So I thought it would take me a while to write this chapter. It took me two days. Way faster than I was expecting. Still, I'm glad I got it out quickly, so you guys could enjoy. The next chapter itself will take a while longer to write because we're in the final stages of my college courses, so I have to start studying for finals at this point. So give me some time to write a new chapter, since I want to study and also want to update other stories. Despite this, I had fun writing this chapter and finally have the entire story planned out and outlined. So please enjoy and let me know what you guys think by leaving a review. See you guys later!

Thunder roared through the sky of Hyrule, lighting the sky in a spectacle of light and the roar of clashing clouds. Rain pelted the ground, soaking any unfortunate soul that was not under cover. Within a stable, many people sought shelter from the rain, trying to dry themselves and stay dry.

The stable keeper sat at their booth, making sure that anyone that was around made it inside to where they could be safe from the storm. It rained often in Hyrule, but storms like this in Hyrule Field were very uncommon. He looked around, trying to see if there was anyone else outside, so he could usher them in. No one was outside now. He could breathe easy now that everyone had shelter.

Through the pelting rain, he heard something unlike the cacophony of the storm. He heard the sound of hooves walking on the road's stones. The keeper turned his head to see where the sound was coming from and could see a series of large shapes making their way down the road. He squinted his eyes and could make out a group of five individuals, riding on top of large horses. The group were all wearing cloaks to protect themselves from the rain, though they did not seem too bothered by the water hitting them. At the head of the group was a man, whose features were hidden by his cloak, but the keeper could make out the dark black facial hair that decorated his face. His mount was a strong chestnut horse with hair as jet black as its rider. A beautiful sword with a fox head decorated on the pommel hitched to his beld, made it clear that he was a warrior or sorts. Behind him, a mountain of a man rode a monstrously large red stallion, carrying an axe on his back. Behind him was a woman, wearing leather armor with two swords at her hip, riding on a cream colored horse. Another woman rode alongside her on a red horse, with a sword on her belt and a shield on her back. The final member rode on a white speckled black horse, carrying a spear on his back.

The keeper called out to them, seeing as they appeared to be passing by and not stopping, "Hey there! Why not stop here until the storm blows over? Stay, dry yourselves, and eat something. Also, give your horses something to eat as well."

The posse of riders stopped when the lead rider stretched out an arm, "Stay here! I will return in a moment." The rider dismounted from his steed, handing the reins to the large rider. He walked over to the keeper's booth and said, "My apologies, but we will not be stopping. There is somewhere we must be."

The keeper replied sincerely. "I'm sure whoever you're going to meet will understand if you stop for a little while. It'll pass soon enough."

"I appreciate the concern and the kindness, but I simply just want to ask if the ruins of Hyrule Castle are in the direction we are headed. Is it?"

"Yes. However, no one goes to that place anymore. Too many guardians and monsters line the roads that way. It's not safe."

The man moved his cloak and motioned to his sword, "I'll be alright. I'm well seasoned in fighting such things."

"Please, just stay until the rain passes."

The man turned and began to walk over to his group, "Again, I appreciate it, but we cannot delay any longer. Take care. Perhaps we will stop by on our return."

The keeper waved, "May the goddess watch over you, friend."

The man scoffed, "Sure. Same to you, I guess."

The man jumped onto the saddle of his horse and motioned for the group to continue. The group made their way back onto their path, with none making a sound as they rode on. The lead member looked forward on the path and could not see too far off because of the rain and the kicked up mist. He looked around, as if looking for something familiar, but he could not make out anything familiar.

The largest of the group asked, "Sir, are we going directly to our destination?"

The man shook his head, "Not yet. There's something I have to see. Do not worry, it should be on the way there. I have to know how horrible these fields were mangled by Calamity Ganon."

"If the stories are anything to go by, this place razed to the ground."

"That much I am aware of. There are sure to be many of Ganon's minions on the way. If you see them, do not hesitate to kill them."

"Yes, sir!"

The group went back to silence, the only sound from them being the horseshoes hitting stones beneath their steeds. A flash of lightning illuminated the path before them, giving them their first true glimpse of Hyrule Castle in the distance, but only for a brief moment.

[An Hour Later]

Destruction, that was all the group could see as they arrived at the ruins of Mabe Village. No structures stood without some degree of damage and there was no Hylian life as far as the eye could see.

The leader of the group dismounted his steed and walked over to a ruined house. He could see no evidence of anyone ever residing within the home. An entire wall and the ceiling had collapsed ages ago and only stones and rotted wood lined the floor. The rest of the group joined him, looking around.

The shield wielding female member commented, "I think it's safe to say that anything near the castle is going to be a ruin. Truly a misery to live through and so many have forgotten it. How depressing."

The leader knelt down and pushed aside rocks and rubble and pulled out a book. He brushed dirt off the cover, not finding anything on the cover. He opened the book, but all the pages were rotted and smudged. Sighing, he threw the book away and stood, "No point in staying here. Any ruins we find are going to be the same as this. Let's head to the castle and face this demon."

