A Couple of Trials (ZeLink)

by Kenlair

After defeating the Calamity and reliving the harsh realities of their past thanks to Maz Koshia and his trials through the Champions Ballad, Zelda demands that Link returns to their home in Hateno to rest their minds and bodies. Though Link reluctantly agrees, he can't shake the feeling that something is wrong. This is a sequel to Couple of the Wild(Zelink) and will reference it.

64. A Wish of Luck

"Your master will come for you. Until then, you shall rest safely here," Zelda said down to the sword that now lay before her on the stone. The princess sat on her knees with her eyes closed and her hands clasped together in front of her. "Although the Slumber of Restoration will most certainly deprive him of his memories, please trust me when I say that I know he will arrive before you yet again."

"𝑰𝒇 𝑰 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒃𝒐𝒍𝒅," a deep voice began to say. The princess looked up to whom the voice belonged and stood as it continued to speak. "𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕, 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔?"

The princess looked down at the sword now resting at her feet. Brushing her long, dirty hair away she spoke.

"The Master Sword... I heard it speak to me. It seems my role is unfinished. There is still something I must do."

"𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏," the tree replied. Smiling slightly, the princess placed a hand on her chest.

"Great Deku Tree..." she said slowly. "I ask of you, when he returns, can you please relay this message... Tell him I—"

"𝑵𝒐𝒘, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏," the one called the Great Deku Tree spoke up. "𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆, 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌?"

Slightly taken aback at this, the princess stared up into the being's eyes before smiling, clasping her hands together at the thought.

"Yes."

"𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕," the one known as the Great Deku Tree said, "𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒆𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆."

"Thank you, truly," the princess said.

With a deep breath, she crouched down and took the worn-out sword into her hands. Slowly, she lifted it high above her head before lowering it into the pedestal before her. Giving it a final push, with a flash of light, the sword's tip stuck in the pedestal. With a deep breath, the princess looked down at the handle before turning her back toward it.

"Wish me luck, Link," she said, staring at the exit of the forest she stood in. "I'll be waiting for you, no matter how long it takes."

Stepping down from the stone platform, the sword remained in that pedestal for decades to come, waiting for its master to return, just as the princess said he would.

...

The fog felt like it was never-ending. Before, this was because of how thick the fog was, giving the air a literal sense of mystery as it obscured everything around it, from the sky to even the trees if they were too far away from those passing by. This time though, it wasn't the fog, nor the atmosphere that gave the woods its pathlessness sensation, for it wasn't Link's first time walking through these woods. He knew how to traverse the woods. He had done it many times before, taking a torch, and following the wind that guided him with the embers from the flames burn. No, what made his journey feel endless was the thought of what lay at the end of the path; the trial that awaited him.

He had prepared as much as he could, but in the end, he came to recognize that no matter how prepared he thought he was, it would never be enough. That feeling of mystery, the wonder—and nerves— of what lay before him would always be there, right up until that moment he knew he would grip that green-strapped handle. He had always known to be courageous, to jump into danger or take on any challenge without question. But, just as his lover had told him once before, there was a fine line between courage and recklessness, and with each step he took toward his destination, that difference was made more apparent. Recklessness was to jump in without much thought, assuming everything would just be okay. Courageousness was to dive in, knowing full well the outcome may be poor, regardless of the nerves that may burn inside.

With courage burning in his heart, he stepped out of the fog, and into the light, where a much brighter forest awaited him.

The torch he was holding blew out as the light of the sun blinded him. He lowered the now flameless torch and closed his eyes, allowing them to adjust before opening them again. Instead of the dead, lifeless trees and darkness of the fog, he now stood in a thick, dense forest of life, one so closely packed that the sky was covered by a roof of branches and leaves. Despite this coverage, rays of sunlight still shone down, feeding the shrugs, leaves, and tall grass its warmth.

Thanks to the light now shining down upon him, he could see he was standing in front of a log, a large one that was on its side and hallowed out, almost like it was an entrance into an even deeper part of the forest. As a light breeze blew by him, causing the tips of his hair to dance, he stepped forward and through the log, passing under its thick, decaying wood. With each step that took him closer to the end, his ears began to ring with soft, barely audible voices, those that sounded young and childlike.

"He's here..."

"Mr. Hero is here! He came!"

"Did he come for his sword? It landed from the sky!"

"It was so bright..."

Finally, he reached the end of the log and stepped back out into the light to find the center of the forest. This was the most beautiful part of the woods. Whereas the rest of the overgrown roof was full of vibrant green leaves, now a wave of light pinks dotted the scape, slowly overtaking the green until its center was nothing but. A natural path could be seen weaving through the grass and extensive roots that stuck out of the ground, decorated with plant-grown lamps that kept the forest bright, all of which led to the largest, and oldest tree in the woods. With a deep breath, Link stepped down the path, heading toward the base of that very tree.

As he stepped past the large bushes and tree roots, out of the corner of his eyes he could see the inhabitants of the forest, flying around him but dipping out of sight the moment he glanced at him. They were small creatures, with greenish stubby bodies and little stumps for legs and arms. He had never once seen one of their faces, for they always wore large leaves over them like masks, using their long, pointed noses to hold them up. Despite this, each leafy mask seemed to have some sort of face, something that gave each little bean a characteristic of their own. These particular creatures of the forest never spoke to Link himself, always choosing to watch from afar, flying in the air using their strange, spinning leaves as they hung from the stems. Not all of them were as shy though.

"Mr. Hero! Mr. Hero!" another childlike voice called.

This one sounded much closer, wanting to be heard by the visitor of the forest. Coming to a stop, Link looked down to see a small number of the little creatures running toward him. Chuckling, he crouched down to his knee.

"Geez, look at all you Koroks," Link said as the little men stopped before him. "So many, and I still don't think I've found you all yet."

"Mr. Hero! It's been so long!" one of the Koroks, a brownish one with a green five-pronged leaf mask said. "Why did you stop coming to the forest?"

"Sorry, Kula," Link answered. "I've been extremely busy, too busy to visit—"

"Is it because of Miss Princess?" another Korok, a greenish one with a rounded leaf mask, asked. Link blinked.

"I'm surprised you know about her, Peeks," he said. "Wait... does the Deku Tree know she's free from the castle?"

"He does, he does!" the Koroks rang. "He sensed it! He sensed when she appeared!"

"Oh boy..." Link groaned guiltily. "Maybe we should have stopped by when she first returned. She said we would stop by later but things got a little hectic after that... She said she had a reason she didn't want to go just yet, but she never told me what it was—"

"Shaka–kala! , shakala!" another childish voice called.

It was a voice much louder than any of the others. As the voice continued to call, the ground shook as it got closer. Looking up from the little Koroks, Link watched as a much larger forest dweller, one the size of a tree itself, came dashing toward him. With each step and shake, a rattling could be heard coming from the two large instruments the Korok was carrying. The moment the large tree came to a stop, it shook the instruments and looked down at the Hylian it came to greet.

"Mr. Hero! Hello!" the big Korok said excitedly. "Did you find any more of my friends? Did they give you any seeds?"

"Hey, Hestu. I found a few... Like... two of them?" Link said, thinking back to the last time he went looking for Koroks in the rest of the lands. "The last time I went was in the desert after my first trial. That was a while ago now, wasn't it?"

"Awww, that's not enough to fill my maracas..." the large Korok named Hestu said, shaking the bright red maracas he carried.

"I feel like I've been looking for your friends for forever," Link said. "How many have I found so far?"

"Hmmm... I think you've found eight-hundred aaaaaand... seventy-three of my friends!"

"And there's still more," Link sighed tiredly. "I'll find the rest of them, I promise. For now, though, I have something important I need to do. Is that alright?"

"Yes, yes!" the forest children cried. "He's been waiting, he's been waiting!"

"He?" Link asked as he looked up at the large old tree in the center. "Does the Deku Tree want to talk to me?"

"He does! He does!" the Koroks chanted. "About the sword, about the sword!"

