im not back, BUT i have a request! if you do remember me from literally here or any other account (@malleux , @firemblem-fics , @breathlesslink ), what is your favorite piece of work that ive created?
it could be a series, oneshot, anything. just trying to figure some things out.. considering coming back or doing some kind of freelance writing but im not in any fandoms anymore to cater to tumblr, yk? not too sure what to do haha. thank you!
[chapter warnings: arguments, link is overthinking, link is mean]
"We only have a few more minutes until we reach Goron City. It should be much cooler inside the actual city..."
Link's words did little to comfort you. Sure, you were used to the heat. Gerudo Town was in the desert, after all. But the dry heat of your second home was little in comparison to the scorching heat of the volcano. You had to discard your wooden shield because as you ascended to Goron City it caught on fire. The tips of your fingers were burnt from where you had grabbed the edge, but it wasn't anything to mention and worry Link over.
"We should've made more potions. I feel like I'm about to combust."
"Someone back at the stable mentioned that there were fireproof suits we could find that help. Maybe we can ask someone in the City about them-- I'm sure they sell them for travelers."
The air between the two of you was quiet.
It wasn't unusual for there to be silence between you and Link-- you couldn't keep a conversation going 24/7-- but this one felt different. Tense. It had been a bit off since leaving Zora's Domain, but you didn't want to think too hard about it. The only issue-- the strange feeling in the air continued to get worse and worse the closer you got to the city. It was almost unbearable, but was it your place to question it? You had to try.
"Link?" Your voice was quiet. He hummed. "Is everything alright?"
Link didn't respond for a moment, and you worried that you had crossed a boundary. "I just... They weigh on my mind."
"Who?"
"The old Champions." Link stared ahead. His eyes held a glazed-over look-- refusing to look at you. "I feel bad. Guilty, if anything."
"Survivor's guilt is a thing." You shrugged, "It can happen to soldiers when their comrades die. Like you're guilty that you're alive when they could've been alive too. But Link, do you realize that their sacrifices gave you another chance? It sucks that they didn't survive, but they had so much faith in you that they gave their lives to give you a fighting chance at defeating Ganon."
"And I failed to defeat him, which made them die."
"No, you were given a chance to get stronger. Who's to say that you would've defeated him back then?" You were a firm believer that things worked out they way they're supposed to. The Goddess doesn't make mistakes. "Maybe the Champions would've died before you made it to Ganon and couldn't activate the beasts to help you. Then he would've been way stronger. Or-or you said Zelda was in the castle, fighting him off right? If she couldn't use her powers like you said, then she wouldn't have weakened him or anything. 100 years ago may not have been the right time to kill Ganon, but now can be."
Link didn't respond, the gears turning in his head. You really hoped that you didn't say the wrong thing. "The entrance to the city is right ahead. Let's go."
You lowered your gaze to your horse, patting his mane in an attempt to soothe yourself from the blatant rejection of your comfort. It hurt, but you understood where he came from. This was definitely something you had no experience speaking on, so of course he'd take your words lightly. You didn't have much time to think about that, though, as the ground began to rumble beneath you. A loud roar pierced the air and a crash came down beside you, making Taz rear up in fear.
A large boulder appeared on your right, cratering the ground beneath it as it fell from the sky. Vah Rudania thrashed on the side of the volcano and more smoldering hot rocks flew from its vicinity to different parts of the city.
You pushed forward, tying Taz up with Epona at the entrance and heading in with Link. He was already a few steps ahead of you, asking around to find the Elder of the village. It didn't take long for a Goron to point you in the right direction, nor did it take much longer to walk across the small village and find him.
Bludo was very obviously the oldest Goron you'd ever seen— though, you'd rarely seen Gorons in your life. They didn't travel far from rocks, and rocks did seem to be pretty rare in the desert.
"— and that darn Yunobo hasn't been back in hours!"
Bludo raised his voice a few decibels and you finally tuned into what he was saying. Hopefully you weren't missing too much context. You didn't want to ask Link and bother him.
"Where's he at? I can find him."
"He went up to the Abandoned North Mine to fetch my painkillers this morning. Hasn't been back at all. Goddess only knows what he's been up to."
"We'll go get him right now!" You chime in. Link side-eyes you, but doesn't say anything until you bid your goodbyes to Bludo and are back in the town.
You need to buy that armor the people at the stable talked about .
"You don't need to come on this." It's his first words to you since you arrived, and they stung. "We agreed that you'd stay behind when it came to the Divine Beasts."
"This isn't the beasts, though." You argued, "I don't want to just sit in the village and do nothing. Once you and Bludo go to the volcano then I'll stay back."
Link doesn't respond, walking past you to the general store. There's two sets of armor for travelers there, but he only picks up one and brings it to the counter.
"Are you serious right now?" You're starting to get upset. You understood that he was going through a lot— really. But taking it out on you? "This is so petty."
You grabbed the other suit of armor and paid for it with your own rupees, not the satchel of shared rupees that you both used for travel necessities. You had to practically race to put on the suit and catch up with Link.
"Y/N, you can't come with me." He still marched ahead, eyes glued on the direction Bludo pointed you in.
"Yes I can!"
"No, you can't!" Link whipped around, exasperated. "You don't need to be doing the stuff that I have to do! You're not the hero— I alone am destined to do this so I need to do it alone. You can't do the things I need to do. I don't need you."
If all of Link's other actions stung, then this one was like a punch to the gut. Your eyes pricked with tears, but you couldn't possibly let Link see them. Especially after he already practically called you too weak to help out.
You tried to keep your voice steady. "Really? That's low."
"You don't get it—"
"No, Link, I do." You were shaking— whether it was from rage or something akin to heartbreak, you didn't know. "You're letting this whole thing get to your head. It's a huge deal, yeah, but you're taking it too far. There's no reason you should have yelled at me like that."
Link's eyes softened for a fraction of a second, but you turned around too quickly to see it. You took off your helmet and threw it on the ground— 500 rupees be damned. It was hard to keep the tears in.
Your past taught you to stand up for yourself. To not let issues get to you, big or small. You knew you couldn't tolerate someone treating you the way Link has today, and you'd turned your back on someone before the same way you had today.
So why did this feel so much more painful?
Link was your first friend outside of Gerudo Town. Your traveling partner. Someone you cared about a lot more than you'd ever cared about someone before. A best friend, perhaps.
You didn't look back as you walked back into the city, straight through until you reached the other end. Even then, you kept going. You headed to the hot springs on your map— you just had to remember how to get there, since pulling out your paper map would destroy it in seconds.
"You can do better."
"Goddess—"
"Language." The voice was in your ear. You whipped around, coming face to— uh, mask— once again with a familiar person. "I heard your little spat."
"Why are you following me?" You absolutely were not in the mood to deal with this soldier. You took a step back— he was too close for your liking.
"Just interested in your journey." He chuckled. "Curious as to how you did a complete flip and went to aiding the enemy."
"He was never an enemy. You guys just tricked me into believing he was one."
"Ah, to-may-to, to-mah-to." The Yiga waved his hand dismissively. "Just because we have entirely different perspectives doesn't make either of us wrong. We see our truths through our own eyes. I cannot see your truth because I do not have your eyes, and you cannot see mine."
"Unless I take them out of your head." You grumble. It was very tempting.
"I'm not so sure you'd do that. You do remember that I'm in possession of some knowledge you'd like, right?"
"How could I forget when you're constantly dangling it over my head."
The Yiga barked out a laugh at this and you tried to ignore how your heart jumped. "I'll give you a hint if you do something for me."
Another tempting offer. Perhaps more tempting than gouging his eyes. "Depends on what it is."
"Find out where the Master Sword is."
"I haven't even heard anything about it—"
"Your brother is somewhere you would least expect. And now I expect some information the next time I see you. Toodle-loo!"
In a puff of light and talismen, the Yiga was gone.
Where you would least expect? What? You wanted to go to the hot springs to relax, but were left with more questions and your headache growing even worse.
The Master Sword...
Of course the soldier knew that you knew what it was. The Master Sword was in all of the stories and legends that the Yiga taught about the return of the Hero. With that sword, Link would be able to seal away the darkness and save Hyrule. You guessed that the Yiga's plan was to take the sword and hide it, so Link would never be able to seal the darkness.
You chose an empty hot spring pool, undressed and sunk down into the water until it reached just below your nose. You had a choice to make.
Find your brother, or help Link.
———
"Just because we have entirely different perspectives doesn't make either of us wrong. We see our truths through our own eyes. I cannot see your truth because I do not have your eyes, and you cannot see mine."
As much as you hated to admit it, the Yiga Footsoldier was quite the philosopher.
His little lecture played over and over in your head as you bathed, scrubbing all the dirt and grime from your adventure away. You felt a bit better afterwards— rejuvenated. Your mind was a bit more clear after being muddled with anger and frustration.
"Just because we have entirely different perspectives doesn't make either of us wrong."
Link has the future of Hyrule resting on his shoulders. The lives of thousands. Of course he'd get stressed— in the past, he was literally so stressed out that he wouldn't talk to anyone about it.
The Yiga Clan had their own truths, too. They were upset about the Sheikah Clan being exiled for their technology and disagreed with the clan members who decided to cast away the advances. In some morbid attempt at revenge, they formed the Yiga Clan and swore to eliminate all who stood against Ganon as he used their tech.
And you.
You were part of both sides. One a bit less willing than the other, but you were nonetheless. You never necessarily agreed with the Yiga, but fear does things to someone. They follow rules without much complaint. And now, being with Link, new truths have emerged.
You knew you weren't going to comply with the Yiga Clan, but you needed to find your brother.
With a heavy sigh, you waded to the edge of the hot spring. You dried your hands on your discarded shirt and pulled the paper map out of your bag and got to work.
[chapter warnings: arguments, link is overthinking, link is mean]
"We only have a few more minutes until we reach Goron City. It should be much cooler inside the actual city..."
Link's words did little to comfort you. Sure, you were used to the heat. Gerudo Town was in the desert, after all. But the dry heat of your second home was little in comparison to the scorching heat of the volcano. You had to discard your wooden shield because as you ascended to Goron City it caught on fire. The tips of your fingers were burnt from where you had grabbed the edge, but it wasn't anything to mention and worry Link over.
"We should've made more potions. I feel like I'm about to combust."
"Someone back at the stable mentioned that there were fireproof suits we could find that help. Maybe we can ask someone in the City about them-- I'm sure they sell them for travelers."
The air between the two of you was quiet.
It wasn't unusual for there to be silence between you and Link-- you couldn't keep a conversation going 24/7-- but this one felt different. Tense. It had been a bit off since leaving Zora's Domain, but you didn't want to think too hard about it. The only issue-- the strange feeling in the air continued to get worse and worse the closer you got to the city. It was almost unbearable, but was it your place to question it? You had to try.
"Link?" Your voice was quiet. He hummed. "Is everything alright?"
Link didn't respond for a moment, and you worried that you had crossed a boundary. "I just... They weigh on my mind."
"Who?"
"The old Champions." Link stared ahead. His eyes held a glazed-over look-- refusing to look at you. "I feel bad. Guilty, if anything."
"Survivor's guilt is a thing." You shrugged, "It can happen to soldiers when their comrades die. Like you're guilty that you're alive when they could've been alive too. But Link, do you realize that their sacrifices gave you another chance? It sucks that they didn't survive, but they had so much faith in you that they gave their lives to give you a fighting chance at defeating Ganon."
"And I failed to defeat him, which made them die."
"No, you were given a chance to get stronger. Who's to say that you would've defeated him back then?" You were a firm believer that things worked out they way they're supposed to. The Goddess doesn't make mistakes. "Maybe the Champions would've died before you made it to Ganon and couldn't activate the beasts to help you. Then he would've been way stronger. Or-or you said Zelda was in the castle, fighting him off right? If she couldn't use her powers like you said, then she wouldn't have weakened him or anything. 100 years ago may not have been the right time to kill Ganon, but now can be."
Link didn't respond, the gears turning in his head. You really hoped that you didn't say the wrong thing. "The entrance to the city is right ahead. Let's go."
You lowered your gaze to your horse, patting his mane in an attempt to soothe yourself from the blatant rejection of your comfort. It hurt, but you understood where he came from. This was definitely something you had no experience speaking on, so of course he'd take your words lightly. You didn't have much time to think about that, though, as the ground began to rumble beneath you. A loud roar pierced the air and a crash came down beside you, making Taz rear up in fear.
A large boulder appeared on your right, cratering the ground beneath it as it fell from the sky. Vah Rudania thrashed on the side of the volcano and more smoldering hot rocks flew from its vicinity to different parts of the city.
You pushed forward, tying Taz up with Epona at the entrance and heading in with Link. He was already a few steps ahead of you, asking around to find the Elder of the village. It didn't take long for a Goron to point you in the right direction, nor did it take much longer to walk across the small village and find him.
Bludo was very obviously the oldest Goron you'd ever seen— though, you'd rarely seen Gorons in your life. They didn't travel far from rocks, and rocks did seem to be pretty rare in the desert.
"— and that darn Yunobo hasn't been back in hours!"
Bludo raised his voice a few decibels and you finally tuned into what he was saying. Hopefully you weren't missing too much context. You didn't want to ask Link and bother him.
"Where's he at? I can find him."
"He went up to the Abandoned North Mine to fetch my painkillers this morning. Hasn't been back at all. Goddess only knows what he's been up to."
"We'll go get him right now!" You chime in. Link side-eyes you, but doesn't say anything until you bid your goodbyes to Bludo and are back in the town.
You need to buy that armor the people at the stable talked about .
"You don't need to come on this." It's his first words to you since you arrived, and they stung. "We agreed that you'd stay behind when it came to the Divine Beasts."
"This isn't the beasts, though." You argued, "I don't want to just sit in the village and do nothing. Once you and Bludo go to the volcano then I'll stay back."
Link doesn't respond, walking past you to the general store. There's two sets of armor for travelers there, but he only picks up one and brings it to the counter.
"Are you serious right now?" You're starting to get upset. You understood that he was going through a lot— really. But taking it out on you? "This is so petty."
You grabbed the other suit of armor and paid for it with your own rupees, not the satchel of shared rupees that you both used for travel necessities. You had to practically race to put on the suit and catch up with Link.
"Y/N, you can't come with me." He still marched ahead, eyes glued on the direction Bludo pointed you in.
"Yes I can!"
