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pupika-samika · 19 days

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A King is Nothing Without His People

Chapter 7

Join the Flock

CW: Intrusive thoughts, breakdowns

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Link had woken up at five am as he always did and changed out of his Gerudo Vai outfit, being careful that Riju wasn't awake to catch him getting changed. He folded the garb up and put them in his slate for later use, dressing in his Snowquill Tunic and Trousers. He'd put the ruby circlet on when he got cold, but he left it in his slate for now. He kissed Riju's forehead and scooped Fostri up, the Korok not waking at the disturbance. The champions aren't around… I wonder if they're sleeping, he thought as he held the slate in his hand and opened it to the map screen. He maximized the screen and scrolled until he saw Rito village, tapping on the Akh Va'quot shrine when he minimized the screen.

He closed his eyes as the blinding blue of Sheikah technology covered him, opening them again when the biting cold of Rito Village met his skin. Behind him, he could faintly hear Kass playing on his concertina, playing a tune he'd normally play when he had nothing else to play. Fostri stirred and turned his head to look up at Link before moving to look around them. "Where're we?" He asked and slowly floated up to rest on Link’s shoulder.

"We're at Rito Village. I'm waiting for the others to wake up before doing anything," he quietly explained and turned around to watch Kass play. The bard was facing the setting moon, playing a melancholic tune. "Want to meet one of my best friends?" He asked the Korok, leaning against the railing of the landing. The wind was calm but there was still a chill in the air, enough to make Link think about putting on the circlet. Though the rising sun would be enough to warm him in a few hours, he just had to wait a while.

Fostri nodded and draped himself over Link’s shoulder, content to be drug around while he dozed off. Link smiled and stayed where he was for a few moments before pushing himself to stand, making his way to where the bard continued playing. Kass must've heard Link as he turned around, the music filling the air coming to a halt. "Link! It's so good to… see you?" Kass almost questioned, faltering when he turned to look at Link completely. Link tilted his head slightly, wondering why the Rito was confused.

Revali appeared behind Kass, almost startling Link enough for him to jump. "You know us Rito can see forest children right? It's not uncommon for us to be born with that ability, though usually fledglings are the ones who can see them as the ability fades with age." Revali explained, lazily looking around the area.

Link perked up and grabbed the Korok off his shoulder, holding him up for Kass to see. Said Korok gave a chime of discomfort, being abruptly woken and dangled like a toy. "You can see him?" He asked with childish glee, glancing at the Korok to make sure he wasn't accidentally hurting it. Maybe later if I can get Kass to watch over him I can visit Teba for an hour or two.

"Ah, I wasn't sure if you were aware he was there. Yes, I can see the forest child." Kass answered, setting his concertina on his belt as he didn't need it now. He hesitantly held two feathered hands out to hold the Korok, letting the leafy body rest on his feathers. Fostri protested at the movement, letting little chimes out as he fought to get comfortable again.

Link smiled at the sight, itching to grab his slate and snap a picture of the two. "We met a few days ago, he wanted to come along with me on my adventures so I allowed him to!" Link excitedly explained, though the excitement died down when he looked back at Revali and remembered why they were there. "I have to go talk with Kaneli, but I'll come back when we're done! He should be awake by the time we're done talking so you two can have a proper introduction," Link explained and walked towards the Rito, intending to get a hug from the bard before walking off to his inevitable doom. That, and it was starting to get a little too cold for his liking. Kass happily indulged him, carefully moving the Korok to one feathered hand and wrapping the other around Link.

The two stayed like that until the telltale clack of multiple talons hitting wood was heard. "I take it that's my cue to leave. It was nice seeing you Kass," Link said gratefully and bumped his head against Kass’s chest. He gently grabbed Fostri from Kass and cradled the Korok to his chest, waving to the fledglings who were now moving onto the platform.

"We haven't been here in a while, I hope that seagull’s taken care of my flight range while we were gone," Revali said as he materialized next to Link, making the Hylian jump in surprise.

"Stop doing that. Hylia, you guys pick the worst time to come out." He huffed in annoyance before continuing, "where are the others? Are they in my soul?" He asked as he began making his way up the steps of Rito village. Saki passed him and gave him an excited wave, getting one in return. She always made time for him, whether it was a simple wave and smile or a short conversation.

"Urbosa is still resting but Mipha and Daruk are somewhere within the village. I think they said they were heading up to Vah Medoh." The Rito explained as he lazily looked around. "They're probably looking over it now, so we can get right to work when you're done."

Link nodded and put Fostri on his shoulder again as they came upon more Rito walking around. The Korok, more awake than he was moments ago, held itself on his shoulder.. "Hopefully this won't take long, Kaneli seems docile enough to not put up much of a fight." Link muttered to the Rito, waving hello to Harth as he passed the Rito's roost. Harth barely gave a wave back as he was busy fixing a bow. I'll have to talk to him about getting more bowstrings, a few bows I have need restringing.

Link stopped walking when he didn't hear the sound of talons hitting wood following after him, pausing before he began climbing the last staircase. "Revali?" He called out as he looked behind him, noticing the Rito was looking at the landing next to them with a melancholic look.

What is he- oh. Link thought as he noticed which landing was next to them. Revali's Landing. "You know, I wasn't liked much among my nestmates. I was born too young to play with those in my year and too old to play with the ones under. Who'd think, a hundred years later and dead, I'd finally get the approval I've always wanted." He said bitterly, glaring at the landing with hatred only a dead man could harbor.

Link frowned and got off the steps. "If it makes you feel better, back when you were alive I admired your skills." Link said and moved closer to the Rito Champion, looking over the landing with him. "I know I didn't show it- or at least I don't think I did. But I was envious of your skills. I spent a week trying to master the bow but no matter what, I couldn't." Link said without thinking. Huh, he doesn't remember getting that memory.

Revali looked down at the Hylian in shock. "You… you did? I thought you were a stuck-up brat who only cared about himself and the Princess."

"Well, when the weight of a whole kingdom rests on your shoulders, you quickly learn to be quiet and endure the envy or give in and have your reputation ruined." He joked, but he wasn't sure where these feelings of hatred were coming from. He never hated his circumstances before. "Let's- let's go... see Kaneli," he uttered and almost stumbled as he turned around. But it was too late. The memory was already flashing in front of him.

He was with Revali in a forest clearing. Princess Zelda, Princess Mipha, Chieftess Urbosa, and Chief Daruk were faintly seen in the background, talking with each other and setting up camp. The Rito Champion was with Link and was boasting about his bow skills. "I'll have you know, I can shoot five arrows in one shot. And I won't miss a single target." He bragged, pulling out his famed Eagle Bow and praising the craftsmanship. I wish I could shoot as well as him… If only I had more free time to practice my shooting. Link thought as he watched the Rito. Revali has been at this for almost an hour, seeming to taunt the silent knight. Finally, Link had enough. He stood up abruptly and grabbed his own bow, a simple knight's bow he requested some months ago.

He made sure Revali was watching as he pointed to a few trees in the distance and readied his bow. He took out five arrows from his quiver and, after a steadying breath, shot each arrow in quick succession. Each arrow hit its intended target, sending the Rito Champion into a fit of disbelief.

Link let out a sharp breath as the memory passed over him. "...nk? ink? Link!?" Revali panicked, waving a feathered hand over Links’ face. Said Hylian hummed in response, leaning heavily on the fence. Weird… usually his memories didn't come with thoughts. "Honestly, are you even listening to me? Hello?" Revali snapped, covering his growing panic with snark.

"...hm? …Yeah… yeah I'm listening. I hear you, stop yelling," Link mumbled out and half-heartedly swatted at the Rito, glad Harth was too busy not watching him. "Just a memory, everything's fine." He said and straightened himself, almost sending Fostri tumbling off his shoulder. Luckily the Korok was able to keep its grip, just barely managing to catch itself on Links’ shoulder. Right as I'm about to go have an important talk, I get a memory, he thought bitterly and began climbing the stairway again. "I'll explain later," he added when he could tell the Rito was going to ask a question.

Revali huffed and began walking again, walking next to Link. "Fine, but don't think I'll forget." He threatened but was quick to quiet down when Kaneli's roost was in view. Link took a deep breath and walked into the roost.

Kaneli smiled warmly when Link entered the roost, pausing from rocking in his chair to greet the Champion. "Ah, champion descendant! How nice to see you again! I take it you've come to check on Medoh? The beast fired a laser a few days ago and hasn't done much since then, I think it's finally powered down!"

Link almost flinched at the amount of joy he could hear in the Rito's voice. Right… the Rito were grounded while Medoh was in the air. They wouldn't take too kindly to it flying again. "Kaneli, I have important news to tell you-"

"Why of course Champion descendant! What is it? Were you the reason Vah Medoh has turned off?"

"Well yes but-"

"Oh, how wonderful! We should hold a celebration! I'm guessing along with Vah Medoh turning off, you also defeated Calamity Ganon?"

"Yes to that too but Kaneli-"

"Wonderful! Oh, how absolutely wonderful! We most definitely have to host a celebration in your honor now! Oh, how wonderful this is!"

"Kaneli I have something really important to tell you-"

"Yes Champion descendant? Do you have any food allergies? We should get planning right away! Harth! Har-"

"I am King of Hyrule!" Link finally yelled, tired of being interrupted. He froze as he realized how loud he yelled out. Crap, I hope no one heard that. He hoped fervently before continuing to speak. "I apologize for that. As I was saying-"

"Yes yes, I heard you the first time. Congratulations. Now, do you have any food allergies? We will throw a celebration in honor of defeating the Calamity tomorrow!" Kaneli cheered, before shooing Link out of the roost. "Oh, and tell Harth to get in here!"

"I-I'll be back in a month with important information," he managed to get out before the elder shooed him down the stairs. Link glared at the shaking Rito Champion, daring him to say something. Daring him to laugh. "Not. A. Word." He quietly hissed as he began walking to Harth’s roost. He froze as he came upon five Rito staring at him as soon as he made it down the first staircase.