"Hm... Alright then," Link said, pushing himself up to his feet. "I guess I should've expected the Deku Tree to have a few words for me when it comes to the sword. He always knows something about it. Thanks, you all. Wish me luck."

"Good luck, good luck!" the Koroks chanted as Link stepped past them, heading for the pink-leaved tree. "Good luck with the trial of the sword!"

"Shakala!" Hestu sang, shaking his maracas in cheer.

As Link stepped away though, he barely heard the rattling of Korok seeds in the two instruments. His mind had refocused, blocking anything else out as his eyes fell upon one particular area. It was a stone platform, a triangular one, with large rounded stones sitting upright at each corner. It sat at the base of the tree, wedged between the large roots that grew from the trunk. Connecting the overgrown path to the pedestal was a small, stone-chiseled staircase, but before Link could walk up it, a rumbling deep voice called down to him.

"𝐇𝐦𝐦𝐦... 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞," the voice spoke. "𝐒𝐨, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞."

Stopping at the base of the stairs, Link looked up to see the trunk of the tree beginning to move. Its bark creaked and whined as dust fell from the crevices. The surface of the wood adjusted as if it had a face carved into it. Its eyes, if it had any, were covered in shadow thanks to its prominent eyebrows that grew out into tree branches. The roots that were so thick at the base stretched up the trunk and around its mouth area, giving it a sort of mustache. It was a little uncanny for Link to see at first, for this was the only tree with a moving face he had ever come across, but after a while, the tree had grown on him. It was like talking to an old friend, despite having only visited a few times in the past.

The trees brows began to crunch up as its mouth yawned, stretching out its wood from being stiff for so long. Once it had loosened itself up enough, the tree opened its mouth again and began to speak once more.

"𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮?"

"You know the sword has a trial for me?" Link asked, surprised that the elder tree had jumped right to business.

"𝐈 𝐝𝐨, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝," the tree admitted. "𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝... 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞, 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲. 𝐈𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥'𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐞, 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐝. 𝐁𝐮𝐭, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫."

"It hasn't shown me its full power, even while fighting the Calamity?" Link asked remembering the gungy, malice-covered boar of a beast he fought months ago. "But, we were still able to beat it with the power it's shown. It's even stronger than that?"

"𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐆𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡, 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝," the Deku Tree explained. "𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐢𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭. 𝐇𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞, 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐮𝐬."

"It wouldn't be too easy to ask you what that evil is, would it?" Link asked, but the tree simply hummed in response.

"𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐲𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡," the Deku Tree said. "𝐓𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐞."

"Yeah, I kinda figured," Link sighed. "Whatever it is though... the Master Sword is preparing for it, isn't it?"

"𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬," the Deku Tree answered. "𝐀𝐬 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝'𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬, 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞. 𝐈𝐧 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞, 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞. 𝐇𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐢𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞."

"That's quite a claim after everything I've seen," Link mumbled, thinking back to the trials the monk had given him before.

Suddenly, his ears pricked up at the crunching of grass. He glanced behind him to see four Koroks, one of which was holding a stick. The Korok swang his makeshift weapon around before falling to the ground, while another, supposedly pretending to be a monster, fell in agony to the ground, causing the other two to gasp in surprise. Chuckling, Link turned back to the great tree of the forest.

"𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧," the tree continued. "𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫."

"That's it?" Link asked. "That doesn't sound too bad. It actually sounds like a trial the Sheikah gave me on an island once."

"𝐃𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐝," the Deku Tree replied. "𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐮𝐩𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝."

"It needs to test me to see if I can handle the actual trial?" Link asked, furrowing his brow before muttering, "is it really going to be that hard...?"

"𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞," the Deku Tree chose to answer. "𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲, 𝐈 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞."

Link stared up into the Deku Tree's shadowed eyes before glancing to look back at the large log he had come through. After taking a deep breath, he turned back to face the tree once more. The ancient guardian smiled.

"𝐇𝐦. 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐰. 𝐀 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡!" the Deku Tree cheered. "𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧, 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞."

Adhering to the tree's words, Link climbed the few steps and walked onto the triangular stone. There it was, surrounded by a few Silent Princess flowers and sitting with its tip stuck into the pedestal, the Master Sword. It stood tall, with its purple-winged hilt glistening in the rays of sun that shone through the pink leaves of the guardian tree above them. It sat quiet, as if not noticing its master had arrived, but Link could feel it. It knew, and it was waiting for him to take hold.

"This is the part where I get teleported somewhere, isn't it?" Link asked with a quiet chuckle. "Man... I wish she were here to see me off, but that's okay."

Slowly, he bent down and gripped the stem of one of the Silent Princesses growing from the pedestal. With a pluck, he lifted it up and brought it to his lips.

"Wish me luck," he whispered quietly, before crouching back down to lay the flower down in front of the stone the sword was stuck in. "Alright. It's time."

Pushing himself up, he looked down at the sword resting before him again. With one final deep breath, he raised his hand and took hold of the green-strapped handle. Immediately, he felt his body beginning to vanish. Closing his eyes, waiting to see where he'd be teleported to, he thought of his golden-haired lover, whom he longed to see so strongly, he thought he could have heard her voice for just a second before disappearing entirely.

...

"I wish you the best of luck on your journey," Sidon said, shaking Zelda's hand.

The three women stood in the center of the courtyard in front of the luminous stone statue. With the morning sun beaming down upon them and their stuff packed into the Sheikah Slate, they were prepared to disappear, ready to make the journey toward Death Mountain.

"I won't bother with a long goodbye. You're trying to catch up to Link, yes?" Sidon asked, releasing Zelda's hand.

"It's not our main goal. We needed to head to Death Mountain to discuss a few things with the Goron's boss," Zelda said, only for a blush to appear on her cheeks. "B–but, if Link happens to still be there—"

"She definitely wants to try and catch up to Link," Celessa teased from behind her, which only made Zelda flush more. Even Paya's cheeks began to burn slightly.

"I... I don't think it's a bad thing, wanting to see Master L–Link," she said, to which the prince of the Zora cheerfully agreed.

"It absolutely isn't! I do hope you run into your precious lover," he cheered. "Do tell him I said hello if you see him, even if he and I only just recently shared our goodbyes."

"I will, but I doubt we'll see him honestly," Zelda said, as much as she didn't want to admit it. "We need to stop by one of the Akkala stables to buy a few fireproof elixirs, and I also thought we might as well visit an old research friend of mine down there and inform him of my plans."

"We're stopping in Akkala?" Celessa asked, to which Zelda nodded.

"As much as I would like to go straight to the mountain," Zelda admitted with the flush still in her cheeks, "we simply can't. We need fireproof elixirs so we don't go up in flames."

"Hu–Huh?" Paya asked. "I–is that an expression? L–like what Kodah said about not choosing a water bed being a crime?"

"Unfortunately not. If we don't have those elixirs, we'll surely catch fire the moment we get too high up the mountain—" Zelda said simply before catching Paya's fearful gaze. "But, we have nothing to fear! That's what the elixirs are for! They make us immune to the heat, so we'll be just fine."

"Do elixirs really have that kind of capability?" Paya asked nervously.

"They do, but there is a special type of clothing you can wear if that'll put you at ease," Celessa said with a cheeky grin. "It's not very pleasant to look at though."

"I–I–I think I might trust the armor more..." Paya admitted.

"If that's what you prefer," Zelda said. "I'm sure I saw one of Link's fireproof armors in here you can wear. It might be a tight fit though..."

"It'll work," Paya said immediately. Sidon laughed.

"It seems as though you all are set for adventure," he said cheerfully. "To think, it was only a few days ago that I sent Link off, and now here I am sending you all off. I'll tell you the same thing I told him: If things ever get too hard, please come to the domain. I will do whatever it is I can to support you."

"Thank you, Sidon. Truly," Zelda said with a small bow. "We best be heading off now. It was really good to see you again."

