"Normal Text": Reactions
"Italic Text": Astra Stories
'Thoughts'
*I do not own The Legend of Zelda. All rights go to Nintendo*
(A/N): I won't do notes at the beginning often but this is important. I'm sure many of you are aware but FF has been having a weird issue where they are not showing chapters. For example you can be reading a story with 20 chapter and it with only show 15 so for that reason I also post this fic on Ao3 and am working catching it up to FF version. I will continue to post here for now but if it continues like this I may move over to Ao3 permanently.
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"While you carry within you the blood of Hylia she isn't really responsible for your powers." Those words kept repeating in Zelda's head over and over as the group rode back toward the castle. Her father had been correct when he said that she had been blaming her lack of powers on others. First it was the Goddess and now The Ancient Hero. All this time she had raged against Hylia for not blessing her or abandoning her; she had been innocent. It was no wonder The Knight hated her and she knew he would even more now that he knew that it was her fault she hadn't awakened her powers.
'I truly deserve his hatred of me.' Zelda thought miserably.
"I've been meaning to ask you Link, how did you get the Master Sword?" Astra voice pulling Zelda out of her self loathing. She looked up at the question, actually curious to hear the answer herself. She didn't know the story either given that when she heard someone had drawn the Master Sword she had avoided all mention of it as it was not only another sign of her own failure but also a warning that Calamity was truly coming.
"I was stationed at the military camp near the Lost Woods when we were attacked by a group of Moblins and Bokoblins." Link said shifting in his saddle looking uncomfortable. "We managed to fight them off but one of the Bokoblins had taken Epona and fled into the woods so I chased it. I was lost in the fog until I saw a glowing wolf and I felt this strange feeling I needed to follow." Astra smiled at that and nodded his head at the mention of the wolf.
"I decided I didn't have any better ideas so I followed into a large clearing with a huge tree where I found Epona and the Master Sword was placed into a pedestal in the center." Her father had been right the entire time, she really was blaming everyone else for her own failings. "You need to awaken them, not Hylia." She had wasted so much time blaming Hylia for abandoning her, for not being willing to give her the powers of her bloodline when the entire time it was HER who was failing to awaken the powers. All the rumors that were spoken in hushed whispers around Castle Town were right.
"When I walked up the Tree spoke up and introduced itself as the Great Deku Tree and Guardian of the Forest. He told me that the time in which Evil's Bane is needed is once more upon us but to take caution as the sword tests anyone who tries to wield her. I grabbed the hilt and felt all my strength leave me and a blinding pain overtook my entire body. That is the last thing I remember before waking up on Epona outside the forest, Master Sword in hand." Link finished his little story as the group arrived at the stables. The last bit seemed to disturb Astra.
"Fi has never hurt any of the previous wielded before." Astra muttered to himself, frowning. He shook his head before looking at the rest of the group and noticed Zelda's despondent mood.
"Are you alright Zelda?" Astra whispered to the disheartened princess as the group tethered their horses in the stable. He made sure to whisper so no one else could hear him. Zelda smiled at him and nodded her head.
"I'm alright, just tired from my prayers today but I'll be fine by the time we begin the tellings. I'm just going to freshen up and I shall meet you there." Zelda said and she began walking away without saying anything else. Link nodded and sent a sympathetic smile toward Astra before having to jog to catch up with her. Astra frown deepened after that as he watched the pair leave.
"Don't take it personally, she's under a lot of stress." Impa said walking up besides Astra. He glanced over at her before looking back towards the door the pair had just gone through.
"Can I ask you something?" Astra said and at Impa's nodd he continued. "Why is it that she believed her power would manifest through prayer?" Impa looked down and sighed.
"Because we didn't have any other idea on how she was supposed to awaken them. The Queen was killed before she could teach the Princess how, so the King and Priests thought that the only way to awake the powers of Hylia is through prayer to Hylia and so for the last 10 years they have made Zelda focus on nothing but prayer, even forbidding her to do her beloved research."
"But it's not the Powers of Hylia, it's bloodline magic yes but at the end of the day it's still just magic and that takes training and a catalyst." Astra shook his head, unable to understand why they would have wasted so much time. "And what of her archer and sword skills?" This Impa looks extremely confused.
"Why would she need archer and sword lessons? To combat the calamity it is the Hero's job." Impa asked.
"Maybe because putting her on a battlefield where anything can happen with no combat experience with only a single person who needs to be focused on dealing with the embodiment of a god's hatred to protect is a bad idea. Many of the princesses of the past learn to wield a rapier and we may need Zelda to use the Bow of Light to help weaken Ganon like we did during Wind and Twighlts era!" Astra couldn't help but yell in exasperation. The look on Impa's face really didn't make him feel any better.
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Zelda walked through the hallways of the castle head down. She just wanted to lock herself in her room and cry. She had wasted so much time praying and it was all for nothing.
"You need to awaken them, not Hylia."
Those words kept repeating in her head over and over. The stares of the people she passed felt sharper than they ever had before. She approached the door to her room as she heard footsteps that had be following her since she left the stable.
