Link had only been to Kakariko a handful of times. The first time, he was just another soldier in King Rhoam’s army. He left that day a member of the Royal Guard. The second time, he was a newly appointed member of the king’s Special Forces Unit, replacing his father shortly after his death. He received most of his orders from their headquarters in the city, returning to Kakariko from time to time to meet with Dorian, the head Sheikah of the unit. The last time he was there, he was promoted and receiving orders to protect the king’s daughter, Princess Zelda.

Now, he was in Kakariko meeting the princess in person for the first time.

“I hope you are as good as your father was,” she said.

Link raised a brow.

“He was my handler for some time,” she said. “They promised me you were the next best.”

There was a lot Link didn’t know about his father. Being the princess’s handler was one of those things. He knew he was a member of the Special Forces, but his father never spoke of it to Link. For obvious reasons, of course; his work in the SFU was top secret, as was Link’s work, now. In fact, he didn’t even know what Zelda’s involvement was with the SFU, and why he was tasked as her new handler, though, he figured that information would come soon.

“I know you have a lot of questions, Link,” Dorian said to him.

“Please fill him in right away,” Zelda said. She turned to Link. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Link watched as she left them alone in the room, closing the door behind her. He turned his hard gaze to Dorian, waiting for answers.

“Don’t give me that look,” Dorian said. He handed Link a manilla envelope. “Your father perfected that look.”

Link ignored him and opened the envelope. He pulled out the papers which were clipped together inside and started flipping through them as Dorian spoke.

“As you know, the Special Forces Unit is a group dedicated to the protection of Hyrule and the Royal Family. It has been around for a very long time and is made up of highly trained individuals - such as Sheikah like me - who make it their job to know everything, allowing us to constantly be two steps ahead of our enemies.”

“Spies,” Link said simply as he continued to flip through the pages. His eyes scanned a few of the documents closely. He was particularly interested in the mention of the Yiga Clan.

“The Yiga Clan remains Hyrule’s, and the Royal Family’s, biggest threat. In the past, they have merely been pests that seemed set on making life in Hyrule very unpleasant. But we have new intel that suggests their leader - a man who goes by Ganon - intends on assassinating the king and taking over Hyrule. We don’t know of his whereabouts yet. That’s where you come in.”

Link tossed the papers and the envelope onto the table in the room. “And the princess?”

“The princess must be kept safe at all costs,” Dorian said. “Should conflict arise, she will be the key to keeping Hyrule safe.”

Link narrowed his gaze on Dorian. “They key?”

“The lineage of the Royal Family can be traced back hundreds of thousands of years. There’s a reason that our leaders come from the same bloodlines as opposed to being elected. In that bloodline sleeps an ancient power that only the Royal Family can wield. Zelda has been training for a very long time to awaken that power in anticipation of war. Without that power, Hyrule will easily be lost to our enemies. It is your job, Link, to protect that power - to protect Zelda - and aid her in her tasks to bring down the Yiga Clan before war can erupt in Hyrule.”

Link hesitated, turning his eyes to the papers he tossed onto the table. His father’s own file stuck out just slightly. “Did my father do this?”

“No,” Dorian said quickly. He paused, meeting Link’s hard gaze. He knew Link was suspicious of him. He would find out one way or another. Dorian bit his bottom lip at the corner. “It’s no coincidence that you followed the same path as him. In fact, you were destined for this job since the day you were born.” When Link didn’t so much as blink in response, Dorian continued. “Just as Zelda’s ancestors played a role in Hyrule’s history, so do your own ancestors. It is your duty to continue on with their legacy and help keep Hyrule at peace.”

Link held his gaze on Dorian until Dorian averted his eyes.

“For what it’s worth,” Dorian muttered. “You’re damn good at it already. A natural. You must get it from-”

“My father,” Link snapped. “Seems he was grooming me this whole time.”

 

*****

 

Link jumped slightly as Daruk’s glass hit the bar and shattered. His eyes darted over to the goron to his left as his friend chuckled sheepishly.

“That’s why I don’t drink here,” he muttered to himself, then to the bartender, “Sorry ‘bout that, brother.”

The bartender replaced Daruk’s drink and he turned to Link. “They need goron approved cups here, like we have back home.”

“Hm.” Link lifted his own glass to his lips. It was almost empty.

“Well, well, well,” Revali’s voice said from behind them. The ruto took the empty seat beside Link, sliding in effortlessly. “If it isn’t Mister Big Shot.” He turned to the bartender, raising his wing. “Scotch, neat.”

“Take it easy, Revali,” Daruk warned him.

“Are you implying that I have something against Link?” He didn’t wait for an answer, speaking as he took his drink from the bartender. “It only makes sense that he would be chosen as Zelda’s handler. His father and King Rhoam go way back, of course.”

“Watch it,” Daruk growled at Revali, narrowing his eyes at him.

Link continued to ignore their interaction, finishing off his drink and signaling for another one.

“I’m envious,” Revali continued. “We’ve all had to work to get where we are. Link has the benefit of connections. We can’t all have things handed to us in life.”

“He’s earned his position just the same as any of us,” Daruk said. “The princess could not be in better hands.”

Revali took a sip of his drink. “I’m still a better shot.”

“Piss off,” Daruk growled.

Link resisted the urge to order another drink as he finished off his second glass. He threw his payment against the bar and stood.

“Off so soon?” Revali said with a grin.

“Some of us have real work to do tomorrow.”

“Of course,” Revali started. “Babysitting the princess will be difficult to do with a hangover.”

Daruk stood abruptly, knocking over his barstool. He sighed as he picked it up, then followed Link out of the bar and into the cool night.

“Don’t let him get to you,” he said to Link. “Guy’s an ass.”

“I don’t,” Link said simply.

“He’s just mad because he wanted the job.”

“We’re all doing the same thing in the end.”

Daruk nodded thoughtfully. “What do you make of it?”

Link shoved his hands in his pocket and looked up at the moon as they walked across the lot. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “But we can’t trust anyone. And Revali needs to learn how to keep his damn beak shut.”

Daruk snorted. “Maybe he’s the mole.”

“Revali is a lot of things,” Link said. “But he is loyal to the end.”

“That’s what he wants us to think.”

“You just want a reason to pound his ass into the ground.”

Daruk grinned at Link. “Just say the word.”

Link pulled his keys out of his pocket. His car beeped twice as the doors unlocked. “See you tomorrow, Daruk,” he said as he pulled the door open and slid into the seat behind the wheel. He turned the key into the ignition and the engine roared to life.

He pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road, following it to the outskirts of the city. His mind wandered as he drove with the overload of information he received earlier that day. It hardly troubled him - it’s what he had been training for, after all. What his father had been training him for, without even his knowledge. He couldn’t help but feel betrayed. Used. Like his life was planned out the day he was born, without any consideration of how he felt about it. Without any free will of his own.

His grip hardened on the wheel and his brows knit together as his stomach knotted. His father was his idol, but he was just a tool. To think he wanted to be just like him. Well, needless to say, he got his wish. He cursed his father under his breath.

But there was no sense getting angry about it. Regardless, he had a job to do. Tomorrow, he would be back in Kakariko, sitting at that table as the commander of the Champions with Dorian, Zelda, and the other four Champions, Daruk, Revali, Urbosa, and Mipha.

2: 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Of course,” Zelda said simply.

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

“You never worry,” Zelda remarked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

*****

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3: 3

Dorian’s suspicious phone call with the king left Link uneasy and sleep eluded him most of the night. His mind ran wild with scenarios and accusations. What was it that Dorian - and the king, for that matter - was hiding? Two things were clear: that Dorian was in fact hiding something, and that the king was aware of the situation. Link’s first instinct was to assume Dorian was perhaps a double agent working with the Yiga Clan. But if that was the ‘information’ that Dorian was referring to, then the king knew, as well, which only confused him more. If the king knew, was he, too, hiding the fact that Dorian was a double agent? Was the king conspiring against his own country? As Hyrule’s ruler, what could he possibly gain from turning against his people?

“It’s uncanny, really.”

Link took his eyes off the road for a moment and met Zelda’s gaze. Her voice had taken him out of his thoughts. He refocused his attention onto the road. “Hm?”

“Were you even listening?” She narrowed his eyes at him.

“Not really.”

Zelda crossed her arms. “Of course not,” she started. “Like I said, you’re just like -”

“My father.” Link’s knuckles whitened as he gripped the steering wheel. That was another whole matter in itself. He was feeling more and more aggravated with all the secret keeping. He was in the SFU to find the truth, not to be lied to day in and day out. And that only made him want to find the truth even more.

But there was an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach that suggested he may not like the truth.

“Are you usually this grumpy?”

Link bit his tongue in an attempt to keep back a snappy comment. She was the king’s daughter, after all, even without her typical royal attire, which usually consisted of clean cut, solid color dresses that hugged the frame of her body and flared out just slightly at her knees. From time to time, she’d even don a sundress of sorts, with pale colors and flowery patterns. She was always a bright figure at her father’s dark suited and serious side.

“Are you high?”

“What? No. Of course not.”

Zelda didn’t seem convinced, however. She inspected Link closely from the passenger seat. “You don’t seem with the program.”

She was right, of course. He needed to get his head out of the clouds. They had a job to do, and he couldn’t afford to be anywhere else. He needed to be focused and aware of his surroundings, now more than ever.

“Yeah,” he muttered. “Sorry.” He wasn’t much for conversation, especially with her, but he supposed he had to put their differences aside and make the best of the situation. He sucked in a breath and attempted to push away his concerns for the time being.

“You don’t have to try to be on professional around me,” Zelda said casually, leaning back against the seat. “We’re going to be working together a lot. Might as well get used to it.”

“You don’t sound very thrilled about that.” Link could feel her eyes studying him once more.

“Well, if we’re being honest,” she said, turning her eyes back out towards the horizon, “I don’t appreciate the fact that my father made the newest member of the force my handler.”

“Yeah,” Link muttered. “Must be a real buzzkill.”

“I thought my life was more valuable,” she continued, ignoring him. “Yet, he gives me this inexperienced boy.”

“I’ll remember that if you ever find yourself in trouble.”

Zelda’s eyes moved back to him, then down to the weapon under his arm. “And how proficient are you, exactly, with that weapon?”

“Proficient enough.”

Zelda settled back into the seat, but her stature remained stiff. “That’s reassuring,” she muttered.

“Don’t listen to what any Ritos say,” Link said. “I could out shoot them any day.”

Zelda smirked. “Ritos like Revali? He is a very skilled fighter, you know.”

“Ha.”

“Though he does seem to dislike you.”

“He dislikes anyone who challenges his authority and skill.”

“Not necessarily a bad trait for this kind of job.”

“Well,” Link started. Without realizing it, his grip relaxed on the wheel, though his fingers felt stiff. He stretched them for a moment. “When we get back, you can ask to have Revali as your handler.”

Zelda turned her gaze out the window. “I don’t know,” she said. “He’s a little too arrogant. He’d drive me crazy.”

“Welcome to my life,” Link muttered. He turned off the highway onto the road that wound through the country and up towards the mountains where they would find Goron City.

“The others speak highly of you, though,” she said. “Especially Mipha. I didn’t realize how close you two are.”

“I guess.”

“I think she likes you.”

This woman sure was blunt. Did she ever keep a thought to herself?

“Do you like her?”

“What’s with all the damn questions?” Link growled. “Stop interrogating me.”

“Just making conversation,” Zelda said. “Note to self: don’t question his love life.”

Link sucked in a slow breath in an attempt to remain calm. He was starting to like her less and less. What did he ever do in life do deserve such horrible karma?

“What about your childhood?” Zelda continued. “Where did you grow up?”

Link sighed. “The country.”

Zelda nodded. “Did you like it?”

“Better than the city.”

“What was it like?”

Link shrugged. “It was quiet,” he said. “No one interrogated me.”

Zelda ignored him. “Did you have any pets?”

“Sure.”

“Like what?”

“Dogs. Goats. Couple of horses.”

“I’ve always wanted to ride a horse.”

Link made a sound through his nose.

“When did you come to the city?”

“I don’t know. I was pretty young. I guess around the time my dad started working in the SFU.”

“What about your mother? What does she do?”

“She’s dead.”

“Oh.” Zelda shifted in her seat and turned her gaze back to the road. It was uncomfortably quiet for a long moment after that.

“My turn,” Link said. “What was it like growing up in the palace?”

Zelda kept her gaze on the horizon. “Really boring.”

“Yeah, right,” Link said. “I bet you could do whatever you wanted.”

“Not really. I had an image to uphold, and as a kid, that’s pretty shitty. I never got to go out and explore or play or anything a kid should be able to do. My mother was constantly teaching me how to act the part and telling me stories of our ancestors and this supposed power that I have.” Zelda sighed. “When she died, I was pretty much on my own. My father always seemed too busy, or only focused on my own training.”

“I didn’t sign up to be a therapist,” Link muttered.

“You asked,” Zelda snapped at him.

Link started to feel guilty. He always assumed she was some spoiled little princess, but she was really just forced into some role as he was.

“I’ve got some friends in the country,” he said in an attempt to change the topic. “Next time we get a day off, I’ll show you how to ride.”

Zelda’s gaze fell on him once more and a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “I’ll hold you to that.”

 

*****

 

The drive to Goron City only took them a few hours, but conversation between Link and Zelda felt forced, and uncomfortable silence often followed soon after. They were too happy to get out and stretch their legs when they finally arrived, and Daruk was the first to greet them happily. He let his large hand come down hard on Link’s shoulder as he often did, not knowing his own strength.

“I gotta admit,” Daruk started, leading the way towards the Divine Beast. “It’s good to be home where the bars are better suited for Gorons.” He pointed a large finger towards a smaller mountain peak where the ancient Sheikah machine slept. “There she is, Vah Rudania,” he said proudly. “Everyone’s been quite curious about her, you know.”

