#I have never drawn Daruk until then

[plaguedoctorjester]

Based on a Roleplay

Below is the comic above but typed out.

Scenario as seen in the image: Revali and Daruk are sitting in a traditional Japanese setting. I can't draw a Japanese setting so you have to imagine it: :<

First Panel: Side-Caption: "There are others here I just don't wanna draw em lol"

Revali has a bowl of seafood ramen, a cup of water, and a Ramune Japanese Soda bottle that he can't open.

Revali: "How spicy can it be?"

Daruk is sitting off to the side staring at his cup of Hot Spring Rock Water and bowl of Rock Soup [there might be noodles in it too idk]. Daruk says nothing.

Second Panel: Revali is loudly slurping up the Ramen.

Third Panel: Revali: . . . Revali: "It's not that ba-"

Fourth Panel: Revali's head is now on fire.

The fire, Ramune Bottle, Seafood Ramen, Cup of rocks, and pot of rocks are all copied from Google Images.

[raviotherabbit]

royal pain in the ass - chapter 3

Chapter 3: Era of the Skies Zelda meets some new faces.

[first] - [previous] - [next] read it on ao3!

  △ ▲△

Link—her Link, Sky—had told Zelda that his fellow heroes seemed to have… issues, with voicing their problems. Which, truth be told, didn’t make much sense to her. Skyloft has always been a very open environment. Everyone knew each other, and so knew when their fellow citizen was struggling.

Would there really be a time where not all of Hyrule was like this?

Zelda didn’t think much of it, not for quite some time. Not until her visit to the formerly Sealed Grounds, where she found the Hero of Legend staring up at the Statue of the Goddess. In retrospect, the whole thing seemed incredibly tacky. Who needs a hundred foot statue in honor of their worship?

Still, she found herself drawn to it. Of course she did. Things had been confusing ever since everything ended and construction of the kingdom had begun. Zelda still wasn’t quite sure what to make of herself.

She startled when she noticed Legend, having expected to be alone. It was a fresh and early morning, but there he was, arms crossed tightly with head tilted up at the statue.

“Hello, there!” Zelda called out, and the hero turned to face her. This one is a bit older than her Link, thank goodness. She’d grown a bit concerned by Wind and Fours’ appearances, even Wild and Hyrule looked a bit too young for her nerves. They all made her worry.

“Princess Zelda.” Legend nodded at her as she stepped up beside him. His gaze returns to the statue, eyes emotionless.

“There aren’t any princesses in this time, Legend,” she said. “At least, not yet.”

“Hm. Apologies.”

“It’s still early. I don’t even think your wolf is up, yet.”

“Let them be,” Legend told her. “I just- I couldn’t get back to sleep.”

“Well, what’s wrong?” she asked. At Legend’s scowl, Zelda continued, “I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”

Legend’s eyes shifted to Zelda, scrutinizing her. He sighed, looking up at the statue once again.

“I’m just thinking,” he said. “I mean, there are patterns to all of this, right? Evil rises, and so a hero and a princess work together to save the day.”

“It’s a nice thought, isn’t it?” Zelda smiled at him. “No matter how bad it gets, there will always be an end to it.”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Legend countered her. “What I’m saying is, the evil always comes back. The seals break, or something new comes around. So Hylia calls upon someone new to fight, again and again.”

Zelda reached out, placing a hand on Legend’s shoulder, but he shrugged her away.

“No matter what we do, it gets worse. What’s the point?”

For a moment, Zelda paused, gripping at the cloth of her skirt. With a sigh, she sat facing away from the statue, motioning for Legend to sit with her.

“Has my Link ever told you about me?” she asked as Legend sat by her side.

“Just that you’re the best ever.” Legend rolled his eyes. “And that he loves you so much, and he can’t wait to see you again.”

Despite herself, Zelda giggled. “He’s sweet.”

But, truthfully, she was relieved. Sky has enough sense, at least, to keep her secret from those who have a bit of disdain towards their Goddess.

Without thinking, she placed an arm around the Hero of Legend’s shoulders. He tensed at first, glancing at her hand warily, and Zelda was almost afraid that she’d done something wrong. But then he relaxed, and even leaned his head against her.

“I can’t speak to the future of Hyrule,” Zelda told him, tracing patterns on his arm. “But I do know that the Goddess is not infallible.” She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. “Do you know the story of the first hero?”

“Isn’t that Sky?” Legend asked.

“No,” Zelda said, looking up and back at Hylia’s statue. “Sky is only the second hero. There was one who bore the Hero’s Spirit before him.”

Legend looked up at Zelda, so with a smile, she began the story of Hylia’s Chosen Hero.

  △ ▲△

Flora and Artemis stumble out of the portal into a dense forest. The nausea sets in almost immediately as both queens double over, Artemis bracing herself with a hand on Flora’s shoulder. After a deep breath, Flora straightens herself out.

“You know, I think I’m getting used to it,” she remarks, offering a hand for her ancestor.

With a groan, Artemis accepts Flora’s hand. “I’m more used to standing on the other end of these things,” she admits.

“Don’t worry,” Flora assures her, gently guiding Artemis to sit below the closest tree. “How about…” She glances past the towering branches to the darkened sky above. “You rest here for a moment, and I’ll get started on our camp.”

Artemis lifts her weary head for a moment. “It’s later here than it was in my time.”

Certain that Artemis is fine on her own, Flora turns her attention to her preparations. The clearing they’re in can more accurately be described as a small gap between the trees, but since it’s just the two of them camping, that shouldn’t be much of a problem. She takes some wood out of her Sheikah Slate, the bundle materializing in her hand.

“What was that?” Artemis suddenly asks, bud eyed and staring at the wood. “Where did that come from?”

For a moment, Flora tilts her head in confusion, before the reality hits her. With a laugh she doesn’t mean to be mocking一though by Artemis’s face, she may have missed the mark on that一she holds out her Sheikah Slate once again.

“Storage,” Flora explains. To demonstrate, she pulls out a few pieces of flint as well, and Artemis gasps in shock. “Rather useful, isn’t it?”

“I know I’ve said it before, but that’s one strange relic.” Artemis notes.

“Oh believe me, I’m aware,” Flora jokes. She lays the wood out on the ground and strikes the flint together, igniting the fire. “Link insisted I stock up on supplies once we started travelling together again, so we’re lucky I haven’t been camping in a while.”

Artemis sighs wistfully, scooching closer to the fire. “The good old days. My Link and I must have run all over Hyrule back during the war.”

“I was a researcher, back in the day.” Flora brings her fingers to her chest as she speaks. “Link- Wild, he used to accompany me to all sorts of archeological sites.” Her hand shifts into a fist. “Of course, we’ve both been much too busy for that recently. But once reconstruction is done and he’s back home…”

A silence hangs over the two queens, both staring into the bright and searing fire. There’s a deep pit in both of their stomachs, twisting and cold. Flora draws her knees to her chest, resting her head on top of them. Artemis, however, places a hand on her descendant’s shoulder.

“They’re fine,” she insists, her eyes as hard as steel when Flora looks up at her. “Warriors, Wild, and all of the rest of them… They’ve come through so much worse than this. We will bring them back safe.”

Flora smiles. “Well, then I suppose we have a lot to do tomorrow. How about some dinner?”

  △ ▲△

Zelda’s always been an early-riser. Every morning, she rises as the first rays of dawn break. And then, once she’s ready to start her day, that’s when the business begins. After all, if Link’s to be believed, she’s got a kingdom to establish.

Usually, she’s one of only a few to be awake this early, which she’s fine with. But, on this particular morning, she’s shocked by the presence of someone standing right outside of her tent.

With a scream, Zelda falls back into her tent, but she doesn’t have a chance to reach for a weapon to defend herself with before she hears the person speaking.

“Ah! Zelda!” the figure shouts in panic.

“Pipit!” Zelda pushes her head out of the flaps. “What are you doing outside my tent?!”

“I just- I,” Pipit stumbles over his words, folding under Zelda’s harsh glare. “I saw something when I was patrolling last night! But I didn’t want to wake you! But it’s also important, so I thought I should wait here?”

Zelda sighs heavily. “Pipit… you know you can wake me if something important happens, right?”

“Ah, well-” Pipit’s face grows red, and he awkwardly scratches the back of his head. “You’re in charge here, so…”

With a groan, Zelda stands and brushes herself off. “We can deal with that later. Now, what’s so important that it could either wait or not wait?”

“Well,” Pipit clears his throat. “There appears to be some… Hylians, camping out in the woods.”

Zelda tilts her head. “Alright?”

“I mean, they aren’t from Skyloft,” Pipit quickly adds. “I’ve never seen them before in my life.”

Zelda frowns. “It’s not Link and his friends?”

Pipit shakes his head. “There were only two of them, and I haven’t seen either with Link before.”

That’s… disappointing, sure, but also extremely concerning. Sure, Ghirahim was the only demon they’d ever seen, but Demise could still have followers out there. If these travelers pose a threat, then Zelda owes it to her people that she sees to it. The Surface must be kept safe, at all costs.

“Take me to them,” she commands.

  △ ▲△

A breeze rustles past her, carrying the scent of blooming wildflowers. She takes it all in with a deep breath, sighing with relief. It’s a beautiful, crystal clear day. She and Link walk together, hand in hand, though Hyrule Field.

“This is it,” she says. “It’s finally over.”

A giddiness spreads throughout her whole chest, and she can’t help but laugh. Finally, finally! She’s free! Link is here, and he’s okay! They’ve done it!

“There’s so much for us to do!” she happily continues. “We have to visit Mipha, Daruk, Revali, and Urbosa! I’m sure Impa’s expecting us in Kakariko, not to mention the Ancient Tech Labs. Oh, and I’d love to see your home in Hateno, Link!”

Silently, Link’s hand slips from her own.

“Link?”

She turns around, expecting to find Link just a few steps behind her. But instead, the field behind her is barren. Her knight is gone.

“Link?!” she calls out. Desperately, she looks in every direction, trying to find the slightest clue of her friend. “Link, where did you go?!”

From somewhere beyond the castle, a darkness spreads over Hyrule Field like a blanket. She can’t see more than a few inches beyond her face, but still, she frantically yells out for Link.

Something cold grabs onto her wrist from behind, and she shivers.

Right at her back, she sees it. The monstrous, dark form of Link from the battle. He has a harsh grip on her hand, refusing to let go as she pulls away.

“Link is gone,” the shadow says. “Along with the rest of your precious Champions.

“No!” she shouts, trying with all her strength to escape the shadow. “No, not again!”

“You abandoned everyone you cared for!” he wheezes as he laughs. “It’s all your fault!”

The shadow leans right into her face, refusing to let her run away.

“You killed them all!”

Flora gasps awake, eyes snapping open. She barely has time to calm her thoughts before there’s something pointed at her face, and, with perhaps too much of a delay, she realizes it’s a gleaming silver sword.

“Don’t say a word!” the sword’s apparent wielder whispers loudly. Flora’s just barely able to see him out of the corner of her eye.

“Pipit!” another voice chastises him.

“Hey!” that voice is clearly Artemis, and in a second, she’s standing over Flora. She has her own rapier pointed at the threatening intruder. “Leave her alone!”

“State your business!”

Artemis abruptly drags Flora from her bedroll by her arm, keeping her rapier trained on the two strangers. Finally, she’s able to get a better understanding of who exactly disturbed their campsite. The one with the sword is dressed all in yellow, though the design of his uniform is vaguely familiar. He also has one of those long hats the heroes seem to favor.

The girl, though, is wearing a pink dress with a blue cloth attached to her side, and she seems to be trying her best to dissuade her companion.

“Pipit, stop!” She points at him as she yells, as if scolding a child.

“They’re clearly dangerous!” the man, Pipit apparently, argues. “That one has a sword!”

“You’re the one who threatened us!” Artemis shouts, her grip on Flora’s arm tightening slightly.

The girl suddenly shouts, “I said stop!” and reaches for his sword. When she does, two things happen.

One, her hand begins to glow a familiar, warm and holy light.

Two, a symbol appears on the back of Flora and Artemis’s hands.

It’s been a long time since anything has caused Flora’s power to stir. She hasn’t seen this symbol since she sealed Calamity Ganon away, all that time ago. And now, though she can still feel its weakness, it’s here.

With a gasp, the girl draws her arm back, clutching it with her other hand. With it, the Triforces fade away from the other two’s hands.

“You…” Flora turns her hand, looking for any trace of the golden light. “The power…”

Artemis starts, “Then you must be-”

“Oh, I see!” she claps her hands together, a slight nervous energy about her. “Pipit, would you please run ahead and let everyone know we have guests again?”

Pipit, blinking away his confusion, looks over at her with concern. “Zelda, are you sure?”

Ah, that explains it.

“Of course I’m sure,” Zelda explains, and she turns to the queens with an excited grin. “You two are also Zelda, correct?”

Flora and Artemis share a glance. “Well, yes-” Artemis says as Flora offers a nod.

Zelda’s smile grows even brighter. “That’s wonderful!” With a deep breath, she steps forward, hands crossed behind her back. “It’s an honor to meet my descendants.”

  △ ▲△

There’s a part of Sun that’s delighted to meet Flora and Artemis. In fact, it’s a very large part. She’s already heard so many great things about them from their heroes, even if Wild had been a bit withdrawn during their last visit. Oh, but the stories she’s heard about them both. From Flora’s incissent drive to Artemis’s reliability, she can hardly believe she’s been afforded the opportunity to meet them.

But, then again, there’s another part of Sun. It’s small, much smaller than the first. When she looks at her descendants, she thinks ‘Why are they here?’

The moment they step onto the construction site, Flora gasps in awe before sprinting ahead of her two predecessors. She looks upon the meager foundations of houses, with walls barely a foot high, as though she were a child being offered her favorite dessert.

“Is this truly the founding of Hyrule?” her fists shake up and down as she speaks.

“Well, it’s supposed to be, yes!” Sun calls ahead. “I know it’s not much now, but-”

“Not much?!” Flora’s taken aback, one hand clutching at her chest. “Sun, this is everything! These stones will mark this location for thousands of generations! You, right now, are building a land that will stand strong for hundreds of years!”

Wow! Great! No pressure or anything!

Feeling a bit hot around the collar, Sun decides to direct her next comment to Artemis, who’s remained by her side. “She’s really passionate, isn’t she?”

“I suppose so,” Artemis admits. Flora remains a few feet ahead, holding a strange tablet that makes a clicking noise. “She didn’t really get to go sightseeing when we were in my time, so she may be making up for that.”

As if proving her point, Flora scampers off out of sight with a joyful laugh.

“When did you two arrive?” Sun asks. “I hope you weren’t out there too long.”

Artemis waves a hand dismissively. “It was only a night. I think I learned a lot about ‘roughing it’. Not too bad.”

Sun can’t help but giggle at that. “Well, we can get you set up somewhere much nicer tonight.”

Just like that, she’s able to get a slight chuckle out of Artemis. “I’d appreciate that.”

There’s a brief pause before Artemis speaks up again. “You made our Triforce pieces glow.”

Sun clears her throat. “I did, didn’t I?”

“Well, it makes sense.”

Goddesses, Sun doesn’t like where this is going. None of the Skyloftians know about her, not really, not except for a few. And if Artemis were to figure it out, blab to someone that Hylia isn’t exactly immortal right now, then-

“If you’re founding Hyrule,” Artemis reasons, “then you must be a much closer descendant of Hylia than us. That is to say, you’re a bit more holy.”

Mentally, Sun breathes a sigh of relief. For now, at least, she’s still just Zelda.

“I never thought of that,” she professes.

“I’m only theorizing, of course,” Artemis elaborates. “But with the way things are going, it seems Flora and I may be seeing more of our relatives.”

Before Sun can ask about that, they come upon the Skyloftian’s campsite, just outside of the Sealed Temple. The first of the Hylians to migrate back down to the Surface situated themselves between the temple and the Goddess Statue not too long ago. It’s a good temporary first home, if a little outdoorsy. But it’s perfect, at least until the first buildings go up.

“Zelda!”

And there’s her father, a wide grin on his face as he notices her. Flora is right by his side, and she’s almost shocked to see them.

“I thought you two were right behind me,” she mutters to herself.

“Hello, father,” Sun greets him.

Gaepora finally catches sight of Artemis. “Oh, and there’s another one, too!” Without much discretion, he leans towards his daughter, though he cups his mouth with his hand as he wonders, “Is it true that they’re our descendants?”

Sun nods. “Yes, they’re the future queens of Hyrule.”

“Queens! How exciting!” Gaepora announces, suddenly pulling both girls into a hug, much to their surprise. “It’s wonderful to meet my granddaughters!”

“Ah, y-yes,” Flora stutters. “It’s an honor to meet you, as well.”

Artemis chimes in with a similar energy. “Likewise.”

“Father, please!” Sun laughs. “Give them some space. I need to talk to them now.”

“Oh, if you insist.” Gaepora releases his hold on the queens, who sigh in relief. “Though I want to hear more from you two, later.” He pats Sun’s shoulder, and when she meets his eyes, she finds that they’re full of pride. “For now, though, I’ll leave you to yourselves.”

Sun lets out a breath as her father leaves.

“Well,” she says sharply. “Come into the temple with me.”

  △ ▲△

Despite all the work happening outside, the Sealed Temple remains as untouched as it did for years. Link’s Life Fruit tree still grows nearby, swaying gently in the sunlight. For the most part, though, it’s quiet, and it’s the perfect place for this conversation.

Sun keeps a watchful eyes on the back of the temple, on the ancient doors she once slept behind. “So,” she says, back to her descendants. “Tell me, why have you both travelled to this time?”

Flora and Artemis are both silent, almost startled, for a moment. Sun can practically feel their hesitation.

