Hello hello hello! This work was written as part of Mistress_Lrigtar's Birthday 2025 event on Tumblr. The prompts she offered were "Sunrise" and "Sunset". I mostly stuck to sunset, but I managed to sneak a bit of sunrise in there too lol.

Happy birthday, Missy! Hope you like this :)

Skies of Pink

The stone slithers down her throat.

Her heart stands rigid—cracking and creaking but refusing to shatter. She is locked in the fierce, violent grip of her own resolve. A mindset so merciless it shoves a scream back down her throat. Hylia's priestess can afford no weakness.

There's an explosion from within. Pinpricks of light spear their way out of her. The stone is searing, sizzling, fusing itself to her very core. Her bones rattle. Her breath stings. She begs for Link to protect them all, knowing full well that her own life is forfeit.

Her memories. Her identity. Her emotions. All are stripped away, layer after layer, and discarded into oblivion. What use does a beast have for such trifles? The only essentials that concern her now are the sun, the clouds, and the expanse.

She spirals upward. Slowly. Awkwardly. A cry—no, a roar bellows from her maw. Her tears are ripped away by the rushing wind. Long forgotten, like everything else.

At the top of her ascent, her eyes split open, revealing irises of sapphire. There's a spiderweb of dark, wicked lines stretched from center to rim.

These are not her eyes.

They're haunting, and inhuman, and they stare straight through the edge of the dream and pierce Zelda's soul.

Her breath catches in her throat, and she snaps awake as she desperately gasps for air. A hand finds its way to her chest, the spot where the Secret Stone was once writhing inside of her. Her other hand reaches for her temple, fingers sliding into blonde tresses.

It was a dream, she reminds herself. Only a dream.

It doesn't take long before another hand—tempered yet tender—rests on her shoulder. Zelda recognizes the touch and allows it to soothe her. In an instant, she finds that her calming breaths come so much easier.

"Thank you," she whispers.

Link's voice is equally soft. "Another nightmare?"

Zelda nods, and the hero pulls her closer. She snuggles up against his bare chest as his arm wraps around her waist.

The house is dark, but hints of sunrise are sneaking in. Soft rays of light on the ceiling. The morning chirps of songbirds. A sky that is blazing to brilliant gold just outside their window.

Zelda doesn't budge. She's not quite ready to face the dawn. This moment is too precious to be forsaken, so she chooses instead to meld her hand with Link's, their fingers interlocked.

It truly is a rough hand he owns. Sturdy like stone. Strong and calloused. And yet it's been chipped away at. A number of scars trail the back of his palm and up the crest of his arm—all the prizes he's suffered for the sake of saving Hyrule. And, even more essential, saving her.

She wishes she could apologize for breaking him, but she knows he would never accept it.

So Zelda does only what she is able—embraces his comfort wholeheartedly. She knows better than anyone that Link is more than a warrior. He's warm. Gentle. The kindest soul she's ever met. And if the world, the fates, and the Goddess above won't cherish these qualities, then Zelda certainly will.

"Do you still get them?" she asks, her voice as timid as a mouse's squeak. "The nightmares?"

He stiffens for a moment. "Occasionally."

"Do they ever become easier to live with?"

"They do." His words are so soft. So sincere. They serve as nothing short of a promise.

Zelda flashes a smile. Not out of relief, but out of longing. As if her salvation is merely a fantasy—lost amidst a stormy sea of dreams she'll never have the chance to conquer. "I wish I had your courage, Link. To face my night terrors and learn to move on."

"Hmm…I'm not so sure it takes courage," he mumbles thoughtfully. "The answer lies in wisdom."

Wisdom? Of course. The one attribute she is supposed to be celebrated for, and yet it always seems to elude her in the same manner that shadows slip away from sunlight.

