"Hello?" Zelda called into the inn's lobby as she pushed open one of the front doors. "Prima? Are you up?"
"You know I am, Zelda," Prima's voice echoed from somewhere in the large building. After a few moments of rustling, she appeared heading down the staircase with an armful of sheets in her arms. "Good morning. Did you have a good time connecting with your lover last night after you left?"
"I did! I feel as though we bonded together quite nicely after everything that's—" Zelda began as she stepped into the lobby, closing the large door behind her. After the door clicked through, she paused and her cheeks began to glow red. "Prima!"
"No, no. Go on," the clerk grinned as she set the sheets on top of the front desk's surface. "I'm very interested."
"If you're so interested, why don't you go find a romantic interest of your own?" Zelda fumed as she walked toward the counter. "Then you can stop teasing me about my own affairs."
"Oh, trust me, that'll never stop," Prima assured her, something Zelda frowned at. "Now, what have you come here for? Do you plan to start coming back to work today?"
"Actually, I need to tell you something," Zelda replied, but before she could explain further, the clerk spoke up.
"You're leaving," she said. Zelda blinked.
"You knew?" she asked, to which the clerk nodded.
"Did you think a drunk Celessa would be able to contain her excitement when you gave her your thoughts on potential restoration?" she asked rather loudly.
"Sorry!" Celessa's voice yelled down from up the stairs.
"So you... know," Zelda asked. Prima nodded.
"Yeah, I know," she confirmed, beginning to fold the sheets she had placed on the counter.
"And what do you think?"
Prima hummed thoughtfully as her hands continued to quickly move, folding each layer of sheets one after another.
"I think it would be good for business in the long run," she said. "It's a quiet town here— at least, it usually is— but restoration could bring in more travelers, which means more business. I'd support it. I think you have some work to do before starting though, like fixing your relationship with your knight and coming to terms with a few things of your own."
"You're definitely right about that," Zelda agreed. "I can at least recognize I have some issues I need to resolve before anything, but that's part of why I'm leaving today—"
"Today?" Celessa's voice came from upstairs again. A loud rustling and thumping began to echo from up the second floor before the self-proclaimed pilgrim appeared dashing down the staircase before coming to a halt next to the inn's clerk. "You're already leaving?"
"I am," Zelda said. "Link is leaving as well."
"He's going with you?" Celessa asked. "But, isn't the other reason you were leaving was to—?"
"He's going on a separate journey," Zelda corrected. "We're going our separate ways for now."
Celessa gave her a confused look before glancing over at Prima, who simply shrugged.
"Does that mean you two aren't together anymore?" she asked, something that took Zelda entirely by surprise.
"Not at all! We still very much are together," she clarified. "We both simply have things to do. We plan to meet back up as soon as possible."
"I see... So, that means you're traveling alone, then?" Celessa asked, but Zelda shook her head.
"Actually, I was going to ask if you'd like to come with me," she invited kindly. "If you'd like, that is—"
"Of course, I would!" Celessa answered happily, clapping her hands together. "A chance to go on a journey with the princess of legend herself? I'd be a fool to decline such an offer."
"That's certainly one way of putting it," Zelda chuckled, but after only a few moments, she turned and gave Prima a guilty look. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone. I'm not sure when I'll be back to help out here with the inn..."
"Don't worry about that, I've already got your work covered," Prima said. "I figured it wouldn't be long until you left thanks to this one rambling yesterday, so—"
"I'll be covering you until you get back."
Everyone looked back and up at the middle of the staircase to see Jules, who was leaning over the railing looking down at them.
"Are you sure?" Zelda asked as Jules stepped down to the lobby floor. "I feel like you've done enough for me already."
"It doesn't have to be for you," she answered, coming to a stop next to Celessa. "I need something to do, and it gets me a free bed. I'm not made of rupees, so it works out. I need a job, even if it's just temporary. So you and Link are going off on your own for a bit, huh?"
"That's the plan," Zelda nodded. "I think I'm going to try what we talked about last night. I think it's best to consult with Impa, the elder in Kakariko, to discuss it further before setting it in motion. I think that would truly help him and me."
"I hope it does," Jules answered, folding her arms. "If you get out of hand though, I'll come and give you a hard time again."
"I wouldn't expect, nor would I want, anything else," Zelda answered with a smile.