“She?” Zelda repeated. She cocked her head to the side slightly as she followed Daruk’s gaze.

“How are you going to activate her?” Daruk asked.

Zelda pulled a device from her back pocket. It resembled a tablet of sorts. An ancient tablet, if such a thing were possible.

“This Sheikah Slate is supposed to be connected to the Divine Beasts and the Guardians,” she said. “It worked in activating the Guardians, so I suspect it will work on the Divine Beasts as well.”

“A Sheikah Slate, huh?” Daruk said. He scratched at his head. “Those Sheikah sure are… mysterious.”

“Hmph.” Mysterious was an understatement. Link found his mind on Dorian once more.

“Impa gave it to me,” Zelda said to Link. “I trust she knows what she’s talking about.”

Link was familiar with Impa, meeting her several times before. She was the leader of the Sheikah tribe and was probably as old as the Sheikah themselves. Was it possible that she knew about Dorian as well? Or was she being played just as Link was?

He wanted to tell someone about the conversation he had overheard, but he knew now that he couldn’t trust anyone, even his own comrades.

Vah Rudania loomed above them as they approached and Link was amazed - even slightly intimidated - by the size of the Divine Beast. The three of them climbed their way to the top where the control panel stood and Zelda set to work activating it with the Sheikah Slate. Within a moment, the two devices seemed to sync, and Vah Rudania came to life, moving and seemingly stretching its body beneath them.

“Well, whatta ya know,” Daruk said in awe. “To think they had this kind of technology so long ago.”

While Zelda instructed Daruk on how to operate the Divine Beast, Link found himself standing at the edge, looking out over Goron City and even beyond, out into the countryside of Hyrule. In the distance to the south stood the palace, the bustling city just below. Though he couldn’t see it from there, he knew just past the palace would be the smaller towns and villages that dotted the countryside, including the small farming town where he was born. Now, many of those small towns were slowly being replaced by larger cities in order to keep up with the growing population, and the countryside was growing smaller and smaller. Link couldn’t help but to wonder what life in Hyrule was like thousands of years ago.

“Ready?” Zelda said, standing at his side. “Everything seems to be in working order here. Daruk’s got a good handle on the controls, so I think we can make our way to Rito Village, now.”

“Sure,” Link said simply. He was in no hurry to deal with Revali, but the sooner they finished the job with the Divine Beasts, the better. After they were all activated, Link was determined to find the pieces to the puzzle with Dorian. Something about the situation just did not sit right with him and it only made him grow more and more anxious.

4: 4

The drive from Goron City to Rito Village was much longer, even if they took the most direct route, which wound its way through northern Hyrule towards the west. Without the benefit of the main interstate, the drive was slower, and it would have been late in the night by the time they arrived. This only caused in argument between Link and Zelda.

“We should just drive straight through,” Zelda said.

“It will be the middle of the night,” Link argued. “We won’t be doing anything until morning, anyways, so we might as well stop now.”

“Where? At some sleazy motel on the side of the road?”

“I’m sorry if that’s beneath you,” Link snapped. “But I’m tired and I’m not driving any more.”

“Then I’ll drive.”

Link laughed. “I don’t think so.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It means I don’t trust you enough to stay awake through the night.”

“Yeah, that’s what you meant.”

“Why are you so against sleep? I’m exhausted.”

“Fine,” Zelda muttered. “But I get my own room.”

“I’m not paying for that.”

“I want my own room!”

“You’re being ridiculous.”

“I don’t need you trying to take advantage of me.”

Link rolled his eyes and pulled into the lot. “Don’t flatter yourself, Princess.” He stepped out of the car leaving Zelda inside as she stared after him.

“Excuse me?” she said stepping out and trotting after him. “I’m attractive. I could be taken advantage of.”

“Then I guess you’ll want to stay with me so I can protect you.” Link strode across the lobby and to the front desk. “One room.”

Zelda pushed in front of him and leaned against the counter. “Two rooms.”

The woman behind the desk blinked blankly at them as they argued.

“One room,” Link said as he stepped around Zelda.

“Is this the kind of place where an attractive woman like me would get taken advantage of?”

“Uh… the doors have their own keys…” the woman said.

“Deadbolt?” Link asked.

“Both.”

“It’s easy to pick a lock,” Link said.

“No one even knows I’m here.” Zelda hesitated and turned to the woman. “You won’t tell anyone, right?”

“I can’t?”

“This was a bad idea,” Zelda muttered. “I told you we should have driven right through.”

“Give me a damn room!” Link barked.

The woman scrambled quickly to the computer, assigning them a room and practically throwing the keys at Link. With a satisfied grunt, Link made his way through the halls and to their room. Zelda followed closely, giving up the fight she knew she would not win.

“You could have been nicer to her,” she snapped at him as Link opened the door.

“You should really have a different alias,” Link said.

“What? Why? We’re not doing anything suspicious or even dangerous. I travel all the time across Hyrule and never had an issue.”

Link let himself fall on top of one of the old, twin beds and sighed. “Someone could be following us.”

“Who would follow us?”

“The Yiga Clan.”

“Then I guess you’ll just have to do your job and stop them.”

Link rolled onto his side, his back to Zelda, and yawned. “As long as they don’t bother me tonight.”

“I’m sure they’ll take the night off just for you. They’re pretty considerate like that.”

Link ignored her and closed his eyes. He listened as she moved about the room, sighing lightly. The bathroom door opened and closed, then a few minutes later opened again. The bed squeaked as she shuffled the blankets about and settled in for the night. The light turned off, but there was a slight glow on the ceiling that Link assumed to be from her phone. After a moment, that light went out, and the night was still.

 

*****

 

The drapes provided no relief from the early morning sun, shining right in Link’s face the next morning. He groaned and turned over hoping to catch a few more minutes; he had never been much of a morning person. In fact, as a child, he often hid in the hay barn to escape his morning chores, only to be caught napping in the hay.

Link lazily opened one eye and looked across to the next bed. He bolted up right when he noticed Zelda was not in it. Frantic, he pocketed his gun and bolted out the door, bumping into her just outside in the hallway.

“Oh, hey,” she said, holding a cheese danish to her lips. “Danish?”

Link stared blankly at her, his mouth gaping slightly. “Danish? What? Where the hell did you go?”

Zelda blinked at him for a moment. “I was hungry.”

“You can’t just fucking leave like that,” he shouted at her.

Zelda held a second danish out before her, offering it to him. “I… got you one, too.”

Link snatched the pastry from her angrily. “Don’t ever do that again,” he growled at her before stuffing it into his mouth. He turned away from her and made his way back inside the room.

“Aw,” Zelda said as she followed him. “Were you worried for me?”

“No,” Link snapped. “I was worried about my own life. If something happens to you, I’m a dead man.”

Zelda snorted lightly. “I guess you’re not very good at your job then, since you didn’t even hear me leave. I could have been kidnapped and you never would have known.”

“Unlikely,” Link said, finishing off his breakfast.

“Hey, can we change our plans?” Zelda said between bites. “I want to head home after we’re done in Rito Village.”

“What for?”

Zelda shrugged. “I have a few things I need to get done before we head to Gerudo City.”

“Fine,” Link said, unwilling to argue with her any more than he had to. Maybe he could take advantage of their time back in the city to try to get more information on Dorian.

Link didn’t waste any more time in the motel, pushing Zelda out of the room and checking out. He was eager to get far away from Revali as soon as he could, and even more eager to get back to the city.

The drive from the motel to Rito Village didn’t take long. Like Goron City, Rito Village was nestled high in the mountains, and road access was narrow and limited as the Rito naturally prefered to travel by flight. They arrived in town by mid morning, and Revali didn’t waste a moment to greet them in his typical over embellished way.

“I could smell that horrible thing from a mile away,” he said, making a face at the car.

Link leaned against the hood, his arms crossed. “Funny, I was just about to say the same thing about you.”

“Link,” Zelda warned.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you over that obnoxious engine. Which I also heard from a mile away.”

“You must hear that a lot considering any vehicle could out drive you in flight.”

Zelda shook her head, her fingers on her temples.

Revali leaned forward, making sure to get in Link’s face. “I don’t need speed when I have deadly accuracy with a weapon.”

“Are you finished?” Zelda muttered, but still, she was not heard.

“You’re all talk,” Link said. “But I have yet to see you backup your claims.”

“How about a little wager, then? We’ll settle this once and for all. But, where?” He stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Well, how about up there?” He pointed a wing towards the Divine Beast that perched on top of the mountain. “Atop Vah Medoh. Oh, wait.” He laughed lightly. “How could I forget? You have no way to get up there on your own, now, do you?”

“Enough!” Zelda shouted. “Honestly! Is this how you act in front of me? I’ll have both your damn jobs.”

“My apologies,” Revali said with a bow to her. “Just some friendly teasing between friends, hm?”

Link rolled his eyes at the Rito.

“Save it,” Zelda muttered. “I need to get Vah Medoh activated.”

“I would be happy to assist you with that,” Revali said. “You’ll need help getting up there, of course. I suppose I could bring you up, then.” He spread his wings, inviting Zelda to climb onto his back.

“How am I supposed to get up there?” Link asked.

Revali narrowed his eyes at Link from over his shoulder. “I will gladly help Hyrule’s Princess, but I don’t make a habit of carting people around,” he hissed. “I’m not a damn animal.”

“I’ll be right back,” Zelda said to Link as she climbed onto Revali’s back.

“You’re not going without me,” Link said stubbornly, but it was becoming clear to him that he wouldn’t have a choice. Revali would not help him win this fight.

“What’s the matter, Link? Don’t trust your own comrades?” Without waiting for an answer, he flapped his wings and took off into the air.

Link watched as they soared into the sky towards Vah Medoh. He slunk back against the car and waited.

5: 5

The rest of their visit in Rito Village went without further incident between Link and Revali. Vah Medoh was activated and Revali was able to control it without too much trouble. It was just starting to get dark when Link and Zelda returned to their headquarters in the city where Zelda bid Link goodnight. But Link was not ready to return home just yet.

He stood outside of Dorian’s office. Dorian was seated behind his desk, his phone against his ear. He looked up and met Link’s gaze from the window and motioned for him to enter. Link wasn’t sure what he wanted to do or say, but he entered the office regardless as Dorian finished his conversation.

“Thanks, I’ll be in touch.” He hung up the phone and met Link’s gaze with a smile. “How are those Divine Beasts?”

“We activated two of the four,” Link said.

Dorian gestured to one of the chairs in front of his desk.

“I can’t stay,” Link said. “I just wanted to let you know that we would be back for a few days before heading out again.”

“Sit.” Dorian’s smile was gone.

Link took a seat.

“What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing.”

Dorian narrowed his eyes at him. “Something seems to be.”

Link hesitated. “It may not be my place,” he began. “But I’m concerned that Zelda may not be able to awaken this power of hers.” It wasn’t a total lie, anyway.

Dorian seemed to consider this with a slow nod.

“Should this Ganon attack,” Link continued, “I think it may be wise to have a backup plan.”

Dorian folded his hands together and let them rest against his desk. “There is no backup plan.”

Link blinked at him. “What?”

Dorian stood and perused through a few books on the wall beside him. “Whether you believe the legends or not, they are a part of Hyrule’s history, and history is doomed to repeat itself. For that reason we prepare for Ganon’s return.”

“Return?”

“I think you’ll find, Link, that the stories passed down from generation to generation hold more truth than you realize.” He selected a book and set it down on his desk, flipping through the pages.

“The Sheikah have made sure to keep accurate records of our history over the years,” he continued. He paused on a few pages where there were some old drawings and scans of old documents. The drawings showed the Divine Beasts and the Guardians. There was also ancient Hylian text written on the pages. Link could pick out a few of the words, including Ganon’s name.

“And over the years,” Dorian continued, “they have created a highly advanced form of technology that would ensure Hyrule’s safety, but not without the help of an ancient power, of course. You see,” Dorian sat in his chair and pushed the book forward. “For as far back as history has been recorded - as long as Hyrule has existed - Ganon has risen to attack our great nation. And with the help of Hylia’s power, Ganon has been defeated and sealed away. The Goddess Hylia’s power resides within Zelda, a descendant of Hylia herself. It is this power that must seal away Ganon.”

Link flipped through the book as Dorian spoke. There was written documentation of various instances where Ganon rose to attack Hyrule, and two individuals worked together to defeat him and seal him away once more. The names Link and Zelda were mentioned on quite a few of these pages, causing Link’s stomach to knot sickeningly.

“Seems like a flawed system,” Link muttered. He closed the book. “Clearly this seal doesn’t work very well if he continues to attack.”

“As long as the Triforce remains, Ganon will continue to seek its power. Ultimately, that is what drives him. By taking over Hyrule, he will become able to redeem the other two pieces. Once all three pieces are brought together, he will have the ultimate power that he seeks. As legend has it, he already possesses one piece of the triforce. This one piece is enough to break Hylia’s seal every time. And thus, history repeats itself.”

“What about the other two pieces?” Link asked.

“One is possessed by Hylia’s own descendant. The other belongs to Hyrule’s Chosen Hero; the one who will aid in the defeating of Ganon.”

Link stared at the book before him. “And you believe this because it’s written in a damn book?”

“Whether you want to believe it or not is irrelevant. Ganon will rise, and it is up to you and Zelda to stop him.”

“You have got to be kidding me. And I bet you think a magic weapon will do the trick, too?”

Dorian smiled at Link, but his smile was chilling. “You catch on quick.” He flipped the book open and let it rest on a page with an image of a sword on it.

“I’ll give you sacred powers and an evil man that wants that power to himself, but you’re fucking insane if you think I’m some medieval swordsman that’s gonna kill Hyrule’s biggest enemy with a piece of steel.”