But she's not about to throw her hands up and give in. Link would never allow such a pitiable defeat. To her immense amusement, she finds that the hero is far less tolerant than he once was. He used to be a loyal knight—one who lived by his orders and died by them too. One who even put up with an arrogant, spiteful, troublesome girl who spit insults in his face. But these days, he no longer fears speaking his mind. He fights back, and perhaps the most amusing part of all, is the fact that he does it for no one's sake but her own.

He's far too good for her. And yet, this makes Zelda cherish him all the more.

"Will you share your wisdom with me?" she asks, hand gently squeezing his own.

Link chuckles. It's a low, musical sound. He soon brushes her hair aside and presses a kiss to her neck. "Why don't you come home from school a half hour early today? If you can manage that, I'll show you something amazing."

Zelda quirks a brow. She wants to face him—to study his expression like it's an ancient stone tablet, but she ultimately settles for trusting the whispers in her ear. Her faith in him is so far beyond being earned. It's been woven into her very person. And not even ten millennia spent as the Light Dragon was able to strip that away from her.

"Very well," she promises. "I'll be home at my earliest convenience."

"I'll be waiting," he says in return.

Zelda curls tighter against him, allowing her mind to wander in dreamlike bliss. She can only imagine what sort of surprise Link is concocting. Curiosity and hope swirl within her. She can't help but ask—no, plead for a hint of salvation.

"You truly think it will help? Will this secret of yours chase away the nightmares?"

By the way he huffs, Zelda can tell that Link is smirking. "It better. If not, I'll beat them away with a stick if I have to."

She snorts and promptly dissolves into a giggle. It's the perfect way to start the morning.

The day is uneventful. The weather is bright, the children are well-behaved, and another day of school falls into the pages of history.

Zelda's thoughts remain entranced throughout by the wonder of Link's promise. She can't keep herself from smiling every time she imagines what awaits her. Knowing him, it is surely something magical. Perhaps even romantic? He's a man of many marvels—it's hard to know just how many cards he keeps up his sleeve.

But of course, the illusion of a dull day dissipates by its deadline. Her plans to leave early tumble like an avalanche. When is Zelda's life ever so simple?

As the children leave the schoolhouse, Sefaro spots a lizard and rushes off the dirt path to chase it down. His colleagues decide that the thrills of hunting are so much more enthralling than the cooking which awaits them at home, and follow his lead. It's around this point that Zelda grimaces and realizes it's her responsibility as the teacher to chase them down, gather them up, and properly send them on their way once more.

But when Sefaro catches the funny-looking lizard and expresses his sincere curiosity to know what it is, Zelda can't help but indulge. She's a scholar at heart. Research is her passion. She could never bring herself to deny the innocent glints in the children's eyes.

The evening falls apart from there. Zelda gets far too caught up in her lecture and loses track of the time. When she ushers the kids homeward once more, Aster trips and scatters the contents of her bag. Zelda patiently collects the utensils and toys from the grass and returns them to her, only for Azu to approach and reveal that he's forgotten his bag at the schoolhouse altogether. So Zelda escorts the boy inside, helps him slide the straps over his shoulders, and with a final, defeated breath, begs him to go home.

By the time the chaos stops, the school bell rings overhead. She has saved no time at all.

She gathers her things, sloppily dumps them into her bag, and rushes out the door. It is no exaggeration to say that she is stewing in stress and gripped by guilt. So much for keeping her promises.

With each passing second, Zelda can only imagine the dour look on Link's face. What exactly did he have planned for her? Whatever it is, surely it's been ruined by her absence. A candlelit dinner turned cold. A cozy bonfire burnt to cinders. The possibilities for disappointment are endless.

For a girl who was once respectfully referred to as "Princess", she is far from graceful. In her haste to get home, she's running and tripping and ultimately plants her foot into a deep puddle of muck. Her eyes threaten to spill frustrated tears as she forges onwards. Goodness, can anything in this miserable life just go her way for once!?

Fortunately, she reaches the Hateno Home before she has a chance to curse herself further. She apologizes the moment she steps inside.

