrowed, "Did something happen to you?"
He explained, sounding composed, "A boy, maybe no older than eight, ran and hid from me when he saw me as I was putting up Grace. I ask him what's wrong and he tells me that he overheard the Sheikah calling me a monster and that I tricked the Goddess…so he thinks I'm a monster." He could see the trouble clouding Link's eyes in real time. The Hero cocked his head, "Now, I'm not one to take offense from what children say, but I have never seen someone so overcome with terror because of me. I don't want to give you any crazy ideas before I get to the bottom of this, but I think what Purah and Robbie were getting at is not even the beginning."
Still the knight appeared very bothered, "Then…what should we do?"
"What I should do is keep an ear out for things said around the castle and pay close attention to the King when I talk to him later. You should perform your duties as usual. I don't want you caught up in whatever this is."
That wasn't what he wanted to hear, but he saw the sense behind it. "Right, but don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it."
'You're really saying "don't shut me out."' The Hero smirked, "Oh don't worry, I know I can depend on you." He moved on, "So, come to train?"
"If you're willing to teach me more." His eyes moved to the frosted-over, wooden torso. The path it'd created in the dirt gave away what happened to it, "You kicked it?" Then he took in the clear circle that had been stomped into the ground, "How long have you been thinking?"
"Several minutes." He rolled his eyes, "Also sorry about the dummy. The thoughts got a little unhappy as I'm sure you can tell."
"Oooooh, right," A wonderous glitter appeared as he looked to the sword on his back, "Can I swing that a few times? Please?"
"I'll do you one better," Time drew the sword and imbued it with fire, grinning at Link's amazed expression. He looked like a little kid who found out they were getting dessert later, "Careful, it might be a little heavy."
They spent the next couple of hours training together. After Link had his fill with the sword—as in Time had to make him give it back—they continued to work on his spin attack from earlier. "Alright, I know you're sweating and probably a little hungry, but give me one more. I know you can."
Link panted as his eyes narrowed at the instruction, "Hah… I…I think this is the hardest I've been pushed since we sparred. Hah…"
"C'mon, one more!" He clapped, "I'll even give you a scenario to be nice. You find yourself in a circular room with a hole in the middle of it! Too late! Can't turn back if the door locks behind you! Two piles of bones rise and animate to reveal they're wearing armor and have swords and shields!" He smiled at the knight playing along by acting surprised, "Quick! These guys are not friends and definitely not anyone from your family. They defensively raise their swords and walk toward you on either side. You need distance if you're going to have time to think of your next attack!"
His descendant readied his blade behind him. He'd gotten far better at getting the sparkle to gather at the hilt but needed to work on the speed at which it traveled to the tip.
"Yes! Great idea!" Time fist pumped. Only now he leaped in front of Link with his sword and shield drawn the same way he'd described, "But they're getting closer!" He watched his eyes widen, "Don't lose focus!"
His words made the sparkle soar to the halfway point along the blade. Link grimaced with concentration as it steadily continued to the end. The Hero jumped back at the last second so the sword wouldn't burn him for trying to harm a past user. The champion gulped in air as he hunched forward with his hands on his knees, "Dear Hylia…I can't believe I got that out of me…"
His ancestor came just in time to catch him as his knees buckled, "Ah…I guess I pushed you too hard. Sorry about that!" He walked him over to one of the wooden benches by the wall, letting them both sit, "You should have seen how fast you got it to halfway! You should be really proud of making so much progress after only having it introduced to you this morning!" He pulled him in for a squeeze, "I know I am!"
Link was still catching his breath. He could only pat his arm to hug him back, "Yeah but you…you really know what to say to help me improve. I'm a little surprised you're so good at teaching."
"Meh, I'm sure I'll fumble somewhere and say something that makes no sense. Just you wait."
"Oh, does this mean you can teach me some of your moves? Like that one you did to those lizalfos on the beach or that other one you nearly took my ear off with when we sparred? You did a whole flip over me!"