“It’s the heroes,” Flora finally speaks up. “They’re in danger.”

“Link?” Sun whips around to face them. “What’s wrong with Link?”

Flora taps her fingers together nervously. “Well, you see-”

“It’s an entity by the name of Dark Link.”

In shock, both turn to look at Artemis. She continues with a stern demeanor. “We’ve encountered something like him in my own time, but he was more of a conjuration than whatever this form is.” She raises an eyebrow at her two counterparts. “I take it you have no equivalents?”

“None that I’ve heard of,” Flora taps at her chin. “But it does sound familiar…”

“I haven’t seen such a thing, either,” Sun admits. “Last time he was here, Link told me they were pursuing a shapeshifter.”

“Flora and I witnessed that firsthand yesterday,” Artemis explains. “He took the form of several of the heroes as he fought.”

“Sun,” Flora draws her attention. “Perhaps you could say, when was the last time you saw the Links?”

Sun frowns. “A little more than two months. You haven’t seen them, either?”

“I’m afraid not,” Artemis sighs.

Well, that isn’t good. Sun glances between her descendants, Flora anxiously playing with her fingers, while Artemis does her best to avoid catching anyone’s eyes. And then, there’s the anger. The anger so fiery, so righteous, that it drowns out both the excited and fearful parts of herself, because these are her girls, those are her heroes, and how dare anyone hurt them?

“Then it’s decided.” Sun straightens herself, standing tall and proud, all the goddess she might still be. “I’m coming with you.”

[songbirdstargazer]

Resume Chapter 7, Goron City

This definitely isn't three days late

Why would you think that

I think I might have hesitantly settled on an update schedule of an update every other week? Maybe on a Sunday or Monday? Maybe? I struggle a little with schedules (if you've been following this story you probably know that though) so this is very hesitant and might not happen as well as I'd like, but I'm working on it?

Well, anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

oO0Oo

Zelda wiped the sweat from her brow, tying her hair back into a high ponytail. The heat was stifling, even with the fireproof elixirs that Link had bought at the stable. They were tromping up Death Mountain, on their way to see the leader of the Goron people and fellow Champion, Daruk.

Zelda wouldn't admit it, but she was apprehensive, especially after what happened at Zora's Domain. That's not to say that she didn't deserve it, because she did, but it ignited all the worst fears smoldering in the corners of her mind. Did the champions resent her? Did… did Link resent her?

She hoped not, but she couldn't blame them. It was her fault that this all happened. If only she could have just done what she was born to do earlier…

She didn't want to know. She didn't want to do much of anything, really, until she could get her thoughts sorted. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen.

She sighed. No use dwelling on it now. All she could do was keep walking.

oO0Oo

Goron City was just as she remembered it. Gorons rolled along metal bridges, never paying mind to the slowly flowing magma just underneath. Children laughed, playing their games without a care in the world as shopkeepers shouted their wares to the passing Hylians and Gorons.

Zelda sighed. It reminded her of Castle Town. They carefully crossed the hot iron bridges, making their way toward Daruk's house. He met them outside with a boisterous greeting, and Zelda's eyes were immediately drawn to the chipped rock all along his left arm. She looked away. Unfortunately, Daruk saw this. "Tiny princess! It's great to see you! We saw you and the little guy kick that pig seven ways to Tuesday! You two are alright, right?"

A small smile came to the princess's face at Daruk's usual cheerfulness. She was among friends. "Yes Daruk, I think we both are fine. Uh, pardon me for saying this but… what happened to your arm?"

Daruk's smile never dropped as he quickly changed the subject. "Just a scratch from the blight, I'm fine. He didn't stand a chance! What brings you two up here, anyway?"

Zelda tried to keep her smile plastered on her face. Someone else hurt because of her. Speaking of which, what was he talking about? A blight? She set that thought aside to mention later. "We actually came to talk to you about Goron City. Is there somewhere it would be best to talk?"

oO0Oo

Later, as Link and Zelda walked down from Daruk's house and back to the inn, Zelda contemplated how resilient her people were. Daruk had informed her that not only were the monster camps on Death Mountain taken care of by the Gorons and some brave Hylians, they had also started to push off the volcano, taking back control and stopping any major damage.

The princess smiled to herself. Her father would be pleased. She'd have to pen a letter once they reached the inn. They had actually planned to leave immediately in order to make it to Rito Village by the next day, but Daruk had invited them to a Goron feast, and, well, Zelda wasn't one to refuse him.

Once they reached the inn, Link walked to the desk to check in with the elderly goron sitting there. Zelda wandered to the stone surfaces and got out her stationary, wincing as she sat down on the hard surface. She needed to inform her father of the situation with the Zoras.

oO0Oo

Time passed quickly, and before Zelda knew it Link was offering his arm to her to escort her to the center of town, where Daruk, as well as several other gorons, were waiting. They crossed the short distance arm in arm, not talking much. The close contact was enough, especially after writing out the conversation with the King Dorephan for her father.

Link only let go of her arm when they reached the huge tables the gorons had set up. They approached the Goron chief, who greeted them boisterously for the second time that day, speaking loudly over the chatter of the crowd around them.

"Hello, Daruk! Thanks again for inviting us, we've had such a great time so far! It's been much better than travelling!"

"Of course, tiny princess! I'd never pass up seeing you and the little guy again! Now, enough talking, let's get eating!"

Zelda could practically feel Link brightening at the thought. She laughed at his expression, taking a seat on the stone bench. She quickly sobered when she remembered what she needed to talk to Daruk about.

She contemplated how to go about it while they were served, but she brightened as she watched Link and Daruk scarf down the food (or in some cases, rocks) in front of them. Laughing merrily, Zelda let herself relax and enjoy the time with dear friends.

Unfortunately, as all good things do in Zelda's experience, it had to come to an end. And with the Gorons stumbling home slowly, inebriated from the various ales they had enjoyed, Zelda knew the topic had to be discussed. She took a deep breath in, and began.

"Daruk, may I ask you something?"

Daruk looked up from the pint of ale he was drinking and grinned. "Of course, tiny princess! What's got you so glum?"

Link looked over to her at this, brow slightly furrowed. She met his worried gaze for a moment, but looked away, pursing her lips. She looked back to Daruk, who was also starting to look a little worried at the exchange.

"I… I was just wondering about the blight you mentioned… What was it?"

Daruk's face dropped, scowling momentarily into his cup. He quickly schooled his face though, looking back up at her with a neutral expression.

"It's nothing to worry about, just something Ganon spawned in Rudania. Had to fight it off to get control of the Divine Beast back. Not much trouble."

Zelda frowned at his clipped tone, glancing back at Link. He tilted his head from Daruk to his empty plate, then up to her. She shared a glance with him, and Zelda knew he was just as worried as her. She changed the subject.

"Well, it's getting late. We better be getting back, especially if we want to get to Tabantha by tomorrow. Link, are you ready?"

Link nodded quickly to her and stood, and she turned to Daruk, who had done the same.

"Thanks for the visit, princess, little guy! It was good to see you again! You get back down the mountain safely, alright? I'll see you again soon!"

A small smile came to the princess's face at the renewed enthusiasm as she left the table, waving. She looped her arm around Link again, leaning on him slightly as they walked.

Zelda contemplated bringing up Daruk's aversion to the topic of blights when they reached the inn. Link left her side again, though, to talk to the innkeeper about when to wake them up, and she walked slowly to the bed, pulling the curtain to change. The topic remained unapproached the short rest of the night.

oO0Oo

The next morning, Link and Zelda rose early, packing quickly and silently. As they walked out of the inn and down the sleepy mountain, the princess mourned the fact that they couldn't stay longer. Unfortunately, they were on a tight schedule, and they needed to leave now if they wanted to reach Rito Village soon.

It didn't stop her from missing the friendly and judgement free hospitality of Goron City, though.

oO0Oo

I hope you enjoyed, and I really appreciate constructive criticism if there was something you noticed. Comments are wonderful. Thanks for reading!

[syilcawrites]

flickering

Series: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Type: One-shot Main pairing: Zelink (Zelda and Link) Rated: T Tags/Genre: post calamity, pre botw2, what’s the tag for his adventuring in between?? just botw?, then that’s it LOL, angst Summary: Link scouts out Hyrule Castle to see how he should prepare to fight Ganon, and stumbles upon Zelda's bedroom and her diary after he believes he sees her there. Snippet: “It was a silent vow that always lingered around in his thoughts—from when he spoke to the remainder of the Hylians to listening to the sweet melodies of a past long gone, sung by Kass.” A/N: I am terrible at summaries and was never good at them LOL. Anyway, this is just a little something for linktober Day 19: phantom/ghost! This is also loosely based off of my other fic archived memories chapter 6 :~) (which will be out tomorrow on Oct 20 haha). Hope you enjoy!! I like to spend a week editing whatever I write 'cause I tend to change it a lot but didn't have the luxury of doing it for this piece since I wrote it last night afouhgkjds.  You can also read it on ao3!

The first time Link stepped into Castletown, he was barraged with an incessant amount of echoing whispers.

Chaotic, haunting, loud and quiet, begging, pleading, bargaining. It felt like they were whispering about him, but he couldn’t decipher one word drifting into his ears.

He was by no means ready to take on Calamity Ganon—he had simply wanted to scope out the area, to see what he should expect—and he was hit with a wave of nostalgia that he didn’t understand.

Then came the nausea, and the painful throb against his head whenever he gazed upon the castle. It was different up close—the pain was worse, the stench that rifted off the malice was almost unbearable, and his eyes watered by being within ten feet of it.

But he marched onward—past the rubble and decay of a once grandiose town—or at least that’s what he assumed. It was hard to decipher what it used to look like amongst the ruins.

Link strolled up to one of the glowing eyeballs, staring into it for just a moment, before he stabbed it. It sputtered, shrinking, shriveling, before it withered away. He tightened his grip on the handle of his sword as he scanned the rest of the area.

More, his mind chanted. He wanted to see more of them crumble up into dust.

An unbearable anger always overcame him when he encountered anything inflicted by the malice—he wanted to tear at it with his own hands, rip and shred it into pieces until there was not even a speck left.

The overwhelming sense of hatred and revenge that dwelled deep within him feared him—because he couldn’t pinpoint why. He understood why, knew why, from an outside perspective. It took all of his dear friends and family one hundred years ago, but how the anger simmered within him like it ran through his veins felt unfamiliar to him.

His body remembered but his mind didn’t.

Link traversed the ruins of Castletown speedily, taking out the glowing eyeballs one by one and watching with satisfaction as they faded away—it felt like he was reclaiming the town back from the Calamity—whatever was left of it, at least. It was all he could do now.

“Okay,” he huffed out, peering at the large iron doors that stood between him and the castle. “One quick look inside, then you come right back out.” He whispered, gulping. He more frequently than not spoke to himself whenever he was alone—it grounded him, reminded him to stay focused.

“Free Zelda and all will be well,” he said quietly, his eyes trained on the various Guardians loitering the front. He would chant this before he fell asleep and it was the first thought that passed his mind when he woke up. It was a silent vow that always lingered around in his thoughts—from when he spoke to the remainder of the Hylians to listening to the sweet melodies of a past long gone, sung by Kass.

Link pulled out his shield and sprinted forward—holding his breath as he struck his sword at a stationary Guardian before it could respond to his presence.

Again—that bloodthirsty anger laughed in joy as he watched it implode, and he pushed down the desire to tear apart the ones that had long stopped working, and forged ahead.

The heavy metal doors of the entrance slammed open as Link used magnesis, echoing. His nose scrunched up as the putrid stench of the malice slammed against him at full force—causing him to double over. Link his behind a crumbling wall to hide from the wandering eyes of the Guardians as he gathered his bearings.

“Do not encounter Calamity Ganon, not yet.” He whispered, warning. He wasn’t going to go in until he was absolutely prepared—he had already failed once. Link gritted his teeth as his grasped at the small, vague memories that he’s so far recovered. They were so fragmented and confusing, full of questions and questions and questions that lingering on them for too long caused his head to split open while his mind desperately tried to remember. But he never did, and in the end it only left him feeling like a hollow and fractured version of himself.

All he knew was that he had to stay alive—stay alive long enough to seal Calamity Ganon and to free Zelda.

Zelda.

His blood ran cold at he thought of her.

“Will she fade away, too?” Link whispered to the castle, glancing up at it.

It did not respond.

He forced his way through the entrance, using the wreckage to avoid needless confrontation. He needed to be quick, no matter how much he wanted to slaughter the rest of the Guardians and the malice. Once Link was inside, he found the orange glow enveloped around the castle unsettling, as if the air around here had stayed stagnant for the past century. It felt it was holding its breath, waiting. Or maybe it was slumbering.

Zelda. She was here, waiting.

Then, he thought of Mipha—and the way his heart dropped when he saw that cursed blueish glow around her, just like with the late King. She smiled at him with so much familiarity, but he could only stare blankly at her, mostly just confused. Her eyes gazed upon him with such love and comfort, but he could not return the same affection, even if he wanted to. He found it easier to—to detach himself a little bit. Untangle himself from the Champions when he encountered their spirits. He had one left—Urbosa—but he had to mentally steel himself to confront her, like he had to for Revali and Daruk. When he confronted the both of them after Mipha, he forced himself to reflect upon those past memories—his own past memories—as a mere spectator, and it helped.

Link shook his head, drawing himself back from the depths of his plagued mind. He circled around the ransacked interior—taking note of the blocked passages, the crumbles in the walls that acted as a makeshift pathway to another part of the castle, and attacked slumbering monsters who blocked his path with an all too personal rage.

And then he saw a tower outside from one of the windows, set a little apart from the main building. He would have to paraglide to it and climb up if he wanted to get in.

His eyes trailed up the tower, to the caved in wall and blinked—eyes widening when he saw something shift—blonde hair, green eyes, flickering.

He rubbed his eyes, shaking his head and peered again, but it was still there—she’s there—looking at him.

Link, without a second thought, jumped through broken glass window, his paraglider wide open as he headed toward the isolated tower, heart racing.

He latched onto the broken tower and glanced up—he saw her peering down at him, smiling. She was familiar and warm, and... and so close. So, so close.

Link desperately climbed up—almost slipping toward the end—but reached up just far enough to latch onto the edge of the opening, and threw himself over. He fell onto the ground of the room with a heavy thud, and found himself face to face with an alarmed moblin.

Link quickly rolled off to the side, narrowly missing getting slammed head first with its stolen weapon, and was up in a heartbeat, his own weapon drawn. He mindlessly went through the quick, precise motion of eliminating it—simply allowing his body to move on its own, because if he dwelled too much on it, he became rigid.

He hated being out of sync within his own body.

Link exhaled with the final blow, and watched the moblin scatter into thin air, leaving him alone in the room.

With no one in sight, to his dismay. He wasn’t sure how long he searched every nook and cranny for those familiar green eyes and golden hair, but there was not even a hint of her ever being there in the first place.

With a heavy heart, Link walked toward the rotten desk, observing the scattered, torn books that lay in its wake. There was a flimsy notebook—leather ripped and torn, pages missing, but some of the writing was still legible.

Link flipped to the first page, reading the barely legible text at the front.

Zelda’s Diary.

He flipped through the carefully, as to not tear the pages, and found various scribbles and sketches—then a pressed cherry blossom flower in one of the pages, now brittle and brown. When he brushed a gentle finger over it, it crumbled immediately. His eyes scanned the next pages—various face portraits of Hylians. His lips tilted up a little when he passed by some sketches of food, of pastries and breads, or at least that’s what he assumed they were. It was hard to tell since many of them had faded away into the obscurity of time.

Then he found a familiar face, a face that he knew all too well.

It was messily sketched, but it was him—smiling, laughing, sometimes stoic, and it peered back at him like a stranger. It was him, but not really him. Link wished he could talk to the person he used to be, to ask him all of the questions that had piled up, but it was a futile desire.

He sighed as he peeled his eyes away from the sketches and flipped through the pages once more.

“Bit by bit, I’ve gotten Link to open up to me…”

He paused, lifting the journal up closer than ever to his face. His eyes drank in the words—words about him, who he was, how she saw him. He stopped at the end of the paragraph and closed the journal, staring down at it with confliction.

He took out the Sheikah Slate and slipped it into his inventory, and along with it, a little hope.

“I’ll keep this journal safe for you,” he whispered into the quiet room, his eyes roving around the falling, rotting objects that Zelda once owned, “so when you return, you’ll still have something.”

He waited for a couple moments, listening to the still air around him, as particles of malice floated peacefully by. He found it foolish that he even considered the possibility of her responding back and slapped his cheeks.

“Get ahold of yourself,” he muttered tiredly. He knew coming here would prove difficult—in terms of physicality, at least. He thought with time, settling into this new world would prove easier, but the distant reminders of the past associated with the wreckage of a world he once knew seemed to nail in how... alone he was.

Even without all of his memories, his heart ached with a heavy loneliness amidst a vast and broken land, because when it mattered most, he couldn’t save a single one of them. And then he left her, he left Zelda, to suffer by herself for one hundred years.

But he could do something now, even if it couldn’t bring back the lives lost. Even if she was going to simply drift away into the sky with the others, he could at least free her from the century of pain and torment she had endured waiting for him.

[minsyal]

Headcanons for the boys s/o appearing to be a delicate lil flower but actually being filled with knives

Request: How would the boys feel about an s/o who’s some royal’s personal servant and looks delicate, but can actually take on monster camps with ease?

Revali

Revali will completely lowkey expect it

It happened as you were assisting the Princess as she made royal arrangements with the elder in the village. You trailed behind her, hands folded politely over your abdomen, staring blankly forward at the back of Link’s shoes. Honestly, you were excited. Until recently, your relationship with the Rito Champion had been kept a secret. One slip up and Zelda had caught you two sneaking around the grounds. 