They all noticed as the rain ended and the clouds began to part, allowing light to illuminate the world around them. They saw the ruins far more clearly, though that didn't change their views on the ruins. Despite this, he noticed a large guardian patrolling a nearby hill and began to make its way towards the ruins.

The spearman of the group asked, "Want me to get rid of it, my lord?"

Their leader shook his head and walked forward, "No need. I can handle this one on my own."

He walked over until he was on the hill, stopping in front of the guardian, who also stopped to look at the man.

The man scoffed and said, "What a horrid machine. Should have been scrapped long ago."

The guardian's eye suddenly activated and it began to aim at the brazen Hylian before it. The man removed his cloak, letting his long hair fall out, revealing them to be in ten tied locks. The man stretched out a hand towards the aiming laser and waited. The guardian soon released its destructive blast, sending it flying towards its intended victim. However, it never reached the man, stopping midair in between both of them. The man swung his hand to the side and shot the beam into the distance. He stretched his hand out again, concentrating, charging what looked like purple energy into his hand and firing it at the guardian. The energy hit the guardian and caused it to flinch, but other than that, nothing else happened.

The man turned away and walked off, making his way back to his team. The guardian aimed its beam back at the man and began to charge its own energy. The man raised his hand and began to slowly close his fist. The guardian stopped and could tell something was wrong before a series of cracks began to appear on its structure. The more the hand closed, the more crushed its shell became until it had imploded by an invisible force. The guardian collapsed onto the ground and exploded internally, shattering into multiple pieces.

The man made it to his team and said, "These beasts do not appear to have any blight on them. Why? Calamity Ganon took over all ancient Sheikah automatons with that purple poison. That Guardian was free of it."

The dual blades female member of the team looked over to the castle and appeared shocked, "Umm...my lord...look to the castle."

The man turned to the castle and donned the same shocked expression, "What in the…?"

The castle was just a ruin, which he expected to see, but Calamity Ganon was nowhere to be seen. It was just an empty shell housing nothing. There was no hellspawn floating around it, nor could he feel holy energy coming from where Princess Zelda should have been.

He stepped forward and glared at the castle, "We are too late? NO!" He threw an arm to the side in frustration, causing a nearby towering structure to collapse from an invisible attack.

The spearman called out, "My lord!?"

"Our mission has changed. Now we must find the hero and the princess. We cannot complete our mission without them!"

"True, but they could be anywhere now and Hyrule is vast. What can we do?"

"If I know anything about Hyrulian history is that the Sheikah have always been known protectors of the royal family and their trusted attendants. They must know something. We will go to them and seek out what they know. Their home should still be Kakariko Village."

The large warrior asked, "But where is that?"

Their leader thought about that. Their maps only consisted of the roads and a few key towns and settlements, but no sign of Kakariko Village. They would have to rely on directions to the secretive town, but that could take days. He sighed but then stopped and looked at a nearby tree. He extended a hand and a shape came flying from the tree towards him. He caught whatever it was by the throat and slammed them to the ground, revealing a Yiga grunt, who was fighting for air.

The group's leader chuckled and said, "Maybe this traitor to the Sheikah could tell us." He eased off the strangulation and asked, "You there, where is Kakariko Village?"

The Yiga member groaned out, "Why would I tell you?"

"Because if you don't you will die. There aren't many of your clan left and it wouldn't bother me one bit to aid in your extinction."

The Yiga member groaned and then said, "Fine! It's to the east of here, a few hours ride. It's nestled in those mountains over there. Right by the Lanayru Wetlands."

"Thank you! That wasn't too hard, now was it?" He let go of the Yiga member and said, "Now run along, little snake."

The Yiga member quickly jumped to his feet and began to run off into the distance. The leader watched him run and walked back to his horse, pulling a bow from a pack and materializing a bow of purple energy onto the string. He took aim and fired the arrow, which flew through the air, zeroing in on its target. The arrow struck the Yiga member in the back and ran him through, causing him to collapse on the ground, motionless.

The leader put the bow away and said, "I have no sympathy for traitors. Let that clan die." He called out to his team, "We have our destination. Let's make haste. Oh! By the way, if you encounter or see any members of the Yiga Clan, do me a favor and kill them."

The other four riders knelt down and said, "Yes, Lord Aris."

[Zora's Domain]

Zora's Domain was just as beautiful as Zelda remembered it. The city was made of precious stones and pearls, all showing the prosperity of the species. The people were also as friendly as she remembered them as being. Though, she was sad to see the statue of Mipha, remembering how the Zora princess gave her life in service to her. She wished she had a way to bring her back for her father, who was as jovial and loving as he was over a century prior. She could tell that there was still some pain in his heart, despite his jolly nature. Despite this, he spent a lot of their meeting telling stories of the times after the Calamity and of Prince Sidon's exploits.

Zelda was still with him as Link had gone off with Sidon to go Lynel hunting, wanting to eliminate the annoying Lynel at the top of the mountain, once and for all, now that it could not be resurrected. Zelda sat on a seat that was brought to her, speaking to King Dorephan, who was still telling his stories.

