And I managed to get this out faster than I thought I would. I've actually greatly enjoyed writing this story, though I will admit that I made this one a bit too long. Still, having so much free time now has given me the chance to return to the hobby I enjoy. I wouldn't expect there to be a chapter next week, because I have a lot going on, but I do intend to work on this story for as long as it takes. So I hope you guys enjoy and please let me know what you think about it.

EDIT: I'm an idiot and posted another story in the place of this chapter. I'm so sorry about that. Here's the real one.

Hateno Village was so tranquil, the people going about their lives, and their animals grazing around the outside of the town. In the center, the stores were open and residents came in and out, buying any wears that they needed. Down the main road of the town, Link and Zelda walked, with Zelda staring at everything with childlike curiosity. Link couldn't hold in a smile as he saw her gazing happily.

Link asked her, "Having fun?"

Zelda nodded in affirmation, "Yes! Usually when we would visit villages, there would be an entire procession of people and I was not allowed to explore. I'm so surprised that this place is so intact."

"If you go further west, you will find an entire field of destroyed guardians. The people of this town fought hard to hold off Calamity Ganon's forces and won. These people are survivors."

"Are there books about all of this?"

Link nodded, "I would assume so."

Zelda's eyes lit up, "Then I must get as many as I can. I want to learn all I can about this new Hyrule and its people."

Zelda looked around again and saw the residents of the town waving in her direction. Zelda was surprised that they were greeting someone they didn't know, but politely waved back.

Link waved as well and said, "The people here are good people and they are very friendly."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you come to live here?"

"Well, I came to this town because Impa's sister, Purah, lives nearby in her lab. I came here to see her and that's how I got the Sheikah Slate upgrades. Then I found some guys who were tearing down a home because it had long since been abandoned. So I bought it off of them for a really low price. Then I dumped a lot of money into that house and made it a lot more comfortable to live in. Besides, I just like it here. It's peaceful and nice."

"I want you to show me everything in town."

"Sure! That's why we're here. Besides, I have to buy some things for the house, now that I have to support two of us."

Zelda had not considered that her presence would mean that things would need to be altered in Link's life now. She hadn't given a thought to the fact that he needed to cook for two, clean for two, and even more things that she had not considered.

"Link, I'm sorry." Zelda apologized.

Link was confused as to what she could be apologizing for, "Sorry about what?"

"I didn't realize that I was making you work harder, since I'm here."

"Hey, don't apologize for anything. It was my job to save you and bring you back to us. It's still my duty as a knight to take care of you and I'm more than willing to do it. Besides, you really break the monotony of everything. It's nice having someone I know around consistently."

Zelda smiled at that and decided not to ruin it by saying anything further about it. Though, she still worried about him supporting her. She looked back at the town and saw the shops that lined the road.

Link said to her, "This is pretty much where everyone goes to buy things. We have a clothing store, a goods shop, an inn, and a store to dye your clothes. It's not much, but it's enough for this town." Link thought for a moment and asked, "How many clothes did Paya give you?"

Zelda replied, "Three outfits."

"Let's get you a few more clothes. Don't worry about the money, I can cover it."

"I think that's too much of a tall order, Link." Zelda protested.

"Trust me when I say that I have the money to cover whatever you pick out."

"But…"

Link took her by the hand and walked over to the clothing store, despite Zelda's protests. The two walked inside, with rows of expertly tailored clothes being presented.

Sophie, who ran the shop, waved at Link, while her father was setting up more displays. She called out, "Link! Good to see you. Here to buy some more gear?" She looked at Zelda and asked, "Oh! A friend?"

Link nodded, "Yes. She's from a town to the west and has recently moved in with me so she can get to know the village."

Sophia held out a hand, "Well, welcome to our little town. My name is Sophie. What's your name?"

Zelda took her hand and replied, "Umm...I am Zelda."

"Zelda, huh? That's a pretty name. If you don't mind me asking, isn't that the name of the old princess of old Hyrule?"

Zelda nodded and replied"Yes. My parents found it fitting and thus I bear it now."

"The way you talk is interesting, if you don't mind. You must have been taught well."

"Yes. My parents made sure I received an education."

"That's good. Now then, how can I help you?"

Link said to her, "We're here to get her some clothes. Do you think you can help her choose?"

"Of course!" She took Zelda's hand and said, "I have some great dresses for you to try out. If you can't find something that suits you, we can have something made for you."

Zelda was surprised as she began to be led through the store. Link chukled at the sight and said, "I'll be right here. Don't worry about the price. Pick something nice."

Link walked over to where Sophie's father was at and sat down on a nearby stool, "So how has business been lately?" He asked Sophie's father.

"It's actually been going great. Lately we've had a lot of orders for summer clothing, since it's right around the corner. Soon, we'll have to start weaving winter clothes. So we're going to be busy. Though, we welcome that, since it means we're doing something right." He looked over to Zelda and asked, "So, you're friend?"

