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syndxlla · 11 months

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best friends don’t look at each other the way we do

A low stakes, high reward, and self-indulgent Zelink fan fiction. Canon-compliant. Takes place between BOTW and TOTK.

Heavily inspired by my Zelink thoughts

I wanted to dig into the dirty, grimly reality of being the saviors of the world and not knowing how to be the savior of yourself. But you can find that safety in another person.

Fan fiction warnings: Canon-typical violence, eventual smut (in later chapters, characters are consenting adults), references to self-harm, eating-disorders, and a lot of angst. Each chapter will have chapter-specific warnings.

Chapter one: I used to tie your shoes

Song: We’ll never have sex by Leith Ross

Summary: Fresh off Hyrule Field, Link and Zelda have to face life after the Calamity, and come to terms with the long road to physical, emotional, and mental recovery.

Warnings: Vomiting, trauma, canon-typical violence, eating-sensitivity

Word count: 3.7k words

Author’s Note: I am so excited to share this. Please share and support this in anyway. I drew this art for the cover :) chapter begins after the page break. I love you guys. Also, these chapters won’t be heavily edited. Ignore any grammatical/spelling errors pls

Time. We never seem to have enough time. Green grass burns soft red embers into the field, a horse’s mane is rebraided at the nearest stable, and the stars shine as if nothing changed. Because it hadn’t, not really. The sun will still rise in the east and set in the west. The birds will still sing their songs at daybreak and the fireflies will still flicker at dusk. Nothing changed, but everything did. The air feels lighter, the sun feels warmer and yet Zelda’s fingers still shake as if she was in the snowy Hebra peaks.

The Princess by nature, is very gentle. She’s soft and patient at heart, but was placed under such strenuous situations all through her youth that caused her to often snap or lash out. But not now. Currently she is silent, stone-cold and confused. She was in shock. And Link could tell.

“Here.” He pulls out a baked apple from his pack, handing it to her. He has to get her attention twice before she finally takes it, their hands brushing for a moment. Her awareness returns to her gaze then, her bright-green eyes meeting his.

“I-I’m so sorry.” She sighs, her voice weak. “I’m just… so tired.” Link tries not to show his distress, but she notices his demeanor change as well. “How much further?” She says, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

“Probably another hour and a half. It’s just through those mountains.” He points.

“Dueling peaks. I remember.” She nods. “I remember everything.”

“Everything?” He asks as he starts to dig around a pack on the rear end of Epona, searching for his rito attire. It was starting to get dark, and she hadn’t stopped shaking since they left Castle Town almost three hours ago.

Zelda nods once.

Her silence speaks volumes.

He yanks out his snowquill armor, finally. “Do you remember anything from the last hundred years?” She doesn’t answer right away, she instead takes a smaller than small bite out of the apple. “Zel? Can I put this on you? You’re still shivering.” He asks, looking at her blank, traumatized stare. “It’s from the Rito, it’s soft as a cloud and will keep you warm for the rest of the way.”

“The Rito.” She sighs. “Revali…”

Link realizes that she hasn’t had any time to process what she just went through. She had spent the last one hundred years deeply focused, probably in a trance-like state. He places a hand on her cheek. “Look at me.” His voice is gentle and welcoming, not forcing her at all. She looks at him, their eyes locking. “Breathe with me.”

They take two deep, heavy breaths. They sync their inhales, exhaling together.

“It’s over. It’s all over, okay?” He reassures her. “It’s not coming back. It’s just us now, alright?”

She swallows, still emotionless. “You’ve changed.” She says.

“So have you.” Link smiles in an attempt to comfort her. “Can I put this shirt on you?” He asks again. She answers faster than she usually had, nodding twice this time. Link bunches up the excess fabric before pulling the head-opening over her hair. He then guides each one of her hands through the arm-holes. Link takes a moment to adjust the garb around her torso until it was probably positioned around her shaking body. She immediately sighs in relief.

“You talk more.” She mumbles, looking at him as he gently wraps his fingers around her long, golden hair and softly pulls it out of the shirt, knowing how much it irritates him when his hair is loose underneath a shirt.

He smiles again, “I do. Some people say I don’t shut up.” He tries to lighten the mood.

“Like who?”

“Impa.” He sighs.

Zelda’s eyes light up with that name. “Impa?”

He hums and nods. “We can go visit her when you’re feeling stronger, okay?”

“Okay…” Zelda looked down into her lap, the skirt of her goddess dress was barely white anymore. “I am going to get stronger, right?” She asks, her voice tender and broken.

Link’s heart sinks. Not because he’s worried she won’t, but rather because he feels responsible for putting her in this state.

“Of course.” He reassures. He believed it. He wanted to believe it.

“I’m… just so tired.” She repeats herself.

“I know, come on, let's get you a bed.” He then picks her up bridal style from the ground. They had stopped in the first place to get that rito armor for her. She rests her head against his chest as he lifts her onto Epona. She smells like burnt oil and exhaustion. He probably isn’t smelling any better.

They wouldn’t get to Hateno until noon at the earliest tomorrow, and traveling wasn’t doing anything for her recovery. He gets on Epona behind her, letting her weak body rest against his chest as they make their way to Dueling Peaks Stable. The road is quiet, so much quieter than it ever has been. The pair of lizalfos always swimming in the river aren’t there, and even the crickets suppress their chirps.

It’s post-apocalyptic. Literally. Link isn’t sure how to feel.

She throws up a few hundred feet from the stable. She gags and lurches over the side of the horse, somehow managing to keep it off of anyone. Not much comes out, she hasn’t eaten in over a century, but Link frowns when he realizes the apple probably triggered it. He silently curses himself out for causing her any form of distress. She dry heaves violently, and Link tries to hold her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. When she finishes, she holds her breath.

She can’t decide if she feels like she lost a bit of dignity or not. She holds back the tears that well in her eyes. Link breathes in to say something, but she raises her hand in protest. She would rather they act like it never happened. Neither of them say anything from there on, they just keep riding the final minute of the journey.

Everyone at the stable was asleep except for an attendant… who was also treading precariously between consciousness and a deep rest behind the counter.

“Excuse me?” Link asks to wake him up, hopping off of Epona after making sure Zelda would still be comfortable in his absence. She would never admit she wasn’t.

The man stirs awake with a jolt. He yawns, slightly startled, “So sorry, young man.” Link wouldn’t necessarily call himself young. He smirks softly.

“I’d like to board this horse till the morning, and we’d like one soft bed, please.” Link nods before setting down the required rupees. The man squints his eyes, taking the money in hand.

“Ah! It’s you! Link, was it?” He asks when Link turns his back to help Zelda down from the horse. “Jeez, you haven’t passed through here in at least six months! We were holding onto that old mare for you!” He gestures to their stables where a small gray spotted horse sleeps. Link’s first horse since he woke up from his century-long slumber. He only rode her in the beginning, when he was doing chores between Hateno, Kakariko and one time a longer trip to Zora’s Domain. But she’s old and weak, which is why she was easy to catch when Link was still regaining his strength. He stopped taking her out when he found Epona in the western part of Central Hyrule.

“Yeah… you guys can let her free.” He says as he sets Zelda down on the ground. She holds her cold hands together.

“Well uhh.. we tried. You see, after four months at a stable we let go of any forgotten pony’s, but she kept coming back.” He chuckled, his voice exhibiting a distinctive nasality.