He went on with saying, "...and then Sidon went down the waterfall, trying to beat his friend to the lake. He won that race, but Sidon has always been quite the competitor."

Zelda smiled up at the enormous Zora king, "He sounds a lot like how Link is now. The two love a challenge."

"That must be why the two have naturally grown so close. Link constantly visits here mostly just to spend time with Sidon. They've become the best of friends...well, I suppose after Link and yourself, your highness."

"It's true. Link and I are close, but I'm not as athletic like Prince Sidon is. Link needs a friend to challenge him athletically." She thought for a moment and asked, "If it's alright with you, may I ask you something?"

"Anything, my dear! I'm just glad to finally speak with you after so long. Don't hesitate to ask me anything."

Zelda took a deep breath and asked, "Does Sidon remember his sister?"

King Dorephan sat back on his throne and sighed, "He does. He misses her. All of us do. She was the light of Zora's Domain and our beloved princess and champion. That being said, he looks to her as inspiration to become stronger and to be as courageous as he can be. It has helped him become not only beloved in our home, but a worthy future king. I can only be proud of my son. Though, I do miss my daughter, I do understand why she did what she did. I do not blame you for her death. She died a warrior's death and in the end, her spirit aided in the destruction of Calamity Ganon. It was her destiny. While I wish that destiny would have allowed her to live on, I can only look back with pride. Despite what happened, I continue to have faith in you Hylians and, if you rebuild your kingdom, I will continue to be your ally. If I do not make it to see your kingdom, I hope you will be confident in Sidon's support."

Zelda smiled up at the Zora king and replied, "I appreciate it, your majesty." Tears then began to fall from her eyes, which King Dorephan easily noticed, "I just wished that Mipha didn't die on the account of my failure."

King Dorephan leaned forward and extended a hand, wiping the tears from her cheek, "My dear, do not cry. Do not blame yourself at all. You must learn to move forward. You have a second chance at life, live it to the fullest. That's what Mipha would have wanted for you and Link, even for her people. It took me a while to heal, but I learned to move on and focus on leading my people and raising my son. As long as you hold someone in your heart, they're never truly gone." He looked out into the distance, seeing Divine Beast Vah Ruta, "I know she's still looking out for us, wherever she is. Now, I don't want to see you crying anymore. I want you to move forward and focus on doing what's best for yourself..." He then suddenly sat back and began to chuckle to himself, "...and for Link. Afterall, you don't seem to have competition now."

Zelda blushed at the assumption, "Competition?"

"I'll let you figure it out."

The two heard footsteps coming their way and turned around to see a charred Link and Sidon. Sidon smiled and flexed, "Another successful battle!"

King Dorephan laughed a hearty laugh and replied, "I'm glad to hear it! That Lynel should no longer be a perpetual nuisance. Again, you make me proud, my son!"

Sidon pat Link on the back, "Hey, give our friend Link some praise as well."

"Of course! I thank you again, Link."

Link pat the soot off of himself and replied, "Thank you, your majesty. I'd like to stay, but I should return home and clean the filth of battle off of myself. As usual, I'll be back in a week or so."

Sidon smiled wide, flexing again, and said, "And when you do, we will spar. I need to train in my spearmanship."

Link met his flex with his own, "You're on!"

Zelda curtsied before King Dorephan, "Thank you for your hospitality, your majesty."

King Dorephan waved a hand, "No need for such formalities. We should be familiar enough to speak candidly. Take care, my dear. Please do visit again. You are a great person to speak with. Also, remember what I said."

"I will. Thank you and take care." She turned to Prince Sidon and said, "Thank you for making sure Link made it back in one piece."

Link rolled his eyes, "Give me some credit. It'll take a lot more than some Lynel to beat me."

Sidon patted his back again and said, "Just be happy that she worries about you. Now go home. You stink."

Link turned to him, "Tough talk coming from a fried fish."

Sidon flexed again, "You wanna go, little man!"

"You are on! I'll wrestle you into the ground, fish man!"

Zelda walked over to him and poked Link with a shock arrow, causing him to fall to the ground, as his muscles tensed up, "Not right now. Let's go home." She looked at the arrow in her hand and giggled, "Oh I am loving this thing. It's the best way to keep him in check." She took the Sheikah Slate from Link's belt and set the teleportation function for the Shrine near Link's house. "Do take care, Prince Sidon."

Sidon laughed and told Zelda, "Same to you, Zelda." He knelt down and said to the downed Link, "It's only been a few days and already she has you by the fins. Good luck, my friend."

Link groaned out, "This isn't over."

"Anytime, anywhere, any terms. I don't back down. Goodbye, my friend."

Zelda giggled and grabbed Link's hand as the two teleported away, soon reappearing at the shrine in Hateno Village. Link stood, stretching his muscles to recover.

Link rubbed the spot where she poked him and said, "I have to take that arrow away from you."

Zelda gave him a smile and began to walk down the path to the house, "Not going to happen. I need to be able to rein you in."

Link walked after her, "It hurts."

"Good!"

"Well, it was nice to see Sidon again. So where do you want to go next?"