"So your highness, what can we help you with?" Saki teased, a sickly sweet and yet sadistic look on her face.

"Saki, don't." He whined and hid his face as he felt a blush covering his skin. His ears pressed into his skull without his permission, trying to hide them from the embarrassment he felt. "Harth, Kaneli said he wanted to see you," he mumbled out as the villagers laughed at him.

Harth nodded and stood up, placing the bow he was working on on the ground. "Anything else you require your highness?" He teased as he passed Link, bowing ever so slightly.

Link groaned and grabbed his slate, quickly pressing on the Vah Medoh teleporter. "I hate you, I hate you guys so much." He ranted as he disappeared into strings of blue, appearing outside Vah Medoh. Revali was cackling beside him, laughing too hard to even complain about the sudden teleportation. The embarrassment he felt kept him hot enough that even the frigid temperature near Vah Medoh wasn’t enough to cool him down.

Mipha and Daruk jumped as they heard the laughter, turning around to see what the noise was about. "What's so funny?" Daruk asked in confusion, taking the three in. Link was sure his face was still burned red with embarrassment while Revali was laughing so hard he was curling in on himself.

"Not. A. Word." Link threatened, which seemed to make the Rito laugh harder. He huffed as he waited for Revali to calm down, moving instead to check on Fostri. The Korok had fully woken up sometime during his conversation with Kaneli and had kept quiet. Unlike the Rito, he wasn't laughing.

"Well! You see!" Revali cackled, taking deep breaths to calm himself. "The old hoot wasn't giving him the chance to talk so Link here went and screamed to the world that he was King of Hyrule! And that's not the best part- the best part was five other Rito heard him and started calling him highness! Oh, that was amazing, truly amazing!" Revali gasped out, his laughter finally dying down.

Mipha and Daruk let out short laughs themselves, finding joy in teasing their youngest. "Alright, alright. Let's laugh at Link, I get it. Can we get on the stupid bird yet?" He huffed and moved closer to Vah Medoh. "Can you guys please not tell Urbosa about this?"

"Tell Urbosa about what? Tell Urbosa how you screamed to the world that you were King of Hyrule?" Link stiffened as a voice he dreaded hearing spoke from behind him, slowly turning around to face the person. There, standing behind him, was Lady Urbosa, Chieftess and Champion of the Gerudo. The rising sunlight illuminated her golden-red hair along with the deep brown of her sun-kissed skin. Her sky blue skirt danced in the wind, following a melody only the breeze could hear. And her face… her face was plagued with the ugly smirk of a smug bastard.

Link hissed and marched over to Vah Medoh, getting in position to activate Revali's gale. "Shut up and get me in this stupid bird," he grumbled out. Much like Vah Naboris, Vah Medoh was drooping over and deactivated. Its wings were almost folded into its chest and its head was hanging so low it almost looked like it would fall off.

Revali took a few moments to calm down before he threw his wings open to create a gale. Much like last time, this gale sent him much higher than he needed to go. He was sent flying over the top of Vah Medoh, affectionately called Med sometimes, where he could see the green backside of the beast. Remembering the beast's back entrance, Link steered the paraglider so he could land near the control unit. Much like Naboris' unit, Medohs was no longer alight. Link looked back to the Zora and Goron champions, raising an eyebrow at them when they continued to let out an occasional laugh. "Alright, what needs to be fixed up?"

And so, the six of them then went to work on repairing Medoh, the occasional laugh ringing out from within the beast. Around nine-thirty pm, there was a soft flapping of wings and the sound of something landing on Vah Medoh. Link looked to Revali, who headed up to check who it was. It only took the Rito a minute to come back, a confused look on his face. "It's the bard," he said when he came back to where Link was. Said Hylian was currently in one of the rooms in Medoh's wings, trying to fix the broken window. He nodded and made his way up to Medoh's back, wondering what Kass could possibly want.

"I swear to Hylia if this is about earlier," he grumbled as he climbed up the beast’s walls. It was difficult to get anywhere, multiple times Link had to rely on Revali's gale to lift him to the beast’s back so he could get somewhere. That's how Link found himself almost thirty feet in the air, looking down at the blue Rito bard. "I'll be down in a second!" He called as he closed his paraglider, falling a few feet before opening the contraption again. "Hey, Kass! Did you need something?" He asked once he finally touched the back of Vah Medoh, putting the glider back in his slate once his feet were on the gorund.

Kass smiled at Link and enveloped the Hylian in a hug, his feathered wings providing a warmth Link hadn’t known he needed. Link hugged back, though he wondered what prompted the hug. Kass must've seen the confusion in Link’s face, explaining, "after you disappeared, everyone was worried that they had taken the joke too far. They've been looking for you all day." He loosened the hug, allowing Link to step back when he wanted to.

Link looked up at the bard and hugged him tighter for a moment, before stepping away. "I've been here with Medoh the whole day. Me and the- the forest child have been repairing it. It's probably repaired enough that it can be turned on today," Link thought aloud as he mentally went over the various repairs he'd done. Medoh was much less damaged than Naboris was, though the outside had more wear than the inside did. "I'm sure if I fixed up the control unit a bit more, I could have Med running again."

Kass gave Link a concerned look. "Are… are you sure that's wise? Vah Medoh could still be under Ganon's control. Wouldn't it be better to have the Princess or someone more familiar with the beast look over it?" He questioned, looking down at Medoh with uncertainty. While the Rito trusted Link, he wasn't sure it was a good idea to reawaken the beast, especially after what it had done to the Rito while it was running.

Stiffening, Link turned away from Kass. "Right, I forgot. Kaneli didn't give me time to explain, so you didn’t hear." He started bitterly, preparing himself to explain what happened. This was Kass, the most reasonable person he knew! Kass would never judge him for protecting Hyrule...would he?

"After I defeated Calamity Ganon I was able to rescue the Princess’s body. Only her body. She was able to help me one last time in defeating Ganon but was already dead by the time I was able to defeat it. Meaning, the Princess is no longer alive. I learned from Lady Impa of the Sheikah that the Princess had plans for me to be king if she ever died. Kind of morbid to think about. She knew she would die so she made plans for Hyrule to be taken care of." He tried to keep his tone level as he explained, eyes firmly planted on the land he was responsible for. If his voice wobbled a few times as he spoke, no one mentioned it.

The land he would gladly die for again. He could barely see anything in the darkness of the night as well as being so high up, but he could see Hyrule Castle. The once-menacing building now held a certain air around it. With the Calamity no longer surrounding it, Link could see the building's age, could see the scars this whole mess had left on it. The green fields were barely seen over the harsh cliffs and mountains, covering the softness of the land he's grown to love.

"So no, we can't wait for the Princess to look over the beast, but I can get someone to come out and look over them in a few weeks. Someone who knows the beasts better than I do. For now, I'm only fixing them enough to check to see if the beast can still be turned on, but I'll do that tomorrow seeing how late it is."

Silence followed the explanation. Kass must've understood he hit a nerve as he didn't say anything, instead unbuckling his concertina and playing a familiar melody. The melody of his teacher's last song. Kass hummed along with the melody, wrapping Link in a blanket of comfort he so desperately needed.

No! I can't cry! I've already cried enough, I can't cry anymore, it's not kingly behavior.

"Kass?" Link quietly asked a few minutes later, sitting down and leaning against the bard's legs.

"Yes, Link?" He asked, looking down at the Hylian he's grown to think of as his fledgling.

"Can… Can I talk to you? About that day? You don’t have to listen to me, I should probably talk with Impa about this but I don’t think she’d understand. Not that I think you’ll understand any better but-”

He was cut off when Kass sat down next to him, letting the Hylian lean against his shoulder instead. “It’s okay Link, I’ll listen to whatever you want to tell me. You can tell me everything or you can tell me nothing. I will be here for you.” Kass said, placing his concertina on his lap and wrapping a feathered arm around his shoulders. Link leaned into Kass, closing his eyes as he took in the scent of feathers and wind.

“I loved her, Kass. I loved her and she loved me. And I couldn’t save her. The one person I loved, and I couldn’t save her. If I can’t save the one person I love, how can I save the whole kingdom I love? I already failed this kingdom once, what if I fail everyone again? I don’t know what to do Kass, why did she choose me?" Link cried out, squeezing his eyes shut as the tears began making pathways down his cheeks. He tried so hard not to cry and here he was, crying like a baby in front of one of his best friends.

Kass didn't answer him, only wrapping his wing tighter around the Hero. "I think you'll make an excellent king, Link. I'm sure the Princess left this all to you because she trusted you to make the right decisions for this kingdom. You won't fail this kingdom again because everyone here loves you. If you need help, I'm sure anyone would be willing to help you; be it construction, planning, repopulating, agriculture, or simply offering a warm bed for the night. You're not alone on this Link. You have a whole kingdom behind you, a whole kingdom willing to help you with anything you need."

Kass moved back slightly, making Link look up at him. A few tears escaped as his eyes were no longer holding them back. "You're not alone, Link. You'll never be alone again." He firmly stated, waiting until Link stopped crying to pull him into another hug.

While the two hugged and cried, the four Champions sat a distance away, giving the two privacy. "Would you look at that, it seems like I don't need to waste an arrow on making him cry out his emotions."

"Revali, shut up, please."

"Let him be Red, I'm sure Blue Jay’s trying to keep his own tears at bay."

"I am NOT about to cry! If anything, I'm about to laugh at his weakness!"

"But weren't you the one who always got concerned when he got a new memory?"

"The big guy’s got a point, you were the last one to stop being concerned over him whenever he got a memory."

"S-Shut up! I was only- huh?" Revali stopped himself, looking over at Kass and Link when he noticed something odd. Kass was handing Link what looked like a necklace made of rope. There were three thick coils of rope tied into the main coil, each delicately braided, though the braided rope was hidden behind beautiful feathers colored the shades of sunset yellow. The necklace- no. Revali knew what that was.

Kass held out the hair ornament, holding it up for Link to see. "I'd like to tell you a story, Link. Back when the Rito were coming to terms with the rest of Hyrule, there was a Hylian. Some stories say his name was Coron, some say his name was Dampé and some say his name was Frejor.”