The elder was politely speaking in hushed tones to the princess as Link stood to the rear of the room beside you. Revali had positioned himself near the princess but was paying them no mind. He was focused on you. His entertainment was not coming from the conversation, but instead the pink tinge that slowly crept its way to your cheeks. 

“You’re different around the Princess, you know?” Revali would comment once the Princess had retired for the night and was safely guarded in the Inn. 

It wasn’t rare for you to meet with him after dark. After all, that’s how the two of you met. 

Revali particularly took enjoyment in the different side of you he saw when you partook in your nightly “workout.” At first it worried him, he didn’t quite believe that you could handle the camp yourself. Once he realized your abilities, he was absolutely starstruck. It was love at first sight (but he wouldn’t admit that.) 

“I knew you were far more than you seem.” He’d comment as you strolled back to the village. 

“No you didn’t.” You scoffed, throwing your knife back into its holster before strapping it back in place. “You thought I was ‘delicate.” 

“Hmm.” He pondered for a moment. “No, I knew.” 

“Whatever, bird boy.” Your servants dress easily slipped over your head as the smooth fabric cascaded from your shoulders to your hips. 

Revali smirked, he was most certainly sure that he knew all along. 

Sidon

Sidon could absolutely not believe it

It was absolutely baffling when Sidon found out his father had hired a Hylian to act as a Zora royal servant. He initially found you to be so incredibly adorable. He loved the way you followed him around always ensuring he had what he needed and retrieving things when he asked.

What he didn’t expect was your ability to completely eradicate a camp of monsters that had decided the Zora River was a great place to set up shop. 

The two of you were making rounds on one of the nicer days. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the rushing water was providing a calming ambiance to your stroll. You liked Sidon, more so than many at the Domain believed. Surely there were people who saw through your ruse. Questioning eyes and harsh glares became a normal thing from the “Sidon Fan Club” that stood 20 feet away from him at all times, giggling insanely when he’d so much as glance in their direction. 

The two of you interlaced your fingers as he trudged forward. 

A horn sounded, interrupting your tranquil moment. Three lizalfos stood upon newly-constructed scaffolding near an old abandoned camp. The electricity emanating from their arrows was apparent and the quiver in Sidon’s touch didn’t go unnoticed. 

Without question, you sprung into action. Within minutes, the camp had been destroyed. Sidon stood there, wielding his rapier. 

“Oh.” The small word escaped his lips as he slashed it twice and put it away. “That was... unexpected.” 

“In a good way?” You wiped your hand down your face. 

“In a very good way!” A squeak escaped your lips as you were hoisted into the air. Sidon’s hands were placed firmly upon your hips as he swung you around. “That was astounding! Truly phenomenal!” 

“But dear, please never do that again.” 

Link

Link is like “wow that made me really nervous but I’m so happy to have this information now!”

Traveling outside of Hateno was practically unheard of for those who had lived there forever. Travelers often brought what the village needed and what they didn’t bring was grown. So for you, a Hateno native, to be coming and going from the village was truly a feat to behold. People were cautious here, they didn’t step out of any lines and always stuck to the path. It was rather boring after a whole lifetime. 

When Link arrived in the village he completely stirred everything up. The shop was seeing great profits, Bolson and Co was making bank, and the village children were telling tales that the mysterious knight brought along with him. That’s one of the things that drew you to him. 

He had partially expected it. He knew you weren’t one to stay at home selling the latest harvest of rice or wheat. You wanted to see Hyrule for everything it had to offer. You wanted to meet the Gerudo women, the Zoras, the Rito, and Gorons. Link was your ticket out, and you gladly took it. 

The first time you came across a monster camp with Link, he had instinctively crouched behind a boulder and pulled you down with him. A single finger pressed up against his lips as he motioned for you to stay quiet. Another pointed at your current position, telling you to stay put. You, though, had different plans. 

With a smirk on your face, you nodded innocently. As Link crept away, sword drawn, you did also. As he neared the first scaffolding where a particularly ugly bokoblin stood guard, you sprung into action. Within minutes, the entire camp was deserted; there wasn’t a single evil soul left in sight. 

You smiled at Link who had remained where he was, dumbfounded. 

After that, Link never asked you to stay back. After all, even if he did, he knew you wouldn’t listen. 

Teba 

Omg he has a wife wtf ya’ll

Hitting on a married man? 

You should be ashamed of yourselves. 

Kass

He’s also a married man

You want to split up his marriage? 

Shameful! 

Daruk

He’s honestly so proud and also so worried 

Because you’re so small compared to him! and he could have easily done it himself! But he’s so proud that you’re super strong and independent! 

Death Mountain was particularly hot today. The lava wasn’t quite spilling over, but it sure felt like it was. There was an odd feeling in the air. It had grown considerably thicker overnight as if something amiss was brewing. 

Daruk was up to his usual business. He had messed around the city all morning and was now rolling around the mountain searching for any straggling monsters left over from yesterday’s attack. You had perched yourself atop a peak, vaguely able to make out the smoke cloud as he disrupted the dirt below. You were, as he said, “My eyes in the skies.” He had insisted you had more in common with the Rito, who could swiftly fly to the highest points in Hyrule, than the Gorons who spent all of their time on the ground. 

Your eyes trailed him as he traveled to the east, but there was a clear disturbance to the west. A large dust cloud was collecting near one of the hot springs, the sight of nearly fifteen monsters as they marched toward the city was apparent. 

Without a second of doubt, you drew your glider and headed off. The land turned to open air as you drifted downward toward the crowd of foes. They stood no chance! There was no way Daruk would make it to the crowd in time, so alerting him would have to be put on the back burner. 

The bokoblins stood absolutely no chance to your archery skills. Several arrows later, the entire gang was gone - diminished to ash. 

Another puff of dust had you spinning on your toes only to come face to face with a worried and wide-eyed Daruk. 

“What’re ya doing?” He said slowly, eyes darting from the beasts to you. “I saw ya flying down here and... well... figured ya we’r in trouble.” An, uncharacteristic, small laugh escaped his lips as he knelt down. “But I guess ya handled it yerself’ pretty well! I didn’t know you were so handy with a bow!” 

“Ta’ think! You’ve got a lot of strength in that tiny body of yours!”

[jinmukangwrites]

Memory

"Wild shows everyone his new house in Hateno Village. (bonus points for mentioning a specific picture you get from the DLC or headcanon that the house Wild bought was his former home he grew up in 100 years ago)" -anon

Note: while this is a recent Anon ask, it is also an answer to the LU Discord's weekly prompt "favorite memory". While I could have been creative, this is honestly my favorite memory while playing any Zelda game, considering I was crying during it. Now, to watch Spiderverse...

-o-o-o-o-

Wild puts his hand on the handle of his door as the rest of the heroes stand behind him in anticipation. They had just come from Kakariko, meeting Impa and taking a short rest there. Wild had mentioned his house practically as just a days walk away and next thing he knew they were at Hateno. Not that he minds, he has been wanting to visit home for quite awhile now.

"It's probably a mess," he says as he turns the knob and opens the door with a creek, "but it's home."

The door swings open, revealing his bottom floor and small hums and excited gasps sound behind him. Wild finds himself being pushed out of the way as Wind scrambles inside. "It's so cute!" He says as he goes straight towards the dining table.

Wild walks inside after him and the rest are quickly right behind him.

"It's…" Twilight says, looking around the small house with wide and surprised eyes, and Wild knows exactly what he is trying to put into words. He's sure that everybody has expected him to live in a cave, or have no organization what's so ever. Twilight takes a few moments to think of his next word as the rest all spread out, looking at the weapon racks and decorations in interest. "It's homey."

"Thanks," Wild mumbles. He walks further into the house and heads over to his little kitchen area. "There's not much, but make yourself at home."

Legend sighs and pulls out a chair, leaning back into it looking content. "Don't mind if I do," he says.

Warrior joins him soon after and begins to munch on the small bowl of nuts set in the middle of the table while Time, Twilight, and Sky admire Wild's weapons that are hanging up. His special weapons he would never use for fear of breaking them.

The rest wonder around his house, looking at cupboards and shelves, which Wild doesn't mind. He has nothing to hide from anyone except from the stuff he already has packed up with him. He slips off his jacket and throws it at an empty dining chair before he rolls up his sleeves and starts rummaging through cubbies and barrels to make a satisfactory homemade meal. He decides a good batch of soup and bread would be enough for their hungry group of travelers and he begins to gather the materials that he has safely stored away.

He's just in the middle of rolling out bread dough when Wind calls for his attention. "Wild? Can I look upstairs?"

Wild turns around yet is careful of his hands, he doesn't want to get flour everywhere, and sees Four and Wind both standing at the bottom of his staircase, looking up. He thinks for a moment that he should say no, his more precious stuff is up there and if any of it broke he knew he would get upset, but Wild also knew that Wild and Four are just curious and can be careful when it matters. They were restless from sitting and waiting for dinner (though the others apparently aren't, Time is leaning back on a chair and snoring while Sky had rolled up Wild's hood and is using it as a pillow, leaning against the table. Legend and Warrior where telling jokes back and forth towards each other while Hyrule threw in his own every so often. Twilight is sitting outside, whittling a chunk of wood down while have a conversation with Karson and Bolson).

He sighs, knowing that if he doesn't give permission Wind and Four would probably sneak up there anyway. "Sure. Just don't break anything."

Wind makes an excited noise before he blasts up the stairs. Four at least had the decency to say: "Thanks! We won't!" before he followed after.

Wild closes his eyes for a second to take a deep breath before he turns back to the bread and rolls or a few more times. His anxiety spikes every few seconds when he hears a drawer open or something shift above him—they are both very curious to see how Wild lives, aren't they—but he soon gets back into the groove of preparing food.

Small chatter fills the dining room, masking the small snores of Time as he slept. A few minutes in, Hyrule stands up and stretches before he joins Twilight outside to talk with Bolson and Karson. Small giggles and sounds of interest came from upstairs, but other than that nothing really happens until Wild is placing a hot pot of soup and rolls onto the dining table.

It falls onto Legend to wake up Time and Sky and Warrior is tasked with grabbing Twilight and Hyrule. Wild looks up at the second floor and is about to call Wind and Four down, but then he hears a small whisper through the sounds of life around him.

"Do you think that's Mipha?" Wind asks.

Wild swallows and fear rushes through his limbs. His most precious thing, they must be looking at that. He has forgotten that he had it up there. He wipes his hands on his pants and starts up the stairs towards the second floor.

The first thing he sees is Wind and Four sitting on his bed, one at the head and the other at the foot. They are leaning over sometime placed in the middle, fingers gently pointing at different spots and their voices in small and curious whispers. Wild looks at his wall and sees an empty place.

He takes a deep breath and steps closer. "What are you doing?" He asks.

Wind flinches and Four nearly jumps out of their skin and they both whip around to look at Wild with wide and guilty eyes.

"Um, we were just getting a better look-" Four starts to explain but cuts himself off when another voice chimes in.

"Is everything okay?" Twilight asks. Wild turns around and sees the rest of the group all standing at the top of the staircase into the small bedroom. Twilight's eyebrows are drawn together as he studied the scene before him. Time has his arms folded across his chest, matching Twilight's expression while the rest are trying to get a better look by poking over each others shoulders.

Wild returns his gaze over to his bed and he walks towards it slowly. Wind and Four both back away slowly as Wild leans down and picks up the frame, holding it gently in his hands, looking for anything wrong with it.

"What is that, Wild?" Sky asks as he steps forward, and Wild wants to answer, but his voice is choked up and his hands are busy. He shakes his head and walks over to its place. The others remain silent as he places the frame back onto the wall, and he's thankful for their silence.

Finally he backs away and stares at the photo. Nobody speaks, and Wild realizes that that they are waiting for him to.

His hands come in front of him and he's ready to explain, but he then remembers that only Time would be able to fully understand him, maybe Twilight if he uses simpler signs. He clears his throat, hoping to round up some courage, but the thought of speaking only makes his stomach churn.

"It's-" he pauses when the sound of his own strangled voice reached his ears. He doesn't want to talk. He really doesn't, but he looks over at the others and sees their worried and patient faces and he knows that he owes it to them. They would let him stop, they would let him say leave it, and they would. They deserve a little bit of an explanation.

"It's… my most... precious memory," he says slowly. He hates how he croaks the words when just awhile ago he was fine with talking, his words clear and understandable. Now, they're mumbled and stuck in his throat. He'll be surprised if anyone understands him.

Recognition flashes in their eyes; Wild has told them about how he found his small stash of memories, each one is connected with an image, a picture. They must be realizing that the photo hanging on his wall was one of those pieces, one of his miniscule memories.

"Wild, I'm sorry," Wind says as he stands up from the bed. He folds his arms around himself as his face contorts into shame and regret.

Wild finds himself shaking his head. "It's… okay," he says slowly, and as he says it he realizes that it really is not. "It was a long time ago."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hyrule asks. Twilight nods his head.

"We're here for you, Wild," Twilight says.

Wild looks and sees even Legend nodding his head in agreement. Warrior gives him a small smile.

He turns back to the photo, tracing each face with his eyes. He doesn't know these people, well, he knows Zelda. But he hardly does the others. He just has stitched together puzzle pieces that can't really be called remembering. He doesn't know Mipha, only that she loved him and she was kind. He doesn't know Ravali, only that his arrogance masked his loyalty. He doesn't know Urbosa, only that she was strong and a mother figure to Zelda, and in a way to himself as well. He doesn't know Daruk, only that he was brave and strong and never one for a frowning face. He… he doesn't know Link, only that he was supposed to be a hero.

"It doesn't matter," Wild says.

"It clearly does," Time speaks up.

Wild remains silent until suddenly he's pushed into someone's chest. His whole body stiffens but he finds himself relaxing as Twilight wraps his arms around Wild, holding him there, safe. Next thing Wild knows, Wind is squeezing in and so is Four. Time, Legend, Hyrule, Sky, Warrior… all of them join together into his small upstairs and gather in a group hug. Wild feels something in him burst and suddenly his shoulders are shaking uncontrollably and tears are streaming down his face. A hand runs through his hair and another pair tightens ever so slightly. He's crying, because it hurts so much. It hurts trying to remember the faces of one hundred years ago, it hurts stumbling upon gaps that he can't fill, it hurts feeling alone, it hurts to only know so little, it hurts…

When he finally catches his breath, when his eyes are finally dry, Twilight breaks the group hug ever so slightly to look Wild face to face.

"It's good to keep onto old memories," he says, "but you need to make new ones too."

Wild's eyes wet ever so slightly, but Twilight doesn't let the dam burst again. Instead, he takes Wild's hand and begins to lead him down the stairs and across the floor to the door. The rest follow, the soup and rolls remain forgotten.

-o-o-o-o-

"Okay~ skooch in closer Legend~"

"I am skooched in…" Legend mumbles but gets closer to Hyrule nonetheless.

Bolson rolls his eyes and Karson holds the Sheikah Slate in front of him as the group shifts again. Wild's heart is pumping harder than what it has for a long time.

"Time, you look angry, smile for me honey!" Bolson yells put, placing his hands on his hips and grinning ever so slightly. Time sighs and smiles, his eyes screaming is this enough?

"Perfect! Now~ everybody say Bolson!"

"Bolson!"

Click.

-o-o-o-o-

They take the slate to Purah and she makes enough copies for all of them. Wild hangs his up next to the Champion's Picture.

[katedoesfics]

Breath of the Resistance: Chapter 2

Link found himself staring into his cup of coffee, watching as the cream swirled around and blended in with the dark beverage. He flicked the stirrer around the edge of the cup absentmindedly. He wasn’t much of a coffee drinker but he definitely needed the extra energy that morning, and Mipha went through the trouble to make it and bring it to him.

His gaze shifted to the papers spread out before him on the table. The words mostly contained information on the Yiga Clan. He had reviewed most of the material the night before and was disinterested in flipping through and following along like everyone else did. Dorian briefed him on most of his assignment already, anyway.

He felt Mipha’s foot kick at his shin and he turned his gaze to the front of the room. Dorian’s brows were knit together, his eyes on Link. Link took a sip of his coffee, then leaned back against the chair. “Sounds good.”

“You didn’t hear a word I said,” Dorian muttered.

“Mipha, Daruk, Urbosa, and Revali are to return to their respective sectors to prepare for any attacks. Zelda and I will activate the four Divine Beasts which will be manned by each of them, then follow the leads we have for the Yiga Clan and infiltrate their base. In a perfect word, we’ll figure out who this Ganon is, prevent him from attacking the palace and taking over Hyrule, and the good guys win.” He turned his gaze to Dorian. “Sound about right?”

“Watch yourself, Link,” Dorian snarled at him. “I can revoke your power with a snap of my fingers.”

“Some people just can’t handle the pressure,” Revali said. “Perhaps a seasoned veteran would be more appropriate for the job.”

“Shut your beak, Revali,” Dorian snapped. “I’m in no mood.”

Revali turned his beak up at the Sheikah and settled back into his chair, letting it roll away from the table just slightly.

“I’ll send further orders when the time comes,” Dorian said, gathering his papers together. “For now, return home and ready the Divine Beasts.” He turned his gaze to Link as the others stood. “Hang back, Link.”

Link watched as the others left the room - he ignored Revali’s arrogant glare - and turned his attention to Zelda who remained sitting across from him.

“Once the Divine Beasts have been activated,” Dorian started, “you and Zelda need to be prepared for whatever may happen. Gathering further intel on the Yiga Clan is your assignment, but your priority will be keeping Zelda safe and helping her with her own training.” Dorian turned his gaze to Zelda. “You know what your duties are; you must be able to awaken the power inside of you. Visit the three springs of the three goddesses. It is likely at one of those springs where you will be able to awaken your power.”