“Fortunately for you, the sword won’t be needed to fight Ganon. However, it will be needed to aid Zelda in sealing him away once you have defeated him.”

“Great,” Link muttered. “And where is this sword?”

“The sword is protected in the ancient forest to the north. Only the Chosen Hero can pull it from the stone it rests in.”

“Guess that means me.”

“I guess so, kid.”

Link stood. He certainly had not come to Dorian expecting a history lesson, or to be told he was some Chosen Hero, for the matter. He would have been certain Dorian was giving him shit, but he knew how seriously he took his Sheikah heritage. They were a highly respected race, even Link knew that. But that only brought up more questions that made Link uneasy. If Dorian were a double agent, he could easily be setting Link up. If only he could take the sword, then once it was removed, Dorian would have him right in his hands. He would take the sword, preventing them from sealing away Ganon. It was all too convenient.

He couldn’t get that sword.

“So, you see,” Dorian started, “there is no backup plan. If you and Zelda fail in your task,

Ganon will be free to rule Hyrule for all of time.”

“Well,” Link started, his gaze resting on Dorian’s. His eyes narrowed slightly. “We can’t let that happen, now, can we?”

 

*****

 

It had been a couple days since Link and Zelda returned to the city, and in that time, Link had not seen Zelda since. Not until he received an order directly from the king to fetch her from the countryside where she had ‘run off to on some silly research project of hers.’

Needless to say, the order had Link slightly perplexed. But the king was anxious for them to finish activating the Divine Beasts, and Link was too, for that matter. He had more pressing issues to deal with, and he wasn’t quite sure how he would do that. There was the issue of Dorian’s loyalty, the king’s own intentions, the Master Sword, the mystery behind the Yiga Clan, and the threat of Ganon’s return. And the only way he could best think to deal with the situation was to determine Dorian’s true intentions first. If he could find solid proof of that, then he could figure out how to go from there.

Link did find Zelda out in the countryside, musing over one of the mysterious shrines that were scattered over Hyrule. She held the Sheikah Slate in her hands, peering at it curiously before attempting to place it on what seemed to be the control panel just outside. Unlike the Divine Beasts, however, the slate did not seem to activate it in any way. She was muttering to herself as Link got out of the car. He closed the car door which caught her attention, but she only seemed aggravated with him.

“Let me guess,” she started, her hands on her hips. “My father sent you after me.”

Link opened his mouth to speak, but Zelda cut him off angrily.

“I bet he told you I was off doing some silly research project like I’m some dumb schoolgirl. If it doesn’t have anything to do with this stupid power or a damn war that hasn’t even started, he doesn’t want me doing it. But I’ll have you know that there’s more to these shrines than people realize. They’re part of the ancient Sheikah technology, too, so they must be important, and I’m going to figure it out.” She turned on her heels abruptly and collected the slate from the pedestal. “I just don’t know why the slate isn’t responding to it. I cannot get them to open no matter what I try!”

Link hesitated, unsure of what to say to comfort her. But mostly, he didn’t want her going off on some rant. “Maybe you just need-”

“What I need is for everyone to stop breathing down my neck!” She pocketed the slate and turned to Link angrily. “Stop following me! I don’t need any guards or escorts and I don’t need you. Got it?”

“I don’t think you have a choice in that matter,” Link said crossing his arms.

Zelda ignored him as she walked towards her car. She slid in the driver’s seat, closing the door hard as she did so, and turned the key in the ignition. Without hesitation, she threw the car into drive and peeled away from the shrine and back onto the road heading towards the highway.

Link watched as she took the ramp, disappearing around the corner, heading south on the highway. He wasn’t sure where she was going. Clearly she wasn’t returning to the city, which was to the north. And he would be stupid to return to the king without her. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. This woman was going to drive him crazy.

After a moment, he worked up the strength to go after her, knowing very well that he would likely be yelled at some more for simply doing his job. He got into his car and drove towards the highway, but Zelda was nowhere to be seen. He stepped on the gas and weaved in and out of traffic in an attempt to catch up with her, but she had seemingly disappeared from the highway. Was it possible she took one of the exits in an attempt to throw Link off her trail?

Link took the next exit he came to and drove through town, but still there was no sign of Zelda. He cursed under his breath; he was a dead man if he lost her. She could have been anywhere. He dialed her number as he turned back onto the highway, but she did not answer. After his fifth call, it went straight to voicemail. She had turned her damn phone off.

Link threw his phone across his car and it landed on the floor. He slammed his hand into the steering wheel as he drove further down the highway. He wasn’t quite sure where to start looking, but he knew there was no going back. At the very least, maybe he could disappear in the desert and never be heard from again. That would have been a far better fate than anything else.

6: 6

It was late in the afternoon when Link’s phone finally rang. Urbosa’s name flashed on the screen. Her voice never sounded more comforting than at that moment when she told Link that Zelda was with her. Even sweeter was her promise not to tell the king what had happened.

Link didn’t waste a second, taking the highway straight into the desert. The road stretched on endlessly, and at this time of night, there wasn’t another soul on it. Except for his headlights and the light of the moon, the desert was absolute darkness. In the distance, he could just make out the vast shape of the Divine Beast Vah Naboris lit by tiny lights that could have easily been mistaken for stars.

He headed straight for the Divine Beast, knowing that Urbosa and Zelda were likely still inside. Urbosa promised to be there waiting for him since he wouldn’t be allowed inside Gerudo City. And just as she promised, she and Zelda were there, Zelda asleep against her. She looked over her shoulder as Link approached.

“You certainly got here fast,” she said, taking care not to wake Zelda. She brushed a lock of hair out of the princess’s face. “She’s kept herself busy most of the day, trying to open some old shrines out here. Still as the sands now.” She turned and met Link’s gaze. “So? How are you two getting along?”

Link hesitated, but Urbosa continued.

“She puts up a tough wall, I know. I’ve known her most of her life. She gets so frustrated with these ideas of destiny. It’s all her father’s ever pushed on her, and she feels like a failure every day that passes without any hint of the power that sleeps inside of her. Don’t take it personally.” She sighed lightly and turned her gaze out into the desert under the silver glow of the moon. “In truth, she’s been working to find her power since she was very young, and she has nothing to show for it. That’s why she works so hard with her research. She has more determination than anyone.” Urbosa turned her eyes back to Link. “You make sure to protect her with your life.”

Zelda shifted against Urbosa, awakened by her voice. She blinked in the darkness, then stretched her arms. She followed Urbosa’s gaze towards Link and her brows knit together.

“What are you doing here?” she asked angrily.

“I called him,” Urbosa said as she got to her feet. “You shouldn’t be alone out here, or anywhere for that matter.”

“I can take care of myself, you know,” Zelda muttered as she stood.

“Well, he’s here now, and if I’m not mistaken, you still have one more Divine Beast to activate, hm? It will be a long drive to Zora’s Domain, so you might as well stay in the city for tonight.” She turned her gaze to Link and winked at him. “I’d extend the invite to you, but even I cannot break the law of the Gerudo. But don’t worry, she will be safe with me.”

 

*****

 

Link felt uneasy being away from Zelda, but he knew she was in good hands. If he had to leave her with anyone, Urbosa would have been his first choice every time. He knew she would be safe within the walls of Gerudo City, but he still couldn’t help the unsettling feeling in his gut. He wasn’t quite sure what it was. In fact, he almost felt like he missed her. He had grown so accustomed to her presence over the last couple of weeks, even if her presence was unbearable at times. It was odd, but then again, completely reasonable. She was his responsibility, after all. Of course he would feel vulnerable without her; if anything happened to her, his own life would be in the king’s hands, and he would show him no mercy.

So when morning came, Link waited anxiously by his car for her. She promised to meet him outside the motel just at the edge of the desert at exactly eight, and it was already fifteen past. He tapped his foot impatiently, his arms crossed as he looked out into the desert, but there was no sign of her. From time to time a car would pass, but none belonged to Zelda.

Finally, he gave up waiting. He didn’t know what was keeping her, but he was anxious to leave, so he slid into his car and started the engine. He pulled out onto the road and headed towards Gerudo City.  Before he got half way there, however, something caught his eye. It appeared to be a cloud of dust in the middle of the desert, far from the road. He slowed, noticing at that moment that tire tracks marked the road. The tracks weaved along the road before plunging into the desert sands.

He spun the steering wheel and the car careened off the road. The tires spun until they caught traction once more and he flew across the desert towards the dust cloud. As he neared, he heard the distinct sound of gunfire, and he quickly pulled out his own weapon.

Out of the dust cloud, Zelda’s car emerged, three others following suit and closing in quickly. Link slammed his foot down on the accelerator, driving himself between the cars. The three vehicles that chased Zelda swerved, just narrowly missing him. He brought the car back around, leaning out the window and firing at the vehicles. The third shot popped one of the tires and the car swerved until it skid to a stop.

The other two cars, however, had closed in on Zelda. One pulled ahead and inched closer until she lost control and the car spun against the sand before coming to a stop. As Link neared, two men jumped out of their vehicles, their weapons raised at Link. Link fired two more rounds and the first man dropped to the ground. He ducked into the cover of his car, reloading quickly, but when he leaned back out the window, the other man was dragging Zelda out of the car.

Link slammed his car to a stop just before them and jumped out, his gun raised and ready, but the man was not about to give up. He pressed the barrel of his gun against Zelda’s head. Even behind his mask, Link could tell by the way his eyes pulled up at the corners that he was grinning at him.

“Let her go,” Link growled.

“I can’t do that,” he said. “You know how this works. Drop the gun and I won’t have to kill her.”

He had a feeling he knew what would come next. “Fine.” Link lowered himself slowly and let the gun drop on the ground. Just as he predicted, the man’s grip loosened just slightly and he moved to point his weapon at Link. But Link was two steps ahead, quickly pulling another gun out from behind him and firing a shot before the man shot his. He dropped to the ground and Zelda didn’t waste a second sprinting through the sand towards Link, practically falling into his arms and sobbing.

“Okay, okay,” Link muttered, pulling away from her slightly. He pushed her off of him and pocketed his guns.

“I almost died!” Zelda shouted at him, then proceeded to punch him in the chest.

“The fuck? I saved your ass!”

“Stupid fucking Yiga,” she shouted between punches until Link grabbed her wrists.

“Stop!”

Link stared at him for a moment as tears welled in her eyes.

“Don’t do that,” Link said.

But the tears came out, anyway.

Link hesitated, unsure of how to handle the situation. “No, stop, okay?” It was all he could think to mutter out.

Zelda's gaze turned fierce.“I almost died and you’re telling me to stop crying? What’s the matter with you?”

“You’re fine,” Link said, exasperated. “Okay?”

Zelda pulled her wrists out of his grip angrily and marched towards the car. She slid into the passenger seat and slammed the door closed.

Dumbfounded, Link followed, getting in behind the wheel. He stared out the windshield for a moment at the bodies on the ground.

“Can we get out of here?” Zelda muttered. Her eyes were on the floor, avoiding any sight of the dead Yiga Clan soldiers.

Link threw the car into drive and tore his own gaze away. “Yeah.”

“Don’t tell my father,” Zelda said softly as Link pulled back onto the road.

“I’m not an idiot.”

Zelda glanced at him. “Isn’t that your job? To report shit?”

“Nothing to report,” he said simply. “Just an uneventful trip to the desert.”

 

*****

 

They were quiet as they drove out of the desert. It wasn’t until they were back on the highway when Zelda finally spoke.

“I guess I should thank you,” she said softly. She kept her gaze out her window, watching the world pass by. “For saving my life.”

“I wouldn’t be doing my job if I did otherwise.” He realized it was probably a shitty thing to say the moment the words left his mouth. He turned his gaze to Zelda, but she wasn’t paying attention. He turned back to the road. “You’re welcome.”

“I guess you were right,” she said. “They must be following us.” Her voice softened. “What do you think they want?”

Link hesitated. He wasn’t sure what he should tell her, or how much she even really knew about the Yiga Clan and about Ganon. And with his suspicious with Dorian, it was likely they were even being followed right now. Maybe someone was even listening. The car could have been bugged. They weren’t safe anywhere. That much was becoming more and more clear to him.

He checked the rearview mirror quickly and took the next exit. He checked the mirror again and turned quickly down a side street. He continued this process for a few minutes, driving and checking, turning and checking, until he was sure they weren’t being followed. He didn’t stop until they reached a small park and he pulled into the lot.

Zelda stared at him. “What are -”

Link said nothing but motioned with his chin. He stepped out of the car and leaned against the fence, watching a group of children playing on the swing set in the park. Zelda trotted to his side.

“What the hell?”

“Listen,” Link said quickly. “I don’t think we were followed, but someone is obviously keeping tabs on us. There’s a good chance the car is bugged. We have to assume that nowhere is safe, understand?”

Zelda hesitated, looking Link over carefully. She had never seen him so serious. She nodded and prepared herself for what he was about to say.

“If Dorian is right, this thing is bigger than we realize. I don’t know who the Yiga Clan are, but they’re obviously Ganon’s followers, so it’s likely they want the same thing: power. They want to overthrow your father and gain control of Hyrule.”

“So,” Zelda started. “We have to find Ganon and stop him.”

“We won’t find Ganon until Ganon is ready to be found,” Link said. “And at that point, it might be too late.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Sheikah have written records that span over thousands of years. Records of Ganon’s return, and the only two people that are able to stop him and seal him away. It’s an endless cycle; as long as the Triforce exists and Ganon possesses a piece of it, he will continue to rise and attempt to regain power along with the other two pieces. Once he has all three pieces, he will be unstoppable.”

“The Triforce… But where are the other two pieces?”

Link met her gaze. “You have one,” he started. “I have the other.”

Zelda stared at him for a moment until she burst into laughter. “You’re kidding, right?”