"The domain is open to you at any time," Sidon said. "Oh, and before I forget, make sure you come and tell me when that festival is. I wouldn't miss it for all the fish in Hyrule."

"You're the one coming to the festival?" Zelda said in surprise. Sidon grinned.

"It took some convincing, but I managed to get Muzu to allow it," Sidon said with a sparkle. "It seemed he wanted to go himself, but I believe it would be best if you had either myself or my father attend. Muzu is overprotective of me, and I understand why that is, but eventually, he needs to learn that I'm not a little fry anymore, and he seems to be coming to terms with that, thanks to you."

"I still don't feel as though I've done much," Zelda admitted, "but, I'm glad you're the one that will be there. Actually, if you don't mind sending some Zora down to the village now, I'm sure the villagers would love the help."

"I'll see what I can do," Sidon answered with a nod. "I'm sure if I mention our need to fish, my father and Muzu will surely allow it."

"Thank you," Zelda said, returning his smile with one of hers. With that, she turned toward the two behind her and took the Sheikah Slate off her hip. "Now then, shall we be off?"

"Goron Hot Springs, here we come!" Celessa cheered, placing her hand on Zelda's shoulder excitedly. Following the pilgrim's lead with a shy, but nervous smile of her own, Paya did the same, and with a tap on one of the slate's blue icons, Sidon watched as the trio disappeared into blue light.

After only a few seconds, the group reformed on the platform of the shrine they chose. The moment they were able to see, Celessa and Paya beamed at the sight. They now stood in an uneven field of beautifully vibrant green grass, one with trees and shrubs that dotted the landscape with their orange and yellow leaves. While the grass and leaves were colorful, they weren't the only aspects of nature that painted the landscape, for the rocks were a dull shade of red instead of their usual grays, matching the large volcanic mountain that loomed in the distance.

"This place is beautiful," Paya said in awe as a light breeze blew past them. "This is different from home, and Zora's Domain..."

"You'll be saying that a lot throughout our journey," Zelda giggled.

"This is where Master Robbie has been living?" Paya asked. "It's wonderful... and it's still a little warm. There isn't much snow on the ground, if any at all..."

"That's probably thanks to having a volcano nearby. Akkala one of my favorite places to be in Hyrule," Zelda said.

"It's probably one of mine too," Celessa chimed in. "The last time I was here was when I went to visit the Spring of Power. It's absolutely gorgeous..."

"Setting my own gripes aside with that place, I'd agree with you," Zelda said with a dull smile. "But... maybe I'll pay a visit there again sometime and take in its true beauty. For now, though, I suggest we grab our horses from the stable nearby and—"

"Hoooooyag!"

All three of them jumped at the violent shriek. As Paya fell to her knees, covering her head with her arms, both Zelda and Celessa ran off the shrine's platform and looked over the hillside at the stable that sat across the road. In front of the stable's tent-like entrance was a man, and another who looked like a strange, gray creature. From what they could tell, those who worked at the stable or were visiting all watched in discomfort as the man who had their attention fought with what he had supposedly caught, holding a spear to it.

"What do you think is going on down there?" Celessa asked curiously. "Is he holding a monster? It's got quite the large head, doesn't it?"

"It doesn't look like any monster I've ever seen," Zelda said, squinting her eyes to get a better look. "Hold on a moment... that monster is a person!"

"That's a person?" Celessa asked, only to find that Zelda had begun running down the hill toward the scuffle. "Okay, I guess we're going in. Come on, Paya!"

"E–eh? G–g–going in–? Ah, w–wait!" Paya cried from her knees, watching as Celessa took off after the princess. Scrambling up and almost tripping, Paya hurried after the two.

"Stop your struggling, you little dastardly man!" the man cried out in anger, holding the gray-skinned man by the collar of his gray clothing. When his prisoner didn't obey, continuing to fight back, the man threateningly raised his spear. "I am warning you! Still yourself!"

The man's large, sweaty head turned to see the sharp end of the man's spear now pointed at him. Instead of complying, this only caused the man to scream and flail around even more.

"Dyaaaaah!"

"Hoz, are you sure this is the right thing to do?" the stablemaster called out from his desk. "I mean, he looks kinda weird, but is he really all that... threatening?"

"I assure you, he is!" the man said Hoz said. "He's a man that sides with monsters! He's dangerous—!"

"Stop right there!" a female voice called out.

Everyone turned to see three women running toward them, with the golden-haired one leading the pack. Coming to a stop in front of the man and his prisoner, she furrowed an angry brow at him.

"You release that man at once!" she said. "Can't you see he's afraid?"

"I haven't seen you around here, young miss, but I assure you, this man is dangerous," Hoz claimed. "In fact, I suggest you take a step back. I'm not sure what evil tricks this man has up his sleeves. It took me months just to find him."

"Evil tricks?" Zelda asked as Celessa came to her side with Paya stopping behind them both. "That man, as... strange, as he looks, seems harmless! He doesn't appear to even have a weapon!"

"I–I don't!" the gray man screamed loudly, causing those nearby to flinch at the pitch. "I swear! I swear on every monster in Hyrule I'm harmless!"

"He swears to... monsters?" Paya asked nervously from behind the two.

Regardless, Zelda's resolve remained firm.

"I said, release him."

"I suggest you listen to her, Hoz," Celessa said sternly, placing her hands on her hips. Glancing at her, the man's eyes widened.

"You I recognize!" Hoz said. "Celessa! It's good to see you, but I'm sorry, I simply can't adhere to your friend's orders."

"And why not?" Zelda asked. "What has this man done that has you strangling him by the collar?"

"This man is on the side of monsters," Hoz said, keeping a tight grasp on the man's clothing. "He runs the Fang and Bones, an evil shop that deals with and supports evil, twisted beings. He is dangerous."

"You're saying he truly supports monsters?" Zelda asked, but the shrieks of the man had become words once more.

"I–I don't!" the man said in his high-pitched voice. "I don't support evil or fiends! T–t–there's some sort of m-misunderstanding here!"

Conflicted and confused about who to trust, both Celessa and Paya looked to Zelda, who still kept her eyes firmly on the tussle in front of them.

"What do you want to do?" the pilgrim asked. "If what he says is true, he could actually be dangerous..."

"But, the man in question said there's a misunderstanding," Zelda thought out loud as Hoz continued to demand the man stop squirming. After a split-second pause, she asked, "you know that man, yes?"

"I do. His name is Hoz," Celessa said. "He's actually a very kind man, a self-proclaimed soldier who's dedicated his life to defending others because of his ancestry. We've talked a few times when I stopped by on my travels to see the Spring of Power."

"I see... Can you convince him to let that man go?" Zelda asked, still eying the two.

"I can try, but you'll have to command them once more," Celessa said. The princess nodded.

"I'll only ask this one last time," Zelda announced. "Release your hold on that man."

"Seriously, Hoz, you'd better listen to her," Celessa said. "You're speaking to Zelda, the princess of Hyrule."

"Princess Zelda?" Hoz repeated. "Celessa, I never took you for a liar, especially when it came to Princess Zelda. You idolize her, that's why you visited the Spring of Power and the other springs, right?"

"Then that should tell you I wouldn't use those words lightly," Celessa said sternly.

"If you're serious, then I'm going to need some proof," Hoz said, returning the tone. "You of all people should know not to use those words lightly with me either, Celessa, not with my family tree."

"Thankfully, we do have proof, and she's standing right behind us," Celessa said with a grin. "Paya! You're up."

"M–m–me?" Paya squealed from behind them.

"That's who I called for," Celessa said, glancing behind them. "This is why Lady Impa sent you with us, right? You'll have to stand before way more intimidating people later on, so this will be great practice. Come on, now—"

Stepping aside, she reached back and placed a hand on Paya's lower back before gently pushing her forward. Slightly shaking, she stared at the man in fear, who in return, stared at her in confusion.

"And this is...?" he asked, still fighting to keep hold of the large-headed man.