Zelda seemed confident in her role the day before, but today, Link caught a flash of doubt across her face. She seemed… skeptical, to say the least. And that skepticism hinted in the tone of her voice.

“And what am I supposed to do at the springs?”

“You’ll have to figure that out yourself,” Dorian said. “Unfortunately, we don’t know much about the springs. Even the Sheikah cannot enter. It is said only the one Chosen One may enter. If history is correct, the Chosen One is the descendant of the goddess Hylia, and that blood runs through the Royal Family and in your own veins. Only you have the power to open the doors that seal away the springs.”

“So, we’re counting on a legend to save Hyrule from our enemies?”

“Why the skepticism? You’ve seen what my own soldiers can do. What Impa can do.”

Zelda hesitated, her gazed cast down onto the table. “I think we need to be proactive-”

“With the Divine Beasts activated, we couldn’t be more proactive in the matter. Robbie has been successful in activating the ancient Guardians and our soldiers have been training daily to man the machines to defend against any attack. Our preparations have been started years ago, Zelda. All that’s left is finding your power, the power that will stop any dark forces from taking over Hyrule.”

“Of course,” Zelda said simply.

Dorian’s demeanor softened as he spoke to the princess. “Focus on the task at hand. Leave the worrying to me.”

“You never worry,” Zelda remarked.

Dorian winked at her. “I want you to head out first thing tomorrow,” he said as he walked towards the door. “Daruk will be waiting for you at Goron City.” The door closed behind him, leaving Zelda and Link alone. Their gazes met for a silent moment, seemingly sizing each other up until Zelda pushed herself away from the table.

“Well,” she said as she got to her feet. “That’s that, then. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Sure.” Link made no effort to get up from his chair, but held his gaze on her. This seemed to make her uneasy as she hesitated for a moment, then nodded at him.

“Alright, then,” she said, turning away and leaving the room. Once more, the door opened and closed as she exited.

Link stared at the door for a moment, unsure of what to make of the princess. From afar, she seemed to play the part of royalty well. In fact, she played it so well that Link really had never even noticed her or paid any attention to her. She was simply a figure that would often pass by when he was around the palace. From time to time, she would take a moment to oversee the training of her men, or give one of the commanders an order.

But she was different there in that room with him. Whether she intended to let her guard down or not, Link could sense it. A combination of fear, doubt, and anxiety. Though she was born into the role, it certainly didn’t make it any easier for her, and now she was expected to complete some training all on her own, without any guidance.

Link certainly didn’t envy her. But it was his job to at least make her job a little easier. He wasn’t quite sure how he would do that, though, or if she even really cared for his help. She seemed indifferent towards him. A bit cold, even. Perhaps some resentment as well. Link could relate to that. Maybe she was just a tool to her own father as he was.

*****

With Daruk and Mipha out of the city, Link was alone that night. He was always grateful when they were around, considering them his closest friends. He always had Daruk to drink with, or Mipha to talk to. Even Urbosa proved to be good at both. Despite his time in the forces, he never found himself connecting with anyone else, nor did he really care to. Which only meant that when they returned home, Link was alone.

He didn’t mind it so much, though, especially on this night. His mind continued to run wild with accusations towards his father and questions about Zelda. And when he grew tired of trying to put the pieces together, he refocused his mind on a topic he found easier to handle. What was the story of the Yiga Clan and this man called Ganon? Assuming he was told everything that was known about them, that still left them a mystery. The Yiga Clan had been nothing more than an annoying gang over the years, but they suddenly posed a threat to Hyrule. There was a piece missing to that puzzle as well. Something that Dorian wasn’t telling him. He was hiding something, Link was sure of that much. But how could they afford to hide something that could be so crucial?

No longer interested in the garbage on the tv, Link grabbed his keys and left his apartment, hurrying to his car across the lot. He drove quickly through the city until he reached the royal sector, flashing his badge at the security guards that waited at the gate. The gate opened and he navigated the streets until he reached headquarters where he was sure he would still find Dorian.

Most of the building was dark. The only people that remained this late at night were security. They were a mix of races who all recognized Link as he walked through the building. They nodded and exchanged casual hellos until Link found himself in front of Dorian’s office, but the blinds were drawn and it was dark.

Unconvinced, he pressed his ear to the door and held his breath, but the room seemed to be empty. He tried the doorknob, but it was locked. Locked and… wet. Link held his damp fingers up, inspecting them, then turned his gaze across the room, imagining where Dorian would have gone. It was likely he had just left the office recently, perhaps heading to the garage to his car.

Link strode across the room, peering into the trash can by the doorway. There was the remains of an iced coffee, mostly melted ice. Dorian threw it there as he left for the night. He almost always had an afternoon iced coffee. That was enough for Link to go by.

He trotted quickly through the rest of the building, following the hallways until he was back outside. He kept close to the building, keeping in the shadow, and followed the wall towards the parking garage. He pressed himself against one of the cement columns, listening to the voice that echoed softly inside. He could tell Dorian was just on the other side of the garage, where he always parked. He was so predictable.

“I understand,” Dorian’s voice said. There was a pause. “I have no reason to believe that information will get out.” Another pause. “He can search that place high and low, but Link won’t find out… No, I’m afraid they have moved since then… I know… I appreciate it, Your Highness. I just want my girls safe… Thank you.”

Link listened as the car was unlocked. The door opened and closed and the ignition came to life. He ducked low and followed the low wall until he was hidden amongst the bushes, watching as Dorian drove out of the garage and out onto the road.

[ryttu3k]

Full text of Zelda’s diary and research notes, and the King’s journal.

Zelda’s Diary

Page 1: After meeting with the Champions, I left to research the ancient technology, but nothing of note came of my research. The return of Ganon looms - a dark force taunting us from afar. I must learn all I can about the relics so we can stop him. If the fortune-teller's prophecy is to be believed, there isn't much time left... Ah, but turning over these thoughts in my head puts me ill at ease. I suppose I should turn in for the night. P.S. Tomorrow my father is assigning HIM as my appointed knight...

Page 2: I set out for Goron City today to make some adjustments to Divine Beast Vah Rudania. I still recall feeling his eyes on me as I walked ahead. The feeling stayed with me so long, I grew anxious and weary. It is the same feeling I've felt before in his company... And still, not a word passes his lips. I never know what he's thinking! It makes my imagination run wild, guessing at what he is thinking but will not say. What does the boy chosen by the sword that seals the darkness think of me? Will I ever truly know? Then, I suppose it's simple. A daughter of Hyrule's royal family yet unable to use sealing magic... He must despise me.

Page 3: I said something awful to him today... My research was going nowhere. I was feeling depressed, and had told him repeatedly not to accompany me. But he did anyway, as he always does, and so I yelled at him without restraint. He seemed confused by my anger. I feel terribly guilty... and that guilt only makes me more agitated than I was before.

Page 4: I am unsure how to put today's events into words. Words so often evade me lately, and now more than ever. He saved me. Without a thought for his own life, he protected me from the ruthless blades of the Yiga Clan. Though I've been cold to him all this time... taking my selfish and childish anger out on him at every turn... Still, he was there for me. I won't ever forget that. Tomorrow, I shall apologize for all that has transpired between us. And then... I will try talking to him. To Link. It's worth a shot.

Page 5: Bit by bit, I've gotten Link to open up to me. It turns out he's quite a glutton. He can't resist a delicious meal! When I finally got around to asking why he's so quiet all the time, I could tell it was difficult for him to say. But he did. With so much at stake, and so many eyes upon him, he feels it necessary to stay strong and to silently bear any burden. A feeling I know all too well... For him, it has caused him to stop outwardly expressing his thoughts and feelings. I always believed him to be simply a gifted person who had never faced a day of hardship. How wrong I was... Everyone has struggles that go unseen by the world... I was so absorbed with my own problems, I failed to see his. I wish to talk with him more and to see what lies beneath those calm waters, to hear him speak freely and openly... And perhaps I, too, will be able to bare my soul to him and share the demons that have plagued me all these years.

Page 6: Father scolded me again today. He told me I am to have nothing more to do with researching ancient technology. He insisted that I focus instead on training that will help me awaken my sealing magic. I was so frustrated and ashamed I could not even speak. I've been training since I was a child, and yet... Mother passed the year before my training was to begin. In losing her, I lost not just a mother, but a teacher. Mother used to smile and tell me, "Zelda, my love, all will be well in the end. You can do anything." But she was wrong. No matter how I try or how much time passes... the sealing power that is my birthright evades me. Tomorrow I journey with Link to the Spring of Power to train. But this, too, will end in failure. Such is my curse.

Page 7: I had a dream last night... In a place consumed by darkness, a lone woman gazed at me, haloed by blinding light. I sensed she was... not of this world. I don't know if she was a fairy or a goddess, but she was beautiful. Her lips spoke urgently, but her voice did not reach me. Would I have heard her if my power was awoken? Or was my dream simply a manifestation of my fears? I am sure I will know the answer soon, whether I wish to or not...

Page 8: I turned 17 today. This means this is the day I will finally be allowed to train at the Spring of Wisdom. When Link arrives, we will set out for Mount Lanayru. The other Champions will accompany us there. I have not seen my father since he last scolded me. Things are too strained now... I will meet with him when I return. ... Actually... I've had a horrible feeling ever since that weird dream. No one would believe a failure of a princess, but... Right now, for no particular reason, I am filled with a strange and terrible certainty that something awful is about to happen.

Zelda’s Research Notes

Page 1: Today I met with Impa of the Sheikah tribe and began my research into the ancient technology in earnest. Impa introduced me to Purah and Robbie, other respected members of her tribe. Tomorrow I embark on an excavation with them. We hope to find ancient tech with which to operate the Guidance Stones.

Page 2: Today we uncovered some ancient technology that we believe may have the power to control the Guidance Stone. It is a rectangular object, small enough to be held in my two hands. Sheikah text is featured prominently on it. It is made of an unknown material, but we believe it is the same as the shrines scattered across each region. Impa proposed that I hold on to it for now. I hope that it leads to some new developments in our research.

Page 3: The stone relic we discovered has been named. We are calling it the Sheikah Slate. We have not found any mention of a name for this object in the records we have unearthed so far... Nevertheless, Purah insisted we call it the Sheikah Slate, as the relic is a slate made by the Sheikah tribe. Feels a bit on the nose to me, but it was not a fight I thought I could win.

Page 4: We did it. We were finally able to restore some functionality to the Sheikah Slate. We have discovered that this stone slate is capable of producing... images. Perfect liknesses of the things you point it at. Unlike normal pictures drawn by hand, this requires no artist to capture anything in perfect detail. I deeply admire the accomplishments of Sheikah technology. Still... I know there is more to learn. There must be. We believe the Sheikah Slate may have a function that will allow it to control the Guidance Stone. We must continue our research, and quickly.

Page 5:  We have started training the Champions who will pilot the Divine Beasts. It may sound rude that I found this unexpected, but Mipha mastered the controls with surprising ease. Daruk struggled at first, but eventually got the hang of it. Urbosa and Revali both managed just fine as well. I can finally see the light of hope in our fight against the rising Calamity.

Page 6:  Robbie has restored mobility to many of the Guardians we've excavated. ...But we have still yet to find all of the Guardians. Records mention greater numbers of them - and even other types. They are said to be stored in five giant columns that rest beneath Hyrule Castle. The thing is... no matter how I search beneath the castle, I can't seem to locate these columns. They must be buried deep. Were they perhaps designed to sense the appearance of Calamity Ganon and to only activate upon his return?

Page 7:  Countless ancient structures are being discovered across Hyrule... but all attempts to enter them have failed. Records indicate that these are facilities designed to train the hero who is fated to combat the Calamity. But the crucial activation mechanism remains a mystery. Is the Sheikah Slate the key to activating them? That is Purah's theory, and I concur. And yet, my experiments so far have been fruitless. Still, we must exhaustively investigate all means to opposing the Calamity. We must not give up, no matter what!

Page 8:  I spoke with Purah about the Shrine of Resurrection we discovered earlier. As we suspected, this particular shrine is, in fact, a medical facility with the power to heal. It also has a long-term stasis function that can be activated and maintained until healing is complete. In the war against the Calamity 10,000 years ago... were the injuries so great to necessitate such a facility? If so, I will remain uneasy until we have made all adjustments necessary to restore it to full working order. I can only pray that even if Calamity Ganon returns, our battle will not require the Shrine of Resurrection's power...

The King’s Journal

The Writings of Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule

Page 1: Today, as the sun rose and a new day was born, my daughter, too, joined this sweet world. In keeping with the traditions of the royal family, I have decided to name her... Zelda. I am not a man accustomed to frivolous musings, but now seems as good a time as any to begin my royal memorandum.

Page 2: Reports keep arriving regarding the excavation of relics. The fortune teller’s predictions seem to be coming true. Calamity Ganon was not a figure of fable, or even of legend. He actually existed in our great land of Hyrule. We must investigate all the relics, learn as much as we can. But understanding the Divine Beasts alone will take time... Zelda’s eyes lit up like a wildfire when I told her about the relics... I must admit, she has a knack for research.

Page 3: My queen has left this world. Her death was so sudden and unexpected. I awaken most nights unsure if she is really gone. Zelda never cried, never faltered. Not even during the royal funeral or later when she and I were alone with our grief. I must assume her strength is a result of us repeatedly informing her of her duty to be a valiant and steady princess. For a child of merely six years of age, her conduct was truly that of a born leader. Her strength gives me hope. From now on, I must raise her all alone... Now, only I remain to prepare her for her difficult future as princess of Hyrule.

Page 4: Zelda finally reported back after her visit to the fountain. It seems her sacred sealing power has still yet to awaken. It has been a year and three months since her mother passed. Perhaps she is held back by heartache too deep to heal. If the Ganon prophecy wasn’t looming over our heads, I would tell her to take her time... To wait until she is ready. But our situation is dire and leaves no room for weakness - even on behalf of my beloved daughter. My heart breaks for Zelda, but I must act as a king, not a father. I must order her to train relentlessly at the fountain.

Page 5: I was told Zelda went off to research ancient technology, so I had no choice but to confront her about it. She claims she was simply using her day off from training to indulge in a bit of research, but still I scolded her. She won’t get it through her head... Forcing me to tell her the same thing I have been repeating ad nauseam.  The reason her sacred powers still won’t awaken is because she’s spending all her efforts playing at being a scholar!

Page 6: In truth, I understand Zelda’s feelings. Painfully so. She lost her mother, her teacher, before she could learn from her. Ten pointless years of self-training, without so much as a book or note to help her find her way... Those in the castle talk behind her back. And I, her only family, scold her for her shortcomings. No wonder she wishes to hide away in her beloved relic research. I’d love nothing more than to console her... But I must stay strong. She MUST fulfill her duty, just as we all must. Even if she comes to despise me.

Page 7: I have been told my Zelda went to the Spring of Wisdom... This will likely be her last chance. If she is unable to awaken her power at Lanayru, all hope is truly lost. If she comes back without success, then I shall speak kindly with her. Scolding is pointless now. I forced 10 years of training on her... and after all that, it seems her power will stubbornly awaken some other way. Perhaps I should encourage her to keep researching her beloved relics. They may just lead her to answers I can’t provide. For now, I sit anxiously, more a father than a king in this moment. I sit and await my daughter’s return.

[princelesbian]

Sidlink Fic: Connecting Chapter 4

Ao3

Chapter 1 // Chapter 2 // Chapter 3 // Chapter 4 // Chapter 5

    “Don’t you think this is all a bit… unnecessary?” Revali crossed his wings across his chest, eyes trained on the Hylian Champion who stood away close to the pillars in a one-sided conversation with Daruk. The Hylian Princess shifted on her feet next to the Rito Champion, both facing the other pair. Zelda tugged at the sleeves of her royal garb nervously, staring ahead with an expression nearly blank.

    “Daruk believes this ceremony and grandeur will be good for us, to make a bond of sorts. I have only known Link for a short time, but I know that there is no bond this ceremony will create.” She spoke softly, as to not be heard by the other Champions. Her expression had not wavered, though the tone of her voice relayed the emotion more than adequately.

    “He is skilled in swordplay for sure, but the rest of us Champions, me especially, we are all the best of what are tribes have to offer. We have abilities he could hardly begin to comprehend, what makes him better than any of us? The rusty sword on his back? Please.” The Rito Champion scoffed, his head to the side.

    “He is required to defeat Ganon, as the chosen hero.” The Princess said as if she were reading directly from a script, her voice flat and emotionless. Revali snorted, and turned to look at her. Her posture was straight with hands folded delicately at her front, the picture of regality. She looked miserable.

    “Oh, please. You know as well as I do that you don’t want him here. And to think, the princess of prophecy not even given a choice in the matter.” He shook his head in faux sympathy. “Of course if given the chance, I could triumph him in battle. What does he have that I do not? A hero complex perhaps?” He nudged the princess. She smiled, chuckling lightly.

    “Revali, I am not so sure that you do not have one yourself.” She laughed, earning a light frown from the Rito Champion. “But I have noticed that about him. In fact I have lost him on multiple occasions because he was collecting hot-footed frogs for a farmer or something of the like.” She continued, light smile present.

    “Ah! Maybe it’s not so much a hero complex as much as him being extremely distractible then! I fear our chances with a ‘Hero’ like him are dwindling, as he might need to put off defeating Ganon to rescue a cucco!” Revali laughed, attempting to stifle the noise with a wing.

    “I do not believe he even realizes what he is doing half of the time. I swear he does this without thinking first.” Zelda watched the knight as Daruk crushed him with the weight of his palm.

    “I have a hard time imagining him thinking at all.”

    “I fear he will get himself into unnecessary trouble someday, and drag me down with him.” Zelda shook her head, and turned to face Revali.