"In the tales where he's named Coron, he was a Hylian born with the love of flight. He'd spend days with the Rito, watching them fly and soar through the clouds. One day a monster, one we could compare to a Lynel, appeared too close to Rito village. Coron risked his life defending the village and successfully defeated the monster. Goddess Nayru looked down at Coron and gifted him the power of flight with a single feather colored after his Rito soul. While wearing the feather, Coron could turn into a Rito like he desperately desired. So the first story goes at least.”

"In the tales where he's named Dampé, he was much the same as Coron. Born with the love of flight and risking his life to defend the village he loved. But instead of succession without fail, he fell along with the monster. Goddess Farore looked down at the valiant hero and forged his soul into the shape of a feather where it would be reborn into the body of a Rito.”

"Finally, In the tales where he's named Frejor, he was a Hylian who hated the Rito. He would go out of his way to sneer at them and insult them. Goddess Din became insulted for her sister's creations so she cursed him with becoming the very thing he hated. Only when he removed the single cursed feather would he become Hylian again, but the cursed feather was tiny and difficult to locate. He plucked himself free of every feather but could not find the cursed one. Only when he spent years with his Rito body did he realize where the feather could be hidden, but by then he came to appreciate the race he had been cursed as."

As Kass explained the stories, he gently placed the hair ornament on Link’s head. He splayed the golden feathers of the ornament far enough apart that they could be mistaken for hair. "Kass- that's a great story but what's the reason for this gift?" Link asked, sitting still as the Rito prettied him up.

Pleased with how his work looked, Kass sat next to Link again. "Ever since then, whichever story you choose to believe, it has become a sacred honor for a Rito to bestow a feather ornament onto a Hylian. If a Rito gifts a Hylian a feather ornament in the colors of their Rito soul, which means that that Rito thinks of that Hylian not as a Hylian, but as an honorary Rito."

Link looked at Kass, tears gathering in his eyes again. "Kass, you don't mean that. You don't want me to be a part of your race, tell me you're joking." He almost pleaded, wishing this was a dream. He loved the Rito, he was incredibly honored to be considered one of them, but he wouldn't let them take him in, not when he was such a failure. He couldn't let them take in a failure that would only bring problems. "You can't possibly want me to be a part of your flock, I'm a failure to Hyru-!"

He was cut off when warm, inviting feathers wrapped around him, once again enveloping him in a hug. Kass is good at giving hugs."Welcome to the flock, Link. You'll always have a home here in Rito village."

The two stayed like that for a few more minutes, long enough for Link’s stomach to growl. He apologized, embarrassed that his forgotten lunch break caused a disturbance to a peaceful moment.

"Not to worry, Amali and Saki prepared dinner for you. It's in the kitchen. Saki also wanted to give you something." Kass explained, releasing Link from his hug of death. Link nodded, stepping back from the Rito.

"Thank you, Kass, I'll make sure to go see them. It was nice seeing you again," he smiled at the bard. He was truly blessed to know such wonderful people.

Giving the Hylian a once over, Kass nodded before turning around, wings spread as he prepared to take off. "It was nice seeing you again, Link. I'll see you tomorrow." The Rito gave one last smile before tipping off the side of Vah Medoh. Link hurried over to the side and watched as Kass glided down to Rito village, lazily spiraling to wherever he planned to land.

"Excuse me, but is no one going to talk about what we just saw?" He heard a startlingly bold voice ask from behind him

Link jumped and turned around, all four Champions were staring at him. "What do you mean?" He asked, moving away from the edge of Vah Medoh.

He was given flat glances, even Mipha gave him a look that seemed to say, 'you can't be that dense.' "Kass gave you a sacred treasure and you don't want it?!" Revali exploded, his feathers puffed up in irritation. "This sacred tradition that hasn't been performed in almost two hundred years and you! You're so selfish to not accept it?!"

"Now now boys, let's calm down and talk things through," Urbosa warned and gave the two stern glances.

"No Urbosa! I'm tired of him breaking our traditions and cultures! First, he broke the Gerudo law, then he wore Mipha's proposal without giving an answer, then he cheated at the Goron race, and now he's refusing a sacred gift?!" The Rito fumed, turning his wrath to Urbosa before switching back to his original prey.

"I was willing to put up with it when the others didn't mind but I won't stand for you to go and do what you want with my traditions! Why don't you want to be accepted into this flock?! Can't you see they love you?!" Revali screamed, his feathers puffed up so much he almost looked threatening. His face was now pointed downward, hiding the vulnerable look on his face. His flock never cared for him the same as this flock cared for Link and here he was, throwing away the opportunity to have a family because he was selfish and could only think of himself!

"I don't want to stain their flock with my failure. I already failed Hyrule and everyone in it, I don't want these guys to unknowingly take in a failure." He tried explaining again. Why could no one understand him? He couldn't let these innocent Rito take in the person who doomed Hyrule!

"They don't care about that, you idiot! You told that bard all of this and he still welcomed you in! The children look up to you! Saki and Amali give you food and clothes every time you visit! Harth always helps you take care of your bows! Bedoli and Larissa always sing their family song whenever you ask them to! Teba stayed around a few minutes after you boarded Medoh to make sure you were okay! They know you failed Hyrule and they still want you to join them! Stop thinking about yourself, for one goddess damned second, and think about the others around you. For once, push yourself to the back of your mind and push this village to the front of it!" A cracked voice marked the end of the sentence, flickering flames surrounding the angered spirit.

Right, he was only a spirit, destined to watch the world rot away into nothing with his only connection to the living being one Hylian. One selfish Hylian. "If you don't want to accept the gift because of yourself then fine, but accept it for the village. Accept it for the flock that wants you," Revali whispered before disappearing. Links soul felt a little heavier, a little more full of guilt than usual.

Mipha frowned and floated over to Link, a cold, ghostly hand resting just above his shoulder. "Don't worry, give him some time to calm down. Though it would do both of you good to apologize to each other when he comes out." She advised, her soft voice holding a stern tone to it. She glanced over her shoulder, sending a look over to the two champions behind her.

"I'll go get the forest child, we'll be back in a few minutes," Daruk stated, disappearing in a flash of teal flames.

A gentle shake of red caught his attention, making him turn to look at the Gerudo Chieftess. "While he was in the wrong for blowing up, he was correct on one aspect. You've broken many of our traditions and laws, though we have been able to overlook them as they weren't major or harming anyone. You should be more careful about each race's culture, things like this could start wars."

The three stood in tense silence as they waited for Daruk and Fostri to return. Link held a hand up to his hair and ran a gentle finger over the braided ropes, his hand tensing when it drifted to the three feathers that lay in one of the coils. Was he selfish? Would they really accept him?

He was startled out of his thoughts when an unexpected weight rested on his shoulder. He looked over and saw Fostri holding the Sheikah Slate, staring at Link’s hair. Daruk most likely told him of what happened as the Korok didn't say anything about the feathers. Link stretched his arms above his head, satisfying cracks sounding from most of his cramped limbs. He took the slate from Fostri and grabbed his paraglider before sticking it back on his hip. "Hold on tight, I'm going to jump off." He warned his Korok companion as he untied and retied the fabric of the glider. He wasn't sure if it would survive the fall. Maybe if he opened it at the last second?

Taking a quick glance at the remaining Champions, he got a running start before jumping off Vah Medoh. He let the air rip around him, his hair and clothes having a violent dance with the wind. As the ground came closer and closer, Link briefly imagined what it would feel like to die, permanently. He harshly shook those thoughts away, he could think them later when he wasn't about to become a pancake without a pan or cake. Besides, Mipha’s Grace was charged up, she wouldn’t let him die. Throwing open his paraglider, he slowly descended the last few feet he needed. Revali's Landing stood underneath him, the wood creaking under the newly added weight.

The paraglider in his hands broke as soon as he was safely on the ground. One of the support beams was snapped cleanly in half, the cloth almost falling off the opposite support beam. Link stared in shock at the now broken paraglider, the first gift he was ever given. He hesitantly ripped the cloth off the support beams and put it in his slate, wondering if the beams could be fixed, or at least repurposed. He ended up putting them in his slate too in case they had a use, something more than firewood. The cloth, he figured, could be used as a bandana or pillow cover.

The champions were quiet as he walked down the stairs to the communal kitchen, most Rito were asleep in their roosts. When he walked into the kitchen he was met with two very sleepy Rito and a warm smell in the air. "Hi Saki, hi Amali." He quietly greeted, hyper-aware of the five sleeping fledglings next to him. The two Rito chirped soft replies, the greener of the two sat up slightly and smiled at him.

"Eat dinner, we kept it warm for you. We knew you'd be back late," Amali motioned a wing to the crackling fire underneath the cookpot. The cookpot held what looked to be three servings of creamy seafood soup. The exact amount I usually eat, he thought as he got a bowl, ladle, and spoon off the cutlery shelf.

He had begun serving himself when he paused and looked up. "Are you two going to eat too?" He asked when he realized they may have made enough for all three of them to eat. Maybe Revali was right and I am selfish. I should stop thinking that everything is about me-

Amali shook her head, hiding a yawn behind a feathered hand. "We already ate, that's for you. You usually eat three servings so we made enough for you," she explained as she cuddled up to Saki, prepared to doze off again. Link was more than happy to leave the two to sleep, intending to wake them up when he was done.

Rito prefer to cuddle with strangers than sleep alone. Most Rito couples will share a hammock and siblings will sleep together when they outgrow their fledgling hammock. He recited, unaware of when he learned this information, but glad to have it. He was quick to finish his dinner, setting the dirty dishes in his slate and taking them out again. Setting the now clean dishes back on the shelf, he debated whether he should wake the two or not. Link decided not to wake them up, figuring they would rather be well-rested.

Link did, however, nudge Amali awake to tell her where he would be. It took a few gentle nudges before the Rito was aware of what was happening. "Amali, I'm going to go spend the night at the inn," he whispered so as to not wake the sleeping Rito next to her.