To both Celessa's and Prima's surprise, the two stepped forward and wrapped their arms around each other.
"You've got my support if you really think it's time to start rebuilding your old kingdom," Jules said softly. "You definitely have work to do, but after everything I saw... I know you care, and I know you'll get it done."
"I can only do that with everyone's guidance," Zelda said. "I learned that from you. It won't be my kingdom, but all of ours."
After a few moments, the two pulled back.
"Okay... Celessa, I plan to leave in an hour or so," Zelda said. "That'll be enough time to pack your things, right?"
"Yeah, absolutely," Celessa said. "Shall I meet you at the village entrance?"
"I think that'll be best," Zelda answered. With a nod, Celessa hurried back up the stairs.
"She is so excited... You really are her hero," Prima said, watching as the pilgrim disappeared up the stairs before turning to Jules. "Well, if you're working for me now, you better grab a broom. We've got a few things to go over."
"Starting now? Already?" Jules asked. With a sigh, she placed her hands on her hips. "I guess why wait for the inevitable? Where do you want me to start?"
"The dining hall, please," Prima said. "I'll check your work in a bit."
"Got it..."
With that, Jules headed off and into the dining hall, leaving Prima and Zelda alone in the lobby.
"Okay then," the clerk said to her original employee. "I guess you'll be off now."
"Yes, I will, but... Um, Prima?"
"What is it, Zelda?" Prima asked.
"I... Thank you," she said. "For everything. You took me in, even when the village was nervous about me, and kept me around when things got hard, along with so much more. I don't know how I'll ever repay you."
"You don't have to repay me or anything. It was nice just to work with you..." Prima began but trailed off when she noticed Zelda was shaking her head in denial.
"You know I can't accept that," she said. "Someday I'll have to. You've done too much for me."
"Someday, you say? Hm..." Prima hummed thoughtfully.
After folding the last of the sheets, she added the cloth to the stack she had created before placing her hand on top of it.
"My father," she said. "Leop, I'm sure you've met him before. He sits outside on the stool. His parents told him of the era before the Calamity. How prosperous the kingdom of Hyrule was under the Royal family of the time."
"He told me," Zelda said, "though, from what he told me, his parents weren't too fond of me, though..."
"Well, he's fond of you," Prima said, "and it's been a dream of his to see that kingdom return, even if he doesn't say it out loud. If you can bring the kingdom back and put a smile on my father's face, that'll be payment enough. That's not too much to ask for, is it?"
Zelda smiled softly.
"Not at all," she answered. "I just hope I can live up to his and your grandparent's expectations."
"It won't be easy," Prima said. "Some people may be against it, even if just a few."
"Then I'll just have to convince them with my actions, won't I?" Zelda asked.
"Yeah... Right, it's my turn. Come here," Prima said, holding out her arms. Giggling, Zelda stepped forward, allowing the two to tightly embrace. "We'll be waiting for you, so you better come back soon, alright?"
"I will," Zelda said, hugging her employer tighter.
"And make sure you drag Link back too," Prima said. "You two bring some life to this place. We need you."
Feeling the nod Zelda gave her in response, the two pulled back.
"Alright, get out of here before I put you to work," she said. "Go on, go. Shoo."
Giggling again, Zelda turned and hurried to the double front doors. Grabbing the handle, she tugged one of them open. She looked back at the inn, glancing at the staircase that led to the second floor, to the desk and bookshelves of the lobby, then the dining hall door, until landing on Prima herself, who smiled at her. Returning the smile, and giving the clerk a little wave, she stepped out into the snow and slowly closed the door behind her.
...
"Sooooooo, what you're telling me is that you and Zelda are leaving?" Purah asked, tapping her pencil against her cheek as she stood on her stool, looking at the knight that sat on the opposite side of her messy work table. "You're off to do whatever it is the Master Sword wants, and she's off to think of ways to possibly restore the kingdom, along with doing something for you, yes?"
"That's the gist of it, yeah," Link said.
"And you're sure she'll be fine on her own?" Purah asked. "After aaaaaall we've seen these last few days?"
"I can't lie and say that isn't quite a concern, the princess going off through these lands on her own," Symin spoke up from his bookshelf across the room. "With all that happened with the Yiga, the monsters, and what you've seen at the castle. Do you really believe she won't be in any danger?"