"Link, I'm so sorry," she says, dumping her bag and searching for him. She briefly scans the room. There's no candles, or a warm meal. That's good, at least.

"Oh, you're back," his voice calls out, far more casually than she deserves. He steps out from behind the stairs, his eyes soft and pleased at the sight of her.

Zelda purses her lips and barrels into an explanation. "Forgive me for being so late. The children needed me and I lost track of time. I hope you didn't think that I forgot or—"

"Hmm? You're not late," Link interrupts her.

Zelda's jaw slacks a bit. Is he being serious? "You…You said to come home a half hour early, did you not?"

"I did," he answers amicably. He wipes some dust from his hands as he approaches her. "And you showed up exactly when I expected you to."

Zelda's maw continues to have trouble functioning as she processes these words. "You…anticipated this?"

Link laughs, as if her shock is nothing short of ridiculous. "Of course. You think I don't know your schedule by now? Something always holds you back after the school bell rings, so a half-hour late for you is perfectly punctual."

Zelda sighs, both amazed and relieved by this revelation. He actually fooled her! And in such a charming manner too. Her shoulders slump from the release of tension, and she can't help but laugh along with him.

"I guess we both have a tendency to keep the other waiting, huh?"

"I'm used to it," Link assures her. He then steps closer, his smile ever present. "Tell me, how was your day?"

"Fine," she says. And while the answer isn't untrue, her tone betrays her. Zelda nearly winces when she watches the joy fade from Link's features.

"Are you okay?"

Zelda nods, but it's such a weak gesture. How can she possibly keep a poker face when her entire hand is laid bare? Her eyes are tired. Her smile is sagging. Her posture is tense. She can't even bring herself to breathe as his gentle eyes study her.

"Zelda," he says, his voice seeping with sympathy, "you seem more stressed than ever."

"Maybe I am," she admits, even though she loathes herself for it. She doesn't deserve to feel this way. To cry out because nightmares are eating her alive. To fall apart because she's keeping a lovely man at home waiting for her. Her troubles are beyond trivial. In actuality, her life is more peaceful than it's ever been before. So why? Why does she find herself behaving so pitifully!?

In an instant, Zelda almost feels like crying again.

Link's eyes travel down her figure, and they narrow in curiosity when he spots her leg. "Did you step in a puddle?"

"Yes," she whimpers.

The hero sighs, his compassion reflecting in those beautiful blue eyes of his. He steps forward to pull her into a hug, and now Zelda truly wrestles with her waterworks. To be treated so kindly. Like she's more than a princess and a priestess and Hylia's chosen and an immortal dragon. Like she's actually human.

It means the world to her.

But she barely has time to thank him before he's spinning her around, securing her by the shoulders and marching her towards the dining table.

"Here," he says, pulling a chair out. "Sit."

Zelda feels puzzled but she's not about to fight him. He claimed that he had something to show her tonight, and she intends to see it through.

But what he provides isn't so much a sight as it is a sensation. His dexterous fingers slip beneath the neck of her blouse and slink their way to her shoulders. The next thing she knows, he begins working his way into her skin, fighting the tension that keeps her posture so rigid.

Zelda's eyes close as they nearly roll back into her skull. A soft sigh passes through her lips. He's offered a massage, completely unprompted. She understands that it was fate which brought the two of them together, but it's only in moments like this that she appreciates how heavenly he is.

He goes well beyond "too good for her". He's perfect.

Link could never be any more perfect.

"How does it feel?" he asks after a minute.

"Incredible," she gasps. "Thank you."

He places a single kiss on her crown as he continues his labor. It takes every ounce of her self-control to keep from turning around, securing his face with both hands, and return his kisses a hundredfold. Surely, he's done more than enough to earn such affection.

The massage only lasts for a minute more before Link releases her aching muscles. The pain burns her in a good way. She almost can't wait to crawl into bed tonight and let her weariness lull her off to sleep.