It was so fast that Link almost didn't believe what happened. One second he was kneeling in front of Amali and the next he was wrapped in an armful of feathers, his body half laying on Saki and half on Amali. "Why waste money when you could sleep with us. After all, Rito aren't shy about sleeping with each other." She said as she got comfortable, wrapping one arm around Links back and resting the other over his legs. Saki automatically readjusted herself too, resting both her wings on the legs that sat on her lap.

"Wait Amali, it's fine I can spend the night at the inn. You don't have to do this," he struggled to get up. The wings did a good job at pinning him down.

Amali ignored him in favor of running her beak over Link’s hair, careful of his new hair accessory. "Good night, Link," she chirped before laying her head over Links.

Said Hylian froze, wondering if what happened was real. He looked down at Fostri who managed to sneak his way into Link’s lap, curling up to sleep. Effectively trapped, Link had no choice but to fall asleep with the two Rito.

---

When he woke up, he was still trapped underneath surprisingly heavy wings. He shifted and looked around at his surroundings, blinking when he noticed Teba, Kass, and Harth were also in the building. The three Rito were quietly chatting with each other, Teba or Kass occasionally glancing back at the three of them. Link remained leaning against Amali, too comfortable to bother getting up. He glanced down when he felt something move, noticing Fostri was beginning to wake up. He rested his hand against Fostri, feeling the Korok grab his finger as he woke up more.

"And after I sang him the song, he disappeared for a few minutes before coming out of the forest riding a buck as big as him," Kass said, eliciting quiet laughs from not only Teba and Harth, but also Saki and Amali who had woken up without Link realizing.

"Back when he went up to defeat Vah Medoh, I almost didn't want to leave him up there. He's still barely a fledgling and the thought of someone so young taking down that beast? I can't believe I let myself leave that day." Link heard Teba say. Did Teba think he was weak enough to fall to Windblight?

"Well that test you gave him wasn't much. Honestly, dear, even Tulin could shoot twenty arrows in three minutes. Especially with how skilled Link is, I'm not surprised he managed to shoot twenty targets in half a minute." Saki disapprovingly chirped, her feathered hands rubbing circles over Links ankles.

He shifted around and let out a quiet groan, pretending that he was just waking up. Better to let them think he hadn't heard them. Fostri looked up at him before floating up from his lap, dancing over until he rested on Kass' shoulder. The bard didn't seem to mind, barely glancing at the Korok as he watched Link. Amali peered down at him, her yellow eyes keeping contact with his blue ones. "Good morning Link," she greeted and gently knocked her beak against Link’s cheek. He unconsciously returned the affection, knocking his temple against her feathered cheek.

'Good morning's were passed around as Link sat up, saying good morning back to everyone. "Why's everyone gathered here? You guys eat breakfast at different times." He asked, hiding a yawn behind his hand. Amali gently pushed Link out of her lap, helping him stand up. Sleeping on Amali's lap was surprisingly comfortable, he felt more rested than he's ever been.

"We wanted to check in on you. Kass told us what happened and we got worried," came Harth’s blunt reply. Blinking in surprise, Link looked over at Kass to see the blue Rito giving Harth the most disappointed look he's ever seen.

Making sure his slate was still on his hip, Link rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. What did today's plans look like? A quick breakfast- hopefully, then try to turn Medoh on. Oh, and apologize to Revali whenever he decided to come out. Speaking of Revali, where are the other Champions? He wondered silently before turning to the five Rito. "What did Kass tell you?" He hoped Kass hadn't told them everything.

"He told us everything."

Dammit. "Everything? As in, everything, everything?" He asked to double check. No harm in knowing what they know. He should also think of what time he wanted to leave. Medoh was basically fixed up, so he could leave as soon as he turned it on, if he wanted to.

"We know about the Princess's death, and we know you blame yourself for it. But Link, that's not your fault. If anything, it's the fault of the past king. He sent the princess and the past hero to their deaths. None of this has, or will ever be your fault, Link." Teba reassured and walked closer to Link, wings open to give him a hug.

Link looked at Kass incredulously. He tells them everything except perhaps the most important piece of information? Link almost opened his mouth to tell them the truth, when Revali appeared next to Teba, a sharp feeling echoing in his chest at the Champion's return. "Don't, Link. Rito are close minded, they wouldn't react well if you told them you were the original Champion. It was honestly a surprise how quick they were to accept you as king, my flock never would have accepted that." Revali huffed, looking around the kitchen at the five Rito.

Defeated, Link allowed himself to be hugged again. Cursed Rito and their need to hug someone, he mentally huffed as he allowed himself to relax in the embrace. Hey, it was still a hug. He'd get those whenever he could.

"What are your plans for today Link? Heading back up to Vah Medoh?" Kass asked as he plated- were those simmered fruits? When were those put to cook? The Champion wondered as Teba released him from his hold and sat down next to Saki, the two nuzzling each other. Fostri floated off Kass' shoulder and moved to Link’s, sitting and leaning against his head. Kass passed a bowl of the fruit to Link, grabbing another bowl to plate more fruit.

Link held his breakfast and sat down next to the fire, enjoying the heat that radiated from it. "Well, I fixed up Vah Medoh enough to where I think it'll run again. So I plan to turn it on, do some last minute repairs then head over to Death Mountain to see the Gorons." He explained as he took a bite of the fruit. Wild berries, apples and spicy peppers, he hummed internally as he took in the flavor of the fruit. The sweetness of the berries and apples covered the spiciness of the peppers while still allowing them to warm him up.

"Oh no you don't! You're staying for lunch at the very least!" Saki stated, a frown on her beak. Upon noticing Link’s shocked expression, she continued. "We haven't seen you in ages, at least stay for lunch when you're done with that beast."

Shocked, Link was only able to nod in agreement. "A-Alright, I'll be back for lunch." He promised, reminding himself to come back for lunch. It took Link fifteen minutes to finish his breakfast, and he was quick to excuse himself when he was done, placing all the dirty dishes in his slate and taking them out again.

"Revali? I'm sorry, for last night." He said when the two of them were alone next to Vah Medoh. "I didn't-"

Revali cut him off, an annoyed sigh leaving the Rito. "Don't. I shouldn't have blown up on you like that, I was annoyed but not at you."

"Why were you annoyed?"

It was quiet for a few seconds. Link wondered if he should've kept his mouth shut when Revali spoke again. "My flock was never accepting of me, I always had to push myself for the smallest bit of praise. But here, you have such a loving flock that accepts whatever you say without question. They trust you. I guess… you rejecting them angered me and I blew up." He explained, becoming visibly upset before straightening again.

"I shouldn't have pressured you to accept the gift, that was wrong of me. But don't take this as an apology, I'm simply telling you why I was upset." He huffed and turned away from Link.

A few seconds passed before a muffled laugh sounded from Link. "You have a talent for making an apology sound like an insult. I'm sorry for insulting your tradition, I'll be more careful about each race’s traditions in the future. Now, how am I supposed to get up there?" Link thought out loud. His paraglider was broken and he didn't have a fabric strong enough to withstand Revali's gale.

Fostri, who had been a little angel, spoke up this time. "That pink Rito put something in your slate before you woke up. She said it was a gift she meant to give you last night." He said and floated off Links shoulder, bouncing his way over to the Rito Champion where he proceeded to circle around Revali's head.

The slate couldn't leave his hip fast enough. Saki had taken his Sheikah Slate? He turned the slate on, immediately noticing the new item in his inventory. It was a new paraglider! Link gasped in shock, taking the glider out and holding it in front of him, slate shoved back on his hip.

This paraglider looked the same as his old one, the only difference was in the color. While his first one was maroon and white, this new one was a seamless blend of white to red. There had to have been some kind of dying process involved, there’s no way anyone would be able to cleanly combine these different colored fabrics together like this! The pattern of the original cloth stayed the same, a sorta moon shape in between two wings. The color stayed the same too, if a few shades lighter. There were seven different patterns on the moon and wings, each with different degrees of detailing. Whoever made the cloth itself clearly hadn’t created the seven different embroiders on the cloth.

Link stood in stunned silence, taking in the beautiful cloth in front of him. "Remind me to ask Saki what her favorite object is so I can get it for her." He was almost scared to use this paraglider. What if he broke it? Revali didn't give him the chance to doubt himself, creating a gale underneath Link and sending him skyward.

The glider caught the updraft and carried him up. The wooden beams felt smooth under the pressure but he could still keep a firm grip on them. In fact, this glider felt more secure than his old glider! Fostri laughed as he grabbed onto Link’s back at the last minute, his Snowquill Tunic whipping around in the air.

Eventually, Link landed on the back of Vah Medoh, the new glider safely put back into his slate. He held the slate up to the control unit, looking back to Revali. "You ready?" He asked the Rito Champion, receiving a scoff in response.

"Of course I'm ready. Seeing Urbosa mingle with Naboris has prepared me as much as possible. Get it over with so we can be done."

Link slid the slate over the control unit. The three of them waited in tense silence as Medoh refused to wake up. Oh no, did I do something wrong? Link panicked, staring down at the control unit.

An irritated huff was heard behind him, causing Link to turn around. "Wake up Vah Medoh, quit being lazy and wake up." Revali ordered, glaring at the head of the beast. Link almost thought it wouldn't work until Vah Medoh let out a cry. He stumbled back, the ground under him shuddering slightly with the weight of turning on. "How long do you think it'll take until a Rito flies up here and sees what's going on?" A bold, feminine voice said behind him.

"Five minutes, tops. Better question is, who will come up." A jovial and loud voice replied, followed by a softer, gentler voice.

"I think Teba will check. After all, he was the one who helped take it down."

"Are you three really making a bet right now? Ridiculous." Revali shook his head, "I think that bard will show up in a minute." He smirked before he disappeared in teal flames, though those disappeared soon after as well. The sound of wings flapping was heard after a minute, the minimal wind making the sound stand out.

Teba was the one who showed up, concern and suspicion on his face. "Link! Is everything ok? Why did Vah Medoh turn on again?" He asked and stayed far enough away to see both Vah Medoh and Link.