"Go on," Zelda said with a gentle smile to the Sheikah. "You can do it."

Swallowing, Paya turned toward Hoz.

"H–h–hello..." she said nervously. "M–my name is P–P–Paya... a Sheikah from K– Kaka—Kakariko Village... M–my grandmother, the e–elder, sent me with the princess to v–v–vouch for her under her w–word..."

"You're a Sheikah? From Kakariko?" Hoz asked. "Well, if anyone would know who the princess is, then it's them. The princess was known to have a special power back when Hyrule was still a prosperous kingdom, so I guess it is possible... Still, you don't sound too confident. Actually, now that I've gotten a good look at you, you don't seem all too old either—"

"Then what about a much older, and much wiser, Sheikah?" another shrill voice called.

Again, everyone turned their attention to the voice that called out, where they all saw a short man, only a few feet tall with goggles covering his eyes, with his blond wife on one side and a silver-haired traveler on his other. With the large bags they had been carrying having been placed on the ground, the short man stepped forward.

"Robbie!" both Zelda and Hoz called out, while Celessa happily called Teli's name, happy to see one of her drinking buddies again. Confused, hearing that Zelda had called out the same name as him, Hoz turned toward Zelda. "That's the old Sheikah that lives up the mountain. You know him?"

"She does, as a matter of fact," the short Sheikah researcher said. "It's just as Young Paya here is claiming. You are, in fact speaking to Zelda, the princess of Hyrule. I would know, as I worked alongside her a century ago when preparing for the Calamity."

"This really is Princess Zelda?" Hoz asked, looking the golden-haired girl up and down. Robbie nodded. "I heard she had appeared in Tarrey Town a few months back, but I haven't heard anything else since then. I thought it was just some silly rumor going around..."

"As strange as it may sound, she's the princess that was spotted in Tarrey Town before," he said. "That's why the Yiga Clan were in town and have been causing havoc these past few months. Both she and her hero still walk these lands, unaged due to their special circumstances. I've already verified both of them. They're the real deal, and they're the reason we haven't been destroyed by the Calamity."

"T–then—" Hoz began, but Zelda furrowed her brow again.

"If that's enough evidence to convince you, then if you would please finally release that man you've been holding," she commanded. "I'd greatly appreciate it."

"A–as you wish, Princess..." Hoz replied.

Finally, he released his grasp on the little man's collar and immediately he sprinted away. Kicking dust-up from behind his feet, he dashed toward Zelda and company, who jumped at his sudden bolting, until he came to a screeching halt behind the princess.

"T–thank you!" the man screeched in glee. "Thank you so much!"

"Hey, you're not out the clear yet you... man... thing," Celessa said, looking down at him. "You still have some explaining to do about your supposed monster worship. Right now, you still sound like you could be a Yiga or something."

"D–dya!" the big-headed man shrieked, holding his stubby arms over as much of his head as he could when Celessa leaned down at him intimidatingly. "I'd never be a part of such an evil clan, I swear!"

"Okay, why don't we all calm down and take a breather," Zelda said, waving her hands in a calming motion, as disturbing as she found the little man behind her to be. "I think quite a few of us have some explaining to do, so why don't we all take a bit to do that, shall we?"

"If that's what you wish, Princess," Hoz agreed with a nod.

"I'll be joining in, as well," Robbie said, locking the blue lights on his goggles onto Zelda. "I have some words for you."

"A–alright..." Zelda said, curious as to what Robbie wished to talk to discuss. "Then, why don't we all sit by the cooking pot over there and discuss matters further? Is that alright, stablemaster?"

"By all means, help yourself," the stablemaster said, gesturing to where the pot sat.

"Thank you. Shall we?" Zelda asked the group, who all nodded and began heading toward the cooking pot.

Watching as they all gathered around, paying closer attention to the hunched-back, large-headed, gray-skinned man than the rest, the stablemaster shook his head.

"I was not ready for today."

While the stablemaster contemplated what the rest of his day was going to look like, the group walked over to the cooking pot, where they found one of the onlookers, a woman with a bowl cut, sitting. The moment Zelda walked up, the onlooker stood before the princess could even ask her to.

"It's all yours, Princess!" she said excitedly, to which Zelda blinked.

"T–thank you," Zelda said before the woman offered her one of the wooden stools surrounding the cooking pot.

"No problem, whatsoever," the woman said gleefully. "My name's, Nobo, by the way. I'm a friend of Celessa's. We both learned about your past—"

"I learned about your past," Celessa corrected, folding her arms. "She's only interested in a ritual supposedly done at the Spring of Power. I told her it's just telling of your prayers back in the day, but she thought it was something more."

"That's right—" the lady named Nobo began, but Celessa squinted her eyes and continued.

"She also was supposed to go to the Spring of Power with me to investigate, but ended up forgetting."

"Oh, come on, Celessa, are you still mad about that?" Nobo asked. "I said I was sorry!"

"And let me guess, you still haven't gone, have you?" she asked, to which Nobo flinched.

"L–look, when you live so close to it, it's easy to procrastinate..." Nobo answered, but Celessa simply blew air through her nose.

"This is a discussion for later, we already have enough to deal with today," she said. "Step aside. We have things to discuss."

"R–right... if you'll excuse me," Nobo said with a guilty nod. Dejectedly, the woman disappeared into the stable's tent.

"That was a little harsh, wouldn't you say?" Zelda asked as the group circled the cooking pot, but Celessa shrugged.

"I know it is, but she always finds excuses not to pursue her interests," the pilgrim replied. "If everyone just accepts her reasoning, she'll never step out of her comfort zone and travel like she says she wants to."

"Hm. I suppose when you put it that way, it's understandable," Zelda said, to which Celessa nodded.

"Again, though, that's a discussion for later," she said. "You have a few things to sort out, and it looks like everyone is ready."

Looking, it was just as Celessa had said. The strange little man and Hoz stood ready around the cooking pot, with the man giving the self–proclaimed soldier a nervous look. Robbie, however, sat a little ways away with Teli and Jerrin. Meeting his blue lights for eyes, the man waved her off, a sign that he would wait to speak to her until after. Appreciating his patience, Zelda took a seat on the stool that was offered to her and looked at the two men standing on the other side of the pot. Clearing her throat, she began to speak to the grey-skinned man.

"Ehem... So, um... Mr—?"

"Ah, Kilton!" the man answered in a surprisingly less high-pitched voice. "It's Kilton, Miss Princess, and I am the owner of the Fang and Bone shop! You may have heard of it... actually, I just opened shop a few months ago, and I've only really had one customer, so maybe you haven't... but, I do have this business card! Here—"

Pulling a small card from out of his strange clothing, he hurried around the cooking pot with his short legs and held it out to her. Now that he was in front of her—and standing still— it was much easier to get a good look at his less noticeable features. While he wasn't as short as Robbie, he very much was still a short-statured individual. His large, now noticeably cone-shaped head, was almost as large as his body, and even made him look even less proportionate than he already seemed. On his head, he had one swirl of pure white hair, along with a very separate white mustache that sat above his very red lips and two prominent, sharp buck teeth. Even his clothing seemed a tad strange. He didn't wear shoes, but his hands were well protected by gloves that looked to be made of skin, and his clothing looked patched up as if sewn himself, and its hood looked strangely like a creature's head, where the opening was the mouth.

Despite his strange look, she took and looked down at the card he held out to her, with Celessa and Paya (noticeably less so) looking over her shoulders to see what it said.

"The Fang and Bone. Come see ol' Kilton for the most monstrous deals in all of Hyrule," Zelda decided to read out loud.

"Yes, yes! Um... I'm gonna need that card back. I only have the one..." the man named Kilton said.

"He means that monstrous part literally," Hoz spoke up, as Kilton took his card back. "He literally sells monster-type stuff."

"Is this true?" Zelda asked Kilton curiously, to which the man vigorously nodded.

"It is! You see, I... I... I love monsters!"