"No, you can't!" Link whipped around, exasperated. "You don't need to be doing the stuff that I have to do! You're not the hero— I alone am destined to do this so I need to do it alone. You can't do the things I need to do. I don't need you."
If all of Link's other actions stung, then this one was like a punch to the gut. Your eyes pricked with tears, but you couldn't possibly let Link see them. Especially after he already practically called you too weak to help out.
You tried to keep your voice steady. "Really? That's low."
"You don't get it—"
"No, Link, I do." You were shaking— whether it was from rage or something akin to heartbreak, you didn't know. "You're letting this whole thing get to your head. It's a huge deal, yeah, but you're taking it too far. There's no reason you should have yelled at me like that."
Link's eyes softened for a fraction of a second, but you turned around too quickly to see it. You took off your helmet and threw it on the ground— 500 rupees be damned. It was hard to keep the tears in.
Your past taught you to stand up for yourself. To not let issues get to you, big or small. You knew you couldn't tolerate someone treating you the way Link has today, and you'd turned your back on someone before the same way you had today.
So why did this feel so much more painful?
Link was your first friend outside of Gerudo Town. Your traveling partner. Someone you cared about a lot more than you'd ever cared about someone before. A best friend, perhaps.
You didn't look back as you walked back into the city, straight through until you reached the other end. Even then, you kept going. You headed to the hot springs on your map— you just had to remember how to get there, since pulling out your paper map would destroy it in seconds.
"You can do better."
"Goddess—"
"Language." The voice was in your ear. You whipped around, coming face to— uh, mask— once again with a familiar person. "I heard your little spat."
"Why are you following me?" You absolutely were not in the mood to deal with this soldier. You took a step back— he was too close for your liking.
"Just interested in your journey." He chuckled. "Curious as to how you did a complete flip and went to aiding the enemy."
"He was never an enemy. You guys just tricked me into believing he was one."
"Ah, to-may-to, to-mah-to." The Yiga waved his hand dismissively. "Just because we have entirely different perspectives doesn't make either of us wrong. We see our truths through our own eyes. I cannot see your truth because I do not have your eyes, and you cannot see mine."
"Unless I take them out of your head." You grumble. It was very tempting.
"I'm not so sure you'd do that. You do remember that I'm in possession of some knowledge you'd like, right?"
"How could I forget when you're constantly dangling it over my head."
The Yiga barked out a laugh at this and you tried to ignore how your heart jumped. "I'll give you a hint if you do something for me."
Another tempting offer. Perhaps more tempting than gouging his eyes. "Depends on what it is."
"Find out where the Master Sword is."
"I haven't even heard anything about it—"
"Your brother is somewhere you would least expect. And now I expect some information the next time I see you. Toodle-loo!"
In a puff of light and talismen, the Yiga was gone.
Where you would least expect? What? You wanted to go to the hot springs to relax, but were left with more questions and your headache growing even worse.
The Master Sword...
Of course the soldier knew that you knew what it was. The Master Sword was in all of the stories and legends that the Yiga taught about the return of the Hero. With that sword, Link would be able to seal away the darkness and save Hyrule. You guessed that the Yiga's plan was to take the sword and hide it, so Link would never be able to seal the darkness.
You chose an empty hot spring pool, undressed and sunk down into the water until it reached just below your nose. You had a choice to make.
Find your brother, or help Link.
———
"Just because we have entirely different perspectives doesn't make either of us wrong. We see our truths through our own eyes. I cannot see your truth because I do not have your eyes, and you cannot see mine."
As much as you hated to admit it, the Yiga Footsoldier was quite the philosopher.
His little lecture played over and over in your head as you bathed, scrubbing all the dirt and grime from your adventure away. You felt a bit better afterwards— rejuvenated. Your mind was a bit more clear after being muddled with anger and frustration.
"Just because we have entirely different perspectives doesn't make either of us wrong."
Link has the future of Hyrule resting on his shoulders. The lives of thousands. Of course he'd get stressed— in the past, he was literally so stressed out that he wouldn't talk to anyone about it.
The Yiga Clan had their own truths, too. They were upset about the Sheikah Clan being exiled for their technology and disagreed with the clan members who decided to cast away the advances. In some morbid attempt at revenge, they formed the Yiga Clan and swore to eliminate all who stood against Ganon as he used their tech.
And you.
You were part of both sides. One a bit less willing than the other, but you were nonetheless. You never necessarily agreed with the Yiga, but fear does things to someone. They follow rules without much complaint. And now, being with Link, new truths have emerged.
You knew you weren't going to comply with the Yiga Clan, but you needed to find your brother.
With a heavy sigh, you waded to the edge of the hot spring. You dried your hands on your discarded shirt and pulled the paper map out of your bag and got to work.
Link could have been back earlier, but he needed a minute.
Nothing could have prepared him for the Divine Beast. He expected fighting, but puzzles? He didn't think he'd also have to use his brain instead of just his brawn, but that made some sense since the shrines were also predominately puzzles.
The small underlings of Ganon's weren't difficult. Just little sentries, designed to look like mini guardians. The creature of malice that had defeated Mipha, however, was different.
She called it 'Waterblight Ganon', a small manifestation of his power sent to destroy the Champions and claim the beasts as his own like he did the other Ancient technologies. Link could see how a monster like that would be difficult to beat.
After Vah Ruta traveled her way to a spot to aim her beam at Hyrule Castle, Link took a break.
He sat on the grass next to the Beast, staying there long after Mipha's spirit had disappeared.
His chest felt heavy. Grief was already a strange emotion— he'd known that from when he lost his parents. But to grieve someone you don't remember meeting? He didn't even know what he was grieving. Mipha was apparently a close friend, consoling him on the days when Zelda became a bit too much to handle.
He remembered her, but only a bit. He knew that he knew her. He knew that they were close, but that was it. To learn that she had crafted the Zora Armor he wore because she wanted to marry him—
The Zora Armor.
You would think it looked so cool. He had to get back and show you. He knew you would love to hear about what happened.
Link groaned and stretched, sore from the fighting and dreading the trek back to the Domain. But he was excited too, to see you again and tell you about everything that happened.
———
A delicious smell wafted through the openings of the inn as you and Kodah worked tirelessly over the cooking pot, countless servings of seafood paella being churned out as word of Vah Ruta's defeat began to spread.
Zora's noticed her return to her original place high above the Kingdom hours ago, but Link had yet to come back. You tried to ignore the anxiety that rested deep in your stomach and focus on the dinner in front of you, but you couldn't help but watch the front of the Domain as you helped serve the Zora citizens their feast.
"Staring isn't going to make him magically appear, you know." Kodah teased. You rolled your eyes.
"I'm just a little worried. Vah Ruta has been fine for a few hours now. What if he's so injured that he can't make it back?"
"I think you're full of blubber." Kodah scooped another serving of paella for a Zora in line. "You of all people know that he's supposed to defeat Ganon. Do you really think he'd let something like this get him so easily?"
Considering he almost died before, maybe.
But you didn't want to say that, so instead you shrugged, tossing in another batch of shrimp to the pot.
"I put my full faith in him. But he's still Hylian at the end of the day. He's mortal. Might not be dead, but he could be hurt."
"You say you don't doubt me, but it sure sounds like you do."
There was a beat of silence as you processed the third voice that joined the conversation, and then your ladle fell to the ground.
You whipped around, unable to contain the smoke that stretched across your face as you rushed towards Link. He had a grin of his own, but it quickly faded into a look of surprise as you practically tackled him to the ground in a tight hug. Link took the brunt of the fall as you landed on top of him, but if it hurt he didn't show it. Instead he hugged you back, his arms sliding around your waist and squeezing. His cheek rested on your head.
"What took you so long! Are you okay?" You pulled away only a few inches to inspect him, but seeing as though he seemed fine you returned to your spot under his chin.
"Just needed a breather. Solving a bunch of puzzles and fighting an entity that's just a mini Ganon takes a lot out of you.
"And I bet the puzzles were harder than the fight." You snorted.
"That's just rude." Link playfully shoved you off of him, sticking his nose in the air. He didn't deny it. "What is that smell? I'm starving."
As if on cue, his stomach rumbled. You laughed and stood up, offering your hand to him. Link took it and hoisted himself up, the task a bit more difficult with how tired he was.
"Kodah and I made a huge seafood paella dinner for everyone to celebrate. We made sure to make enough for you when you came back."
"Oh my goddess, really?" Link's mouth watered as he watched you scoop a serving for him. "You're the best thing to ever happen to me."
You slightly flushed, but ignored his comment in favor of making your own plate and informing Kodah of your departure to eat with Link. You led him to a more secluded area, away from the crowds, figuring that he'd had enough of the socialization for a while. You certainly had.
You watched as Link took a tentative bite of the paella before diving in. You couldn't help but laugh. "You're gonna choke if you don't slow down."
"You go do the shit I did and then tell me that again."
"I would, but you said I'm not allowed." You joked, playfully pouting.
Link rolled his eyes. "Right. And after experiencing it, my rule still stands. If anything, it stands even stronger."
"Really? It was that bad, huh?"
"Uh, some parts were." He put down his utensils for a second. "It's draining, that's for sure. I, uh, saw the old Champion."
"Mipha?" Sidon had given you the rundown after returning from Link.
"Yeah. I remembered her. It sucked, but in like a different way than usual." You stayed silent, so he continued. "Like, obviously I knew her and was close with her. So I should be grieving her death, right? Except, I'm not because I don't remember her. So I only feel guilty now, because I feel like I should feel worse about it and that makes me feel even worse but in a different way. And it doesn't make any sense but—"
Link's rambling was cut off as you laid your hand on his. His eyes shot up to meet yours, the calming aura reflecting in them helping to soothe him a bit.
"Link, your circumstances are one in a million. There's a lot of things that should have happened, or ways that things should be, but guess what? It didn't happen. You've got to navigate an entirely new life— you're still in the same body as 100 years ago, but everything is different now. The land, the times, even you seem more different than how you described how you used to be. You told me that you never talked, but now you're so talkative.
Maybe 100 years ago you'd grieve properly, but even then is there even a right way to grieve? Everyone handles it differently. You feel guilty for not remembering her, right?"
Link nodded, averting his eyes in shame. You squeezed his hand.
"From what you do remember, do you think she'd want you to be sad about it? Or do you think she'd want you to just think about the happy times you can remember?"
"Definitely the happy times." He had a far-away look in his eyes, probably playing the few memories he does have of Mipha in his head. "She was always about being strong and looking on the bright side."
"And she believed that you fit her mindset so similarly that she wanted to marry you! You, of all people. Marriage material? I don't know about that—"
"Hey! I'll let you know I'd make a perfect husband." Link huffed and sent a grin your way. "It's not like I would've married her anyways. When I remember her, I get the feeling that I loved her as more of a sister than anything. I didn't even know about the Armer being made."
"And what cool armor it is." You laughed.
You'd brought up the marriage subtly, wanting to get Link's input on it without him teasing you for caring so much. When Sidon told you of Mipha's story, you questioned whether Link returned her feelings or not. You hated to admit, but you were definitely a little jealous. Not in a romantic way, of course.
In more of a "You're my first friend in a very long time and I don't want anyone else to have your attention" kind of way. Yeah. You had one more question to curb your jealous curiosity for the day, though.
"If not Mipha, what about Zelda? Isn't it like a fairy tale come true for a princess and her knight to fall in love?"
"No," Link laughed and shook his head, as if it was some absurd idea. "Zelda hated me up until a few days before Ganon attacked, I'm pretty sure. Plus, she was into some other knight at the castle. That's another reason why she was so mad that I was her knight and he wasn't."
"Oh come on." You felt better, but now you just wanted to tease. "There's no way a guy like you wasn't drowning in women."
Link flushed, and you bit back a laugh. "N-no! I told you, I didn't even talk to anyone! I was so focused on being a knight, and then being the Champion, I didn't have time for anything else."
"You for sure had women eyeing you. There's no way you didn't. You're too handsome for that."
Link continued to flush. He'd mentioned many times before that in the past, the burden of protecting Hyrule kept him stoic and quiet, but you had to tease him. His social skills were never entirely up to par.
"Stop messing with me." He finally let go of your hand and grabbed his utensils again to finish the paella. "What did you do when I was gone?"
You looked at your plate for a split second, trying to make a decision on what to say. Link would be so upset if you fought a monster alone, but you would like to think he'd also be proud.
You remembered moments before the fight, when the Yiga member taunted you from the trees. He beckoned you back to Gerudo under potentially false promises of knowing your brother's location.
"I just healed. Rested and went on a walk or two to keep my muscles from getting stiff."
"That's it?" Link didn't sound convinced. "Very unlike you to actually listen to Doctor's orders."
"Yeah, well," You paused for a second, trying to think of literally anything to defend yourself. Sometimes, telling the truth is the best lie you could create. "I just didn't want to hold you back from any more of the journey, so I wanted to get better as soon as possible."
Nobody ever said it had to be the truth of the current situation.
"Oh please," Link waved his hand, "I'd carry you on my back across Hyrule if I had to."
You didn't have a solid response to that and you were nearly certain Link was unaware of the feeling he just gave you in the pit of your stomach. You needed to change the subject.
"How long do you think it'll be until we reach Gerudo?"
"I was planning on hitting Elden next since its closer. Any reason why?"
Bad change of subject.
"Uh, I just miss my family there a bit. But if we're going to Elden first, I can wait. No worries."
You wouldn't show that it was indeed major worries, but perhaps when Link was off fighting the Divine Beast on Death Mountain you could scout another Yiga soldier and make them give you more information. It didn't feel right doing all of this behind his back, but you were feeling more and more desperate to reach Hiro with every passing moment, especially now that you knew your next move.
You always worked best alone during the little missions that the Yiga had sent you out on. It was taking all of your self-restraint to not just up and leave now to find Hiro, but you also felt a sense of responsibility towards Link. Like it was your own personal mission to protect him from the Yiga and any other threat that may come to him during his mission.
You knew the minute you realized who he was that your old way of life would no longer work. You needed to adapt and find new ways to solve your issues in your new phase of life.
yes!! oh my actual god, i would adore it if people drew fanart! i’d have a whole fanart tag and repost it and everything. i have a drawing of how hiro looks right now, and i’m working on one of kimi for reference, but i would be so excited if people drew fanart!