“Here,” Link hands him a red rupee, not wanting to discuss an old horse any longer when he literally has the closest thing to a God in this world resting her head on his back. “Keep her for another month, I’ll come take care of her then. Okay?” Link asks. “Can I get that bed now?” Not impolite or forceful, he never was. He’s assertive but has a comforting cadence to his tone. For being such a talented swordsman, guard and easily the most deadly hylian in the entire kingdom, he was never rude or condescending. He was welcoming, and little kids often looked up at him with intimidation when they first met him, but it didn’t ever take long until they were chasing him with tree-branches while he fled and begged for mercy, letting them take him down with ease. The kids at the stables loved him, knew him by name, and would play as him in their silly pretend games.

The stable-man replies, “Of course! But you only asked for one bed, it’s not big enough to fit both of you.”

“I know, it’s for her not me.” Link then starts to guide her into the stable, where it’s much warmer and safer. Just because it’s quiet doesn’t mean it's safe. Hyrule is a dangerous place by nature, especially if you’re two century-old Gods being hunted for sport with the faces of children.

“You won’t sleep?” Zelda asks quietly behind him.

He doesn’t directly answer, and instead guides her to the bed. She’s weary, and he’s terrified of her not waking up. He wouldn’t be able to sleep even if he wanted to. He helps the Princess sit in the bed, and kneels before her to untie her sandals. When he touches the leather, he immediately gets transported into another memory.

It rips through him, just like the memories he had images of. Suddenly, he’s kneeling in the same position, but instead he was outside of the spring of courage. He looks up to see the clear sky, it’s sunset, and then his eyes meet Zeldas. Her face is rosy, and her eyes don’t have the blank stare they possess in the current time. He looks down at his fingers, tying the straps around her ankle.

“Really, you don’t have to do that.” She hums. He doesn’t respond. He never did back then. He finishes wrapping the leather around itself and then stands up. His face is emotionless. She looks at him, they’re about the same height. “I won’t be long this time.” She says. “I’m not expecting much anyways.” She sighs and then walks past him, but before she can get very far, he gently grabs onto her arm, holding her back. He doesn’t say anything but she can read his expression. He’s trying to tell her to have faith this time, just one more time.

Surely the Goddess would commune with her.

She shakes her head, and wades into the warm waters of the spring. Link turns to watch her, how her hair cascaded down her back, how her hands balled into fists. She turns around to look at him, their eyes meet. She smiles.

He comes back as fast as the scene played in his memory. He blinks a few times, and looks up at her. She doesn’t look any different, very little—if any—time seemed to pass. He doesn’t usually experience memories with someone, he wonders if she realized anything happened. Link didn’t even consider the fact he would keep receiving memories after the fact. His stomach turns, he feels like he’s lived two completely different lives and is forced to remember things from one that he doesn’t even relate to anymore. He doesn’t feel like the same person, the boy he was a hundred years ago is a complete stranger to him.

Link much preferred this life.

And that scares Zelda.

“I just remembered something.” He says. Zelda hums in response, a light-hearted noise that implies an inquiry. He elaborates, “I used to tie your sandals for you at the springs, didn’t I?” He asks.

Zelda smiles for the first time since they defeated Ganon. It’s a small pull of her lips, not showing any teeth but her eyes finally light back up. After she had asked if he remembered her on the field, she collapsed, not even aware of her own exhaustion until that moment. He ran to her aid, and ever since then she felt woozy, it only got worse the further from the castle they got.

“You did, yes.” She says. “I never asked you to, but since I was in the dress, you insisted.” She sighs. Link grunts in response. “It was very chivalrous.” Zelda adds.

They look at each other for a minute. Not saying anything. It was late, and two beds down there was a set of kid brothers sleeping. Link remembered them from their last visit. One of them wanted nothing to do with him, trying to act mature and ‘cool’. Link eventually won him over, though. They don’t speak out of fear of waking anyone. Zelda’s smile slowly fades away, and Link swallows thickly. They will never be the same.

He pulls her sandals off, her feet are filthy with century-old mud. He silently smiles about that. The closest thing to a Goddess in the entire world has dirty feet. How human of her.

Then, after pulling down the heavy rito-down blanket so she can slide in, he helps Zelda swing her legs into the bed. He pulls the blanket up to her neck, she lays on her side facing him. Her hands find their way up to her face, resting her cheek against them. Link pulls a short stool over to the bed, sitting on it and looking at her, bending at the waist.

“You’re not going to leave me, are you?” She asks in a timid, sleepy voice.

Link’s heart just about breaks when she asks. “Never.” He shakes his head. He takes his gloved hand and tucks a piece of her loose hair behind her pointed-ears. He lets his fingers linger a little bit longer than they should. “I will never ever leave you again.”

“Promise?” She asks, her eyes heavy with exhaustion.

“Promise.” He whispers, “Just as long as you promise to never leave me, okay?” He asks, ignoring the lump in this throat.

“Promise.” She says, taking her pinky finger and sticking it out for him. He wraps his finger with hers, which is far daintier and softer than he's ever been. She is a Princess, after all.

“Wake up in the morning, okay?” He whispers.

“Mhm.” She hums as her eyes slowly close. He tries to disconnect their pinky fingers, but she holds onto his. He leaves his hand in that position, letting her hold it until she falls fast asleep.

Link doesn’t move his hand until he’s certain it won’t wake her up from her much needed rest. He looks at her gentle, soft face. No one even understands what she just went through, no one ever will. He’s worried sick that she won’t make it through the night, and he keeps leaning his head down to listen to her breathing, or places a few fingers against her forehead to check her temperature.

He does his best to stay vigilant the entire night, not once even looking away from her. But just before the sun rises, his body suddenly catches up with his mind. He also just had the most demanding battle of his life. His muscles started to ache, and he developed a headache. He was just a boy, after all. More than anything, his sword arm was weak, and fire-hot pain shot up and down through it. He probably overused it fightin the calamity.

He keeps telling himself that he’s fine. He has to be fine, for Zelda. His arm isn’t that bad, what really hurts was his heart. Usually he’d just down a fairy tonic and maybe go to the hot springs if he was in the area but this pain was different. A twisting and contracting ache in his chest pulled and tugged on his lungs and pulse. It’s the same pain he felt when he remembered Mipha, and more specifically, the pain he felt when he dreamed about his family before the resurrection.

The dream that gave him the memories of a little sister with blonde hair like his collecting fireflies in her pockets. Her laugh echoing, the call of an older man, the image of a royal guards sword leaned up against the dinner table. The touch of his father’s hand as he rubs Link’s back to sleep.

Link’s first sword.

He wakes up like a fire, standing up and almost toppling over. He didn’t even realize he had fallen asleep. He could hear the soft tune of the penny whistle playing the standard stable theme, and the two little brothers played tag outside. He curses and looks down at Zelda.

Her bed is empty, and his heart completely stops. He starts breathing hard and heavy, his entire nervous system feels as though it’s pulled into stasis. How could he make such a foolish mistake? He swings his sword over his back, strapping his shield to his leathers and turns around in a wild-hunt to see the Princess sitting at the round stable table, drinking out of a mug and speaking gently with an older man.

Link takes a breath of relief, and approaches the two.

“Good Morning.” She smiles up at him. Her voice sounded much better, and her eyes finally had life back into them, but she still wasn’t herself. Her skin still looked sickly, her face hollowed out and eyes droopy. Any progress is good progress, Link decides then and there.

“I… didn’t mean to fall asleep.” Link sighs. “I’m so sorry. When did you wake up?”