The man's high–pitched shriek had returned, causing everyone to flinch. Realizing his mistake, the man coughed.

"Uh... Sorry. I did it again..."

"Urgh... If that's not a confession, then I'm not sure what is," Hoz said, rubbing one of his pointed ears with his hand that wasn't holding his spear. "The man loves monsters. He wants to be one of them. Again, I say he's dangerous."

"Th– that's the misunderstanding right there!" Kilton said, jumping up and down, noticeably doing his best to make sure his voice didn't get too high-pitched. "I don't side with monsters!"

"But, you just said you loved them," Celessa chimed in, rubbing her own pointed ears. "That sounds like siding with them to me."

"Dyaaaaa! No!" the strange man cried. "There's a difference between siding with monsters and loving them!"

"Kilton, why don't you explain the difference to us?" Zelda asked, doing her best to withstand the shrieks. "I'm sure if you simply explained, we'd understand a bit better what you mean."

"I–I can! I can explain!" Kilton agreed. Taking a deep breath, he did his best to calm himself down, allowing his normal tone to reappear. "Yes, I do love monsters. I adore monsters in fact, but that does not mean I agree with the trouble they cause. I guess, to put it in a way you all would best understand, I love the field of monster research!"

"Monster research?" Zelda repeated.

"Is that an actual field of research?" Celessa asked.

"It is. A noble one actually," Robbie spoke up from his place a little ways away. "It's important for us to understand those which we fight in order to defend ourselves against them and improve our strategies. Studying monsters is difficult, but a necessity not many wish to partake in. It's why I study the guardians, despite the dangers they now hold to us."

"Yes! Yes! Exactly!" Kilton cheered. "I wish to understand them as much as possible! The use of their organs, the way their blood can be mixed, the toughness of their skin— so many uses!"

"So you just go around collecting and dissecting monsters?" Celessa asked, sounding a little grossed out. Suddenly, when it was put that way, Zelda's internal disgust of the man's hobbies diminished, for that sounded like another certain someone she was close to.

"I do! Well... Kind of," Kilton said. "I do my best, but I usually have to find perished monsters to scavenge from. If possible, I usually have one of my customers go out and collect the body parts for me—"

"Now hold on a moment! This has to be some kind of cover-up," Hoz said. "You don't know all I saw in that little stand of his. It's true, he does collect some... disgusting things, but it's not to research! I actually believe he's trying to turn himself into a monster!"

"What? That's a pretty far out there claim, even from what we've heard," Zelda said. "What makes you believe such a thing?"

"He has outfits," Hoz said. "Outfits that make him look like a monster! Bokoblins, Moblins, even Lynels! He has them all!"

"Outfits?" Zelda asked.

"I do! I do have those outfits! Kilton said excitedly, as if forgetting the man who brought them up was trying to imprison him. "I made them myself! They help with research. If you have one of those outfits on, the monsters will believe you to be one of them! It makes them easier to study!"

"They're handmade? Like the clothes on your back?" Zelda asked. "That stitchwork... It actually looks somewhat familiar... Hold on a moment!"

She quickly reached down and pulled the slate from off her hip, and after a few taps, a few large, crudely made outfits appeared from the slate. The group of masks consisted of the list of monsters Hoz had pointed out earlier: a bokoblin, Moblin, and Lynel heads, all made with thick cotton for skin and buttons for eyes. Kilton cheered.

"Those are my creations!" he said excitedly. Stepping closer he gave the masks a few large sniffs. "This smell... The scent of all these perished monsters. Oh, my! There's only one person who managed to defeat every monster in these lands. These belong to my most favorable customer!"

"'Your most favorable customer...?'" both Paya and Celessa repeated as Zelda sighed. Of course, he was.

"You know Link, don't you?" she asked. Kilton nodded vigorously again.

"I do! You must also know him if you have these masks! Are you a friend of his?" Kilton asked.

"You could say that, if not a little more—" Zelda began, but Hoz suddenly spoke up.

"Huh? Did you say Link?" he asked.

"You know him too, don't you?" Zelda asked unsurprised.

"I do! Link was the one who gave me a picture of this man when I asked him for help," Hoz answered. "There's no way he's your customer, let alone your best one."

"Hoooyah? He gave you a picture of me?" Kilton asked. "There must be some more misunderstandings going around!"

"Unfortunately, I think so," Zelda sighed again. "But, knowing him, I believe I can piece things together. Hoz, you've been hunting... Kilton, here for some time, yes?"

"Almost a year at this point," Hoz answered.

"And when did you ask Link for help?" Zelda asked.

"I'd say only a month or so after I started my search," the self–proclaimed soldier said. Suddenly, Celessa's eyes lit up.

"Hey, isn't that when Link first woke up?" she asked. Zelda nodded.

"And Kilton, you said Link has been your customer for some time, yes?" she asked. "He's been helping you slay monsters?"

"Yes, he has, for my research!" Kilton said. "It's unfortunate that we can't domesticate the poor creatures, but I understand how dangerous they can be. It is an... unfortunate necessity, but if any good can come of it using their body parts, then I shall find them!"

"Right. If I had to make a good guess, then Hoz, you most likely asked Link for help before he got to know Kilton, and once he did get to know him and realized he wasn't a bad person, he started helping him by slaying monsters and doing... monster research," she explained, holding up on of the large monster masks. "Knowing him, that's my most reasonable guess."

"Yes, yes! That must be it!" Kilton agreed.

"But... if that's the case, why didn't Link explain things to me later on?" he asked. "If this man wasn't as evil as I thought, then it would've been nice to know before I spent all this time hunting him down.

"Link was... Um... Very forgetful, at the beginning of this year," Zelda said awkwardly. "You'll have to forgive him."

"Hmm..." Hoz hummed thoughtfully.

"Well? Does that explain everything for you?" Kilton asked.

"I guess... I still find it hard to believe you aren't evil, but if Link and the princess say so... then I guess I have to believe it," the soldier said. "I apologize for my behavior."

"It's understandable. Not many have the same appreciation for monsters as I do, and no one loves them more," Kilton shrieked excitedly. Suddenly, he turned back to Zelda. "You're a friend of Link's right, miss? Are you a fan of monsters?"

"N–not exactly," Zelda said. "Monsters are... sort of the reason I lost my home and family a hundred years ago. But, I do respect your eagerness to learn about them, and I can't help but be curious about what it is you've managed to find about monsters during your studies. It's as Robbie said; it's best to understand those that threaten us, and honestly, if there are other uses for monster parts, I'm curious about that as well."

"Oh yeeeaaaaah!" Kilton cheered in a high-pitched tone that again made everyone flinch. "I have hour's worth of knowledge on monsters regarding their diets, their preferences, their living conditions, their habits, and more! What would you like to know?"

"Uh... Well, nothing at this very moment," Zelda insisted, rubbing her ears again. "But, Link is a frequent customer of yours, right? Will he know where to find you if we need information?"

"He sure will! It's been some time since I've last seen him though..." Kilton said thoughtfully. "Still, I believe I owe you a proper thanks for saving me. Here, take this—"

The man dug briefly through his outfit before pulling out a curvy bottle with a fancy, pointed, gold top. It was filled with a strange, swirling purple liquid. Curious, Zelda took the bottle from him.

"This is monster extract," Kilton explained. "It's created from the essence of monsters! It can be used in cooking to create some monstrous meals, some of which give you good special effects!"

"Good special effects?" Zelda asked. "Meaning some can also give you bad?"

"Erm... Well... Yes," Kilton answered. "I'm still working out the kinks."

"I–interesting. This will definitely give me something to study later on," Zelda said. "Thank you, Kilton."

"Of course!" the little man cheered. "Oh, you can take this too. Some money in case you ever visit the shop for yourself!"

"Oh, I don't need any rupees, I promi— what is this?" Zelda asked as Kilton placed a few purple coins in her hand. They were circular coins, purple in color with a skull embedded in their surface. While it was hard, it didn't exactly feel like any metal she had ever known.