Link came back a few hours later, stocked up on potions and weapons. He didn't stay long, antsy to make it to Ploymus Mountain and into the Divine Beast by nightfall. He left with a small hug and reassurance that he'd be fine, but it did little to console you.
You knew that you'd agreed to let him handle the Ganon-related things, but it didn't stop you from worrying. This guy just woke up a few weeks ago out of a hundred-year sleep, was he really ready to face something that killed his teammates?
You had to hope for the best.
Kodah stayed by your side often, checking your leg and making sure everything was fine. It was— the healing potions did wonders on physical health.
Mentally? Not so much.
You wanted to beat yourself up.
You're traveling with the Hylian Champion of Hyrule. Appointed by Princess Zelda herself, destined to seal away Calamity Ganon once and for all.
And you got taken out by a Lizalfos with a shock arrow. How embarrassing.
Embarrassed was putting it lightly, actually. You were mad. Mad enough that when Kodah and her husband went to bed for the night you grabbed your weapons and snuck out, heading out to Ralis pond.
A blue Hinox was there— you overheard two travelers talking about it at the last stable. A real opponent would help you regain your skills, right?
You wanted to cringe as the gross monster came into view. It slept peacefully next to the pond, it's one eye closed and unaware of its surroundings. You analyzed the monster quickly— the eye would definitely be a weak spot. If you could blind it, then defeating it would be much easier—
"You just gonna stand and stare?"
"Motherfu-"
You whipped around, hearing the voice from behind you. Nothing was there.
"Hush, you're gonna wake it up."
There it was again. You turned around, eyeing the Hinox. Still asleep.
"Above you." The voice got sassy. "You're supposed to be the smart one, what happened to that?"
"What?"
You tilted your head up and in the branches of the trees above you sat a shadowy figure. It blended in with the darkness of the night and shadows of the trees, but you'd recognize the stance from anywhere. Your throat clenched.
Yiga.
"We've been looking for you, you know."
"Okay, and?" You rolled your eyes. You did not have time for this, especially when a large monster was on the precipice of waking up at any second. "I'm not going back."
"That's a shame," The Footsoldier chuckled, "You were always our favorite. So strong. It was a devastating blow when you took your siblings and ran. They weren't half as good as you, but they had so much potential."
"Don't talk about them."
"Awe, why not?" He was teasing you— trying to get a reaction. Trying to make you lose your cool. "That littlest one— Kimi, was it? Always such a sweetheart. Hiro was a bit much to deal with, such a bad attitude. Where are they now?"
"None of your business."
"I think it is my business, considering we know where Hiro is."
"What?”
"Oops! I've said too much. Say, why don't you go and show me how the wonderful protégé of Master Kohga fights?"
Without even giving you a second to think, the soldier took out his bow and fired an arrow towards the Hinox, striking it right in the arm. Its eye snapped open and it let out a roar loud enough to make the ground rumble. It spotted you.
"You asshole!" You turned back to the solider, but he was nowhere to be found.
The Hinox was standing up now, its hands gripping a large rock that it had picked up off the ground. You grabbed your bow and notched an arrow. Time to fight.
You barely had time to dodge the rock being hurled towards you, but muscle memory kicked in just in time. You rolled to the left, aiming an arrow at the monster and letting go.
The arrow didn't penetrate its eye, however. The Hinox seemed to anticipate your movements, using its large hand to cover its eye whenever you were ready to shoot your arrow. You looked around for another plan, and that was when you remembered what you'd read about them back in Gerudo Town.
Red Hinoxes were the easiest to defeat, having little strategy skills or defenses. Its only thoughts were to kill. Next were Blue Hinoxes, much like the one you were fighting against now. It was much more defensive and resourceful, and packed a larger punch. Lastly was a Black Hinox, considered the most powerful of the three. It was a guaranteed death at your strength if it were to hit you, and you were lucky you were only having to deal with the 2nd variation of the nasty monster.
Its shin-guards were made of wood, unlike the Black Hinox that may have steel ones. It would be an easy distraction if you just—
Notching a fire arrow, you aimed at the monster again. It covered its eye once more, prepared for another direct attack, but it never came. Instead, you quickly aimed downwards at its shin-guards. The Hinox looked down and noticing its armor was on fire, began batting at it in an attempt to extinguish the flame.
That was when you took initiative, drawing another arrow and hitting it directly in the eye. The Hinox fell over, groaning in pain, and you took the opportunity to pull out your Windcleaver.
It would be much more durable, able to easily cut through the Hinox's thick skin.
You jumped on its arm and made your way up to the Hinox's throat, putting all of your strength into slicing a clear cut through its throat. The Hinox yelled out again, loud enough that you instinctively covered your ears and slipped off of its body as the area around you rumbled.
And then, in a cloud of dust, it was gone.
Guts and weapons surrounded you, but you weren't too interested in them save for another bow.
Your pride felt a bit more established— at least you could still think on your feet pretty well. Your leg, however, didn't feel as good. The wound had most definitely opened back up, and you weren't looking forward to the chiding you would be getting from Kodah in the morning.
You decided then, you'd have another potion tonight while she slept, and hopefully would heal enough the rest of the night to avoid any questions.
You also decided that looking all over Hyrule for Hiro may not be the best route. As much as you hated to admit it, but you'd have to go back and face the one thing you prayed to never face again.
The Yiga.
———
You woke up late the next morning, choosing to forego breakfast in favor of a few extra hours of shut-eye. Fighting monsters at 1 in the morning takes a lot out of a girl. You blamed it on being tired from the injury. Not a complete lie.
Kodah dragged you out of bed at noon, claiming that you "couldn't waste the day away waiting for Link to come back".
You argued that you could, and would.
Instead, she took you to the pools behind the stairs of the throne room where the Zora children swam. You dipped your legs in the water, sitting on the edge as you both watched the kids with some of the other mothers.
"Aren't they just the cutest!" Kodah gushed, "Finley says he's too big to play with the little ones at the pool now. He wants to go out and explore outside, but he can't when it's so dangerous out there."
"It is." You agreed, "Hopefully, when Link is finished it will be much safer."
"Ah, the hero!" She turned to you, "How did such a lucky girl like you get to travel with the Champion of Hyrule?"
"It's not an interesting story, I promise." You smiled bashfully, "We just met in Kakariko Village. We were going the same route across Hyrule, so we figured it would be easy to travel together."
"That's it? You're telling me there's nothing else going on?"
"Uh, yes?" Your cheeks felt hot at her implications. "There's nothing else. We haven't known each other for very long, so there can't be anything else. That's not how that works."
"Wrong, little fish!" Her enthusiasm was beginning to freak you out, and you worried about how this conversation was going to go. "It can happen at any time, anywhere. Love at first sight is a real thing— it happened when I met Kayden."
"I'm sure it is, but I don't think it's the case here—"
"Just you wait. Before you know it, you'll be watching your own little ones run around."
You didn't respond, choosing to watch the Zora children instead. Kodah was right, and you did believe in love at first sight, but did you even deserve it? Especially with someone like Link?
You did grow up being taught that you were supposed to kill him. It felt like a betrayal on both sides for you to even be friends with him, much less eventually be with him.
After the life you've led, would you even want a spouse or kids? Or are you just too messed up for that to ever be a possibility?
And there it is again— it all leads back fo the Yiga. Every little thing. Even out of it, they seem to have an iron grip over your life, preventing you from truly living. From being totally free.
Would Link look at you differently if he knew? Would he trust you the same, knowing that your sole purpose up until a few years ago was to actively work against him and your home kingdom?
He has to know eventually. It would be better to tell him than to let him find out another way.
The thought of that made you nauseous.
"Do you think we should cook a big dinner tonight? He should be coming back soon, right?"
You'd never been more thankful for Kodah's talkativeness. "Yes! That would be perfect. He loves anything with riceballs, so maybe like a spicy fish riceball or something?"
You'd seen Zoras before— in books since the Gerudo Desert was too hot for them to traverse. You guessed that they'd be similar to what you'd read, but nothing compared to seeing the large, brightly colored shark-man in the water below the bridge.
He spoke with an accent, something you'd assumed was typical for Zora's Domain. It was soothing, but the velvetyness of his voice did little to ease your startle every time he randomly appeared.
Sidon, you learned his name was, also spoke with an energized vigor when he learned that you were headed towards the Domain. This excitement grew tenfold when Link expressed his desire to tame the Divine Beast, and Sidon sent you on your merry way. Your merry way to trek the perilous trail that led to the Kingdom. Fun.
"Couldn't he have like, I don't know, given us a boat?" You wiped water from out of your eyes for what felt like the hundredth time. It didn't help, as the torrential, never-ending rain just blocked your vision more.
"I don't think that would've worked with the waterfalls going upwards." Link was slightly snippy, but you couldn't blame him.
"A ride on his back, perhaps? He is roughly the size of a horse."
Link snorted. "Maybe it's to make us prove ourselves. I've had to do that constantly since I've been awake. In any case—"
Link was cut off abruptly as he ran into your back. He was ready to curse you out but quickly dismissed the thought when he noticed your hand on the hilt of your Demon Carver. At this point, he trusted your cautiousness. He gazed ahead, over your shoulder, to see a small camp with a freshly dampened fire.
"Lizalfos." You whispered, hoping that the monsters wouldn't hear. They were too busy sharpening their spears— incredibly ominous, in your opinion.
"Remember what Sidon said." Link whispered behind you, pulling out his bow. "These Lizalfos are probably electric, and that'll hurt us if we get shocked. Especially with all of this water."
You nodded. There were about 5 Lizalfos in total, all in their own worlds as they milled about their little makeshift camp. You scanned the area, a quick plan coming to mind and you motioned for Link to follow you.
The Lizalfos had yet to notice you as you scaled to the top of a boulder nearby, out of reach. You grabbed your own bow and barely took any time to aim before nailing one of the Lizalfos between the eyes. It collapsed in a cloud of dust and weird, mismatched body parts and you bit your tongue to keep from cringing. Gross.
The Lizalfos took little time to recover before grabbing their own weapons and congregating at the bottom of the boulder. Link joined in the fight, sending his own arrows flying into the Lizalfos and before you knew it you had taken out the camp.
You cheered a bit and jumped down, walking closer to inspect the camp. The weapons left lying around were subpar and probably wouldn't do shit to help fight, so you ignored them and focused on the roasted trout that were speared in front of the fire.
The small, makeshift tent covered them for the most part— obviously, they'd been roasted earlier and stored there to keep dry out of the rain.
Your mouth all but watered at the sight, and you moved closer to grab them. Before you got to them, however, Link's voice rang out from behind you.
"Look out!"
You whipped around to see the enemy, but you were suddenly blinded by bright light and an excruciating pain through your body. Your muscles cramped up and you collapsed, too weak to hold yourself up as you felt yourself uncontrollably seize.
Then, black.
———
"—pretty bad. She'll probably be here for a while—"
The ringing in your head was too much to bear. Paired with the hushed voices near you, the pain was enough to make you nauseous and you groaned out in an attempt to make them stop.
You were lucky— they did for a second.
"How are you feeling?"
Nevermind.
The voice was female— definitely not Link. It was soft and gentle as if whoever it belonged to knew that you were struggling. You could only manage a small huff of air. That would have to suffice as your answer.
"Y/N?" It was Link this time. "You need anything?"
"To be euthanized." Your throat muscles hurt. Guess that's what happens when you get electrocuted.
"Not gonna happen." He huffed out a small laugh through his nose, but you could tell he was still a bit too worried to relax even with your eyes closed. "You would be proud of me, I carried you and all your junk all the way to the Domain."
"You're the hero of Hyrule, that's your job." That earned an actual laugh. "I'm not heavy and neither is my junk. You're just dramatic."
"You seem like the dramatic one here."
"Yeah? You try getting shot and electrocuted at the same time and tell me how it goes." You cracked one eye open and moved to sit up, wincing at the absolute agony that your muscles were in.
Thousands of volts did go through them, so you couldn't necessarily blame your limbs for needing a break.
Link was quick at your side, adjusting the pillow behind you and moving the blankets to still be covering your lap. He handed you a glass of water that sat on the bedside table and you slowly sipped, feeling at least a bit of your headache go away. Enough for you to finally look around, at least.
You were in Zora's Domain, in one of the beds at the inn. It was a shame you didn't get to experience its beauty with Link, but you were sure you'd have other opportunities. You were grateful for his help— normally, you wouldn't have just relaxed after waking up in an unfamiliar place. But with Link there, you knew you were safe. The thought made your cheeks burn and your muscles clench again and— ow.
Why was your thigh hurting so badly?
You moved the blanket away and saw your right thigh covered in bandages, a sizable spot of obvious blood seeping through the side. Ah.
"It was hard to get out," The gentle-voiced Zora noticed you looking, "You got the worst combination in history. Shot with an arrow, electrocuted, and having that electricity amplified by all the rain we've been having. Goddess, you're lucky to only come out with this and a few burns."
Link nodded. "It was, uh, hard to watch. I couldn't help you until all the electricity was gone or else I'd get shocked too. I just had to sit there and wait for a minute."
"I'm sorry." You hadn't taken your eyes off of the bandages. It was hard not to beat yourself up for letting your guard down so much. You'd promised Link you could care for yourself. Hell, you were literally raised better than that. It definitely put a damper on the old confidence.
Link also looked down at your leg and you felt your chest tighten. You wanted to pull up the blankets to cover the obvious bloodstain. The more you looked, the more you saw burnt areas along your leg and going up to your hip, beneath your pants. They were bad, but obviously not bad enough to have to cover to the extent that the arrow wound was. You subtly tugged at the blanket and Link noticed.
"Cold?"
"Uh, yeah. A little."
Link looked around the area for another blanket, but couldn't find one that wasn't already being used by another occupant of the inn. He moved to the other side of the bed and sat down beside you, shimmying under the blankets instead. You tried not to let your embarrassment show.
"Maybe this will work." He gave you a tight smile, "At least for now, until the Innkeeper's wife gets back with some more medicines for you. I just didn't want to get on your injured side.”
"Don't mention it," You let out a dry laugh, "Guess I can't even argue with you about coming along to the Divine Beast now, huh?"
"As if I was going to let you in the first place. You can handle yourself, I know, but I'd rather you not risk death."
"And you think I want you to?" You shoved Link's shoulder and huffed. "The only reason I'm letting you do it is for the fate of Hyrule. Any other time, I'd be so mad that you insist on throwing away your life."
"Letting me do it? Sounds like you just can't stand being away from me." He teased.