Zelda thought for a moment, kicking a rock down the road as she went on, "I'd like to visit the Gerudo. I want to meet this Riju you were telling me about."

"I think that's a good idea. At least you don't need a disguise to go in."

"No, but it will be hilarious to see you disguised as a girl. Best believe that I will take pictures for my amusement."

Link groaned and said, "I hate that I taught you how to take pictures."

"This is your new reality. Get used to it."

Arriving at the house, the two walked in, with Link making his way to the washroom, "I'm going to bathe for a bit. Don't go anywhere."

Zelda replied, beginning to walk up to the sleeping area, "I wouldn't dare go anywhere without you. I'll just be up here, going through the Slate."

She made her way to her bed and flopped onto the bed, holding up the Slate. She went through the options and looked through the logs on the flora and fauna in Hyrule. It surprised her just how many items there were to explore and where in the world they called home, especially the plants that grew in colder environments.

Though she was interested in the logs, she found her mind wandering. She thought about what King Dorephan had said to her. She knew that dwelling on such thoughts would not have been healthy and she should learn to move on and focus on her current situation. Though, why would he tell her to do what was best for herself and for Link? As far as she knew, Link was doing well for himself, so she figured he didn't need any help. Somehow, though, she knew that there was something she was missing.

Zelda sat up and got off the bed, going back down to the bottom level, looking around for anything that caught her eye. The front of the house was as simple as could be, aside from the weapons that Link kept on display. His home definitely needed a woman's touch and she needed to go out shopping for at least some homely items.

She looked at a nearby wall and saw the Master Sword resting there. She turned her head and could hear water running in the washroom. With that, she walked over to the Master Sword and picked it up, finding it heavy in her grasp, but not terribly so. She playfully swung it around and tried to emulate what she saw Link do the other night. She wondered how long he trained and if she could also learn how to fight as well. All of her friends were warriors and she was the only one she knew from that time that did not know how to fight.

She looked at the sword in her hand and wondered if the sword would be an appropriate weapon for her. She gave it another swing and nearly stumbled from the weight. Was she really that weak that a sword swing could move her like that? With a huff she lifted the sword again and swung down. This swing accidentally caught the side of a precariously placed plate, flipping it into the air and sending it smashing onto the ground with a loud shatter.

The sound of rustling came from the washroom before the door swung open, with Link darting out of the washroom, while wearing a towel around his waist. He looked around for what he believed could be an attacker, but only found Zelda by the dining table, holding the Master Sword, and with a broken dish on the ground.

Zelda was bright red as she blushed from embarrassment and from the sight of the mostly naked Link.

She turned from him, dropping the Master Sword, and covering her eyes, "Link! Put on some clothes! Make yourself decent!"

Link laughed to himself and asked, "Playing with my sword?"

"I just wanted to see how it felt to swing a blade. Now please change!"

Link rolled his eyes and walked back into the washroom. After around a minute, he walked back into the main room, fully clothed. He found Zelda cleaning her mess.

Link cleared his throat to get her attention and asked, "Want to talk about it?"

Zelda sighed and said, "I was just curious. I'm sorry about the plate."

"Don't worry about it. So, you want to learn how to fight with a sword?"

"It's not that I want to fight. I was just curious how it felt to use one."

Link picked up the Master Sword and swung it around expertly, "It takes a lot of discipline, but I enjoy it."

"Don't you find it heavy?"

Link shook his head, "Not really. After a while, you get used to the weight and grow stronger and faster. It's just a matter of practice. Want me to teach you?"

Zelda nodded, trying to not appear excited, "If you wouldn't mind."

"I'd be happy to, but not today. I'm still a bit tired from my battle with that Lynel."

To this, Zelda had to agree, but was a bit disappointed to have to wait for another day. Regardless, now she had something to look forward to at least. She then looked back to Link and said to him, "Where did you get all those scars?"

Link arched an eyebrow in confusion, asking, "What do you mean?"

"The scars on your body. When you came out of the washroom, I saw your body covered in them."

"Well, I've spent more of my life fighting. So that's to be expected. Some scars are from blades, some arrows, some from falls, some blasts from guardians, and some were given to me by the Blight Ganons. Don't worry about it too much. I'm pretty much completely healed at this point."

"You've really taken a beating."

Link shrugged, "That's my job."

"Your job was to protect me, not to maim yourself."

"Sometimes protecting and saving you calls for me to maim myself. I even died doing my job, in case you've forgotten. That's just what I vowed to do. My life is to be thrown away for your protection, if that's what it calls for me to do."

Zelda was shocked and quickly said to him sternly, "Let me tell you something; you are not to die at my expense."

"Too late for that. I already did once."

"Don't do it again."

"Impossible. I made a vow and I must hold myself to that vow."

Zelda shook her head, "Don't you die for me again." She sighed and sat down at the table, thinking, "I never thought about it before, but you never freely lived your life either, have you?"

Link was again confused and sat across from her, "What are you talking about?"

