Chapter 3

In the morning, Link and Zelda set off early in the morning to check on the status of Vah Naboris.

They had a lot of climbing ahead of them, as the Divine Beast was still parked on the southern mesa of Spectacle Rock, high above Gerudo Canyon. Link loaned his climber's bandanna to Zelda and the matching boots to Flor, who was still determined to tag along with them and continue copying her great-great-grandmother's journal for Zelda along the way. For a middle aged woman who had spent all of her life living at Lakeside Stable with her mother and not traveling much, Flor was surprisingly open to this unexpected adventure.

Link intended to wear the climber's shirt himself, but just as he was about to change into it, Flaxel unexpectedly approached them.

"Heading to Gerudo Town?" she asked Link brightly. "I'm going that way myself. We could travel together! And hey... maybe you can show me a few more things with the sword on the way. Everything you talked about yesterday was boring. I already knew all that!"

Link felt a sudden renewal of hope. Was it possible Flaxel was rethinking his offer? Or did she just want to pick up some tips from him before she went back to hunting monsters on her own? He chose his next words carefully.

"You can handle more advanced lessons," he said. "But the princess and I have to make a stop on the way there. We might only make it to Kara Kara Bazaar today."

Flaxel shrugged. "Whatever. As long as we see some action at some point. Will we?"

"There are Lizalfos all over the desert. They like to hide in the sand."

"Never fought those before. Sounds fun."

He loaned his climber's shirt to Flaxel, and the four of them left their horses behind at the stable and began to climb the cliffs to the south.

It took several hours to get to the top of Spectacle Rock. They crossed the narrow bridge of stone that led to the southern mesa, heads tipped back to appreciate the majesty of Vah Naboris towering overhead. The ancient machine was shaped like an ancient camel with double humps, its four long legs kneeling on the ground, the head on top of its swaying neck still facing toward Hyrule Castle, just as the spirit of Urbosa had left it two weeks ago after unleashing its power against Calamity Ganon.

Flaxel and Flor were walking some distance behind Link and Zelda, getting to know one another. Link looked over at Zelda. Her long hair was still neatly out of her face despite their long climb, thanks to the bandanna she had borrowed. Although her first look at Vah Naboris had brought a smile to her face, now she looked serious again, lost in thought as they walked along.

"How are you doing?" he asked her.

Zelda took in a deep breath, coming back to herself. "In what regard?"

"Are you thinking about your father?"

Zelda pressed her lips together. "Nearly every moment of every day," she confessed softly, then sighed. "I must seem terribly distracted. I've been trying to act normally, for the sake of my subjects. I can't feel normal. Is it obvious?"

"No. But you don't have to wear that face for me."

She nodded, looking grateful. "I miss him. He was solid as a rock. I never questioned how much I leaned on him until I couldn't anymore. And... and I don't feel remotely ready to take his place." She looked over at Link. "It must be worse for you. My father and I... our wills constantly clashed. We didn't understand each other very well. But you and your father did, I think. You seemed very much alike. And your mother... I mourned for my mother years ago, but you lost both your parents at the same time. I'm worried about you. Those memories you got at the Shrine of Resurrection hit you hard, didn't they?" She paused a moment. "Tell me about it."

There was a long silence. Finally, Link shook his head.

Zelda looked at him with concern. "Too heavy to speak?"

He nodded.

That made Zelda look even more concerned, but she seemed to be resisting the impulse to push harder. "Well, I want to help you. Whenever you're ready to talk, you can come to me. Even if I'm in the middle of something. You're... important to me." There was an odd note in her tone as she said the last sentence.

They were nearly to Vah Naboris now, its bent front legs towering over their heads. The machine cast a deep shadow that was an instant relief from the sun. Suddenly Zelda stood stock-still.

"What is that?" she blurted out.

Something had been built alongside Vah Naboris, visible now that the sun was no longer glaring in their eyes. It was a hasty scaffolding made from wood that went up, level upon level, until it reached the entrance to the Divine Beast.

Link and Zelda stared up at it, surprised and a little worried.

"Who could have built that?" Zelda asked. "And why?"

"The Gerudo?" Link wondered.

"Perhaps." Zelda pursed her lips. "I suppose Riju may have ordered her people to try to move it. It caused them so much trouble recently. But it doesn't seem to be causing any trouble now, and I doubt they could get in anyway. You said the door sealed behind you when you left, right? And I don't suppose Urbosa's spirit would have any reason to open it again."

They couldn't see the main entrance from this angle, and Link and Zelda exchanged glances as Flaxel and Flor finally caught up to them, looking at the scaffolding as curiously as they had.

"Stay here," Zelda told their companions. "Link and I will climb up to see what's going on."

The two of them mounted the scaffolding. It was rickety and had clearly been built in a rush, but it held their weight and soon they had ascended to the final level.

The main entrance to Vah Naboris was still sealed shut. There was nothing and no one in sight.

"How strange!" Zelda said, hands on hips as she studied the door. "Well, I suppose there is nothing else to do but go inside. I want to see if all its functions are still active. I would like the option to move it, if that's what we decide to do."

Link pulled the Sheikah slate from his belt and pressed it against the pedestal. It lit up in response, and a moment later the door slid open.

A man standing just inside the doorway turned, startled, and faced them. Zelda gasped, taking a step backward. Link pulled the Master Sword from its sheath with a scrape, dropping down into an alert crouch.

The man was wearing a Yiga uniform. He was every bit as surprised to see them as they were to see him. He limply dropped the half-eaten banana he clutched in his hand, and it landed on top of a pile of banana peels at his feet that had already turned brown and slimy.

The man hastily tugged down his mask to cover up his mouth. It looked like he had pushed the fabric up so he could enjoy his snack. He started fumbling around, patting his uniform as if looking for a weapon.

Zelda's hands clenched into fists down by her sides and she abruptly shouted at the masked man: "Get. Out!"

The clanging of a gong rang out from inside the Divine Beast, and in response there were immediately puffs of smoke all around them, and half a dozen Yiga soldiers popped into view. One of them was a Blademaster, tall and broad-shouldered, although with oddly stubby arms. He laughed out loud through his mask the moment he caught sight of the Master Sword in Link's hand... but it wasn't the deep chortle Link had come to expect from Yiga Blademasters. Instead, it was a wheezy, high-pitched cackle.