"More like I just can't stand you." You tried to hide the flush that came to the tips of your ears, "If you get injured, all I'm gonna do is hear you complain."
"I could say the same about you.”
"I haven't said shit, and I just almost died!"
"And you're not allowed to do it again--"
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Sidon and the innkeeper's wife, Kodah, enter the inn, both carrying medical supplies and potions. Sidon tilts his head at Link sitting next to me, but Kodah just smiles and sets the supplies on the bedside table. She kneels beside the bed and peels the blankets back, and you look away. You don't necessarily want to see the injury-- it would just make you feel even more incompetent. Instead, you focus on Sidon.
"Link, my father would like to speak with you before you head to tame Vah Ruta." He turns to you, "and I know Kodah here will take wonderful care of you while you wait for your dear Link."
Link nods and faces you as well, a grin on his face. "I'll come by one more time before I go, but until then don't get into any trouble!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." You shoo him away, immediately noticing a difference when his warmth disappears from under the blanket. You're nervous for him.
By the time you had made it to Wetland Stable, you were exhausted.
The entire ride you were jumpy and on edge, looking around the area constantly in search of threats. Every traveler that passed you along the road made your stomach twist as if you were just anticipating them to pull out a weapon and charge. If Link noticed anything, he hadn't mentioned it.
You felt guilty for your sudden behavior change. You were slightly snippy with your words every time he'd talk, but you didn't mean any harm. It was just harder for you to listen for anything if you were talking.
Impa's words echoed through your head, telling you to let Link in. She was right— if there was one person who could protect and help you, then it was the Champion of Hyrule. But on the other side, Link had so much on his shoulders already. You couldn't possibly add another burden onto his shoulders.
There was already a sizable crowd surrounding the cooking pot of the stable when you and Link arrived, one person apparently choosing to cook for everyone present. You were grateful, but Link may not have been.
"It's so nice of them to cook for everyone," He mused, waiting for you as you seemingly obsessively checked your weapons, "I doubt it's as good as yours, though."
"Awe, you like my cooking?" You teased, "You're lucky. All the women in Gerudo say that a girl should only cook for a man if he's her husband as a show of care. I guess you just get special treatment."
Link laughed. "I'd marry you if it meant delicious food every night."
"Is that my only redeeming quality?" You feigned offense, deciding to ignore the tingle in your stomach at his words. "Just a servant over a stove?"
"N-no!" Link backtracked suddenly, taken aback. It seemed like he didn't get your joke. "You're great--you're perfect. It would just be a perk, but if you didn't even want to cook you wouldn't have to--"
"Link!" You burst into laughter, "I was joking! You know I'd cook for you. Your compliments fuel my ego, so I have to in order to get my fill of self-assurance."
Link rolled his eyes and shoved your shoulder, unable to contain his own smile again. "You're ridiculous. Let's eat."
Link led you to the cooking pot, the area now cleared as everyone had already gotten their bowls of dinner. You both thanked the stable worker as he poured you bowls of rice and meat, choosing to sit on a log further away from people to eat. It was a comfortable silence and eventually, Link decided to explore the shrine near the stable. He stood before you for nearly ten minutes, making sure you were okay with him leaving while you continuously reassured him that you were. It took you turning him around and pushing him towards the shrine to seal the deal, and you watched with a little relief as he disappeared into the entrance.
Maybe he did notice, after all.
Nevertheless, you were glad he didn't mention it.
Shrines tended to take Link around an hour or two to finish, so you decided to bide your time with the few, worn training dummies at the back of the stable. It was obvious that they hadn't been used in a while, but you hadn't trained since you began your journey and were feeling rusty. This time, plus your incessant paranoia, seemed like the perfect time to do so.
You took out your Demon Carver and just held it in your hand, the grips falling into your palm perfectly. Your other hand felt empty, seeing as how you'd usually have two while fighting with the Yiga, but you'd broken the other four years ago when you betrayed them. You'd have to deal with one for now.
Taking a breath, you fixed your stance and took a few tentative swings at the air. Muscle memory kicked in, the brutal training you endured coming in handy. You felt warmed up enough soon after and sliced your blade upwards, leaving a deep groove in the wooden dummy from its hip to its shoulder. The second you landed the hit, you flipped back to create distance and pulled out your bow, barely taking a second to aim before your arrow punctured the dummy directly between the eyes.
It was no surprise how similar your fighting style was to that of a Footsoldier. You had to perfect that style before advancing to Blademaster and while your advanced training had gone far, you still weren't as skilled with a Windcleaver as you were with your bow and Demon Carver. Even then, you weren't the best with a bow. Hiro took the cake in that.
His aim was unmatched and entirely accurate as if he'd had some innate biological talent within him to handle a bow. Hiro beat you at target practice, but you beat him with blades. Kimi, still so young when training began, only knew the basics of hand-to-hand and small daggers. You missed them.
Not too much time had passed before you heard footsteps behind you. You knew it was Link, your senses being heightened with adrenaline. He had approached mid-move and stayed out of your way as you swung the Demon Carver with expertise, the training dummy nearly torn to shreds at this point. You stood back and admired your work, as if the destroyed wood was a canvas and you were the artist.
"Guess I don't have to worry about you as much as I thought." Link finally spoke up.
"I told you," You shrugged. You sat on the dirt, your legs feeling like jelly as you tried to catch your breath. You were out of shape. "You just didn't believe me."
"I believed you!" He defended, "I just didn't think you were that good. Where did you learn how to fight with that weapon? I've never seen it anywhere other than with the Yiga before."
"A Demon Carver?" You fumbled for a second to come up with a lie. "Olu, one of the Gerudo ladies who took me in, defeated one once when we were out. I'd been training for a while and didn't like any of the weapons I had, so when I tried out the Carver I loved it."
Link tilted his head. "Is there like a specific way to fight with it? A lot of the moves you used were similar to the Yiga."
Your heart was in your throat and you prayed he couldn't hear it pounding as much as you did. "I mean I learn by observing, so when I watched their fighting style I took some parts of it. It requires a lot of agility and speed, which I'm good at, so it worked."
"Ah," Link hummed, holding out his hand in an offer to help you up. "Makes sense. Maybe you'll have to teach me one day."
"Of course, hero. Just tell me when." You grabbed his hand and hoisted yourself up, but Link quickly moved forward. His fingers suddenly dug into your sides and you shrieked out a laugh. You didn't even know you were ticklish.
"How about right now?" Link was relentless, laughing as you began to collapse back down as an attempt to escape. "Come on, get out!"
You wheezed, squeezing out the only words you could during the relentless onslaught. "I can't!"
"And don't forget to pull the collar up on the back of your neck!"
You froze.
It was like slow motion as you turned to Impa, the back of your neck beginning to feel an all-too-familiar sting that you'd slowly began to forget about. You thought the turtleneck under your tunic was enough to cover it. "How did you see that?"
"If you're trying to hide something, choose something that you won't fidget with when you're nervous. It pulled the collar down completely."
You hurriedly yanked the piece of fabric over your neck, making sure it covered the back. You shivered in displeasure as your fingers brushed the rough skin that marred the area. Your stomach felt sick at the thought of others seeing it.
"It just pulled down as we were speaking. You were messing with it the entire time." Impa reassured, but it didn't help. You were too hyperaware of it all now. "When did they do that?"
It took a second to get the words out. "When we first got there."
"Let me see."
You had to force yourself away from the door to walk back towards her. It was shameful, in your eyes, and to have the Chief of your home village see it was even worse. You turned around and kneeled, moving your hair out of the way and pulling down the collar.
Impa was silent, and every passing second made your anxiety worse. You flinched a little harder than normal when you felt her gently trace it. The upside-down Sheikah symbol burned into your skin, branding you as a Yiga permanently. The nerve damage surrounding the brand sent fiery shocks into your system and despite Impa using the utmost care to feel it, you were in pain. Mentally and physically.
"Did they do it to Hiro and Kimi as well?"
"Yes." You squeezed your eyes shut, the sound of your siblings's cries echoing in your ears. "Hiro's is on his chest, right below his left collarbone. Kimi's is on her thigh."
Hiro never took his shirt off, even in the privacy of your room in the hideout. Kimi never wore shorts. Her skirts were ankle-length when you visited Hateno. You always wore your turtleneck or your hair down.
"I'm sorry, my child."
You abruptly stood up, both unable to take anymore physical touch and defensive at the pity in Impa's voice. "We survived, we're okay. I appreciate all of your efforts to help us, really. Thank you for everything."
Impa's eyes still held a sadness that you couldn't bear, so you made your way to the door. "Thank you. I'll see you when I find Hiro."
You had hoped that today would be a relaxed day in the village, with no noise or people around for you to take a breath, but you were wrong. The hustle and bustle of outside was just as, if not even more, overstimulating and you felt cramped. Like you couldn't escape.
You took a breath and walked down the steps, and your heart jumped when the guards moved. They just moved out of your way, but reliving your past had given you an adrenaline rush. You didn't feel safe anymore.
Impa had sent Link... where, again? The General Store? The clothes shop? They're both close to each other, maybe if you go there--
What was that?
A sound-- barely audible-- forced your head to the right to analyze. Nothing. You were paranoid.
There's no reason to be scared, you told yourself, you're in Kakariko. It's safe here.
But you got taken once from here. What are the odds it would happen again?
You don't remember making it to the store, but when you saw Link you instinctually steeled yourself.
The blonde knight smiled and walked towards you, his hands full of produce, snacks, and equipment to restock. You forced your eyes to remain on his form instead of surveying the room for anyone lurking in the shadows. You returned the smile.
"Hey! I'm just about to pay, is there anything you need from here?"
You took this as an opportunity, feigning looking around at the shop's goods while actually inspecting the area. You wanted to kick yourself for letting one thing undo 4 years of healing. "Uh, I think I'm good! It looks like you have everything under the sun, so I think we're prepared for anything."
Link laughed softly. "Well, we don't know what we need. You've never been to Zora's Domain, and I don't remember it, so we're very ill-equipped for anything. Better over-prepared than under."
"Amen on that," You mumbled under your breath, still slightly scanning the area, turning your attention to anyone who looked suspicious-- which was nobody. Link seemed to be none the wiser. "I'm gonna go prep the horses."
Link nodded and took everything to the counter, watching you leave. You looked stiffer than usual, your fingers seemingly twitching for a weapon's handle to make you feel more at ease. He wondered what you and Impa had talked about.
You, on the other hand, couldn't get to the horses fast enough. Not to take care of them, no, but for something else. The horses seemed to sense your restlessness and whinnied at you, as if to try and reassure you of your safety. If only it were that simple.
You handed them both an apple and opened a larger satchel attached to Taz's side, feeling around until your fingers grazed a familiar leather handle. You gripped it until your knuckles were white and pulled it out, careful not to snag the blades on any of the satchel's fabric.
Your Demon Carver.
You hadn't touched it in four years, choosing to train in Gerudo Town with other weapons to further erase that part of you. You hated that you felt the need to bring it out again, but you were your strongest with it at your side. Cradling it in your hands, you eyed the carving of your initial in the metal above the handle. It needed to be sharpened, but Demon Carvers were so tedious to tend to. You used to spend hours of the night taking care of it, seeing as though it was the only weapon the Yiga would let you have as your own. It was no use if it was dull. The fabric on the handle was worn, its indents matching the callouses of your palms. This blade was an extension of you, whether you liked it or not--
"You ready?"
You jumped, and suddenly the weapon was no longer in your hands.
The Carver had embedded itself within inches from Link's head, sunken deep into the wood of the pole beside him. You were relieved it didn't hit him, but also slightly discouraged. It meant that you were rusty-- in the past, you wouldn't have missed.
"Sorry! You scared me," You let out a nervous laugh, reaching beside him and wrenching the weapon out of the pole. You needed to get your act together and act normal. "Yeah, I'm ready. Let's get this show on the road."
Link watched as you switched out the sword on your back for the Demon Carver, your demeanor instantly relaxing a bit. You seemed more comfortable with it, and he wondered how long ago you had defeated a Yiga Footsoldier to be that skilled with their weapon.
"If we leave now, we can make it to Wetland Stable for a late lunch, and then to the next tower by nightfall." Link geared up Epona, keeping an eye on you as you did the same to Taz. You were listening, but he could tell you were distracted. "Then we could camp on the top of the tower, away from danger."
"I can climb those things?" You finally looked him in the eyes for the first time since leaving Impa's. "They're not reserved for the special hero?"
"Yeah?" Link was confused-- he always was when someone referred to him as special. "It's just a tower, anyone can. I'm not some special case, I promise."
You smirked and patted his shoulder before climbing on Taz. "Whatever you say, hero."
Individual warnings will be placed at the top of each chapter for what that chapter includes, but I still feel like this needs to be said in a general post as well.
My writing often explores sensitive topics. At this point in my writing career, very rarely will you find a recent story of mine that does not.
This story, Breathless, is included in that. Breathless explores major topics of abuse, PTSD, torture, and mental health issues. There will be scenes of panic attacks, breakdowns, flashbacks, mental crises, and current torturous/abusive situations.
While these topics may not be as gruesome as they could be, because this is a fanfiction and not one of my original stories, I still want to put out a disclaimer because they are triggering topics no matter how watered down they may be.
If you feel as though you can handle that, then by all means read Breathless! If not, please skip the parts that may trigger you or refrain from reading at all.
I am not responsible for the mental health of my readers, so this is your warning. By reading this, you acknowledge the topics that may be present and now it is in your hands to make the educated choice on whether or not to continue.
[chapter warnings: cursing, dark past, hints at depression/grief, death topics]
t.o.c ; << | >>
a/n: hi everyone thanks for being so patient w me i know i’m bad at updating regularly idk what my issue is. also this chapter is for sure just a filler to get the reader’s backstory and motivation it’s literally ALL dialogue thank u love u
Pissed was an understatement.
You knew your sleep felt too fulfilling. You felt it in your dreams that you'd been sleeping for too long.
Link had chosen not to wake you for your night shift, opting to sit on a stool next to your bed with a book lying around the stable the entire night.
You felt off, wondering why chirping birds had woken you from your slumber instead of Link, before shooting up in the bed and looking around. It was getting light outside, the clock on one of the support beams of the stable reading "6:20".
Beside you, Link dog-eared the book page and tilted his head innocently. "Are you alright?"