"Come in and shut the door behind you." Zelda said as she walked to look out her window of her room. She noticed that it took the Knight a moment to follow but she did hear the door creak as he shut it.
She was scared to look behind at the Knight who was silent as ever, but taking a deep breath to steady herself knowing she needed to do this now she spun around to face the Knight.
"I'm sorry." She said squeezing her eyes shut waiting for him to condemn her now that he knew just as she did that it was her fault her powers hadn't awakened. Now he had even more of a reason to hate her. "It's my fault you would have had to fight the calamity alone if Astra hadn't shown up and you two may still need to do it without the help of my powers. You are justified in your hate of me and I can understand if you wish to no longer be my guard."
"You need to awaken them, not Hylia." The silence in the room seemed to stretch on for eternity before the Knight broke it.
"I don't hate you princess." The Knight said softly causing Zelda to look up at him mouth open in shock. He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.
Zelda opened and closed her mouth a few times taking a few moments to process what she just heard. He didn't hate her. How could he not hate her especially after all that he had heard today. Now that he had undeniable proof that she was useless.
"But it my fault that my powers haven't awakened. I am the reason you are going to have to fight without the sealing powers. It will be my fault when we fail." Zelda was starting to cry at this point, The pressure had finally become to much for her to hold it back.
"You need to awaken them, not Hylia."
She heard footsteps nervously shuffle near her and felt the Knight approach. She looked up and saw him offering her a light blue handkerchief he had gotten from the nearby desk.
"I never blamed you for being unable to awaken your powers princess, and I never will. Even before i became your personal guard I saw how hard you worked not only on prayer but doing whatever you could in Sheikah technology to help. I know how heavy the destiny we carry is but I always found it easier to bear knowing I shared it with someone like you." The Knight said. "I'm sure we can help you now that we know prayer isn't the way."
Zelda was at a loss for words. All this time she was sure that The Knight hated her but here he was saying otherwise, not only that but he was saying that he was thankful he shared the burden of destiny with someone as useless as her. She couldn't wrap her head around it. She need time alone
"Will you please leave me alone Sir Link?" Zelda asked and watched as he walked away closing the door behind him
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Princess Mipha looked over at the other champions who had all gathered in the courtyard after lunch. They had all gathered with the exception of Link and Zelda to discuss what they had seen so far.
"For the final time I am not related to the Loftwings." Revali complained as Daruk laughed at a jab from Urbosa about his likeness to the ancient mounts. "Clearly the Rito and Loftwings are nothing alike."
"Come to think of it where are the Rito?" Mipha spoke up it was something she had noticed that other than Skyloftians there hadn't been any of the other races on Skyloft.
"Now that you mention it I don't think I've ever seen any other race outside Hylians." Urbosa frowned. "Maybe it's just because we haven't left the Skyloft and they live in different island's similar to how we have different providences and we will see them later." It was the best she could come up with.
"Well I'm sure we will find out later." Daruk said still eatingrock roast. "What do you all think of Sky? I like the little guy so far. He seems like a laidback guy unlike ours."
"I agree he does seem much more relaxed than Link." Urbosa agreed, frowning. "Nothing like the legends depicted him as. A warrior who had Power, Wisodm, and Courage who was unmatched with the blade. Many of the Gerudo still in training could take him with what we have seen."
"Well he hasn't begun his journey yet so maybe he gets better." Mipha defended Sky. "Beside he clearly has to have defeated the Great Calamity of his Era if Hyrule was founded after him."
"Did he though?" Revali asked making the others look over at him. "Astra has already told us that the threat heroes of the past have faced were different. How do we know that what made the Hero of the Sky such a hero was because he helped settle on the Surface."
"You saw that monster in the beginning Revali. The Imprisoned Astra called it. He has already told us we will see it multiple time. Do you really think that's not the Calamity?" Urbosa scoffed. Mipha shivered at the reminder the large black beast was the most horrifying thing she had ever seen. She prayed that the Calamity was nowhere near the size nor terror of that beast.
"We already have seen it multiple times and not once have they had to fight it. It only appeared in the dreams of Sky." Revali argued and Mipha had to admit he had a point.
"You saw the look on Astras face when we asked about the beast. That's not how someone who only dreamed of something. That is the look of a man who has seen his worst enemy." Daruk spoke up shaking his head at Revali. "I have no doubt we will be seeing more of the Imprisoned as Sky's story unfolds." That was not something any of them were looking forward to. They talked a bit more about what they thought of Skyloft itself when a guard appeared and told them the Princess was back from her prayers and the King was summoning them once more.
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(A/N): I know, I know last chapter was an interlude and I'm sorry but as I was writing the reactions of next chapter I felt that I hadn't show the fallout of Astra telling Zelda she had been wasting her whole life with prayer when it did nothing. I felt I brushed past it without really giving it time to sink in so now you have this chapter which is shorter than most and it could have been just added on to the last one but seeing as it's been 2 months since last chapter it's easier to make it it's own thing. I also decide it would give me a chance to show at least somewhat what the champions thoughts on all that is going on seeing as I have kinda neglected them. It also gave me a good chance to allow for some growth in the Zelink relationship so hope you enjoy.
S.D Signing Out