"It's a currency that can only be used at my shop! I love monsters so much, I made a currency out of them called mon!" he explained excitedly. Zelda blinked at the little coin in her hand.

"Right. Mon... Thank you..." she said awkwardly.

"Well, if everything's been settled, is it alright if I take my leave?" Kilton asked, clearly satisfied as if he had just found a new customer. "My shop was left defenseless, and with all the monster parts there, I wouldn't be surprised if monsters sniffed it out."

"I don't have a problem with that. Hoz?" Zelda asked, looking over at the soldier. After a few more seconds to ponder, he nodded.

"So be it, but if I do ever hear of you doing something evil, I will find you again," Hoz threatened, to which the man shook in fear.

"Y–you won't have to worry, I swear!" he shrieked. "T–then, I'm off!"

With that, Kilton disappeared, running off down the path and into the fields to find his belongings.

"What a strange man," Celessa said, watching as Kilton ran off.

"Y–yes... But, you have to admire his dedication," Paya said quietly as Zelda now continued to inspect the extract in her hands, seemingly ignoring the mon she had been given.

"Princess," Hoz said as she opened the bottle and sniffed its contents, retracting in disgust from the smell. "I do apologize for the trouble I've caused."

"I definitely need to study this further... Hm? Oh, not at all!" Zelda said, turning her attention from the extract to the soldier. Replacing the cap on the bottle, she continued. "I can see how the misunderstanding came about. If anything, you helped me learn what these strange outfits of Link's are. I meant to ask him about them before when we were looking through his wardrobe, but we got a little... sidetracked with a certain barbarian set."

Blushing at the memory, Zelda cleared her throat. Hoz, apparently not accepting her understanding, stepped around the pot and knelt to one knee.

"Still, I must apologize," he said. "To think, I'd be the first in my family to greet the princess, much less see her since the era of my grandfather, and you saw me in such a sorry state."

"P–please stand, it's alright, I promise," Zelda said awkwardly. "I'm just glad everything worked out. Raise your head."

With a nod, the soldier stood up. It was then Zelda was able to get a better look at him, just as she was with Kilton. He was a taller man, dressed in leathers and padding that looked familiar to the undergarments the soldiers and knights would wear a hundred years ago. The spear he carried also looked like the ones the soldiers used, and to top of his look, a soldier's helm decorated his head, along with a thin mustache and goatee.

"If I may properly introduce myself, my name is Hoz. As Celessa here already knows, I'm a soldier, at least, as close as anyone can get to a soldier in these lands. My grandfather was a soldier during the kingdom's prosperity, that was until the Calamity."

"Your grandfather was a soldier? He survived the Calamity?" Zelda asked. Hoz nodded.

"He did. He claimed the guardians that swarmed the land all stopped all of a sudden the moment his life was about to be ended. He never understood how or why his life was spared," he said.

That must've been when I first sealed Ganon inside the castle, Zelda thought to herself.

"After that, my family settled and lived in Akkala, for the castle and everything around it had been destroyed or too dangerous to inhabit," Hoz said. "Since then, my grandfather swore to pass down the ways of a soldier, first to my father, and then to me. Now, I patrol and protect Akkala as best I can, and when I have a child of my own, I too, will pass down the way of the soldier to him."

"Wait, so you're trained?" Zelda asked. "Properly?"

"In the ways of a soldier, and whatever else my grandfather knew of the knight's work," Hoz said. "He claimed there used to be a Royal Guard, but he never got to interact with them much."

"I can see the gears turning in your head already," an old, eccentric voice came from behind. Both Hoz and Zelda looked to see Robbie walking toward them, looking directly at Zelda. "If you're thinking what I think it is you're thinking, then it's a smart idea and I suggest you bring it up now."

"I'm sorry, what idea is this?" Hoz asked. Zelda turned to Robbie, waiting for him to explain, but the short man grunted and gestured toward Zelda.

"Oh! Um... Well, you see, I'm actually planning on... rebuilding Hyrule," Zelda began to explain.

"You are?" Hoz exclaimed. "Do you believe it's possible?"

"I do," Zelda said, "and if you've been trained to be a soldier, and know how to train others in their ways... we may be able to form a small army to protect those in Hyrule, just as they used to a hundred years ago. If you would be willing, of course. You don't need to give me an answer now—"

"I will gladly accept your offer!" Hoz said, kneeling before Zelda again.

"Already?" Zelda asked surprised. "B–but, I don't have much to show as of yet—"

"It matters not," Hoz said. "My grandfather always regretted what happened to his old kingdom, his home. In honor of him, and to quench my own desire to prove myself, I will gladly help you in any way I can to rebuild and protect, for that is what a soldier does. I will gladly help you form an army to the best of my ability."

"T–then... thank you, Hoz," Zelda said, still in shock at the man's eagerness to join. She looked back at Celessa, who gave her a happy smile and thumbs up.

"I do have a question though," Hoz said suddenly. "Why is it you're asking me to help train an army instead of join it?"

"What do you mean?" Zelda asked from her stool.

"Well, you said the hero walks among us, yes?" Hoz asked. "If my thought process is correct, I can only imagine Link to be that hero with how you speak of him. You two sound close... it could only be him. I remember my grandfather telling me stories about the hero, the Hylian Champion, whose skill was unmatched. Why not have him train a new army instead of me? I'm sure his skill would be far more useful, and I'd fight under his lead without question."

"I'm sure he'd be eager to help, but to lead an army?" Zelda said thoughtfully. "I don't think that would be something he'd enjoy, not how he is now. He's far too reckless and his plans can get a little... Well, let's just say his fighting style is unique. Besides, he'll be helping me more than anything, so I doubt he'll have the time to train an army. I'm sure he'd gladly assist you though."

"If that's how it is, then I accept the responsibility without any further questions," Hoz said, pushing himself up to his feet. "When will we be starting?"

"Um... Well, we're pretty early in the planning stages, to be transparent with you," Zelda said. "But, we're having a festival in Lurelin in a few weeks time. If you head there, surely the natives will fill you in on what the plan is. Link and I will be there together by then."

"Then to Lurelin I will head, after saying my goodbyes," Hoz said before turning to the fields of Akkala. "I've lived in this region my entire life... to think it's time for me to leave and start my own journey... Father... Grandfather... I promise to make you proud."

With a deep breath, he turned back to Zelda.

"I will be taking my leave in a few hours, meaning I have to pack and inform the friends I've made here of my departure. I will see you in Lurelin in a few week's time."

"Right. Thank you, Hoz," Zelda said. With a stiff bow, the soldier walked off toward the tent, ready to say his goodbyes. The moment he disappeared, Celessa cheered and wrapped her arms around Zelda.

"You did it! You have a supporter!" Celessa said. Zelda giggled.

"Well, I already had one of those," she said, giving Celessa a happy look. "But, now we have someone who can train those to fight. As much as I hate sending people to battle, we'll need the protection from monsters. We can't rely on Link for everything. This really does make things easier on us."

"Yes, yes, they sure do," Robbie suddenly said. "Now, if I may finally have a word?"

"Right, my apologies, Robbie," Zelda said.

With a nod in understanding, Celessa hurried off to greet her merchant friend, almost knocking Teli to the ground with the hug she gave him, while Paya chose to remain silent and behind Zelda. Placing his hands on his hips, the researcher looked up at the sitting princess.

"I heard quite the story yesterday morning," he said sternly.

"O–oh?" Zelda replied, still a bit confused. Robbie nodded with a hum.

"I sure did. It told of a stubborn princess and her idiotic knight playing 'who's right?' for months on end," he steamed. Zelda flushed.

"O... Oh..." she said simply. "So, it was that kind of story..."

"Oh no, don't play silly with me, girl," Robbie said angrily, pointing a finger at the young princess. "As of this moment, while you're trying to rebuild the kingdom, Hylia knows you don't have full claim to your title yet, so you're about to get an earful from me. Don't you ever play games when it comes to passing along necessary information again, especially my information."