Link nodded, "Yeah, an old friend. She's staying with me for the time being. She wants to go exploring the land with me to investigate ancient sites. That and she also wants to just see what life here is like."

"Ah! A scholar type, is she?"

"You could say that."

"You should send her to the research base on top of the hill."

"I might just do that. I'm sure they will have some information that can help her. I just need to see what she wants to do."

Sophie's father shrugged, unsure how to respond to that, but then grew a smirk on his face and asked, "So how's the living situation working with you two?"

Link quickly said, trying to keep himself from appearing flustered, "Um...she's sleeping in my bed, while I made a bed of sheets on the floor for right now. I'm planning to buy a second bed in town today."

Sophie's father chuckled and said to him, "Just remember your boundaries."

Link looked at him with surprise and confusion, "What do you mean?"

"You'll be living with a girl. You'll learn that girls need their space sometimes. However, if she's into you, she'll make any excuse to get close to you. Reminds me of my wife. Man those were the days."

"I hate to break it to you, but everything is completely platonic between Zelda and I."

"That's usually how it starts, son."

Link didn't reply, trying to not lose his stoic composure and went back to watching over Zelda.

Sophie's father chuckled pat his back before walking off, "Good luck."

Link groaned internally and took out the Sheikah Slate to pass the time. He looked up occasionally to see Zelda pick out a series of outfits and Sophie leading her to the changing area. Going back to the Sheikah Slate, Link tried to plan out what would be the best for him and Zelda to do. He figured she would like to visit some shrines, knowing her investigative nature.

In the back of his mind, he wondered if what he was even doing was appropriate. He was living with the princess and didn't have anything that would be fitting for her status. He quickly shot that idea down, since she wanted to live like a regular Hylian, but something kept eating at his mind. It wasn't that they weren't friends, since they managed to forge a friendship during the time she was his ward, back before the Great Calamity. What was it that was bothering him? Why couldn't he wrap his head around it?

His thoughts were interrupted by Zelda's voice asking, "Link? What do you think of this one?"

Link looked up and saw her dressed in a white floral dress, which fit her perfectly. He smiled and said, "It looks great! Is that one you want to buy?"

Zelda spun around and said, "Yes. I just wanted to see what you thought of it before I decided to buy it or not."

"Why would you need my opinion? Get what you like."

"I just wanted your opinion."

"Is that the only one you chose?"

Zelda shook her head, "No. I'm getting a few more. This one is just one I chose for dinners or something like that. Something special."

Link stood and asked, "So are we done?"

Chloe walked over to the counter with a small pile of clothes and said, "She was trying hard not to empty your wallet. So she just wanted one dress that was somewhat pricey."

"It'll take a while before she can empty my wallet. I'm in town today to spend a good pile of rupees."

Chloe gave him a grin and giggled, "We'll see. Anyways, everything is about fifteen hundred rupees."

"That's it?" Link asked, surprised. He looked back at Zelda and saw her coming out of the dressing room, back in her normal clothes. "Zelda, don't you want anything else here?"

Zelda shook her head, "No. I think I have enough clothes to get by."

"How about clothing for the cold?"

"We're not close to winter yet."

"No, but when we're adventuring, we'll be visiting a lot of cold areas. So I think you should buy some."

Chloe said to him, "I have her measurements, so I can have some special clothes for cold climates made for her. I have a Ruto friend who can have it done in no time."

Link turned to her and replied, "That would be great! How much?"

"The material is a bit expensive. Are you sure?"

"I don't care about price."

"Then it'll be about two thousand rupees."

"Okay." Link quickly paid, handing Chloe the amount she asked for, "Is that enough?"

Chloe carefully counted the rupees and nodded, "Yep! You're good to go."

Zelda walked over and told Link, "You didn't have to order me winter clothes."

Link looked at her and replied, "Don't worry about it. I'm here to treat you today. You'll be living here, so I want you to be comfortable and well cared for."

Zelda smiled at that and thanked him.

Chloe looked at the two and said, "That's so cute! Well, here are the clothes. Hope to see you guys again!"

Link thanked her and bid her goodbye before walking out with Zelda, carrying the clothes in his arms. He looked at them and said, "I still feel like you should have gotten more."

Zelda shook her head, not wanting him to splurge on her expense, "I don't want more than what I need. I don't want you to keep treating me like a princess. So to start, I will eventually pay back all the rupees you spent on me."

"Don't you dare. Consider these as gifts. Besides, you need them."

"I suppose you have a point there." She was silent for a moment, as she gathered her thoughts, before asking, "So what's next?"

"We'll just pick up some ingredients from the store across the street and then I have to get a bed sent to the house. So this shouldn't take too long. After that, we'll take all this back home and then head out to explore a bit."

"Okay. Do you mind if I try to buy the ingredient myself?"

Link arched an eyebrow and asked, "Why?"

"I've never shopped for myself before. I want to experience it myself."

Link smiled and handed Zelda about a thousand rupees, "Alright. I'll hang back and watch you. I gave you well over what you will need."