"The helm splitter?" Time zipped to one of the dummies and quickly performed it, "This one?"
"Yes. Dear Hylia, yes."
'Is that sweat or drool dripping off his chin?' He laughed, "Sure, but since it's not going to help you with honing your focus, you gotta get better at this first, okay?" He half expected the champion to give him a long face.
Instead he looked far more determined than before, "You got it!" His head fell toward his lap, "Just not right now…ugh…"
Time returned to him, patting his shoulder, "I'm sorry in advance if you're sore tomorrow. Think you can walk?"
"If I say no will you carry me?"
"Not the way you'll want me to."
"Then…" Link blinked as he thought about it, "…no. I think my legs turned into pudding." His arms raised toward him as he lamely tilted his head to meet his gaze. The twitch at the corners of his lips depicted his struggle to hide his smile.
The Hero thought of where he was going next before scooping his legs up with one arm and wrapping his other arm around his back. He smiled at Link's evil snickering.
"You fool! This was what I wanted all al—AHH!"
Time tilted him like a teapot in his arms, lifting his legs up while his head went down. He quickly went back to holding him normally, hearing the hilt of the Master Sword hit its sheath. "You were saying?" Now he snickered at the face that signaled Link knew just how much danger he was in.
"I-I think I can walk now…"
"Oh that's too bad, Link." He taunted, giving him a light jostle to readjust his hold, "You're stuck like this until I decide to put you down." Though, about halfway to one of the entrances that led indoors, he decided to chance whether the knight was going barf and zipped to his room instead. Thankfully, there was no green in his otherwise shaken expression. He sat him on the bench to his vanity.
"Are you sure you're not teleporting? Also, this isn't my room!"
"Pfft, you know I'm not." He shrugged, "And yeah, I know. You happen to sleep next to the Head of Command and I don't feel like going by his door." Which reminded him, "Right, I guess I'm going to talk to the King…" His chest felt tight as his eyes met the knight's, "Hey, I heard him murmur something about 'split loyalties' when you said you wouldn't speak for me."
Link froze.
"Yeah me too, so y'know, let's not…make that worse, okay?" He could see he was still processing what he'd said, "Let's keep training together, of course, but stick closer to Zelda's side. Kinda be a good little knight and not pose some kind of threat because you care about my dumb self…or that's what I would do if I were you."
'Okay now your silence is starting to bother me.' Time used the back of his hand to hold the champion's chin up, smiling, "I'll talk to you when I get back, alright?" 'Gods, you're stressing me out!'
His gaze briefly met his. He spoke just above a whisper, "Alright."
There it was. There was something about his expression, about his tone of voice, about how it was obvious there was a reason he was shrinking into himself that made Time want to find a way to make his worries vanish. Make whatever was picking at his brain disappear. One way floated around in his head like a flashing light, the obvious pick, but it was a temporary solution to whatever the problem truly was.
He sighed as he listened to the door click shut behind him, 'Or maybe I'm just overreacting because I've already had a million other rude awakenings today. He can't shoot beams, the King's an asshole, the asshole wants me to talk to him later, there's more bullshit going on between me and Sheikah probably because of the Yiga. Again. And the Yiga know too much per usual.' Without the good parts of his day, it otherwise sucked.
'Be calm.' The Hero of Time repeated as he made himself walk to the King's office. It was toward the back of the castle. He hated that. 'Be calm.' His dark blue eyes were icy despite his neutral expression as he came across the King's guards, "Can I come in?" It was a miracle that didn't come off threatening or snide.
They looked between each other before opening the door and motioning him inside.
He hated that too.
His eyes met the King's as he strolled in, "Good evening, Your Majesty." Repeating his title felt like cutting his tongue. His peripherals told him nothing had shifted or changed since he was last there. They also noted it was solely him and the King in the room. The absence of the Head of Command and any other posted guards surprisingly added to the tension he could cut like cake.