“Oh not long ago, maybe twenty minutes? I didn’t want to disturb you-”

“You should have.” He interrupts her and her words get swallowed out of surprise. Link realizes that he snapped at her a little, and immediately becomes apologetic. “I’m sorry, again. I just…”

“You’re worried about me. I understand.” She takes his hand, her bones frail. In many ways, she physically looked worse today than last night. But at least she could hold a conversation. He nods. Zelda notices the tension, and changes the subject, “This kind gentleman was telling me about when you saved the stable from a horde of lizalfos about a year ago.”

Link looks over at the man, Giahzo. “Oh that was nothing, it was just two green lizalfos and a blue one who wandered too close to the stable.” Link hums. Their hands were still held together by Zelda.

“Don’t be so modest!” The old man chuckled, “Without you, it would have been a disaster! The number of monsters means nothing, especially when you don’t know how to fight!”

“That’s very kind of you.” Link smiles and then realizes he and Zeldas hands, he’s the one to pull it away. “What are you drinking?”

“I’m not sure…” Zelda begins and Link immediately snatches the mug from her hand. “Hey!”

“You can’t just drink something mysterious.” Link scolds.

“Oh it’s just a bit of Hateno Milk.” The man assures. Link looks at him, then Zelda, and then into the mug to see the creamy liquid. He brings it to his nose and smells it, and then takes a sip of it. Sure enough, it was just milk.

“I’m sorry, Giahzo.” He apologizes and places the mug back down. “I’m just on high alert.”

“Do not apologize to me, apologize to this lovely young lady you’ve graced us with.” The elderly man smiles with a chuckle, his eyes wrinkling up with his age. Zelda smiles, blushing a little, “Tell me, dear, where are you from? We don’t get many new faces at this stable these days.”

Zelda looks at him, her eyes sad. A hundred years ago every person in Hyrule knew her face. She looks at Link, unsure how to answer.

“She’s from the Outskirts stable.” Link covers for her. “Her family used to reside in Central Hyrule before the Calamity.”

“Yes.” Zelda immediately chirps, “We’re headed to Hateno for…”

“A honeymoon!?” Giahzo smiles brightly. Both Link and Zelda freeze in their tracks, and Link hopes he doesn’t look as embarrassed as he feels. “Hateno is a great Honeymoon destination! Although I’ve heard Lureline is even more splendid!” He clasps his hands together.

“Research.” Zelda clarifies, “so sorry to disappoint.” She chuckles politely, making a conscious effort not to look at Link. “I’m researching… population dynamics in Hyrule.” She makes something up that sounds completely believable.

“Of course.” Link then says, “I’m just escorting her there, we are total strangers.”

That breaks Zelda’s heart.

She knows he’s just trying to be extra careful, pushing her anonymity as much as possible. And in a way, it wasn’t a total lie. But it cut her like a knife.

“I see…” Giahzo doesn’t seem convinced. “Well, if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to stop by. Hopefully the monsters will start to die down.” He smiles and stands up, moving outside.

Zelda is still afraid to look at Link, and he’s a little bit shaken up by the entire interaction. He knows the Yiga are still out there, he knows that there are people who will try to take advantage of her for power or money. He has no reason to suspect anything from the old man, but he can’t help himself from being deliberate. He senses her tension and walks back to the bed to gather their things.

“You should have woken me up.” Link says as he picks up a satchel full of food and readjusts his gloves.

“I’m sorry.” Her voice was timid and tired. He turns around to see her, her green eyes looking up at him apologetically. “I didn’t know it would worry you so.” He approaches her.

“Of course it worries me.” He sighs. “I spent three years trying to get you out of that castle, I’m not gonna lose you on the first night.” He holds his hand out for her to trade, helping her up. She must not have rested as well as he thought, because as soon as she gets on her feet, she almost topples right over him. He catches her, holding her up before she collapses. “Woah there.” He mutters. “You alright?”

She nods, “Let’s just get to that house you told me about.”

—

chapter two

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link-eats-rocks · 6 months

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After rescuing Zelda from the Yiga, she's suddenly treating him differently...

Link was still winded from his battle with the Yiga. It hadn't been physically tiring; running them off had taken all of ten seconds. But he couldn't slow his heartbeat after the sight of Princess Zelda with a blade aimed at her throat.

It probably made her mad to have him staring. And she was probably mad that he'd followed her, even if it had meant her life.

She must be pretty shaken too, though, since she was walking close to him at his side instead of her usual five paces ahead.

Often, when he turned to check on her, she was already looking at him. That made it all the more impossible to calm down. He clinched his fists and fixed his eyes ahead across the sprawling nothingness of the desert.

"It will be getting cold soon," The Princess said quietly.

He nodded.

"How far do you think we are from the stable?"

The Shiekah Slate didn't work this deep into the Gerudo Desert. But they'd been walking for miles. "We shouldn't be long, Princess. We'll arrive before sundown."

She sighed. "That's a relief. Y-You deserve some rest."

It took awhile to register what she'd just said. Was he hallucinating or had she just said something kind to him?

They trudged on in silence while Link’s mind spun wildly in confusion. He felt uneasy. Was she trying a new approach to run away? Would she try running away again tonight? He was about to fall over. How could she possibly have the energy to plan another escape?

Link sat down at the fire and let his aching head sink to his hands. For just a moment while The Princess was inside the inn, he could indulge his exhaustion, shutting his eyes and enjoying the heat of the fire against his hands and face.

One minute. Just a second and he'd start on dinner...

"Link?"

He snapped to position, straightening his back and looking up at The Princess.

She smiled. She was holding a wooden tray with two mugs and bowls on it.

"I bought dinner. It's been a long day. No need to cook."

He blinked, dumbstruck, as she sat down on the stool beside his, tray on her lap, and handed him a bowl of soup and a large mug of water. He should've thanked her but instead he just dug in.

He heard her spoon clink against her bowl and she laughed, genuine, melodic. He looked over slowly.

She was grinning at him. There was no malice in her eyes but he still braced himself for a jab. "You eat fast."

His eyes darted to the right. He didn't know what to make of that so he resumed eating. His headache ebbed with every bite.

By the time he'd finished his bowl and his water, he felt like collapsing into his cot.

"I got you something," The Princess said just as he was about to suggest they turn in. "When I bought dinner, I also bought us both beds for the night."

He couldn't deny it anymore. Somehow, she wasn't angry anymore.

Her cheeks were getting rosier. "The deluxe extra comfy beds."

Link bit his bottom lip, knowing he'd have to reply. "You bought...two beds?"

"Yes. As a "thank you"."

"Princess?"

"For saving me today," she elaborated.

"I—You didn't have to. It isn't worth—."

"It's my life," she interrupted. "No one has ever done such a thing for me. You put yourself in front of me. You could've died."

He dropped his head, his throat tight. "Oh. Well, of course your life is most valuable. That's why there's no sense in thanking me. There's not even a thought as to what must be done."

He was met with harsh silence.

It took awhile for him to screw up the courage to look at her. When he did, the air was knocked from his lungs.

Her eyes were filled with tears and fixed on him.

"Im sorry, Princess!"

She shook her head. "Whatever for? I am the one who ought to apologize, Link."

"No."

"Link."

Link rubbed the back of his neck, scrubbing at his hair.

"Link, I've made your life as difficult as I could. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I am sorry." Her voice rose unexpectedly and she looked away, wiping her face. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I've felt sorry since I did it, actually. You'd done nothing wrong."

"I'm sorry for always upsetting you, Princess." His voice was choked too.

They faced away from each other and sniffled.

"You didn't, Link. It's not your fault I'm upset."

With those words, a weight was lifted from his shoulders. Months of wondering where he'd gone wrong, and he finally had an answer. If she was taking out anger on him, that was easy to accept. He wish he could've understood that to begin with.

