Tongues oscillated from the mouths of the civilians all across the stables, perhaps more so than the horses that wagged their tongues against their chapped muzzles. Hyrule's sundry of villages held residents whose lips blossomed open like the petals of a budding silent princess plant. Every sentence spoken was sweeter than a honey crepe.
What was it that has the mouths of Hyrule's inhabitants moving faster than a Lynel dashing at prey?
The people's princess, Zelda, was supposedly shacked up with her knight in Hateno due to castle "renovations."
And Hyrule's citizens, whether Goron or Gerudo could simply not feast enough on this delicious news.
But that wasn't the only news hot off the press. Unfortunately, the newest chatter held less of a celebratory theme with Hyrule once again thrown into hapless disarray that the Lucky Clover Gazette is now referring to as" the upheaval."
The inception of the upheaval brought with it a new Hyrule, one that was not as kind as the Hyrule of old, the Hyrule of pre-calamity.
The tundra of the Tabantha region has seeped into Rito village freezing the home of the feathered locals and forcing them into mass exodus. Zora's domain's many rivers no longer boasted tepid, fluvial waves but thick oiled abscesses of sludge bleeding into its waters.
The Gorons apparently have gone on strike refusing to mine, this left Hyrule without many precious resources and perhaps your personal favorite and most precious resource of all, curry. And last but not least, the illustrious traders of the Gerudo were witnessing the sands that brought them fortune bring them adversity as the region has now been shrouded in skin slicing sandstorms.
The biggest underdog surviving post-upheaval Hyrule's climate changes was the newly erected Tarreytown, which now sported an annex dedicated strictly to Zonai research.
The Zonai.
A group of people rumored to be ancient nomads and now discovered to be a founding civilization of Hyrule, evolving from never being acknowledged to being on the cover of every newspaper in every nook and cranny of the map.
Oh, and then there was a dissected Hyrule Castle now levitating off the ground, the catalyst of the upheaval leading to a missing princess and her paramour knight.
These days there was definitely no shortage of news in Hyrule.
Volunteering as part of the retinue of searchers for the missing duo, you made your way to the central hub of activity located in Hyrule Field that has now been fittingly named Lookout Landing.
You arrived, stuffing down some crusty Tabantha wheat bread that had been stuffed with a thick, creamy glob of Hateno cheese, a new gastrointestinal delight taking Hyrule by storm. If you couldn't enjoy curry, you had to admit cheese had become a close second favorite.
Purah took one look at your disheveled appearance and your cheeks, swollen with huge bites of bread, as she lowered her glasses and swatted her fan against her palm in a gesture that meant she was displeased" Y/N, do work on your punctuality."
She shoved a Purah Pad at you as you bowed in apology. While you booted up your Purah Pad, you surveyed your surroundings, not surprised by the familiar faces of Robbie and Josha with a vacant-faced Link conversing with them.
You looked at Purah. "So, then I'm assuming Link is going to—WAIT A MINUTE!" Your head snapped back in his direction. "L-Link has been found? Then the princess must be..."
Purah gave you a solemn shake of her head. "Afraid not."
The initial shock of seeing Link alive and unscathed wore off after a moment, and you looked back at him; only this time you wanted to pinpoint why he looked almost unrecognizable at first glance. His normally pulled back and neat hair was now untamed, revealing some of his split ends and uneven layers. On any normal Hylian, this would be a hair-styling faux pas... but on Link, however...
But it wasn't the unkempt sway of his flaxen locks that stood out the most. Decadent drapings of ivory and emerald hung around his toned physique, making him look like some anachronistic god. Smudges of ink penetrated his chest and shoulder and coalesced down his arm like a tattoo. Was it a tattoo? When did Link get a tattoo? And more importantly, why was this rebellious fashion statement of bedraggled hair and revealing muscle tickling your gut at the sight of it? "Um, what is Link wearing? Is this some kind of new Cece fashion line?"
Purah swatted you with her fan. "Choke down that last bite of food; let's get started for today because I'm afraid with Link's news we have even fewer answers than we had before."
"At least he is safe." You responded, your eyes still on him until he looked your way, causing you to become aware of your unconscious ogling.
Purah rubbed her chin. "With the upheaval, we are seeing unprecedented things occur. Besides climate change, we now have strange geoglyphs in fields to account for, chasms across the land, and floating rocks large enough to be islands. Hyrule has been shifted, and we don't have enough resources to uncover this new version of itself. Finding the princess must be our focus. "
Josha chimed in, "I'm most fascinated with the chasms. Perhaps we can have Y/N focus her study on those?"
