CHAPTER 1

It had been eight years since the Calamity had been sealed away. Eight years is a long time to heal, and there were many ways that the people of Hyrule went about it.

The first order of business was clearing away all of the wrecked Guardians that once roamed the land. For most, they were no better than the common monsters that terrorized the people and their loved ones. The Sheikah had no argument, and readily agreed to tear down the ruined machines, in hopes that they could repurpose the tech into future endeavours. Even the Sheikah Towers and Divine Beasts were taken down and disassembled. There was much info to be gleaned from what the ancient Sheikah had left behind, and now it was finally accessible after 100 years.

The castle was another matter. Having spent 100 years trapped inside of it, Princess Zelda was vehemently opposed to ever spending more time inside its walls than was necessary. She would rather have the castle razed to the ground for all she cared, but she conceded that historical artifacts from inside were needed for research and preservation. A small camp was erected in the ruins of the royal Sacred Grounds for expeditions into the castle. As the hauls of artifacts grew, so did the camp. Walls were erected, as was a watchtower with a telescope. Eventually the camp, now referred to as Lookout Landing, rivalled the size of a small town and became the new hub for all royal business in the kingdom.

People moved and resettled. It was a fresh start for everybody. A chance to give people a world where they didn't live in fear of being annihilated. The only things that people were afraid of now were if the season's crops would last the winter, or the odd bokoblin stumbling onto their property. But from that fear came courage, and the people of Hyrule had been emboldened by the stories of the Princess and her Knight who managed to seal away the darkness. So they forged on, content with the new world they were creating.


In a forest to the north, two travellers walked side by side through a dense fog, a man and a woman. They bore similar features to each other: blonde hair, pointed ears, and blue garments, nearly as blue as both their eyes. The path they took was a strange one, looping and doubling on itself, and sometimes they even found themselves walking back the way they came. Eventually, the two travellers found a break in the fog. Walking through it, it was as if they were transported to a new world. The fog dissipated, and dark gave way to light. Underneath a heavy canopy of green leaves and branches, the pair kept walking. From the boughs above, tiny little creatures floated down, chirping and chattering amongst themselves. The male traveller looked up and smiled, recognizing the Koroks, the children of the forest. "Mr. Hero! You're back!" one of the Koroks chimed.

The man chuckled. The woman looked to her companion and asked, "What's so funny?" The man just shook his head.

They walked forward until they stopped at the base of a stone pedestal set into the forest floor. Embedded in the pedestal was what the two of them had come here for. Further beyond the pedestal was a tree, but not like the many thousands of trees around them. This one tree dwarfed all others in the land. This one tree made a home for the children of the forest, and kept them safe. This one tree had lived for thousands of years, and witnessed firsthand many exploits that would be recorded as legend.

And with a rumble, the Great Deku Tree awakened and laid eyes on his visitors. "It is good to see you... Princess Zelda of Hyrule. And Link, keeper of the Master Sword." The Great Deku Tree spoke with an earthy rumble in his voice that shook the leaves above the duo. "Your blade has been fully restored."

The man, Link, and the woman, Zelda, shifted their gaze from the Tree to the sword embedded in the pedestal. Before them was the Master Sword; the sword that seals the darkness, the sword that belonged to Link by right of destiny. They had returned the blade here shortly after sealing the Calamity. Due to the heavy damage sustained on the day the Calamity broke loose and the lack of time before it escaped again, Link was forced to use the blade in an underpowered state to fight Calamity Ganon. It was still more than powerful enough for the job, but it took a mighty effort to put Ganon down.

"Go on then, Link. Draw it once more."

Link stepped onto the pedestal. He placed a hand on the purple hilt of the Master Sword, and gave it a tug. The blade easily came free from the stone. Link couldn't help but smile; it had been nearly eight years since he'd last held this sword. Something about it just felt right, like a trusted friend. Even from a distance, Zelda could feel the brilliance that hadn't been there the last time she had seen the sword. "Great Deku Tree, thank you so much."

The Great Deku Tree chuckled, and Link and Zelda felt it through the ground. "There is no need for thanks. I merely watched over its renewal."

Zelda watched as Link silently examined the blade. "It is amazing that a sword can heal itself, no matter how badly damaged it becomes..."

"It can do more than heal." Zelda's attention was piqued, so the Deku Tree continued, "The sword will continue to gain strength if bathed in sacred power. The stronger that power, the more powerful the sword becomes. The potential of this fabled blade may well be limitless. Truly the work of a goddess."

Zelda pondered the meaning of that. "A sword... that grows ever stronger." 'The Master Sword.'

Satisfied, Link placed the blade into the ornate sheath strapped to his back and bowed to the tree, Zelda bowed as well and bid farewell to the forest.


Some time later, Zelda and Link made their way out from the Lost Woods, and a clear night sky greeted them upon their exit. Fortunately, they'd had the foresight to set up a small camp at the forest's entrance, a tent and a small cooking fire. In companionable silence, the two Hylians each prepared a pack of rations and ate around the fire. When dinner was finished, the two entered the tent and crawled into their separate sleeping bags. It would be enough of a scandal if it were discovered that the Princess and her knight were sharing a tent, but if they were found sharing a sleeping bag? The rumour mills would have an absolute field day. Before they dozed off, Zelda turned to Link, "You know, you've spoken so much about the Koroks of the forest, and I've read many stories about them... I must say, I was disappointed to not see a single one."

Link looked at Zelda, turned her words over in his head, and opened his mouth. "The Koroks are... careful about who they appear to."