"Let's go to bed," Zelda said after a few minutes of sitting in silence, both trying not to cry, and not looking at each other.

Link nodded and stood. Out of habit, he held out his hand to help her up. It was how he'd been trained. She never let him help her, though.

As soon as he'd done it, his fingers flinched to pull away. Before he could, Zelda's soft, warm hand was in his. Electricity ran through him and he blushed.

She stood up but didn't let go, instead meeting his eyes, standing close, just a hair taller than him. Her gaze was gentle. "Friends?"

Link raised his brows. He wasn't through the shock of her hand in his or her face this close, so it was hard to process that she was speaking to him. "Of course, Princess." The words came out in a whisper.

She let go of his hand and clasped hers in front of her. "Zelda, then. Call me Zelda." She smiled shyly.

"Are you sure?" He was so nervous he was shaking. He prayed she didn't notice.

"Mm."

This time, the silence between them was even more awkward since they were standing so close. She should know by now that he was useless at conversation. Nothing would happen at this rate; he'd continue staring at his shoes until sunrise if she kept looking at him.

"Thank you again, Link." She stepped away, smiling at him brightly. "Let's get some sleep, alright?"

"Yes, Princess."

"Hm?"

He couldn't help but grin as he realized his mistake even as heat rushed to his face. "Okay, Zelda."

#legend of zelda #zelink #breath of the wild #botw #zelink angst #zelink fanfiction #loz fanfic #the legend of zelda #linkeatsrockswrites

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dandyleyen · 6 months

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Post-ToTK | Angst Drabble

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What if Link does manage to get Zelda back after defeating Ganondorf. He truly finds her and she’s no longer a dragon, but she isn’t Hylian either. Not entirely. She comes back with some features left over from the dragonification process. Still, she’s recognizable as the Princess, as Zelda.

It comes as a shock to Link when he realizes that Zelda doesn’t have a sense of self anymore; at least, not as the Princess of Hyrule. She can’t seem to remember herself as she was before it all. It makes sense, he thinks. She’s been an immortal being, an immortal dragon, for so long now that it stands to reason that she’s lost sight of the Hylian she once was. Zelda, at the very least, knows something is off, but she doesn’t know what she’s lost. Not quite.

She doesn’t know why she’s there; furthermore, she doesn’t understand why she’s mortal now. Zelda lost her immortality and her connection with the other great dragons she would often fly with. She felt every bit of her connection with herself as an immortal being getting ripped away from her. Alive as she is, she can feel her body dying all around her. She finds herself missing what she once was.

She’s not entirely lost herself, and people who knew her can see that she’s still there somewhere, but it’s buried so far into her mind. What’s worse is that she can’t understand why everyone looks at her with such sadness in their eyes.

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demiboydemon · 7 months

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New cute Zelink fic!

We've Changed (and it's not a bad thing) (2961 words) by demiboy_demon Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda) Characters: Link (Legend of Zelda), Zelda (Legend of Zelda) Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, These Two Deserve the World, Post BotW, Pre TOtK Summary: What if Zelda was right, a hundred years ago, when she asked Link if he didn't want to be a knight? What if losing his memories changed him? What if they both changed? When Zelda hears crying coming from Goddess-knows-where, and Link is missing, it's up to her to find out what's going on. AKA the story of Link and Zelda taking down the weapon mounts and redecorating the Hateno house.

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angry-trashcan · 1 year

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For Her

Part 1

3.6K words

Her hand was cold on his arm. He felt her tighten her grip slightly as the old woman in front of them spoke. The crowd at the bottom of the steps was excitedly listening to her, waiting in anticipation for the news. With every word the old woman spoke the young woman seemed to shake a bit more nervously. Link looked over to meet her gaze.

“It will be alright.” He whispered quietly. Though this did nothing to calm her nerves.

“And that is why, today, I will be passing on leadership of the village to my granddaughter, Paya. I believe that you all will be in safe and welcoming hands with her guidance.” The old woman, Impa, announced to the crowd. With this news the crowd broke out in all sorts of cries. Some happy, some not so much.

“Along with my granddaughter as chief, I hope that you accept her new husband, the hero Link, as a faithful companion to her and this village!” The crowds cheers turned clearer as Impa stepped aside, allowing Paya and Link to walk forward.

This scene reminded him of something long past, though it was with another.

Paya was dawned in traditional Sheikah attire, with her new chief hat upon her head. Link had on a royal guards uniform that had been remade to have the Sheikah eye on the front of it, the master sword securely on his back. The newlywed couple stood at the top of the stairs, arms linked together looking down at the crowd of villagers. Her shaking never stopped, and he never offered another reassuring word.

It had been two years since he had awoken in the shrine of resurrection. Two years since he freed the divine beasts. Two years since he brought an end to the calamity. Two years since Princess Zelda fell.

When he slayed the beast in Hyrule field and Zelda emerged from it, she was weak, covered in wounds. The battle was fierce on her body. Though her spirit had held, her body had not.

He caught her as she fell, lowering her to the ground.

“You’ll be okay! It’s going to be okay! We will get you to the shrine!” He cried out, holding her head gently as he started to call his horse over.

“Link,” Zelda whispered quitley, “I, I will not make it that far. But we have done it. You have done it.”

“No! It’s going to be okay!” He started to pick her up to put her on the horse, only causing her to cry out in pain.

“Link, please listen to me.”

He stopped trying to move her and listened to her soft tone. Her words were broken and slow.

“The kingdom, is now safe thanks to you. You, you have saved everyone.” Tears rolled from her eyes, or were they his? He did not know.

“Link, I will always watch over you.”

Those were the princess’s last words as color faded from her eyes. He yelled out, trying to bring her back, trying to bring attention to them. He carried her to the shrine of resurrection. But there was no hope, it was too late.

The princess was dead.

Link and Paya’s marriage was a way of securing relations. Paya needed to wed in order to bear a child to be chief one day. Link’s mother was Sheikah. Along with him being the hero of the Gods, it seemed to be a perfect match. Paya was, of course, infatuated with the swordsman. So it was relatively easy to get her to agree to it. Link didn’t seem to have much to say on the matter, he agreed if it would secure the village’s safety.

“Link?” Paya’s voice snapped him out of his thought. He looked up at her from the other side of the table. “What do you think about what I asked?”

He had no idea what she had just asked, “I think whatever you decide on is perfect.”

She sighed, sinking into her chair. She knew he wasn’t listening but chose to ignore it. “The ceremony was nice today. What did you think?”

He smiled slightly at that, “I agree. It was nice. The village seemed to welcome you and the change.”

“And you of course.”

His smile fell a bit but did not fade away. He really did have a soft spot for Paya. She was a very sweet woman in his eyes. Dare he say he felt love for her. But not in the same way she did for him. And certainly not in the same way he loved the late princess.

“I should get to bed, I have an early morning tomorrow.” Paya rose from her seat and walked past him, stopping only to place a cold hand on his shoulder and squeeze lightly. “Join me when you get tired.” She continued on up the stairs to their shared bedroom.

He sat back in his chair, exhaling and running a hand through his hair. He always wore it down around the house. He looked around the large room. His eyes fell onto the tapestry that predicted the calamity. To Link, it felt like only three years since he traveled with Zelda. Though the years showed on Impa’s face as proof. He decided to take a walk around the village.

It was late as he walked, the town was asleep, only torches lighting the way. He found his way to the Goddess statue. Playing his luck, he walked up to the statue in the pond, got onto his knees, folded his hands, and prayed.

She didn’t answer. She never did these days.