"Good evening to you as well, Hero of Time," Rhoam respectfully bowed his head, "Please, take a seat if you'd like."
"Sure." It was a regal chair on the opposite side of his desk. "So, I presume you're just wanting the specifics?"
"Precisely." King Rhoam motioned to the mural of Hylia above them, "I could tell you that what happened to you at the Temple of Power is something that has likely not happened for centuries, Hero. Even when I was a boy and there existed a queen with divine powers from my time, an event so grand failed to take place. I request that you explain to me how this happened."
"I suppose this means you too want me to break courtesy and tell you what I prayed for as well." He crossed his arms, "Don't be surprised if you get silence in response to any attempts of prayer you make in the future. I wanted to prove to Impa that perhaps saying the Goddess of Power's name, Din, would get better favor from her. I simply called her by name as I prayed for the ability to overcome monsters that were stronger than I—because I looked younger at the time when I said this. This," He gestured to himself, "Happened the morning after, likely due to her blessing."
The King was stunned.
"That's about the response I got from the other three as well. See, this was fairly normal back in my time, believe it or not. If your heart is pure and your standing is as well, oftentimes there's no reason why you wouldn't be heard at least a little. With that said, it's not as if I heard anything from the statue before or after the blessing. Maybe that's to keep you on your toes."
He stroked his beard in thought, "You say this as if you know it to be true."
Time's voice bit the air, "I know what you're implying and I don't appreciate it."
Rhoam dismissed his prior notion, maintaining his composure, "Moving on, what I said about how you escaped from Faron still stands. Based on what Link described, there should be no reason why you made it back alive."
After resuming his cool demeanor, his brow rose with interest, "Not very hopeful, hm? But you probably call it 'being realistic.'" The Hero sighed, 'Don't make this worse for yourself, dammit.' "Anyways, I used a warp spell. I fended off the monsters while Link protected the Princess, bought us some time with the storm, and got away unharmed." He crossed his legs as he explained, "I sensed we were being spied on from the moment we crossed the bridge. I took the initiative to ensure we could get away if things turned south."
"What does 'bought time with the storm' entail?"
"Whatever you think it does." Time internally smirked at the irritation flashing in the King's blue-green eyes. This faded as he watched him recline in his chair, folding his hands. 'Putting distance between us? I probably won't like what you say next.'
"How would you describe your relationship with my daughter?"
He nearly choked on his spit, coughing, "Excuse me, what?" 'I wasn't expecting that!'
Rhoam was unimpressed as he repeated himself. If anything, now he looked like a father.
"Right, just making sure I heard that correctly." Time sat up straighter. His tone was forward, "We're just friends, in case you were implying something more unbelievable. I'm just another person she can trust the same way Impa is. Nothing more, nothing less."
His tone was gruff, "Hmph, I can entertain the idea that's how this appears, Hero. I can also do the same with the notion that you haven't had any influence on the Hylian champion as well. However, I'm sure it's common knowledge to silently thank your…" He paused, "…circumstances for allowing you the opportunity to peer into the cracks, no?"
'As if I don't know that you meant to call me your enemy, very funny.' Regardless, the Hero shrugged, "If you believe you're in that position, sure."
His expression was frank, "I do, Hero…if that's truly what you are."
Time could feel the searing heat travel from his heart into his arms and torso as his blood frothed into bubbling lava. The chair scooted back a few feet as he stood. Despite sucking in a breath of air, his voice was a dead whisper, "How dare you."
"So you've heard the rumors as well…" The King must have taken a small token of pleasure from finally being able to get under his skin, "I don't quite understand them myself; don't you worry."
'A lie.'
But Rhoam tried to act cordial, though it came off aloof, "The way I see it, there are no issues so long as you uphold your end of showing your allegiance."
He breathed hot air, "And you would say I've done just that, correct?"