Link was not known for being a talker, and most people he met assumed he was a mute. This was far from the case, though, Link was just very selective about who he spoke his mind with, and very deliberate with the words he used. "I would guess that I can see them because they remember me. Er... not me, but the old me."

Zelda nodded. Many versions of the Legend of the Hero said that he had worked with the children of the forest on a few occasions, one story even said that the Hero was one of them for a time. Link continued, "Maybe if you came to the forest more often, they'll realize you're a friend."

This answer satisfied Zelda. "Good night, Link."

Link nodded as Zelda turned onto her side and quickly fell asleep. Link, however did not sleep right away. He looked at her for a while longer and tried to keep his heart steady. It was that look in her eyes, that damn look when she just had to have the answer to something.

These feelings had started to stir in the months before the Calamity. The earliest he could remember that feeling was a day in Hyrule Field. They'd found some time between treks to the Goddess Springs and she had fully flipped into her researcher mode, examining the many species of wildflower and naming the medicinal effects they had. Seeing that hunger for knowledge and answers had stirred something in Link. Just as much as the thought of licking that frog she held out stirred his stomach, but in a good way.

That had grown stronger over time, and he secretly despaired every time her father pressured her into continuing her prayers. It was plain to see that she was gaining nothing from it, but still, the King insisted.

It wasn't just his duty to the crown that kept him going on the day that hell broke loose. It was their friendship, it was the need to see her safe, it was his...

Link quashed that train of thought. It wouldn't happen. It couldn't happen, because destiny said so. According to most versions of the Legend of the Hero, the Hero and Princess very often went their separate ways after defeating whichever evil had threatened their homeland. Some even ended with either the Princess or the Hero giving their life to vanquish the forces of evil, and a handful of stories even ended with evil prevailing. Only a few obscure versions of the Legend had a happy ending for the Princess and the Hero, and those events hadn't been properly recorded or retold since they were in living memory, if they had even happened at all.

Besides, no princess ever married their knight; it was foolish. So he was happy to maintain the status quo. For the rest of his life, if he had to. She was the Princess of Hyrule, and he was just her knight. With a heavy sigh, Link shut his eyes and dreamed of a princess.


The next morning, Link and Zelda packed away the tent and covered over the remains of their fire. The duo walked back through the Minshi Woods until they reached the Woodland Stable and placed the load onto their horses. As they strapped down their packs, the stable's attendant jogged over and handed a sealed envelope bearing the royal crest to Zelda. After paying the man, they were on their way.

As they rode, Zelda unsealed the letter and read it to herself. When she was done, Zelda spoke to Link, "Purah sent an updated report. They think they've found where the gloom is coming from inside the castle." Link snapped his head towards Zelda upon hearing that.

Over the past month in central Hyrule, people were falling ill after encountering what had been labeled as "gloom." It manifested out of nowhere, either in small puddles, or in a thin cloud. Anyone who came into contact with it reported that they felt like their energy was being drained for as long as they touched it.

A recent expedition had located a slightly stronger concentration of gloom in the castle's lockup on the lowest floor. The letter sent by Purah said that she sent another expedition shortly after Link and Zelda departed for the Lost Woods. They found a spot in the wall where gloom appeared to be drifting through. With some time and digging, they unearthed a doorway covered over by heavy bricks. Once the bricks were blasted away, a staircase was discovered leading down into the castle's foundations, at which point the expedition retreated and reported their findings to Purah. The report ended with Purah asking Zelda and Link to investigate as soon as possible.

Zelda read the letter to Link, and by the end, he was suddenly very glad he trusted the gut feeling he had which told him to retrieve the Master Sword. "We'll ride straight for the castle, then," Link said after a brief silence. Zelda agreed, and they both spurred their horses to go faster.

The sun was nearly below the horizon by the time Link and Zelda arrived at the castle's gates. Riding further up the path to the castles, they reached the lockup access. There, they dismounted and started to walk inside. Zelda froze one step from crossing the threshold; she hadn't been within the castle in nearly six years, where she led one of the first expeditions to retrieve artifacts. She kept a brave face on, but later confided to Purah through tears that she'd rather not see the inside of the castle ever again.

Link heard Zelda's footsteps stop, and turned to face her. Their eyes met, and Zelda took a few deep breaths. In that time, the two of them spoke without words. He said that he would go alone if she wished, and didn't hold it against her for feeling how she did. She admitted she was afraid, but she'd never let him go alone. He asked if she was sure. She answered with a wordless 'yes' and a single nod, before stepping inside.

Link led the way through the lockup. According to Purah, the entrance was discovered in the lockup's largest cell. Link knew exactly where that was, having been trapped in there with a stalnox during his last visit. He hadn't set foot inside the castle since the day the Calamity was sealed. But he easily remembered the layout. He couldn't forget, no matter how much he tried.

Link half expected the gate to crash down behind them when they arrived, and let out a silent sigh of relief when it didn't. Looking around, the cell hadn't changed much since the last time he was here. Except, of course, for the charred hole in the wall opposite the gate. Looking around, Link and Zelda also found some supplies left behind by the previous expedition. A few rations and waterskins, some weapons, and a few torches, coupled with flints to light them. They weren't hungry, having eaten on the road, but they took the time to refill their waterskins. Zelda took up a torch and lit it with no trouble at all. With a shared look, they both agreed they were as prepared as they could be. Together, they stepped through the door and began their descent.


Thanks to Kawaiichan67 for proofreading. Check out their stuff on AO3!

Reviews are appreciated!