But alas, it seems the night is still young.

"I have a favor to ask of you," Link whispers in her ear.

A pleasant hum precedes Zelda's answer. "For you? Anything."

And she means it, with every piece of her essence. She'll offer him the world, her life, her heart—he can have it all.

And yet, what he asks of her is so far removed from what she was expecting, she almost can't help but giggle in response.

"I'm going to blindfold you," he says, approaching with a piece of cloth.

Zelda raises her brow, a smile blooming on her lips. "How charming. Are you planning to kidnap me?"

"Better me than someone else, right?"

She snorts. "Touché, Link."

Letting go of any lingering reservations, Zelda takes the cloth and binds it over her eyes. Link helps tie the knot in the back, ensuring her vision is entirely obscured. The smile on her lips only spreads wider.

"I take it a surprise awaits me?" she says, trying to guess his game.

"Something like that," he teases. "I'm going to take you somewhere. No peeking until I say so, though."

"All right," she agrees. "But this better not be a prank!"

She catches Link snicker. She can only imagine him shaking his head with a smirk. His gentle hand soon finds hers and he pulls her to her feet. Zelda takes careful steps as she allows herself to be led to what she believes is the corner of the den. Her curiosity only strengthens as her stomach rumbles. Has he prepared a meal after all? Some sort of surprise dish she'll get to savor before she sees?

Apparently not. She hears Link rummage around in a drawer before pushing it shut. He then wraps one arm firmly around her waist and pulls her tight against him.

"Hang on," he tells her.

She locks her arms around him and nods. She then catches the faint yet familiar sounds of the Purah Pad activating, and in an instant, she realizes what's happening. They're teleporting via the shrines scattered across Hyrule! She squeezes her eyes shut behind the blindfold as a surreal sensation envelops them both. They dissolve into ethereal threads of light and rise upward into nothingness.

A moment passes before their scattered pieces descend in their new destination and begin to reassemble. As soon as Zelda can feel her feet on solid ground, along with the warmth of Link's chest and the faint beat of his heart, she allows herself to relax. An almost giddy sigh passes through her lips. Teleportation is a strange phenomenon, but a fascinating one as well.

Nevertheless, Zelda's mind soon returns to studying the secret at hand. Namely, her current whereabouts. She feels a faint breeze rustling her hair. The soft kiss of sun on her skin. It's clear that they've placed themselves somewhere outdoors, but that hardly narrows down the possibilities. It doesn't help that Link is stone silent. He merely secures her shoulders and forces her to walk.

"Watch your step," he advises, although Zelda has no clue what to be on the lookout for. She sincerely hopes he understands that any accidents caused by her temporary blindness are entirely his fault.

But he doesn't seem particularly concerned by the implied accountability. When she stumbles, he merely laughs, childlike and innocent. And despite herself, Zelda can't help but laugh a bit too.

"Link, where are you taking me?"

"We're almost there," he promises. He directs her forward, his hands still steady on her aching shoulders, until he finally seems satisfied. "Okay, this is perfect."

Zelda immediately raises a hand to her blindfold. "Excellent. Can I remove this?"

"Whoa there!" Link playfully snatches her hand and forces it back to her side. "Removing the blindfold is my job, and it's not quite time yet."

"You're really torturing me with curiosity."

"Just relax," Link breathes, his tone as soothing as ever. "That's why we're here, after all."

Zelda nods and takes a deep breath. Despite the unknowns, there is a comfort to be found here. The enveloping darkness. The gentle touch of the elements. Link ever-present at her side.

She can practically feel the stress releasing from her pores.

"Sit with me," Link instructs.

Zelda raises her brow but does her best to obey. With Link's help, she somehow pulls off the feat of sitting on invisible earth. The hero settles behind her, pulling her back against his torso until she's practically sitting in his lap. Not that she minds in the slightest. There's something divine about resting solely in his arms.

"Are you comfortable?" he asks.