"She'll definitely be in danger," Link answered, "and I'm nervous about it. But, I need to have faith in her. Besides, you try to stop Zelda when she puts her mind to something. I'll give you some advice, it isn't easy."
"Miss Purah?" Symin asked, turning his attention to the child in the room. The director sat quietly before shrugging her small shoulders.
"If that's what she wishes, then there's nothing we can do," she said. "Things were bound to turn this way eventually. If she believes it's time to start considering her title, even if we're just in the beginning stages, then she needs to show she can handle what'll be thrown at her. That's especially true if the Master Sword is still giving signs that we're approaching something in the future."
"If that's what the sword is saying, then shouldn't we wait?" Symin said, but Purah shook her head.
"Do you think a kingdom can thrive only in peace?" she asked. "A kingdom must be strong enough to take on whatever is thrown at it, or it'll fall. Rebuilding in peace may be easier, but rebuilding now will show just how strong we are as a civilization."
"You say that, but... We fell a hundred years ago," Symin said. "What happens if it's similar to before?"
"Then we're wiped out," Purah said. "If anything, it's almost a necessity that we rebuild now. I didn't wanna push her, but it's actually more than a good thing that she's starting to consider Hyrule's future. Besides, this will make things a bit more exciting for me."
"Exciting?" Link asked. "In what regard?"
"My research," Purah said excitedly, jumping onto the table and causing papers to fly around. "Linky, do you remember a hundred years ago how Robbie and I were put in charge of finding the ancient relics of our kind to use against the Calamity Ganon?"
"Y-yeah, I do," Link said, somewhat taken aback by Purah's sudden burst in energy.
"At first, I thought the idea of ancient tech was nonsense," she said, now pacing along the table. "Sure, there were stories about such creations we Sheikah had built before, but the idea of the divine beasts, huge with unimaginable power? There was no way it was possible, and yet—"
She jumped again and pointed the end of her pencil at the knight's nose.
"There they were!" she said. "Just as the stories had said— no— even greater than the stories! The divine beasts, the guardians, the shrines... all of them were just... just... a huge discovery!"
Taking a deep breath, the researcher collected herself. Turning her back to Link, she glanced over at the terminal that sat in the room.
"I miss that feeling," she said. "Braving into the unknown to learn about our past, and using it to make our lives better. The pursuit of knowledge. Yes, the time leading up to the Calamity was stressful, but those feelings I had when researching the unknown... They were amazing. After the Calamity, Robbie and I were relegated to these small towns, forced to work on these little projects, knowing full well there was more out there to uncover."
She turned and looked back at Link.
"The Master Sword, the new form of malice you told us about, whatever King Rhoam said about what lies under the castle..." she said. "I want to see our kingdom prosper again, and I want to continue my work. There's so much that I want to look into— so much to discover. If Zelda is choosing to walk that path, then this old researcher is ready."
"Purah..." Link mumbled. Allowing her words to sink in, he smiled before standing. "Yeah. You know she'll support all of that. Not even support, she'll want to actively research with you."
"I know she will, so she best be ready," Purah said, twirling her pencil. "Princess or not, I'll make sure she brings back results."
"So, you're alright with this?" Symin asked.
"I sure am," Purah said, turning to meet Symin's worried gaze. "Come on, Symin. Don't tell me you aren't excited to learn more about Hyrule's history, hm?"
"I... would be lying if I said I wasn't," Symin said, adjusting his glasses. "Right. Then I wish you the best of luck, Link. Give the princess my regards, and return home safely."
"We will. Thank you both," Link said. Before anything more could be said, there was a sudden knock at the door.
"Hello! Old lady Purah!" Teli's voice called from outside. "I've got a delivery from Prima! It's your box of drinks!"
"Perfect timing. Open the door for him, would you, Linky?" Purah asked, pointing her pencil toward the door. Obeying Purah's command, Link moved and opened the door, allowing the silver-haired Hylian to step in, carrying a wooden box in his hands.
"Thank you," he said, placing the box down on the table. "Here you are Purah. Hey there, Symin. And Link! Good to see you, my dashing fellow."
"No time for greetings, Teli!" Purah said. "I'm sending you to Robbie's."
"Uh, what?" Teli asked, raising an eyebrow as he met Purah's eyes. "To Robbie's? As in now?"