The weeks passed with the same routine. Paya would awake early and Link would already be gone. He wouldn’t return until late, after she had finished her meetings and consultations for the day. They would eat dinner and speak quietly about their days and then go to bed.

Until one night, Link walked up the tall steps to the chief’s home, their home. It was late, later than Paya usually had meetings. Just as he began to open the large door, he heard speaking inside.

“I do believe it would be best, chief. We will assemble a group to go with you. We will leave the day after tomorrow.”

“Yes, I do understand. It is just so sudden. I have not been to Hateno village since I was a child.” Paya stated back to whoever she was speaking with.

This caught Link’s attention, and he made the sudden decision to enter the house.

“Oh! Master Link! I did not know you were here!” Dorian announces.

“No worries, I heard Hateno so I came in. That is my home village so I am interested in what is happening.” Link stated, walking to stand near Paya’s seat in the middle of the room.

Dorian nodded, “The chief must travel there in two days’ time for a ceremony. The mayor of the village has requested her to do so. But you need not worry, we are assembling a group of a least ten warriors to guide her.”

Link raised his hand, signaling him to stop. “No need. I will escort her myself.” Paya’s eyes widened at this. Dorian scoffed.

“Master Link, while I do understand, we have customs that must be-“

“Dorian, I am, was, the princess of Hyrule’s personal guard. I believe I can escort my wife on a day’s trip.” The words caught on his tongue as he said them.

“It’s decided.” Paya spoke up, red in the face. “He will escort me. You are dismissed.”

Dorian simply bowed and exited, too flabbergasted to say another word. Once the door closed behind him Paya let out a breath.

“Thank you, I- I was having a hard time with that.”

Link nodded. “I’ll, I’ll always be here to support you.”

The rest of the night carried on as usual. They had their dinner together in quiet conversation and went to bed.

Two days later they left for Hateno. They left early morning with the sunrise on large horses. Link had the sword on his back. They rode in relative silence for a few hours before she spoke up.

“You seem to know this path well. When did you leave Hateno?”

He thought for a moment. “I lived there until I was eight. Then I moved to castle town when I became, I knight.”

“You, you became I knight at eight years old?” She was shocked. He simply nodded. “Did your parents support that?”

He stared ahead before answering. “My mother had already passed at that point and my father was a knight himself, so to him it seemed like the only path for me. My sister was just happy to move to a big city.”

This was the first she had heard of his family at all, especially a sister, she decided not to push it. “What if one day you realized you just weren’t meant to be a fighter?”

His eyes shot over to her, she was staring ahead at the road. The memory of that day in the rain came flooding back to him. He could feel the rain on his skin, the way she was watching him from behind. “We should hurry. We don’t want to be late to the welcoming committee.”

The rode the rest of the way in quiet, even as they went through Fort Hateno, she didn’t say anything. She knew this is where it happened.

A group of people met them at the village gates with banners and streamers. Children and adults alike excited to get a look at the village chief. Paya was first embarrassed then overjoyed at this welcoming. They dismounted their horses and she began speaking with the children as they gave her flowers. Link stayed close behind her, making sure not to lose her in the crowd. As they followed the walkway through the village, they came across a house that was a bit bigger than the rest. Someone in the crowd let them know that it was the mayors residence. Link knocked on the door before it was opened by a taller man, allowing them to enter and escape the crowd.

Paya spoke with the mayor for some time about the ceremony and what would take place during it. Link simply stood in the doorway only half listening. He picked up that it would be tomorrow and that there would be plenty of food and they would have their own table. And that they would be staying in Hateno tech lab with Purah. Wonderful, Link thought.

The day grew late by the time they finished their meeting. They made their way up the hill to the tech lab. There Link once again knocked on the door to be greeted by someone who did not look like Purah.

“Linky, it is far too late to have my precious niece out. Get inside right now!” The woman exclaimed, grabbing Paya’s arm and pulling her inside.

Link grabbed the woman’s arm, stopping her. “Who are you?!” He stood between the two women, pulling her arm off of Paya’s.

The woman looked confused before realization fell across it, she began laughing. “Oh! I- I haven’t seen you since- since I aged myself up more!” She laughed some more. “It is me! It’s Purah!” She posed, putting her hand in front of her face, “Check it!” Yeah, it certainly was.

Link let go of her arm, moving out from between them. Paya seemed just as confused. The last time she saw her aunt she was a toddler sized adult making demands. “Aunt Purah, thank you for having us here while we are in town. I hope it isn’t an inconvenience.” Paya bowed slightly to Purah, who raised an eyebrow.

“Who you bowing to, kid? The only one you bow to is the royal family and I don’t see any of them around anymore.” Purah’s word came out before she thought. Both of their eyes shot to Link who simply looked ahead.

“Let’s get inside. Where should I put our bags?” He asked, not looking at her.

She took them inside and showed them to a small room they would be staying in while in town those few days. Once settled in, Paya quickly fell asleep. It seemed like the traveling got to her. Link instead checked to make sure the window was locked securely before going outside for some fresh air. He sat on the edge of the hill, looking out at the village below. The memories kept flooding back. The way her hands were so cold as he held them in the field that day. The way she said his name. The way she knew what was on his mind. The way their lips felt against each other. And for the first time since that day, he cried. He pulled his legs up to his chest and cried into his knees like a kid. He was there in that position for a while before he heard someone coming up behind him. He quickly wiped his face and resumed looking out at the town.

“It’s a dark night to be out here alone.” Purah said to him. He simply nodded. She sighed. “I miss her too, ya know.”

There was silence as she sat down next to him. “Do you blame yourself for what happened? Because you shouldn’t. There’s nothing you could have done differently.” The silence grew louder. “Link, I wish I could go back in time and change it all too. I wish the old tales were true. I wish we could do something, but unfortunately time travel is out of the picture. Zelda is at peace now; she’s watching over you and would want you to be happy. So maybe you should try to be.”

“Hylia won’t answer me.”

She fell quiet, “What?”

“Hylia won’t answer my prayers. She won’t speak to me. That means I’ve done something wrong.”

“Link, I don’t-“

“I’m her chosen hero. That’s exactly what it means. I’ve always been able to talk to her before. But since that day, since her link to the world was broken.” He exhaled heavily.

She thought for a moment, “Do you think Hylia has left us since her human form has died?”

“I believe it’s a possibility.”

Purah sat back onto her hands. “There are stories, legends of a hero long past who could travel through time.”

Link looked over at her for the first time.

“These are old legends, but the master sword was the key to the power. I will look into it more and give you all that I can find before you leave back to Kakariko.” Purah’s eyes met his.

“I need her back, Purah.”

“I know.”

The ceremony came and went as planned. Paya was ecstatic with the gifts from the children and taught them all how to draw the Shiekah eye. Link smiled watching her though his mind was in a different place. The would leave in the morning, how much had Purah found in only one day?

They entered the lab and Paya was all smiles, holding a basket of flowers and fruits from the children. She started to call out for Purah when she noticed the state of the lab. There was books and notes and scribbles of the master sword everywhere. She set the basket down next to the door and walked towards the desk in the middle of the room, examining some of the notes.

“What- what is all of this?” She whispered to herself. Link was beside himself. Paya was going to catch on.

“We probably shouldn’t mess with her research stuff.” He reassured her, picking up her basket and walking to her. “Let’s get to bed. It’s been a long day and we have to leave early.”

She walked with him to their room, still glancing at the papers. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Purah found him that night in the same spot outside.

“I did it.” She stated firmly.

“What do I need to do?”

“You need to not hurt her, first off.” She was defensive. Of course she was, Paya was her niece.

“If I do this right, no one will even remember this reality that she’s gone, except me.” He sighed.