"You!" Your head whipped around to him, "You didn't wake me up!"
"You needed sleep."
"So do you, asshat."
Link shook his head, putting the book down and standing up to stretch. "I slept for 100 years. I'm fully rested still."
You rolled your eyes. "As if."
Still slightly seething, you kicked the blankets off, shivering as the cool air hit your legs. You quickly put your socks and shoes on, grabbing your bag and getting ready to travel. Link was already outside readying the horses, and he handed you an apple for breakfast.
Taz and Epona seemed to follow the trails by heart now, which made it incredibly easy for Link to multitask looking at the paper map. He lifted the sheet up to you, pointing at a specific spot that was marked with an X.
"This mark is supposed to be Zora's Domain." He explains, "It'll probably take a while to get there, especially if we try to just catch stables to rest. Hate to break it to you, but we might be coming upon our first camp."
You groaned, half playfully and half not. Who could blame you, though?
"Goodbye, warm bed." You slumped into Taz's neck, earning a small chuckle from Link. "Are we going to the tower first? To get the actual map on your little gadget?"
"The Sheikah Slate? Yes." Link squinted at the map for a second time. "Before that, though. I want to head back to Impa to talk to her about my memories, so maybe we can take a shortcut through Kakariko to cut down time."
"We'd have to turn back and go down the other trail." You replied.
"It's like, a 10 minute ride back. You'll be fine."
"I'm not complaining!" You gasped, feigning offense. "If anything I'm, uh, rejoicing."
Link quirked an eyebrow. "About what? You can't be that excited to spend more time with me." He teased. The longer you spent with him, the more sassy and talkative he's become. Your only choice is to rival his sarcasm with your own.
"You're gonna make me hurl." You shot back, "In actuality, I want to ask her some things too." Sensing Link's silence as a motion to continue, you did. "She had to have known my parents before my siblings and I got taken. We lived in Kakariko. So maybe she knows something about the night it happened or anything that could lead me to Hiro."
You were silently kicking yourself in the rear for not thinking of it before, when you were originally in Kakariko. If Impa had been the Chief 100 years before your existence, and has been since then, then surely she knew of your family.
Link nodded, not pushing further. He'd figured out by now that your past was something you weren't ready to talk about. You both turned the horses around and headed back up the road, basking in a comfortable silence as you traveled towards the village.
———
Impa spoke to Link first.
You were allowed to stay in the room this time, as Link had told her you were traveling partners. It was interesting to watch from the sidelines as the two spoke of Link's missions— the Divine Beasts, Ganon, regaining his memories.
It all seemed so overwhelming to you, and yet Link stood firm. Ready to give his life again for a country he didn't even remember. You admired him for it.
It made your own mission seem smaller in comparison, so when Impa sent Link out to run errands for her for you to speak alone, you felt like a bug. Just waiting to be squashed under scrutiny. But that insecurity faded quickly as the door shut behind Link and Impa regarded you with a warm, familiar smile.
"It's been quite a long time, hasn't it?"
Relief flooded your system. She remembered you. "Yeah." You let out a breathy laugh, "It has. I, uh, actually have some questions. About that night."
"It seems as if trauma does not discriminate with repressed memories, does it? Whether it be an abduction or a hundred-year-old injury."
Pressing your lips together, you agreed once more. You struggled to make the words come out of your mouth. Too many questions floated through your head, and you couldn't choose which to ask first. As if sensing your unease, Impa spoke again.
"I'm assuming you'd like to know what happened."
You nodded. "It's been so long. Even if I did remember it all, it would be fuzzy."
"You were eleven whenever the Yiga attacked Kakariko. Your brother was eight, and your sister was only two." Impa started from the beginning, her eyes continuously assessing your reaction. "They came in the middle of the night, and lit the town ablaze. The people of Kakariko evacuated and met up at the mouth of the mountain, where the entrance to the town is, and did a headcount. Your entire family was nowhere to be found."
"What happened to my parents?" You were aware of the implications, and figured they had moved on from such a traumatic event in their life. Perhaps they had moved to another village to escape.
Impa averted her eyes, which confirmed the worst for you. "We found their bodies, but we could not find you three. We thought that perhaps the flames burned so hot that you all were gone without a trace, but soon after, a few Sheikah soldiers went undercover at the Yiga hideout for intel. Calamity Ganon is close to being back, so the Yiga have been more active.
We found files pertaining you— they had been watching for years. Waiting for a moment to strike. We wanted to get you out, but the Yiga had you all so heavily guarded. It was nearly impossible. One day, however, another mission went undercover and couldn't find you. That's when we heard of the escape. I figured it was only a matter of time until one of you came home."
You didn't speak for a moment, letting it all sink in. They were actively trying to find you. "Why us? We were just kids."
"100 years ago, before Calamity Ganon's return, your great grandfather was the top researcher of Sheikah technology. He worked alongside the King of Hyrule, Princess Zelda, and myself to prepare for the battle ahead." Impa smiled fondly, as if she was remembering the good times with your ancestor. "For some reason, the Guardians just listened to him. They activated at his touch while dead to everyone else. They were finicky things— still dangerous, even back then. And yet they'd listen to everything your great grandfather did.
The same went for your grandmother, and then your mother. My guess is that the Yiga believed one of you possessed the same gift of controlling such uncontrollable energy that our ancient technology contained. They wanted you on their side, so they could easily control it whenever the time came."
Reeling. That was the only word to describe your mental state.
You'd spent years— captive and free— wondering why. Why such things happened to you, how you played into these little plans that the Goddesses gave you. It almost felt comforting, though, when there was doubt. An idea that the Yiga grabbed you for no reason, or had the wrong people.
"How did you recognize me? It's been eight years."
"You're the mirror image of your father, dear." Impa gestured to the right of her, to a picture on the wall. You cautiously walked towards it, nervous to see whatever the frame held, yet fear was soon replaced with an entire flurry of emotions.
Happiness, nostalgia. Grief.
It was a family of five-- your family. You held Kimi against your hip, smiling a toothy, child-like grin as the baby version of your sister sucked her thumb. Hiro sported his signature pout, the picture taken while he was in the middle of rolling his eyes. Very typical.
What stuck out the most, however, was your parents. Their eyes were shining so brightly, and their smiles matched. Your mom was looking at you and your siblings with absolute adoration. Your father looked at her in the exact same way.
Your heart ached.
They loved you so much. They probably gave their lives protecting you, Hiro, and Kimi until the very end.
"This was taken only days before the incident." Impa explained, "It hangs as a memorial, but I want you to take it. Keep it as your own memorial now, in remembrance of not only your family, but also for your journey."
"My family isn't entirely gone. I found Kimi, just not Hiro."
Impa sighed. "I cannot help you there, but he is out there. An old lady knows it all." There was a twinkle in her eye as she winked. "Another thing. Rely on Link more. He speaks highly of you."
"He does? I haven't done anything, though--"
"100 years ago, Link was regarded as the Silent Knight." Impa all but interrupted you, presumably to keep you away from the route of self-doubt. "He never spoke to anyone. It took the Princess ages to even get a sentence out of him. I know not if it has to do with him simply forgetting who he used to be, or your presence, but he is open. Talkative. Relaxed. I saw him smile for the first time during our talk today, and it was when he was telling a story about you. Link is opening up to you, and it would help your journey so much if you did the same."
You looked back at the picture frame on the wall. At first, you felt so much despair thinking about the family you'd lost. You hadn't even thought about what you gained.
Your family in Gerudo-- Romah, Olu, Ashai, even the newest Chief had made your acquaintance during your stay. Impa. Link.
People were there to support you, even if they weren't your family. They were found, not given, and chose you. Going out of their way to love you.
And as you took the picture out of the frame and folded it into your pocket, thanking Impa for her time, you smiled. A real, genuine smile. The first one in a very long time.
"And don't forget to pull your collar up on the back of your neck!"
"Hush. It's for her protection. I trust that she'd only use it in emergencies, isn't that right, Kimi?"
"Yes! Only if bad guys come."
Link stood behind you with a look of horror on his face as Kimi held the dagger delicately in her palm, turning it every way to inspect it. You crouched in front of her, only able to take in your little sister's face for the last time in a while.
Every little move had Link jumping, ready to snatch the blade away from Kimi and tend to a wound, but he didn't know one thing.
Kimi had been handling weapons since before she could even walk. You remembered having to pull a scimitar away from her little toddler grasp before she tried to chew on it like a teething toy, the Yiga who was watching her having given it to her to stop her crying.
You had full trust that Kimi, now at 11 years old, was capable of safely handling the dagger you'd gifted her.
"Do you really have to go?"
Kimi's puppy-dog eyes shined with tears as her question brought you from your memories. You bit your lip, your heart aching at the thought of having to leave her with Ameil.
"Yeah, Ki. We've got stuff to do— finding Hiro too!" You forced a smile. "Stay safe for me, I'll be back as soon as I can."
"And you'll bring Hiro with you?"
"And I'll bring Hiro with me. I promise."
You wiped at your eyes, giving Kimi one last hug before she hid the knife in her waistband and turned around, heading home.
Ameil and Laslow didn't know she was with you and Link at the Inn, the events from last night making them ban her from seeing you again. However, Kimi— who's always been the sneaky sibling— slipped through her window early the next morning and made her way to you. Nobody could keep her away from her big sister.
You had told Kimi to keep her back turned when she went home, and you would do the same, to make parting ways easier. It was a shame they had to happen so fast.
You didn't realize you were staring at the now-empty space in front of you until you felt Link's gloved hand on the small of your back. You blinked up at him and forced a watery smile before turning around as well and heading towards the gate where Taz and Epona were waiting.
"It's about a day and a half journey to the Domain. If we get going now, we'll probably be able to stop at Dueling Peaks Stable for the night." Link talked about the plan to try and distract you further.
"Good idea." You mused, "I don't think I'm ready to give up beds yet."
Link laughed. "One of these days you'll have to. But the good thing is that once you get to sleep on a bed after sleeping on the ground for so long, it feels extra relaxing."
"I'm sure!" You started thinking back about Link's past— how he went from the Princess's appointed knight to some clueless, feral homeless man. "I bet you had the nicest bed ever in the castle."
"I don't remember it, but I bet I did too!" He sighed wistfully, but you could see his smile drop ever so slightly. "I wonder what it would have been like if I could have actually protected Hyrule. Like, if I didn't fail."
"It doesn't seem like you failed to me," You shrugged, "Hyrule isn't destroyed yet."
"Because of Zelda. After they put me away, she was the one who confronted Ganon. She's still in the castle, fighting him. She's been holding him off for 100 years, waiting for me." You could tell Link was getting frustrated, so you pulled Taz closer to him. You laid your hand on his, which was gripping Epona's reins tightly. Link immediately began to relax.
"Well, that's what we're doing now. We're helping her, and once all the beasts are free, we fight Ganon!"
"Correction. I fight Ganon. You're not going anywhere near the Divine Beasts or him."
You roll your eyes, "I bet I can do more than you think I can."
"I'm sure, but this is my burden. My old friends already died because of me, I'm not going to let you have the same fate."
"Fuck fate, we make our own destiny."
Link just shook his head, still grinning at you. "I wish it were that easy."
When traveling with Link, the hours seemed to pass like mere seconds. Unlike when you first met him, he became easier and easier to talk to and joke around with.
It was nice to have someone new around.
You wondered if being with only your siblings for so long, and then just the Gerudo women had stunted your social skills, but you supposed not. That, or Link was just as strange as you are. It would make sense, seeing as though he hadn't talked to anyone for 100 years.
However bad your social skills were, they surely were improving as you both talked nonstop. Before you knew it, you had passed the Cliffs of Qince and Ash Swamp once more, heading towards the stable. It wasn't much longer until you'd stop for the night, and you were grateful.
"So," You took a moment, worried that you might breach a touchy topic, but you were curious. "What will happen after you kill Ganon?"
"If I kill Ganon." Link corrected. "And I haven't thought about it, I guess. We'd have to rebuild. Make sure everyone is safe and the country can get back on its feet again. If Impa is right and Zelda is still alive in there, we'll at least have a Queen to guide Hyrule."
You nodded. You were curious about his plans. You knew the plan you were always taught— once Hyrule was wiped out completely, the Yiga hoped Ganon would return Sheikah technology to its rightful owners and give them solace amongst the chaos of the monsters. They would finally get their revenge against the Hylians. After all, the Yiga were only created for those who despised the Hylians for exiling the Sheikah race and shunned those who turned away their technological advances.
But seeing Link's side seemed almost sad to you. The Yiga were so filled with hatred and malice towards Hyrule— to the point that they sided with someone bound to betray them— and yet Link just wanted to help people. He wasn't doing this for himself or for a title, but for the good of everyone.
"When Zelda comes back, will you go back to being her knight?"
The question, and idea itself, left a weird taste in your mouth. You weren't sure you liked the idea of being separated from Link. Even in such a short time, you'd enjoyed your adventures by his side. Maybe you could be a knight, too.
"If she asks, then yes. I'm still the Hylian Champion, so I suppose she'll appoint new champions for the beasts too and we'll prepare in case anything new happens." Link shrugged, tugging on Epona's reigns to veer her to the left. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. I still need to do so much more before we get there." He pointed to the stable ahead, "Go check us in, I'm going to the shrine nearby. I ignored it last time I was here."
You nodded and pulled Taz away from Epona. They seemed to get along well, too, neighing and whinnying at each other while you and Link talked amongst yourselves.
You boarded him up and purchased two beds— soft, because Link made you paranoid about not getting another bed for a while— before grabbing some ingredients out of your satchel and throwing them in the pot. A prime meat and rice bowl sounded amazing right now.
You stirred all the ingredients into the pot and let it simmer for a while, sitting on one of the stools to let it cook. Link wasn't back.
Some time passes. You scoop the dinner into two bowls and place one on the stool beside you. You decided to wait a bit longer. Link still hadn't returned.
The sun slowly began to set. Your bowl was still full— your stomach was beginning to cramp from hunger and you had to eat soon. Link's dinner was cold. He was nowhere to be found.
"What's a pretty thing like you doing up so late?"
You opened your eyes, one brow lifted confusedly. You hadn't even noticed they were closed. "Just waiting on my friend. He's late."
"Well, it's very ungentleman-like to leave a lady waiting for so long. Say, I'll keep you company until then. The name's Eziel."