"Looks like Mipha guessed correctly."

"Yes, but Revali guessed when he'd appear."

"Don't worry Teba, I turned Vah Medoh on. I'll turn it off again before lunch, I wanted to see if it would actually work." Link explained, ignoring the Champions conversation. Did they do this sort of stuff all the time?

Teba looked unsure before nodding and backing away from the divine beast. "Alright, make sure you turn it off before lunch." He reminded before flying away, glancing over his shoulder once as he left.

With five hours to kill, the Champions, Fostri and Link played games and told stories around the control unit.

#AKiNWHP #legend of zelda #linked universe fanfic #zelda fic #i remember having so much fun writing this chapter #and the second hand embarresment i got during that one scene #the legend of zelda fanfiction #the legend of zelda #botw fanfic #botw fic #lu wild #linked universe wild

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pupika-samika · 17 days

Text

A King is Nothing Without His People

Chapter 9

Dive into the Unknown

CW: None

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Spoiler alert. It did not work out. At least, not how Link hoped it would. He could have predicted about a hundred things happening before he predicted what was currently happening! He stood in front of King Dorephen and Prince Sidon, mouth much too dry considering where he was. "W-What did you say?" The two Zora towered over him, making the mighty hero feel small and powerless. A mere worm compared to the giant sharks in front of him. They- he can't be serious? There's no way she planned this far!

Link looked over at Mipha, the small Zora standing next to her younger brother. She looked surprised as well but unlike Link, she was much better at hiding it.

Link looked down at the parchment paper again, letting the words sink in as he memorized the contents. He knew what they said, he knew they were important but he couldn’t get it in his head that it was real. "Father, are you sure about this? This hasn't come to light in over a century, are you sure you still want to honor that kind of contract?" Sidon asked his father, looking as shocked as Link felt.

Now you might be wondering, Link, how did we get to this point? To be quite honest, Link was wondering that himself. It started at 6 am, the time Yunobo woke up. The Goron woke up later than Link, which gave him plenty of time to make breakfast for them both. Two rockroasts for the Goron, and three omelets for the Hylian.

"Good-" a yawn broke through the sentence. "Morning, Goro! Do you always wake up so early?" Yunobo asked as he sat beside Link, picking up one of the offered roasts. The Hylian had to admire Yunobos cheerfulness so soon after waking up, even he didn't feel so happy right after waking up. Link didn't answer the question, instead watching his friend's reaction as he ate the rock.

Yunobo took one bite of the roast and lit up, chewing the rock much more enthusiastically. Taking another, much bigger bite he asked, "woah Link! Where'd you get this roast from, Goro!? It tastes delicious!" He praised, taking more chunks out of the rock.

"Oh I made it. I found the recipe somewhere and wanted to do something nice for you." Link lied. It was much easier saying you found a recipe than explaining you had your friend's dead grandfather explaining how to make it step by step. "Is it really that good? I should've made one for myself."

"It's delicious! Here, you can have the second one! You shouldn't miss out on a meal as good as this! You need strong rocks to grow big and durable, Goro!" Yunobo praised as he held out the rockroast. As tempted as Link was, he had to decline.

With a shake of his head, Link held up a hand to stop the offending rock from entering his personal space. “I already ate Yunobo, but next time I’ll make sure to make one for me too. I made those for you so you should eat them.” He explained, giving his friend a smile. With much convincing, Link was able to get Yunobo to finish both the rockroasts by himself.

They finished eating breakfast at almost 6:30, the perfect time. If he planned everything correctly then his meeting with Dorephen wouldn't take too long. Hopefully less than an hour if it could be helped. Then he could spend the rest of the day in Vah Ruta, maybe spend the night in the machine if-

"Oh, Link! I forgot about the promise I made last night!"

Yunobo cut Link out of his thoughts. Promise? What promise- Oh!

"There's been some really, really strong monsters hanging around lately! They even have gold pelts, it's crazy Goro!"

"What?" Link asked, dumbfounded. Gold pelted monsters? That's ridiculous, there's no way there's golden pelted monsters…Right? "Where are they? I'll see if I can clear them sometime soon."

"We've already gotten rid of most of them, there's just that one Lynel near those whale bones up north but no one ever goes there so it shouldn' be a problem. You shoulda see them Link, Goro! They're so strong, it's takes two Gorons to take down a golden Bokoblin!" Yunobo raved, excitement sparkling over him. If it were any other race, Link might've been worried about how many monsters were in the area. But knowing how strong the Gorons were, Link felt he could put this issue on the backburner. At least for a few days.

Link gave a hum in acknowledgement as he thought over the monsters. He could leave those be for a few days, until the next blood moon. The two spent a few minutes watching the sunrise, the sky becoming more blue and orange then black and red.

“Well, I guess it's time for me to get going. Thank you again for the gift and information Yunobo." Link smiled, briefly glancing at the crimson ribbon inside his slate before switching to his map screen. He wouldn’t wear it now, only because his current hair tie was almost broken. He’d wear the ribbon when the tie finally broke. His fourth hair tie lasted much longer than the others, being bought during the last leg of his quest and seeing less hardship than his other three. "I'll visit again really soon, in about a month. I'll even stockpile on some rock-roasts for everyone to try."

"Be careful, goro. And if you ever need help, I'll be right there! Just- give me a warning if you think you'll need my help with something," he paused, seeming to work himself up to say something. He waited, allowing Yunobo to gather his words. “And Link? You’re always welcomed here. Not just to my house but to the volcano, to the city, goro.”

Blinking in surprise, Link stared at Yunobo. The Goron looked away from him, seemingly embarrassed. “Thank you, Yunobo. I promise to come visit more often.” He promised, shooting a smile at the Goron. Yunobo fidgeted for a few seconds, making Link wonder what else he had to say. “Anything else on your mind?”

It happened so fast that Link thought he had gotten attacked. One second Link was standing, staring at Yunobo with his slate in hand, and the next he was being awkwardly smushed into a rocky chest.

The feeling of being hugged by a talus lasted for only a few seconds, not nearly long enough for Link to wonder if he should hug back. Yunobo let go and pushed Link back, stuttering out apologies for the hug. "I didn’t- I don’t- that was- I’m sorry for-" Yunobo was cut off when Link let out a laugh before giving Yunobo a hug back. While his arms couldn’t reach all the way around, Link hugged the Goron as best as he could.

"If you wanted a hug, you could’ve asked for one, big guy.” He said, not letting go until he felt Yunobo hug him back. “Thank you, Yunobo. For everything you’ve done.” He thanked as he let get of his rocky friend.

Link dragged the cursor over to the Lanayru region, then zoomed in until he saw the Ne’ez Yohma shrine located in Zora's domain.

Yunobo, watching Link get ready to leave, smiled at him. “Make sure you visit soon! We can make rock roasts together!”

"I will. Stay safe Yunobo." Link bided before clicking on the Ne'ez Yohma shrine. He looked down at Fostri, watching as his friend floated up to grab a few strands of his hair. Would that be enough contact to teleport? Hopefully it was because Link already pressed the button.

---

Link's world blipped into millions of blue particles before he was deposited on the base of the Ne'ez Yohma shrine. It had barely been a minute but Link was quickly regretting going from boiling hot to freezing humid. He threw on his Zora armor, barely registering the crimson leather that greeted him until he saw the Zora of the group floating up the overflown, watered stairs. Link looked down at his Zora armor then looked to the others of the group, two of which seemed amused by his silent panic. “Is this too weird? I could go to Hateno and redye it." He offered, feeling like his color choice could have a different meaning other than pretty colors.

"Why change it? You've already shown the Domain. Plus, I think you look good in red." Urbosa complimented, a mischievous smile on her face. Link was not reassured by that smile but seeing as he was already here (and she did have a point. Hell, Dorephen and Sidon said he looked good in red which, now that he thought about it- you know what. He’s just going to stop thinking) and he only had a few days till Impa reached Hateno. He needed to use his quickly dwindling time wisely. An annoyed huff later and he began making his way up the stairs, looking up to the sky. Unlike the first time he had been here, the sky was clear, not a cloud to be seen. The suns’ rays were beating down, gleaming harshly on the water. If he wasn’t here on borrowed time he’d consider going for a swim in such nice weather. Unfortunately, that will have to wait as one of the people he has to meet with is currently bounding his way over to the Hylian.

“Fostri, you can go explore if you want, I’ll come get you when I'm done.” Link quickly and quietly whispered to the Korok who had fixed its seating arrangements and was now sitting on his shoulder. The Korok shook his head, only clinging onto a few strands of hair to voice his refusal.

"I wonder, why does Mr. Link want me to leave so badly?" he started, standing on Link's shoulder to get a better view of the incoming Zora. "Could it be that Mr. Link doesn't want to introduce me to his friend?" He asked almost sadly.

Link sucked in a breath, thoughts conflicting with each other. "It's not that, it's-"

“Link! It’s so good to see you again!” Sidon boomed as he stood near the stairs, shark tail slowly wagging behind him.

“I can’t believe he hasn’t gotten over that habit, it’s been over a century. Surely father would’ve tried correcting him.”

“Well it took you being dead to fully correct that, I’d say it takes time. Even then, sometimes you still wag your tail when-"

“Hey Sidon,” Link greeted his friend, ignoring the loud conversation in front of him. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“It has been! What are you here for today? Some fishing? Do you want to go on a swim? Oh, maybe we can go fight that Lynel up on Ploymus Mountain! I’ve heard from some of the warriors that they’re saying it’s turned into a golden Lynel, that must be exciting to fight! So how about it, Link? What are we doing today?” Sidon excitedly asked, tail swishing faster and stars lighting up in his eyes

Link frowned and looked away from his lo- his friend. With how excited Sidon was, he was beginning to feel guilty about the topic he needed to bring up. "I'd love to but I really need to talk to you and your dad about something. It’s important- I’d rather not talk about it down here.” He explained, motioning around to the very open area they were in.