She sighed with him at the realization. “You don’t have to do this alone.”

“But I do.”

She was quiet for a minute. “In the legend. The hero took the sword to the temple of time and put it into the pedestal there. When he turned it, it reversed time. However, there is no pedestal at the temple of time now. So, I made one.”

He looked up at her with shock in his face.

“When you insert it, turn it clockwise and it will send you back one hundred and two years and six months. That’s six months before the calamity. That’s all I could give you to fix this. But that’s six months to save her.” Purah looked out passed the village towards the castle. “There cannot be two of you in the same time. So, the moment you enter that time, the other you will be erased so its only you. If you come back to this time for any reason, he will come back. Does that make sense?”

Link nodded.

“Where were you at that time? Six months before the calamity?”

He thought for a moment, “Training on the Great Plateau, actually. Away from Zelda and the other champions for a bit.”

“Perfect. I won’t remember any of this, of course, so if something goes wrong during the time travel you are on your own.”

Link stood to meet her height. “Purah, I won’t let you down. I promise you, I will save her.”

“I know you will.”

The journey back to Kakariko was fast. They were greeted by the quiet villagers before retiring home for the night.

They fell into their old routine of a quite dinner. Except this time, they went to bed together. Once he knew she was asleep, he got up out of the bed. And quietly opened the chest across the room. Inside was his champion’s tunic, some traveling boots and bags and a bow and quiver of arrows. He put them all on, tying his hair up as he was done. He grabbed the master sword it’s spot on the wall. As he began to walk to the door, he heard a voice.

“Where are you going.?” Paya sat up in the bed, covering her chest with the blanket.

He closed his eyes tightly, cursing Hylia, not turning to look at her. “Sidon asked me to come visit him and come fishing. I may be gone a week.”

“Why can’t you wait until morning? It’s a dark night.”

“I know, but it’s a long journey.” He still didn’t dare look. He was a bad liar.

She sighed, “Okay, well. I’ll see you when you return. Take care and send him my regards.”

“I will.” He continued out the door.

“I love you.”

He stopped for a moment. “I love you too.”

The temple of time was more decayed than he remembered it being. He made his way into the main chamber. The roof almost completely gone, foliage overtaking most all of it. He stood in front of the Goddess statue. And one last time, tried to pray. He got on his knees, clasped his hands together, and prayed.

Goddess Hylia, please hear my words. I know I have done wrong, and I am unsure if I am on the right path to fix it. But I am here and I am going to attempt it. Please let this journey be successful. Please keep Paya safe in this time while I am away.

She did not answer.

He put the pedestal that Purah made onto the ground in front of the statue. He slowly drew out the master sword, readying putting it in. He looked around one last time. The decayed temple, the broken pots, the destroyed castle in the distance, the wedding ring he left sitting on the foot of the statue for safe keeping.

He plunged the sword into the stone, turning it clockwise like Purah instructed. There was a flash, then he saw it all, he watched as the temple was put back together in the blink of an eye, he watched guardians crawl across the land, he saw bokoblins call the building their home, he saw the castle being absorbed in a glowing light. And then, everything was new. Everything was perfect. He slowly drew the sword from the stone and put it onto his back. Walking to the entrance of the temple. He opened the large doors to see the castle in the distance. Castle town booming in front of it. In front of him Soldiers were training and sparing. Laughing when one would fall to the ground. He couldn’t take it all in fast enough.

“Link! Get over here! You think you’re special or something?! You get here late and get to leave tomorrow! You gotta get some sparring in!” A general yelled over at him after noticing him up on the steps.

He nodded going down the steps towards the man. “And I already told you! You ain’t allowed to use that sword! Take it off and leave it here. When you gonna start listenin’ boy?!”

Link was still trying to take it all in. He actually did it. He went back. He could save her. He once again looked at the castle. She was there. If he was leaving tomorrow that means he would see her tomorrow. Zelda, his Zelda.

Next Part

(A/N Thanks for reading! Hope yall enjoyed! Theres gonna be more parts in the future!)

#zelink #angst #zelink angst #zelda x link #link x zelda #zelda #link #botw #totk #LU #linked universe

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aheavenscorner · 2 years

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Coda of inevitability

[Coda: a passage that brings a piece to an end.]

In his formal garments, he could pass for a prince. In her bridal dress, she looked like an angel. Her white gloves covered her hands; under them she buried too many secrets, secrets that would never come to light after this night. Under them she buried her wisdom, the Triforce that so many remained unaware of.

Link danced with her, but not in the way he wished.

Zelda was in his arms, but not in the way it was meant to be.

Her love now belonged to another man.

#ocarina of time #oot zelink #zelink angst #slow dancing #they're just... so sad #and i love them so much #oot link #oot zelda #heaven's brainrots

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pawthko · 11 months

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always just beyond my reach

#totk #tears of the kingdom #totk spoilers #totk fanart #botw #breath of the wild #botw fanart #princess zelda #totk zelda #totk link #botw link #tloz #zelink #my art #releases a little more wife angst #i THINK ive gotten it out of my system now...

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sheikfangirl · 8 days

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Blade Runner 2049 redraw with a angsty Zelink twist, dedicated to @rottencandyapp1es! She also drew her take on that iconic scene, check it out if you haven't already! 🔥

I am obsessed with the idea of toxic Puppet Zelink haunting and torturing Link all the time😭 HDGDNGDHS !!!!! Like....REALLY OBSSESSED!

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minimuii · 11 months

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Fading

—

#back on my bs #🫶#muii art #zelink #princess zelda #botw #zelda botw #zelda breath of the wild #breath of the wild #loz #link botw #angst #artists on tumblr #the final memory #fanart #illustration #injury tw #art

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boomxyzu · 23 days

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“This feels like home. Is this our home?” She wants to ask. She wants to know.

She wants to remember.

what if Zelda doesn’t remember anything after her dragonification. Pt3

>>1<<

>>2<<

>>3<< you are here

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syndxlla · 8 months

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best friends don’t look at each other the way we do

A low stakes, high reward and self-indulgent Zelink fan fiction. Canon-compliant. Takes place between BOTW and TOTK

Chapter Five: My North Star

Read chapter four here

My masterlist

Song: August by Taylor Swift

Summary: Link and Zelda get a visitor from an old friend, and start to remember how to live for the hope of it all.

Warnings: brief and non graphic mentions of death and dead bodies, canon-typical violence and horror, PTSD (always for this fan fic)

Word Count: 3.3k words

Authors Note: finally some happy moments lol. Also this is unedited!! ALSO I KNOW I HAVE SO MANY UNANSWERED ASKS RN I PROMISE I AM NOT IGNORING YOU IM JUST BUSY AND LAZY kloveyoubye

It takes only three more days for Impa to arrive at their door, angrily pounding her staff on the wooden plank. It’s early, she beats the rooster, and Link is rubbing sleep out of his eyes as he stumbles to the door from his makeshift bed he’s made adjacent to the kitchen.

He’s shocked to see the old woman staring up at him, as far as he knows, she hasn’t left Kakariko village in decades.

“You completed the mission and your first instinct was NOT to come and tell me?” She asks, her wrinkled lips pressed firmly into a frown. Link looks up to see Cado, apologetic. His hair is down, shirt is off, and he’s barely wearing trousers. He yawns.

“Good morning, Master Impa.” He bows deeply to her and she just whacks his skull with her cane in the same manner she did the door. Link yelps and rubs the top of his head. “What was that for?” He asks.

“Where’s the princess?”