Link pushed himself closer to her. “Listen to me,” he hissed. “The Yiga Clan are after us. If they get their hands on us, they will have the other two pieces, and when Ganon rises, it will be all over for Hyrule.”

“You’re serious…" Zelda's voice softened. "My father must know about this," she said quickly. "And Dorian. Why wouldn’t they tell us?”

“I don’t trust Dorian,” Link said. “He’s been hiding information. It’s possible he’s working with the Yiga Clan. I can’t confront him yet. Not until I find out the truth.”

Zelda’s face whitened. “Does… does my father know?”

Link hesitated. “I don’t know,” he said. “But if I’m right, we can’t say anything. Dorian will be keeping a close eye on us. He’ll be watching everything we do, listening to everything we say. He can’t know that we know.”

Zelda hesitated, her eyes cast downward as she thought over everything Link had said. “So, what do we do?”

“We activate the last Divine Beast,” Link said calmly. “We do what they want. We’ll focus our efforts on finding your power after that. Exactly what Dorian wants us to do.”

Zelda met Link's gaze once more. “What about Ganon? Dorian can’t do anything if I find my power. I’ll be able to seal Ganon away and it will all be over with.”

“I haven’t gotten that far, yet,” Link said, turning his gaze back to the kids on the playground.

“What do you mean?”

“You won’t be able to seal him away without the help of the Master Sword.”

“The Master Sword… it’s real?”

Link nodded. “Dorian wants me to take it. I’m the only one who can.”

“And if you do that," Zelda started slowly as she put the pieces together, "Dorian will try to take it from you so Ganon can’t be sealed." Her brows knit together. "You can’t get the sword.”

“I know.”

“But without it… we can’t seal Ganon…”

“I know.”

“So, we’re fucked.”

Link sucked in a breath. “Unless we can stop Ganon before he even returns.”

Zelda nodded slowly. “Prevent him from returning. But how?”

Link shook his head. “I don’t know. I said I haven’t gotten that far, yet.”

“What about Impa? We can trust her… can’t we? She might be able to help."

“Don’t breathe a word to anyone,” Link warned her. “Even if we could trust Impa, someone else could be listening. Even our phones could be tapped.”

Zelda rubbed her face with her palms. This was certainly not what she had signed up for.

“Let’s go,” Link said, turning back to the car. “We need to get to Zora’s Domain before we raise any suspicions.”

7: 7

The drive from the desert to Zora’s Domain was the longest stretch of their trip which meant that they would once again need to stop for the night before continuing on to the last leg. Zelda was willing to stop this time, and even more willing to share a room with Link.

“I was thinking,” she said as they walked across the motel parking lot. “I want my alias to be Ari Sentara.”

“Ari Sentara?”

“A girl I used to know in school.”

“We don’t need fake identities yet,” he said. “If Dorian is involved, he’ll get suspicious if we use fake names.”

Zelda hung her head. “Damn. I really wanted to try out being a redhead.”

Link smiled. “Redhead, huh?”

“You have something against redheads?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. I had a crush on this redhead girl when I was little.”

“Oh, that’s it. You have a thing for redheads.”

“Whatever.”

Zelda grinned. “You’re blushing.”

Link’s pace quickened. “No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are,” Zelda teased.

“You’re immature.”

“You’re immature,” Zelda mocked.

Link rolled his eyes and leaned against the front desk, speaking to the young woman who stood at the computer. She smiled and giggled when he spoke and flipped her hair over her shoulder. Zelda watched curiously at the interaction until Link returned to her side a moment later, his hands shoved in his pockets.

“We’ve got time to kill.” He sniffed at the air, catching a whiff of something good, and followed his nose down to where he hoped he would find food.

“Where are you going?” Zelda called after him.

“I’m hungry.”

Zelda didn’t bother to follow him. Instead, she wandered down the hallways and mosied about in the lobby, studying the random collection of paintings hung on the walls. It wasn’t long before Link returned. He stood at her side, chewing rather obnoxiously. Zelda turned and gawked at the plate of food in his hands.

“Where the hell did you get all that?”

“The kitchen,” he said simply. “It was free.”

“Free? How did you manage that?” She picked some grapes off of the plate and popped them into her mouth.

“That’s a good question,” he said, peering at the painting on the wall. “We were just talking. I said I was waiting for a room. She gave me a plate of food.” He paused for a moment as he came to a realization. “I think the girl behind the counter was trying to hit on me.”

“Wow.”

Link turned to Zelda, raising a questionable brow. He took a bite of a danish.

“Is that typical? Do women just throw themselves at you like that?

Link grinned and shrugged as he took another bite. “What can I say? I’m sexy.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Hm.” Link turned back to the painting thoughtfully.

“What?”

“Do you think they’ll make some burgers? I could go for a burger.”

“Amazing,” Zelda muttered. “Is that all you think about? Some days, you hardly say two words to me, but when it comes to food, you don’t shut your mouth.”

“I’m sorry,” Link said as he finished off the danish. “Should I talk more?”

“Just be honest,” Zelda said, crossing her arms. “You think I’m a bitch.”

Link practically choked on the second danish he attempted to devour. Once he cleared his airways, he continued with the danish.

“You didn’t answer,” Zelda said, narrowing her eyes at him.

Link shrugged. “What do you want me to say?”

“Anything! Like, a normal conversation.”

“That wasn’t in the job description,” he said. “I’m just here to make sure you don’t get killed.”

“Right,” Zelda muttered. “Of course.”

Link sighed. “What do you want from me? I have a pretty important job. Life or death, you know? Save the world from some evil bastard that somehow keeps coming back over and over and oh, use this magic sword to do it, and if you fail, Hyrule is dead. But don’t worry, this is what you were born to do. Literally. You’ve been training your whole life and shoved into a job you’re expected to just do. You got this. If your ancestors could do it, so can you. No pressure.”

Zelda turned her gaze to the painting, though she wasn’t really interested in it anymore. She hadn’t realized how similarly Link felt, and just how much they were both pressured into doing something without a second thought. Neither of them had a choice in the matter and were expected to just put their own lives on the line. And the more she realized the severity of the situation, the more daunting and hopeless it all seemed.

“I guess I never considered that,” she said softly. “You seem to have it all together.”

Link finished off his second danish. “Good, that’s how it should seem. I don’t get to have it anything but together.”

“For what it’s worth,” Zelda started. “You don’t have to around me, you know. We’re in this together, and whatever. So, might as well make the best of it.”

Link shrugged. “Might as well.”

“I’m sorry for being a bitch.”

Link smirked. “Oh, wow, and I thought this was nice Zelda the whole time.”

Zelda rolled her eyes.

“Apology accepted,” he said rather smugly.

The woman behind the desk called to them and she smiled flirtatiously as she handed Link the key. Zelda followed him down the hallway until they got into their room and she collapsed with a sigh onto one of the beds.

“These motels are getting old,” she said. “I’ll be glad when we get to Zora’s Domain.” Zelda propped herself up on her elbow. “I bet you’re eager to get there, too,” she said with a grin.

“Why would I be?”

“To see Mipha,” Zelda said, as if it were obvious.

“Oh. Sure.”

“She likes you.”

“Apparently all the women do.”

Zelda rolled her eyes. “Right, of course, because you’re sexy.”

Link sat on the edge of his bed and grinned at her. “Thanks.”

“I wasn’t calling you sexy.”

“But you just did.”

“No! I was… what you said… in the lobby.”

“Right. Duh.”

“You never answered my question the other day,” Zelda said quickly. She pulled out her phone and pretended to busy herself on it in an attempt to hide the blush on her face. “Do you like her?”

“I’m madly in love with her.”

Zelda looked up and met his gaze. “You are?”

Link grinned. “Yes. We’re going to get married and have little half Zora babies.”

Zelda wrinkled her nose at him and turned back to her phone.

“Jealous?”

“Hylia, no.”

Link folded his arms across his chest. “Don’t ever talk to me and my children again.”

Zelda tossed her phone onto the bed. “Well, don’t lead her on if you’re not,” she said.

“Thanks, I needed relationship advice. You’re so wise.”

“Stop talking,” Zelda muttered. She leaned over and turned off the light. She listened as Link shuffled around in the other bed.

“So, Ari has red hair?” Link’s voice said.

“Yeah.”

“Hm.”

Zelda turned over and smiled.

 

*****

 

This time, when Link awoke, Zelda was still sleeping soundly in the other bed. He watched her sleep for a moment before sitting up and stretching his arms. He reached behind him to grab a pillow and threw it across the room at Zelda. Zelda groaned and swatted at the air with her hand before opening her eyes and, upon seeing Link awake, she groaned once more.

“It’s too early,” she said as she pulled the blankets over her shoulder.

“If we leave now, we can get there around noon,” Link informed her. “We still have a few hours to drive.”

“What’s the hurry?” Zelda said, turning over in the bed. “It’s not like there’s some impending doom on our horizon or anything.”

Link pulled the blankets off of her as he walked by the bed. “I’ll see you down there,” he said. “I’m getting food.”

In the dining room, Link grabbed himself a couple of danishes. He walked back towards the lobby, happily eating his breakfast, and leaned against the front desk to check out.

“Where’s your girlfriend?” the woman asked with a smile.

“Ha. Please.” Link slapped his payment down on the desk.

“Oh, come on,” the woman said. “You know how many guys would kill to be with her?”

“Well, I know her father pretty well,” Link said. “And I’m not in any hurry to die.”

The woman laughed. “As the daughter of Hyrule’s ruler, I’m sure she doesn’t have much of a say with who she ends up with, anyway.”

Link took a bite of his danish and chewed it slowly. “You think they still do that? Arranged marriages?”

The woman shrugged. “Her ancestors have ruled since the dawn of Hyrule,” she said. “I’m sure that’s a matter they take very seriously. Gotta keep those good bloodlines going, you know?”

“Hm.” Link looked up as Zelda came around the corner.

“Let’s go,” she said with a yawn.

“Good luck,” the woman behind the desk said to Link with a wide grin.

Zelda followed Link quickly out of the motel and across the parking lot.

“Good luck?” she echoed. “Why did she say that?”

“No idea,” Link muttered. “She’s crazy.”

Once more, they got into the car and Link pulled out on the road, following the highway north towards Zora’s Domain. They talked casually to pass the time; Link about his childhood on the farm, Zelda about her antics in the palace. To Link’s surprise, she had a way of getting into as much trouble as he had, keeping the guards in the castle constantly on their toes.

As Link predicted, it was just after noon when they finally pulled off the highway and followed the road to Zora’s Domain. Sidon and Mipha were waiting just outside the palace as Link and Zelda approached, and Sidon immediately took Zelda’s hand in his with a bow.

“Princess Zelda,” he said. “I trust you had a nice trip?”

“Link’s not the worst company to have,” she said with a smirk towards Link. “It was fine.”

“Let’s not waste a minute,” Sidon said with a burst of energy. “I’m excited to see this Divine Beast once it’s activated.”

Link and Zelda followed Sidon and Mipha up to the reservoir where Vah Ruta slept. Zelda followed Sidon to the main control panel, and just as she did with the other three Divine Beasts, she placed the Sheikah slate on the panel and within moments, Vah Ruta came to life. Sidon spoke excitedly at her side as the Divine Beast started to move about. It’s large trunk lifted in the air and water spewed out of it.

“Everything seems to be just fine,” Zelda said as she returned the slate. “I just need to make sure Mipha can control it without any problems.” She looked around, now realizing that she and Sidon were alone. Sidon walked ahead across the Divine Beast and Zelda trotted over to his side.

“I’m sure she’ll have no problem with Vah Ruta,” Sidon said. “She’s been very excited to see this thing in action.” He stopped and looked out with a smile.

Zelda followed his gaze to Vah Ruta’s trunk where Link and Mipha stood talking together. She watched them for a moment, wondering what they were talking about. It seemed to Zelda that perhaps Link had the same feelings that Mipha had for him. It seemed rather odd. And what was more strange was the sinking feeling in Zelda’s chest; a combination of disappointment and even jealousy.

But why should she feel that way?

“You see it, too, then,” Sidon said, interrupting her thoughts.

Zelda turned to him as Sidon continued.

“Muzu tells her time after time that she has no business with the Hylians. But you know how our elder Zora are. They hold grudges.” Sidon smiled to Zelda. “For what it’s worth, my father and I believe in strengthening our alliance with your father. That’s why Mipha is involved in the SFU. You have our support no matter what.”

“Thank you, Sidon,” Zelda said softly. She mulled over what Link had told her the other day. If Dorian was a double agent, they were all in danger, including Mipha and the Zoras. Zelda knew how their relationship with the Zoras had been strained over the years. If the Zora found out that the Hylians let in a double agent, the country would be torn once more, and they could not afford that with Ganon’s undoubted return on the horizon. Being involved in with the SFU only put Mipha in danger. For the sake of her safety and the safety of all the Zora, perhaps it was best if Mipha were no longer involved in the impending war.

8: 8

Outside of Zora’s Domain, Zelda voiced her concerns to Link, but Link didn’t seem to share in her concerns.

“Mipha is dedicated to what she’s doing,” he said as they walked towards the car. “She’s not concerned about her fate, but keeping the peace between the Zoras and the Hylians.”

“As am I,” Zelda said sternly. “You know as well as I do how big this has become. This is more than any of us signed up for. Mipha, Daruk, Urbosa, Revali - they have no idea, and we can’t even warn them.”

“What do you want to do about it?” Link asked with growing frustration. “We need the Divine Beasts, and they’re trained to man them when the time comes.”

“And if something happens to them… to Mipha… the Zoras -”

“The Zora’s know what could happen,” Link snapped. “They’re not idiots.”

“They’ll never forgive us.”

“They won’t be alive if we lose to Ganon, so it won’t even matter. I’d rather have them be alive to hate us.”