"Right... Understood, but... what infor—" Zelda began to ask, something that only made Robbie fume more.

"The note I had written for Link," he spat out, causing Zelda to flinch. "Teli told me what you had done, and it was a foolish thing to do! Regardless of whether you were going to rebuild or not, the safety of those who remain in this ruined kingdom was something you had chosen to prioritize, princess title or not, and you jeopardized that when you kept that information from Link! Monsters are still in Hyrule, and you said you would figure it out, but you won't figure it out by keeping information hidden from those around you. Especially those with the power to defeat those monsters and Yiga!"

"R–right. I know," Zelda said guiltily, lowering her head.

"I don't care what silly squabbles or disagreements you have going on between you, and the same goes for Link as well, but he already heard my piece," Robbie said. Zelda's ears pricked up at this.

"I–it was Link who told you everything?" Zelda asked.

"It sure was. He was here just yesterday morning, informing me of your decision to rebuild," Robbie explained. "It was then I asked him about the note, the one he didn't know he had."

"Hm... Right..." Zelda said, lowering her head back down. Watching as Zelda guiltily sat in front of him, the old man sighed.

"At least, if you feel the need to hold off on informing Link— or anyone else— of something, send a message back so we can form a new plan," Robbie said sternly. "Jerrin and I were waiting, in fear of that Yiga, for months. Communicate."

"I will... I promise, I'll do better," Zelda said. The researcher nodded.

"Good. There will be people who won't immediately take kindly to your restoration," Robbie said sternly. Immediately, the thought of the gossipmongers appeared in Zelda's mind. "They won't see a point to rebuilding, and may even see you as a threat. It's up to you to prove them wrong. There isn't any room for pettiness. If you feel you need to convince someone, don't hold information from them unless you have a strong reason. That'll only prove their point if you do it without reason, even if they hold things from you. You're the princess, the one who needs to be the bigger person. Try to find their reasonings, meet them in the middle, or show them why your way may be better. Show them why they should trust you. Why they should follow you. Why they should believe in you. We need a leader. Not a child."

With tears in her eyes, Zelda nodded again.

"I believe you can do it," Robbie said, glancing over at the tent-like stable Hoz had disappeared through. "You were able to show your wisdom and confidence just then, defending that strange man against Hoz. That's something a leader would have done, and now you have not one, but two supporters, both of which can assist you in your goals. You should be proud of yourself."

Sniffling, Zelda wiped away her tears to reveal a smile.

"Thank you, Robbie."

"Hm. Now clean yourself off," he said waving her away. Embarrassed, Zelda turned away on her bench to do as told, allowing Robbie to turn his attention to Paya. "Young Paya. It's good to see you. I haven't seen you since you were a small one. How are you?"

"I'm well, Master Robbie," Paya said with a bow. "It's good to see you again too. You look well."

"I certainly am well, especially now that I know what our plans are," Robbie said with a grin. "I supposed Impa sent you out here to help the princess convince those she is who she says she is, yes?"

"T–that was the plan," Paya said, lowering her head. "I... I don't believe I'm doing a very good job at the moment."

"You'll find your stride, don't you worry,' Robbie supported. Paya smiled.

"Thank you. If I may ask... where are you going?" she asked, looking over at his wife and their luggage. "You seem to be traveling somewhere."

"I'm glad you asked. Listen up, Princess," Robbie said. Listening, Zelda turned with eyes that were still a bit red. "Jerrin and I are headed to Purah's. We have some work to do since you're restoring our kingdom."

"Really? What are you working on?" Zelda asked curiously.

"Nothing you need to focus yourself on right now," Robbie said. "We'll tell you in due time, but right now, you must focus on your current task at hand. I'm not sure what the scope of your idea is, but if it requires getting people to Lurelin for a discussion about our future, then that should be your sole focus, do you understand?"

Zelda nodded.

"You know where to find us when you're ready to learn more," Robbie said. "If you thought these last few months were tough, then these next few years will be a stressful nightmare for you. I hope you're prepared."

"If I'm not now, then I will be," Zelda said. "I promise."

"Glad to hear it," Robbie said kindly. "Well, Jerrin and I better be off. Teli here is escorting us to Hateno, and the longer we wait, the more impatient I'm sure Purah will become."

"Oh, before you go," Zelda said as Robbie began to walk toward his wife. Pausing, he turned and looked at her with his blue-eyed goggles. "You said Link was here yesterday, yes? Did he go up the mountain?"

"He did. He's stopping by the hot springs before he goes to take whatever it is the Master Sword has waiting for him," Robbie answered. "If you wish to catch him before then, I suggest you leave now."

"Right. We best be on our way as well then," Zelda said, standing up and looking at Paya. "Are you ready to leave?"

"Y–yes, whenever you are, Princess," Paya said.

"Celessa! We're leaving!" Zelda called out the Celessa, who was chatting happily with Teli. Hearing her friend call, she and Teli hugged before she hurried back over to Zelda's side. After waving at Teli, Zelda turned and headed toward the stable master. "The elixirs are at another stable nearby. We might as well ride and grab them."

"R–ride?" Paya asked. "As in, ride a horse?"

"I don't mind taking a horse, but I don't have one of my own," Celessa said.

"Not to worry, Link has plenty of horses we can use," Zelda said, coming to the stablemaster's desk. Paya though, still seemed unsure.

"I don't know, Princess... I've never ridden a horse before," she said.

"Don't worry, Paya. You'll be just fine," Zelda said, turning to face her. "Link's horses are very well trained. He's the best trainer there is. If you're still nervous though, I'll tell you something Link told me once before. Be sure to soothe your mount. That's the only way it'll know how you truly feel. If you trust it, it'll trust you, and your ride will go smoothly."

"Come on, Paya, it'll be fun!" Celessa cheered. "We've been teleporting everywhere recently. I say we ride all the way until we reach the base of the mountain. We should really get a sense of true adventure for once!"

"I don't mind riding the whole way," Zelda said. "Link is either there or already isn't at this point. I doubt riding will make much of a difference. Paya? Your say?"

Both turned to look at Paya, who gave them a nervous look, contemplating the advice she had been given. After a moment, Paya slowly nodded.

"A–alright. I'll trust you," she said. Zelda smiled.

"Then let's—"

"Wait!" a sudden voice called out. The three women turned toward the stable's entrance to see the Nobo running toward them with her bowl cut swaying back and forth. She came skidding to a stop in front of them before looking at Zelda. "W–wait, Princess! I heard from Hoz you were rebuilding the kingdom! I–I wish to help rebuild too, if possible!"

"W–wow... He's already getting people on the princess's side," Paya exclaimed quietly.

Upon Nobo's claim, Celessa stepped forward.

"If you want to help, start traveling and spread the word to other Hylians," Celessa said. "No more procrastinating and just sitting here. Start traveling."

"I–is that really all you need?" Nobo asked, glancing at Zelda. The princess nodded.

"Hoz didn't believe I was the princess at first," she said. "It would help greatly if the word started getting around more, that way others will believe as well when we see them. It would greatly help us, more than you know."

"T–then I will!" Nobo said. "I'll travel! I will! I promise this time."

"Great," Celessa said. "And... visit the Spring of Power like you've always wanted while doing so. Two keese with one arrow, right?"

"Right! That's a good way of putting it," Nobo said. With a bow, she hurried off down the road with her hair bobbing as she went along. The group giggled before turning to each other. Looking at both of her friends, Zelda nodded.

"Let's be off."

...

As the morning sun began to turn into noon, Zelda and company pulled their horses to a stop in front of the Woodland Stable, which sat at the base of the mountain. Sliding off the saddle of her white stallion, Zelda's boots hit the dirt with a thud before she turned to look at Paya and Celessa.

"How are you two feeling?" she asked. "The ride wasn't too bad, I hope?"

"I loved it," Celessa said, jumping down from her saddle. "Paya?"