"Me? Don't tell me you're going to make me into some chasm crusader! I thought we were focusing on the princess! You rebutted but clamped your mouth shut when you saw the warning in Purah's cocoa-dusted irises.
"And what if the princess is in one of the chasms?"
You sighed, knowing Purah was right, and the only wise thing for you to do was withdraw your argument.
Purah pointed her fan at Scorpis. "Let's send Scorpis with you.
With supersonic hearing, Scorpis interjected. "No can do, I'm watching the emergency vault."
Purah stomped her heel. "Nothing is happening in the vault. Come on here, the princess may need us!"
"The princess has the power of the goddess. She doesn't need us; we need her." Scorpis posited.
"I'll accompany Y/N." Link approached, his grey eyes regarding you in a manner that felt like a friendly poke. You were surprised he even knew what your name was.
"Very well, Link, Y/N will be in good hands. We know not what creatures may lurk beneath Hyrule after all. If that mummy was beneath the castle..."
A shudder passed through you. "Purah, stop; you're not helping my anxiety."
He tilted his head slightly. "Don't be afraid." His modicum of comfort was offered nonchalantly. As if saying to not be afraid would quell your fear. Even if Link was the one to save Hyrule from the calamity, that mummy beneath the castle was still alive. Power had its limits.
Instead of your unease, you decided to focus on something else, like the lean mass of muscle that padded Link's chest. Sensing your distraction, he followed your gaze downward. "Um—" you sputtered. "Shouldn't you get changed?"
A slight bend of a smile, shaped like the curve of his bow on his back, formed on his lips. But he didn't respond. "Never mind. Let's go." You made your way to the exit of Lookout Landing, his hand softly halting you in place by your shoulder.
He pointed to the sky view tower. "This way."
"W-what, Link? But that's only for one person."
"Just hold onto me. It will be faster."
"Pardon?"
He started walking toward the sky view tower's center that held the launch pad, not bothering to look over his shoulder to see if you were following. Most likely because he knew you had no choice and would. As you trotted over to where he stood, you weren't sure if it was your imagination or if his tunic was slouching off his body, revealing more of his hardened flesh.
The flesh he expected you to hold on to as if he wasn't the half-naked hero of Hyrule and the princess's lover.
"H-hold where—?"
"My shoulders. I'll hold your waist."
Goddess and I just ate all that bread for breakfast, and now I'm bloated. Of course.
You wrapped your arms around his shoulders as instructed, keeping your eyes anywhere that wasn't his face. When he didn't hold your waist, you looked at him to see a small smirk appear on his usually absent expression.
A warm gust of his breath, like the arid winds of the Karusa Valley, tickled your ear. "Not yet. Unless you enjoy touching me."
You dropped your arms, turning away, mentally noting what you wanted on your epitaph since you were going to die of embarrassment.
"Ok, Link, you activated this sky tower zone, so you should be able to just launch directly from the launchpad." Purah stood at the launchpad terminal, pushing her glasses up as she stared at the screen.
Link nodded; his face had returned to its usual shell of impenetrability. "So, what should I—EEEEKKKK!" The launchpad sprang upward, catapulting you both into the sky.
Strong arms guided you into a wall of muscled flesh. You scrunched your eyes closed, your ears popping from the ascent into an unorthodoxly high altitude. You couldn't recall at what point you had wrapped yourself around Link's shoulders, but his presence was flush against your own, and the fear of falling wasn't as intimidating as the enjoyment you found in his body pressed against yours.
"Don't close your eyes." He murmured. "It's beautiful up here."
You slowly cranked your eyelids open, expecting to see Link peering down at the plateaus in the sky and distant vales below.
What you weren't expecting was for him to be looking at you instead.
It became clear then, between a meeting of curious gazes that the scariest part of the plunge into the chasm wasn't the unknown beneath it, but the unknown emotions of the knight above it.
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"If you feel lost, disappointed, hesitant, or weak, return to yourself, to who you are, here and now and when you get there, you will discover yourself, like a lotus flower in full bloom, even in a muddy pond, beautiful and strong." ~ Masaru Emoto, "Secret Life of Water" ___________________________________________________ Down into the depths we go. Rest well. Resurrection is in the morning! #lotus #lotuslove #lotusflower #flowerpower #theMuck #theDepths #resurrectionDayEveryDay