“She’s sleeping still, it’s barely sunrise.” Link rubs some more sleep from his lashes, his hand in a tight fist. “You know, most people say good morning when you see them first thing…”

Impa then lets herself into the house, pushing past him like the angry ball of spunk she is. “I’ll have tea.” She states, “And I’d like to see my friend.” Link and Cado look at each other, the Sheikah man staring at him apologetically.

Link nods, walking to the furnace and kneeling in front of it. He blows on the dying embers from the night before, placing a small log on them. Flames catch, and he’s setting the kettle over them, still full of water from yesterday. Cado closes the door and sits across from Impa at the table. Link eyes his bed roll in the corner of the room, kicking some blankets around in an attempt to make it look less disheveled, but the elderly woman just squints at the state of the house. If only she had seen it a week ago. Link was starting to feel proud of he and Zelda’s progress, wildflowers being placed in a vase on the table, and their plates polished and put away neatly for the first time. After Impa’s scrutinizing gaze, however, he was feeling all sorts of insecure again.

The air is stagnant.

“She's still sleeping…still.” Link clears his throat, his voice hushed. “She needs to rest because-“

“Link, two bodies were found just outside of the castle two days ago, the man who found them also reports seeing a Shadowy Figure, covered in what he suspects is malice.” Impa interrupts him.

“What?” He asks, startled.

“I didn’t want to lead with that, but it cannot be ignored.” She spoke in the same hushed tone. They didn’t want to wake the Princess, and they especially didn’t want to scare her.

“Treasure hunters? I mean it's still a war zone there, it wasn’t anything else… right? He was lying, surely. All the Malice disappeared…” Link asks, feeling the blood go from his face.

“The man was Me.” Cado frowns. He would never lie. “After we got your message from Purah, I traveled to the castle to confirm that the Calamity was destroyed. The bodies were hylian, two young people. A boy and a girl… I thought it was..”

Cado’s voice became too loud, and Link hushed him.

“We want to think it was leftover spells, but we don’t know. We don’t know who else to ask to investigate.” Impa says.

“Now that Hyrule is safe, it's time we start reestablishing civility, democracy.” Cado steps in.

“It’s been eleven days since I defeated him.” Link crosses his arms, “I’m still not sleeping through the nights, Zelda doesn’t have her full strength back yet. You promised me I would get to rest when it was all over.” He looks at the Sheikah Chief.

“Don’t lie to me, Link.” Impa shakes her head, “I know you can’t stay in one place for too long. No matter how hard you try.” She states. She wasn’t wrong, but recently Link has started to feel different.

The kettle starts to whistle. Link swallows his frustration and takes it off the heat, preparing three cups of green bell tea. Everyone feels discomfort. “Did the figure do anything?” Link asks as he pours the hot water into the cups, his back turned to the Sheikah.

“It just stared at me, it was tall, hunched over.” Cado describes, one could easily hear the fear in his voice. “We stared at each other, I couldn’t tell if it was from this world or not.”

“Tall like a Zora or tall like a Gerudo?” Link asks, still turned away.

“Gerudo.” Cado struggled to say it. “I drew my sword, and as soon as I did, it turned away from me and walked into the mist to the south. I never saw it again.”

Link swallows and then turns around finally, carrying the cups to the table. “And the bodies?”

“Cause of death was unknown, I checked for a pulse multiple times but they were both long gone. They were dressed in traveler's garb. Their dress seemed to be from the north.”

“If they have families they need to know.” Link sits, holding the mug of tea in his hands.

“You’re the only one who could inform them about such a thing.” Impa says. “Tabantha is a long way, but you could be there and back in an hour if you warp. We’ll stay here until you-“

“The sheikah slate is utterly destroyed.” Link admits. “I left it with Purah but she essentially told me it's beyond repair.”

“You’d have to go on foot like the rest of us.” Cado smirks.

“Why would I?” Link asks, perhaps too forcefully. “I did my quest.”

Impa stares at him, silent for a moment, “You don’t really feel that way.” She shakes her head, “And if you do, then you are not the same man who woke up three years ago.”

“I’m not!” Link almost shouts, and they all bite their tongues, listening for any sound from upstairs. “Impa… you know I care. You know I want to go find whatever that figure was, but I am tired.” His voice cracks. “I can’t just sleep this one off.” He can’t look at her, if he does, he’ll break. “This is much deeper than exhaustion. It’s… it’s traumatic.

I still see him. His eyes, the way His heat radiated and burned my skin, the sound of His laughter. He Haunts me at night, I swear He finds ways into my dreams and taunts me there. Like it was all just a game to Him. Because it was. It always was. He’ll do it again a hundred times, and we can’t ever stop Him. There will be countless more Links who lose their hearing and can’t sleep and won't even look themselves in a mirror because as long as the triforce exists, He will mock us all with His deviance.”

Link stares into his tea.

“Impa…” A quiet voice says from the stairs, and all three of them are turning to see her. Long, blonde hair draped over her shoulder, eyes sleepy and confused, hands at her sides.

She nearly trips down the stairs as she runs to the woman, wrapping her hands around her neck and crying. Impa immediately holds her back, laughing, taking an old, bony hand and stroking the top of her friend's head with it.

“Good Morning, my dear.”

Link and Cado share one more glance.

The day is spent with hugs and laughter and Zelda looking into Impa’s eyes and crying every time she sees that they’re still the same eyes. Link cooks for them, and gets as quiet as he was at the start of this war. It’s all he can think about. Did it return for other Links? Did it return this early?

Zelda must have noticed his distance because while Impa is telling Zelda all about the man she married, the Princess is glancing at Link. His shoulders tense, his head down, his voice silent. She frowns, deciding to ask him about it later.

Cado was delighted to meet the woman, bowing deeply for her. He eventually got on a tangent about his children while they ate the omelets Link prepared, but Link stayed silent. He glances over at the Master Sword, leaning against the corner of the room, staring back at him.

He distracts himself the rest of the day with Epona, tending to her constantly while Zelda tells Impa every single detail about her time sealed away. The two prayed over each other a few times. The sun gets low in the sky, Link stays silent.

They come back inside, and before Impa and Cado enter from the outside to begin their next hour of catching up, Zelda places a gentle hand on Link’s shoulder. “Link,”

He turns to look at her, everything about him immediately softening as her green eyes stare at him.

“You’re upset?” She says, her voice soothing.

“No I’m not.” He denies. She raises an eyebrow.

“I know you.” Link becomes acutely aware of her thumb that starts rubbing circles into his muscle and he has to remind himself how to stand. ”Talk to me.”

He knows he can’t tell her about this, not yet. “Later?” He asks. She smiles and nods.

“I’m here for you.”

Link begins dinner, and Zelda washes up, leaving the three alone for the first time since early morning.

Impa stares, Cado uncomfortably clears his throat. Link looks at them, frowning, knowing what they want.

He sighs deeply.

“I will return to the castle. Zelda and I briefly discussed returning the Champion’s weapons to their people, and can do it then.” He finally says. “Tell every leader to warn their people to avoid the castle at all costs.”

“Good.” Impa nods.

“But-“ Link holds his hand up, “I’m not going until both she and I are ready.” He says.

“What do you mean by ready?” That old woman was always so pushy.

“When Zel and I both feel ready to return to those places without it absolutely crushing our spirits, we will go. Together.”

“Hylia knows when that will be.” Cado scoffs.

“Exactly.” Link says. “Unless more deaths are reported or this shadow is seen again, it can wait. Everyone has been avoiding the castle for a century, what’s a little while longer?” Link states, silently proud of himself for sticking up for himself and not just being the obedient soldier he was trained to be. “Besides, no one should be there anyways, it’s not safe.”