"Yes."
Time winced with spite, "Next time, have some consideration and never make me sign something so useless ever again." Now that it started, he knew it wasn't going to stop. His voice bounced off the walls, "You ask me here to essentially interrogate me and yet admit to my face I've done nothing to break my allegiance. While you've been questioning the truth of my words, picking ones to target me over, I'll put plainly what I've done for you," He counted them off on his fingers, "Ensured your daughter's safety no matter the cost, kept a horde of monsters from breaking out of Faron that could have easily overrun the East Post through sheer numbers alone, showed this land it's not as godless as it seems, and finally—most importantly—I kept the two pawns you trust most from certain death!"
Fuming, he must have snorted steam, "Do NOT take my transparency as complacency to your rule, King." His tone was poisonous, "Don't take my attempt to work with you and spit in its face." 'Finally. There's that fear you've been hiding deep in your shaded eyes.' He waited, unblinking, for five seconds before scoffing and zipping away. 'Tch, coward.'
The idea of stomaching food wouldn't dare to cross his mind after he left. Heck, he was on his fourth scoff by the time his hand turned the knob to his bedroom door. Pushing it open, he felt a grin slide onto his face at the sight of his descendant peacefully snoozing away in his bed. His hands went to his hips after quietly shutting the door, 'This guy…he's forever something else, isn't he?'
The knight was curled up in the center of the mattress, giving the impression he might have either intentionally fell asleep there or was doing something else before eventually succumbing to it. Time sat on the edge, pinching Link's forelock between his fingers and making it tickle his face. "Link, I'm back," he softly spoke, advancing the hair from his cheeks to his nose.
But he merely pushed his face into the blankets in response.
"Link c'mon. Link!" This was amusing, but he had an idea in mind. "Liii-iiiiiiink. ~" He sang, "I'll have to nibble your fingers off pretty soon."
"Fine, fine." The champion's eyes trudged open, "You had me at singing. I don't even wanna know what you said afterward." This didn't keep him from sitting up, putting an arm around him, and letting out a comfortable sigh as he leaned his head against his shoulder, "Hmph, you still have a decent voice too."
His grin highlighted his sarcasm, "Aw, how sweet." He scooted both of them back to the headboard so he could lean against it. It made it easier to take all of the deadweight Link sloughed onto him, bastard. "Anyways…I wouldn't say it went well, but it didn't go bad."
"What did he ask about?"
"He pretty much had me fill in the gaps from earlier before asking about me and Zelda's relationship and basically telling me that I've influenced you in one way or another that he's not happy about." The Hero held his gaze, "Don't tell me…did it look like I was flirting with her when I was carrying her back? That was just to make her feel better!"
"Well," Link shrugged, sounding nonchalant, "I know you didn't mean anything by it, but it definitely might've looked like you were off to go mess around with her while I third wheeled."
His eyes narrowed, "While you what!? What's that mean?" 'Goddesses above you better not be saying things Cotera would! Or HYLIA!'
He stammered, "U-Uhh, I meant it like as we were walking back!" The champion quickly explained, "Third wheeling is when there are two people that look or act as a pair and then the third person—the third wheel—sort of awkwardly follows them or is walking behind or off to the side of them. So you carrying Zelda made it look like you two were a pair, and then there was me walking beside both of you."
"Phew. Link I was about to be very disappointed in you for implying such things. Anyways, I guess I can see where the King was coming from. Just barely." Time poked his cheek, "What was going on with you before I left?" He chuckled, "You were stressing me out! I didn't wanna go!"
As if cued, Link's head slid off his shoulder and landed in his lap. He rolled onto his side to look at him.
"Pfft, what are you? A dog or cat? What are you doing?" Time snickered as his hand hovered over his head as he pretended to pet him like one. He laughed at it getting bat out of the air.