Zelda looked at five silver rupees in her hands and asked, "Before I do that, can I ask how you make you money?"

Link explained, "A number of ways. Hunting, mining, fighting enemies, odd jobs, selling loot, etc... I've amassed a lot of rupees in my adventure. So don't worry about me losing money."

"Another thing; how are we going to carry everything."

"Oh yeah! I never showed you. Get ready to see something neat." He said almost excitedly. He took out the Sheikah Slate and waved it over the clothes in his hand. They dematerialized and flew into the slate, "Ta da!"

Zelda took the Slate from his hands and looked at it in wonder, "It can do that!? This is incredible! Imagine what other uses this device can have. I'll need a day to go through this device and unlock its secrets. This is…" She stopped herself and handed the Slate back to Link, "I'm sorry. That was rude."

Link couldn't help but laugh at her geeking out over the Slate, "Don't apologize. I'm glad to see that you haven't lost your scholarly nature. It's endearing."

Zelda quickly turned around, trying to avoid him seeing her blush, "Well...I...um...thank you. For now, I'll go buy some ingredients."

"As long as you don't buy out all their milk and nothing else, you'll be fine."

Zelda rolled her eyes, despite the fact that Link couldn't see her doing so. She walked over to the store, with Link in tow, and walked in.

[Later In the Day]

Link and Zelda walked into the house with Zelda looking through the Sheikah Slate. She walked over to the counter and pointed the Slate over it, causing the food she had bought to materialize over it. Giggling with excitement, she ran over to the second level and materialized her clothes onto the bed. She turned around and materialized Link's new bed across from her own.

She walked over to the railing and called out to Link, "I am greatly enjoying the uses of this Slate!"

Link laughed to himself and walked over to the counter, beginning to prepare the day's meal, "I'm glad to hear it. Just don't go too overboard with that thing. I have a lot of stuff in it that can be dangerous."

"Like weapons and stuff?"

"Something like that. The Slate has been upgraded, so it also holds things like bombs as well. If you see the option, please don't press it."

Zelda looked at the slate, with an expression of surprised apprehension, "Duly noted."

She put the slate down and walked over to the nearby window. She looked outside, gazing at the valleys and mountains that lined the landscape. It was hard for her to believe that this was truly the Hyrule she used to call home. Everyone had clearly moved on and carved out healthy and happy lives, despite the destruction that had occurred. She wondered how the other parts were like. How the Ruto, the Gorons, the Zora, and the Gerudo have fared. Still, she enjoyed the peace that she now felt and the weight off her shoulders was freeing. For that she was grateful to the goddess for granting her.

Gazing out into the distance, she could tell that Link's choice of home was a good one. The view was grand and it was private enough for him to have his peace and quiet. She remembered her time in the castle, always hearing the bustle of servants and soldiers marching up and down the halls, pulling her from one responsibility to another. She recalled the tutors that would come to teach her and instruct her in various topics of domestic and foreign affairs. Not that she cared for such things, as her heart was devoted to research and understanding of the world she lived in. Now, she could focus wholeheartedly to such a passion and maybe even discover something new about her home. For once, she was free from all that royal nonsense that she had grown to resent. To her, she was no longer Princess Zelda. She was just regular Zelda. Just another Hyrulian and she liked that and welcomed it. But what was she to do now?

"Zelda?" Link calles.

Zelda spun around and walked over to the railing, "Yes?"

"I'm going to leave the meat seasoned while we explore town for a bit. There are some places I'm sure you'll like to see, if you're up for it."

Zelda smiled at this and walked down the stairs, "Of course! I'm enjoying myself today and I want to keep it going."

"Be warned, we will be doing a bit of climbing. So try to keep up."

Zelda stopped and asked, with confusion in her voice, "Climbing? Like up a mountain?"

"In a sense. Don't worry; it's not that bad."

"For you!" Zelda rang out. "I'm not that athletic."

"Do you want to go or not?"

Zelda groaned and silently followed him out of the house, with Link donning a satisfied smirk on his face. Zelda noticed this and punched his back. "Jerk!"

Link couldn't help but laugh, "You're the one who wanted to explore. I'm just doing what you wanted."

Zelda didn't reply and simply walked over the bridge with Link. Link led her through the town once more. Taking a chance to look around once more and seeing more people out than in the morning. She noticed children playing in the street, farmers tending to their crops, and women socializing outside their homes, sharing the latest gossip. Link led her down a path and she followed him until they arrived at what looked like a ranch with livestock. Zelda walked over to the fence and saw a good number of sheep and cattle feeding within the paddock.

She stuck her hand out, which caught the attention of nearby sheep. A few approached hesitantly, eyeing the new Hylian that they haven't seen before. One of them walked up and sniffed her hand before giving it a lick.

Zelda giggled at this, saying, "They're adorable."

She began to pet the sheep, who appeared comfortable enough to have her do so. A smile stretched on her face as she continued to do this, with deciding to join her and pet the sheep.

