Hateno

Link brought her to Hateno, and was graced with a shove and a look of scorn.

"Moving a lady without permission. You had better have a very good reason for that," she warned him.

"We might be the ones feeling like we are in a bubble soon," Zelda said from behind her, "and we are going to need you up front to help us."

She gave her a weird look. "You ordered Link to take me to ensure I can survive to help save the world?" Then, she looked away. "There will be time. Everyone will make it."

"I can't take that risk," Zelda answered. "The enemy gave us two days, but I don't trust the enemy. The most important, as fast as possible first."

"Jonah. Robbie. Lookout Landing. They will all make it. They can at least make it to the ruins. But, Lurelin Village. Tarry Town. All those spaces between. How are we going to . . ."

"I'll get who I can from there," Link answered. "It's importance and distance."

"But-"

"If something goes off while I'm out, we have you and Zelda." He didn't have time to argue. The micro tremors took two hours for Gerudo but the area was smaller with less density. It should take longer to take so much of Hyrule.

He grabbed Lurelin Villagers first, explaining the situation briefly and taking them one by one to Hateno. He grabbed a few people he knew in isolated spots. He grabbed Beetle, and gave him the two new beetles he had.

Hateno was filled with a lot of people now. More had come that Link didn't drop off either, the towers had their own warning system. Anyone nearby would check it and spread the word. It wasn't perfect, but it was working. Clover was giving them plenty of time too. Probably to look charitable before he took away everything else.

Link watched a kid pull on their mother's dress. "Momma? When do we get to go home again? I want my toys."

He couldn't bring anything but people. As it got later, he knew who else he needed to retrieve now. He brought his odd friend that a lot of people kept backing away from. "It's okay, he's fine," he tried to tell them. They weren't budging.

Koltin didn't seem to mind. He just sat there in his balloon, rearranging his stuff in the moonlight.

The inn put up some people, but couldn't fit everyone. Blankets and pillows were donated. Some people opened up their homes.

But more people came trekking in. Hyrule may have been smaller, and didn't have as many villages, but it's citizens were scattered all over. One by one, they were each trying to make it to safey bringing their familes with them.

Link imagined Kakariko was just as busy, giving Impa something to fuss about. So far though, he hadn't seen a single Korok or Hestu. He brought back the stable trotter people, almost forgot them. They weren't paying much attention to anything but their music practice.

Then oddly, he saw Impa making the trek there? "Impa? Kakariko is safe."

"Yes, I know, but I'm here to help," Impa insisted. "Paya is handling Kakariko, I want to be here to discuss things with you and Zelda."

"At this time?" It was two in the morning. Half the town was asleep that could sleep.

"I don't care, I'm here to help," she insisted.

"There's no time to discuss anything, we are trying to-" Impa put her hand up, silencing him. It only worked for a moment. "There is limited time."

"Then why are you stopping to pick flowers?"

Flowers? Link looked at his hand. He was picking more silent princess' again. "I didn't know I did that again. I'm running on instinct, we have to get things done."

"Picking silent princesses is on your instinct?" she asked.

Oh, no time. "I'm off to check another stable. Zelda is somewhere around here." While he moved to and fro though, he knew what she meant. He knew why he was doing that, and even though everyone was going through a trying time?

Something else needed to be done. He found Impa again. "Could you help get things ready? I'll ask Zelda soon, we don't have time to figure out everything."

Impa just smiled at him, knowing what he was talking about. "It would be an honor, Link."

He handed her the flowers, now navigating with some new tasks too.

Impa just watched everyone to and fro while she held a mess of flowers. Things were a catastrophe trying to be managed by the two people she needed to stay still. Even Link's instinct was telling him it though.

She found a band with several instruments. They were playing so that people felt better. Although it was two in the morning, there were more people up than asleep, and the sounds helped them.

But, she would have to take that sound away. She approached them. "Would you be willing to help an old woman out?" She led them more away from the town, as she heard the next devastating news.

"Linnky!" Purah was running around trying to find Link and Zelda. She managed to find Zelda who calmed her down enough to get her to explain. "Princess, we need to contact them!"

"Link can, he'll be back in a moment," Zelda said, not overreacting.

She stayed near his medallion area, while Impa continued to lead the players away. They asked Impa if she had a request. She told them yes and gave them some details. They eagerly stayed right there.

She went back to the middle where she saw Link come back with another person, and two torches. He handed the two torches to her without a word. He met in the middle where he saw Zelda. "Zelda, I need to ask you something soon."

"It's now beating under Zora's Domain and Goron City and Rito Village, and everywhere else," she said to him. "It's beating everywhere but Gerudo and our safe spots over here."

Link nodded and pulled out Zelda's stone. "I'll contact the others." He gave the word to the sages and put it away. "Oh. Hudson?"

"Yes, there will be much construction needed," Zelda agreed. "Oh, just explain losing a lot of Hyrule to them. Don't tell Hudson or Rhondson about Mattison yet. Broken hearts are imminent, I want them safely here when we have to break theirs."

"I'll go get the Sons then."

Impa waited. Link brought back two people, and a third. She moved toward the third. She could tell what his role had been. Eventually she would find one of those. "Would you be willing to help an old lady?" She led him a little more outside too.

"Three of my potions are missing!" Purah said as she came toward Impa.

"Well, I didn't take them. Look at me? I prefer my wrinkles," Impa said toward her.

"They weren't the best ones anyhow. They were better than the one that turned me into a kid, but boy, one of them only lasts a year, and the other two just lasts a few hours. Why would someone want something useless like that?" Purah looked around. "What are you doing over here? Too packed over there for you?"