"As in now, and I'll need you to make it snappy," she said. "I'll be writing a note for him, and sending some materials. We've got plans to write up if what Linky here just said is true, so get to packing!"
"W-wait, hold on! This is quite sudden," Teli said.
"It sure is, but aren't you supposed to be a merchant? I haven't seen you leave the village in months, nor have you been collecting the guardian parts we need," Purah said, something that made Teli flinch in guilt. "See? Now go on, get!"
"I guess my easy days during the winter have run out," Teli whined to himself as he headed to the door. "Well... money was getting tight anyway. I guess this is for the best."
"And you follow him," Purah said, pointing her pencil at Link again. "The sooner you leave and figure out what's up with the sword, the sooner we can begin our plans. We need to be up and ready for the day the princess gives us the word!"
"Already calling her 'the princess' again, huh?" Link said with a chuckle. "Alright then, I'll be heading out. And... thank you again, Purah. I won't let you down."
"You better not," Purah said with a wink and a smile. "I'll be counting on you. We all will be."
...
"For three bundles of arrows? That'll be 60 rupees," Pruce said at the front counter of the East Wind general store. "I haven't seen you buy so many arrows in a while, Link. Are you going on another venture into the wilderness?"
"You could say that," Link said, digging into the pouch that sat behind him on his belt. "I think it's time I got out there again."
"You sure are the adventure type, aren't you?" Pruce chuckled as he watched Link place three red rupees on the counter. "While I understand, it's good having you in town, along with Zelda. You two really do brighten this quiet town up."
"Thanks, Pruce," Link said with a kind smile. "We'll be back soon."
With that, he walked out of the general store and out into the snow, stepping carefully past the young woman who swept the storefront.
"Bye, Link!" the store owner's daughter said cheerfully as he walked by.
"See ya, Ivee," he answered, giving her a quick wave.
"Taking your leave?"
Surprised to hear the familiar voice, Link turned to see the mayor walking through the snow toward him.
"Mayor Reede," Link said. "Yeah, both Zelda and I are."
"I see," Reede replied. "I hope you two come back soon. We'll miss having you around."
"We'll be back for sure," Link answered. "Actually, I'm sure when we get back, Zelda will want to talk to you about something. She's thinking of restoration."
"Restoration, you say? Of our old kingdom?" he asked. Link nodded. "Well, I'd say it's about time."
"Really?" Link asked, somewhat surprised by the mayor's answer. Reede nodded.
"If you remember, when she first arrived, I was ready to give her the title of mayor," he said. "But, I do believe the title of princess suits her more. I hope she knows Hateno will have her full support, I'll make sure of that."
"Thanks, Reede," Link said. "You gave us a home again. If it weren't for you, I dunno where we'd be."
"You know you two will always have a home here," Reede said, placing a hand on Link's shoulder. "I'll have Clavia tend to your house while you're gone; make sure it gets a good sweeping every now and then so it doesn't get too dusty in there. We hope to see you two return soon."
Receiving another nod from Link in appreciation, the mayor removed his hand from his shoulder, and with a wave, headed off back toward the rest of the village. After watching Reede disappear into town, Link turned and headed up, ready to pass the fork in the road that would take him up to his house sitting on the mountainside.
...
"And there... we... go," Link said, buckling the shoulder straps to the leather padding of his Hylian tunic.
Adjusting the tunic that now covered his body, he looked over to the Sheikah Slate that sat on the nightstand of the loft and took it in hand. After a few taps to brighten the screen and slide through its menus, in a flash of blue, a sword appeared in his hands. It was a broadsword, one that was used by the knights from a time before. Placing it on his back, along with a knight's shield, he placed the slate on his hip before heading to the staircase. Before he could reach them though, he stopped.
The picture that sat on the wall, showing the still image of him and his companions from over a hundred years ago, had caught his eye. Stepping forward, he stared at the picture, inspecting each and every face of those he lost before eventually landing on the two in the center, he and the princess of the time.
"Link? Are you up there?" Zelda called from the first floor. "You made the bed, right? I don't want to leave it messy right before we leave!"
"It's made," he called back down.
"Then are you ready? We agreed we'd leave together, didn't we?"
"Yeah, just... Give me a moment," Link called again. After saying this, his ears pricked up as he heard her steps growing louder as she came up the stairs.