"Stand and tremble, enemies of Ganon!" he shrieked. "You face no weakling of a Master like pathetic, useless, bungling Kohga! It is I, Master Skanda!" He struck a dramatic pose. "My skills and powers are legendary! Drop your weapons and kneel before me!"

Link stared at him, befuddled. For some reason this man had made himself an elaborate chain of bananas around his neck for ornamentation. It didn't exactly have the same effect Master Kohga's magnificent ruff had. Rather than making him look larger and more intimidating, it was giving Link an almost uncontrollable urge to snatch away that perfectly good food and make something appetizing with it before it got bruised and ruined.

"You have no right to be here," Zelda snapped. "I demand that you leave at once!"

"Princess!" Skanda sneered, flapping his hands at her in a dismissive way. "You stink of Goddess! No one here takes orders from you!" The Yiga around him chuckled in a sycophantic way.

"Get out," Zelda said tightly, "or we will make you get out."

There was nowhere for the Yiga to go, as the Gerudo had now chased them out of their hideout in the northern desert, and so Link wasn't surprised when Skanda responded by cackling with obvious relish.

"Then make me!" he shrieked. Abruptly he unsheathed a windcleaver and swung it in Zelda's direction, and instinctively she conjured a shield of golden light that blocked the burst of wind that came from it.

Link didn't see what Zelda did after that, because he was already charging toward Skanda with all the speed he could muster, raising the Master Sword for a sweeping blow aimed at his neck. Outside, he heard the startled exclamations of Flaxel and Flor down on the ground, and Zelda shouting at them to stay where they were.

Just before Link reached Skanda, a Yiga foot soldier popped into position between them, hovering in the air with his duplex bow aimed directly at Link.

A couple neat chops, and the man cried out in pain and vanished in a puff of smoke. Link glanced back to see Zelda with her right hand outstretched, sending out a golden shock wave that knocked two foot soldiers to the ground.

Taking his attention from Skanda was a mistake, although he was standing further away than the other Yiga. The Yiga's new Master raised his hand with a meaningful flourish and Link had no time to fire off an arrow before his opponent summoned Earthwake powers, sending a forceful rumble through the ground and toward him and Zelda.

Link knew that trick and managed to leap away in time, but the Earthwake traveled unerringly right under the golden shield Zelda had summoned in the air to protect herself from arrows. The rumble hit her feet and sent her stumbling unbalanced right into the pile of banana peels left carelessly on the floor. She slipped with a yelp and went down hard.

Master Skanda cackled, and Link took the opportunity to ding him in the head with an arrow. The man grunted, stunned, and Link swooped in and slashed with the Master Sword. He got in some good hits before Skanda recovered enough to pay him back in kind, but he got his shield up in time and danced away unhurt.

Zelda had scrambled back onto her feet, looking furious, and lobbed another golden shock wave at the two foot soldiers she had hit earlier. The pair of them bounced off an interior wall of the Divine Beast and flopped to the ground, looking discombobulated. They staggered back to their feet, took one look at Zelda's blazing eyes silently daring them to make another move, and wisely vanished in twin puffs.

Skanda advanced once more, and Link didn't take his eyes off him as the man drew his windcleaver and sent a blast of air at him. Link braced his feet against it, but the wind knocked him down anyway. Annoyed, he rolled back onto his feet and narrowly dodged a fierce swing of his enemy's blade. Spinning seamlessly from defense to offense, Link slashed him across the torso... and did no damage at all.

Master Skanda was standing behind a glowing blue rectangle that served as a shield for him. It seemed he had inherited some of Master Kohga's tricks.

Link knew it was useless to keep swinging at that shield... especially as Skanda made a gesture that levitated a metal crate lying nearby and send it flying at Link's head.

Cursing the loss of his Magnesis rune, Link could only flatten himself to the ground to avoid the attack. The crate shattered against the wall behind him and bananas flew everywhere. Already Skanda was levitating a second crate to hurl at him from behind the safety of his blue rectangular shield. Scowling, Link scrambled back to his feet, pulled his boomerang out and managed to whip it out into a sidewise arc just before the crate hit him, sending him staggering.

It took Link a moment to emerge from the shattered remains of the crate and the bananas it had contained, wincing from the blow, but by the time he had, he found Skanda was sitting on his backside, groaning from the impact of a boomerang to the head. His shield had dissipated.

Link moved in and slashed with the Master Sword with all the skill and precision he possessed. Skanda yelped and squawked with every blow. Out of the corner of his eye, Link could see Zelda slinging balls of light left and right at the remaining foot soldiers, who were groaning and staggering with the impacts.

Finally Master Skanda managed to jump back onto his feet and swing back with a howl, his attack wild and imprecise. Link stood his ground, taking the hits on his shield until he saw the chance to shield-parry. Skanda was knocked off-balance and Link whacked him several more times with his blade, knowing that if he kept his attacks fast and furious enough, the Yiga Master wouldn't have time to conjure another shield.

Something sharp hit Link's shoulder blade and he stumbled, pain lancing through him. Turning around, he saw a foot soldier hovering in the air nearby, chuckling in a satisfied way and putting a second arrow to the string. Zelda was still occupied finishing off a pair of soldiers some distance away. Link pulled out his bow and managed to loose his arrow against his new attacker first. The foot soldier tumbled to the ground with a cry, dropping his bow.

The ground rumbled, and Link whirled to see that Master Skanda had just sent another Earthwake in his direction. Losing patience with all this dodging, Link opted to open up his paraglider instead. Floating on the updraft his opponent had inadvertently created, he drew his bow in a moment of breathless timelessness... and went for the good arrows, seeing that Zelda was well out of range. It was time to end this.