The owner of the voice pulled a stool beside you and you finally got a glimpse of him. He had short, dark hair and beady dark eyes, not super muscular but not super skinny either. Just an average guy, but there was something about him you just disliked.
Not your cup of tea, that's for sure.
"I'm okay, thanks though." Your words were short and pointed, trying to get across that Eziel was unwelcome.
"Ahhhh, c'mon Miss. I'm just trying to get to know you. What's your name?”
At this point, Eziel was nearly facing you entirely and he was leaned towards you, delicately reaching out a hand to try and touch your knee. You were ready to just knock his lights out, but you didn't want to cause issues and lose your beds.
"That is none of your business."
Link's voice appeared behind you and Eziel and you could have cried in relief. Eziel, however, didn't share the same sentiment and glared at Link.
"Says who?"
"Says me."
"And who are you? Her boyfriend?"
Eziel had stood up at this point, strutting over to Link with his chest puffed up in an attempt at intimidation. Link didn't speak, instead choosing to subtly rest his hand on the hilt of his sword. Eziel's eyes followed, and he laughed.
"Pathetic. I've got a sword too. What are you trying to do, battle over her?"
"If it means you'll leave her alone, then yes."
Link's hand was fully on the sword now, ready to pull it out at any moment. You stood up and rolled your eyes, getting annoyed at whatever this little spat was, before shoving Eziel out the way and standing in front of Link.
"Go away." You spoke slowly.
"No."
Right after he spoke, Eziel reached out to grab you. You blocked his arm and threw it to the side, countering with a punch that knocked him to the dirt. Eziel looked up at you with pure anger in his eyes.
"Leave us alone or else I'll do worse." You were tempted to spit on him for good measure, but didn't get the chance. Eziel rolled his eyes and stalked off, both his ego and cheekbone undoubtedly bruised.
You shook your shoulders to loosen up and turned back to Link with a grin on your face. His own face, however, showed the complete opposite.
Your smile fell. "What?"
"You could've gotten hurt."
"Nah," you brushed it off, "He was all talk. I knew I'd be able to take him. Now come on, I'll reheat your dinner-"
A hand grabbed your wrist. "You should've let me handle that. I'm supposed to protect you."
"Link. Did I not tell you when we first partnered up that I could protect myself?"
"You also said you'd stay out of trouble."
"Trouble is my middle name, I'm used to it. That's why I can handle it." You genuinely didn't understand why it was such a big deal, so you shrugged it off again and stoked the fire, putting Link's bowl back on it.
Link stayed quiet for a few minutes as you finished reheating his dinner, only speaking to thank you. You sat on the log beside him, watching the flames of the fire.
"I'm sorry for making it seem like I don't trust you to handle things." Link set the bowl down. "I just don't want anything to happen. I'm getting used to not being lonely anymore, I don't want that to happen again."
"I get it, really. I don't want anything to happen to you either. That's why I jumped in again at the end when that guy was trying to get physical. You've got a big mission to finish, you can't get laid out by some jerk at a stable."
Link laughed. "If you think he could take me out, I'm offended. I can't believe you think so lowly of me."
"I don't! It's a pride thing, too. It was my battle, so I wanted to finish it."
Link nodded in understanding. "Bed time?"
He stood up and held his hand out. You grabbed it and let him pull you up from the log, following Link into the Stable. You put your stuff down and got ready for bed, but couldn't help but glance out of the corner of your eye. Link stood in front of your bed with his back turned to you, arms crossed over the front.
"Is everything alright?" You asked, lowly enough for only him to hear.
"I just don't feel comfortable with both of us being off-guard with this guy still around."
You rolled your eyes, smiling slightly at Link's protectiveness. "It'll be okay, I promise. If it makes you feel any better, we can take turns staying up tonight. Deal?"
Link looked at you for a moment, then sighed. "Deal."
"Do I know my way around Hyrule? Do you not?" You gazed at the boy's pointed ears. "You're Hylian, you should know your way around. You're from here."
Link looked away from you. "I don't remember." He mumbled.
"What?"
"I don't remember." He said a little louder. "I, uh, got injured. And now I don't remember anything. I need to talk to Impa, but I don't know who that is or where they are here."
Impa. What a familiar name. She was the elder of Kakariko when you were still young, and you supposed by the sound of it she was still kicking. Good for her.
"I might be able to show you to her, but that's as far as my knowledge goes." You smiled sheepishly. "I don't know Hyrule either, except for Gerudo Desert. The rest I've only seen through maps."
Link raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you a traveler?"
"This is only my first week of it. I left on my twentieth birthday a few days ago." You shook your head, not wanting to delve further into why you didn't know anything about Hyrule and grabbed Link's wrist. "Come on, let's go see Impa. I think I remember where she stays.”
If the elder Sheikah remembered you, she didn't show it. Instead, she focused on the man in front of you, ushering you upstairs with a girl named Paya as quickly as you had entered.
Paya was around the same age as you, yet seemed completely different. She was nearly spastic, moving around her room with no purpose other than to fidget. She answered your attempts at conversation with one-word answers, only reciprocating when she wanted to turn it towards the stranger downstairs.
"Link, you said his name is? Is he your boyfriend?"
At the question, you awkwardly laughed. "Him? No, I just met him not too long ago and he asked me to bring him here."
"Oh," Paya sounded relieved. Your tight smile turned into a real one as you sensed a wonderful opportunity.
"Yeah, he's real cute, isn't he?" You subtly tried to tease, "He might be into you. I saw him looking our way when we were leaving."
Paya turned a bright red, matching the accents of her outfit nearly perfectly. "R-really?!" Her voice raised a few notches, "I- there's no way! Maybe he was looking at you, you're gorgeous!"
"I'm nothing like you," You made a face, slightly playing it up to see how far this would go while simultaneously rejecting the compliment, "If there's any gal Link might be into, it's you."
Paya seemed to swoon at the thought, but before she could respond Impa's voice called you both down from her room. Link stood where you left him, but this time with a different wardrobe. He had a bright blue tunic on, matching his eyes nearly perfectly.
You weren't the only one who noticed, though, as you noticed the red on Paya's face returning.
Link thanked Impa and glanced at you— a silent way of saying "let's go". You followed him out and began your trek back to the hotel.
"What did she say?"
"She said that I could maybe get my memories back by going to places that I have pictures of."
"Pictures? Do you have a camera or something?"
"Or something." Link reached for his belt and grabbed some device— you recognized it as a Sheikah Slate, old technology you learned about while scouring the poor excuse of a library in the Yiga hideout. They weren't the smartest, so books were uncommon. "This isn't mine, it's an old friend's. She has these pictures of places we've apparently gone together, but I have to go to Hateno to get it fixed."
Together? Were they together? Goddess, that would suck if Link had a girlfriend he didn't even remember. Poor chick.
"So you're going to go to these places and just... what? Hope for the best?"
Link shrugged. "If I have the time, yeah. I have more important things to do right now."
"Like?"
Link didn't answer, instead opening the door to the Inn and letting you in first. He went to his bed and sat down, pulling out the slate and swiping through it. A while passed and Link continued to just stare at the screen, brows furrowed in what was probably some attempt at remembering his past.
"You're gonna get a headache from looking at that."
"I already have one."
You stood up and went over to his bed, slipping the slate out of his hands and turning it towards yourself. "Why is the map blank?"
"I have to go to certain towers to get a map of each region."
"Ohh, those weird super tall glowy things?" You grinned like a child in a candy shop when Link nodded, "They just showed up a little bit ago. What, were they made specifically for you?"
"Kind of? And those shrines are too. I just wish I knew where to go and where I am."
"Goddess, you must be mighty special for a bunch of ancient technology to just work for you." You joked.
Link looked at you with a look you didn't really recognize. "You said you just started traveling. Do you have a paper map?"
"I do." You turned and dug into your bag, pulling it out and unrolling it in between you. You also grabbed a pen, just in case. "Where do you need to go next?"
"According to Impa, first Hateno. Then Zora's Domain, Eldin, Rito Village, and Gerudo in no specific order."
"Hm," You looked at the map, "That order seems to be the most practical— starting close and then traveling to the further ones. It just works out that Hateno is first on our way, I need to go there too."
At that, Link paused. "Our way?"
"Yeah, I'm coming with you. I need to go to those places too, so it works."
"Uh, absolutely not." Link shook his head and took the pen from your hand, "My journey is way too dangerous for you."
"What?" You grabbed the pen back, "We have the same journey— we're going to the same places. How is that too dangerous? If anything, it would be safer to travel together."
"I just wouldn't be able to protect myself and someone else, you know?"
"Who said I needed you to protect me?" You were a little offended. Was this because you were a woman? "I can handle myself."
Link raised an eyebrow as if to challenge that. "Y/N-"
"Listen, you don't remember anything, right? You need someone who at least knows a little bit. I might not have actually traveled but I read books and know people who do. I know the monsters and the cultures of the regions and all that shit. You need that. Let me come along and help. I'll stay out of whatever shit you have to do."
Link seemed to think about it for a moment and then sighed. "Fine."
You cheered and looked back down at the map, marking the locations you needed to go to— the main towns in every region, stables, smaller villages, and Hateno itself. "First, Hateno. Then, to East Necluda to Zora's Domain."
"Why do you need to go to Hateno so badly?"
You looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "If I tell you my mission, you have to tell me yours."
"...We'll see."
"My little sister lives there. I haven't seen her in four years, so I need to visit. As for the rest of Hyrule, I'm looking for my brother. We all got separated." Link looked as if he was going to ask questions, so you interrupted. "You?"
"I have to tame the Divine Beasts."
You couldn't contain the loud laugh that erupted from your throat. "I'm sorry- what? Ganon controls those beasts, nobody can tame them except for the Cham...pions..."
You trailed off, suddenly putting two and two together.
Link's name was familiar to you. You'd heard it numerous times.
The Hylian Champion, destined to destroy Ganon with the Sword that Sealed the Darkness.
The Yiga drilled it into your head that he was a bad guy. You didn't believe them when they said he'd return, and yet you sat in front of him, talking as if he was a long-lost friend.
"I thought the Champions died 100 years ago."
"They did. I almost did, but I was put into a healing shrine on the Great Plateau. I woke up about a week ago. No memories, nothing. Just the Sheikah Slate and the ghost of the King telling me what I have to do."
"That's— wow. That's a shocker." You didn't know what to say. The traumatized part of you was conflicted— riddled with guilt. Guilt for betraying the organization you grew up brainwashed into, but also guilt because this guy seemed like a great dude. And yet you were trained to kill people like him. Or more specifically, just him. "So what if I just joined you on this little adventure and didn't fight the Beasts with you? Would you feel better then?"
"I definitely would."
"Deal."
"Deal." Link held out his hand and you grabbed it, feeling the rough callouses on his palm and the warmth of his skin that seemed to seep into your own. You were both definitely holding this handshake for too long.
You coughed awkwardly and pulled your hand away, rolling the map back up and tucking it into your bag before sitting in your own bed. "Wake me up when you're ready to leave. Goodnight, Link."
"Goodnight, Y/N."
———
"This is fucking stupid."
"You're fucking stupid. Drop the attitude or I'm leaving your ass."
"You're the one who woke me up at 5am, Link! You can't be mad at me for that when we didn't go to bed until 1."
"If you're gonna adventure, you gotta get used to running on little sleep. From here on out, it's tough."
You huffed and crossed your arms, focusing on Taz's mane as Link rode his own horse beside you. "Shit sucks."
"Imagine having the fate of Hyrule on your shoulders along with that."
You cut your eyes at him. "I liked you better when you were quiet."
At that, Link let out a little laugh. It was the first time you'd heard him laugh and it was a pretty sound. You smiled back, ignoring the slight tinge of heat in your cheeks.
"Thanks for this, by the way. Letting me tag along and all."
Link didn't look at you, choosing instead to focus on the road ahead. "It's no worries, really. I enjoy the company. I've already figured out how lonely traveling gets, so it's nice to have someone to keep me away from my thoughts for a while." He let out a dry laugh.
"It's gotta be tough-- being destined to save humanity. I'm glad I can help in any way.”
Link finally looked up at you and flashed a wide smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Hateno is a few more hours. How about we take a break here for lunch?"
You nodded and pulled Taz off of the road into a large patch of grass, watching as Link pulled an axe out of an extra weapon holder on Epona and started going towards a patch of trees a few yards away. Patting Taz's nose, you pulled out a pot and some vegetables you had bought in Kakariko and met Link, starting a fire and placing the food inside to cook. After a while, you were able to pour the soup into two bowls and you began eating.
"I didn't know you knew how to cook." Link hummed, stuffing his face with the veggie cream soup you had made.
"You don't know a lot about me in general," You joked, "but I've known for a while. I guess I've become good since you just finished your second bowl."
"Super good!" Link put his bowl in his lap, seemingly finished, and looked at you. "So tell me about you."
You raised an eyebrow, pausing from your soup. "What?"
"You said I don't know a lot about you, and you're right. So tell me more. I think I have a right to know who I'm traveling with."
You internally cringed, wondering what all you could give away without letting Link know the truth. You know, the truth that you were actually raised by an organization created almost specifically to kill him.
"My mom was Sheikah and my dad was a regular Hylian, so I grew up in Kakariko with my brother and sister. We, uh, got kidnapped and taken away for a while. Eventually, we escaped and I ended up in Gerudo Town and I didn't know where my siblings were. As you know, I found out my little sister is in Hateno. So now I'm here, traveling and looking for them." You shrugged, feigning nonchalance as Link raised an eyebrow.
"You glossed over the kidnapping pretty quickly. That's scary."
"It was, but they kind of just kept us there. No clue why." You looked down at your soup, finding both it and talking about yourself unappetizing. "What about you? Do you remember anything from before?"
Link shook his head. "Nothing. Impa said to go back to her after I've remembered something, but there's nothing so far. I was Princess Zelda's knight, and I apparently failed at defeating Ganon."
"Yeah, no shit." You snorted. "This time will be different, though."
Link glanced at you with a face you couldn't describe. "I hope so." He stood up suddenly, taking the bowl and putting it back in Epona's pouch. "Impa said something about there being someone in Hateno who could help fix my Sheikah Slate. Let's go so we can get there before sundown."
———
"Halt! Who goes there!"
You skidded your horse to a stop, Taz's hooves digging into the wet dirt road beneath you. Link stopped shortly after, eyes wide at the pitchfork being brandished in front of the both of you.”