"Is everything alright?" Zelda asked, only to have her question answered the moment she stepped onto the loft. Gently, she smiled. "Saying goodbye, are we?"
"You could say that," Link answered as Zelda came to his side.
"I miss them too," she said quietly, wrapping her arms around one of his. "The same way I'll miss you while we're away."
"I'll miss you too," Link said softly. "It's gonna be kinda weird not having you around."
"I could say the same about you," Zelda replied. "You've been by my side for so long, even before the Calamity."
"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Link asked, glancing at her.
"I'll be fine. Celessa is coming with me," she answered. "I'm more worried about you."
"Yeah, I'd be more worried about me too, honestly," Link chuckled.
"Are you sure you'll be able to handle the trials the sword has waiting for you?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," Link said thoughtfully, "but, there's only one way to find out."
"I guess so," Zelda said. The two stood quietly in front of the picture, staring into the eyes of those who were gone but not forgotten, before she continued. "I believe we should start leaving. We'll keep Celessa waiting at this rate."
"Yeah. Right," Link agreed.
After taking another moment to stare at the picture, they both headed down the stairs. Stopping at the door, they turned and looked at the house they had gotten so used to living in the past few months. They looked at the weapons hanging on the walls, and the dining table that sat in the center (now void of their old decorations that had been shattered) before looking up at the loft. Allowing a few moments to pass, Link turned and opened the door, letting Zelda through first before following after.
"You're meeting Celessa at the gate, right?" he asked as he closed the door after them. Zelda nodded.
"She might be waiting there for me now," she said. "So we really shouldn't be long. Did you get Epona and Storm from the stables near the duel peaks?"
"I did," Link answered. "I actually left them at the village entrance, so that works out. Before we go though, here."
He reached down toward his belt, and with a light tug, he pulled the ancient piece of technology free from its clasp.
"Take it," he said. Zelda gave him a confused look.
"What? No, Link, I couldn't," she said. "You've had this on you for so long. I have Celessa, so you should keep the slate—"
"Take it," Link said again. "Trust me, I'll be alright. In fact, I think I'd prefer to ride for my entire journey. I'm sure you'll be going to more places than I will, so fast travel will help you more. Plus, if either you or Celessa need weapons, then you'll have spares in there. I'll be able to find my own when needed, I promise."
Zelda frowned at him but looked down at the slate he held out to her.
"You're positive?" she asked. When he nodded, she reluctantly took the slate from his hand.
"It was carried by you originally anyway a hundred years ago," he said. "If anything, I'm just returning it."
"Alright then. If you insist..." Zelda said. "Though, if I'm taking this, then there's something I want to ask you."
"And that is?" Link asked curiously.
"Well, if you wouldn't mind, would you... would you show me how to ride your divine beast?" she asked, allowing some of her excitement to flare in her eyes. "You rode it before, yes? I never got to see it, and to be honest, I'd very much like to ride it, if that's alright with you."
"Uh, yeah," Link said, caught off by the sudden request. "Yeah, sure."
"Oh, yes!" Zelda said excitedly, bouncing on her toes at the thought. She tapped the screen and swiped through the menus before giving it a tap. The small divine beast appeared in front of them, forming from the river of blue lights that flew out of the slate. "So? How is it operated?"
Link watched as she hurried to the horse-shaped beast, watching as she eagerly looked it up and down before chuckling.
"Here, get on it," he said, stepping toward her. "Swing your leg over it— yup, like that. Okay, you see those things on each side? The bar things? Those are the reins."
"These things?" Zelda asked from the saddle, gripping each handlebar tightly.
"Careful," Link said. "Those are how you move forward. You twist that one to move forward, and that one to stop. It's not like a horse; it'll listen to every command you give it and only those, so you need to really be careful and watch what you're doing. I stopped paying attention, thinking it would guide itself like a real horse. That's how I went off the mountain."
"Really? I might like this more than a horse then..." Zelda mumbled.
"Don't say that, you'll make Storm sad," Link said. Though Zelda nodded, he knew she wasn't paying him any mind. Honestly, he couldn't blame her entirely. She always had rotten luck with horses. It was amazing she was okay with Storm and Epona. "Now be careful of the stirrup down there. That'll make it jump."
"Jump?" Zelda asked.