He let the sizzling bomb arrow fly, and it struck Skanda directly. The explosion rocked the interior of the Divine Beast, echoing through its cavernous interior. The Yiga Master tumbled to the ground heavily, groaning. Slowly he got up panting, smoke rising from his singed banana necklace, and Link patiently waited with the Master Sword at the ready. Every other Yiga had fled or lay injured on the ground, and Skanda now stood alone. If his enemy had any sense, he'd run now. But sometimes the Yiga didn't have the sense the Goddess gave them.

The man stared down at Link from behind his blackened mask and growled contemptuously: "Little hero! Don't ever rest. We never will, until Ganon is avenged!" His mask turned toward Zelda. "And as for you, princess-"

He broke off as a banana bounced against his head.

Link turned in astonishment to see Zelda brandishing a second fruit in her hand, eyes flashing. A pair of Yiga foot soldiers lying stunned at her feet scrambled away clumsily and then teleported into puffs of smoke.

"Don't," Zelda said in a dangerous tone, "call Link little!"

She threw the second banana, but Skanda disappeared in a poof just before it hit his face, and a sudden silence fell. Link and Zelda were left alone inside Vah Naboris. The Divine Beast was cleansed of the Yiga Clan, if not their refuse. Zelda scuffed her boot at the pile of banana peels in disgust and then exchanged looks with Link.

"I have the weirdest craving for fried bananas right now," Link said.

"Flor and Flaxel!" Zelda blurted out, her eyes widening with alarm, and together they rushed out and descended the swaying scaffolding.

The two women were still there in the shade of the Divine Beast, although Flor was working to tie up a bleeding cut on Flaxel's arm.

"Oh, no!" Zelda said, hurrying over to see.

"It's more of a scratch than a cut," Flor assured her. "One of the Yiga soldiers attacked us with a sickle. Flaxel fought him off before he could do anything more!" Flor seemed surprisingly calm, considering her brush with danger.

"Those disgusting bottom feeders are a lot faster than Bokoblins," Flaxel said a little sheepishly, getting back to her feet. "I was almost in over my head. I guess I really do need those lessons from you, Link."

"As soon as we get to the bazaar," Link promised.

"About that..." Zelda said. She pulled Link aside, and they held a whispered conversation. When they had reached an agreement, they came back over and Zelda asked Flaxel politely if she would be good enough to escort Flor safely across the desert to Kara Kara Bazaar.

"We will meet you there tonight, but first Link and I must do something," she explained.

Flaxel seemed proud to be asked to do an important job, and before long she and Flor were descending from the heights once more, and Link and Zelda climbed the scaffold and re-entered the Divine Beast.

They took some time exploring the interior, but were quickly able to determine that the Yiga had not made any meaningful progress in activating its terminals.

"For a clan that turned traitor over their love for technology, they certainly don't possess any subtlety in the sciences," Zelda grumbled, putting some wiring back in place that the Yiga had pulled apart carelessly. She popped the panel back into place with a thump. "I wonder how they even got inside in the first place. The main entrance seemed to be secure."

"I think they just teleported inside," Link said. Zelda looked at him, startled.

"What do you know about their teleportation?" she asked, suddenly intent. "How do they do it?"

Link shook his head. "I don't know. They don't travel far during battles. Only ten feet or so. I guess that was far enough for them to get through the walls, once they built the scaffold." He patted the wall of the Divine Beast. "But when they disappear for good, I don't know where they go. I can never spot them again afterward."

Zelda thought about that for a long time as they walked to the nearest terminal. "Perhaps underground?" she hazarded. "Perhaps it's related to their ability to cause earthquakes. If they can displace enough earth to create a space for themselves..."

"Well, how do you do your teleportation?" Link asked. During his battle with Ganon Zelda had used her Goddess powers to transport him from a chamber deep under Hyrule Castle up to Hyrule Field in next to no time.

"I don't teleport, not really," she answered seriously. "I transform you, or myself, into light so we can fly with the speed of light. Or I did. I'm afraid I can't do it anymore."

Link paused in the act of activating the terminal they had just reached. "What?"

"Yes. I've tried and tried. I can still make light into shields and weapons, but I can't transform myself into light anymore. I think the Goddess took it from me, just as she took the rune powers you once had. Not to mention the shrines and towers that disappeared." She sighed deeply. "I suppose it is dangerous for we mortals to have too much power at our disposal. She gave us what we needed to defeat Ganon, and now we don't need it anymore."

"But she left the Divine Beasts."

"Yes. I wonder about that. What it means. Are we meant to bury them, then, as my ancestor did? Or use them? I wish she would tell us clearly. Perhaps we need to visit the Springs again and ask."

The terminal was active, and they moved on to the next one. Since both of them were familiar with Vah Naboris's inner workings now, it didn't take long before everything was running smoothly with the turbines lined up correctly and humming with electricity. They made their way outside to the main terminal.

"I hope you can pilot it," Link said. "I never got to do that part."

"I helped each of the champions work out the controls, back in the day," Zelda said. "Now, if I can just remember..." She began to fiddle with the controls, and it wasn't long before power surged and Vah Naboris began to rise ponderously to its feet.

Link resisted the impulse to hang onto the nearest handhold for dear life, and turned to look at Zelda. She had an expression of barely contained joy on her face as she operated the machinery with confidence, keeping a close eye on the exterior readouts. Soon she was steering the slow, cumbersome machine with as much grace and control as Urbosa ever had. Step by step Vah Naboris descended from the steep rocky highlands until at last its feet plodded through the soft sand of the desert.

"She could be watching over us right now," Zelda said softly. "Do you think?"

Link nodded, knowing she was thinking of Urbosa.

Zelda piloted Vah Naboris across Gerudo Desert toward the East Barrens. Although the Divine Beast stepped slowly, it traveled quickly thanks to its long legs. Soon Zelda had taken it to the far southeastern corner of the desert, right up against the cliff walls, and brought it to a halt.

"Any second thoughts?" she asked Link, her hands still on the controls.

He shook his head. They needed to make sure the Yiga didn't come back to tamper with the machine, at least not until they had come up with a more permanent solution to the problem, whatever that turned out to be.

"All right," Zelda said. She began rerouting power, and then she took a deep breath and activated the circuits in the feet of the Divine Beast.