"Uh, I'm Y/N. That's Link." You backed Taz up a bit, not trusting this random short man outside of the village. "We're travelers."
"Travelers, eh?" The man looked you up and down with a scrutinizing gaze. You felt like shrinking under it. "Hylian?"
"Yes?"
He lowered his pitchfork, but not by much. "General Store is right ahead, same with the Inn. Don't go nowhere else causing trouble in my town. I'm sworn to protect this place with my life."
Link raised an eyebrow at the man. "Thank you, uh,"
"Thadd."
"Right. Thadd." You interrupted, "Could you tell us where to find a girl named—"
"You're askin' the wrong man. I ain't one for giving tours."
"We're not asking for a tour, I just need to find Kimi-"
"If you want a tour, go talk to Seldon right at the boutique. He's real nice."
"I— okay." You resisted rolling your eyes, "Thank you."
You continued forward, sharing a look with Link before finding the boutique and a smiling man out front. He waves you both over, "Hello there! My name is Seldon, care for a tour of our wonderful town?"
"Uh- we're just looking for one thing." You replied, feeling a little bad to deny his offer.
"Wh- so no tour?" Seldon sighed loudly, his shoulders dropping in disappointment. "What can I point you to?"
"Do you know where a little girl named Kimi lives?"
Seldon raised an eyebrow. "Kimi? She's too young to be having random visitors without her parents knowledge—"
"I'm her sister. Before she came here. She somehow found me and I just want to see her." You pleaded.
Seldon seemed to think for a second, then sighed. "Alright, but if it turns out you're lying Thadd's gonna have at you both."
Without waiting for a reply, Seldon turned his back to you both and walked up the main road of Hateno towards a small cluster of houses near the top. After leading you a few doors down, he stopped at one with a bright red door and gave it a knock, only stepping back once it opened to reveal a woman a bit older than you.
"Can I help you?"
"Uh yes," Your heart was pounding, "A little bit ago, I started getting letters from my little sister, who you took in—“
"Y/N? Is that you?"
A meek voice came from behind the lady, and then out peeked a small head of hair. Suddenly, the girl grinned widely and pushed past the woman, running to you with her arms wide. "Y/N!"
You smiled as well and crouched down, engulfing her in a tight hug, fighting to keep tears back.
"Kimi..." You pulled back and held her shoulders, "You've gotten so big!"
Kimi giggled and fiddled with the edge of her dress before gasping and turning to the older woman. "Mom! This is my big sister, Y/N! She finally came!"
"That's wonderful." The woman smiled. "I'm Ameil, and my husband— who'll be out in a sec— is Laslow! Kimi has said so much about you. Come in!"
You smiled at Ameil and stood to walk in when your wrist was grabbed by a gloved hand. You turned back to the owner— Link— and raised an eyebrow.
"That research lab up there on the hill— Impa said I needed to go there."
"What do you want me to do about that?"
Link snorted, "Nothing. I want you to catch up with your sister, so I'm going to head up there and see who I can talk to about fixing my Sheikah Slate. I'll be back soon."
"Oh, okay." You smiled at him, "Be careful, it looks like it's going to rain soon. I don't want you getting sick."
"Yes ma'am." Link fake-saluted and turned away, heading towards the research lab.
You, on the other hand, followed Kimi and Ameil inside. Sitting in one of the living room couches was who you assumed was Laslow. Ameil joined him on the couch while you and Kimi sat on one across from them.
Ameil continued to smile— it was getting a little strange at this point, but you shrugged it off— while Laslow put down his book and paid attention to you.
"So, Y/N, we've heard a lot about you." Laslow began, "But one thing we've never understood is how she came into our care in the first place. One minute Ameil and I are traveling the Taobab Grasslands, next we're picking up a little girl unconscious under a tree and taking her home. How did that come to be?"
Your breath caught in your throat and the world began to spin, but you tried not to show it.
They really went in for a first meeting, didn't they?
"Honestly," You steeled your voice and looked down at Kimi in a silent way of saying 'I will not tell'. "There was an accident. Kimi, our brother, and I were in Gerudo when a sandstorm hit— that Divine Beast is no joke— and we got separated. I couldn't find them, so I went to Gerudo Town and stayed, trying to find them. It took four years for Kimi to finally reach me. How did you find me, by the way?"
At your redirection of the topic, Kimi perked up. "At first, I just asked every traveler who came into Hateno if they knew you! None of them did, but a Rito suggested that I send a letter to every town asking about you and describing you, and if they found you then you would write back! And you did!"
"I did." You laughed, "I told you I'd always be there for you, I keep my word."
Kimi threw her arms around you once again and you felt a shift in the atmosphere. You looked up from your little sister to see Ameil, still sitting in the same spot, still smiling. She folded her hands in her lap and took a deep breath.
"I just think it's rather irresponsible for you to have your younger siblings out in the harsh elements like that in the first place." Ameil shook her head in disapproval. "It's common sense for sandstorms to happen in Gerudo."
You tried not to roll your eyes and reminded yourself that Ameil didn't know the truth— you might have to be the bad guy and take blame that doesn't even exist to save your identities. "We didn't have much of a choice. I can't go into all of it but—"
"But what? What could you have possibly put little Kimi through that required you to trek through potentially deadly weather and risk her life? Do tell."
Ameil was obviously pushing your buttons, trying to reveal things that you were sure she had pushed Kimi about before. "I can't."
Ameil threw her hands in the air. "I am Kimi's mother. I have a right to know what goes on."
You opened your mouth to respond, but Kimi beat you to it.
"Y/N, are you going to look for Hiro next?"
"Yes!" You were relieved, "Have you heard from him?"
Kimi's face dropped. "No, but I want to come with you-"
"Absolutely NOT." Ameil interrupted. "You are not going on some dangerous trip with strangers.”
"But Y/N is my sister. My REAL sister. You're not even my real parents!"
Ameil gasped, and Laslow sat up and practically growled, "Go to your room!"
Kimi stood up and ran to her room, slamming it hard enough to make the house shake. You could only watch as she left, the atmosphere getting even more uncomfortable in her absence. You didn't want to look back at Ameil and Laslow, but when you did Ameil was already looking at you with a look you couldn't recognize.
"You do see where we're coming from, right?" She asked gently, as if you were some toddler who needed talking down to. "Our sweet Kimi is our pride and joy. We can't possibly let her go back into the hands of the person who lost her. Who knows, she could go missing a second time. We don't quite see you as a responsible big sister. After all, why did it take so long for you to come find her?"
Condescending. That was the look.
At Ameil's words, you realized her feelings towards you. Ameil hated you. She looked down on you— blamed you for "abandoning" Kimi. But she doesn't know the truth.
How you risked your life for your siblings.
How you turned and faced the Yiga Clan head-on to give them enough time to escape and survive, even if you didn't.
How you fed them, defended them, took care of them while you were all imprisoned in the desert, working every day to get stronger and stronger to one day escape and create a better life for Hiro and Kimi.
You stood up and walked to the door, ignoring Ameil's fake protests and questions about why you were leaving, and slammed the door hard enough to shake the house once more. Tears blurred your vision as you walked down path, heading nowhere in particular except away from that house, and in your rush you accidentally bumped into a body.
"Goddess," You wiped your face, "I'm sorry-“
"Y/N, what happened?"
Link's voice sent a wave of comfort over you, and his hands gripping your shoulders gave you enough stability to collapse, tears streaming down your face more as your knees hit the ground.
Link fell to his own knees in front of you, quickly pressing you into his chest and gently shushing you, waiting until your sobs ceased before talking.
"What happened?"
"They-" Deep breath. "They blamed m-me for Kimi going missing. And my brother. And-and they said I wasn't a good sister, and I know that I'm not— who leaves their siblings for four years? I couldn't help it—"
You started to cry again, coughing out your words and wheezing in breaths in between. Your hands trembled, yet you couldn't stop it. Eventually it spread to the rest of your body, shaking like a leaf in an emotional storm. It was hard to focus on one thing when everything crowded in your vision and overwhelmed your senses.
Breathe in. You couldn't.
Breathe out. No.
In. Please.
Out. You can't.
Was this it? Was this the end? Just like that?—
"Y/N!"
Link.
He's still holding you.
His hand is laid atop your head, rubbing soothing circles into your hair. Your face is in the crook of his neck, finally able to breathe. His smell was comforting. His other arm wrapped itself around your torso, holding you close to his chest. When did he pull you onto his lap?
"It's okay. You're okay. Is Kimi upset with you?"
"No," Words struggled to escape, "Just her parents."
"Then who cares? You still have your sister. She still loves you."
You stayed quiet for a second, contemplating. Link was right— you still had Kimi. Ameil and Laslow were the issue. You just had to somehow prove that you were responsible enough to be around Kimi again. But how?
Find Hiro. Reunite your family.
Your muscles unclenched, and you slouched into Link's warmth a bit more. In your thoughts, he had begun to rock you gently and laid his cheek upon your head.
"Yeah." You yawned.
"C'mon, silly." Link shifted and stood you both up. "Let's go to the inn and rest, then. We'll figure out the next step tomorrow when we're fully rested."
"Do I know my way around Hyrule? Do you not?" You gazed at the boy's pointed ears. "You're Hylian, you should know your way around. You're from here."
Link looked away from you. "I don't remember." He mumbled.
"What?"
"I don't remember." He said a little louder. "I, uh, got injured. And now I don't remember anything. I need to talk to Impa, but I don't know who that is or where they are here."
Impa. What a familiar name. She was the elder of Kakariko when you were still young, and you supposed by the sound of it she was still kicking. Good for her.
"I might be able to show you to her, but that's as far as my knowledge goes." You smiled sheepishly. "I don't know Hyrule either, except for Gerudo Desert. The rest I've only seen through maps."
Link raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you a traveler?"
"This is only my first week of it. I left on my twentieth birthday a few days ago." You shook your head, not wanting to delve further into why you didn't know anything about Hyrule and grabbed Link's wrist. "Come on, let's go see Impa. I think I remember where she stays.”
If the elder Sheikah remembered you, she didn't show it. Instead, she focused on the man in front of you, ushering you upstairs with a girl named Paya as quickly as you had entered.
Paya was around the same age as you, yet seemed completely different. She was nearly spastic, moving around her room with no purpose other than to fidget. She answered your attempts at conversation with one-word answers, only reciprocating when she wanted to turn it towards the stranger downstairs.
"Link, you said his name is? Is he your boyfriend?"
At the question, you awkwardly laughed. "Him? No, I just met him not too long ago and he asked me to bring him here."
"Oh," Paya sounded relieved. Your tight smile turned into a real one as you sensed a wonderful opportunity.
"Yeah, he's real cute, isn't he?" You subtly tried to tease, "He might be into you. I saw him looking our way when we were leaving."
Paya turned a bright red, matching the accents of her outfit nearly perfectly. "R-really?!" Her voice raised a few notches, "I- there's no way! Maybe he was looking at you, you're gorgeous!"
"I'm nothing like you," You made a face, slightly playing it up to see how far this would go while simultaneously rejecting the compliment, "If there's any gal Link might be into, it's you."
Paya seemed to swoon at the thought, but before she could respond Impa's voice called you both down from her room. Link stood where you left him, but this time with a different wardrobe. He had a bright blue tunic on, matching his eyes nearly perfectly.
You weren't the only one who noticed, though, as you noticed the red on Paya's face returning.
Link thanked Impa and glanced at you— a silent way of saying "let's go". You followed him out and began your trek back to the hotel.
"What did she say?"
"She said that I could maybe get my memories back by going to places that I have pictures of."
"Pictures? Do you have a camera or something?"
"Or something." Link reached for his belt and grabbed some device— you recognized it as a Sheikah Slate, old technology you learned about while scouring the poor excuse of a library in the Yiga hideout. They weren't the smartest, so books were uncommon. "This isn't mine, it's an old friend's. She has these pictures of places we've apparently gone together, but I have to go to Hateno to get it fixed."
Together? Were they together? Goddess, that would suck if Link had a girlfriend he didn't even remember. Poor chick.
"So you're going to go to these places and just... what? Hope for the best?"
Link shrugged. "If I have the time, yeah. I have more important things to do right now."
"Like?"
Link didn't answer, instead opening the door to the Inn and letting you in first. He went to his bed and sat down, pulling out the slate and swiping through it. A while passed and Link continued to just stare at the screen, brows furrowed in what was probably some attempt at remembering his past.
"You're gonna get a headache from looking at that."
"I already have one."
You stood up and went over to his bed, slipping the slate out of his hands and turning it towards yourself. "Why is the map blank?"
"I have to go to certain towers to get a map of each region."
"Ohh, those weird super tall glowy things?" You grinned like a child in a candy shop when Link nodded, "They just showed up a little bit ago. What, were they made specifically for you?"
"Kind of? And those shrines are too. I just wish I knew where to go and where I am."
"Goddess, you must be mighty special for a bunch of ancient technology to just work for you." You joked.
Link looked at you with a look you didn't really recognize. "You said you just started traveling. Do you have a paper map?"
"I do." You turned and dug into your bag, pulling it out and unrolling it in between you. You also grabbed a pen, just in case. "Where do you need to go next?"
"According to Impa, first Hateno. Then Zora's Domain, Eldin, Rito Village, and Gerudo in no specific order."
"Hm," You looked at the map, "That order seems to be the most practical— starting close and then traveling to the further ones. It just works out that Hateno is first on our way, I need to go there too."
At that, Link paused. "Our way?"
"Yeah, I'm coming with you. I need to go to those places too, so it works."
"Uh, absolutely not." Link shook his head and took the pen from your hand, "My journey is way too dangerous for you."
"What?" You grabbed the pen back, "We have the same journey— we're going to the same places. How is that too dangerous? If anything, it would be safer to travel together."
"I just wouldn't be able to protect myself and someone else, you know?"
"Who said I needed you to protect me?" You were a little offended. Was this because you were a woman? "I can handle myself."
Link raised an eyebrow as if to challenge that. "Y/N-"
"Listen, you don't remember anything, right? You need someone who at least knows a little bit. I might not have actually traveled but I read books and know people who do. I know the monsters and the cultures of the regions and all that shit. You need that. Let me come along and help. I'll stay out of whatever shit you have to do."
Link seemed to think about it for a moment and then sighed. "Fine."
You cheered and looked back down at the map, marking the locations you needed to go to— the main towns in every region, stables, smaller villages, and Hateno itself. "First, Hateno. Then, to East Necluda to Zora's Domain."