"Did you forget the part where you had to carry me back?" He yawned, "I'm really tired!" His brows tensed as he got back on topic. It was clear this bothered him, "Anyways, I just couldn't believe the King would say something like that! About me of all people! I sort of…the first thing I thought of was the reality of how holding the Master Sword couldn't keep me from getting thrown in the dungeons, but then how would I be the Princess's appointed knight otherwise? Is he going to have his guards spy on me now? What about you? What would he try to do to you?" He crossed his arms, looking away, "All of these crazy thoughts filled my head, and while they're all pretty much impossible, if there's one thing I know, generally speaking: you don't want to be on the King's bad side. It doesn't bode well." Then a small smile crept onto his face, "Then, all of that thinking made me kinda tired so I might have magically ended up in your bed somehow." He innocently bat his eyelashes at him. "Sorry for worrying you."
Time's expression made it clear that the lash-batting didn't work, "Yeah you might have made me more annoyed at the King before I even talked to him because of that. Though, back on what you said, I presume you have a decent reason to believe he's sent his guards to spy on people so…" He shrugged, "We'll just lie a little low. Did Zelda seem keen on going anywhere else anytime soon?"
The knight shook his head, "No, she wants to focus on filling out her journal and considering the possibilities of the shrine we got into on the Great Plateau." Their eyes met, his voice was low, "Which I know you opened by the way."
"I said maybe," and he wasn't going to own up to more than that. "Speaking of Zelda, what did you say to her when she asked you about running your fingers through my hair?" He added, "If you replied, sorry."
His query turned Link's face a fair shade of pink, "Oh I knew you would hear that!" He hastily flipped the other way, "I told her that it was to help calm you down! And then she asked, 'why that?'" The champion glared back at him, "And I said I sorta remembered it being something my parents did!" He huffed, "My point is that I'm embarrassed and it's your fault. I also realized just how hard it is to juggle telling the truth while trying not to appear like I know too much. Hell, you don't even bother with the truth part half the time either!"
The deity's mouth opened in faux dismay, but he couldn't be mad, "Link, shut the hell up. Don't sass me, compliment me, and shame me all the same time."
He was back to facing him, looking playfully snide, "Yeah well I remember telling you to never make me think so hard ever again and here I was doing it because of you."
"We're just going to skip the part where it was the Princess asking you about this?"
"Yes. Duh."
Now Time crossed his arms, blinking in sarcastic disbelief, "You're unbelievable, truly." He rolled his eyes, "How is that stupid mark I didn't give you?" He frowned, "Link don't hike up your damn—"
"Too late. I wanna know."
'I'm just going to pretend that this doesn't look awful…dear Goddesses.' He peered a bit closer as it came into view, sounding playfully grumpy, "Yay, it's fading. Good for you."
"Ah so that's why I haven't been feeling it all that much." His light blue eyes flicked between his chest and Hero's hand, "Think it'll be weaker this time?"
Time jerked his hand away from him, "I would be very surprised if it wasn't. Why is this your way of trying to get me to touch it again?"
"Okay." Link cocked his head as if he was challenged, "If that's what we're doing, I've got a better question: what did you mean by exciting in the first place?" His expression went from smug to astonished as he witnessed the speed at which the Hero's face turned bright red.
The deity's hands gripped at his face as the scream of a banshee erupted in his mind, 'OhmyGods, ohmyGods, ohmyGODS, OH MY GODS! AAAAAAAAAHH—' His eyes held a low smolder as they gazed down at the knight from between his fingers, "Link…Goddesses. Above…"
"Well you were saying things like 'platonic' and 'mutual,' so," He briefly glanced in the other direction, "I dunno, exciting in what way?"
He took a deep breath. This already hurt. "The…way my mind…" His fingers drummed against his cheeks as came up with the words, "thought of it…at the time…was something along the lines of the fact that you're… different than I. So perhaps…" 'Hylia kill me please.' "…I meant it in the sense that it would be new, I guess. I would be surprised at the unfamiliarity and that makes it exciting…I. Guess."