Vah Naboris began feeding on the electricity in the ground, sucking it up and funneling it through its own turbines. A crackling sound wreathed the twin humps of the camel, and lightning began to branch out, stabbing its way from the turbines to the ground below. The wind began to rise in response. Sand filled the air. It took only minutes before visibility was nearly gone.

"Let's go!" Zelda shouted over the wind, squinting at him through the swirling dust. They walked to the edge of Vah Naboris's back, and Zelda donned the thunder helm, a precious Gerudo artifact Link had borrowed from Riju the last time he had seen the chief. The golden helmet came down over her eyes, which must have been a relief from the stinging sands. She reached out blindly and took hold of Link's shoulders. Then she climbed up onto his back and he waited until he was sure she was holding on securely.

And then he jumped off the edge.

He whipped out the paraglider and their fall instantly slowed. They were falling faster than Link usually did due to the double weight, but luckily a strong horizontal wind was helping them glide at a favorable angle. Lightning surrounded them but never struck them, thanks to the protective circle the thunder helm created around them.

After a few minutes, they emerged from the newborn sandstorm and came down with a bump into the deep, soft sand. They scrambled back onto their feet, shaking sand out of their clothing, and finally Zelda handed the helm back to Link. He would return it to Riju when he saw her tomorrow.

They both turned back and watched the swirling, flashing storm for a few minutes. The Divine Beast had disappeared from view.

"The Yiga Clan will work out where it's gone," Zelda said with a sigh. "The storm is a bit of a giveaway. But they'll have a hard time getting to it without being struck by lightning. I suppose that will do for now."

They turned their backs on it, and trudged through the sand toward Kara Kara Bazaar.


Flaxel was eagerly awaiting her sword fighting lesson as soon as they arrived at the oasis. Link worked with her for several hours and found it much less stressful to teach one student rather than a whole group at a time, even though Flaxel seemed determined to challenge everything he told her. But she did learn, and seemed to enjoy herself immensely.

She also spent all of dinner abusing and insulting the Yiga they had fought earlier in the day, which seemed to amuse Zelda but comforted Link. Flaxel had seen the need the kingdom had for order up close and personal, and now she was personally invested in the fight. Link was sure now that he would be able to persuade her to join Hyrule's new fighting force... as soon as they figured out where to headquarter it. That was a problem for another day.

Flaxel and Flor were both tired and went to bed right after dinner. Zelda disappeared for a while to talk to some of the Gerudo soldiers on duty, no doubt letting them know of her intention to visit Gerudo Town first thing in the morning.

Link was worn out from all the activity of the day and knew he should head into the inn as well, but instead he found himself just sitting by the fire, staring into the flames, too tired to move.

He had been fine most of the day, with plenty to do and think about. Now that he was alone, his mind went straight to what it always went to.

He could see in his mind's eye, once again, the wild grief on his mother's face when she saw his body for the first time. The image of her collapsing was seared into his mind, and he hated it, he hated everything about it, but he couldn't stop seeing it. Wrapping his arms around himself for warmth against the cold of the desert night, Link tried to make himself see something else instead. Anything else. He tried to push his way further into that memory to get past the image. But that only took him to the moment the Sheikah had laid him in the waters of the Shrine of Resurrection. He didn't like that either, and he pushed into the memory further.

But now Mother was coming to visit him in his unusual tomb, and she wept every time, and he saw her getting older and older, and she never got another family and she never stopping missing Link or her husband Ranulf, who had fallen in battle defending King Rhoam. Had his father been killed by a Guardian, or a monster? Link didn't know and probably never would. And was he still lying somewhere in the castle, along with the king and all the other Royal Guards who had fallen a hundred years ago? He must be. Link didn't see how anyone could have helped them with a proper burial. It was a horrible thought, but Link couldn't stop thinking it. His father, who had taught him every aspect of sword fighting with patience, affection and good humor... he had been something special, even among the elite of Hyrule's army. Link had remembered enough now to know that. And all of that had been taken away from him by Calamity Ganon.

A part of him ached for retribution against this monstrous wrong that had been done to him and his family. But the worst part was, he'd already gotten it. Ganon had paid for what he'd done and he was gone for good. There was nothing more to do to him. But it didn't seem enough. It hadn't made things right. There was still a hole in Link's heart that nothing could ever fill.

He stared into the flames, agony swirling inside him. It hurt too much to even cry.

"Oh good, you're still up."

Zelda came toward him in the darkness until she entered the circle of light cast by the flickering campfire. She sat down beside him and sighed heavily.

"We'll see Riju in the morning," she said. "I must confess, I am nervous about it. I have never been on a diplomatic visit without my father either beside me or at least helping me plan it in advance. And the Gerudo can be tricky. They are so fierce. So set in their ways. I hope it goes well."

Link stirred, knowing he should give Zelda some kind of reassurance, but he couldn't make himself speak.

Zelda didn't seem to notice. "I'm worried about what they'll say when they find out we made Vah Naboris start another sandstorm in their region. I don't see what else we could have done, not with the Yiga Clan on the prowl, and we put the Divine Beast in the most barren place we could. It shouldn't interfere with any Gerudo business or travel, but still. They must have been so frightened before, practically trapped in their town with sandstorms all around them, and people getting struck by lightning if they got too close... And now it will look like we're starting all that up again. Oh, perhaps it would be better after all for us to dismantle the Divine Beasts! No one would have to fear them becoming corrupted and attacking their homes again! I just can't think how we could do it. It would take a lot of people working for a very long time to take them apart, I think. Link, what do you think we should do with the Divine Beasts?"

"I don't know."

Zelda waited for an elaboration that never came. "No, really," she urged. "I want to know what you think. You can be honest with me."

"I don't know."

"It's just that, this decision will affect so many people. And there's no guarantee that each race will feel the same about it. What if the Gerudo want to keep theirs but the Zora want to get rid of theirs? And the Sheikah will want their say. It was the Sheikah who built them in the first place, so perhaps they have a claim to help make the decision... although I am certain they could not have done it without the resources provided by my ancestor who ruled at the time. Such a large project would have been a group effort. No, I think in the end the decision must be mine, especially since the security of the kingdom ultimately falls to me, but I want to know what everyone thinks. Maybe that will help me decide. So what do you think?"