"Jump," Link repeated. "Now, if you twist that rein, it'll move. Go ahead and give it a light twist."
"A light twist..." Zelda muttered. "Like, this—?"
She did as instructed and twisted the handle, yet nothing happened. Confused, she looked down at the handle, where she noticed the needle sitting at its center sitting on "E". If she remembered correctly, that was what she and Purah had worked on when she first arrived in the village.
"It seems to be out of energy," Zelda said.
"Out of energy?" Link asked. "I guess I did ride it pretty far when I left for the castle... Here, give me the slate. I'll feed it."
Obeying, Zelda handed the slate to him, allowing him to tap the screen and open the menu.
"If I remember correctly, there should be an opening on this side," she said, pointing to one side of the bike. "You should be able to fill it there."
"Here?" Link asked. He reached down and felt around for a moment before pulling, opening a hatch to the beast's stomach. "Ah, found it. Alright, I'm feeding it."
"Wait a moment, do you know what to feed it?" Zelda asked, twisting her torso to look back at him.
"Of course," Link said. "It's modeled after a horse, so I'm feeding it apples."
"Apples?" Zelda asked in horror. "Link! This is an ancient piece of technology! It won't run on something like apples—"
She stopped. To her surprise, when the red fruit entered the beast's stomach, its eyes brightened and its insides began to vibrate. Confused, she looked back at the needle, which had now moved to the opposite side of the E.
"That... worked..." she said in shock as Link closed the hatch.
"I'm not sure why you thought it wouldn't," Link replied, handing the slate back to her. "It's still basically a horse."
"There are so many things wrong with that," Zelda said before placing her hands back on the handlebars. "Alright then... You said twist this one to move forward, yes?"
"Yeah, but be careful because—"
The moment she twisted her wrist, the beast blasted forward and Zelda— with a gleeful cheer— was taken along with it.
"Wai— Zelda, hold on!" Link shouted, though either she hadn't heard or stopped listening to him entirely as she rode the beast toward the bridge. "Zelda, be careful! Zelda!"
Realizing she wasn't going to stop, Link bolted after her. Unfortunately for him, she was much faster. She was over the hill and had passed the Bolson Construction Company display houses before disappearing out of sight. As hard as he tried to keep up, he ran out of breath near the blocky, colorful houses.
"I... probably would have been able to keep up if it weren't for these injuries," Link gasped between breaths, putting his hands on his knees. "I hope she'll be able to stop..."
"Why that was quite a sight, baby," a flamboyant voice said nearby. Tiredly, Link turned to see the village's master carpenter standing in front of one of the display houses. "I've never seen anyone move that fast before."
"Yeah, it's a... whole thing," Link said, waving Zelda and her beast away. "What are you doing out here, Bolson?"
"Me? Oh, I'm just taking a good ol' looky at these houses here," Bolson said in his tuned voice. "They were display houses for the company, but it might be high time I actually put them up for sale. I'm retiring, so there isn't much use to promote a finished company, if you get what I'm saying."
"Boss!" a much younger voice called out.
Both Link and Bolson turned to look down the path to see a young man running toward them, waving at the master carpenter as he grew closer. He was a plain-looking individual, with a blue jacket similar to the one Bolson wore, just without the striped colorful lining. While he knew he worked for Bolson's construction, what Link mostly remembered him for was sitting in front of his house along with his boss a few months back.
"My, my," Bolson practically sang. "Lookie who it is. Welcome back, Karson."
"Good to be back, sir. You won't believe what I just saw going down the road. It was crazy fast," Karson said as he came to a stop in front of the two. "Good afternoon, Link."
"Have you completed your job for me, Karson?" Bolson asked as Link nodded in greeting.
"I did," Karson said. "I told Hudson in Tarrey Town that you're retiring. He seemed a bit surprised at first, but he seems to have come to terms with it. So... What now, sir?"
Bolson simply shrugged.
"That, my dear, Karson, was my last job for you," the master carpenter said. "You are free. A free bird able to spread his wings and fly toward the future!"
"A free bird..." Karson repeated thoughtfully. "I liked my job though, and so did Hudson and the rest of us."
"Then there's only one direction you all should take, wouldn't you say?" Bolson said. "The son brand will live on. Surely at least one of you could take my place, hmmm?"