Sidon momentarily froze, before composing himself. “Ah, this wouldn’t happen to be about why Vah Ruta fired a laser about a week ago, would it?” Sidon asked as he backed up and began walking up to where his father resided. Link followed after him and nodded, idly waving to the shopkeepers and weaving around giggling groups of guppies.

“It is. That’s why I have to talk with your father. And you- since you're a prince. Don’t worry, I’ll answer any questions you have when I’m done.” Please don’t give the sad eyes. Please don’t give me the- damnit Sidon. Link pointedly did not look at Sidon as he could see the slight pout on his face from the corner of his eye. The conversation died out as the two climbed up the overflowing stairs, King Dorephen being easily heard from the bottom of the steps.

The Zora proudly stepped into the chamber, eyes flickering briefly between Muzu, who had already been in the royal chamber, and Link, before greeting his father. “Father, we have a visiter. Link requested a private conversation about Vah Ruta,” Sidon paused, glancing at Muzu. At the older Zora’s refusal to move he added, “he asked it be held privately.” Muzu looked to King Dorephen for permission to refuse but grumpily left when Dorephen asked him to leave. He left the chamber room, grumbling on how he’d be back.

Alright, I got this. Just- explain what happened. It’s not that hard and you’ve done this before… his thoughts trailed off as he saw the expectant look on King Dorophens face. He took a deep breath to steady himself before he started. “A few days ago Vah Ruta fired a laser aimed at the castle. You probably noticed by now that Calamity Ganon isn’t surrounding the castle anymore. That’s because I was able to defeat him with the help of the beasts and the princess, they both had incredibly important roles in the fight. After the battle ended, the princess was infected with too much malice to survive. Her body was safely taken to the place where I was resurrected but only time will tell if she will survive.” He summarized, thinking over if he missed anything.

“Tell them how you're king now- but don’t make a fool of yourself like you did with the Rito.”

“Revali I’m sure he was going to say that next, don’t rush him.”

Link was trying to ignore them, he really was. It was taking everything in him to not turn around and ask what the hell they were talking about this time. He must've made a face as Sidon asked if he was alright. He waved the concern aside, thinking over how to word his next statement.

"During the princess' last moments she had one request for me. She asked that after her death, in her steed I become-"

"King of Hyrule,” King Dorephen cut in. “Ah, such a shame those precautions must be used." He frowned, heaving a sad sigh. Prompted by their confusion he continued, "the princess had come to me over a century ago, months before the Calamity, and asked that I sign a contract with her. If, by some chance, she and her father were to both fall to the Calamity then I was instructed to help the next King of Hyrule. Which would be you, Link. In return I, and by proxy, the Zora, will get more contacts with the other races. Especially the Gorons, us two races have climates that challenge the other so it's difficult to arrange meetings." He rambled on, clearly forgetting the important matter at hand. "I've only met a handful of Gorons in my life, all surely dead by now. The first time I met a Goron was-"

"Father, can you please get back to the topic at hand? You said you formed a contract with the late Princess?" Sidon intercepted, deciding the rambling was not important enough for this conversation.

King Dorephen took a moment to orientate himself, abruptly realizing he had gone off topic. He cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes, as I was saying. The late Princess Zelda had come to me and we signed an agreement. If you'd like to see it, it's in the chest over there," he pointed in the general direction behind his throne. Sidon and Link made their way to the chest, King Dorephen twisting his upper body to watch them. There was indeed a chest behind the throne and inside there was a parchment paper. It was aged and yellowing, plus water damage was clearly eating at the edges. But the ink was still legible. From the signatures to the clause, even the fine print was readable. Link blinked in shock. There wasn't- she couldn't. That was the princesses handwriting, he spent too many nights up late reading her work to not recognize it.

Now that you're all caught up, let's continue.

There Link stood, Link looked down at the parchment paper again, letting the words sink in as he memorized them. He knew what they said, he knew they were important and the signatures weren’t forged but he couldn’t get it in his head that it was real. "Father, are you sure about this? This hasn't come to light in over a century, are you sure you still want to honor this kind of contract?" Sidon asked his father, looking as shocked as Link felt.

"It's a signed contract between two nations. As a King and as a friend of the late Princess it's my duty to not only honor her last wish but her last contract. Besides, no one has as much time nor experience to teach you as I do. So Link, will you allow me to help you? Will you allow me to fulfill the Princess' last wish?" King Dorephen asked, keeping leveled- as leveled as he could- eye contact with Link.

He thought over this… could it even be called an offer? It seemed more like a demand- or even a plea to him. Nonetheless, Link had to accept. Except…

"I'd love to take your help, but Lady Impa from Kakariko already offered to teach me everything. She's headed to Hateno as we speak, she should be there in around five days. I could try to bring her here so you can both teach me at the same time but-" Link started, a slight pressure building behind his eyes as he thought over how to solve this problem. He wasn't even an official King, yet he was already becoming stressed like one. He’ll be grey before he even reaches a hundred and twenty at this rate.

King Dorephen, seeing the spiral Link was headed into, cut him off. "There's no need for that. I'm sure Lady Impa can handle your training on her own. Though, before you leave for your next destination, come back here. I'd like to give you a letter for Lady Impa." He requested. If someone else offered to teach him, especially someone as close to the royal family as Lady Impa, then he figured he could offer some breathing room in his schooling.

Link nodded at the request, figuring it wouldn't be too much of a hassle especially as he would’ve come back before he left to say goodbye. Besides, he couldn’t feel the smallest bit of annoyance when the pressure to learn so much so quickly was lessened slightly. Only slightly. Not a lot. Just by a tablespoon. Or teaspoon? Whichever was smallest.

"Don't worry, Link. Even if this proves too much for you, don't forget that we're here to help you. While you might not have any memories from a hundred years ago we do." Mipha offered comfortingly, a hand moving to rub his arm but stopping just short of touching him. While the comfort never made contact it still did its job in calming him down.

"Thank you for offering to teach me. If I ever need help I'll be sure to come to you. Lady Impa is still a few days away from Hateno so while I'm here can I look at Vah Ruta? I'd like to fix him up a little, just enough to get him running if he needs to."

There was barely a second's hesitation before Dorephen nodded in approval. "I don't see a problem with that. Be careful, some Zora say they hear monsters within the beast. Who knows what's made its way inside since the last blood moon."

With little else to go over, Link was ready to bid his goodbye. “I think that's everything I needed to talk to you about. Unless either of you have anything you want to ask…?” He trailed off, looking between the two Zora to see if they had anything to say. King Dorephen is the one who speaks up, a somber look on his face.

“How did she die?” He asked softly, as if he knew the question could set him off. Sidon yelped out a quiet ‘Father!’ in response to the question, yet they knew he was curious too.

Next to him, Urbosa winced at the question, looking at him with pity. That was a sore subject for everyone, especially with how recent it was. “Well, better to be forward and get a straight answer than dance around the topic and get a misunderstood answer. I’d say that’s a terrible way to deal with a trauma victim but a good way to get information.”

“It’s also a good way to make him cry.”

“You… are an insufferable bastard. Do you know that?”

Setting aside the twos’ bickering- were they always arguing? He’s only had them around for less than two weeks and it’s already gotten old to him, was this what Mipha and Daruk had to deal with for a hundred years? He thought over what Urbosa said, specifically the last part. Him? A trauma victim? He wasn’t a trauma victim! …Whatever trauma was, he wasn’t a victim of it!

“She died- she died in my arms. She was infected with malice and wouldn’t have made it. She begged me to kill her as soon as The Calamity was taken care of. I put her in the shrine I was revived in, so now all that’s left to do is wait and see if that helps her. It may not help her but… I’ll remain hopeful until the end. The shrine worked a miracle once, I’m hoping it can work one more.” Strangely enough, he almost didn’t feel the pain in his chest whenever he thought of Ze- the princess. Nope- he still can’t even think of her name without feeling choked up.

He bit his lip as he waited for someone to speak, anxiously looking between Sidon and Dorephen. The two Zora looked at each other, the two having a silent conversation only heard to them. After waiting a while for either to acknowledge him, he slightly bowed his head and turned around, careful not to make Fostri fall while making his way out of the chamber. Right as he got to the entrance he heard King Dorephan speak up, causing him to pause his walking. “Don’t doubt yourself Link, they would be proud of you. All five of them would be incredibly proud of you, especially her.” He vaguely stated, not specifying who ‘Her’ was. That confused him- which Her was he talking about? He didn’t let himself think over it too hard, letting his body go on autopilot. He heard faint chatter from inside the chamber but he tried not to eavesdrop, he was no longer a part of that conversation.

He idly listened to Mipha talk about Ruta as he pulled out his slate, moving it from the Ne’ez Yohma shrine to the Vah Ruta teleporter. Fostri had sat himself on Link's head, his tiny feet kicking back and forth to keep himself entertained. They occasionally hit Link's forehead but he couldn’t find it in him to care too much.

“I can’t wait to see Ruta again, I’ve missed him terribly these past few weeks. I wonder if-”

"Link! Wait up!” An excited, familiar voice cut the small Zora off. "Link! Would you mind if I accompanied you to Vah Ruta? I would feel awful if you went to fix that beast by yourself while I sat around doing nothing." Sidon had jumped off the top of the stairs and landed slightly in front of Link, easily righting himself.

Link stumbled back as the large Zora jumped in front of him, almost falling over from the surprise greeting. If it wasn't for Sidons hand quickly grabbing his arm he had no doubt he’d be absolutely soaked, more than he already was. Once he could stand on his own he lightly tugged his arm away from the Zora, giving an appreciative smile. “You want to come with me to Ruta? Are you sure?” Though the question was directed at the prince he sent a side glance to the four champions now crowding the two.

“He can come with, you could use the extra set of hands. And it’d do you some good to talk with someone who isn’t dead,” Urbosa pointed out. He didn’t want to admit that she was right. The past few weeks he hasn’t really talked to anyone unless he had to- or they were a ghost who followed him around when he didn’t want them to. He gave the idea a bit more though before reluctantly nodding, Sidon cutting himself off at the action.