    “He’s your hero.” Revali said, mimicking a swoon. The Princess grimaced. “And look! It’s nearly time to anoint him as such. Have fun, Princess!” The Rito Champion grinned, pushing her forward.

    ~*~*~

    Zelda’s heeled boots clicked softly on the floor as she paced back and forth down the main hall. Her features were drawn in deep thought, and she chewed her bottom lip slightly. Impa sighed, long and drawn from where she sat.

    “Princess.” Impa said. “At this rate you will burn footprints into my nice wooden floors.”

    Zelda paused, frowning at the woman. Impa smiled, patting the seat next to her. The Princess gave a long sigh wandering over with a look of defiance and lowered herself next to Impa. She remained silent for a moment.

    “Impa, I have found the documents to defeat the need of a marriage, but I cannot be happy about such a thing until Link has returned. It has been over a week. That is more than enough time to have delivered a letter and returned.” Zelda threw her hands out in exasperation, stilling, and drawing them back close to her body. “You do not think I frightened him away, do you?” Her voice became quiet and almost meek. Impa shook her head, laying a wrinkled hand upon the Princess’ shoulder to rest.

    “Do not worry, he will return. He always does.” The woman nodded to herself. Zelda’s shoulder dropped as she relaxed, though the expression she wore never wavered.

    “But what if he is lost? Or hurt somewhere?” She lifted her head, her eyes widening with the possibility. She moved to stand, but Impa pushed her back down.

    “Princess, he is a grown boy with a map. Besides, he has been all over the world and back again by this point, I doubt he is hurt or lost.” Impa chuckled, and Zelda’s frown deepend. “He has probably gotten distracted. You know how he is, he’s given a task and he does seventy-six other things before he actually gets to what he’s been told to do.” She shook her head, smiling.

    “It would seem the Shrine of Resurrection has taken more than his memory, but his attention span as well. When he got the chance he would help someone in need, but never would forsake his duties.” The Princess huffed, crossing her arms across her chest. Impa pat her arm lightly.

    “Ah, but it was his duty, was it not? During his quest to defeat Calamity Ganon, he saved Hyrule in many small ways on his journey. He gained the trust and friendship of many people, including the residents of our own humble village. He saved Hyrule one cucco at a time.” A grin lit up the woman’s features. Zelda smiled, looking down with an expression of nostalgia.

    “Cuccos, you say? That reminds me of something the Rito Champion Revali once said to me…”

    ~*~*~

    At the first knock, Zelda hurried herself to the entrance. She stood and dusted her clothes with her hands, prepared to wrench the door open after ten days since her knight’s departure. She squared her shoulders and conjured a speech in her mind to give Link a stern lecture about wandering off in the middle of his duties. At the second knock—a pair of knocks—she paused with her hand on the knob. Link wasn’t at the door. A feeling of despair filled the pit of her stomach as she opened it warily, expression devoid of emotion.

    She swallowed thickly at the sight of two Zora guards bearing the royal crest of the Zora tribe, her knight nowhere to be found. They bowed in unison at the sight of the Princess and rose just the same, their Silverscale spears in hand and uniform.

    “Welcome to Kakariko village. You are quite the ways from Zora’s Domain, have you arrived by order?”

    “Yes, your Majesty. We’ve come by order of King Dorephan to escort to you to Zora’s Domain to ratify and attend the union of Hyrule and Zora kingdom between Prince Sidon and Hylian Champion Link.” The woman said, her voice stiff and official. Zelda opened her mouth and closed it again, staring in disbelief at the guards.

    “When you wish to depart, we will protect you in your knight’s stead. He was unable to attend, as the Prince insisted on beginning the courtship immediately. We are projected to arrive five weeks before the official ceremony, but you may return to Kakariko after you meet with the King and couple in question if you so choose. We’ll return in the morning to escort you, Princess. I am Tottitka and this is Dunma.” Than man continued on, speaking as if he weren’t delivering life-altering news. Zelda’s eyes widened, and her head snapped up. Her regal facade fell completely.

    “Wait, marriage? He’s getting married?” She sputtered, gripping the door frame tightly. Dunma nodded.

    “Yes, your Highness. With the intent to unify our kingdoms, from my understanding. I don’t know much of the story beyond that, we are simply guards.” She spoke, sensing the Princess’ troubled state. Zelda nodded, numbly.

    “Very well then. Feel free to stay at the inn until tomorrow, I will be prepared to leave then.” She said, frowning. Dunma placed a hand on her shoulder, a sympathetic expression in place of the rigid and stoic one she had arrived with.

    “All will be well, Princess. You will be able to talk to Master Link as soon as we arrive, I’m sure of it.” The Zora woman spoke quietly, lingering her hand on the Princess’ shoulder.

    “Please prepare for departure.” Tottitka dropped the end of his spear onto the ground heavily with an audible thud. Zelda nodded and pulled back, her hand on the door.

    “Of course, I will be expecting you in the morning.” The Princess cleared her throat, reverting her composure to that of royalty. The pair of Zoras nodded similarly, and stepped away from the door, turning in sync.

    Zelda shut it behind them, and stared at the woodgrain. Her forehead knocked against the surface as she released a long shuddering sigh. Link thought he had to marry the Zora prince because she herself could not bring herself to. Her eyes slipped shut.

    The floor behind her creaked slowly with added weight as Impa

    “What is the matter, Princess?”

    ~*~*~

    The metal choker held around his intended’s throat like a weighted and pretty reminder of the reality of their engagement. His intended. Something deep within the pit of the Zora prince’s stomach fluttered at the notion, and he dragged his fingers from the back of Link’s neck to his shoulder, squeezing. The Hylian Champion sat at the blue coral vanity, dissecting his own appearance in apparent nervousness. He fidgeted on the stool. Sidon stood right behind bent on one knee to better match their heights, a sympathetic smile set in place. Link turned, craning his neck still against the metal to meet the Prince’s gaze.

    “Are you sure these clothes are fine? Will the council be upset because I’m not dressed nicely?” Link tugged at the hem of his tunic, brows furrowed. Sidon shook his head, a lilting laugh escaping as he did so.

    “No of course not! You are perfect! I will present my intended just as you are. Not with stuffy clothing because our elders wish it so.” He smiled genuinely. “The Zora people love you, Link. They trust you. As do I, you will be received wonderfully.”

    “I don’t like politics.” Link frowned, displeasure etching his features. Sidon chuckled, squeezing his shoulder.

    “I do hope you are not regretting your decision to wed me, then. Do not think of it as political, I will simply be presenting my wonderful husband-to-be to my people.” He said with a smile. Link ducked his head to hide the blush that crept over his cheeks, stray hair falling over his eyes. “If you are, then I believe they are ready.”

    Link nodded, standing and pushing away from the mirror. Sidon stood as well, grabbing the Hylian’s arm lightly in reassurance. He led him to the door where Muzu waited.

    “You are ready? Good then. Prince Sidon, you are to address your people and announce your engagement. You are then free to go where you wish, show him off if you will.” Muzu waved a hand, gesturing through the door. The Prince gripped Link’s arm a bit tighter.

    “Yes Muzu, I understand.” He said, and steered the Hylian into open expanse of the throne room. King Dorephan sat upon the throne, regal, he smiled at his son and the Prince’s intended as they passed through.

    “Are you ready? They are waiting.” The King leaned forward, a glint in his eye. Sidon paused, Link in tow, and gave a firm nod. “Then go, my son. All is well.”

    They descended the palace steps in silence, the chatter and noise of the citizens apparent and excited as they approached. Link clung tighter to the Prince’s side, huddling close as if to hide or disappear completely by his size. Sidon found himself smiling down at the Hylian, any nerves he once had for the moment replaced by a strange exhilaration stirring from deep within.

    In truth the prospect of marrying for political reasons had initially crushed the Zora prince, though he knew his duties and debt to Hyrule Kingdom well. He held Link’s arm tighter and found no regret in his decision, he was happy. He just hoped that Link was too.

    They made the short way to the balcony overlooking the center of Zora’s Domain, Mipha’s immortalized form turned toward the entrance and watching over them. The Prince bowed his head for a moment towards the statue, silently asking for her forgiveness and blessing to marry her old love. Although he did not expect an answer, he remained.

    Clearing his throat, Sidon turned upwards to see the entire Domain had their eyes upon him and Hyrule’s Champion, a bated silence washing over the kingdom. Link tugged at his arm silently, urging him to speak no doubt. Sidon hummed, and drew his hand from the Champion’s forearm to his upper back, fingers trailing the cool metal of the necklace for comfort. The necklace that was on display with very clear intent, display to mark Link as his own. He breathed in sharply.

    “My friends! With the recent fall of Calamity Ganon, we have the opportunity to trade and expand our commerce, to regain our former glory as it was before Ganon’s desolation. We will aid the Hylian people in rebuilding their kingdom, and to do so their Champion and I have decided upon a union to remain true to Zora tradition. You may have taken note of my brief absence, and the reason of my departure is a most joyous one.” Sidon spoke loudly and clear, he tugged Link closer. “I have crafted an engagement gift of my own two hands, set with the Zora’s Sapphire as is accepted and adorned by my intended.”

    The silence that washed over the crowd was broken by sharp gasps, wide eyes and frantic chattering. The Prince had created such a gift for a Hylian of all people, the most revered and important symbol of marriage and love.

    Sidon hooked his fingers around the metalwork, brushing against the Hylian’s delicate skin. Link swallowed thickly, Adam's apple bobbing against the Silverscale partially out of nervousness and partially due to the incessant tugging at his neck.

    “I am here to present to you, my people, the Hylian Champion Link as my intended. He has helped us in our time of need and seen to our individual problems. He has saved us from the threat posed by Vah Ruta and placed our dear late princess’ spirit to rest. Not only did he defeat Calamity Ganon and save the world, he has been a tremendous friend to us all.” Sidon turned, facing the Hylian who was charmingly pink in the cheeks from the praise. The Prince took on a gentler, less formal tone. “Link, you surprise me every time I have had the pleasure to see you. You are a savior and a dear friend, courageous and strong. You are my hero.”

    Link blushed fiercely, ducking his head to hide the embarrassment. The Prince simply smiled down at him, moving his hands to his shoulders and squeezing them in encouragement. Sidon looked down over the rail, beaming happily at the sputtering crowd. Faces of joy and surprise, that of stern council members and of friends. For the most part, the chattering from the earlier announcement had ceased and was replaced with a lengthy stunned silence to his near confession.

    Sidon barely noticed, attention turned back to the Hylian with a certain warm fondness blossoming in his chest. Link looked up almost shyly, cheeks still tinged and glowy with a little lopsided and nervous grin.

    The Zora people watched on, the moments stretching into minutes, watching their interaction with a certain surreality to it. They looked on from below, eyes still wide and unbelieving. Whoever started it, someone did, a sudden cheer rang out across the entirety of the Domain with many following. Happy shouting and tears flowed for their benevolent prince’s fortune. To them this may as well have been a union solely built on love if the engagement gift was any indication. The elders of the council glowered and turned their backs, their wrinkled faces drawn sour.

    A wide grin split across the Prince’s features, and he pulled Link into a tight embrace with such swiftness that it knocked the Champion’s breath away with a surprised gasp. Once Sidon lowered his feet to the ground again, Link’s face was a scarlet red. He scowled, trying his best to shoot an angry look at Sidon. The sight was so wonderful to the Zora prince, he threw his head back in laughter, feeling his own cheeks warm at the sight.

    The cheers died, and left in their wake was a comfortable atmosphere of welcome and joy as the Zora people split into their respective group and gossiped, dispersed. The news of the Prince’s engagement was a happy and momentous occasion, the Zoras chattered excitedly.

    Sidon looked down at the Hylian with a wide grin, incisors gleaming. Link couldn’t help but smile back. “I think perhaps it is time we visit your friends, our people.” The Prince lay a hand on the Champion’s shoulder, heavy and reassuring. Link nodded, following his fiancé’s lead down the large stone steps into the center of Zora’s Domain. People stared at them, at the engagment gift and the hand on his shoulder. It was expected, but Link couldn’t seem to care. Sidon had referred to the Zoras as ‘their’ people, not just his. The Hylian couldn’t place the feeling in his chest into words, not properly. His mind dwelled on the cheering, the happiness of the crowd, their approval. Despite that, he found himself worrying. He wondered if Zelda was on her way.

    Link remained remarkably quiet, even for him. Sidon paused, and looked down. He scrutinized his features for a sign of issue, the slight downturn of his lips. “Link?”

    “Huh?” The Hylian looked surprised, not even registering the fact that the Prince had really even stopped. He blinked. Sidon looked down at Link, his eyes filling with worry. The Prince’s mouth opened for a moment, and closed again. Was Link regretting his decision to marry? His chest tightened at the notion, but shook away the thought. Link had already told him that he held no regrets. Sidon returned his attention to the his husband-to-be.

    “Are you well?” He asked, bending down a bit. Link nodded, glancing away. The Zora prince pulled the him aside, out of the main walk. He knelt down on one knee to get closer, taking one of the Hylian’s much smaller hands in his own. Turning over the delicate palm, Sidon traced the lines with his fingertips lightly, eyes downcast. After a moment, he folded his other hand over it gently. He looked up with a soft smile.

    “If you have any worries or regrets at all, please do tell me. You are my most treasured friend, and soon to be consort. This may have been arranged for politics but do not become formal with me. You may tell me anything that is on your mind.” Sidon squeezed the palm in his hand gently, comforting. Link’s shoulders relaxed, sighing. It seemed wrong to let his free arm limp at his side, so he rested his hand over the Prince’s. His skin—scales—were smooth, slick, Link avoided feeling much as to not startle with his fascination. Rather, he traced the sharp edges mindlessly, nodding.

    “I’m just worried about Zelda, how she'd feel about this. I am her knight after all, though my duties as a Champion were fulfilled. Will I be able to see her again?” Link said, uncertainty to his voice. The Prince detangled his hands, and reached up barely touching the Hylian’s cheek, the tips of his fingers grazing the skin.

    “I believe that she will be pleased to have her solution without having to marry me at the very least. Do not worry Link, everything will work out as it should.” Sidon reassured softly, grabbing for Link’s hand again, pressing his lips to the Hylian’s knuckles briefly before standing once more to his towering position. Link pressed his lips together firmly, ears blazing red, and nodded.

    “Let us pay a visit to your friends at the inn, shall we? They will no doubt like to see you on this occasion.” Sidon suggested as they began walking back into the path. Link hardly had a chance to nod in agreement before a little dense body barreled into his torso, gripping at his sides.

    “Ahh!” Link jumped, prying at the Zora girl. Laruta, the youngest member of Prince Sidon’s fanclub looked up at the Hylian with large and watery eyes.

    “So you're the one marrying him? It’s not fair! How come you get to marry my prince?!” She exclaimed, holding onto Link’s tunic tightly. The Hylian patted her arms uncertainly, his expression a mix of a frown and a look of surprise. Sidon stifled a laugh behind his hand, stepping back when Link shot him a glare from above the Zora girl’s head.

    Tula and Tona approached behind, slower yet both with stricken expressions. Link glanced between the three, and then back to Sidon who held his hands up in defense.

    “I wanted to be the one to marry Prince Sidon!” Tula pouted. Tona’s arms were crossed across her chest, she shot Tula a frowning look.

    “Does this mean there can’t be a fan club anymore?” Tula whined, grabbing at Tona’s arm. Laruta gasped, jumping away from Link. The Hylian stepped back with Sidon, dreading the confrontation as much as he did the first time.

    “Link! Link! You can't marry Sidon, what will we do without the fanclub!?” She grabbed his sleeves and shook him, surprising even the Champion with her strength. Link opened his mouth to speak, exasperated.

    “Of course there will still be a fanclub! Prince Sidon is still the coolest!” Tona said with a wag of her finger at Laruta, cutting Link off.

    “And still very handsome!” The little Zora girl piped up, hopeful.

    “And very taken.” Tula nudged Tona’s side, winking at the Hylian. Both Link and Sidon ducked their faces away, sheepish. Laruta turned to face the Prince and Champion fully. She stood determined with her hands balled at her hips.

    “Link! Prince Sidon! You’re in love so that makes it okay!” She nodded vigorously. Link gaped, feeling to heat of his cheeks deepen, and Sidon looked much the same. Tona clapped her hands together, nearly giggling.

    “You two were so cute up there! I’ve been suspecting something for a while, and now you’re getting married! And the Sapphire? Ahh, so romantic.” She fanned herself, slumping against the other Zora girl. Tula frowned, and pushed her off.

    “No! I was the one who said there was something going on between them!” She crossed her arms, glaring at Tona. Sidon blinked at the girls, and shook his head. He stepped forward a bit, touching Link’s arm.

    “Thank you, girls. I always appreciate the support you give me, and I am glad to know you approve of our engagement.” He smiled, charming. His hand kept on Link’s arm. The three Zoras paused and looked up, sighing.

    “Of course!” They shouted in unison, all looking at the pair with wide and dreamy eyes.

    “If you would excuse us then, there are others to show my wonderful fiancé off to.” Sidon told them, pulling Link close to his side. The girls nearly squealed, nodding with bright faces and huddling together closely swoon over the Prince and Champion. Link’s face burned as he was led away, the fact that he was even blushing so madly just added to the embarrassment.

    Especially when they nearly walked straight into Kodah in front of Seabed Inn.

    Kodah just about doubled over when she saw the little Hylian, red faced and pulled tight against Zora prince, smiling brightly.

    “Linny! There you are!” She exclaimed, pulling the Hylian free from Sidon’s grip. She hugged him tightly for a moment, a broad smile in place. Kayden trailed behind from the open inn, Finley and Sasan in tow. “So this is what you’ve been hiding!” Kodah pulled away, gripping Link’s shoulders still. The Hylian shrugged, a smile of his own creeping up. Kayden stepped forward, bowing respectively to the Prince.