"I mean while you've had your memories. You were trained from childhood for the sole purpose to become a knight, in your adolescence you succeeded in becoming a knight, then you were placed as my own personal knight. You spent all your time following me, protecting me, and trying to hold up to the expectations of others. You dying and being placed in the Shrine of Resurrection was probably the most freeing thing in your life since you didn't remember at all what your task was; you didn't have to meet anyone's expectations. You lived your life and freely created a home here. Then you regained your memories and off you went about your duty. Tell me, is the part of your vow something you genuinely hold firm or is it because you believe that it's something expected of you?"

Link snapped quickly and said, "I'm keeping to my vow because I don't want anything to happen to you. You don't seem to understand that you would be defenseless out here on your own. You want to know how much of my memories I have recovered? I can only remember up to when I first met you. I can't remember anything else before that. All I can remember is that I made that vow to your father that I would lay down my life to your protection and so I want to hold onto that because it's all I have. I can't remember anything before that. All my skills are muscle memory at this point. I can remember drills, but I can't remember who taught them to me and how long I was in the knight's academy. I can't even remember my family."

"You don't even remember Mipha before becoming a knight? You two were close when you were little."

"The earliest memory I have of her is her healing me during one of my visits, but that was after I became a knight and a champion. That's it. So I'm trying to hold on to the memories I have and most of my memories just involve you. So I'm not risking that."

The two were silent after that exchange, just looking at each other, growing more awkward as time went on. Link got up and began to walk out of the house, "Soooooo...I'm going to go run a quick errand. Will you be fine on your own or do you want to come with me?"

Zelda replied, "I can wait here. I'm not going anywhere."

"Great! I'll be back soon."

Link left the home, leaving Zelda alone at the house. She suddenly covered her face with her hands and let out a low scream into them. She took a moment to relax and took in her surroundings. This was the first time she was alone at the house and figured she should explore the house a little.

She was mostly familiar with the main parts of the home, but was curious what Link kept in the other rooms of the house. As she was living there, she didn't think too much that she was snooping. If she was going to live there, she was going to know all that was around her. Link had told her that he had a lot of work done in the house and that it began with just the two levels before he upgraded it. She looked around and saw a door near the fireplace and a door across from the washroom. She walked over to the closest door, the one by the fireplace, and opened it. She poked her head in and could see a large empty room. To her, Link had probably not used it yet for any purpose. Her mind raced, thinking of the many things she could do with the room. Maybe a lab? She would love that, but Link would probably have reservations of having a lot of equipment in his home, especially since it was only temporary. Maybe a guest bedroom would be more appropriate? Yeah, she figured that would be best.

She closed the door and went to the room across the washroom and saw that it was just a storage area, with an assortment of items and cleaning tools. Zelda noticed that it was very dark and she could only make out the vague shapes of the things in the room. Zelda was about to walk into the main room to get a candle, but stopped and looked at her hand. With a curious idea in her head, she snapped her fingers and a ball of light materialized on her fingertip. She looked at the light with surprise and then smiled victoriously, she actually did have some sort of power, as utility based it was.

Zelda walked into the room and shone the ball of light around to see the contents of the room, seeing barrels and crates full of items. She walked over to an open crate and reached it, pulling out what appeared to be clothes. She looked at them and could not recognize them, but she noticed that it appeared as a formal regalia, from where she did not know. She reached further into the crate and pulled out a set of clothes that appeared different from what she would figure Link would wear. Zelda shone the light on the clothes and smiled in surprise as she saw that it was her old travelling clothes. Where did he get these? Regardless, she ran into the washroom and quickly changed out of her dress and into the old clothes. They still fit her and appeared to be in a perfect state, despite the century that had passed. She had so many questions, but she would have to wait for Link to return to ask. The only thing she was missing was her old pair of boots.

She walked out of the washroom and into the main section of the house. Looking around, she figured she should help clean so that Link didn't have to do everything by herself. Besides, she needed a means of passing the time alone until she could get her hands on some books to read.

After about an hour, Zelda had finished sweeping the floor, washing the dishes, and dusting the shelves, but Link had not arrived. This was odd for her, as Link would never leave her alone for such a long time. Besides, he had the Sheikah Slate, so she was bored. She walked over to a window and looked at the distance to see if she could see him. No, he was nowhere in sight. Did he use the Sheikah Slate to go somewhere far away? She hoped not. The thought of it gave her a tinge of anxiety.

She looked back outside, hoping to see her knight somewhere, so she didn't feel so alone. She sighed and gazed around the yard and stopped when she saw someone at the house's sign, just barely covered up by the sign itself. She walked up the stairs and looked out of the window from there, hoping to get a better view from that angle. To her surprise and relief, she saw Link sitting in front of the sign, doing something that she could not see. She ran down the stairs and walked outside, making her way over to Link.

Link was engrossed in what he was doing and had not noticed her approaching, which surprised Zelda, as she was quickly detected the other night when she was trying to be quiet.

She asked, "What are you doing?"

Link jumped and looked in her direction, seeing Zelda, "Zelda? Why are you out of the house?" He then noticed the clothing she had on, "Where did you find that?"