“You’re in love with the Princess.” Impa states with a chuckle and Link sputters, the wind knocking out of him.

“What? Why would you say that?” He asks.

“I saw you two. The way you look at her.” Impa smirks. Link feels his ears heat up, Cado stifles a laugh.

“You are so rude.” Link replies.

“I think you two need each other.” Impa shrugs, “But do not let any worldly affection keep you in the way of what really matters here: Hyrule and its people.”

Impa always knew exactly how to remind Link that he is just a soldier.

“We will leave before we eat. At this rate we will not return home until late into the night.” Impa states, standing back up.

They say their goodbyes. Zelda promises to visit, Impa gives her a kiss on the forehead, Cado bows again. And just as the sun begins to set, the pair is headed through the bridge.

Both Link and Zelda stand in the doorway as they watch them leave. Zelda starts to sniffle, wiping a tear.

“Hey, hey, hey.” Link says in a comforting tone when he sees her cry, turning to face her. “It’s okay, we’re gonna see her again real soon.” He reassures. Zelda sighs.

“She got so old, without me.” She tries to swallow her sob but fails. She presses her tear-stained face into the crook of Link’s neck, and he just holds her for as long she needs. Zelda is the one to pull away after a moment of comfort. “I’m sorry… I know there's something troubling you, too. I shouldn’t be so selfish.” Zelda sighs.

Link swallows, “It’s nothing. Not for tonight.”

“You're sure?”

“Positive.” Link nods. “Can I show you something?” He asks, and Zelda is nodding as he takes her hand and leads her up stairs. He pushes open a hatch on the ceiling in the corner, and a rickety ladder slides down. Some dust and cobwebs fly down, but when the air clears, Link is climbing up onto the roof of their house. He helps Zelda up next, and she’s looking up at the night sky with bright eyes. It’s still not totally dark yet, but the first few stars are starting to shine.

The roof is slightly slanted, but not enough to cause either of them concern. They both comfortably find a position on the tiles, facing south, noses pointed at the heavens. There’s about a foot of space between them, and Link wants to scoot closer into her, but chooses not to. He closes the hatch from the outside, so the warm light of the house doesn’t pollute their view.

“I like to come up here to clear my head.” He says. “It doesn’t hold a candle to the night sky in Hebra or out in the desert, but it's still pretty spectacular.”

Zelda hums, “You’ll have to take me someday.” She stays looking at the sky but Link looks at her. Her profile is beautiful, hair long and cascading, ears pointed and blushed. Surely she knew he was staring, but neither of them did anything to stop.

“One day.” He nods before looking away and laying on his back. He rests his arms behind his head, crossing an ankle over his bended knee. “That one is called Haru.” He points to an especially bright star, “It’s part of the constellation Nabooru.” He then traces the warrior constellation with his finger.

“I remember, yes.” Zelda scoots into him, and he tries to stifle his smile. She doesn’t lay next to him, but now they’re a mere inches apart.

“And this is the North Star.” Link cranes his neck back to see it. “It moves though, did you know that? True north changes over time, so that one was the North Star when we were born, but over time the celestial bodies shifted and now it's that one. They didn’t even know that until I came back, because I was following the original one and ended up in Lanayru instead of Eldin. I talked with Purah and Robbie and they agreed, isn’t that fascinating?” He asks with a smile.

Zelda smiles so wide she thinks her cheeks will burst. “I never heard you speak like that before. With so much passion and eloquence.”

Link looks at her and just chuckles, “Now everyone follows the new star, but it didn’t have a name yet….”

“We should name it!” She gasps.

“Oh…I already did.” Link frowns, “I named it after I got my first memory back.” He shrugs. “I”m sorry. But there are plenty of stars without names anymore. A lot of the scientific research got destroyed with the…” He stops himself, “Well you know why. No one these days even knows the constellations anymore. I’m the only one.”

“What did you name it?” Zelda smiles.

Link looks at her again, “Zelda.”

She just about passes out from flattery, smiling down at her knees which are bent into her chest, blushing a little. “That’s very nice.”

“It was my true north.” He says. “I’d have been lost without it.”

It was fully dark now, and the sky lit up with the twinkling lights, the moon was a small sliver of a crescent and hung low in the sky near the sea.

“When did you remember the constellations?” She asked.

“They come to me slowly. It was required for all knights to know them, as I’m sure you remember.” Link described, looking to the heavens again. “I still can’t think of half of them.”

“Well isn’t that one Navi?” She points to another star.

“No, that one is Navi.” Link scoots up to her level, closing the gap further between them, and takes his hand to move her arm to the right star, his calloused and scarred flesh rough against her soft skin. “That one is the top of the constellation Hylia-“

“-Hylia”

They say it together. Perfectly in tune.

Their faces turn towards one another, locking eyes. The air freezes, time itself seems to hold.

Their hearts simultaneously skip a beat, and a soft blow of warm wind passes by, brushing through their hair.

Link makes the mistake of looking at her lips and for a split second he swears she leans in, but before anything goes any further, she’s moving away and laying down next to him.

He supposes this is alright, too.

“I wonder what she thinks of all this.” Link says.

Zelda is quiet ....“I sometimes wonder if the God’s regret making man.”

“What do you mean?” Link asks, looking at her.

“Well… man is what caused the curse of the loop anyways. If it weren’t for us, Hyrule wouldn’t have to be rebuilt every ten thousand years.” She frowns. “Maybe they wish they had left their creation to rest without our feeble beings.”

“I don’t think that.” Link shakes his head. “I think they put us here because we are flawed, not in spite of it.

I think our mistakes, our sins, our curses are what makes us special. Life would be futile if we were perfect. There would be no motivation. No growth. No passion.

You cannot have good without evil, or light without dark, or joy without pain.

That’s what’s so beautiful about life. I think the God’s know that. I think they love us because of it. That is a luxury they don’t have. I see it as a gift. To live for the hope of it all.”

Link rambles, and Zelda is stunned for a moment. She turns her head to look at him, this time he’s the one with wonder-filled eyes staring up, ignoring the gaze of the other.

“I really think you should wield the triforce of wisdom.” Zelda teases.

Link looks at her, their noses almost touching. “Oh no, I’m only profound when I’m around you.” He shakes his head, giggling. “You should see me try to talk my way through Gerudo town, there's nothing wise about it.” His tone is playful, and they both laugh over it. “I accidentally told a woman she looked pregnant instead of ordering a drink at the bar.” Link explains and then says the two phrases in Gerudo, Zelda can admit they have very similar pronunciations and the both of them are full-belly laughing at the situation. Zelda asks how he managed to get out of that situation, and Link had to describe further that he was in disguise, which made everything harder to get through. Zelda couldn’t get the image of Link in a woman’s clothing out of her mind, and Link only sets her off further when he finishes the story with him getting slapped by an elderly Gerudo Woman. It isn’t much longer until she has tears welling down her face, but this time they are finally tears of laughter and joy.

When they both finally pull themselves together, Zelda smiles at him, wiping a tear from the corner of her eyes. “Thank you.” She sighs, her stomach aching from laughter.

Zelda then takes a risk, and snakes her hand in between them before wrapping it around Link’s. They don’t lock fingers, and it isn’t even necessarily classified as a romantic gesture, but she just squeezes his hand, thankful for cheering her up, thankful for reminding her that there is still hope.

There is hope in balance.

She tries to pull it away, not wanting to overstep, but Link is holding her hand tighter, keeping it in his grip. Zelda happily obliges, and they keep their hands clasped at their sides the whole night.

—

Chapter Six

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