"Well, I mean..." Karson mumbled. "No one could really take your place, sir, but if there was someone close who could, then the best option would be—"
"You know exactly who it should be, baby," Bolson said with a wink. "Support him, Karson."
"Y-yes, sir!" Karson said. "I will!"
"Now begone! Dazzle me once more, but with your own journey!" Bolson said. With one last nod, Karson turned and bolted off.
"Where will he go?" Link asked.
"You'll have to wait and see, it'd be unlike me to ruin such a blooming surprise," the carpenter said.
"So, how long will you stay in the village, Bolson?" Link asked. "You were going on a journey, right? To find—?"
" Love, baby! " Bolson chanted in song. "But, I may stay here for a little while longer. This town has given me a lot in my time here. It's time I give back, so I'll take some special requests for a time before I leave. Think well if you have a request!"
"I don't have anything in mind, but I'll let Zelda know," Link said. "Speaking of, I'd better catch up with her. I'll see you later, Bolson."
"Ta-ta!"
With a wave, Link took a few steps through the snow, following the tracks his Vah Epona had made, but before he could get far, Bolson's voice called out to him.
"One more thing, dear boy," the carpenter said, which made Link turn to face him once more. "That key I gave you— did you ever find what it went to?"
"I did," Link smiled softly. "It actually helped me a lot and gave me some of the clarity I needed. So... Thank you. You really helped me out."
"Ah! That brings such a warmness to my heart!" Bolson said, placing his hands on his chest. "Now go! Don't keep your heart waiting!"
With a nod, Link turned and followed the tracks down the hill.
...
After following the tracks, Link gave a relieved sigh the moment he spotted Zelda, who seemed to have stopped just under the village entranceway. Bringing his jog to a walk, he noticed another person with her. Celessa, standing with her old large backpack on her back, stood listening as Zelda was supposedly telling her about the mechanical horse that sat in front of them. It was these moments that made Link internally question if Celessa actually had any interest in ancient Sheikah creations, or if she just liked seeing Zelda happy. Regardless, it was a nice sight to see.
"There you are," Zelda said, looking up from the cycle as Link grew closer. "What took you so long?"
"I ran into Bolson," Link said as he stopped on the opposite side of the beast. "You went right past him."
"I didn't even notice him! It was incredible, Link; it's such a wonderful feeling being able to ride this!" Zelda said, turning her attention to the machine. Though her eyes were filled with excitement, they faltered as she looked back up at her lover. "Are you sure it's alright for me to take this? It's your divine beast after all. It almost doesn't seem right that I'm the one who—"
"Take it, Zelda. I'll be fine," Link assured her, glancing over at the two horses that stood nearby, specifically the silver-haired mare. "I've got the perfect horse already."
"I guess it's ours for now," Celessa said happily. "It's good to see you, Link, though I guess this'll be the last time for a while, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess so," Link agreed. "Take care of her for me."
"I'm not a child!" Zelda complained, though Celessa giggled and nodded. With a frustrated sigh, Zelda grumbled before tapping the Sheikah Slate she had in her hands. In a flash of light, the Master Cycle disappeared. "I guess it's time then, isn't it?"
"Will you both be riding on Storm?" Link asked, looking at the white stallion.
"I'll be walking alongside for now," Celessa said. "Zelda wants to do a few more tests to make sure he can keep up with the cycle before we ride separately."
"You don't trust his speed?" Link asked Zelda.
"I didn't say that! I just want to be sure," she answered, though he could hear it well in her tone.
Rolling his eyes with a chuckle, he brought his fingers to his lips and whistled. With a couple of neighs, the horses came trotting up to the group, coming to a stop right in front of Link. Smiling gently, Link raised a hand and placed it on Epona's muzzle.
"It's good to see you again, girl," Link said quietly. The horse blew through her nostrils and pushed against his palm, something that put her rider at ease. "Yeah, I'm feeling a lot better, don't worry. We're going on a trip, so I hope you're ready."
"Is it time?" Celessa asked. "Are we leaving?"
"Yes, I guess we are," Zelda said.
With a nod, Link made to climb onto Epona's saddle, yet something stopped him. It was a tug on his sleeve, one that pulled him back and away from the horse. He looked back to see Zelda had taken a few steps forward and was now keeping him in her grip.
"Wait," she said. "This... This is a new feeling. We... We've never willingly said goodbye like this before, have we?"