Link's hands clenched into fists down by his side. Was she blind, that she couldn't see that he just wanted to be left alone to his own thoughts?

"I don't know," he said.

Zelda stared at him. "Stop saying that! Link, I am trying to have a serious conversation with you!"

Something seemed to snap inside him. "I... I am a knight!" he burst out angrily. "I swing a sword! I don't know how to run your kingdom! You run it!"

She reacted to it like she'd been struck. She stared at him in shock, frozen in place, a pink flush spreading across her cheeks and her eyes starting to swim with tears.

Great. Why did she get to cry, when he couldn't?

There was a very long, very uncomfortable pause. Zelda was now pointedly looking away from him, shoulders heaving as she fought for control. It didn't look like she was going to win that fight.

The only question now was which one of them would stalk away first. Link decided it should be him.

He left the fire and made himself walk, not run, until he got to the inn. But he didn't go inside. He climbed up the ladders outside the building until he was on the top platform, and then he laid down on the hard wooden boards, staring up at the stars overhead.

He could still see his mother collapsing onto her knees in the Shrine of Resurrection. He could still imagine his father lying lifeless on the cold stones of Hyrule Castle.

And now he'd made Zelda cry.

Link dug the heels of his palms into his eyes until he could see stars even with his eyes closed. The world seemed to spin around him. Time moved strangely for a while. The cold desert air seeped into his bones, but he didn't have the strength of will to get up and go inside.

He didn't remember falling asleep like that. But when he woke up, he was still lying on the platform, cold and stiff, and the sun was rising.

He dragged himself up, limped his way down the ladders, and started making breakfast. He felt weirdly numb, but that was an improvement from how he'd felt last night.

Flor and Flaxel came out first and made normal conversation with each other and with him as they ate. They obviously had no idea what had happened last night.

Zelda came outside last and accepted her plate with a meek "thank you." She seemed afraid to make eye contact with Link but made a point of being nice throughout the meal. It didn't look like there was going to be a confrontation about his disrespect last night, then. He would have felt relieved if he could feel anything at all right now, which he couldn't.

The four of them worked to wash up the dishes and then Flor and Flaxel and Zelda got ready to go, gratefully accepting the chilly elixirs Link prepared for them in case they were still crossing the desert sands when the sun grew scorching. Finally, they were ready to go, and so was the pair of Gerudo guards who were coming with them as an honor escort.

Link nodded to Zelda. "Travel safe. I'll be waiting here when you get back."

Zelda turned back, looked blank. "Waiting here? Aren't you coming with us?"

"It's Gerudo Town. Voe aren't welcome."

Zelda's brow creased. "Well, yes, normally. But you just saved their town, not only from Vah Naboris's rampages but also from Ganon himself now. If ever there was a time for them to permit an exception to their rules, this is it."

"Even after I calmed Vah Naboris, they still wouldn't let me in," he said. "Not unless I..." He spread his arms awkwardly.

Zelda didn't make him finish the sentence. "Yes, I was able to watch over you for a time while you were here. That certainly was a creative way to work around their rules, Link." She smiled at him wanly. He felt like he should smile back - under other circumstances, he would have - but he couldn't seem to feel it.

"We'll just come to the gate and ask politely," Zelda continued. "I am sure Riju will permit it. After all, you aren't going in to ask any favors or cause any trouble. We're going to pay tribute to Urbosa, among other things. If she has any decency in her, she'll let you in."

"Even if Riju wants to let me in, her people might not like it," Link pointed out. "We shouldn't cause trouble for her."

A hint of fire appeared in Zelda's eyes. "Link, if they do not let you into their town, they will offend me deeply."

"Then it's better if I stay here until you find out if I'm welcome. Don't start off your first visit making demands."

"That's... good advice." Zelda wrung her hands together, her dignified facade suddenly crumbling. "Oh, Link... I'm so sorry about last night. I unloaded everything on you. I shouldn't have asked you... I- I know it isn't your job to advise me."

"No," he said quickly. "You can ask me. I'll try to- I don't know what I'm doing, but I want to help you."

"No, I shouldn't have asked," she repeated firmly. "You have enough to do as it is."

"You can ask. Last night... I- I wasn't feeling good."

Her shoulders sagged. "I know you weren't. I can tell when you aren't feeling good. It's nearly always, isn't it? But I don't understand. When I don't feel good, I want to talk about it. I ache to talk about it. With you, or Impa, or Flor. Anyone, really. I feel better once I've talked to someone. But you don't ever want to talk. I don't know how to help you."

Link looked away for a long moment. She was right... he didn't want to talk about it. Maybe he could have talked to his parents about something that had hurt him this deeply. But they were gone now. That was the whole problem.

"How can I help you?" Zelda asked softly.

"I don't know," he admitted.

"If we leave you here while we go to Gerudo Town..." Zelda hesitated. "Does it help you to be alone?"

He answered honestly. "Nothing helps."

In the end, Zelda was persuaded to leave without him. She strode off into the desert, surrounded by Flor and Flaxel and the two Gerudo guards, looking back at him over her shoulder with a sober face.

For a while Link just hung around the oasis paddling his bare feet in the cool water, something he seemed to remember he had enjoyed once upon a time. But he longer seemed capable of enjoyment. Everything inside him felt blank, like a page that had never been written on.

Finally, he made himself get up and cook a few meals to store away for later. That didn't take very long, and then he was stuck just hanging around again. He could have busied himself doing something for the horses if they were here, but they'd been left back at Gerudo Canyon Stable. The desert wasn't kind to horses. There were a few travelers like himself around, but Link quickly grew bored with their conversations. Talking about the weather. Talking about the Gerudo. Talking about the best places to buy supplies. What did any of that matter? He wandered away from them and ended up walking slowly around the oasis, around and around in a useless circle that never took him anywhere.

He flopped down under a palm tree and looked up at the fronds waving against the sky. He was still there when Zelda and her companions came back.