"Why do you need to go to Hateno so badly?"
You looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "If I tell you my mission, you have to tell me yours."
"...We'll see."
"My little sister lives there. I haven't seen her in four years, so I need to visit. As for the rest of Hyrule, I'm looking for my brother. We all got separated." Link looked as if he was going to ask questions, so you interrupted. "You?"
"I have to tame the Divine Beasts."
You couldn't contain the loud laugh that erupted from your throat. "I'm sorry- what? Ganon controls those beasts, nobody can tame them except for the Cham...pions..."
You trailed off, suddenly putting two and two together.
Link's name was familiar to you. You'd heard it numerous times.
The Hylian Champion, destined to destroy Ganon with the Sword that Sealed the Darkness.
The Yiga drilled it into your head that he was a bad guy. You didn't believe them when they said he'd return, and yet you sat in front of him, talking as if he was a long-lost friend.
"I thought the Champions died 100 years ago."
"They did. I almost did, but I was put into a healing shrine on the Great Plateau. I woke up about a week ago. No memories, nothing. Just the Sheikah Slate and the ghost of the King telling me what I have to do."
"That's— wow. That's a shocker." You didn't know what to say. The traumatized part of you was conflicted— riddled with guilt. Guilt for betraying the organization you grew up brainwashed into, but also guilt because this guy seemed like a great dude. And yet you were trained to kill people like him. Or more specifically, just him. "So what if I just joined you on this little adventure and didn't fight the Beasts with you? Would you feel better then?"
"I definitely would."
"Deal."
"Deal." Link held out his hand and you grabbed it, feeling the rough callouses on his palm and the warmth of his skin that seemed to seep into your own. You were both definitely holding this handshake for too long.
You coughed awkwardly and pulled your hand away, rolling the map back up and tucking it into your bag before sitting in your own bed. "Wake me up when you're ready to leave. Goodnight, Link."
"Goodnight, Y/N."
———
"This is fucking stupid."
"You're fucking stupid. Drop the attitude or I'm leaving your ass."
"You're the one who woke me up at 5am, Link! You can't be mad at me for that when we didn't go to bed until 1."
"If you're gonna adventure, you gotta get used to running on little sleep. From here on out, it's tough."
You huffed and crossed your arms, focusing on Taz's mane as Link rode his own horse beside you. "Shit sucks."
"Imagine having the fate of Hyrule on your shoulders along with that."
You cut your eyes at him. "I liked you better when you were quiet."
At that, Link let out a little laugh. It was the first time you'd heard him laugh and it was a pretty sound. You smiled back, ignoring the slight tinge of heat in your cheeks.
"Thanks for this, by the way. Letting me tag along and all."
Link didn't look at you, choosing instead to focus on the road ahead. "It's no worries, really. I enjoy the company. I've already figured out how lonely traveling gets, so it's nice to have someone to keep me away from my thoughts for a while." He let out a dry laugh.
"It's gotta be tough-- being destined to save humanity. I'm glad I can help in any way.”
Link finally looked up at you and flashed a wide smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Hateno is a few more hours. How about we take a break here for lunch?"
You nodded and pulled Taz off of the road into a large patch of grass, watching as Link pulled an axe out of an extra weapon holder on Epona and started going towards a patch of trees a few yards away. Patting Taz's nose, you pulled out a pot and some vegetables you had bought in Kakariko and met Link, starting a fire and placing the food inside to cook. After a while, you were able to pour the soup into two bowls and you began eating.
"I didn't know you knew how to cook." Link hummed, stuffing his face with the veggie cream soup you had made.
"You don't know a lot about me in general," You joked, "but I've known for a while. I guess I've become good since you just finished your second bowl."
"Super good!" Link put his bowl in his lap, seemingly finished, and looked at you. "So tell me about you."
You raised an eyebrow, pausing from your soup. "What?"
"You said I don't know a lot about you, and you're right. So tell me more. I think I have a right to know who I'm traveling with."
You internally cringed, wondering what all you could give away without letting Link know the truth. You know, the truth that you were actually raised by an organization created almost specifically to kill him.
"My mom was Sheikah and my dad was a regular Hylian, so I grew up in Kakariko with my brother and sister. We, uh, got kidnapped and taken away for a while. Eventually, we escaped and I ended up in Gerudo Town and I didn't know where my siblings were. As you know, I found out my little sister is in Hateno. So now I'm here, traveling and looking for them." You shrugged, feigning nonchalance as Link raised an eyebrow.
"You glossed over the kidnapping pretty quickly. That's scary."
"It was, but they kind of just kept us there. No clue why." You looked down at your soup, finding both it and talking about yourself unappetizing. "What about you? Do you remember anything from before?"
Link shook his head. "Nothing. Impa said to go back to her after I've remembered something, but there's nothing so far. I was Princess Zelda's knight, and I apparently failed at defeating Ganon."
"Yeah, no shit." You snorted. "This time will be different, though."
Link glanced at you with a face you couldn't describe. "I hope so." He stood up suddenly, taking the bowl and putting it back in Epona's pouch. "Impa said something about there being someone in Hateno who could help fix my Sheikah Slate. Let's go so we can get there before sundown."
———
"Halt! Who goes there!"
You skidded your horse to a stop, Taz's hooves digging into the wet dirt road beneath you. Link stopped shortly after, eyes wide at the pitchfork being brandished in front of the both of you.”
"Uh, I'm Y/N. That's Link." You backed Taz up a bit, not trusting this random short man outside of the village. "We're travelers."
"Travelers, eh?" The man looked you up and down with a scrutinizing gaze. You felt like shrinking under it. "Hylian?"
"Yes?"
He lowered his pitchfork, but not by much. "General Store is right ahead, same with the Inn. Don't go nowhere else causing trouble in my town. I'm sworn to protect this place with my life."
Link raised an eyebrow at the man. "Thank you, uh,"
"Thadd."
"Right. Thadd." You interrupted, "Could you tell us where to find a girl named—"
"You're askin' the wrong man. I ain't one for giving tours."
"We're not asking for a tour, I just need to find Kimi-"
"If you want a tour, go talk to Seldon right at the boutique. He's real nice."
"I— okay." You resisted rolling your eyes, "Thank you."
You continued forward, sharing a look with Link before finding the boutique and a smiling man out front. He waves you both over, "Hello there! My name is Seldon, care for a tour of our wonderful town?"
"Uh- we're just looking for one thing." You replied, feeling a little bad to deny his offer.
"Wh- so no tour?" Seldon sighed loudly, his shoulders dropping in disappointment. "What can I point you to?"
"Do you know where a little girl named Kimi lives?"
Seldon raised an eyebrow. "Kimi? She's too young to be having random visitors without her parents knowledge—"
"I'm her sister. Before she came here. She somehow found me and I just want to see her." You pleaded.
Seldon seemed to think for a second, then sighed. "Alright, but if it turns out you're lying Thadd's gonna have at you both."
Without waiting for a reply, Seldon turned his back to you both and walked up the main road of Hateno towards a small cluster of houses near the top. After leading you a few doors down, he stopped at one with a bright red door and gave it a knock, only stepping back once it opened to reveal a woman a bit older than you.
"Can I help you?"
"Uh yes," Your heart was pounding, "A little bit ago, I started getting letters from my little sister, who you took in—“
"Y/N? Is that you?"
A meek voice came from behind the lady, and then out peeked a small head of hair. Suddenly, the girl grinned widely and pushed past the woman, running to you with her arms wide. "Y/N!"
You smiled as well and crouched down, engulfing her in a tight hug, fighting to keep tears back.
"Kimi..." You pulled back and held her shoulders, "You've gotten so big!"
Kimi giggled and fiddled with the edge of her dress before gasping and turning to the older woman. "Mom! This is my big sister, Y/N! She finally came!"
"That's wonderful." The woman smiled. "I'm Ameil, and my husband— who'll be out in a sec— is Laslow! Kimi has said so much about you. Come in!"
You smiled at Ameil and stood to walk in when your wrist was grabbed by a gloved hand. You turned back to the owner— Link— and raised an eyebrow.
"That research lab up there on the hill— Impa said I needed to go there."
"What do you want me to do about that?"
Link snorted, "Nothing. I want you to catch up with your sister, so I'm going to head up there and see who I can talk to about fixing my Sheikah Slate. I'll be back soon."
"Oh, okay." You smiled at him, "Be careful, it looks like it's going to rain soon. I don't want you getting sick."
"Yes ma'am." Link fake-saluted and turned away, heading towards the research lab.
You, on the other hand, followed Kimi and Ameil inside. Sitting in one of the living room couches was who you assumed was Laslow. Ameil joined him on the couch while you and Kimi sat on one across from them.
Ameil continued to smile— it was getting a little strange at this point, but you shrugged it off— while Laslow put down his book and paid attention to you.
"So, Y/N, we've heard a lot about you." Laslow began, "But one thing we've never understood is how she came into our care in the first place. One minute Ameil and I are traveling the Taobab Grasslands, next we're picking up a little girl unconscious under a tree and taking her home. How did that come to be?"
Your breath caught in your throat and the world began to spin, but you tried not to show it.
They really went in for a first meeting, didn't they?
"Honestly," You steeled your voice and looked down at Kimi in a silent way of saying 'I will not tell'. "There was an accident. Kimi, our brother, and I were in Gerudo when a sandstorm hit— that Divine Beast is no joke— and we got separated. I couldn't find them, so I went to Gerudo Town and stayed, trying to find them. It took four years for Kimi to finally reach me. How did you find me, by the way?"
At your redirection of the topic, Kimi perked up. "At first, I just asked every traveler who came into Hateno if they knew you! None of them did, but a Rito suggested that I send a letter to every town asking about you and describing you, and if they found you then you would write back! And you did!"
"I did." You laughed, "I told you I'd always be there for you, I keep my word."
Kimi threw her arms around you once again and you felt a shift in the atmosphere. You looked up from your little sister to see Ameil, still sitting in the same spot, still smiling. She folded her hands in her lap and took a deep breath.
"I just think it's rather irresponsible for you to have your younger siblings out in the harsh elements like that in the first place." Ameil shook her head in disapproval. "It's common sense for sandstorms to happen in Gerudo."
You tried not to roll your eyes and reminded yourself that Ameil didn't know the truth— you might have to be the bad guy and take blame that doesn't even exist to save your identities. "We didn't have much of a choice. I can't go into all of it but—"
"But what? What could you have possibly put little Kimi through that required you to trek through potentially deadly weather and risk her life? Do tell."
Ameil was obviously pushing your buttons, trying to reveal things that you were sure she had pushed Kimi about before. "I can't."
Ameil threw her hands in the air. "I am Kimi's mother. I have a right to know what goes on."
You opened your mouth to respond, but Kimi beat you to it.
"Y/N, are you going to look for Hiro next?"
"Yes!" You were relieved, "Have you heard from him?"
Kimi's face dropped. "No, but I want to come with you-"
"Absolutely NOT." Ameil interrupted. "You are not going on some dangerous trip with strangers.”
"But Y/N is my sister. My REAL sister. You're not even my real parents!"
Ameil gasped, and Laslow sat up and practically growled, "Go to your room!"
Kimi stood up and ran to her room, slamming it hard enough to make the house shake. You could only watch as she left, the atmosphere getting even more uncomfortable in her absence. You didn't want to look back at Ameil and Laslow, but when you did Ameil was already looking at you with a look you couldn't recognize.
"You do see where we're coming from, right?" She asked gently, as if you were some toddler who needed talking down to. "Our sweet Kimi is our pride and joy. We can't possibly let her go back into the hands of the person who lost her. Who knows, she could go missing a second time. We don't quite see you as a responsible big sister. After all, why did it take so long for you to come find her?"
Condescending. That was the look.
At Ameil's words, you realized her feelings towards you. Ameil hated you. She looked down on you— blamed you for "abandoning" Kimi. But she doesn't know the truth.
How you risked your life for your siblings.
How you turned and faced the Yiga Clan head-on to give them enough time to escape and survive, even if you didn't.
How you fed them, defended them, took care of them while you were all imprisoned in the desert, working every day to get stronger and stronger to one day escape and create a better life for Hiro and Kimi.
You stood up and walked to the door, ignoring Ameil's fake protests and questions about why you were leaving, and slammed the door hard enough to shake the house once more. Tears blurred your vision as you walked down path, heading nowhere in particular except away from that house, and in your rush you accidentally bumped into a body.
"Goddess," You wiped your face, "I'm sorry-“
"Y/N, what happened?"
Link's voice sent a wave of comfort over you, and his hands gripping your shoulders gave you enough stability to collapse, tears streaming down your face more as your knees hit the ground.
Link fell to his own knees in front of you, quickly pressing you into his chest and gently shushing you, waiting until your sobs ceased before talking.
"What happened?"
"They-" Deep breath. "They blamed m-me for Kimi going missing. And my brother. And-and they said I wasn't a good sister, and I know that I'm not— who leaves their siblings for four years? I couldn't help it—"
You started to cry again, coughing out your words and wheezing in breaths in between. Your hands trembled, yet you couldn't stop it. Eventually it spread to the rest of your body, shaking like a leaf in an emotional storm. It was hard to focus on one thing when everything crowded in your vision and overwhelmed your senses.
Breathe in. You couldn't.
Breathe out. No.
In. Please.
Out. You can't.
Was this it? Was this the end? Just like that?—
"Y/N!"
Link.
He's still holding you.
His hand is laid atop your head, rubbing soothing circles into your hair. Your face is in the crook of his neck, finally able to breathe. His smell was comforting. His other arm wrapped itself around your torso, holding you close to his chest. When did he pull you onto his lap?
"It's okay. You're okay. Is Kimi upset with you?"
"No," Words struggled to escape, "Just her parents."
"Then who cares? You still have your sister. She still loves you."
You stayed quiet for a second, contemplating. Link was right— you still had Kimi. Ameil and Laslow were the issue. You just had to somehow prove that you were responsible enough to be around Kimi again. But how?
Find Hiro. Reunite your family.
Your muscles unclenched, and you slouched into Link's warmth a bit more. In your thoughts, he had begun to rock you gently and laid his cheek upon your head.
"Yeah." You yawned.
"C'mon, silly." Link shifted and stood you both up. "Let's go to the inn and rest, then. We'll figure out the next step tomorrow when we're fully rested."
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