“Ok, you can come with me. But it will take us a while to get up there- I usually teleport there but I’ve never brought another person with me.” He explained as he looked over the area surrounding Ruta, his sentence growing quieter as he thought. How long would it take to get up there? He’s never walked up that mountain before, only glided down it and occasionally scaling the smaller cliffs.

Luckily he didn't need to think too hard for too long because the small voice of his best friend piped up. “But Mr. Link, you always teleport me with you. Can't you do the same with Mr. Prince Sidon?"

If Link knew what a lightbulb was there would have been one blinding everyone. Unfortunately I don't think lightbulbs exist in the Zelda universe so a metaphorical torch appeared above his head. Fostri was a genius! Link wanted to send a grateful look his way, to hopefully convey every positive emotion he was feeling, but he thought it'd be weird if he did that in front of Sidon- who he was sure couldn't see the Korok.

"Actually, give me a minute to check something over and I'll take you to Ruta. I'll be back in a little bit, wait for me by the shrine- '' Link quickly told the Prince, pausing just long enough to see the nod of confirmation before he felt the dizzying yet familiar feeling of being stitched and rewoven into reality. He opened his eyes to the sight of Vah Ruta looking worse for wear. He openly frowned at the beast but didn't have the time to openly study it like he wanted.

Faint chatter was heard somewhere off to the side yet he didn't want to eavesdrop. If he was meant to hear that conversation they'd be louder. He gently picked up the Korok from his shoulder and dropped him in the air. A startled yelp was heard before faint twirling replaced it, the Korok holding its trusty leaf to hold him in the air. "That was rude Mr. Link!" Fostri whined, making his way back to Link's shoulder.

"No Fostri, you have to stay here. I don't know how many people I can take at once and I don't want to risk it." He tried reasoning, thinking of anything to try and distract the Korok. "Why don't you go with the others and try to survey the damage? Then I can get to work right away and we can leave sooner. So stay here while I go get Sidon?"

The sound of rushing water, birds and faint chatter was all he could hear for a few moments, the Korok in front of him seemingly deep in thought.

A tiny, reluctant huff sounded from his friend. "I'll stay here, but I expect an apple in return for my troubles Mr. Link!" He said with a laugh and zoomed over to the now hushed group of champions who were openly watching the pair.

I'll bring so many apples. I'll even get the biggest, juiciest ones from the Hateno Orchid. He thought as he went back to the Ne'ez Yohma shrine, double checking that the Korok wasn't going to try and sneak back with him. He closed his eyes as blue consumed his vision and opened them when he felt the hot humidity of the domain surrounding him.

Sidon wasn't there yet but he couldn't be too far away- nevermind, there he is. Was it just Link or did the Prince look more handsome than two minutes ago? The Zora looked ethereal. Divine even. The sunlight streaming behind him, the soothing dripping of the water streams, his bright smile. Link had to pause, his brain refusing to process anything other than pretty Zora standing in front of me what do I do Hylia help. Luckily he was saved from further embarrassing himself by Sidon speaking up.

"You beat me. I was hoping to make it here before you," Sidon all but whined as he glided down the stairs to meet Link. Could sharks glide? Apparently handsome, tall, red ones could.

"I told you I'd be back soon. Couldn't leave you behind, not when you asked to come along." He replied back, quickly ducking his head to look at his slate. He was sure his cheeks were flushed red but didn't want to make it obvious. Well, more obvious than it was. Hopefully he could blame it on the humidity. As he spoke Sidon moved closer, leaning to peer down at the screen between them. "We'll need to have physical contact for this to work, but I've never tried this on anyone bigger than a very small child. I don't know how much is required for it to-"

Before he could finish his sentence, arms wrapped around his shoulders and pulled him into a hug, shoving his face into a toned stomach. He stilled, mind processing what was happening.

"Is this enough contact?" Sidon asked with an excited grin, tail furiously wagging behind him. Link could only nod and keep his gaze on his slate. He clicked on Ruta's teleporter and off the two went, the very fabric of their beings being torn apart and stitched back together with royal blue threads of fate.

The two reappeared on the ground before Ruta, the champions nowhere to be found but clearly heard from within the machine. He could faintly hear an argument happening along with the sound of rushing water. He could only wonder what they were fighting about this time.

"Ruta… how far you've fallen," he heard Sidon mutter off to the side. Link spared a glance at the prince, seeing the crestfallen look on his face. He then looked up at the beast, taking in its features for the first time.

The trunk, he learned that's what it was called from Mipha, sagged heavily against the ground. Its head was downturned and the bottom of its chin was barely hanging off the ground. It was truly a sorry sight. Link turned to Sidon and gave him a comforting squeeze of the arm. "He'll be alright Sidon, we're going to fix him. Have some faith in us," he said softly, giving the prince a smile before releasing his arm.

Link turned his face to his slate, looking away too soon to see the loving look Sidon sent his way. He was less than happy with how few ancient supplies he had but he'd have to make due. "Be careful, I don't remember if there were any electric monsters or currents inside. And anything could've made a home in there since I first defeated the beast." He said, swiping to his clothing section. The wind had grown frigid, leaving the Hylian to shake slightly from the cold.

Seeing as they'd be here for a while, Link decided to take off his Zora headpiece and put his ruby circlet on instead. It kept him just warm enough to not freeze, that would have to do until he got his body moving. That couldn’t be soon enough. "You ready?" He asked the prince, getting a delayed nod in response.

With some help of Revali's gale, plus a particularly strong mighty and tough elixir, he was able to get both of them to the entrance of Vah Ruta. Urbosa was waiting for him at the entrance but the other champions- and his korok companion- seemed to be further in the beast.

"No monsters in here. Even checked all the secret rooms Mipha remembered. The other four are looking over the back half but we found some areas that need fixing." She summarized, her gaze falling to Sidon every few seconds. Said Zora was looking around the machine, clearly on guard and ready for something to pop up.

Link put a hand in his tense forearm, making Sidon look down at him. “There’s no monsters in the main room so there shouldn’t be too many elsewhere. You can relax a little.”

Sidon looked like he wanted to disagree, even opened his mouth to do so, but seemed to back out at the last second. “...If you say so, Link,” he paused and gave the room another look around. “While I do trust you, I’ll keep my guard up for a little while longer. Being inside this beast gives me a bad feeling.”

"If anything dangerous pops out I'll protect you," Link promised, sending Sidon a reassuring look.

Urbosa, who had been quietly watching the exchange between the two, let out an amused buff. "Are you two love birds done or must I stand here and watch this go on for several more minutes?"

Link jumped and tried to keep the heat off his face, having completely forgotten the Gerudo was even there. "We should uh- go get started on this," he stammered, avoiding looking Sidon and Urbosa in the eyes.

The Zora prince, unaware of their audience of one, nodded and followed behind Link. While he looked relaxed and openly eyed all the mechanisms of the beast, his hand never let go of the Ceremonial Trident he used to fight with.

Link sighed as he accepted that Sidon would stand guard the whole time they were there. He followed Urbosa, occasionally running into another champion who helpfully (or unhelpfully. CoughRevalicough) told him where something had to be fixed.

Three quickly became five, then ending at seven as the rest of the champions and Fostri met up with the group. As he got to work on repairing some of the broken parts he couldn't help but listen in to the conversations around him. Although he knew they were there for almost the entire length of his journey, he couldn’t help but forget since they barely talked about it. It was times like this that he was quickly reminded of this fact when he heard Urbosa and Revali making bets in the distance. He couldn’t hear much of what they were saying, just enough to know they were making bets on him and Sidon. He opted to not listen, saving himself the embarrassment of knowing they knew about his love life- and lack of it.

They were about halfway through the day when Link remembered the topaz jewelry he'd had custom made some time ago. He only remembered after the third time he almost accidentally electrocuted himself, standing much too close to a puddle of water while working with electricity.

"Oh by the way,” pausing his work, he got the jewelry out of his slate and offered Sidon a pair of gems. "In case there's any electric enemies, this should help keep the effects from being too bad.” He rushed out, heat creeping to his face when he saw that Sidon was already looking at him.

The Zora prince gratefully took the gems, tail slowly wagging behind him. "Thank you Link! I'll be sure to return them when we get back to the domain!” He beamed, pinning both gems on his sash. The yellow gems complimented the navy fabric and stood out against his white scales.

Link shook his head, using the movement to look away from the prince. “You can keep them. I bought a few more gems for the other Zora that frequently go to areas with electric Lizalfol.”

He heard Sidon moving and before he knew it, there were two arms around him, carefully dragging him to Sidons chest. “I greatly appreciate this Link,” he beamed, . “You’ve done so much to help us Zora. Words alone can’t express how grateful I am for all you’ve done for us.”

Link started to squirm, unsure how he should be feeling about being in the Zora's hold. He only stopped when Sidon spoke up, his tone hesitant yet heavy.

“Link… I…” He started, tightening his grip around Link. “You’ve been so distant these past few weeks. Is it something I have done?” He asked, voice going quieter with each word. “Have I done something to upset you?”

The silence was thick as Link thought about the question. He slowly shook his head, deciding that now was the time to tell him. “No,” he started, unsure how to go about this. “No, you haven’t done anything Sidon. I’m the one that should be saying sorry.”

Sidon was quick to speak up at that. “Link, you don’t have to be sorry for anything. I understand that you’re incredibly busy rebuilding Hyrule and protecting her people. I just wish to know what I have done to upset you.”

Link shook his head again, more firmly this time. “No Sidon, you really haven’t done anything. Maybe we should sit down and I’ll tell you everything.”

So they did. Link sat on the side of one of the pools while Sidon floated near him. Here, Link told him everything. How he was slowly getting his memories back over the course of his journey, and with them his feelings for people long dead. He told Sidon about Zelda, how he felt about her and how she felt about him. He told Sidon about the secret dates and the research trips that always took longer than necessary. He spoke of the long days watching Rhoam berate her and the late nights comforting her. Lastly, he told him how they planned to get married and start their own family after everything was done.