Going over to greet her, Link realized Zelda must have purchased new clothing at Fashion Passion while she was at Gerudo Town. She was now wearing a traditional Gerudo top in hot pink, with a billowy yellow sirwal below and a light pink veil to shade her head from the blazing sun. Link found himself staring; he had never seen Zelda wear any colors but the royal shades of blue, white and gold, and these bright colors made her look very different.

She took the veil off as soon as she entered the cool shade of the oasis, and greeted Link.

"I spoke with Riju," she said. "She says you're welcome to come inside the walls. We can hold a remembrance for Urbosa tonight in the central plaza. Everyone in town is planning to come. And they would like to hold a traditional Gerudo ceremony to formally thank you and I for Sealing away Calamity Ganon. Are... you up for that?"

Link nodded. He'd have all kinds of eyes on him once again, but what did that matter? He doubted he could feel even nervousness right now.

The women stopped at the oasis only long enough to catch their breaths and drink some water, and then they all set off again. It was late afternoon and the hottest part of the day, not ideal for traveling through the desert, but they had to make it to town in time for the ceremony. The women were kept comfortably cool in their Gerudo clothing as they walked, but Link kept his champion's tunic on and drank a chilling elixir instead. He knew better than to wear his desert voe armor, as much as he loved it. That had been made for him in secret by Greta, and she would get into a lot of trouble if it was known that she was designing clothing for men. Best not to invite questions.

The ceremony wasn't as bad as it could have been. Yes, he had to stand on the steps leading up to the palace alongside Princess Zelda as Riju hung wreaths of desert blooms around their necks in honor of their service to the Gerudo people. Everyone in town looked at him the whole time.

But he had already met nearly everyone in attendance from the last time he was here. He had gotten to know their names and their quirks as he traded with them and did favors for some of them, and it felt more like a gathering of friends than he had expected it to be. He and Zelda each took a turn talking about their memories of Urbosa and lauding her courage and sacrifice, and the approving nods Link got from the women gathered around were encouraging.

And when the ceremony ended and the gathering turned into a joyous nighttime feast, Link quickly discovered that no one seemed offended by the fact that he had spent several weeks in town pretending to be a vai. He got more than one amused compliment on his ingenuity. Furosa even slipped him a Noble Pursuit when no one else was looking, and he discovered the drink was every bit as fruity and refreshing as he had heard.

He wished he could have truly enjoyed the feast. Everything inside him was still numb. But he was conscious of everyone's kindness, and that was something.

The celebration went late into the night, and then he and Zelda were escorted to the Hotel Oasis, where Romah insisted on giving them each a free spa treatment before sending them off to bed. After spending the previous night accidentally sleeping outside on a hard wooden platform, it was exactly what Link needed. He fell into bed with his muscles feeling as loose and relaxed as they ever had, and he slept like a log until late in the morning.

When he left the sleeping area, he found Zelda curled up on a couch in the common area, scribbling away in her journal.

"Good morning," she said, looking up at him and patting the seat next to her in a wordless invitation. She looked as relaxed as he felt.

"Good morning," he answered, and sat down next to her. The hotel was quiet except for them; the others had probably gotten up at a decent hour and were already out and about.

"The day before yesterday," Link started, feeling uncomfortable but needing to get it out, "I said something to you I didn't mean. I'm really sorry."

"Oh, Link," Zelda said, quickly putting up a hand as if to stop him. "I think we should just pretend that conversation didn't happen. I don't think either one of us were exactly ourselves that night."

"All right," he said slowly.

"Anyway, I want to show you something I got for you yesterday, while I was in the marketplace," Zelda said, and she put down her journal and pulled something out of the pack at her feet.

It was another journal, this one with its pages still blank.

"Have you ever kept a journal?" she asked him. Link shook his head.

"Well, I always have. It does me a lot of good. Sometimes there are things in my head that I don't really feel comfortable saying to anyone else. I just thought... if there are things you aren't ready to talk about yet, maybe you could write them down instead. Maybe it would help."

He hadn't even thought about trying something like that, and wasn't sure if he wanted to do it, but Link took it for the considerate gift that it was, and thanked Zelda as he accepted it.

"Are we leaving soon?" he asked.

Zelda shook her head. "You seem to know everyone in town. I don't. I would like to spend time with Riju and some others. We won't leave today for certain. You just relax, and do some writing if you'd like, and keep working with Flaxel on her sword skills. I think you made a good choice with her. We didn't often have women in the army during my father's reign, did we? But I think she will do fine. You have a good eye."

Zelda went back to her journal writing, and Link went out to find Flaxel. He was told she was visiting Ashai's relationship class, and before he even got to the doorway he could hear the shrieks and giggles echoing down the hallway. He found that Flaxel was up at the front beside Ashai, red-faced with laughter as all the students were riveted on what she was saying.

"And you would not believe-" Flaxel said between giggles, "-how easy it is to get them to-"

She caught sight of Link standing in the doorway and stopped dead. All the students turned around to see what she was looking at, and instantly there was a fresh flurry of giggles and blushes.

"...is this a good time to practice?" Link asked, flustered.

"No," Flaxel said decisively. "It is not." Beside her, Ashai was pressing a fist against her mouth, trying valiantly to control herself.

Link cleared this throat. "Tonight when it's cooler?"

"Yes. Now go away. We're talking about your kind."

He'd figured that out. Link went back outside, made himself some creamy heart soup for a late breakfast or an early lunch, whichever it was, and then meandered back to the hotel. Zelda had left and he couldn't think of anything else to do, so he picked up the journal she had given him and opened it to the first page. Tapping the pen against his lips, he wondered where to start. He'd never done anything like this before.

He was supposed to write down how he felt about things. Awful things like his mother living a life of loneliness without her husband or son. Or his father dying in pain at the hands of monsters or machines, without even a proper resting place for Link to visit.

The thought of writing how he felt about those things left him staring into space for a long time with the blank book lying open on his knee. Finally, he decided to try something easier, and simply write down the memories he had recovered in the Shrine of Resurrection. He didn't think he could write how he felt about them. There weren't enough words to express the depth of that pain. But a simple description of what he'd seen... that would be easier. He could just explain it the way he would have explained it to his parents, if all of that had been a bad dream he had woken up from as a little boy. That probably wasn't what Zelda had intended, but he was sure she would want him to use the gift however he wanted to use it.