Link said to her, "I love these guys. I like visiting here just to watch them. This town really is peaceful. So I think I'll stay here now that my adventure is over. Besides, I already own a home here."

Zelda looked at him and felt some happiness to see him finally feel at peace, "So you've already decided? I figured you would like to stay as a knight."

"Don't get me wrong; I love being a knight and it's the vow I made. It's just that I've allowed myself to experience the world and learned how much better this life is for me. I like the peace and quiet. Despite that, I made a vow to your father to protect you and that's what I'm going to do. Now that Calamity Ganon is gone, you're free and now I have to do what I promised."

"Link, you don't have to protect me if you don't want to anymore. I'm here because I want to. If I didn't, I would have stayed with Impa and would have the Sheikah protect me, and I would just be how I was before the Calamity; doing things because they're expected of me and not because I want to. If I stayed with Impa, I wouldn't be able to live my life the way I want to. So I'm thankful for you, not just saving me, but also giving me the option of freedom."

"How did I give you the option?"

"I don't know anyone else in this world and you're not bound to Impa's will. So I could trust that you would let me live freely. Besides, you lived freely. Just look, you're living here, in a home of your own, and you can do whatever you want. I want something like that. For now I'm living here, I may not own a home but I'm living in yours, and now I can do whatever my heart desires. By association, you gave me some freedom. It's only been a day, but I want it to continue this way. For today, you show me the town and tomorrow we can go exploring. Unless you have something better to do?"

Link gave her a smile, "I don't. I don't have to adventure around Hyrule anymore. You're free and safe now. I'm more than content to go exploring with you. Besides, we're friends, aren't we?"

Zelda gave Link a big smile and suddenly hugged him tight. Link hesitated from the sudden embrace and slowly resolved himself to hug her back, wrapping his arms around her.

The two embraced for a moment, before they heard a man's voice, "Well, aren't you two cute!"

The two quickly separated, blushing hard. They looked for the source of the voice and spotted a man within the pasture.

Link sighed and greeted, "Hello, Dantz!"

"Hey there! Sorry, was I interrupting your date?"

"Not a date. I was just showing her around town."

"She definitely isn't someone I've seen before. Is she new?"

Link nodded, "Yeah. She's a friend of mine from far away. She's living with me for the time being."

Dantz turned to Zelda and said to her, "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Dantz and I run this ranch. I'd shake your hand, but I'm covered in filth."

Zelda quickly replied, "It...it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Zelda. Link and I were just here to see the sheep."

"Do you guys want to come in and just be around them for a bit? I don't mind it."

Zelda's eyes quickly lit up in excitement, "Really!? I'd love to! Thank you very much!"

Link chuckled to himself and said, "I guess we're going in. Thanks, Dantz."

"Don't mention it. After your help with those sheep thieves, you are always welcomed here."

Dantz walked off, waving a farewell. Zelda quickly took Link's hand and began to drag him into the pasture. Once inside, Zelda made her way to the sheep and knelt down by them, petting them affectionately.

Zelda looked over to Link and saw him looking at her with a grin on his face, "Don't you dare laugh. You know I like animals."

"Yeah, when you're not trying to make me eat them."

"That was one time! You didn't even eat the frog."

"Still, something you tried to do. It's just adorable seeing you this animated over sheep."

Zelda hugged one of the sheep and said, "They're adorable and I love them!"

A series of barks rang out as the two dogs that watched over the livestock appeared and wagged their tails towards the two Hylians. Zelda quickly got up from the sheep, leaving it to let out a jealous bah. She walked over to the dogs and knelt down, petting the two of them.

She looked at Link and asked, "Can we get a dog?"

Link shook her head, "Man, you really flip flop affections. No, we cannot."

Zelda whined, "Why not?"

"We don't need one right now."

"Don't make me order you to."

"Until this year is over, you have no authority over me. I don't have to do what you tell me. We're not getting a dog. Also, who's going to take care of it?"

She pointed at herself and then at Link, "You and I."

"And after this year is over?"

Zelda was about to retort but stopped when she considered what he had said. She had forgotten that she only had a year and she would not be there after the fact. Sadly, she hung her head and said, "You're right."

Link knelt down by her and said, "Hey, don't look sad. I'm sure they'll let you visit the dogs here, if you want to see them. I wouldn't be against it."

"Thank you."

One of the dogs sniffed Zelda's face and then licked her cheek, causing a laugh to escape the princess' lips. Link looked at the scene with his own smile, glad to see her enjoying herself. She appeared so happy in the pasture, just playing with the animals. She was devoting all her attention to the two friendly dogs, who were showering her in affection as well as the sheep looked on.

After a long while of Zelda playing with the animals, Link called out, "Zelda, we have to go. I want to show you something and then make it home before sundown."

Zelda groaned, "But I'm having fun."

"You've been at it for two hours. We can come back at another time. The animals aren't going to go anywhere. So say goodbye and let's go back on our little walk."