“They’ll never let you step foot in there again, you know,” Zelda said.

“You can’t manipulate me,” Link warned her. “Nice try.”

“Someday, I will be Hyrule’s leader. The lives of everyone in this country depend on me.”

“Well, you’re not Hyrule’s ruler yet,” Link reminded her. “You have no say in the matter.”

“I have just as much a say as my father does. He knows how delicate our relationship is with the Zora’s. He will understand.”

“Look,” Link hissed. “We can’t go around trying to change things. We don’t know who we can trust. We need to stick to Dorian’s plan and make him think we’re clueless. Don’t do anything to disrupt that, understand?”

Zelda grit her teeth together. “Fine,” she muttered. “The Divine Beasts are all activated. What’s next?”

“Dorian wants you focusing your efforts on awakening your power. He wants us to visit the three Goddess springs around Hyrule. While we do that, we can try to gather as much information as possible.”

Zelda sighed. “Where do we even begin?”

“We go home,” Link said. “I’ll report to Dorian, and then we’ll get ready to head to the springs.”

“That’s it?”

“Depends,” Link said. “Are you up for a detour, Ari?”

“A detour?”

“We’re following Dorian.”

 

*****

 

“I don’t know about this,” Zelda said through the closed door.

“You’ll be fine,” Link said. He turned as the door opened and Zelda stepped out. The red wig was fastened perfectly on her head, and already, she looked like an entirely different person. Her makeup was a strange mix of heavy and subtle; heavy enough to hide her most distinct features, and subtle enough to look natural. She traded her jeans and boots for a little leather skirt paired with strappy heels and a tight shirt that showed enough cleavage to make any man curious.

“Stop looking at my chest!”

Link met her gaze. “What? I wasn’t.”

“Yes, you were,” she growled.

Link turned away, digging through his things until he pulled out an ear piece. He tossed it to her.

“This is way more than what I signed up for,” Zelda muttered as she put the piece in her ear.

“You look nothing like the king’s daughter,” Link said with a grin.

“People know me,” Zelda said. “They’ll figure it out.”

“They’ll be too busy looking down your shirt to give a shit who you are,” Link said.

“My father would kill me if he saw me like this.”

“I think that’s the last thing you should be concerned about.”

Zelda sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. “What’s the plan?”

“Damsel in distress,” Link said. “Just outside the Royal district. You’ll wait on the side of the road.” Link flipped a knife in the air. “Unfortunately for you, you have a flat tire and a big party to get to.”

“Of course,” Zelda said, rolling her eyes.

“While Dorian helps you with the tire, I’ll bug his car.”

“What if he doesn’t stop?”

“He’ll stop.”

“But-”

“Follow him. Regardless of what happens, we follow him.”

“What if he just goes home?”

“Flirt with him in the parking lot. How convenient, you live there, too.”

“You’re going to break into his apartment.”

“You realize you have the easy part.”

“You’re using me for my body.”

“Might as well. No one else uses it.”

Zelda threw a pillow at him, but Link dodged it.

“This is a waste of time.”

“Even if all I can do is plant bugs, it will be a start. We need to do whatever we can do to figure out his plan.”

Zelda sighed and stood. “Fine,” she said. “Let’s get this over with.”

 

*****

 

Zelda waited on the side of the road with her flat tire, just where Link told her to go. She leaned against the car, her arms crossed and her foot tapping nervously. She stood in the darkness, just out of the light from the street lights, and it made her feel uncomfortable.

“I don’t like this,” she muttered. “Someone’s going to take advantage of me.”

“I’m right here,” Link muttered from his hiding spot on the other side of the road. “Just chill, will you? Make an effort to fix the tire.”

Zelda hesitated. She turned and looked at the tire. “I don’t even know where to begin.”

“Take the jack out of the trunk.”

Zelda opened the trunk and stared inside. “What’s a jack?”

Link muttered curses under his breath. “Lift up the mat. Take out the spare and everything else that’s inside.”

Zelda let the spare tire fall to the ground with a thud. It rolled into the road before falling onto its side. She hurried over to it and rolled it back towards the car, then put her hands on her hips.

“That’s heavy.” She looked up as headlights came into view. The car slowed and, just as Link predicted, Dorian pulled to a stop.

“You look like you’re having some trouble.”

Show time. Zelda laughed lightly and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Is it that obvious?”

Stay calm, she told herself. Was it obvious to him that her heart was racing?

Dorian stepped out of his car. “Every woman should know how to change a tire,” he said as he approached her. “I taught my daughters how.”

“I guess I missed out on that life lesson,” she said. She stepped back as Dorian began to work on the tire, loosening the nuts and removing it.

“It’s not too difficult,” he said as he worked. “Loosen the nuts a bit with this, first, then jack up the car and take the nuts off. Switch out the tires.” He lifted the spare onto the car. “Put the nuts back on loosely. Lower the car.” The tire hit the pavement. “And tighten up the nuts.” When he was finished, Dorian straightened and dusted off his hands. “Easy, right?”

“I guess so,” Zelda said. “Thank you so much for your help.”

Dorian lifted the old tire into the trunk and returned the tools. “Not a problem,” he said as he closed the trunk. “It’s the least I can do. I’d hate to see you stranded on the side of the road. Take care, now.”

Zelda watched as he stepped into his car and pull away. When his headlights disappeared, Link emerged and hurried into the car.

“What the hell were you doing?” Zelda hissed at him as she slid in beside him.

“Bugging his car, what do you think?”

“I didn’t even see you do anything.”

“That’s the point,” he muttered. “I didn’t go through all that training to be caught bugging a damn car.” He unlocked his phone and pulled up the map of the city. A small dot flashed and moved about the screen along the streets.

“Is that his car? Where the hell did you get all this shit?”

“Where I get all the other shit I need to use.”

“You broke in and stole it.”

“Hardly. I just walked in and grabbed it. This is my job, you know.”

“Don’t you think someone would be suspicious? You have no reason to need this stuff.”

“Do you even know what I friggin do?”

“Not really.”

“Exactly.” Link pulled the car into the road and proceeded to follow the map. “No one knows what I do except for Dorian and your father. Top secret. People don’t question me.”

“Well, aren’t you Mr. Big Shot,” Zelda said, crossing her arms.

“That’s right, I am. And you listen to what Mr. Big Shot says, got it?”

“Did you think to check our car for bugs?”

Link grinned. “We’re clean.”

“You seem pretty sure about that.”

“I am.”

They drove through the city, making sure to keep out of sight, following Dorian to the outskirts and over the bridge towards the highway. Dorian continued to drive south on the highway until he finally took the exit to Kakariko.

“Where the hell is he going?” Zelda asked.

“He’s a Sheikah,” Link said. “Chances are, he gets his own orders from Impa. If he’s a double agent, he needs to do whatever he’s told to do to keep from raising suspicions, which means going into Kakariko from time to time.”

“What if he has orders from somewhere else? Orders to kill Impa? And then my father? And us?” She was growing frantic.

“That’s a possibility, too.”

“How can you be so calm about this?”

“Because we don’t know anything yet,” Link reminded her. “But as soon as we do, we can act. Nothing’s going to happen to Impa, or your father, or us.” Link met her gaze. “I promise.”

Zelda bit her lip and turned her gaze onto the road. In that moment, she felt more terrified than ever. What the hell did she get herself into? Despite her fear, however, she trusted Link. She felt safer with him. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

9: 9

They left the car in the parking lot of the inn inside Kakariko and made their way through the town, checking the gps to Dorian’s whereabouts. Before long, they found Dorian outside the gates to Impa’s house, talking casually with the guards on duty. The guards opened the gates and Dorian drove inside.

“What do we do?” Zelda whispered.

“You stay here,” Link said to her. “I can’t have you in the way if things go badly.”

“And what if they do?”

Link hesitated. “Don’t go home,” he said. “Drive and don’t stop. Go to Urbosa. She will help you.”

“What? Why? Why can’t I go home?”

“Because there’s a chance your father is in on this, too,” Link snapped.

Zelda stared at him, her mouth gaping. “He’s not. He wouldn’t.”

“We can’t trust anyone right now.”

“I can trust my father,” Zelda said in a loud whisper. “He’s the only one in the world I can trust. He would… He’d never… How could you think that?”

“Do you trust me?” Link asked.

Zelda hesitated.

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes,” she finally breathed out.

Link pulled his gun out of its holster and slid in the magazine. “Wait at the car,” he said before leaving her side.

Link kept to the treeline as he followed the outer walls. Security cameras were mounted all along the premises. He knew taking them out would likely trip the alarm system, and if that happened, it was unlikely Dorian would stick around. He followed the wall towards the back and, figuring it was as good a spot as any, waited for the security cameras to turn, leaving him a small opening where he could jump the wall.

He waited a few minutes, watching the cameras as they moved back and forth, timing their movements until he found his opening, then sprinted towards the wall and climbed up and over onto the other side. He pressed himself against the wall, waited for the moment when the cameras would move once more, and sprinted towards the building. He followed the wall to the corner, pausing as he heard Paya’s familiar humming. The humming moved away and Link peered around the corner, watching as Paya turned around the far corner, leaving the back door open as she often did.

Link hurried towards the door and slid inside. The room - their back storage room - was dimly lit. Link was fairly familiar with the layout of the large house and he knew that the door on the other side would bring him into the kitchen. At this time of night, it was unlikely anyone would be in there, so he hurried across and opened the door slowly. When he was sure the room was empty, he slid inside and followed the wall around the dark room to the next door which would bring him into one of the main hallways.

He stood for a moment, listening to the sounds on the other side of the door. There were faint voices that traveled down the hallway, which he assumed came from the front foyer. The voices were unmistakably Impa’s and Dorian’s. He strained to listen through the door, picking out a few words.

He heard Dorian’s voice first. “Divine Beasts… activated… Link…”

Impa’s followed. “Yiga… Ganon… traitor…”

That was enough for Link to act on. He opened the door slowly, inspected his surroundings, and inched his way against the wall down the hallway. As he neared, their voices grew louder and more clear.

“The king wants me to return to the Yiga,” Dorian said.

“I don’t care what the king wants,” Impa said sternly. “He made a promise to you, as did I. You will not go back there.”

“Whether you like it or not, Impa, my orders don’t come from you anymore.”

“The Yiga are ruthless, you know that as well as I do. Have you forgotten what they’ve done to you?”

“They will stop at nothing,” Dorian hissed. “Not until the king is dead and Ganon makes his return. That I can promise you.”

Link cocked his gun and Impa and Dorian turned to him. Whatever surprise they may have felt was masked as their hard gazes settled on Link.

A grin split Dorian’s face. “Well, this certainly is a surprise. Do you plan to kill me?”

“I’m prepared to,” Link said.

“Link, what are you doing?” Impa said, her voice hard.

“I want the truth, Dorian. Stop using me in your games.”

“The sooner you accept the fact that we’re all just pawns in war, the better,” Dorian snarled. “What is it that you think you know?”

“You’re working with the Yiga Clan,” Link said. “A double agent.”

Dorian met Impa’s gaze.

“Link,” Impa started. “Put the gun down.”

Link hesitated, his gaze shifting between Impa and Dorian. At that moment, the doors flew open, and two Shiekah soldiers entered with Zelda in their grips.

“What in Hylia -” Impa started.

Zelda dropped to her knees, her hands raised defensively. “Impa,” she whimpered. “Don’t hurt him.”

Impa’s gaze turned to Link. “Is that Zelda?”

Dorian laughed and shook his head. “Shit. How long has this been going on? I suppose you have my car bugged too, huh?”

“Someone better start talking,” Impa growled.

“I want answers,” Link said.

“Dorian’s not working with the Yiga!” Impa shouted. “At least, not anymore.”

Dorian’s grin disappeared and his hung head slightly.

“Link,” Impa started. “The Yiga are a group of Sheikah that have have betrayed us. Sheikah that support Ganon and his power and work actively to help him gain control over Hyrule. Dorian was a part of the clan.”

“I left the Yiga Clan,” Dorian hissed. “I left them the day they murdered my wife. But then they threatened to take the lives of my children and blackmailed me into spying for them.”

Link hesitated, his gaze turning to Impa. He lowered his gun.

Dorian continued. “I acted as a spy for them for some time. In return, they promised to spare my children.”

“What did you tell them?” Link growled.

“I told them about you and about Zelda. I told them about the king’s plan to activate the Divine Beasts and the Guardians. I told them about the Master Sword and the Triforce.”

“You betrayed us,” Link hissed. “That was your plan this whole time. To get me to get the sword, then take it.”

“Yes,” Dorian said. “That was the plan.”

Link raised his gun once more.

“That’s what the Yiga Clan thinks I’m doing,” Dorian said. “I didn’t believe in what they were doing. I am not loyal to them, or to Ganon. I told Impa and the king everything. I’m not afraid of the Yiga Clan. I can protect my family from them, but not if Ganon returns. I will not sit by and let that happen.”

“We came to an agreement,” Impa said. “Dorian would act as a member of the Yiga and feed them false information and in return, he would give us any information he has on the Yiga Clan, including the whereabouts of their hideout.”

“I was not privileged to that information after I first tried to leave. Not until recently.”

Link’s brows knit together. “And you trust him?”

“Yes,” Impa said simply.

“The Yiga Clan’s hideout is somewhere in Gerudo Desert,” Dorian said. “I learned that shortly after I heard of their attack against Zelda.”

“An attack you caused,” Link snapped. “They would have killed her.”

“Yes, they intended to kill her,” Dorian said. “But I knew it wouldn’t come down to that. After all, you were trained by the best of the best.”

“I don’t pity you,” Link snarled. “You’re a dead man.” But before Link could even think to fire his weapon, a force knocked it out of his hands. It flew across the room, hit the far wall, and clattered to the floor. Link stared at the weapon in shock, then narrowed his eyes at Impa angrily.