"I'm in heaven," she assures him with a smile.

There's a laugh and she feels his fingers grazing the back of her scalp. "I'm going to remove your blindfold now. Do me a favor and turn your gaze skyward. I don't want the sun to hurt your eyes."

Zelda does as instructed, tilting her head back and allowing her hair to spill into his palms. A kiss graces her forehead, and before she can even cherish the charm of it, she feels the blindfold come loose. She squints, slowly allowing her eyes to readjust.

The first thing she spots is the color lavender. Such a timid tint of violet, permeating the evening sky. Clouds the color of honey and peach drift lazily overhead.

In an instant, Zelda begins to get a sense of her surroundings. They are high. So much further up than she anticipated. A tree with leaves of gold catches her eye and that alone confirms any lingering suspicions.

They are sitting atop one of the sky islands.

Sitting atop the world.

Another breath—deep and pure—forces the tension out of her lungs.

"This is nice," she says.

"This is nothing," he returns. "What I really want you to see is waiting on the horizon."

Zelda flicks her gaze back to him and he grants her a nod of approval. With nothing holding her back, she shifts her eyes to the glorious sight before her.

It's an explosion.

Perhaps the softest, prettiest, most wonderful explosion she's ever witnessed.

The skies are a soothing shade of pink. Saffron weaves together with magenta, encircling a beautiful sphere of rose. It tints the clouds in cool hues that lull her eyes to peace. The world below, swathed in shades of scarlet. The distant seas, washed in waves of violet.

It's a sunset which could have only been painted by Hylia herself, and it steals Zelda's breath away. A single word manages to spill from her lips.

"Blessings…"

It's such an undeveloped, incoherent thought. The colors are taking up more space in her head than actual logic. A rarity for someone of such renowned wit.

But there's a truth baked into that single, wonderful word. An appreciation for the beauty of the world. The beauty of life. Gratitude for the fact that despite all the hardships she's suffered, she still lives and draws breath and smiles and laughs and manages to catch moments of unspeakable beauty such as this.

"Nothing beats a sky island sunset," Link whispers with confidence. "It's just you, the clouds, and the world below."

"It's incredible," she agrees. "I've never seen a sky so pink."

Link pulls her closer and Zelda can practically feel his smile pressing into her neck. "This sunset…it's more than incredible. It's magical."

Zelda isn't inclined to debate such claims. Instead, she finds his hand and locks their fingers together. A subtle squeeze invites him to continue.

"After the Upheaval, when I realized I had lost you again… It was difficult. Perhaps the most difficult day of my life. The guilt and dread that weighed on me were…"

His voice trails off and Zelda can feel the smallest of shudders travel along his skin. It doesn't take much for her to sympathize. She understands exactly how he feels, because she still has those very same chains weighing on her. Night after night, imprisoned in her nightmares.

"But," he continues, his soft voice blending with the breeze, "I survived. I made it to the end of that day, and this" — he gestures to the blaze of color — "was what awaited me."

"A sunset," she supplies.

"A sunset. A beautiful, glistening, natural sunset. And in an instant, my breath returned to me. My shoulders relaxed. Something about this red ball fading into twilight struck me. It made me realize that I'm only a small moving piece, with small human problems. And it was just so…humbling. Comforting. All my fears melted away."

Zelda nods, her eyes dancing in brilliance. She's cherishing the sight as if it were the last thing she'll ever see. But it won't be. She knows it won't be. Because the sun sets in this exact spot, and bathes the world in these same magnificent hues, every single day.

And perhaps this is all she needs to accept. That the sun still rises and the sun still falls and the night always arrives with glistening stars and a pearly moon. The world works in perfect order. Everything falls into place simply because it is meant to.

And perhaps the same can be said for princesses who cry themselves awake in the middle of the night. Surely, Hylia has provided a place for her too. A position to sink and settle into at the end of a long day. A spot which Zelda suspects is closer than she ever imagined…

"Do you get what I'm trying to say?" Link asks sweetly. "When you realize how big the world is, it's impossible to imagine it resting solely on your shoulders."