Zelda sadly stood, while petting all the animals in sight as a goodbye. Link watched and waited as she bid each individual animal farewell. After a while, she walked over to where Link was and the two left the ranch and began to walk away.

Zelda stayed close to Link and asked, "Where exactly are you taking me now?"

Link explained to her, "Remember what I told you earlier in the day? The whole mountain thing?"

The sound of that caused Zelda to ask, "Do we have to climb a mountain?"

"It's not much of a climb. At no point will you be pulling yourself up with the path I use. Just hold onto me and you'll be fine. The view from there is amazing and I'll have you pick where you want to go first from what you can see."

Zelda considered what he had said and soon had to relent, "Alright, as long as it's perfectly safe."

"As long as you hold onto me, you'll be perfectly fine."

Link again led her through the streets of town until they came to the base of a nearby mountain. Zelda looked up and wondered how on earth Link intended to climb that mountain without any gear or preparations. Link suddenly took her hand and began to lead her over the rocks of the mountain.

Inch by inch, Link led Zelda further and further up the mountain, with Zelda keeping her focus on holding onto him and following as best as she could. She turned her head and saw the town far below and tightly latched onto Link's arm in fear.

Link was surprised and asked, "What's wrong?"

Zelda pointed downward and said, "I looked down."

"Yeah, don't do that. Just hold on. I won't let you fall. Just trust me."

Zelda tried to calm herself and continued to follow him, but refused to let go of his arm. With each minute of climbing, she kept thinking of the distance they had progressed further up. The thoughts ate away at her courage, causing her to refuse to open her eyes, in fear of what she might see.

This went on for several more minutes, with her courage being chipped away little by little as the seconds ticked by until she cried out, "I can't keep doing this! We're too high up for my own comfort."

Link chuckled at her and said, "We're literally only a few feet from the top, Zelda. Open your eyes."

"No way!"

"Trust me; open your eyes."

Zelda groaned in great distress and slowly opened her eyes, seeing Link begin to step on the summit of the mountain. With one more pull, he pulled Zelda to the top of the mountain and said, "See? Not that bad."

Zelda looked around, seering how flat the top of the mountain was and the vast land sprawled in the distance. She soon stopped when she looked down and saw what looked like a pond that was shaped like a broken heart.

She asked Link, "What's this?"

Link looked at the pond and responded, "I have no idea. When I found out about this place, there was this guy called Mimos, who thought this was Lovers Pond. However, that pond is on Tuft Mountain south of here. This is Ebon Mountain. As far as I know, this pond has nothing to it. Anyways,..." He turned Zelda around and showed her the view of Hyrule, "This is the modern Hyrule."

Zelda looked out in awe at the vast expanse that was her former kingdom. She could see very far away, seeing the many homes of the different races and even the Divine Beasts in the distance. She looked to her side and could see the far away Hyrule Castle, no longer surrounded by Calamity Ganon's blight.

Link saw her pause as she looked at the distant castle and felt her squeeze his hand, "Are you alright?"

With a slight nod, Zelda turned to look at him and said, "I'm fine. It's just...that was my home and I was trapped there for so long...I'm still registering that I'm free. That castle will be a constant reminder of what I went through. The good and the bad. It was home and it was my prison." She was silent for a moment before saying, "I don't want it rebuilt. Leave it as a relic, but I don't want to live there again."

Link felt concerned, but knew that she was still trying to understand her feeling of everything that she had been through. He didn't want to upset her further, but knew that she needed some comfort. With a deep breath, he pulled her into a hug, trying to help her.

She had to admit to herself that usually she would be astonished to be hugged so suddenly, but right now...right now she needed someone to hold her and make her feel safe again. She was in that prison of her own creation for over a century, with an abomination that only knew how to hate. Link's hug was what she needed at that moment. Something warm and something that showed her the empathy she had not felt for so long. Nuzzling into his touch, she took the moment to relax and push away the painful memories as best as she could.

Link asked her, "Are you okay? You were getting upset there."

Zelda nodded, separating from him almost hesitantly, "I'm okay now. Thanks for that." She looked back at the expanse that was Hyrule and said to Link, "I think I want to visit the Zora next. Their home isn't hot or cold, so I won't need any specialized clothing. So whenever you feel it's best, let's go say hello."

"Sure. I'm sure the king would be glad to see you. For now, let's just go back home and eat something. You've had a day and I'm sure that you're hungry."

Zelda rubbed her belly and giggled, "I guess I am. Now I'm just thinking about that meat you have ready home."

Link chuckled at that and said, "Then let's jump."

The two were silent for a moment until Zelda asked in confusion, "Jump?"

"Yeah, like off the cliff."

"Link, are you okay?"

Link smiled, "Perfectly fine. Why?"

Zelda took a step back, keeping a nervous smile on her face, "How about we just climb back down or...the Slate! We can use the Slate to teleport back to the shrine and just walk back to the house."

"But that's no fun. Look, there might be a deep pond that might break our fall."

Zelda yelled out, "That's a no from me!"