“Enough,” Impa shouted, her hand raised. “Whether you like it or not, Link, we need Dorian. He is not a threat to us.”

Link’s hands balled into fists as he fumed. “You don’t that. You know what he’s capable of.”

“I trust Dorian. And if you want to win this war, you need to trust him as well.”

“I don’t trust traitors,” Link hissed. He made his way across the room and picked up his gun. “Let’s go,” he said to Zelda.

“Link,” Impa said. “You have orders to fulfill, remember.”

Link stood at the door, his back to them, Zelda at his side.

“We need the Master Sword in our possession,” Dorian reminded him.

Link met Zelda’s gaze. He could read the confusion and fear in her eyes. What was worse was the fact that he didn’t know what to do to keep her safe. He was terrified, too.

Without another word, Link left, Zelda at his heels. He trotted down the steps and out the guarded gates. He strode through the town and back to the parking lot where their car waited.

“What are we going to do?” Zelda asked him.

“You’re going to find your power, I’m going to get that sword, and we’re going to end this.”

*****

Link was quiet as they drove out of Kakariko and back onto the highway. Zelda’s heart was still racing with fear in her chest; fear at being caught by the guards. Fear for Link. Fear of Dorian. Was this what the agents in the SFU dealt with on a day to day basis? She couldn’t imagine how they did it day in and day out.

“Are you okay?” she dared to ask, her voice soft.

“Yeah,” Link said. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” Zelda said. “I’m not exactly a trained SFU agent, you know.”

“Right,” Link said. He met her gaze for a moment. “Are you okay?”

Zelda sighed. “Yeah. I guess so. I mean, no one died, so, yeah, it’s all good.”

“You’re not going to start crying again, are you?”

Zelda shook her head. “No. I think I’m too afraid to do that right now.”

“Don’t be afraid.”

“Easy for you to say.”

Link bit his lip. “Not always.”

“You can’t be afraid,” Zelda said. “I’m counting on you to get us through this mess.”

Link smiled. “I plan on getting us through,” he said. “I plan on winning this.”

“You’re pretty confident.”

“I’m twenty-six-and-oh so far,” he said. “By the time I’m done, that number’s going to be a whole hell of a lot higher.”

Zelda didn’t know what that meant, but she had a feeling she didn’t really want to know. She turned her gaze out the window, watching the trees pass by, and then their exit to the city. “Where are we going?”

“I still don’t trust Dorian,” Link said. “We need to stay ahead of him as much as possible. We’re getting that sword.”

10: 10

It was well after midnight when they reached the outskirts of the northern forest. Zelda was able to settle down some and slept most of the drive, but Link was still running on pure adrenaline. He wasn’t ready to rest until he knew the sword was in the right hands. They didn’t seem to have anyone following him, so all he could do was keep his guard and pray that there would be no further incident, especially for Zelda. A lot had changed in her life over the last few weeks, and he was sure it was overwhelming for her. He didn’t want her to have to suffer any pain or regrets.

When the trees thickened and the road became just a path, they left the car on the side of the dirt road, they walked the rest of the way into the forest. The forest grew more and more dense and seemed to get darker, even despite the flashlights they carried. Soon, the path disappeared completely and an eerie fog enveloped them. When it finally cleared, they had found the path again, and their car that waited on the side of the road.

“We’ve made a complete circle,” Zelda said with growing frustration. “We’re completely lost.”

Link looked around them. He was certain he hadn’t strayed from the direction they started. He checked his phone, hoping for some use of technology, but even that had failed him. There was no service, and his battery seemed to be draining rapidly. It didn’t matter much; he was trained for situations like this. He didn’t need to rely on anything other than himself. But it was discerning to say the least. Something was strange about this forest. It was no wonder no one dared to enter.

Determined, Link pushed forward once more, following the path until it again melted away into the overgrowth in the forest. Their flashlights seemed to dim as they got deeper, and before long, the fog returned, slowly thickening around them. He felt Zelda push up against him, her hands on his arms.

“This place isn’t right,” she muttered. “We shouldn’t be here. It’s telling us to get out. Let’s get out.”

“You’re going crazy,” Link said. “Nothing’s telling us to get out.”

But at that moment, he heard a sound. It was light and melodic. A song? No, a voice. It was definitely a voice, but he couldn’t make out what it was saying.

“Do you hear that?” he whispered.

Zelda strained to listen but her nothing but her own breath. “Hear what?”

“That voice.”

She listened again but still heard nothing. “I think you’re the one going crazy now.”

Link grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward. There was definitely a voice in the forest. He followed the voice, carefully picking his way over roots and logs, rocks and brush, and as they walked, the voice grew louder and the fog seemed to dissipate. Link could hear the voice more distinctly, now, but he still could not understand it. It seemed to speak a language he was not familiar with. It wasn’t Hylian, that was for sure. It didn’t sound like Gerudo, either.

Link.

His pace quickened and the voice grew. He started to recognize a few words. He was positive it was ancient Hylian. Hero… Chosen One… Hylia… Link strained to make out the other words, but still he could only pick out a few words. Courage…. Wisdom… Power…

Before long, the trees seemed to thin out. Their lights brightened. The fog disappeared completely, and a path returned to them. The path continued to wind through the forest, but through the trees, Link could see a soft glow.

“Have I gone crazy,” Zelda started, “or do you see that light, too?”

They hurried forward until the trees disappeared around them, revealing a clearing in the forest, and the voice fell silent. A large Deku tree stood tall in the middle of the clearing, and just before it, stuck in a pedestal, was none other than the Master Sword.

Link and Zelda stood on the edge of the clearing, gawking at the sword that let off a strong, warm glow.

“It’s real,” Zelda muttered in awe. “The Master Sword.”

They approached the sword carefully until Link stood before it.

“No one can pull it out,” Zelda said. “At least, that’s what the ancient Sheikah text says. No one but the Chosen Hero.”

Link looked at Zelda over his shoulder, a grin on his face. “Let’s put it to the test, then,” he said. He put his hands on the hilt and tugged at it lightly at first. When it didn’t budge, he pulled at it harder, but still, the sword remained stuck in the stone.

“Guess you’re not the one,” Zelda said, folding her arms across her chest.

Link stepped back and examined the sword. If he wasn’t the one, then who was?

The one chosen by my creator. I have been waiting for you. Only he who holds the Triforce of Courage may wield the sword that seals the darkness. Step forward, Hero. Remember these words: A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage.”

Link watched as a strange light seemed to emit from his hand. A single piece of the Triforce illuminated on his hand. He stepped forward and once more, gripped the sword in both hands. The light strengthened and grew until the entire clearing was bright, and in one, swift motion, he pulled the Master Sword from its slumber. He held the blade out before him as the light subsided, and once more, they were shrouded in the darkness of night.

“This isn’t happening,” Zelda muttered. “This is some crazy ass dream right now.”

Link turned to face Zelda, the sword in hand. He met her gaze but for once, he found himself speechless.

Zelda blinked at him for a moment, then stuttered out, “What the fuck.”

And then he laughed. He laughed at the vulgarities that came out of the princess’s mouth. And in such a sacred place, of all things. He laughed at the idea of him being some hero. He laughed because he had no idea what he was supposed to do with the damn sword. He laughed because their world would soon fall, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could think to do about it.

“That’s it,” Zelda said. “He’s gone crazy. This is it. We’re doomed. Completely fucked.”

“This is a sacred place, you know.”

“You pulled out that fucking sword!”

“I don’t know what to do with it!”

“Shit. We can’t handle this. Who the hell left us in charge? We can’t do this. We can’t save Hyrule. We’re screwed.”

Link hopped down from the pedestal and made his way to Zelda’s side. He didn’t have any answers, but one thing was for sure: he didn’t want to stay in that forest a minute longer than he needed to.

“Let’s just get out of here,” he said. He let the dull blade rest against his shoulder as he lead the way through the forest.

To their relief, it was much easier leaving the forest than it was entering. Dawn was breaking as they found the path out of the forest and they made their way towards the car on the side of the road, just where they left it. Link tossed the sword against the back seat, then climbed in behind the wheel, sitting there for a moment before turning the key in the ignition.

“Please tell me we’re going home now,” Zelda said as she settled into the seat and closed her eyes. “I’ve had enough crazy for one day.”

“Me too,” Link said as he pulled out into the road.

“Guess that means I’m next,” she said. “You’ve got the sword, now I need to find my power.”

“No pressure,” Link said.

“Just promise I can sleep for like, three days before we go out again.”

Link yawned. “Make it four.”

He didn’t look back until they made it back to the highway, and by then, the strange forest was long gone. His wandering mind went further back still to his interaction with Dorian and Impa. And then his heart sank when he saw that Zelda had been found.

Don’t hurt him.

“You know,” Link said. “About last night. You don’t need to worry about me. I can take care of myself.” He turned his gaze to Zelda, but she was fast asleep. He turned back to the road and sighed softly through his nose. “Just don’t do anything stupid,” he muttered.

 

*****

 

Though Link promised to give Zelda some time off before they made the trip to the three springs, Link wasn’t about to waste his time in the city sitting at a bar like he usually did. With so much at stake, he couldn’t fail. For Hyrule. For Zelda. More than ever, he wanted to keep her safe, and not just because it was his job. He was too involved now for any of it to be just a job. Whether he liked it or not - whether he hated his father for dragging him into this or not - he was involved, and he wouldn’t rest until the Yiga Clan and Ganon were defeated.

So Link spent most of his time at the range, doing his best to polish his skills. But his mind continued to wander, and it soon became less about bettering himself and more about simply wanting to take his frustrations out on a couple of targets. And in those few days, he blew through more ammunition than he ever had during his training.

Link was in the middle of switching out targets when Zelda entered the range. He was alone, doodling absentmindedly on his next target, drawing a face and a mustache on the silhouette.

“Is that supposed to be Dorian?” Zelda said over his shoulder.

Link had heard her come in, but he still jumped slightly. He shrugged as he hung up the target, then rolled it out to the far end of the range. “Could be,” he said. He pushed more bullets into the magazine, then shoved it into the gun.

Zelda stepped back as he brought the gun up and she covered her ears with her muffs.

Link fired the gun until he wasted all the ammo, then slid the empty magazine out once more.

“Is twenty-six the number of people you’ve killed?” Zelda dared to ask.

Link shoved more bullets into the magazine. “Yes,” he answered simply.

Zelda waited, watching as he proceeded to fire off another round at the target at the far end of the range.

“How do you do it?”

Link let the empty magazine fall into his hands and he loaded it up once more. “Do what?”

“Kill people. Isn’t it… hard?”

“Not anymore.” Link replaced the magazine. “They train us to be emotionless robots.”

“I don’t think that’s funny.”

“I never said it was.” He fired off another round. “But it’s the only way to be able to do the job.” The magazine slid out. “When it becomes life and death, you figure out pretty quickly that you do what you have to do to survive, and nothing else matters.” He slid another round back into the gun, then turned and offered it to Zelda. She stared blankly at the weapon.

“Try it.”

“Why? So you can turn me into a killing machine?”

Link smiled crookedly. “Doesn’t hurt to get a feel for it. You never know when you’ll need it.”

“Isn’t that what I have you for?”

Link shrugged. “For now.”

Zelda took the gun carefully and stepped forward.

“Like this.” Link stood behind her and reached over her. He cupped his hands around hers, demonstrating how to hold it. “Look down here. See?” He pointed a finger towards the target. “Never hesitate,” he said. “And don’t look in their eyes.”

Zelda bit her bottom lip as she tried to focus - admittedly more difficult than she would have admitted with Link standing so close to her - but when Link took his hands away, hers began to shake. She forced her hands to steady, and when they did, she took aim and pulled the trigger.

The power behind the weapon surprised her, and the thrill of the moment made her laugh. She squinted to see where she had hit. There was a small hole to the far left of the target in the white space.

“Well,” Link said. “You wouldn’t kill anyone with that shot, but it was close.”

Zelda put the gun down carefully. “Doesn’t matter,” she said. “Because you’re not going anywhere.”

“You can’t count on that.”

“It’s your job,” Zelda said, meeting his gaze. “You have to finish it.”

“Then I’ll finish it.” Link turned back to the weapon and loaded it up once more.

“I know you hear this a lot,” Zelda started, “but you really do take after your father.”

Link let loose another round. “I’m starting to think that’s not a good thing,” he muttered.

“Why would you say that?”

Link let the empty magazine fall to the table. He let the gun rest beside it. “He used his own son,” he said through gritted teeth. He narrowed his gaze at the target down the range. “He knew everything. His only concern was grooming me to prepare me for this future. He knew exactly what he was doing. It was no accident that I just happen to follow his path and take his place when he died.”

“I don’t think that’s what he intended,” Zelda said softly.

“My whole life was meant for this and nothing more.”

Zelda hesitated, her gaze on the ground. “Would you have chosen a different path? If no one had pushed you onto this one. If no one had told you that this was what you were meant to do. Would you have done something differently?”

Link watched her closely as she spoke. It was clear that she was struggling with her own role forced upon her just as it was him. With the Master Sword in his possession, all that remained was awakening her own power. Link could see now that she was worried. She doubted herself.

“Would you have?” he asked her.

Zelda met his gaze. “There’s no other path for me,” Zelda said. “If none of this were happening, then I’d simply be expected to take over the throne and carry on the royal bloodline. But you. You’d be free to live the life you wanted.”

“I don’t think I’d want my life to be any different,” he said. “The path I was put on may have been forced upon me, but it’s not so bad if it means crossing with yours.”

“Well,” Zelda said, averting his gaze. “I guess we’re just where we’re meant to be, then.”