It didn’t need to be said how that never happened.

Sidon was silent through everything, patiently listening and waiting for Link to finish before speaking up. “Do you still have feelings for her?” He quietly asked, no judgment in his voice. If anything, his eyes held nothing but sympathy and understanding.

He didn’t know what to say after that. Some days his heart ached to be with the one he loved, staring at his sword for hours at a time. Those days are the ones where he was Link from a hundred years ago, feeling guilty for the kingdom he couldn’t protect.

Then there were some days where he hated her. Hated her for putting this responsibility on him, this kingdom and her people. Those days are the ones where he was some random boy born into a world he had to save even if he didn’t know why he had to.

All he could do was give Sidon a halfhearted shrug, unsure of the answer himself. “I think so. I don’t know.” He whispered, looking away from the Zora. "Everything's so confusing. I feel like all these emotions I have are from the old me. But then I talk with Impa, Purah, Robbie. You and your dad. I don't know what to feel when I talk with anyone who I knew before." He ranted, frustration with himself building as he felt the tears threatening to fall.

Sidon said nothing, making Link keep his head down in anticipation. Would he be upset at him for keeping this secret? Betrayed that Link has feelings for another? Would he be mad and leave? He didn't want to know.

"Link? Would you look at me, please?" Sidon asked softly, the sound of water gently splashing as Link saw his shadow moving closer.

He didn't want to look up in fear that his fears would come true. Nonetheless he did, wanting to know what Sidon wanted to say.

Looking up at Sidon revealed none of that. Sidon had a sympathetic smile, nothing but complete sympathy and understanding on his face. “When you do figure out your emotions, do be sure to let me know. Until then, I shall wait for you for as long as you need. If you ever need a friend to talk to, please don't hesitate to ask me. I shall help you however you need, as it would be my pleasure.” The Zora stated, holding a hand over his heart. A vow he was always willing to hold.

And suddenly, Link didn't see Sidon anymore. He saw Mipha offering a healing hand while ranting talking about her day and the domain, or scolding him for getting injured again. He saw his childhood best friend who always had his back no matter what. He saw the sister to the one he loved, the Zoran princess he couldn't save.

"Link, how many times must I tell you to be careful? You Hylians are fragile, please take better care of yourself." The red Zoran princess scolded, gently holding Link's injured arm in her hands.

The knight shrugged, looking away from the princess in front of him. They were having their weekly chats, sitting on Vah Ruta's trunk this time, Princess Mipha having recently gotten crowned as the beasts pilot.

Princess Mipha sighed but held a webbed hand over the slash, letting her healing water wade over the wound. Link bit his cheek as a hiss threatened to leave him, training and desensitization being the only reasons he didn't flinch from the sting of the healing.

It was quiet, the sound of water softly swishing being the only noise until Mipha spoke up. "I worry about you Link," she said softly as her healing faded, the slash leaving barely a car behind. "You constantly throw yourself in harms way for Princess Zelda and hold no regard for your own health. I worry your duty to the princess will get you killed." She confessed, tracing the freshly healed scar with a clawed finger.

I worry too Mipha. But I have to protect the princess, it's my purpose. Link thought to the Zora, willing her to understand his thoughts.

Another sigh passed from her lips, letting go of his arm and allowing him to take the appendage back. "I suppose there's nothing I might be able to say to change your mind, is there Link?" She guessed, a sad smile on her face.

Link shook his head, knowing that even if he wanted to, being the princess' knight was his duty till he died.

"Then there's nothing else I can do but be here to heal your every scrape and wound. I promise to you that I shall always be here to heal you, even if I leave this world." The Zora stated, placing a hand over her heart. A vow she was always willing to hold.

Link stared at her until he blinked and saw Sidon once again, who was making his way out of the pool.

Sidon stood next to Link and held a hand out to help him up. “Now, I quite believe you said there was more work to be done here?” He asked, looking around the space they were in.

Relieved that he was changing the topic, Link wiped his eyes and nodded. He cleared his throat as well for extra measures. "Yeah, you're right."

Neither of them pointed out his misty eyes or rough voice.

~Bonus content~

After Link and Sidons conversation, the two spent the rest of the day working on Ruta. Link felt that he could be turned on (don't ask how, he just had a feeling) but decided not to.

Or well, he tried.

Honestly, his first mistake was saying his thoughts to Sidon. The Zora was so insistent that Link felt he had to turn the beast on. So with a warning of the noise and vibrations the beast would cause, Link set his slate to the control unit and allowed it to wake from its slumber once again.

The Zora was enamored by the beast now that it wasn't trying to flood his home, begging Link to sit atop it's back. Seeing as Link couldn't say no to him, the two watched the sunset from Ruta's back while Mipha enjoyed some time with her previous life partner.

The champions, who had been kind enough to not comment on their conversation, were spread across the beasts back to give a semblance of privacy.

Link sighed, feeling at peace for the first time in a long, long while.

~~~

It's been almost two years since Link (now known as Link Durim Hyrule across his (HIS!!!!) people) had been crowned as King of Hyrule. His rule isn't perfect, he still messes up and burdens people with his mistakes. But it's a learning experience. One he and his people are learning through together.

It's nearing the last day of the festival, the Miracle Festival some people have been calling it. On this day two years ago he defeated Calamity Ganon once and for all. The festival took place in the center of Castle Town. The once destroyed town was still destroyed but it was quickly being rebuilt into an even better version of itself. Bolson got his team together (including Hudson's mismatched band of races) and they got working on the new town.

Their hard work was truly paying off. The town was usable for the first festival, even if only the town square was able to be used. But this year almost the whole town could be used! Most of the buildings had been fixed up so store owners could store their wares or travelers could rest in one of the temporary lodges.

Seeing Link's kingdom, his people, his friends, his family. Seeing everyone come together to celebrate his victory? That was doing terrible things to his self-esteem. Hylia knows it was already too big.

The coming sunset signaled the time for the festival to come to a close. Store owners gave away the last of their wares and travelers bedded down one last time before the long journey home the next day. Link decided to go check and make sure no monsters were lurking in the shadows of the walls. After waving off the champions ("No I don't need company"), Paya ("I promise I won't rip my outfit again"), and Fostri ("I'd rather you stay safe in town. I'll bring you back some apples when I come back.") he set off to do a quick perimeter check.

He switched out his 'formal' attire (a shirt that was nice quality and ripped far too easily with pants that probably would've cost both his arms a century ago) and into his sheikah set. You could never go wrong with a classic. His Hylian shield and savage lynel sword were his chosen defense and offense for today.

As he neared the walls he got this sinking feeling in his chest.

Something was wrong.

Something was there.

He narrowed his eyes and quietly got his sword out, holding it parallel to his body. His whole body tensed up as he heard voices on the other side of the wall, every muscle in his body pulled taut.

"Does anyone know who’s Hyrule this is?”

“Fuck if I know! Four threw up on me and passed out!”

“Poor Four. Here, take this and give him to me.”

Link quickly opened his slate and downed a stealthy elixir, stalking as close as he could to the walls. He started scaling the walls, throwing his sword in his slate to make the move more quiet.

“When he wakes up he’ll be put on laundry duty. Whenever we find somewhere to settle down. Warrior, don’t you think this looks like Castletown?”

“If it is, it’s much quieter than most of ours. Could be ‘Rules?”

“Not mine, not enough magic in the air.”

“Kinda looks like mine but too big ta be. An' too quiet for the old mans.”

Link finally got to the top of the walls, peering down over the other side of it. There he saw eight people, two kids, two teenagers, and four adults. He glared, wondering if the children were taken against their will. While he didn’t recognize them, it wasn't impossible that there were some people he hadn't met yet. Perhaps they could be from out of Hyrule? But that doesn’t make sense, someone had asked who’s Hyrule they were in. Were there multiple kingdoms named Hyrule?

He didn’t question it for much longer before he grabbed his Great Eagle Bow, lined it with arrows and spoke up. “Put your weapons down and your hands up or I’ll be forced to shoot.”

The whole group spun around trying to find him, hands flying to the swords on their backs. Link was going to shoot until he saw one with a wolf pelt look up at him. Something about pelt seemed so… familiar. Pelt slowly raised his hands, making Link loosen the hold on his arrow. He didn’t harm people that were surrendering. “We don’t mean ya any harm.”

“Uh Twilight, I think he’s the one that should be saying that, not us!” One of the teenagers hissed, one with pink hair.

“You don’t question the person with an arrow aimed at you who looks like they're prepared to shoot!” The adult with a long, blue scarf hissed back.

Link let an arrow fire past Pinkys head, watching his hat swish from the sudden movement. He didn’t have time for people to question him, not when he could feel Tenk laughing at him and his lack of authority over the situation. Of course the one spirit he couldn't get rid of is the one spirit that couldn't help him. “State your name and business for being here. I have to get back and I’d rather not have to escort you to jail.”

One Eye spoke up, hands slowly coming down from above his head. “We’re here to find the hero of the land? We need to speak with him.”

“Busy. State your name and business for being here.” Link pointedly said, aiming his arrow at One Eye.

"Hey now! You wouldn't harm an already injured man, would you?" Blue scarf hissed, glaring up at Link. "Wouldn't kill you to set the bow down." He scoffed and threw his arms down, hand much too close to his swords handle.

Link decided Scarf would be a better target as he let another arrow fly, this time snagging at the edge of his tunic. A rip was heard as the arrow nicked the bottom edge of the fabric, keeping the piece pinned to the ground.

The silence was thick as Link instantly lined another arrow. "I will say it once again. State your name and business for being here."

"I bet if you threaten one of the kiddos they'll be more inclined to answer." Tenk unhelpfully offered, lazily floating next to the kid in a colorful tunic.

The kid in blue must've seen his eyes lingering on the other kid as he shouted "Don't!" Before a gust of wind knocked him down from his perch on the wall.

Goddamit Tenk, Link thought as he fell. He prepared himself to feel the air leave his lungs and his back to snap.

He didn't prepare himself to get swallowed by a swirling mass of purple.

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