Zelda giggled and spun around, "Feeling nostalgic at the sight? I found it in the house. I was going to ask you how you got it?"

"Impa gave it to me, in the event that you returned. I put it in my storage room and kinda forgot about it, I'll admit."

"Well, I'm glad I found it. This is going to make adventuring so much more easy, since I don't have a dress to hold me back."

Link smiled and said, "I'm glad you're happy."

"And what are you up to?"

"Well, I decided to go out and buy a new nameplate for the house. I was just setting it up."

Zelda walked to his side and looked at the sign, reading, "Link and Zelda's House."

Zelda smiled wide and knelt down next to Link and pulled him into a tight hug, "That's so sweet. Thank you!" She opened her eyes and looked next to him, seeing a small basket next to him, "What's in the basket? Food?"

Link gulped, "Umm...no. It's...um...a little gift."

Zelda reached for the basket, but Link quickly swiped it. Zelda arched an eyebrow, confused, "Isn't the gift for me?"

Link stood up, "Umm...yes, it is."

Zelda also stood and shrugged, "So why not just let me have it?"

Link groaned and said, "Look...it was a spur of the moment decision...I don't know what I was thinking."

Zelda looked at the basket and asked, "That's not a ring, is it?"

"No! It's not a ring."

"Oh good. So what's the trouble?" She said as she reached for it again, but Link moved the basket from her reach, "Don't make me get the arrow!"

Link groaned as the reminder of the pain flashed in his head, "Please don't."

"Then hand it over."

"If I do, I'll never hear the end of it."

"If you don't, I'll leave you out here, spazzing as the electricity from the arrow shoots through your body and I'll leave the arrow in you."

"Look, I'm already regretting this decision."

"How bad could it be?"

Their argument was interrupted as a tiny bark escaped from the basket. Zelda looked at the basket and looked at Link with wide eyes.

Link said to her, "You didn't hear what you think you heard."

Another tiny bark escaped the basket and Zelda replied, "I'm pretty sure I heard what I heard."

Link sighed and handed her the basket. Zelda quickly took the basket and opened the lid, finding a tiny black and white puppy on a blanket, barking up at her and wagging its little tail.

Zelda picked up the tiny puppy and held it in front of her face, receiving a small lick on her nose. She hugged the puppy to her chest and said, "I love it! It's the cutest thing I've ever seen!" She lifted up the puppy again and checked it, "I love HER! She's the cutest thing I've ever seen!"

Link sighed and said, "I was walking by the ranch and started speaking with Dantz. He told me that he forgot to tell us that two of his dogs had puppies and was looking to find some of them homes. He noticed that you loved the dogs on the farm and asked me if I wanted to take one with me. I thought you would love one and picked one for you. It was only on the way home that I realized what I had done."

Zelda smiled and shocked Link by giving him a kiss on his cheek, "I'm glad you did. It's the sweetest gift I've ever received. I'm going to love being her pet mommy. Thank you, Link."

"Yo...you're...you're welcome." He said stunned, watching her walk into the house. He took a deep breath and said, "What have I done?"

He followed after them, walking into the house, where Zelda was already on her bed, playing with the puppy. Link walked up and sat on his bed, watching them.

Zelda sat up and asked, "What should we name her?"

Link shrugged, "I don't know. I've only ever named horses before. She's far too small to be a horse."

Zelda thought hard, placing a hand to her cheek in thought, "I've never done this either. I guess it's not that much harder than naming a person, but one's name is important, since they'll have it forever." She kept thinking, finding the task rather perplexing. "Hmmm...how about naming her after one of the goddesses? Din, Nayru, or Farore?"

Link thought about it and replied, "I don't think they suit her. Besides, wouldn't it be a bit sacreligious to do that?"

"I guess some people would take exception to that."

Link lay down on his bed, thinking as well, but not finding much in the way of answers. In the recesses of his mind, he scoured through as many names as he could come up with. A hundred and one names came and went with none being suitable, in his opinion.

He pressed his mind to find something, since Zelda was still deep in thought as well. He reached further into his mind, to see if he could recycle something he knew from his past. He pressed and pressed until he could make out a singular name.

He sat up and asked, "What about Daina?"

Zelda opened her eyes and asked, "Where did that name come from?"

"No idea. It just popped into my head. It's eerily familiar, though."

"Well, I'm sure it'll come to you eventually. Still, I like it. It's a pretty name." She lifted the small dog into the air and said, "I hereby dub you as Daina."

The little puppy looked down at Zelda and let out two little barks, unaware of what was going on. Zelda giggled and placed her down on the bed, where Daina took stubby little steps. Zelda watched her happily, overjoyed to have a cute little dog of her own.

Link smiled at the sight, though he was still debating in his head if he had done the right thing. Regardless, Zelda was happy and that's all that mattered. Though, the name he has chosen haunted him. Daina? Where has he heard that name before? It was so familiar but he had no idea of its origin.