11: 11

Link and Zelda stood on the balcony behind the palace, watching the soldiers interact with the activated Guardians below in the training fields. Link leaned against the rail curiously as the long legs of the machines moved about. The soldiers chatted and laughed as they followed the Guardians around. They climbed on top and inside, inspecting the mechanics, studying and learning how the machines worked in preparation for war. Not only were they intrigued by the machines, they were eager to see them in action.

“You’d think they just got their hands on the coolest toy,” Zelda said with a light laugh.

Zelda, too, was intrigued by the machines. Over the last few days, while they were back in the city, Zelda lost herself in her books, mulling over the ancient Sheikah texts, hoping to learn anything and everything she could about their technologies. Link often found her in the palace library, her nose so deep in a book she hadn’t even heard him come in. And when she did finally notice his arrival, she talked endlessly about something new she had discovered.

It was a side of her Link hadn’t seen much of, but it was a relief to see her so happy after the way things had been going. At home in the city, she was relaxed. She was safe. And for a moment, it was as if they weren’t preparing for an impending war. Zelda and Link could be themselves.

Link watched as she gushed over the Guardians and smiled.

“We’re able to control them now, just like we can control the Divine Beasts.” She turned to Link with excitement in her eyes. “When Ganon does show his face, he’s going to be in for a big surprise.”

But her excitement was cut short by the sound of her father’s voice.

“What are you doing out here, Zelda?” King Rhoam said from behind them.

Zelda turned quickly to see her father approaching them, his stern gaze on her.

“I…” Zelda started, hesitant. She knew her father did not approve of her scholarly studies, as he referred to them. She made a fist at her side and spoke confidently. “I was assessing the results of the experiment with the Guardians. These pieces of ancient technology could be quite useful against the -”

“I know that,” the king interrupted. “They are essential to Hyrule’s future, and our research demands that we keep a close eye on them.” His voice grew stern. “However, as the princess, you currently have a crucial unfulfilled responsibility to your kingdom.”

Zelda looked down, defeated. She knew what he was going to say next.

“Let me ask you once more,” her father continued. “When will you stop treating this as some game?”

“I’m doing everything I can,” Zelda pleaded with him.

“You are here wasting your time. You need to be dedicating every moment you have to your training.” The king’s voice rose. “You must be single-minded in unlocking the power that will seal Ganon away.”

“I already am,” Zelda said. “I want to help in whatever way I can.”

“No more excuses, Zelda!” The king said, shaking his head. “Stop running away from your duty. I forbid you to have anything to do with these machines from this moment on and command you to focus on your training.” He turned away from her and looked down onto his soldiers as they continued to work with the Guardian. His voice lowered. “Do you know how the people speak of you? They say that you are the heir to a throne of nothing. Nothing but failure.”

Zelda lowered her head in shame. Her father never missed a chance to remind her of that - that she was a failure.

“It is woven into your destiny that you prove them wrong,” he continued. He turned to his daughter, his expression softer. “Do you understand?”

Zelda did not meet her father’s gaze. “Yes,” she said softly. “I understand.” She did not look up as the king turned away and left her alone with Link on the walk. She did not move until her father was out of sight. As Link got to his feet, Zelda strode passed him in frustration.

Link trotted to catch up to her, his mind searching for some way to console her, but Zelda stopped suddenly and faced him. The frustration that creased her face was gone. Her expression was stark and cold.

“Tomorrow we will go to the Spring of Power,” she said simply. Without another word, she turned away from him and made her way to the opposite end of the walk, disappearing behind the door as it slammed shut behind her.

 

*****

 

It was early the next morning when Link saw Zelda again. After the interaction with her father, she had stormed off and disappeared for the rest of the day. And after having spent so much time with her over the last few days, Link couldn’t help but to feel empty without her. But she wanted her space, clearly, and he wasn’t about to test her and upset her even more.

So he was surprised to see that she was back to her bubbly self when she met him outside of the palace. Link watched her carefully as she slid into the seat beside him. He debated what to say to her, but to his relief, Zelda didn’t waste a moment to open her mouth.

“I was thinking,” she started before she even closed the door, “that maybe the Master Sword has some connection to the ancient Sheikah technology. I thought the slate would be connected to everything, but it doesn’t seem to work on those mysterious shrines around Hyrule. Maybe the Master Sword will have something to do with that.”

Link put the car into drive and navigated them out of the palace gates and through the city. He checked the rearview mirror as the sun glinted off the blade in the back seat. It hadn’t left his sight since he retrieved it.

“Maybe,” Link said, mulling over this information.

“What do you suppose is in those shrines?” Zelda mused. “There’s some ancient Sheikah text written on the shrines. I bet if we could decipher the text, it would give us more clues.”

Her mind raced wild with theories and Link simply could not keep up with her as she rambled on. Though she had some valid points that were worth looking into, he just couldn’t focus on anything but the mysteries behind Dorian, Impa, and even the king. He had to take advantage of their trips to the springs, but he was sure that if Dorian was a traitor, the Yiga would be following them now more than ever. He couldn’t afford to let his guard down, even for a moment.

This next week was going to be a very long week for him.

“Link?”

“What?” He could feel her watching him.

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

His eyes glanced to hers for a moment. “Nothing.”

“You’re thinking about Dorian.”

Link didn’t answer.

“I was thinking,” Zelda started. “Maybe we can trust him.”

“I’ll never trust him,” Link snapped.

“The Yiga Clan murdered his wife,” Zelda reminded him. “They tried to go after his children. His girls, Link. He wouldn’t put them in danger.”

“Makes for the perfect cover up,” Link said. “Makes him look weak and helpless and innocent.”

“How can you be so cynical?”

Link’s brows knit together. “I have no reason to be otherwise.” He met her gaze briefly. “When you’ve been used and betrayed, you learn pretty quickly that everyone has an agenda. I can’t afford to be anything but cynical.” He turned his gaze back to the road. “Dorian was my mentor. I trusted him. My father trusted him. They were best friends.” He hesitated. “Now, all I can think about is who else is involved in this. My father could have been a traitor, too, and I didn’t have a clue.”

“He wasn’t a traitor,” Zelda said softly, her eyes on her feet.

“I’m done with them,” Link said. “Done with the SFU. I only have myself to trust. I’m doing things my way from here on out.”

“You can trust me,” Zelda said.

Link turned back to her for a moment. In all his doubts and confusion, she was the one person he never doubted for a moment. The thought hadn’t even crossed his mind.

“Yeah,” he said, his eyes on the road once more. “I can. I do.”

“Okay,” Zelda said simply. “So, what’s the plan, boss?”

“The plan,” Link started, “is to take out Ganon and the Yiga Clan before they make their attack.”

“Which will be easier said than done.”

“If Dorian is working with the Yiga, then he knows we’re on to him.”

“He said their hideout was somewhere in the desert.”

“Which could be a trap.”

“We don’t have anything else to go by,” Zelda said. “And I don’t think we’ll be able to sneak around Dorian looking for clues. He’ll be on guard now more than ever.” She paused for a moment. “Dorian mentioned the desert because he wanted us to go there. But then, wouldn’t Dorian know that we would be skeptical of him? He’d know we wouldn’t walk right into the desert just because he said that’s where they are. So, that would mean he’s telling the truth, right? Or maybe he’d think that we’d think he’s telling the truth, but he’s not. Reverse psychology?”

Link furrowed his brows as he tried to follow her train of thought. “I think you’re overthinking this.”

“Or, maybe we’re not thinking enough about it.”

Link rolled his eyes. “Let’s head to the Spring of Power first,” he suggested. “The other two will be to the south. Maybe we can hit the desert while we’re there. At the very least, maybe someone in Gerudo Town will have some leads for us. If there’s anything suspicious in the desert, Urbosa would be the first to know about it.”

Zelda nodded. “Good enough for me.”

 

*****

 

It was early in the afternoon when Link and Zelda arrived at the Spring of Power. Zelda stood before the goddess statue in silence for a few moments in an attempt to clear her mind and focus on her prayers. She looked up at the goddess statue, her hands clasped together before her, but the longer she stood there, the more helpless she started to feel. She closed her eyes and prayed with every ounce of energy she had, but still the voices remained silent.

She looked upon the goddess statue and let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. She stared at the statue for a moment, her shoulders dropping, and she began to mumble to herself.

“I’ve done everything I’ve been told to do to find this power,” she said to no one in particular. “Prayer is supposed to awaken my power, or so everyone tells me.” She let her hands drop into the water, her eyes cast downward. “Everyone in my family has heard the voices from the spirit realm. This power that has supposedly been passed down through the generations is supposed to develop within me. But I don’t hear… or feel anything!”

She turned her gaze back onto the statue. “Curse you!” She let her fists punch at the water. “I’ve spent every damn day praying, pleading to the ancient gods, but to no avail. She brought her hands up across her chest, gripping at her arms. She closed her eyes in an attempt to hold back her desperate tears. “Please just tell me. What is it? What’s wrong with me?”

Link stood just outside of the spring and, upon hearing her voice, walked in curiously. He watched as she muttered to herself, her desperation growing as she struggled to find her power. He felt helpless, wishing there was something he could do to help her or reassure her, but there was nothing.

Zelda moved across the spring, away from the goddess statue, her head hanging low in defeat. She stood before Link, her tears dripping off her cheeks and onto the ground.

“What if I can’t do it?” she said softly. “How can this world depend on a failure of a princess who can’t even awaken the power needed to seal Ganon away?” She met Link’s gaze. “Is it all just a lie? What… What’s wrong with me?” She let herself fall into him, burying her face into his shoulder as she sobbed.

Link hesitated for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her. He leaned his head against hers and sighed. “Nothing’s wrong with you,” he whispered to her.

“Something must be,” she said. “The war hasn’t even begun and I’m already failing.”

“We’ve only come to the first spring,” he reminded her. “Don’t give up yet.”

Zelda shook her head. “My father has pushed me day after day, ever since I can remember, to find my power. If I haven’t found it by now, no spring is going to help.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Link said.

Zelda pulled herself away and wiped at her eyes. “When did you become such a believer of all this sacred magic?”

Link shrugged. “I’ve seen some weird stuff since we started.”

Zelda chuckled lightly. “The Sheikah have rubbed off on you.”

“They have made some pretty incredible technology, I’ll give them that. Especially considering how little technology there actually was back then.”

“I can’t even imagine what Hyrule was like thousands of years ago.”

“Come on,” Link said. He pulled at her hand, leading her away from the spring and towards the car, but when Zelda’s fingers squeezed his, he pulled away quickly and shoved his hands in the pocket, then proceeded to fumble for his keys. “Where next?” he asked as he opened the car door and slid inside.

“I guess to the Spring of Courage,” Zelda said as she slid in beside him.

Link started the engine. “Faron Woods or bust.”

12: 12

The drive to the Spring of Courage was a long one from the Spring of Power in the Eldin region. It only made sense to split up the drive and grab a room at one of the motels off the highway for the night. Despite the confusion situation they had found themselves in, Link thought it would be in their best interest to stop, anyway. It was unlikely they would be attacked in such a public place. And if Dorian was keeping tabs on them, it likely would have been more suspicious to continue driving. Which only meant that they would probably be better off using their own names. Even still, that made Link slightly uneasy.

It was late when they finally did stop and they quickly settled into their room. Zelda lay across one of the beds on her stomach, her feet swinging in the air as she played with her phone. She watched as Link let his own phone drop to the bed, then stripped out of his two holsters. She grabbed his phone, disappointed when he did not fight her about it.

“You don’t even have a password on this thing?” she said as she unlocked the unsecured screen with a simple swipe.

“I don’t keep any secrets on there,” Link said with a shrug. He sat on the edge of the bed and made a motion to take hers, but Zelda acted quickly taking it from him.

“What are you hiding?” Link said with a grin.

“Nothing,” she said quickly. “It has a password, anyway.”

Link laughed. “I bet I could get into it.” He watched Zelda as she opened the camera and began to play with the preloaded filters. “Please don’t put stupid pictures on my phone,” he groaned. Link crossed his arms as she held the phone in the air, angling it just right so they were both in the shot.

“Delete that,” he muttered.

“Why?” Zelda whined. “You have pictures of everyone else on here.” She flipped through the images, pausing on a picture of Revali with crude drawings on his face. She turned the phone to Link. “Is this really how you spend your free time?”

Link grinned. “Daruk did that on one of his drunken escapades.”

She clicked off the screen and tossed it onto Link’s lap. “Boring.”

Link took his phone and made his way to the other bed. He leaned against the headboard with a sigh as Zelda clicked off the lamp between them.

Link was determined to leave early the next morning. But sleep was the last thing on his mind. He just couldn’t bring himself to close his eyes, even for a moment. There were just too many unanswered questions and he wasn’t about to leave themselves unguarded and vulnerable, despite the public venue. So Link busied himself with cups of coffee while Zelda slept beside him. He took his guns apart and cleaned them, twice. He flipped through the channels on the tv three times. He played absentmindedly with his phone until he found himself opening and closing apps without doing anything more.

He sighed and let his phone drop to the bed. He watched as Zelda mumbled softly and turned over in her sleep. She settled in with a light sigh, pulling the blankets up over her shoulders. Her blonde hair fell loose around her face, single strands blowing away slightly as she breathed.

Link’s phone vibrated beside him. His hand flew down to open the message. His heart raced when he saw Dorian’s name on the screen.

Report.

Link hesitated. Why would Dorian want a report this late at night?

No luck at the spring of power. Heading to spring of courage next.

It wasn’t long before Dorian’s reply came through.

Return to HQ after that.

 

*****

 

The Spring of Courage proved just be just as futile as the Spring of Power. And though she tried to keep things together, Zelda was visibly falling hopelessly apart. Just as defeated, they returned to the car without a word until Link took the highway northbound.

“Where are we going?” Zelda asked him.

“Back to the city,” Link said. “Per Dorian’s request.”

Zelda raised a brow. “Why?”