"I... I... it was an experience," the Sheikah managed to stutter out. "I–It's just a little fast for me, b–but I think I could get used to it!"

The black horse she rode shook its mane, causing Paya to jolt. Giggling, Celessa stepped over to her and held a hand up, offering to help her down from the saddle. Once off, Paya sighed.

"It was fine until we started galloping," she said. "It was very peaceful before then..."

"Come on, it was fun!" Celessa said, the one guilty for their sudden up in speed. "It's not every day you get to freely ride horses, right?"

"W–well, no... No, I don't," Paya said. "I–it was sort of... exhilarating, in a way."

"See?" Celessa smiled.

Watching as the two talked, Zelda giggled as well before turning and heading toward the stables front desk. With a smile, the stablemaster came and leaned down to look at her.

"Hello there, Miss," he said cheerfully. "How can I help you today?"

"Hi, yes, I just need to board these three horses here," she answered. "We're about the head up the mountain, and I understand horses don't take well to the rough terrain."

"They sure don't. Let me get their information pulled up here... for Storm and two others—"

"Father! Father!" a young voice suddenly called. The stablemaster sighed, saying "excuse me for a moment," and turned toward someone on the other side of the interiors desk.

"Shamae!" he said sternly. "I told you, I am working!"

"But, Father, the traveler!" the girl's voice continued to whine. "He's lost! He's lost! He went into the Lost Woods, I swear he did!"

"The same way you believe islands are in the sky?" her father asked. "Look, Sweetie, I'm with a customer right now. We will talk about that traveler in a minute, but I doubt anyone would go into those woods. Everyone knows you get lost when you enter—"

"Excuse me. Who went into the Lost Woods?" Zelda spoke up quickly. She hurriedly stepped inside, locating the source of the young voice to find a little girl, looking up at the countertop where her father looked down at her. "Little one, who went into the Lost Woods?"

"It was a traveler! A really nice one," Shamae said. "He helped my dreams come true! He sent some barrels up into the sky using some gross. It was some stuff he pulled out of his pouch—"

"When did he go into the woods?" Zelda asked quickly.

"Not long ago!" the girl said. "An hour hasn't even passed!"

Immediately Zelda pushed herself up and ran out of the tent, ignoring the calls of the confused stablemaster behind her.

"Celessa, Paya, you both board up the horses," she said.

"O–okay?" Celessa said. "Princess, what are you—?"

"Link just went into the woods! He's about to take his trial!" Zelda said, beginning to dash up the road. "I need to go wish him good luck! I'll be back soon, just wait for me here!"

"Wait, toward the— Hey, wait a moment!" the stablemaster shouted as Zelda ran passed his desk. "Those woods are dangerous! You'll get lost in there! I'm serious!"

Ignoring his words again, Zelda continued to sprint up the path before reaching down and taking the slate off her hip. As she ran, she tapped on the screen, and after a few more taps, she disappeared in a flash of blue light.

...

In another flash, Zelda reformed on a shrine platform. Instantly, she recognized the dense green forest, along with the large tree she now stood next to. Looking around, she saw a light beginning to grow brighter on the other side of the tree.

"Wait!" she cried out, jumping from the platform.

Her boots splashed in a small, shallow pond, decorated with large lily pads. Forcing her legs through the water, Zelda ran as quickly as she could through the pond before seeing the other side of the tree, where the light was only glowing brighter in the spot she knew the legendary blade usually stood in its pedestal.

"No, no, no! Wait a moment! Wait!" Zelda shouted, now dashing toward the stone platform the pedestal sat on. She could just barely make it out, the outline of her lover, slowly fading away with his hand on the sword's green-strapped handle. "Link!"

It was too late. He was gone, vanished to wherever the sword had taken him just as Zelda had climbed onto, bypassing the stairs entirely. All that remained was the sword, gleaming it's beautiful purple elegance, sitting with its tip still stuck in its pedestal. Zelda's face fell.

"𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬... 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮?" the guardian of the forest asked, noticing a new presence had appeared before him. "𝐀𝐡... 𝐒𝐨, 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞."

"Hello... Great Deku Tree," Zelda said, though any cheer from her voice had vanished, with her eyes still stuck on the Master Sword.

"𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐦?" the tree asked. Zelda nodded.

"I know he would've wanted me to wish him good luck... To think that I just missed him..." Zelda answered.

"𝐇𝐦. 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞," the Deku Tree said, "𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐈 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟, 𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞."

"Thank you, Great Deku Tree," Zelda said. With a deep breath, she looked up into the tree's shadowy eyes. "That does make me feel a bit better. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to come see you. I know you must have been worried."

"𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲. 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞," the elder tree said. "𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬, 𝐈 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬𝐤... 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐦𝐞?"

"Well... Last time we saw each other, you said words intended for him would sound much better in the tones of my voice," she said. "I just wanted to make sure that... the next time I saw you, I could tell you I was able to pass on that message in full."

"𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞... 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨?" the tree asked.

"Well... The road to telling him, and getting him to understand, was a bit bumpy, and honestly, even when our feelings were mutual, things weren't exactly the way I pictured it," Zelda said. "But... I know the message got across."

"𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝. 𝐈'𝐦 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐝," the tree said.

With a smile, Zelda nodded before looking down at the sword she stood before. Suddenly she noticed the flower sitting in front of the stone. Gently, she crouched down and took the plant in hand. Smiling, she kissed its white and blue petals.

"You left this here, didn't you?" she whispered.

Still crouched she looked up at the sword's handle she had now come to face with. Seeing her reflection in its purple-shined wings, she reached up with her free hand and took the sword by the handle. Closing her eyes, she lightly pressed her forehead to the bulbous part of the guard.

"Good luck, Link, and do your best. I know, whatever it is the sword has prepared for you, you will overcome it all. I love you, and I can't wait to see you once it's over."

...

...

...

And the Master Sword trials begin! It's finally time to get into the meat of these trials, while Zelda and company start figuring out the rest of the festival she has planned! A few updates:

Firstly, thank you guys so much for making it this far through the first book, Couple of the Wild, and this one. That's insane, and only makes me want to rewrite that more to do that story justice XD. I know A Couple of Trials, while just a continuation of that story, is different.

I wanted to try something new, to put our characters against odds that are completely unfair to them, and show them at their lowest point. I didn't want to make a perfect Link and Zelda as others depicted them. I wanted to show two young adults who had the weight of the world and more, and when given a comparatively normal life, it's hard to adjust, especially when those dangers (the Yiga and whatever comes next) aren't exactly gone and messing with them.

I made them struggle, and show the worst parts of themselves that came from Zelda's father, the Calamity, the Champions Ballad, and the Yiga, and all of the guilt, accumulating into one just, horrendous mess of an issue, one that could have been solved easily if Link and Zelda were perfect. But they simply aren't here. Zelda and Link have never been in a relationship. They always had a strange power dynamic when Zelda was a princess that's no longer there. It's a struggle for them. But... they held out, and made it in the end, and now, they're clawing their way back, working on each other while progressing their duties, the ones they've put off for so long now.

I know the beginning of ACoT wasn't exactly what you guys expected, but I wanted to tell a story different from the other Zelda fics out there, and honestly, it's the part of the story I'm most proud of. I didn't get to say it, but I do really hope you all enjoyed it, and the first book, despite how frustrating Link and Zelda were. They were meant to frustrate you, so now, you can appreciate their growth in this part of the story.

Secondly, I want to give a big shoutout to CaptnMoss. She has really helped me keep the quality of the story high with grammar and suggestions. She is stepping down as editor due to work and other stuff, so I want to give her a big thanks. She may return in the future, but as of now, I am once again a single-man army, so if there are a few grammar errors, I'm doing my best LMAO. For example, the last chapter and this chapter were all me, not edited by Moss, so just let me know if you ever see an error and I'll fix it.

Thanks again for all the support, and I hope you guys enjoy the last half of this story before we get to the third book in this long series, The Couple Series, the TotK book.

Kenny.