Zelda looked over at Link, watching him resting on his bed, either trying to nap or deep in thought. She was grateful to him for giving her Daina to love and care for. She had remembered always wanting a dog when she was younger, but her father never allowed her to, since he claimed a dog would have distracted her from her prayers and meditation. Now here she was, living outside of royalty and with a dog of her own. It was a dream come true for her. She pet the little baby border collie, receiving a lick on the nose as a thank you.

She sat up and picked up Daina, placing her on Link's bed. She watched as Daina walked over to Link, sniffing him curiously. She then licked him on the cheek, causing Link to open his eyes and look at the puppy. He smiled at her and pet her head, receiving a happy bark.

Zelda said to Link, "I'm sure we'll be a great family for her."

Link was intrigued by her calling them a family, though he wasn't against it. He couldn't remember his own and he was now living with Zelda and a dog. He wasn't lonely anymore. As far as he knew, Zelda and Daina were the closest things he had to family members now. While he still had his reservations, especially with Daina, he was not going to turn her away now. Zelda has fallen in love with her and the two of them had given her a name. Hylia save him if he tried to return her now. Zelda would run him through with as many shock arrows as she could find if he did something like that.

Zelda then got his attention, "Link?"

Link sat up and looked at her, "Yeah?"

"Are you okay? I've never seen you think so hard before."

"I'm alright. Just trying to figure out where I pulled that name from. It sucks not having my memories."

"I'm sorry."

Link was not expecting to hear Zelda apologize, "Why are you apologizing?"

"It's because of me that you lost your memories. I knew the risks of the Shrine of Resurrection and still put you in there."

"Hey, don't apologize. You didn't have another choice. Besides, it was the best decision you could have made, since it was that decision that allowed us to beat Calamity Ganon and free you."

"But now you have no idea of your past other than some scattered memories."

"And I'm okay with that."

Zelda sat at the end of the bed and said, "You shouldn't. I robbed you of great memories."

"Like what?"

"Your parents, your childhood, your friends, and other precious memories." Zelda listed, being more upset than Link.

Link sat at the edge of his best to match her. He picked up Daina and said to Zelda, "Why are you upset? I don't mind it. I mean that."

"I'm upset because you're not upset!"

"Why do I need to be upset? Also, that's some backwards logic."

Zelda groaned and then sighed in surrender, "Fine."

"Look, don't be hard on yourself. You've done a good job beating yourself up for things that were out of your control. In the end, it was your actions that eventually led to our victory. So don't regret anything you did and don't apologize for it."

"You think too highly of me."

"Call it a force of habit, but you haven't done a dumb thing yet in my eyes...other than trying to get away from me when it was my job to protect you."

"Hey, we eventually worked that out when we got to know each other."

"And now here we are."

Daina barked, catching their attention. Zelda giggled and reached out, taking the puppy from Link.

Link smiled and lay back down, "It's going to take some getting used to, but let's see how well Daina will fit in this home."

"I'll take really good care of her. Just you watch."

"I don't doubt that one bit."

[Kakariko Village]

The atmosphere in Kakariko was rather odd, more so than on most days within the mysterious town. What made the situation more unnerving was the presence of the armed visitors that stood in front of Impa's home. Outside, four of the riders were waiting patiently as their leader held an audience with Impa. They didn't appear to be causing trouble and some of the riders were even engaged in friendly conversation with the guards.

Within the home, Aris sat in front of Impa, with Paya looking on nervously. He had his cloak off and spoke with Impa with the respect her position demanded.

He said to her, "As you can see, I must find the princess and her knight. I suspect her knight defeated Calamity Ganon. I figured that you would know of their location, Lady Impa."

Impa considered what he had said to her and replied, "It is true, the hero defeated Calamity Ganon and Princess Zelda destroyed him. They appeared here the day after their victory, but I have not seen them since. Where they could be, I do not know. I would love to be informed on their whereabouts as much as you would, Mr…?"

"My apologies! I forgot to adequately introduce myself. I am Aris. I'm a Hylian that hails from far to the east. I have returned to the place of my birth to attempt to free it from the scourge of Calamity Ganon, but I am several days too late, I'm afraid."

"And how would you have defeated Calamity Ganon without the Master Sword?"

Aris unlatched his sword's sheath and placed the weapon in front of Impa, "With my blade and my magic."

Impa called to Paya, "My dear, bring me the blade. I wish to inspect it."

Paya nervously walked forward and picked up the blade, handing it to her grandmother. Impa rested it on her legs and pulled the blade from its sheath, observing the striking white color of the sword. She looked at it and appeared to be sensing something. She resheathed the blade and handed it to Paya, who gave it back to Aris.

Impa asked, "I sense magic within the blade. What is its origin?"

"I was untrusted with the sword by the high priest of the land I am from."

"You have mentioned this land but not its name."

Aris sighed and then replied, "The land is named Teria."

Impa's eyes shot open and she commented, "That explains why you wouldn't tell me.

Aris explained, "I know its reputation. The black magic and slavery of the land are a blight on it, but the queen is trying hard to end such practices. This mission was meant to help us begin a new era, to wash ourselves clean of our original sins. Believe me when I say that I am being honest in my words and intentions. I despise the practices of my homeland and wish to help change its image."