Link began to write.

He felt a little self-conscious about it at first, startling each time the door to the hotel opened and someone came in to chat with Romah at the front desk. But no one came near him or tried to read over his shoulder, and eventually he relaxed and became absorbed in the task.

Suddenly the words were pouring out of him. He wrote so fast for so long that his hand kept cramping up and he had to stop and shake it out. The afternoon slipped by and he forgot about dinner until it was already dark. Zelda hadn't come back; she must be dining with Riju in the palace. Flor and Flaxel never came in either. They must have made friends in town already.

Finally, Link put down the pen and shoved the journal deep into his pack where it wouldn't be seen. He got himself a late dinner at last, opting to buy a seared steak and a hydromelon from a stall so he didn't have to bother with cooking. It was a good thing, because he was still eating when Flaxel came up ready for her next lesson.

They found an unoccupied space and went at it for several hours. The vigorous physical movement after a day of inactivity was as good as a break. By the end of it, Link was tired enough that he could go straight to bed, and once again he slept deep and dreamless.

He woke up early the next morning and took advantage of the deserted common room to write down more of his recovered memories, only looking up distractedly to greet Zelda when she woke up. She left the hotel, saying something that Link couldn't remember only a minute later, but he figured if she came back wanting to leave it wouldn't take long for him to pack up.

But she didn't come back for hours, and once again he was able to get a significant chunk of his memories down on paper, only stopping to shake his hand whenever it cramped up again.

Zelda wandered back into the hotel and said something about lunch. Link found himself faintly annoyed by the interruption, but he mumbled something about just finishing this sentence first. She sat beside him and waited patiently until finally he stopped writing.

"You've written so much already!" Zelda said, sounding startled as she noticed where he was marking the page for next time. "Is it helping?"

Was it? Every moment that Link wrote, he was thinking in detail about all the terrible things he had seen. But suddenly he realized that the last few days hadn't been as horrible as the few days before that, when he had been trying to forget everything. So far, each time he had stopped to eat or sleep or take care of a task, his mind had gotten a blessed break from fixating on those terrible images. Not the weird numbness he had felt before, but just a sense of inner quiet. Maybe it was helping.

He looked up at Zelda finally, and then did a double take.

"You cut your hair," he said.

"Oh. Yes." Zelda put up a hand to fiddle with it. "Long hair is such a bother, and we will be traveling for months. I thought this would make things easier." She looked self-conscious. "My father would have hated it. He always wanted me to look formal as much as possible."

Link didn't understand that. She didn't look any less formal than before, to his eyes. And her hair was no shorter than Flaxel's. It still looked pretty. Suddenly he realized that every time they had stopped back at the castle during their earlier journeys, Zelda had always immediately changed out of her traveling clothes and into a dress and crown. That must have been a concession to her father's wishes.

"What happened to your crown?" he suddenly asked.

"Oh, the monsters ransacked the treasury at the castle long ago," she answered. "The jewels and rupees and everything were taken out. I'm certain it's all been lost or spoiled. Are you anxious for us to be on our way? I believe we had settled on heading for the Tabantha region next."

Link looked down at his journal.

"Another day, perhaps?" Zelda asked knowingly. Link nodded.

"Good. I'll spend more time with Riju. She is something special, isn't she? She worries about leading her people at such a young age. But she is doing wonderfully. Her people respect her more than she knows."

"Like you."

Zelda looked surprised and touched.


By the time they left Gerudo Town, Link had finished writing down all the memories he had recovered from the Shrine of Resurrection and moved on to recording everything else he had remembered of his life at other times and places.

To his surprise, the sting of those awful memories had now been blunted somewhat. He hadn't even realized before the true source of his panic, but getting his memories down on paper had brought such a relief that he finally knew what the problem had been.

He had been terrified that he would somehow forget everything all over again.

Well, it was written down now. It couldn't be lost. The knowledge felt like a burden lifting from his shoulders. He no longer felt compelled to think about those memories at every minute of every day, trying to cement it in his mind.

Of course, there was always a chance that something could happen to his journal. But on the first night after they resumed their journey, Link let Zelda read the memories he had recorded, and then she had suggested asking Flor to copy them into another book each time they stopped for the night. They would find somewhere safe to keep the copy when it was complete. Maybe Impa's archives at Kakariko Village.

Now that Zelda had read everything he had remembered about his mother's and Kester's visits to him in the Shrine of Resurrection over the years, it had become possible for Link to talk about it a little. Instead of facing the prospect of giving a long painful explanation of that memory in order to make her understand, now he could just refer to some part of it in a sentence or two, and she would immediately remember reading it and they could move right on to addressing the part of it that was bothering him.

It didn't mean the memories had stopped hurting him. Sometimes the pain came so swiftly and powerfully that it took his breath away. But it felt closer to being manageable now.


Once Link, Zelda, Flor and Flaxel had wound their way back through Gerudo Canyon, they headed north past Satori Mountain and then turned west, passing Ludfo's Bog until they came to Tabantha Stable, perched on the edge of the vast Tanagar Canyon near the south end of the Tabantha Great Bridge.

Zelda was unhappy to see the dilapidated state of the bridge as they dismounted, and immediately vowed under her breath to make its repair a priority. But Link was distracted when he saw someone he recognized among the stable guests. As always, everyone was excited to meet the princess, although they were no longer surprised. News of her return had spread far and wide by now.

Hoz recognized Link readily in return, and they greeted each other in friendly tones. The Hylian still carried his spear resting on his shoulder with a business-like posture, his dark beard groomed to a neat triangle on his chin and the red plume of his soldier's helm fluttering in the breeze. Link introduced him to Zelda, and after the tumult had died down, Link and Zelda were able to excuse themselves from the company and went over to the stalls where their horses were resting.

"What's the story with Hoz?" Zelda asked, offering half an apple to Renatus. The white stallion accepted it graciously and then stamped his hoof impatiently for more. "You smiled in a certain way when you introduced him."