    “Congratulations my Prince, Link.” He pat Link’s arm, informally. Kodah released Link, allowing him to drift back near Sidon. The Prince took the gesture with comfort, shuffling nearer to the Hylian with a happy smile.

    “Yeah, congratulations you guys!” Kodah laughed. “I still can’t believe that this is what you were hiding, you were never so sly, Linny!”

    Link rolled his eyes, grinning even so. Finley jumped up. “Yeah! Next me and Sasan will be getting married, once he bulks up a bit.” She grabbed Sasan’s arm, who looked down at her with a frown.

    “Finley…” Kodah sighed, placing a hand on her hip. Finley rolled her eyes, pouting. She looked up at Sasan. The Hylian glanced between the mother and daughter with widened eyes, and stepped back and out of Finley’s grip.

    “I think I’ll stay out of this one.” He laughed nervously. Sidon and Link chuckled, passing a glance between one another. Sidon looked ahead, and bowed his head forward.

    “I thank you all for your approval.” He said cheerfully. “I must apologize however, there are many others to see to.”

    Kodah turned to the Prince and waved her hand. “It’s no trouble at all, thank you for coming to see us. You’d better visit soon, Linny!”

    Link waved them goodbye with a final crushing hug, and left them in the distance to tend to the inn once more, and to bicker as they were bound to do.

    A majority of the day was spent visiting other Zoras and receiving most approval, though some grumbled appreciates of simply adhering to tradition. The sun was dipping low in the sky as they made their way to one last stop. Although Link was exhausted, he insisted on seeing his two old friends at the barracks. Sidon simply smiled at the request, nodding.

    The grounds, for the most part, were empty save for a few lingering guards. Both Rivan and Bazz were shedding their armor, hanging thin silver breastplates on their respective racks.

    “Good job today, Rivan.” Bazz slapped the other Zora on the back, grinning.

    “Thank you, Sir.” Rivan turned. His eyes widened at the sight of Link and Prince Sidon approaching, and his hand stuttered a salute as he straightened his posture. Bazz blinked at Rivan, and noticed the Prince and Hylian. He laughed, resting a hand heavily on Rivan’s shoulder and shaking it.

    “Ah, Prince Sidon! Link! Allow me to say congratulations.” He bowed forward, turning slightly and giving Link a wink. “Again.” Bazz grinned.

    “Yes, congratulations Prince Sidon, Master Link!” Rivan nodded, almost excitedly. He paused, and then cast a curious glance in Bazz’s direction. “Again? You knew?”

    “Of course I knew, I am the captain of the guard!” Bazz said cheerfully, laughing again. “Why else do you think your daughter was sent to retrieve Princess Zelda?”

    “She knew too?” Rivan frowned. “It feels as if I am the last to know.”

    “Oh, do not say that! I am sure Link would have told you if he was able to, yes?” Bazz pat the Zora’s shoulder. Link looked up at the mention of his name, the lack of energy really sinking in. He blinked a few times, and nodded a bit weaker than he would have liked. Sidon stood contentedly at his side, a hand hovering at his back should he fall asleep mid-walk. The day had been a long one.

    “You would have been the first to know, knight’s honor.” Link smiled.

    “I suppose that will be Prince Consort’s honor soon enough, hm?” Bazz elbowed Rivan, grinning slyly.

    “That does not sound as smooth, Sir.” Rivan made a face.

    “Oh, do not be a downer on today of all days, Rivan.” Bazz rolled his eyes, smiling. “Anyways. You must have had a long day, no doubt! The night guard is on duty now, and Rivan and I must return home.” He straightened the rest of the gear of the rack, and tugged at Rivan’s arm. Link nodded, sleepy, and waved lightly as the Prince guided him away, grateful for the shortened conversation.

    “Let us speak more often, Master Link!” Rivan said, waving goodbye. Link nodded, yawning as he was pulled along the now-dark path.

    As they were out of earshot and well on their way to the palace in the silence of night, Sidon grinned.

    “See Link? There is nothing to worry about. All of our people love you.” He said. Link turned to him warily, tilting his head up to catch the soft gaze. The Hylian nodded wordlessly, lowering his head and drooping. Sidon paused with pursed lips as he watched Link do the same, movements slower. He watched him stifle another yawn. With a silent prayer to not startle the Hylian, Sidon gently scooped the much smaller body into his arms, heavy with fatigue. Link’s eyes slipped shut.

    The Prince stood for a moment, staring down at the Hylian’s soft features almost dreamy, he may have been dreaming. His peaceful expression, the way the moonlight caught on the bridge of his nose and chin and cheeks, and the shadows that receded into the dips and shallows of his features.

    This was the man he was going to marry. Sidon found himself smiling.

    ~*~*~

    They had to follow traditional courting rules, the elders had decided. A dinner of sort would be arranged, to encourage connection and compatibility. Unfortunately, this entailed a formal affair with a moderator to watch the pair, as traditionally the pair were not allowed alone together, although such rules had become lax over time. Muzu had be chosen to moderate, since there were no other willing council elders.

    Link pushed the fish around his plate, gaze cast downward. It was too much to look up, he could feel the Zora Prince’s stare from across the table as it was. The Hylian pursed his lips. Their dishes, salmon meunière, remained for the most part untouched. Link kept his eyes trained on his plate, and he thought to himself that the pompous presentation was unnecessary. He would have liked a grilled fish steak just as well, though he’d lost his appetite for either.

    Muzu huffed quietly from the side, arms crossed. The noise was drowned by the strumming of the harp that the Zora musician played from behind, plucking at the strings and filling the silence. Link was grateful for it. After minutes of stretched silence with only the sound of the harp, he heard Sidon clear his throat.

    “Link, is the meal to your liking?” The Prince asked stiffly, taking on a formal tone. Link looked up, lips pressed firmly. He had barely even touched the salmon, and Sidon knew it. The sudden formalities of the evening as well as Muzu watching on made it hard to eat, much less make conversation.

    “It’s fine.” He said tersely, looking everywhere but the Zora prince’s eyes. Sidon nodded, taking a slow bite of his own salmon. The silence from there dragged on, the incessant strumming of the harp as the only sound. That may have made it worse. Link looked back down, to a pinkish drink to the side of his plate. He just hoped it was alcoholic. Sipping it, testing, he came to the conclusion that it was, though not strong enough to make the night more bearable. He wondered if it was rude to ask Muzu for more.

    After several more moments, Sidon cleared his throat again, drawing Link’s attention from his drink.

    “I know very little of your life before the Calamity.” He started, drumming his fingers on the table. “Your childhood, where did you grow up?”

    “Castle Town. Here.” Link told him curtly, poking his fish again. Sidon bit his lip.

    “Castle Town, what was it like back then?” He asked slowly, yet still formal. Link shrugged.

    “Not rubble.” He shrugged a shoulder. Muzu groaned from his side of the table.

    “You two are being very difficult.” He ran a hand down the side of his face, sighing. Sidon shot him a look.

    “We are doing as the council asked, Muzu.” He said sternly, straightening his back. Muzu frowned.

    “The council asked for a connection. I’m seeing no connection.” The elderly Zora groaned again. Link’s hand immediately shot to his his neck, the now familiar metal cool underneath his fingers. A certain guilt washed over him, and he opened his mouth to apologize but was cut off again by Muzu.

    “I know this is not ideal, and I wish the best for you both. I see that nothing will come of it if we continue like this, so I will tell the rest of the council that this night went smoothly. I encourage you both to try something, anything on your own however. I know you are much closer than this and frankly, I cannot stand another minute of watching on.” Muzu said as he stood, wagging a finger at the pair.

    Sidon’s eyes widened, as if he hadn’t even realized how terribly things were going. He studied Link then, his uncomfortable fidgeting, his untouched plate. Sidon’s jaw clenched, and he stood quickly.

    “Understood. I need a moment, please.” He spoke curtly, a stern expression.

    As he left the room and out of the palace, Sidon’s mind lingered on Link’s face. The dejected look as the Prince escaped and left him alone with Muzu. He couldn’t shake away the guilt that welled up inside for leaving so abruptly, though he felt worse for putting his dear friend through that awful dinner.

    The streets were empty so late at night, and the moon hung above the center of the Domain. The Prince’s feet padded across the slick stone, and he found himself mindlessly wandering to the place he knew best. He stood in front of Mipha’s statue, that seemed to glow in the moonlight. The statue that he had known almost better than his real sister. He sighed, one heavy shuddering breath that left him deflated. He shook his head, and looked up at the statue’s form.

    “I should not have left.” Sidon began, studying her gleaming form. “I do not know what happened, what went wrong. He seemed as fraught as I felt. Muzu asked for something else, but what if it goes just as dinner had? You knew him well, Sister. I fear that I am not the best for him, although…”

    “Am I interrupting?” Link’s quiet voice came from behind, his boots shuffling softly on the stone. Sidon jumped back, blinking rapidly. He felt his cheeks warm.

    “Oh, Link! Ah, how much of that did you hear?” The Prince asked, shifting his weight nervously with a tight smile. Link’s eyes softened.

    “Enough.” He stepped forward, resting a hand on the Zora’s arm. Sidon sighed, shoulders slumping.

    “I am sorry about tonight, Link. I do not think I really know what I am doing either.” He looked down. Link smiled softly, squeezing the Prince’s arm.

    “We could always try again.” He suggested hopefully, Sidon gave him an incredulous look.

    “Dinner with Muzu?"

    “No, no, something else. Just us.” Link said, rolling his eyes. He smiled.

    “Just us.” Sidon repeated, as if that were a whole new option. He nodded. “Would you like to swim with me again?”

    “What, now?” Link raised a brow. The Prince nodded again, grinning. “Of course! The waters are gorgeous at night, let me show you.” He grabbed hold of the hand on his arm with his own, barely interlocking fingers as he stooped low and pulled the Hylian close for a tight embrace, wrapping an arm around his back.

    “I am so happy to have met you.” Sidon grinned widely, full of energy once more. Link gaped, blushing madly with a sharp intake of breath. The Prince pulled away and stood straighter, before pulling the Hylian back along the path to the lake and away from Mipha’s statue.

    They walked along, comfortable atmosphere back in place. As soon as they ascended the steps to the open expanse of the East Reservoir Lake, the Prince turned his head to Link with a grin, and sprinted ahead, diving into the water. Link laughed, shedding his tunic and clothes, dropping them as he approached the lake. Sidon emerged from the otherwise still waters, the rippling waves reflecting the moonlight. Link faltered at the necklace, fingers lingering and deciding to keep it or not. His hand dropped, allowing the intricate piece to remain. Sidon looked on, smiling as Link felt the choker, kept it. He waited at the quay, elbows propped on the stone and watching the Hylian with an intense fondness. Link drew near slower, and sat carefully at the edge.

    “That is still not swimming.” Sidon lifted his head, a charming grin. Link rolled his eyes, leaning back. “Come, it is warmer in here.” The Prince took one of Link’s hands and pulled him into the water, drawing him close to his chest gently. Link frowned, blushing. He looked up. Sidon grinned impishly.

    “I know how to swim.” Link mumbled, keeping his head low. Sidon laughed.

    “Yes, but I would like to keep you close for a little longer.” He spoke low, slowly spinning around in the water. Link huffed, rolling his eyes, but made no move to push away from the Zora prince. Sidon looked up to the expanse of the night sky, stars dotting and shining brightly, the moon hanging above.

    “It is a beautiful night. I am glad to be able to spend it with you like this, rather than earlier.” The Prince said softly, turning his attention back to the Hylian. Link looked up at him.

    “Earlier…” Link started, uncertainty creeping into his voice. Sidon pressed his lips together firmly, concerned. Their gazes locked. “You said that you don’t think you’re the best for me. Why is that?”

    “Ah…” Sidon hummed. “You are a Champion, a true hero, and the kindest man I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. The only thing thing I could do to aid you in your venture was to bring you closer to Vah Ruta. When I was young, I read stories of heroes long past. I strived to be like then, to be like you, they were all the same. Defeat the evil, save the princess, outgoing and charming. But you are… Quiet at time, almost reserved. You are charming in your own way, and you have a smile lovelier than all of the stars. You are passionate. I may have done good things for my people, for others, but you are far beyond the rest. While it would be my honor to wed you, I fear that tonight’s dinner was telling of our future, and that I will not make you happy.”

    Sidon looked up to the sky, pursing his lips in embarrassment. His inner musings were only spoken in secret to his sister. He was unused to allowing himself to be so vulnerable, open. He looked back to the sky.

    He wasn't sure of what to expect. It wasn't however, arms wrapping around his middle. Link rested his head on the Prince’s chest, hugging him tightly. Sidon blinked down in surprise, taken aback. Link looked up at the Zora prince, eyes filled with determined emotion. The Prince felt exposed, raw, and different emotions welled up deep within himself. He closed his arms gently around his childhood hero, his most treasured friend, his fiancé. Every passing moment, his heart hammered in his chest.

    Sidon hadn't realized it, but something grew within him, something that had no beginning or end. It bloomed in that moment, blossoming from simple and unnoticed feelings that may have been more than simple affection.

    Maybe it didn’t have to just be convenience that brought them together.

    ~*~*~

    The weeks passed much the same, and Link found that he had become comfortable in Zora’s Domain, and comfortable with his old friends. Sidon reassured him not to worry about Zelda, and so he didn't. Link’s itch for adventure waned, and he grew accustomed to the Domain as more of a first home. He was happy, comfortable.

    It was in the early hours of the morning when the quiet knock came to Link’s door. He groaned, pulling his pillow over his head.

    The knock came again, louder this time.

    “Yes?” He called out groggily, irritated as he threw the pillow off.

    “Link? It is me, may I come in?” He heard the muffled sound of Sidon’s voice through the door, and considerably relaxed.

    “Go ahead.” Link called, rolling onto his ride to face the door. It opened and shut gently, a crack of light pouring through and closing. From the dim lighting, Link could see that the Prince looked tired. He felt the waterbed dip with added weight as Sidon sat.

    “I realize maybe I should not have woken you, but I find I cannot sleep. You are the most comforting person to me, so I came here.” He said quietly, almost shy. Link smiled softly, scooting over on the bed to make room for Sidon to lay. The Zora smiled gratefully, moving closer to Link and taking his hand in his own, tracing the palm with his fingertips. He settled into the covers close to Link, holding his hand still.

    “You’re always welcome here.” Link said quietly, still half-asleep. Sidon nodded, thankful. They remained in comfortable silence as the minutes stretched on, but Link knew the Prince well enough. There was something on his mind. Sidon shifted, facing Link.

    “How do you feel about the last several weeks?” He asked. Link raised a brow.

    “Huh?”

    “Our courting, since the first time we had dinner together.”

    “Oh, I think it’s gone well. The second dinner was much better.” Link nodded, remembering the time fondly. Sidon frowned in thought.

    “Was that at the gazebo, or the picnic?” he asked, quiet.

    “It was at the gazebo, remember? You tried to cook something nice for me but you set-”

    “I said I was sorry already! How was that better than the first?” Sidon grumbled, pouting in a playful manner. Link chuckled, giving the Prince a pat on his hand.

    “Well for one, Muzu wasn’t there.” Link made a face, and Sidon laughed.

    “I personally think the picnic was better.”

    “I still have the flowers.” Link reminisced, gesturing to a poorly made dried circlet of flowers on the side table. In truth the picnic had been with Kodah and her family as well. Sasan found wildflowers and weaved them into a crown for Finley. Prince Sidon had asked Sasan if he could teach him, so he could make a crown for Link. His lack of previous knowledge and his large fingers made for clumsy work, but he still it presented cheerfully.

    “I feared you would not like it, Sasan makes them much better than I do.” Sidon chuckled. Link rolled his eyes.

    “You made it for me, how could I not like it?”

    “You are much too kind.” Sidon batted Link’s hands, blushing still.

    “I didn’t know you could play the harp until just last week.” Link smiled. Sidon shrugged, bashful.

    “I do not play as often as I should.” He lamented. Link smiled.

    “You’ll just have to play for me again some time.”

    Sidon nodded, huddling closer to Link, his eyes becoming tired. They stayed quiet for a few minutes, and Link imagined that the Prince had fallen asleep for a moment. Sidon's body shifted.

    “Can you tell me about her?” He whispered. Link turned his head.

    “Who?” He spoke quietly in the dark.

    “My sister. You grew up with her and I... I didn’t get that chance.” Sidon said. Link smiled sadly at the drooped expression that the Prince wore. He pulled him closer.

    “Of course I can. I may have lost my memory but I'm sure there's something I could tell you.” Link hummed quietly. Sidon nodded.

    “Once, when we were younger and before we became Champions, I overheard some of the Zora guards talking about a bokoblin camp not too far from the Domain. I wanted to be heroic, I thought I could take it on alone. I charged in with my training sword and wooden shield, and needless to say, I was overwhelmed. Mipha knew my plan, she always did. She followed me to that camp, and when they all charged at me, she was there. With her trident in hand, and finished off the rest of the bokoblins that I couldn't. She scolded me of course, but she would always heal me afterwards. Your sister was best known for her healing, but her work with a trident was phenomenal.” Link told, recalling his old friend. That had been one of the few times he'd actually seen her in combat. He frowned at the thickness in his throat, remembering that she was gone and he was still here.

    Sidon remained silent, his breath evening. Link looked over to find him sleeping, and smiled again. He allowed his own eyes to droop shut, huddling close to the warmth at his side, and falling asleep.

    Link awoke to another knock on his door. He knew it couldn’t have been Sidon, as the Zora Prince was clinging tightly to his side in sleep.

    “Yes?” Link called out quietly, tired, trying not to wake the Prince.