"Oh come on. Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Being superseded by my sense of survival. I don't want my freedom to end as soon as I get it. So, if you don't mind, how about you give me the Sheikah Slate and we can both teleport out of here? Isn't that a better idea?"

Link unhooked the Sheikah Slate and held it out, "Alright, let's do this."

Zelda walked over and grabbed the Slate, "Great! Good thing you still have your senses." She tried to pull the Slate back, but Link refused to let it go. Zelda, still donning the nervous smile, but now feeling extremely uncomfortable asked, "Link? Why won't you let go of the Slate?"

Link gave her a wide grin and asked, "Why should I?"

"So we can go home."

"But we're already on our way home."

"A safer way home!"

Link sighed, "Fine."

He let go of the Slate and Zelda breathed a sigh of relief, "Good! No more delay. Let's go!"

"Okay." Link suddenly grabbed her and jumped off the side of the mountain, with Zelda in his arms.

Zelda let out a scream of horror as the two free falled towards the earth beneath. Link was calm as could be and feinted a yawn, as Zelda clung to him for dear life. She closed her eyes, sure that the two were going to die, but suddenly felt an upward force, and nothing but a gentle forward movement was all that she could feel. Cautiously, she cracked an eye open and looked around, seeing that they were no longer in a free fall, but were gliding through the sky. She looked down and saw the house just beneath them, as the two descended. Looking up, she could see Link grasping a glider and smiling down at her. She kept her hold on him, until she could feel the earth make contact with her shaking feet.

Once they were safe, Link said, "See? Perfectly safe."

Zelda let go off him and fell to her knees, trying to recover from the terror she was previously in. She had never been happier to have dirt beneath her feet and was happy to simply be alive.

Link knelt next to her and asked, "Are you okay?"

Zelda growled angrily and lunged forward, punching at his chest repeatedly, with him appearing to not register the blows. This went on for a good minute, until Zelda grew tired and stopped.

Link laughed and asked, "I'll take it that you're not okay."

Zelda yelled out, "You're a jerk! A certified lunatic!"

"No, just brave. Besides, you survived."

"Tell that to my pounding heart and all the trauma that just filled my head."

"You'll get used to it."

"Don't you EVER do that again!"

Link gave her a thumbs up, "No promises."

"Curse you!"

Link helped her to her feet and held in his laughter, "Go rest on your bed for a bit. Maybe read a book while I get dinner ready."

Zelda huffed and stormed into the house, leaving Link to follow behind her. Zelda walked up to the sleeping area and jumped onto her bed, huffing angrily. Link went on to the counter and began his meal preparations. He looked up to the sleeping area and saw Zelda sitting on the bed, angrily going through the Sheikah Slate. In the back of his mind, he was kinda sorry to have terrified her, but he knew that she had to learn how to get around Hyrule quickly, just like he had to learn. Also, he had to admit to himself that it was pretty fun to mess with her from time to time. He just hoped that she wouldn't stay angry with him. She was more fun when she was happier.

After a while, the two sat at the dinner table, eating the meal that Link had prepared. Zelda has not spoken to him since the incident and even now she refused to speak. Whether that was because of etiquette or rage, Link couldn't decide, but he felt that it was almost certainly rage.

Another minute of silence went by and Link was beginning to grow restless with all the tense and angry silence. To try to end it he asked, "Do you like the food?"

Zelda looked at him, but didn't acknowledge the question. She went back to eating, ignoring him altogether. Link groaned in disappointment and it began to hurt a little bit to be ignored so blatantly by the person he was to live with and who he considered a close friend.

Swallowing his pride, he said, "Look, I'm sorry. I knew it was going to scare you, but the dumb part of me decided that it would be fun. At least to teach you how I get around most of this land. It was childish and dangerous, I'll admit. I'm sorry."

Zelda stopped eating and crossed her arms sternly, "Let me first say that you're an idiot for doing that. A reckless fool, is what you are. No right person would fling themselves and another person off the side of a cliff. At least you could have explained what you wanted to do."

"Would you have said yes?"

"Absolutely not! I'd like to think that I still have some wits about me."

"Then asking would have been pointless."

"I would have still appreciated it. You have to remember, Link, that I'm not a hardened warrior like you. I don't live for such dangers or excitements. I was raised a princess and am not used to having my heart want to pump itself out of my chest from fear. I'm not used to having adrenaline pump through my veins."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"As you should be." Zelda replied sharply. "Still, I'll accept your apology, but never do that again. You're lucky neither of us were hurt."

"I'm lucky that you have a strong grip and managed to hold on."

"My point exactly." She sat back and let out a long sigh, "Oh well. I guess we can move on." She looked at the food and then back at Link, "To answer your question, I'm enjoying your meal. You're a good cook."

Link smiled at the compliment and relaxed in his chair, "Thank you. I'm glad to hear it."

Zelda then took out the Sheikah Slate and said, "By the way, I found this odd feature of the Slate. There's a setting that lets you record images on it. I didn't get a chance to explore too much, but I noticed that there's a whole gallery of images on it."