"Compared to…what?"
He spoke through his teeth, "I don't know. I can barely remember what I had in mind. Probably just new in general if you want to consider it from that angle." Time internally exploded, 'WHY IS HE BLUSHING!?'
Link sat up in surprise, looking him up and down as if he questioned parts of his character. This opened up a different kind of interpretation, "Time! How would that be mutual?!"
He just realized what he implied, "WHOA WHOA, HOLD THE HELL ON!"
Both of their eyes widened as his voice echoed off the walls.
'Thank goodness I don't hear feet running…' "Sorry!" He hissed, speaking softer, "Look! That's not what I meant then, and that's not what I mean now! I'm—very done talking about this!"
The knight pushed his index fingers together, murmuring, "Well now I wonder what you would've done…"
"You are too curious about that." He facepalmed.
"Can you blame me? You pretty much said it's your culture! Of course I want to learn more about it!"
"Link…" He shook his head, "I can tell you now that a lot of it clashes with this one. It seems to me that interacting with people is based around something completely different." 'Like it's more about making each other happy through what we call "intimacy" and they call "respect." Or I guess what I would call respect…'
"Well…I already know what you mean by how they clash together." The knight chuckled, "I thought you were saying something else after kissing me so much, but you really weren't."
"Exactly." The Hero smirked, "And, I'm pretty sure you just got onto me for making you think so hard, and that's something you'd have to do too much of if you want to learn about my dumb culture." His hand went to his chest to show his sincerity, "Really, I'm doing you a favor. You're welcome." He started to shoo him away, "If we're going to lie low, you can't be sleeping over with me as soon as we get back. I have a feeling the Head of Command has some kind of tally."
Link genuinely gasped with a hint of fright in his eyes. His hand went to his mouth. His voice hardly carried, "Dear Hylia…" He rolled out of bed and stood up straighter, pulling down the rest of his tunic, "Ahem! Uh, yeah. Good point."
"Go eat too, I know you haven't yet. Go look like you're buddies with your own squad, captain," Time winked, knowing he stirred a fire of a fluster within him. He was right and he knew it.
He tried too hard to keep himself from smiling, "I really hate you sometimes, Dear Hylia." But he couldn't come up with any quips to fire back at him so, "What time are we going to train together?"
"Mm…I know you're terrible about waking up sometimes, but I think our best bet is the arena before dawn. No one's guarding it that early if I remember correctly."
"Will you come get me if I'm not awake?"
His smile remained as the palm of his hand reacquainted with his forehead, "You know I will."
Link did a mini first pump, "Sweet, I'll see you then!"
'"I did it to help calm him down, Princess,"' Zelda wrote. The sound of her flickering fireplace and the scratches of her pen echoed throughout her large chamber as she murmured to herself, "Which is very interesting that this is your take, Link. He seems to be hot or cold about it at best, never this lukewarm you're suggesting." Which brought her to her next thought, 'Hm, but then I can't help but feel that he knows a lot more than he lets on about the Hero…' She and Impa had been over this before back on the Plateau.
"It'd be no wonder, Princess!" Her friend assured her back in the hotel room, "There's no way Link doesn't know at least some of his secrets!"
"I suppose you have a point." She'd sat her brush on the edge of the vanity once she was finished brushing her hair. Zelda wanted to take her words with a grain of salt, and yet, "He did look at the Temple of Power a couple of times as we walked back from the shrine, but no one was there."
Impa's finger went to her bottom lip, "Yeah that was strange…though I can't blame him for being curious after what happened today. What do you think the both of them did after we left to go—"
VOOSH!
Their door hinges loudly rattled against the door frame as something came racing by. Immediately following this was the sound of a door upstairs swinging open.
They looked at each other in astonishment. Their eyes nearly popped out of their heads.
"What was tha—"
CLANG-A-LANG!