"Such wisdom," Zelda muses. Not in a playful voice, but a sincere one. A tone that sings her gratitude above all else. "I understand with perfect clarity. This is how you survived your nightmares."

"This is how I survive every passing day. And I want you to triumph with me. To defeat your nightmares and forge a path forward. I'll even place you on my back and shoulders and carry you along if I must."

She can't help but giggle. "That's generous, but it won't be necessary. I've got two perfectly good legs, a sharp mind, and a strong heart. I know I can carry myself through this."

She smiles and squeezes the warmth from his palm, like a fruit being pressed for its juices. The rest of her words remain unspoken. She doesn't need her voice to express her wish. The sentiment transfers through touch alone, telling him that if they're going to walk the same path, she'd prefer they do it together. Side by side and hand in hand. Inseparable and supportive, always and forever.

It works without fail, for Link draws her in until her head settles against his beating heart. "Forever," he agrees.

It's a promise as sure as the sunset.

Zelda turns her gaze to the horizon and loses herself in it once more. The sun is slipping away—the colors cooling, dimming, and the sky swaddled in cerulean. It's beautiful and comforting in its own way. The sight of a day being capped, silent and harmonious.

And yet, it leaves the faintest trace of regret in Zelda's heart.

"It's tragic," she laments. "I spent several millennia as the Light Dragon, twisting through these very same skies. I probably witnessed this view countless times, but not once did I ever have the chance to stop and treasure it."

"Then soak it in," Link encourages her. "Let it seep into your soul until it punctures your very dreams."

So she does. Sets her jade orbs on the sphere sinking into the horizon. The cascade of color is soon swallowed up along with it. The vivid hues dissipate as navy dominates the expanse. One by one, the stars take their positions, like knots sewn into an endless quilt.

Zelda takes that blanket and wraps herself in it. She realizes this view is yet another portrait she ought to appreciate. The end of a day. The end of an era. The time for silence and stillness and reading in front of a warm fireplace. Zelda can practically hear the frogs in her pond croaking to life. The merry tune echoes in her memory—familiar and freeing.

She may have lost herself once. Swallowed a stone that swallowed her entire identity in return. But the pieces remain. Sharp, jagged shards that she knows can be restored. The shards of a girl who will one day stand whole and worthy of the man who keeps her together.

But that's a problem for another sunrise and sunset. For now, she only needs to keep walking on this path called life, one sturdy step at a time.

The slight shifting of Link's arms snaps her from her reverie. She turns to find starlight glistening in his eyes. "Ready to go home?"

As if he needs to ask. She'll never deny him this.

That night, they steal away to a home nestled in Hateno. Crawling into bed, the couple leaves the day and their woes behind them. Slowly, softly, the sun in their eyes begins to set.

Wrapped in warm and comforting arms, Zelda slips into slumber.

And she dreams of drifting pink clouds.

It was such an unbelievable pleasure to write this. For you see, I love love LOVE nature imagery. And the sky. And sunsets. And colors. So when I tell you that these prompts were perfect for me, I mean it wholeheartedly lol.

Fun fact, the story Link shares of seeing a sunset during his first day on the sky islands was actually inspired by my own playthrough of TOTK! At the end of the first day, I was blessed by this beautiful blaze of color, and it was so breathtaking I simply had to take a screenshot (which I have provided a link to on AO3). And ever since then, that moment has always stuck with me. It was nice getting to include a bit my personal experience here in this story :)

I want to give a HUGE thank you to Pelicanpig for being my incredible beta reader! She provided some truly insightful assistance and gave me a confidence boost when I really needed it. Love you, buddy!

And once again, happy birthday, Missy! You're an incredibly sweet person and it is an absolute blessing to know you. I hope you have a day as lovely as you are :)

Much love to everyone out there!