Link paled as he heard her say that and said, "I wouldn't worry too much about the pictures. I just took pictures of stuff I found around my journey."

"I'm actually interested to see what you've come across and what you've recorded. It would be interesting to use this to catalogue much of the flora and fauna of the land."

Link took a deep breath and suddenly snatched the Slate out of her hands. Zelda looked up in surprise and saw Link tapping the screen of the Slate while repeating "Delete, delete, delete, delete, delete, delete, delete,..."

"Link! What are you doing?" Zelda asked as she tried to snatch it back.

Link quickly moved out of her reach and kept deleting images. Zelda got off her chair and walked over to him, which caused him to also get up and attempt to avoid her as he kept on his image purge. Zelda kept up her chase, trying to take the Slate back, but Link expertly avoided her at every turn.

After a moment of this, Zelda groaned in frustration and picked up a cup to throw at his head, but her eye suddenly caught sight of something resting by a nearby wall, Link's quiver. She walked over and pulled out a shock arrow, with a fiendish smile stretching across her face. She walked over to Link, as he kept deleting pictures and poked him on the leg, causing him to yelp in pain as the electrical current went through his body, tensing up his muscles, allowing Zelda to retrieve the Slate.

Zelda quickly pushed him down and sat on his back to keep him still as she looked through the gallery. She pulled up the first picture that wasn't deleted and her mouth dropped in shock. She looked down at Link, who was still paralyzed from the poke but was recovering.

She looked back at the picture and saw the image of Link, who was holding the camera while pointing it at his face, taking a picture while a Lynel charged at him with its massive club raised over its head to crush him. She went to the next picture and saw Link taking a picture of himself again, but this time with a Guardian firing its laser at him. Going to the next image, she saw Link posing over a defeated Lynel, with him being accompanied by a tall Zora male, who was flexing behind him.

Zelda looked down at Link and asked, "Are you actually a mad man?"

Link shook the last of the electricity from his body and replied, "Not mad, skilled."

"How many pictures of you posing in front of attacking enemies do you have?"

"Considering the thirty I just deleted and the three you just saw, at least thirty three."

"Don't get smart with me!" Zelda snapped. "Is there anything here that isn't you endangering yourself?"

She cycled through the pictures, finding much of the same. Link facing an enemy and taking a picture as it began an attack. She kept this up for a few cycles of images until she stopped at a picture of Link taking a picture with a group of Gerudo, while wearing female Gerudo garb. She again looked down at him and showed him the picture.

Link groaned and said, "I forgot that was there."

"Care to explain?"

"Well, men can't enter Gerudo Town, so I have to enter while disguised as a woman."

"And it works?"

"The Gerudo pay more attention to the garb than to the body type. Also, the small Gerudo is their current chief. Her name is Riju. You'll meet her eventually."

"Still, why do you do suck dangerous things?"

"Mostly for the excitement, but because, as I've slowly regained my skills, I've found a lot of it pretty easy. It was just fun. None of those attacks ever hit me."

"Please don't do that while we're adventuring."

"Now that you're here, I can't risk it. It was fun while it lasted, but I have to think of you now. However, now that Calamity Ganon is gone, if I kill enemies, they should stay dead. So there's that. Not that I'll be actively looking for a fight."

Zelda got off of him and let him stand, while saying, "I don't want to get in the way of your fun, but I don't want you endangering yourself needlessly. Now that our strife is over, you don't need to fight anymore if you don't want to."

"Fighting is in my spirit."

"That much I'm aware of. Still, fight only for the defense of yourself or someone else."

"Will do."

Link then stretched to loosen his previously locked up muscles. Zelda chuckled and said, "Now I know what to use when you try to keep things from me. Those shock arrows are useful."

Link backed away from her and said, "Yeah, let's not do that again."

Zeda gave him a coy smile, "No promises."

Link looked at her, realizing that she was subtly mocking him for his previous comment. Link rolled his eyes and made his way to the table, picking up the dishes and putting them aside to clean later. He then walked over to the door and said, "Well, I'm off to feed the horses. I won't be long."

Zelda perked up and walked over to him, "Horses? You have horses?"

"Yeah, I have a stable on the side of the house."

"Why didn't you mention it before?"

"There was no reason."

"Let me see the horses!"

Link shrugged and led her outside and to the side of the home. There, Zelda saw a small stable with two horses housed within, a chestnut horse and a white horse. Zelda looked at them with wide eyes, her whimsical wonder returning once more as she saw the two beautiful creatures.

Link walked over to the back of the house and came back while carrying a large bundle of hay. He dumped the hay in the feeder, spreading it out evenly for both horses. The two horses quickly turned their attention to the hay and began to happily eat.

Zelda joined Link and stretched out a hand to pet the white horse on the snout. The horse let out a slight snort, but kept eating. Zelda took that as it was giving her permission to keep going.

"They're beautiful." Zelda commented.