Impa took a minute to consider what he had said and to gauge his honesty. While his homeland was known for its cruelty, the new queen had definitely made strides to change her homeland. With a sigh she replied, "I believe you. However, I do not know where they are at. Visit the other racial homes and ask around. Chances are that they will visit those areas. However, are your intentions benevolent?"

"We wish them no harm. That being said, I need their aid."

"In what regard. I do not wish to take them with us and will not remove them from Hyrule. Princess Zelda is to the monarch here after all. However, I need to learn how to heal my home. I need her wisdom. She is the vessel of the goddess Hylia after all."

Impa was again surprised and asked, "How do you know that?"

"I'm a Hylian. I'm well versed in our history and mythology."

"Why not just pray to the goddess herself than to look for the princess?"

"I do not pray to Hylia. I do not revere her."

"You do not revere the very namesake of your race?"

"She didn't answer my prayers when I needed her. I hold no reverence for her."

"So how do you expect her to help you, much less Princess Zelda?"

"Zelda is no goddess. She just serves as a vessel for her. I must see something for myself. If she cannot help me, so be it, but I must meet with her."

"Then I wish you luck, in your search. I have told you all I could."

Aris stood and bowed his head before turning to leave.

Impa then called out, almost facetiously, "May the blessings of the goddess Hylia be upon you."

Aris stopped and looked back at the elderly Sheikah and replied, "Same to you, if it is that she will listen to you."

He then walked out of the home and closed the door behind him. He walked back to his awaiting team and said, "I have finished speaking with the elder. We should continue on our way." He looked at the guards and said, "Thank you for receiving us so fondly. We wish we could somehow return the favor."

One the guards replied, "No worries. Safe travels to you, friends."

The group mounted their horses and bid the guards goodbye, riding out of the Kakariko Village, heading to the west.

One of the female riders rode up to Aris and asked, "My lord, did she give you any information?"

Aris replied, "She confirmed my suspicions and we spoke candidly. However, she stated that she did not know where they were."

"I see."

"She was lying. I could tell."

"Lying?"

"Yes. She doesn't believe I'm here for any altruistic reasons."

"Should we go back and force her to give up the information?"

"No! We are not here to make enemies or to show cruelty to others. We must be better than before. However, I do have a mission for you, Saya."

"By my blades and honor, I will complete whatever task you have for me."

"Good! She claims to not have seen the princess and her knight for a time, but I can still sense the power of the girl somewhere nearby. I could be wrong, but I want to make sure. Locate any nearby towns and search for any sign of the princess and the hero. If you can, convince them to come. To be honest, we just need the princess."

"And if I am unsuccessful in convincing her?"

"Well, I'll let you choose how you'll bring her to me. You have a fortnight to return to the castle. Do not worry if you cannot find them; I expect them to be well hidden. There will be no penalty for failure and no honor lost. I am asking you to find a needle in a haystack here. The rest of us will go to the racial homes and have an audience with their leaders."

"Understood!"

"Take care and be safe!"

Saya bowed her head and turned her horse, riding off down a branching path to the south.

[Kakariko Village]

Back in Impa's home, she ran through the events of the meeting and tried to think of what had occured.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Paya commented, "That was tense. He wasn't being mean, but something about him was wrong."

Impa nodded, "Yes, it was. As well as that blade. Something about that white sword gives me the chills." She thought for a moment and told Paya, "My dear, I'm going to need your help."

"With what, grandmother?"

"I want you to pack some clothings and gear and be prepared to travel down to Hateno Village. I need you to go and get me Link and Zelda before this group manages to track them down. Something about them is not right. While I doubt they mean them harm, they do need them for something other than advice. However, you need to go in disguise. So I need you to wash off the clan crest from your face and change your hairstyle. You will need to look like an average Hylian. You're the only one I can trust with such a task."

Paya's face turned a bright red as she replied, "Grandmother! I've never even left the village before and you're expecting me to suddenly go out into the reset of Hyrule? Someone as timid as I am? I'll die."

"You're a trained Sheikah and Link sees you as a dear friend. I can't send just anybody. They'll think I was trying to break my promise to the princess. You will go to Hateno and find them. You will return here whenever appropriate. Besides, it's time you saw the rest of the world and put your skills as a Sheikah to the test. I have faith in your, my dear."

Paya walked over and knelt in front of Impa, taking her hand and pressing it on her brow. With one last deep breath, she calmed her nerves and said, "I've never left your side in my life. This is going to be difficult for me. However, if it's my duty, I'll do what I must."

"Don't fear, my dear. I will be waiting here for your return. It should only be a few days at most. Trust in your skills and the Sheikah blood running through your veins."

Paya looked at her and said, "I'll succeed."

And now the plot is ramping up. Yeah, I would have gotten bored if I just made it that Link and Zelda visit people and learn to live together. While it's cute and I'm all for the fluff, I am a writer that thrives on conflict and fantasy. So I wanted to put what I'm good at in this story. Anyways, have a great day guys. I will see you all later.