"He was guarding East Akkala Stable when I met him," Link explained. "He was tracking down suspicious characters, making sure everyone stayed safe. All on his own initiative."

"Ah," Zelda said, eyes lighting up. "Another recruit for the army?"

"He would be perfect. I sparred with him once. He has more experience than Flaxel does. He could help me train her."

"Well, I'll leave it to you, then."

Unlike Flaxel, Hoz put up no resistance to the idea of joining Hyrule's new army, not even when he realized he was only the second recruit. He told Link proudly that his great-grandfather had been a knight during the reign of King Rhoam and taught his son and grandson many of his fighting skills, which were passed on to Hoz when he was old enough.

"I always felt envious, listening to our family's old tales of that time," Hoz said thoughtfully. "As a boy I often wished I could have been a squire in those golden years, before Calamity Ganon came. Well, it wasn't to be. But I would love nothing better to offer my services to the princess now. I am sure my father will be proud when I write to tell him!"

With the addition of Hoz, they were a group of five now. Flor was still busily copying Link's memories for him, as well as everything Zelda was working to record about her own father, both her personal memories and details about how he had ruled Hyrule. Flor often apologized to them both, emphasizing that she was no historian or librarian to be doing such important work, but Link and Zelda both had come to rely on her calm presence and her good-natured willingness to serve.

"Flor isn't much like my old nurse really, even if she is a descendant," Zelda told Link wistfully that night. "She reminds me more of the castle matron from our time. She handled anything and everything we needed her to manage. She wasn't an expert at anything but she was good at everything, and easy for anyone to get along with. Eventually I will need a matron again. I wonder..."

In the morning the five of them crossed the Great Tabantha Bridge and wound their way through the rocky passes of the Tabantha Frontier. When they stopped for lunch, Link had Flaxel and Hoz spar together, her sword against his spear. At first it went very well. Hoz was good at explaining ways for Flaxel to improve her performance without making her feel defensive.

But then... it was odd. Before long Hoz's calm, professional demeanor began to slip. He started to tease Flaxel when she made mistakes. Subtly at first, and then more and more brazenly as time went on.

And Flaxel, far from getting offended, started dishing sass right back at him. The more they insulted each other, the better they both liked it. Pretty soon they were grinning more widely and laughing more loudly with every verbal barb exchanged. Link started to get the funny feeling that his presence here wasn't exactly needed. Neither of them were even looking in his direction anymore.

"Are they...?" Zelda murmured to Link as Hoz and Flaxel continued jabbing at each other, with both their weapons and their words.

"... flirting?" Link finished, squinting one eye and tilting his head to one side, the better to study them. That was fast. They had only just met!

Flaxel and Hoz didn't look happy when Link brought the sparring to an end so they could get back on the road. The two of them hung back on their horses and held their own private conversation the rest of the way to Rito Stable, leaving Flor to chat with Link and Zelda.

The air grew cooler as they gained elevation, and they all paused to pull cloaks from their packs. By the time they reached the stable they were surrounded by the crisp scent of pine trees and freshly sawed logs.

"Toren!" Hoz said jovially, lifting a hand to wave at a man sporting a bushy mustache with his dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, who was sitting by the fire toasting some mushrooms.

Toren set down his food and hurried over to say hello to his friend, only to spot Princess Zelda and abruptly become flustered. Hoz quickly smoothed it over by introducing Toren to all of them with a dignified air.

Link had already met the man a few months ago back at Tabantha Stable, when he had agreed to take a large pouch of rupees Toren had saved up and offer it as a gift to the Great Fairy Kaysa. He seemed like a decent man, and the adventurous type. He ended up joining their party for dinner, and the six of them were sitting there together having a pleasant chat when a Sheikah messenger came riding up. He had a letter for Zelda.

"Purah has now set up a camp in the location we chose south of the castle for her new Sheikah Tower," Zelda announced, a little breathless with excitement. "Oh, but she says progress is slow. Not many Sheikah could be spared to help with construction, as so many of them are still collecting defunct Guardians from across the land. She is asking for assistance finding workers to build the tower, and warriors to guard them from monsters... and the funding to purchase supplies, if I can manage it."

It sounded like a tall order. Link thought of Hyrule Castle's ransacked treasury and winced. But then to his great surprise, Zelda fished a heavy pouch out of her pack that clinked in the distinct way that rupees did, and handed it to the messenger to take back with him.

"Where did you get that?" Link asked in amazement.

"Riju," Zelda said, sounding almost reluctant. "She kept trying to give it to me, and I kept insisting she keep it. I didn't have any intention of asking tithes from the settlements, not until they have recovered from the difficulties they've suffered recently. But she must have slipped it into my belongings when I wasn't looking. I didn't find it until it was too late to return it."

"She wanted you to use it," Flor said firmly. "Rebuilding your kingdom will be beneficial to everyone."

"I suppose so," Zelda said, although she still sounded uncomfortable. "But I'm afraid it may be some time before everyone enjoys the benefits. We have so far to go. I'm hoping Purah's Sheikah Tower may become the anchor for a new development in that area. Perhaps a research center, or a hub for trading, or even a new stable. Castle Town was destroyed so thoroughly by Vah Naboris that it may not be rebuilt for years to come. Clearing the rubble alone would be a big task. It might be easier to start something completely new instead."

"If it's workers Purah needs, building that tower sounds like an adventure," Toren said eagerly. "I wonder if they would take me."

"Oh, I'm certain she would be glad to have you," Zelda answered promptly. "And Flor, if you would like to go, I am sure Purah could use help getting everyone organized and supplied. And she says here she is looking for soldiers to guard the site, as well." She looked at Hoz and Flaxel.

"Would you like us to go, Princess?" Hoz said immediately.

"If you would like. It would be a good opportunity for you to gain experience, I think."

By morning, it had all been settled. Hoz, Flaxel, Flor and Toren set off to assist Purah with her Sheikah tower, and once again it was just the two of them, traveling together like old times.

Zelda and Link left their horses behind at Rito Stable, and crossed the swaying rope bridge toward Rito Village.

TO BE CONTINUED


Author's note: I would love to know what you think so far, and if you'd like to see more! Please drop a review and let me know!