    “Link! We have news of Princess Zelda’s arrival!” he heard Muzu from behind the door. Link shot up, jostling Sidon.

    “Hmm?” The Prince blinked awake, stifling a yawn. Link stared at him, eyes wide.

    “Zelda’s here.”

Chapter 5

[minsyal]

Mutual Feelings Pt. 14, [Revali x Reader]

Summary: No. 

Despite Revali’s best efforts, your catatonic state of late nights and spending every waking moment in your room doing research persisted. You continually worked into the early hours of the morning until exhaustion hit and the world spiraled into a fit of eerily calm darkness. Sometimes you’d wake on your bed, tucked beneath the many blankets Revali had sourced from the village, but most of the time you were left to wake with flushed skin against your hard-wooden desk. The bags below your eyes snuck back into your life and your skin grew duller and duller as the days passed.

Visiting the Champions was your getaway. Gerudo was quite beautiful and one of the more peaceful places lately, despite the Yiga Clan who always greeted you between the Bazaar and the City. At night, the sounds of a bustling city grew quiet, only leaving behind the graceful wind as it moved and shaped the vast desert. Urbosa was pleased to see you, gladly leading you to the Divine Beast where you installed what you believed to be your final updates. The Calamity was growing close and a final battle was soon to happen whether you wanted it to or not.

“What will this thing do?” Urbosa brushed her hand on the top of your new installation, her fingers delicately scraped against the metal. “I was surprised when this arrived at my doorstep.” She laughed. “I knew it had to be another one of your plans when I saw how detailed the instructions were.” A piece of paper slipped from her hand as she held it up to catch the light. You had sent out your plans to the Champions but hadn’t exactly told them what your plans were supposed to do.

“It’s going to make sure you stay safe…” your breath hitched in your throat, “when the battle happens.”

“Do you plan on moving to the Lab? Your safety is just as important as ours. The castle will surely be Calamity Ganon’s first target.” She moved around the module; her attention drawn away from the blueprints.

“There’s no room for me there, Urbosa.”

“Well, you can always stay here in the City… but I do suppose that would ruffle Revali’s feathers.” She let out a light airy laugh as a calm smile rested upon her face. “He needs that every-so-often. It’s good for him.”

Having just suffered through a nasty thunderstorm, the Domain was rather cold today. An angry breeze ran down the canyon walls, racing the droplets of water it threw up as it went. Many Zora were enjoying it, though. They were happily swimming up and down the river, greeting you as they passed.

Stepping foot into the Domain, your eye immediately caught the bright red scales Mipha and her younger brother Sidon dawned. They stood together just below the throne room, laughing playfully at something one of Sidon’s friends said. You approached, a content smile on your face despite your physical appearance. Mipha took note.

“[Name.]” She met you halfway up the steps in a warm, friendly embrace. Her arms locked together at your shoulders, giving a slight squeeze. “Are you alright?” She whispered, only letting loose enough to examine your physical status. Her cringe wasn’t hidden well as her brows laced together. “Come, let me take care of that for you.”

Ruta was growing impatient lately. The Beast could sense the unrest beneath Hyrule as the Calamity geared up for its final battle against all that is good.

“More upgrades?” Daruk groaned. “Poor Rudania ‘sgot to be tired by now.”

“Good to see you too, Daruk.” You strolled into the city, clutching the few materials you could carry on your own.

“N-not that I didn’t want ‘ta see you!” He gave you a goofy smile. “Aren’t ‘cha workin’ a bit too much, kiddo?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I moved all that stuff ‘ya had delivered up to Rudania. Lots’sa metal! Doing more upgrades?”

When you arrived in Rito Village, you stayed as far away from Seoi or Junil as you could. Nobody could pay you enough to face them after Keumi passed away. Nobody greeted you on the bridge, nobody walked you up the steps jumping up and down excitedly as you explained why you were there, and nobody spoke to you as you ascended the steps up toward Revali.

“Ah,” he turned from his desk and quickly collected something from a hook, “you’re early.”

Medoh’s installments were the easiest of them all. Medoh knew you well by now. Everything went smoothly, each nut and bolt that went into Medoh was accepted and adjusted. Before you knew it, the updates were finished.

Revali’s home was quite small, only a few square feet. His prized bow rest against one of the support beams near the back of the room. A large hammock hung from the rafters with a blanket lazily hanging from it. Unlike a majority of the homes, you spotted a desk where a journal laid open with Revali’s signature cursive inscribed inside. Who knew he kept a journal?

“People can see us.” You pointed out, head turning awkwardly away from the Elder’s home that sat no further than ten feet away. The Elder could clearly be seen inside, his nose buried in a book.

“Unlike you Hylians,” Revali tugged you closer to him, “us Rito aren’t nosey.”

Returning your gaze to the Elder, you noted that he really hadn’t turned to see what was going on inside Revali’s home once. He was happily doing his own thing; almost unaware you were even in the village.

“Anyway,” he leaned back against a pillow he had moved to the floor, “you look better.”

Thinking back to your recent endeavors, you were reminded that your health wasn’t your own doing. Mipha was a blessing, and she was responsible for it. “Yeah.” You mumbled, relaxing a bit into him.

“I got you something.” A hand brushed the hair from your shoulders as a chain was lightly strung around your neck. You heard a small snap as he connected the two ends.

Proudly, he pulled his neck pack to get a better view, eyeing the necklace. “Look for yourself. I quite like it.”

The necklace was light weight, clear, with two feathers encased in a thick layer of resin. The contrast between the two colors was stark, but somehow worked nicely together. A larger Prussian blue feather that faded to white was laid behind a small one that was fiery orange.

“Is this…?” You examined the piece. “When did you get this?”

“It was commissioned a few weeks ago. I thought it would be a nice gesture to remind you that,” he moved closer, “that we’re always by your side.”

“Where’d you get hers?”

“It would have been much easier if you hadn’t such a messy room.” You could hear the smirk in his voice. “It was on your tunic.”

“Why do you do this to yourself?” He whispered. The night had deepened, the Elder had long since gone to sleep, and the Village had quieted. Lanterns were extinguished and soft snores filled the air from each and every home. Every home but Revali’s.

“Do what?” You mumbled; eyes closed. Your head lay softly against Revali’s chest, listening to the soothing repetition of his beating heart.

“Never take time for yourself. Relax a bit.”

“That’s rich coming from you.” You grumbled, turning to ruffle his feathers further. He brought the blanket up around your shoulders, tucking it under your chin. “When Zelda found you to ask if you’d help, you were practically killing yourself.”

“I was practicing, mind you.” He sighed. “I wanted to be the Village’s finest warrior and in order to do so I had to work for it.”

“So, think of it like that. I want to be the best scientist, but I have to work for it.”

“You already are the best scientist Hyrule has to offer. I’ve yet to see the one with the nasal voice or the other one with the large spectacles. They’ve not worked on Medoh once.”

“We’ve gone over this – Purah and Robbie. Nice people. They’re getting all the recognition, though.”

“From who?”

“The King.”

Revali scoffed, nuzzling closer as the wind knocked on the door and entered without permission. The room chilled, the surface of your skin frosted in the crisp air. “And who says the King’s recognition is important?”

“Once again, rich coming from someone who already has that.”

“I can never win with you, can I?” He chuckled, his chest rumbling as he did. “Once this is all over, I think we should take some time to ourselves.”

“But we aren’t dating.” You reminded him.

“I beg to differ. Have you seen your current state? Perched upon my chest for the hundredth time this month and you truly believe we aren’t dating?” He scoffed, throwing his head back to let out a laugh.  “You’re far too modest to admit you’re one of my adoring fans, aren’t you? You must feel like you’ve won the lottery! To be with me, of course.”

“Where will we go?”

Revali stopped rambling and adjusted himself beneath you, his grip tightened around your shoulders. “Wherever we want.” A smile crept its way upon his lips as he listened to your breathing slow and become steady. “Perhaps somewhere outside of Hyrule.” There were vast unexplored lands beyond the seas, past the mountains, and further into the desert. Adventure was waiting beyond the borders you had set up for yourself.

“I think that would be fun.”

The two of you grew quiet as Revali assumed you had drifted to sleep. Medoh creaked above, the gears rubbed against one another as the Beast patrolled the open skies. Crickets chirped in the distance, the river flowed loudly, winds whipped and swirled up from the updrafts, and the crack from a far-off avalanche filled the night with an orchestra of sound. He swallowed as he thought back to the last time you visited the Village. He felt a pang in his chest as he was reminded of the friendship and family you lost. He felt his heart beat faster as he pondered whether it was the right time.

“[Name]?” Revali called, catching you off guard. He had never called you by your name before. You had become so attuned to the array of nicknames.

“Hmm?” You hummed; your eyes were still closed as you awaited his response. His heart rate audibly picked up.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

[minsyal]

[Mutual Feelings Pt. 7, Revali x Reader]

Part 6 

          “I heard you got your jimmies rustled.” Purah noted with a full-mouth – a bad habit that her mother so desperately tried to rid her of, but her attempts were futile.

           “Oh?” Robbie inquired, a curious eyebrow raising, “Your jimmies?”

           “I’ve always hated how you two talk.” Your eyes instinctively rolled, possibly so far that they’d surely never come back. “Impa doesn’t talk like that, where on earth did you two pick that up from? You’re not even siblings!”

            The two shrugged simultaneously, both almost mimicking one another as they returned to picking the bones from the fish and discarding them to the side of their plates. It was truly odd how similar they were. Yet, when the topic arose they would always deny it – possibly until the days that they died. Maybe Robbie picked up on Purah’s tendencies while training and researching along with her.

          “Anyway,” Purah spoke directed at you though her eyes never faltered from her dinner, “back to your jimmies.”

           “How did you guys even hear about that? It was a few days ago, news can’t possibly travel that fast.”

           “Oh, but it does when you’re a royal scientist.” She continued, “I heard Revali freaked out! What was that like?”

           “Is this conversation really necessary?” You pushed a mushroom around on your plate, watching as the small ashy flakes crumpled and wrinkled along the sides. Purah had a habit similar to that of her opened-mouth chewing; she was notorious for cooking far too much food. Being nearly 30 minutes into dinner, you would suspect that there would be little to nothing left on the family plates gathered at the middle of the table. Instead, a plethora of food was still stacked upon itself. Roasted mushrooms and leeks littered the table that would go untouched for the night, or possibly discarded.

           “Absolutely it is.” Robbie chimed in whilst stuffing another carrot into his mouth. “He never freaks out. Go on, spill it.”

           Letting a puff of air escape your lips, you dropped your utensils to the plate and rested your elbows on the table. “Well, I’m absolutely stuffed. Nice work, as always. Are you guys done with these?” You motioned to the plates sitting on the table. Both nodded.

           Carrying the plates into the next room over, all eyes were on you upon your entrance. Two men sat at one table, a half-played chess board between them. Another man had his head turned from the fire he stood before, their dinner cooking above it. The room was very much like the rest with hard wood floors, hard chalk and limestone walls that extended just above 7 feet, a fireplace in the corner to warm the area in the winter, and a few tables and cots.

           “Haven’t seen you here in a while.” The man by the fire spoke, Mannery.

           “I get around.” You took another step into the room. The soldiers returned to their chess game, one obviously contemplating over his next move. By the looks of it, he was losing.

           “You get around?” Mannery’s eyebrow raised suggestively, a slight smirk tugging at his lips. Face flushed, you closed your eyes and sighed. “You know what I mean.”

           “I know. Is that for us?” His head nodded toward the plates in both your hands.

           “Purah made too much.”

           “She always does.” He rose from his spot and crossed the room to stand at your side. Mannery was a tall guy, with a straightened back he was about 6 foot 4. His light brown hair was cut short and slightly spiked in the front. He was one of the knights positioned at the Royal Lab and had become acquainted with you after your visits. His wife worked in the castle and on occasion would join you on your voyage to bring Purah more books as if she didn’t have enough.

           “Enjoy, boys.”

           The night passed with frequent interruptions either from the guards or Robbie dropping something that would go clacking onto the floor followed by a whispered “oh shoot” or “dang it.” His footsteps would carry off in another direction soon after. You’d hear Purah shuffling around behind Robbie reminding him of things he knew to do. When the sun did finally decide to rise, you did as well. Leaving a note on the desk for Purah thanking her for her company and dinner, you slipped out the door and back to the trek toward the castle. Opting for efficiency, you decided to follow Regencia River back toward the path rather than waste time traveling through the Breach of Demise. The river rushed quickly carrying rafts of weary travelers, merchants, and the occasional bass along with it.

           Arriving in Castle Town, the morning dwellers were out bustling about to prepare for the busy day to come. The baker was at his window, kneading a soft pillow of dough to be stuffed into the blazing oven behind him. The sweet scent of cinnamon wafted through the air as his wife pulled a loaf from the oven. A jeweler was opening her shutters, a mother was shaking off a dusty rug in front of her general store, a young boy ran past chasing after his runaway dog, and a horse-drawn carriage brought goods all the way from Hateno. You could vaguely see the outlines of Hateno grain and Kakariko rice, even a pumpkin or two. The merchant hailed to a shopkeeper, joyfully greeting them and immediately going into their bargaining routine.

           The guards at the castle gates waved you in, greeting you formally upon your entrance. Nodding, you followed the path up to the first gatehouse where yet another guard permitted you to progress forward. Entering the same entrance as the knights, you ignored the murmurs of morning gossip as they dressed for the day. The air in the room was clean, not yet contaminated with the sour smell of sweat. Your room was a blessing, being one of the only places you felt like things were fully in your control.

           The work you had been focused on prior to leaving for Rito Village was strewn across your desk in haphazard organization that only made sense to you. A book on Gerudo was placed neatly on the bookshelf, its pages marked and noted. A sketch of that blasted bird was hung on the wall, next to one of Lady Mipha, Lady Urbosa, and Daruk. It was easy to capture the women’s beauty, as all they had to do was flash a smile to appear stunning. Daruk had opted to go for a stronger pose for his sketch, his arms flexing as much as a rock could, a large smile on his face. Revali, on the other hand, had refused a sketch saying that he had much better things to do with his time than assist in your “nonsense” research. He was easier to draw from a distance.

           At the time you hadn’t expected to become so close to the group, as you were only there to examine the technology and work on furthering the knowledge of their anatomy. While you hadn’t truly become close to any of them, there was a sense of acceptance. A note had been tacked to your wall, now torn and dampened from leaving the window open during a past storm. The paper was crinkled like an elder’s skin, the ink almost incoherent. It was from Mipha.

           Months back, she had written to you during a leave of absence as she became acquainted with her Divine Beast. She had expressed concern of the beast’s controls as she wasn’t quite sure what some of them did. It seemed that almost all the Champions had this issue but had gone overlooked by the other royal scientists. With Purah busied by the flying guardians, and Robbie concerned with the walking ones, it left you to deal with their requests.

           Sitting at your desk, you fell into another fit of immobility as work took precedence over all else. Your eyes wandered from books about plants to ones of the vast land that extended beyond the castle walls. While this was not directly related to work, it was just as important and it’s location was in the desert of the Gerudo Region. A peculiar plant grew in this region, it’s location varying with each passing year. It bloomed only one day, and finding it was essential to your most pressing project. Thus far, you had determined that this plant would not be in bloom for a few months, three to be exact. It’s location was the only missing factor.

           Your travels were lonely. Once again on the long path alone, you found yourself getting lost in thought quite often. Having stayed at the castle for a few days, you were given ample time to rest up and regain movement in your joints that had stiffened from lying in a bed for so long. Gerudo City was your destination. Seeing as Urbosa requested your assistance with Naboris, it gave you the perfect excuse to scout the desert to get a better idea of where you were going when the time came.

           Cautious of the travelers passing by, you kept your head down and small knife readily available. Yiga clan members had a tendency to roam this area, preying upon unsuspecting wanderers. A royal scientist would surely be like getting a golden metal.

           “Ah, [Name].” Urbosa greeted as you approached the walls of the city. She towered over you, a welcoming smile on her face. “I didn’t expect to see you so soon. Are you fairing well after the injuries?”

           “Fairing fine.” You reassured her. “I came to look at Vah Naboris for you. There are a few things I’m a little curious about.”

           She looked to the desert beyond the outlook where the beast stood.

           “Of course, follow me.”

           Naboris was far different than the other beasts on the interior. It had three terminals that were controllable, each turning like a sifter. To gain entrance to the outside, one would need to stand in a certain spot and then activate the terminal. Interesting technology always seemed to be so difficult. The ground rumbled beneath your feet as you were hoisted upward, onto the outside platform. A steadying hand was placed on your shoulder as Urbosa reached down to hold you in place. Smiling, she beckoned you to the main platform that stood in the center of Vah Naboris.

           You traveled to see Mipha and Daruk as well, seeing as they would require similar updates to their Divine Beast. Though, you did not plan to spend as much time with them as you did in Gerudo. You had gained a descent amount of information in the two weeks you spent there and had a good idea at where you were headed.

           “Do you recall the stones we used while in the Hebra Region?” Mipha implored as she strolled next to you, heading back to the Domain after a long day of improvements to the beast. The two of you walked together down the steps of the retaining wall.

           “The soapstones?”

           “Yes!” She nodded, a bright smile on her face, “Sidon loved them. Quite interesting things they are.”

           Daruk was insistent on watching your every move as you fixed up Vah Rudania. He wanted badly to make sure he knew everything that was going into and coming out of the beast. Supposedly he “just wanted ‘ta make sure I know ev’ry thing I can ‘bout the beast.”

           “Hey kid,” Daruk raised his hand to slap at your back before retracting it. “Eh,” he let out a chuckle, “my bad!” His hand rubbed the back of his neck, “Almost forgot about that tumble you took.”

           “All healed up.” You assured him.