"Is that laughter?" The Princess whispered. Her hand came to her chest as she watched particles of dust fall from the ceiling. 'But it sounds…friendly?'
Back in the present, her lips pressed together in thought, 'So peculiar…though I have to agree with Impa. It makes sense why Link would know the most. From the very beginning, the Hero always appeared naturally drawn to him, but in a way that didn't make much sense when they first met.' She pressed the blunt tip of her pen into her cheek, 'At the same time, it could be that he's a little carefree around new people…or not entirely so.'
Her mind shifted to the more recent events as she continued to write her thoughts, 'If anything, I think I may understand where Purah and Robbie are coming from now. Initially, I thought they were generally implying he wasn't Hylian but…' The image of the Hero's tunic appearing as he was struck by lightning powerful enough to kill someone hadn't left her mind. 'It felt like something else was standing in front of me in those moments. I…I guess I never really considered the perspective where he could be a kind of demigod…' Her pen tapped the page, 'His time…maybe that's how powerful Hylians used to be? Something tells me that's likely not the case, but it's still hard to believe he's not naturally strong or magical based on the things he's shown he can do.' A lock of hair fell over her shoulders as her head shook with uncertainty, 'Honestly, I'm unsure of how all of this makes me feel. Especially since Impa mentioned the woman in white she saw him with…'
Zelda recalled the sight and sounds of the bright beams cutting through the monsters in front of the Hero, 'Right…the Master Sword can shoot beams? Why can't Link do that? Is that what he meant earlier when he mentioned training? Can he do it now?' She turned the page, 'I feel a little bad for thinking this, but it almost feels like it knocks him down closer to me in terms of how capable we are at completely fulfilling our roles in this prophecy.' This was met with a sigh, 'We'd completely be on the same level if the Master Sword rejected him the same way these powers seem to reject me…' The subject of powers brought her back to the genius' odd presumptions, 'If the Hero of Time is really this demigod or completely divine being like they seem to suspect…that would explain a lot but…how? The mask?'
A new thought crossed into her thinking sphere, 'Maybe he's lying about how he perceives his fusion with the mask? I wonder if Link would know the answer to that…maybe not.' However, the wise words of the Gerudo Chief returned, '"I think it wise to not meddle with the secrets of Heroes."' Another sigh escaped her, 'She's right…I can have my own personal thoughts and opinions, but it would be best if he brings it up on his own. It's obvious how much it annoys him when he's pressed for answers. I'm the same way. I certainly don't want to become someone like that in his eyes either.'
Finally, her head rested in her left palm as she considered the Hero's words about her father, 'Does he really see me as a…a pawn? Truly just a piece on the chess board to be commanded by those above, the first to be cast aside?' Doubt stirred in her stomach, 'That doesn't feel right. It's not as if he's been pushing me for all of these years to train, mainly since that fortune teller told us of the prophecy. I wonder where she's been since then…I wish I could've asked her questions instead of having to leave so quickly…' Her eyes fell to her lap, 'I can't deny that I would've been annoyed with him had he not said he'd just now thought this much of my father. It would've hurt to know he'd keep such a robust—and admittedly well thought out—sentiment to himself. Especially since it truly adds some sense to why my father is so adamant about my powers awakening.'
She had to give the Hero of Time credit, 'I was impressed with his reasoning skills before, but I'll admit I'm very impressed now. I wonder where he got it from? I believe I recall him saying he grew up in a forest.' The Princess recognized his more cautious nature as well, 'I have to wonder if he's going through something, though. I wonder if Link knows. I wonder if it has to do with this "long story" he refuses to tell but seemingly has to do with why he looked so young before.' Zelda closed her journal with a yawn.
'I wonder if he'll ever tell me.'
Authors's Note:
I thought it'd be nice to end off with Zelda's perspective on some of the recent events! Haha, Link's courage to stick with his curiosities will be the end of him one of these days XD