"I've had days off before when I was your knight a hundred years ago," Link said, but Zelda shook her head.
"Days off, yes, but extended periods of time?" she asked. "First the Calamity took you away from me. Then it was the Yiga, and... This is our first time truly saying goodbye. I... don't like this."
"We made this plan though," Link said, bringing a hand to her cheek. "I think we have to do this."
"I know, but..." Zelda trailed off. With a sad smile, Link stepped closer to her, and by surprise, wrapped his arms around her shoulders and waist.
"It's alright," he said. "This time we know we'll see each other again. There isn't doubt in my mind about that. You know I can't stay away from you for too long. I'm still regaining the time we lost during those hundred years, so we have to meet back up."
"Right," Zelda agreed, allowing the hug to consume her.
"Besides," Link said in her ear. "Even if we weren't making up for lost time, I always want to be around you. I love you after all."
"And I love you," Zelda said quietly.
She pulled back just enough to look into his eyes. The tips of their noses barely touched as they stared into each other, before slowly they leaned forward, allowing their lips to connect one final time.
"By the goddess, I'm getting a little emotional here," Celessa said, standing next to the horses who both shook their manes. She furrowed her brow, giving them a confused look. "What? Look at them! You can't tell me you aren't feeling anything... Epona, you're biased."
After a few moments, the two pulled back from their embrace.
"Go to Kakariko in a month's time," Zelda said. "I'm sure I'll have everything ready by then, so... go there. You promise you'll be there, yes?"
"Absolutely," Link nodded. "Without a doubt."
After looking in his eyes to ensure he was telling the truth, Zelda nodded in return, accepting his answer. Taking a deep breath, she turned on her heel toward Celessa.
"Alright!" she said, collecting herself. "Let us be off, Celessa."
"You got it," the pilgrim answered, watching as Zelda climbed into Storm's saddle.
Zelda twisted her torso, taking one final glance at Link, who stood next to Epona. With a gentle smile, he raised a hand and waved. With that and a light kick to the horse's side, she was off down the mountain, with Celessa walking beside her.
Link watched as the two and their horse walked down the winding trail. He hadn't known how long he stood there, but by the time he realized he was staring, the two had vanished. With a deep breath of his own, he climbed onto Epona's saddle. As he sat on the saddle, he began adjusting its belts and claps to ensure they were ready for the journey (knowing well that the stables had a habit of changing them) before suddenly he looked up.
There he saw a traveler walking up the path toward them. It was a Hylian, one he had never seen before. As they stepped into town, the traveler took note of Link and with a cheerful smile waved as they passed by. Link watched as they walked into town and toward the inn.
Huh, he thought to himself. I guess I really don't know everyone that lives in Hyrule.
Eventually, his gaze moved from that of the traveler to the entire town of Hateno itself. For a few minutes, he simply sat on his steed, staring at the village he had been living in for the past few months. While he was excited to get back out into the wild, to start another adventure, this was his home, one that he was grateful for.
"I'll be back," he whispered. "We both will."
With a tug of the reins, he guided Epona to the path, and with a kick of her side, she sped off, taking her rider down the mountain before disappearing just as his lover had a little bit before.
...
...
...
So! That was arc 1!
We started this story a year ago, meaning this entire CotW series started 2 years ago! Fun fact: If you read CotW, then you'll know arc 1 for that story ALSO ended on chapter 55 (though Link and Zelda were on much worse terms XD)
Now, this book isn't over. Just taking a few weeks to finish TotK, study it, and see where I wanna take this story. Speaking of which, we'll be continuing on this book, such as Chapter 56 and onward. There isn't a third book being made. Chapters will continue here, just in a few weeks.
As for this next arc, there will be *very* minor TotK spoilers. Just set up, maybe start prepping character and side quest stuff that appear in the game. Not really setting up big plot points in TotK.
That being said, if you don't want to see *any* TotK stuff, regardless of how minor, small, or insignificant it may be, and how *little* of it I'll be adding in, then now might be a good time to stop reading until you play.
But, if small side quest set up (not even the quest themselves) and minor npc set up don't bother you, I hope you continue! It really won't be much, I promise.
Also, I'm not going on a writing hiatus. Just one for this story. keep an eye on my main page, more stuff will be coming out.
Okay, that's about it! Time to prep for arc 2!