           “Good t’ hear! Wouldn’t want our little scientist get’n hurt.” Revali’s nickname for you had rubbed off on Daruk. His use of the term was different though, as there was nothing but sincere kindness in his words. This time he forgot to refrain from hitting you and his hand met your back, sending you tumbling onto the ground. Shocked and very apologetic, Daruk raised you up from under the arms and examined you to ensure he hadn’t hurt you one bit. Laughing, you brushed it off and guaranteed him you were just fine.

           The trip to Rito Village from the castle took two days with one stop at the Royal Lab to check in on your colleagues. Purah was the same, crazy and hyper all simmered into one concoction. Robbie had left for the castle to speak with King Rhoam of the walking guardians. He had uncovered more concentrated in Hyrule Field around the Garrison.

“Can you please let me up on Medoh?” You groaned, staring up at Revali as he hovered above you extended in the air.

           It had been two months since you last saw the bird. Having spent two weeks in Gerudo, one in Goron City, one in Zora’s Domain, two weeks traveling and two more in the castle, you had cherished the time without his looming attitude. When you first stepped foot in Rito Village, that blasted Rito was at your side pestering you as if the dynamic between you never changed. Ignoring his presence, you headed straight for Seoi’s.

           “Where are you heading to?” Revali implored as you climbed the steps.

           “Hi Seoi.” You entered the home and felt your heart drop to your stomach. Keumi was lying in a hammock hung low to the ground, much like the one you had been put into after your injury. Her eyes were big and puffy, her wings spread out, and a blanket hung over her tiny body. Using all her energy, she raised her head and focused in on you.

           “[Name]!” She exclaimed, her voice coming out as a creak.

           “Keumi, please rest. [Name] is coming over, there’s no need to shout.” Seoi brushed her feathers across the child’s face, attempting to sooth her blazing fever.

           “Can I have a moment with your mom?” You knelt next to her and fumbled with the necklace tied around her neck. Her eyelids grew heavy, blinking open and closed slowly as she exerted all her remaining energy to nod. Crossing the room with Seoi, you spoke in hushed voices so to not alert the young girl. Revali lingered at the door, observing the scene that unfolded before him.

           “Sweetheart,” Seoi wrapped her wings delicately around your face, brushing her feathers over your eyes. “They’re back. Have you forgotten to take care of yourself again?”

           “Me? You look exhausted.”

           “I’ve not slept in three days.”

           “Is that how long she’s been sick?” Seoi nodded in response, “Poor thing. I’ll work this all out Seoi. Keep her hydrated. It’ll pass like it always has.”

           “What if this time it doesn’t?”

           “Then I’ll work extra hard to ensure that it does.”  

           “Hmph.” He landed on the deck named after himself, his talons clacking on the cedar as he circled you. “Eventually.”

           “I have upgrades Medoh needs.”

           “What are they for?”

           “Your protection. Unless you’d rather die in a fiery explosion?”

            Revali was reluctant to let you step foot onto Medoh and even more reluctant to let you climb onto his back so he could get you up there. He zipped into the sky only after a ten-minute rant about how you shouldn’t hold onto his armor, how you shouldn’t dare to touch the Great Eagle Bow, not to grip too tightly around his neck, and not to go wandering off through Medoh upon landing. You were strictly instructed to also not ask too many questions, with him citing your “annoying voice” as a reason to not talk.

           “Thanks for that.” You smoothed your frizzed hair back. Walking with an air of arrogance, he motioned for you to follow as he began for the main terminal of the beast. While his tongue remained sharp, as it always had, he was more tame than usual. He didn’t make the same quips and insults, though one thing did remain. He never used your name.

           “I can’t carry both of you.” Seoi frowned, her eyes focusing on Keumi as she did her best to sit up straight. “Junil is out on patrol, otherwise I’d ask him to help.”

           “I suppose you could take me first and then leave me while you went to get Keumi?”

           “Why don’t you go ask Revali for an extra hand? After all, you did just spend the entire day with him.” Despite the circles around her eyes and a sick child at her feet, she still managed to keep up this idea of the two of you together.

           “I’d rather not spend another moment at his side.”

           “You didn’t leave Medoh all day.”

           “Because if I had tried, I’d have either fallen to my death or never heard the end of it from him. Look,” You ran a hand down your face, “lets just find someone else to help.”

           “Help with what?” The same crisp voice you had been subject to all day spoke, startling both you and Seoi. Keumi, regardless of her red eyes and sniffling nose, had a smile on her face and stars in her eyes as she looked at the Rito Champion.

           “Oh, Revali.” Seoi addressed him. “Perfect timing. I’d hate to inconvenience you, but would you be opposed to helping [Name] and I? We need to take Keumi to the Sturnida Hot Spring just beyond the Flight Range.”

           His focus homed in on you, an eyebrow raising as he leaned against the opening. Seoi was putting on that same “super sweet mother” façade, backing up to kneel at her daughter’s side. Revali pushed off the supporting beam and rolled his shoulders back, straightening his posture. He practically oozed an unwavering confidence.

           “Anything to help a beautiful mother and her child.”

           Mouth agape, you mentally rolled your eyes as you thought back to how he had just called them “urchins” a few months ago. Was he this determined to get at you in every way possible? The only time you felt completely at peace was with Seoi and Keumi, and he had to take that away from you as well.

           “Close your mouth, scientist. It’s not becoming.” A free wing pushed your chin up, closing your mouth. A small giggle was heard from Keumi, causing the slightest smile to appear on Revali’s face; a genuine smile. Quickly washing it away, he gestured to the door.

           “Shall we, then?”

[minsyal]

[Revali x Reader, Mutual Feelings Pt. 3]

Summary: Wow, that was rude

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4

Thank you for the feedback on this story everyone, I will continue it as I didn’t really get any negative comments. I’m glad some of you are enjoying it as much as I am. Happy reading :)

Omisaatio (n): a desert flower that displays an eerie aqua glow as it blooms. It is found in the most peculiar places.

The wooden bridges swayed slightly under the stress of the six individuals forcing it downward. It was honestly shocking that it could even hold Daruk's incredible weight. The panels squeaked and groaned with each step forward. These needed to be replaced. Your head was glued to the sky, observing the Rito Warriors as they flew in from training. Their wives rushed to greet them along with their children. A smile almost tugged at your lips - almost. You stared blankly, watching as a couple embraced and the father scooped the young one up into the air. Their mouth opened as if to let out an amiable laugh and their eyes squinted into two rainbow-like shapes.

The wind had considerably picked up since Revali left. The sky had grown dull and a set of grey clouds loomed overhead. You could barely see the bright luminous hues of blue and white beyond the darkness that settled in. Ahead of you were the other Champions: Zelda, Link, Daruk, Mipha and Urbosa. Sounds of their distant conversation danced backward, chiming through your ears as diluted white noise.

“Looks like we have a fan.” Daruk’s billowing voice echoed from ahead. Your attention was naturally drawn downward, a hint of curiously at who would be down here at this time. The children were busy with their fathers and mothers right now. Surely it isn't an older Rito?

“Hi there!” Daruk said loudly, crouching down to get a good look at the person approaching. You watched as his head lowered, his hand held out to greet them.

“Sorry mister!” A screechy little voice you had grown to love passed the Champions. Soon enough, Keumi was crashing into your legs attempting to knock you over. She had a bad habit of that. Every time she grew slightly more determined to do so, but slightly weaker as well.

“Huh.” Daruk stood back to his full height and gave Urbosa a confused look. His hand came to cradle the back of his neck, his fingers scratching at its base.

Keumi looked the same, except for a new splotch of red that had appeared quite noticeably on her back. Her smile was as radiant as ever and her attitude never faltered. Her eyes only seemed to grow with fascination as she looked up to you.

“What happened?” She screamed more than asked. Her tiny wing attached to your arm and tugged you down to her level, to which you complied. She angrily eyed the cut that had appeared on your face, scrawling from just under your right cheekbone to the curve of your jaw. It had faded considerably from the time when you got it. Now it was only there as a memory, it had melted into your skin in a dark brown color that could never be scrubbed away. With time, it would fade.

“Just a small cut, kiddo. Nothing to worry about.” You leaned forward, bringing your hand up to shield the side of your mouth.  “You should see the other guy. But I think we should be worrying about this,” you motioned dramatically to her body to which she looked at you confused. “Keumi, you know you're not allowed to be this far from the Village alone. Must I go talk to your mother again?”

“No, no, no! You don't need to.” She hopped around on her toes, shaking her head in denial.

“Hmm.” You stroked your chin with your fingers, “Fine. I'll let it go this time. But-”

“It won't happen again! I'll wait until you get to the front steps! I promise!”

“Good girl.”

You glanced up to find the Champions staring at you. They looked utterly shocked at your sudden change of attitude. Quite honestly, all they had really ever seen was sarcasm, blandness and blah. Urbosa had her trademark smirk on her face, her eyebrow raised considerably and her arms crossed over her chest. Choosing to ignore them, you returned your attention to Keumi.

The day was mostly spent doing “Champion duties,” which you had absolutely no part it. Keumi was delighted to have you by her side all day. It had been about a month since she had seen you last, and according to her mother it was killing her. Though, there wasn’t much to do with a slight downpour beating from above. The raindrops cascaded down the sides of the single stone pillar that held the Village together, wetting its surface. Rooftops became slides for the liquid to run down, only to create waterfalls that you could not avoid. Most of the others stayed inside, the Rito were not too keen to getting their feathers wet. Keumi, on the other hand, loved the rain. She dragged you around the islands that you entered on, jumping and skipping through puddles that only grew murkier with every leap.  

At dusk, you were invited to feast among the Champions and the Rito elder, but kindly declined for the calm family setting of Keumi’s home seemed like a more suitable option. Her mother, Seoi, had prepared a pan seared porgy with a home style sauce that vaguely reminded you of the past, Hylian rice steamed with goat butter and a variety of seeds, and sweet vegetable side. Seoi was obviously Keumi’s mother, just judging by color and personality alone. She had the same orange feathers, the same brown eyes, her belly was coated with porcelain feathers and her tail was dipped in brown.

“So, [Name], how has research been coming?” Seoi said in between bites, she sat cross-legged on the floor of their home. A acacia table was paced between the three of you.  

“Slow lately. I've spent so much time with the Champions that I rarely find the time to do actual work. You know when I get back, I’ll have another year’s worth.”

“Yeah! Look at this!” Keumi jumped to her feet and rushed to your side. She lightly feathered her finger down your cut, tracing its path. A pained expression crossed Seoi’s face as she examined it.

If there was anyone in the land of Hyrule that you felt you could call your best friend, it would be Seoi. She was like a mother and best friend all wrapped into one. After finding out Keumi had taken a liking to you, she immediately adopted you into the family. Often, while you were away, she would make a special effort to send you updates on Keumi. She’d ask how you were and always tell you to get more sleep. If Link wasn’t pestering you about your health, Seoi was. It’s like they had some sort of agreement.

“It's nothing really. All patched up.” You put a gentle hand around Keumi’s waist and tugged her closer for a hug. Her wing wrapped around your neck and her head snuggled into the crook of your shoulder.

“What happened?” Seoi’s eyebrows were drawn in, her eyes full of worry.

“Just a little attack. You know those Yiga members, always wanting us dead.” You huffed, staring down at your half-eaten meal. “It's fine, Revali ended up saving me anyway.”

“Revali?” Seoi’s brows raised, a slight inflection of her voice alerted you. She then lowered her brows as a small smile crossed her face. “He sure takes care of you, huh?”

“What?” You coughed, choking for a moment before settling yourself. “No. He annoys me, if anything.” Her grin only grew, a cocked eyebrow told you she didn't believe a word you said.

“Anyway, how have you two been?” You attempted to change the subject. Keumi had crossed back over to her meal, and was happily chowing down.

“Same old, same old. The little one over there has been keeping me up at night, but other than that we’re no different from the time before.”

“Seoi, surely there’s been some excitement?”

“Mom’s dating a new guy!” Keumi said with a full mouth. Seoi shot her a look of disdain as she rolled her eyes and continued eating.

“A new guy, you say? Do I know this guy?” You said coyly, causing Seoi to blush.

“We aren’t dating.” She corrected, bringing a small cloth up to wipe the sauce from her beak.

“Yet!” Keumi giggled.

“I’m glad you’re putting yourself out there Seoi. It’s about time.”

The conversation continued until every last morsel of food had disappeared from your plates. Keumi was lying on her back by the end of the meal, her wing draped lazily across her full belly. Seoi laughed, covering her mouth with her wing before excusing herself. She picked Keumi up, hushing her before lowering her into her hammock.

A hint of sadness flickered in the back of your mind. The scene ignited flames from the past, sending chills coursing through your body, shaking you to the core. Seoi whispered words of encouragement and a mothers love to Keumi as she drifted off to sleep. You couldn't help but envy her.

“So let's talk about you.” Seoi collected the plates and left them sitting on the counter. Grabbing your arm, she escorted you from the home and out onto the walkway. The rain had stopped an hour or two ago. The wood was damp, but not soaking. “I'm worried about you.”

“What's there to worry about?” You attempted to laugh it off. She rolled her eyes and began dragging you to the staircase heading up. You immediately knew where you were going. Revali’s landing. It was Seoi and Keumi’s favorite spot in all of the Rito Village, and she always took you there when she wanted to talk.

“There you go again. Always trying to pretend you're fine.” She lowered her voice, a dash of distress was sewn into her words. Seoi’s hand shook against your body as if trying to shake the answers from you. “You don't look fine.”

“Are you hinting that I’m ugly?” Joking was pointless, Seoi was not having any of it.

“[Name],” she scorned, “Look at yourself. Those dark circles faded months ago, only to come back. Your body shakes like you’ve been left out in the cold. You’re over working yourself.”

“I’m trying to save people, Seoi.” The landing was in front of you, nobody on it. She walked you out to one of the edges and plopped you down with your legs dangling over the edge. “I know it sounds insane, but the Calamity is coming back sooner than we know.”

“If you work yourself to death, you won’t be able to help anymore.”

“I’ll have left what I needed to. That’s all I can ask. I’m no good at fighting, I can’t hold my own. Research and,” you inhaled deeply, the frigid air filling your lungs. The weight of it felt suffocating, like it was dragging everything into your stomach. You exhaled. “It’s just, it’s just all I have. It’s all I can do and I will do what I must.”

Her pleads became fuzzy, and eventually were tuned out completely. Below were the Champions, joyously laughing and clinking their glasses together. The heat of their fire rose into the air, its wispy embers engulfing themselves before burning into nothing. The updraft licked at your heels, warming the soles of your shoes. Though completely aware of your catatonic state, Seoi continued to speak. Her voice soothed you, it was like an effervescent tea that heated your frozen heart. She spoke about how she was immensely proud of you and only wished for you to be healthy. She told of the man she was dating, and how he reminded her so much of the last. A story of Keumi passed through, something about how she had made some new friends. After an hour of staring into space, she stood, patted your shoulder and told you she was going to retire for the night.

“Please get some rest tonight.” Seoi brushed her fingers through your hair, lingering for a moment before disappearing. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight.” You muttered, focus never faltering from the night sky.

The sounds of the Champions feast had dispersed, it ended thirty minutes ago. The fire was put out and you were left alone with your thoughts. The heat no longer grasped onto you, the comforting words of Seoi had gone, and you felt like you were the only one awake in the Rito Village. Another hour passed and you remained in the same spot. Finally, you decided it was time to find the Inn and lay your head down.

The beds were full, no vacancies for you to fill. Zelda and Link were occupying the two on the right side, Urbosa and Mipha on the left. Daruk was curled into a giant ball and placed perfectly in the center of the room. The Rito that was usually behind the desk and the one that stood out front were gone. You sighed, turning on your heel and opting to walk until you found a dry suitable place to rest.

“The early bird catches the worm.” An irritating voice caught your attention as you began descending the staircase, heading toward the exiting bridges. “Looks like you’ve been left behind.”

“I’m not dealing with you right now, Revali.” You said, eyes searching through the dark of night. A yellow grow illuminated from the stable, there were always open beds there.

“Oh, but you see. You just did.” He hovered over for a moment before lowering his body onto the ground beside you. “I noticed your absence from dinner tonight, why?”

Keeping your mouth closed, you focused on the task at hand – getting away from him. Your feet moved as if on auto pilot, carrying you further down.

“Ah, ignoring me huh? Well, I suppose I’ll just have to fill the empty space with my own.” He matched you in stride. “I assume you missed the feast to spend time with that little urchin of yours. Am I right? What was her name? It’s seemed to have slipped my mind.”

“Urchin?” You stopped in your tracks, a heavy tension bundling at the base of your neck. Your entire body tensed, she wasn’t an urchin.

“You know, the small one with the color mutation.”

“She isn’t an urchin.” You hissed through your clenched teeth.

“Getting a rise out of you, eh? So it seems you’re quite fond of that little family of paupers.”

Your fists clenched, your nails digging painfully into the palms of your hands. The wetness of blood coated your fingertips, signaling that you needed to stop. He wasn’t important enough for your time. It wasn’t worth it.

“You do fit in with them quite well, though.” A condescending tone engulfed his voice. “Maybe you should finally leave the Champions and be where you belong? You’re not of any use anyway.”

Before you could stop yourself, you had forcefully latched your hand around his beak. Yanking him down to your level, you left no room for any sense of remorse regarding your action. Revali’s brows raised, you had never really stood up to him physically.

“Insult me as much as you want, but never speak of Seoi or Keumi ever again.” You tossed him away like he was a piece of garbage, turned on your heel and stormed off.

Revali stayed in his spot, watching with a sense of regret. The cloud of night consumed your being, leaving no trace. Revali mentally slapped himself, why did he always have to combat things with words of hate? Why was it so difficult to express himself?