"Something like that. I need some blue for this area. Does your old tech lab have some blue material or items? Various shades," Impa insisted.

Purah looked at her oddly. She looked toward the band, and toward the other person there. Then her face lit up. "I'll get some pretty blue things."

Sidon. Yona. Tulin and his family. Yunobo. Link even eventually found Riju on the very borders of Gerudo. Many zoras had already arrived. The Rito could fly themselves. The Gorons would probably need help.

"Link, come over here for a second," he heard from Impa.

He headed over toward her, wondering what other trouble she had. He saw Zelda getting led by Purah. Oh, it was this now. Shoot, he still didn't even ask her yet.

"Just a moment, Purah, more blankets and pillows need to be found," Zelda insisted as she looked toward Impa. "Hello, Impa."

"Hello. Go ahead and start."

Link watched the Stable 'Heroes' start playing a merry tune. Then Kapson started talking.

Zelda had been shoved to his side, and Purah gave her a bouquet of silent princesses. "What is this?"

"What do you think?" Impa insisted as she gave a torch to Purah. "You need to take a little time now before rushing off again to get married."

"What? Impa this is not a good time-" Zelda started.

"There is someone out there that is taking a good portion of everything for their own selfish time desires. With desire is power, and with power is desire. You are the unwed princess, are you not?"

Yeah, Link needed to say something. "I collected the silent princess'. My instinct did it, Zelda. I run a lot on instinct in emergencies. Once Impa pointed it out, I knew why I did that. I had her get things ready while we worked."

"Why was that in your instinct?" Zelda asked. "Is it because of what father said about marriage? Father doesn't know best, Link."

"King Rhoam, no, but the Old Man does," Link said to her. He grasped her hand. "Ever since he looked at me and said that, it's been ringing in my mind. It's right next to cut wood for kindling to make fires and cooked food helps more than raw." He didn't want to say it, but he had to. "Princess Zelda? Someone is taking over Hyrule, we don't know all his motives, we don't trust him, he is superpowerful and mad, you are unwed, you hold the power of the kingdom, he wants into royalty, and you get one wedding."

"You have been thinking about this. Well? Um?" Zelda looked toward Purah who seemed quite excited. "I did say to wear your new champion's tunic."

Link looked at his tunic. "I'm dressed."

"Today of all days," She sighed.

"Yes, it's a terrible day, so let's give the people something to believe in. Like the royals getting married. Go ahead and continue. You can tell Link everything he signed up for after it's done. Band, restart the song," Impa insisted.

Yeah, with Impa putting it like that? It felt more like it was an act of preparation. It was fine to marry the princess, they were preparing for the future. An unknown future. Unknown intentions with a force that he couldn't accurately predict.

"We are gathered here today to join Zelda and Link in matrimony," Kapson began again. "Link. Before the eyes of these witnesses and before those of the Goddess Hylia do you take Zelda to be your wife, to have and to hold, in good times and in bad?"

"I am her Chosen Bodyguard, I will always be there when she needs me."

"Good, good," Kapson continued. "Zelda? Do you take Link as your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health? And do you also vow to name your children in accordance with the Bolson Construction naming guidelines?"

"History needs a Zelda," Impa interrupted him, handing him a different piece of parchment. "Read that instead, this is a royal wedding. A little different."

"Zelda? Do you take your Link as your one and only prince, to share your blue glow, in ecstacy your gold glow, and in pregnancy your green glow?"

Zelda paused. "I trust Link with everything that I have."

"Okay. Light the torches?" Kapson watched as Purah lit a torch beside Zelda, and Sidon lit a torch over by Link.

"Getting married over in a corner without telling anyone, Link?" Sidon said to him with a smile. "I understand. All of Hyrule would be fighting for a spot near here."

Link held his torch. Zelda passed her bouquet to Purah and held the other torch. She held it an angle.

"Hold the torches to each other, and let the royal fires commence," Kapson read.

Link held the torch at an angle and touched Zelda's torch. It turned a blue similar to the old sheikah power. He looked at the sides of his torch too as it started to glow. The glow ran down the torch over his hand and arm.

He looked at his other arm, and at his feet. He glanced toward Zelda. She had a small glow too.

"Now raise your torches against each other in the air, and engage with your first royal kiss."

Link had his torch already raised, but he watched Zelda reach higher. Straight higher. They were now above them, and out of the way for the royal . . . kiss. Things were messed up enough, he didn't want to do the princess wrong, so he tried to place the smallest kiss he could.

But Zelda moved faster against him, planting herself in an awkward, but much better kissing position. Maybe the royal kiss couldn't be chaste? Maybe she didn't want to be as chaste? Either way, he listened to the rest of the citation as he wrapped his arms around her better so she wouldn't fall in that position.

Kapson went back to his original script. "And so, dearly beloved, please help me in greeting this newly married couple. I wish this new couple nothing but the utmost happiness as they set out on this journey of marital bliss."

There was lots of applause behind them. That was probably long enough for the kiss? Well, Zelda was still kissing him, so maybe it wasn't.

"The ceremony ended," Impa said to them. "Glow gold on your own time."

Zelda instantly let go. Darn. He watched her glare at Purah.

"It was just a little bump of congratulations," Purah said to her. "Congratulations, Princess Zelda."

Oh. That's why Zelda rushed that kiss? That just made that whole thing not what the princess wanted. But? She was holding onto the kiss. "Was that per regulations, Princess?"