"Yeah. She's my newest horse. I got her not too long ago, but she's very affectionate." He placed a hand on the snout of the chestnut horse and said, "I love these guys. Probably my most constant companions since I woke up in the modern day." He looked at Zelda and considered something in his mind for a moment before asking, "Do you want her?"

Zelda looked at him with surprise and bubbling joy, "Is it okay for me to have her?"

"Sure! You'll need something to carry you around the roads here and I'm sure you already wanted one already. So go ahead and take her."

"Yes! A thousand times, yes! Thank you!" She hugged the mare's neck happily, receiving a curious sniff from the mare.

Link smiled at the scene before him and came back to focus when his own horse prodded his chest with its snout. Link pet it and asked, "What? Want some love too?"

The two Hylians took the time to bond with the two horses, letting the time pass by happily. In Link's mind, he went through the accounts of the day and the rollercoaster of emotions that both had gone through since the beginning of their current situation. Despite it all, he was glad that she was with him now and that he could have someone to spend time with. For that much he was grateful.

[Later That Night]

The night was silent and cool, with only the sound of far away wolves howling occasionally breaking up the stillness. All of Hateno Village's residents had retired for the night, with only guards patrolling the streets to protect the sleeping townspeople and their homes.

Within Link's home, Zelda tossed and turned in her bed. Her mind was restless, which kept her from drifting to sleep. She didn't understand why. She knew that she was tired, but her body did not want to cooperate and slumber longer than a few minutes. Sitting up, she looked around. It had to have been well past midnight at this point. She looked over to Link's bed and was surprised to not see him in there. In fact, he was nowhere in the house, as far as Zelda could tell.

Grabbing a bed sheet to cover herself from the night's cold, she walked down the stairs and looked around the home, not seeing her knight anywhere. "Could he be outside", she wondered to herself. She walked to the front door and walked outside. Outside the sounds of someone grunting and something being swung through the air overcame the chirp of crickets. Silently, Zelda followed the sounds and found Link near the back of the house, swinging his blade in careful and skillful maneuvers.

She sat down on the edge of the elevated section of the house and watched him, wondering if this was something he was used to doing.

As she watched, she noticed him stopping and saying, without turning around, "Why are you awake so late, Zelda?"

Zelda jumped at the mention of her name. How could he have known that she was there, she was sure that she was silent. "How did you know I was here?"

"After years of training, I can tell when there are people around me. Still, what are you doing awake at this hour?"

"I couldn't sleep and I noticed you were not in bed. Are you training?"

Link nodded, "Yeah. I won't be fighting as much as I did before, so I need to make sure I train as much as possible to keep up my skills." He resheathed the Master Sword and walked over to Zelda, sitting next to her, "So why can't you sleep?"

"I'm just restless, I suppose."

"Nightmares?"

Zelda shook her head, "No. Luckily, I was strong enough that Calamity Ganon didn't traumatize me so much. I was just not able to sleep for more than maybe a couple of minutes or so. I just can't fall asleep for some reason." She looked out on the valleys, which were covered by the light of the moon. "I guess my body wants to start exploring already and it's making me excited."

Link sat back and lay down on the ground, "Perhaps. Tomorrow it'll be an easy journey, since we're just traveling to a friendly place. It shouldn't take all day to get there. Though, I doubt you want to teleport there."

"No, I want to explore the land as much as possible. I can already imagine it, traveling and observing what I want without any responsibility weighing me down. It's almost cathartic."

"Well, I hope you enjoy it. I'll be with you along the way."

"Thank you. I truly appreciate it."

Link sat up and said, "You're welcome, but we should get some sleep. I don't want you falling asleep on your horse and miss everything on the path."

"But I can't sleep." Zelda protested.

Link thought for a moment and suddenly took out the Sheikah Slate. He pressed a button and materialized a small harp.

Zelda looked at the harp and asked, "Since when do you play music?"

"I used to before I became a knight. It's also nice to play some music to relax every once in a while. For that reason I bought this thing."

"Then let's hear something. Maybe that will lull me to sleep."

Link nodded and carefully plucked on the strings on the harp, releasing a calm melody into the air. Zelda listened intently, enjoying the music that Link was playing, which oddly sounded somewhat familiar, but she was not sure where she had heard it from before. She could feel her body begin to settle down and she felt more at ease from the restlessness, with each note of the soothing tune. After a few minutes of playing, Zelda's eyes began to grow heavy until they shut. Link immediately stopped playing when he saw this and quickly caught her before she could fall onto the ground.

Link put the harp away and carefully carried Zelda in his arms, hearing her breathe softly in her slumber. He smiled down at her and whispered, "Good night, Zelda. See you in the morning."

Man, this one was long, but well worth it. You can imagine how many times I've had to go to the game to know where everything was and what characters live in the village. I want to keep this game as faithful to the actual world of Breath of the Wild as possible. I'll get started on the next chapter as soon as I can. I may have to cut the dialogue down, but I'm overall happy with this chapter. See you guys next time!