Link shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

Zelda sighed and slunk back into her seat. She cast a glance towards Link. “Should we be worried?”

Link shook his head. Whomever Dorian was loyal to, he wouldn’t have asked Link to return to the city if it wasn’t business related. Whether that business was in Hyrule’s favor or not was an entirely different story. But Link wasn’t about to voice his theories to Zelda. She had enough on her plate to deal with. It was his job and only his job to worry about the other details.

Link turned off the highway a few exits sooner than necessary. He was in no rush to get back to the city, and from the looks of it, Zelda didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry, either. In fact, she didn’t even question him when he took the exit ramp, and for a while, they drove through the countryside in silent contemplation.

Link drove with no real destination in mind until the sun began its descent and finally, he pulled to a stop outside of Sanidin Park. Without a word, he stepped out of the car and walked across to the edge which just overlooked the rolling hills of Hyrule. In the distance, to his left, he could see the bridge into the city and the palace that sat atop the small hillside.

Zelda joined Link, standing at his side. She stepped forward and leaned against the wall. “What are we doing here?” she finally asked.

“Figured you could use a break,” he said. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he watched her. He couldn’t help but notice - admire, even - the way the setting sun framed her in a warm, golden light. “I grew up in that town over there,” Link said, pointing towards the small town in the distance. “I used to come here a lot when I wanted to get away.”

Zelda smiled. She looked beyond the town and towards the distant mountains. “That’s Mount Lanayru,” she said, pointing towards it. “It takes its name from the Goddess of Wisdom. I read somewhere that ‘only the wise are permitted a place upon the mountain.’”

“Guess that leaves us out,” Link said, folding his arms with a smirk.

“Maybe up there,” she continued. “Maybe the Spring of Wisdom will be what awakens my power.” She hesitated for a moment. “To be honest, I have no real reason to think that will be the case. But there’s always the chance that the next moment will change everything.” She turned her back to the mountain and met Link’s gaze. “How long will we be in the city?”

Link turned his gaze to Mount Lanayru. “I doubt very long,” he said. “Maybe just for tonight.”

Zelda nodded in approval. “The sooner we get to the spring, the better,” she said.

Link walked to her side and looked out over Hyrule.

“I bet you have no idea,” Zelda said. “Tomorrow is my birthday.”

“And you want to spend it climbing that damn mountain?”

Zelda smiled down at her feet. “Maybe I’ll have some birthday luck on my side.” Her smile disappeared slowly. “At this point, I’ll take any kind of luck I can get.” She hesitated, then met Link’s gaze. “I’m grateful for your help through all of this,” she said, then, with a shrug, added, “Even if it is just part of the job.”

Link shook his head. “It was never about the job,” he said, his brows knit together. “Is that really what you think?”

Zelda lowered her gaze. “I always thought you resented me the way I had resented you,” she admitted. “I wouldn’t have blamed you, either. You didn’t really have a choice in the matter.” She sucked in a breath. “It never seemed quite fair that we were forced into this mess.”

Link’s expression softened as Zelda met his gaze once more. “I never resented you,” he said, taking a step closer to her. “I always admired your determination. It made me want to better myself to protect you. You’re not just a pawn in this world, Zelda. You’re so much more than you give yourself credit for.”

Zelda hesitated. Her cheeks felt warm and she averted her gaze once more. But before she could open her mouth to respond, Link was standing before her, taking her hands in his. She looked up into his soft, blue eyes, and her breath caught in her throat.

“Job or not, I will protect you until my dying breath. You are worth protecting.” He hesitated and let a smile pull at the corners of his mouth. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad destiny brought us together.”

“Me too,” Zelda said softly, returning his smile. Her heartbeat quickened and something seemed to flutter in her stomach. It was a peculiar feeling, but she didn’t want to pull away. She moved closer to him, holding her gaze on his for a moment. She let her eyes trace down his cheeks to his lips, realizing at that moment how close their faces were. She wanted to move closer to him where she felt safest, but the fluttering of wings in the nearby tree caused her to jump. She realized at that moment how dark it had gotten. The last of the sun’s light was fading behind the horizon, and the deep night sky was cast aglow by the full moon.

“We should go,” she said quickly, her voice low. “Dorian’s waiting for you.” She took a step back but did not pull her hands out of Link’s. She paused and met his gaze once more.

“Yeah,” he said simply. He found himself confused by the interaction. Or perhaps he was simply regretting not doing anything more while he had the chance. But it was for the better. The king would likely not respond well if anything… transpired between his daughter and her handler. He had to cast his own growing feelings aside. Link offered her a sheepish, crooked smile.

Zelda took the initiative, stepping around Link and heading to the car. Link followed quickly and slid in behind the wheel. The engine roared to life once more and he pulled away from the park and towards the city.

 

*****

 

Dorian had a map open across his desk when Link entered. His back was to Link, his arms folded across his chest as he gazed out his window into the night. Below, the city streets were still alive, headlights and streetlights marking the roads as they crisscrossed throughout the city.

“I presume Zelda hasn’t awaken her power, yet,” he said without turning to greet Link.

Link chose to remain silent. This wasn’t why Dorian had called him into his office.

Dorian finally turned and let his gaze rest on Link’s. “What plan do you have brewing in that mind of yours?” he asked curiously.

Still, Link said nothing. He narrowed his eyes at Dorian.

“It’s not enough for you that Impa trusts me?”

“What do you want, Dorian?” Link fought to keep his voice level, though the frustration and anger brewed inside of him.

Dorian held his gaze on Link’s for a moment before directing his attention to the map. He pointed a finger at a spot outside of Gerudo Desert which was marked with an X. “The Yiga Clan’s hideout is here,” he said simply.

“How can you be sure?” Link asked as he studied the map. He turned his gaze onto Dorian when he spoke.

“Because I was there,” Dorian said. “I finally met with Master Kohga myself.”

“Master Kohga?”

“He’s the leader of the Yiga Clan.”

“Oh, yeah? And what did the two of you do there?”

“We had a bloody cup of tea, Link,” Dorian snarled. “He wanted my intel on your efforts to prepare for Ganon.”

Link’s heart raced, but he forced himself to remain calm, his expression and voice steady. “What did you tell him?”

“I told them that no further progress had been made,” he said. “The Master Sword remains a hidden mystery and Zelda’s powers had not been awakened. As far as they are concerned, you and Zelda do not pose a threat to them at this moment.” Dorian paused, his gaze softening for a moment. “I assume you will set out to try to find the sword.”

Link narrowed his gaze at Dorian. It seemed Dorian was unaware that he already had the sword. That, or he was an excellent liar. “Are those my orders?”

Dorian straightened, holding his gaze on Link’s. “Your orders from here on out are for you to do what you think is in the best interest of this country. Whatever you decide - whatever items you may find - nothing needs to be reported to me.”

Link blinked at Dorian for a moment. “Okay,” he said simply. He wasn’t an idiot; he knew exactly what Dorian was telling him, and Dorian was telling him that he did not want to know anything about his and Zelda’s progress. The less he knew, the better. Perhaps he was loyal to Hyrule after all.

Dorian nodded once at Link. “Good luck, then. May the Goddesses be on your side.”

13: 13

The next morning, Link and Zelda left the city boundaries once more, making the drive to the third and final spring, the Spring of Wisdom. With little conversation between them, they drove south-east towards Mount Lanayru, following the road as far as it went to the base of the mountain. Unlike some of the other mountains in Hyrule, Mount Lanayru was not vehicle accessible due to its high elevation and thus its severe and unpredictable weather. But Link and Zelda were prepared to make the trek. Equipped with the best snow gear, they were sure to come through any snowstorm the mountain could throw their way.

Zelda grew anxious as they stepped out of the car. She looked up the mountain at its high peak. She was unsure of what was in store for her at the Spring of Wisdom. It was her last option, but she feared she would only end up disappointing her father and all of Hyrule. Such a heavy burden to bear. If she was unsuccessful, she didn’t know what more they could do. And she was sure the thought weighed heavily on Link’s mind as well.

They threw on their heavy jackets, their gear on their backs, and Link spoke, but it was not of their mission ahead.

“I almost forgot to wish you a happy birthday,” he said casually.

Zelda smiled at him as she zipped up her coat. “You still haven’t.”

Link fastened his gear on his back and returned her gaze with a genuine smile. “Happy birthday.”

Zelda sighed. “Thanks. I just hope things go well up there.”

“Everything will be fine,” he said in his best attempt to reassure her.

Together, they faced Mount Lanayru and began the trek up the mountain.

 

It would have been far less tedious if it weren’t for the snowstorm that was brewing as they scaled the mountain. And the higher they climbed, the worse it seemed to get. The wind whipped snow around their faces, and they did their best to bury themselves into their scarves. They huddled together as they stepped through the snow drifts and pushed their way through the freezing winds. Every time Zelda misstepped or slipped on ice, Link was there to catch her and pull her back to her feet. She found herself leaning on him more than she ever had before, but it felt good to have someone to lean on for once in her life.

Time didn’t seem to move at all as they made their way up the mountain. Except for the violent wind and snow, the world around them was still. Nothing beyond the snowstorm seemed to exist. It was impossible to even tell how late in the day it was when all they could see was a sheet of white and grey. The sun was buried behind the clouds and snow and it was likely they would not see it again until they returned to the base of the mountain.

When they finally did reach the spring, the storm had seemed to lessened, perhaps because they were simply above the low hanging clouds. The sky was still grey, but the day was a little brighter without the covering of snow. And the spring, to their relief, was warm enough to let them shed their gear for a moment.

Like she had done at the other two springs, Zelda approached the goddess statue, her hands clasped together as she offered every ounce of energy she had into her prayers, desperately trying to awaken her sealing power. But just as they did at the Spring of Courage and the Spring of power, her efforts proved fruitless. Her prayers remained unanswered and her powers continued to slumber deep inside of her. With no hope left, Zelda fell to her knees and let the tears roll down her face.

She felt Link’s arms around her and she let herself fall against him, burying her face against his chest as she sobbed softly. She hadn’t wanted to break down like that, but in that moment, it was all she could do. She had tried for so long to keep it all together and now all she wanted to do was to give up.

“It’s not over,” Link’s soft voice reminded her. He pressed his forehead against her and tightened his arms around her. “Don’t give up.”

“I don’t know what else I can do,” she sobbed. “Tell me what to do.”

“We get off of this mountain,” Link started. “There’s still time. We can go back to the city. Or we can talk to Impa. Or where ever you want. We regroup, and we try something else.”

“We’re running out of time,” Zelda said.

“We keep trying. We don’t give up.” He pushed her back and let his fingers wipe the tears off her cheeks. “Don’t give up. I won’t let you fail.”

Zelda pinched her lips together and nodded. She let Link pull her to her feet and let him wrap her jacket around her. The snowstorm was still brewing just below, but that would not stop her from getting off that damned mountain.

 

*****

 

The hike down the mountain seemed to go quickly and easier as the storm began to die down. When they reached the bottom, the clouds had parted and the sun was strong and warm against their chilled cheeks. They stood outside of the car and stripped out of their gear, tossing them carelessly into the trunk. Link closed the trunk, then sat atop of it.

“What do you want to do?” he asked Zelda.

The question seemed to resonate heavily in Zelda’s mind, and it made her stomach churn sickeningly. What the hell were they supposed to do now?

One thing she was sure of: she didn’t want to return to the palace. She couldn’t. She couldn’t face her father and tell him that she had failed. Not if she were out of options. But maybe Link was right; maybe Impa would be able to help her. She was the Sheikah leader, after all, and Zelda’s most trusted advisor. After her mother died, Impa practically raised her and aided in her training. There had to be something more she could do, and Impa would be the one to ask.

“I guess we should go to Kakariko,” Zelda said softly. “If there’s any hope left for me, it would be there. Impa will know what to do. She has to.”

Link nodded. He looked out over Hyrule. He could just barely see the palace from where they were. But something didn’t seem quite right about it. The palace… the city… something was… off. He opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment, the ground started to tremble violently. He slid off the car, his gaze fixated on the palace as a dark sort of haze seemed to rise around it.

“What’s going on?” Zelda asked anxiously. She followed Link’s gaze, her heart sinking as she watched the darkness unfold around the city. “Link?” Her voice was desperate. “What’s happening?” She couldn’t take her eyes off of the darkness that continued to swirl about in the air, even as Link pulled her to his side.

Link fumbled for his phone and quickly dialed Daruk’s number. Pick up, pick up, pick up…

As it rang, Link’s mind ran wild. What if they were too late? What if Goron City was under attack? And the Ritos? The Zoras? The Gerudo? They could have been the first to be attacked, shutting down the Divine Beasts, leaving Hyrule defenseless. But they were each prepared for such a tactic, weren’t they? Dammit!

And then Daruk answered. “Link? Are you alright? What’s happening over there?”

Link breathed a sigh of relief. “Daruk. You’re okay?”

“Yes, Link, what’s going on?”

“Ganon,” Link breathed. “I think this is it.”

“What’s the plan?”

“Zelda and I will go to the palace. On my signal, take him out. Tell the others.”

“You can count on us,” Daruk said triumphantly. “Be careful, brother.”

Link ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket. Zelda stood close to him, trembling.

“We can’t do this, Link,” she said softly. “We’re not ready.”

“We don’t have a choice,” he said.

“We can’t do it without my power.”

“We need to stop him before he obliterates all of Hyrule. We’ll figure out the rest later.”

“How are we supposed to stop him?”

“We’ll draw him out. Daruk and the others are ready. With the Divine Beasts and the Guardians on our side, we’ll have no problem taking him out.”

“Okay,” Zelda said, her voice shaking. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

“I’ll do it,” Link said. He grabbed her arm and pushed her towards the car. “You’re staying in Kakariko where it will be safe.”

Zelda pulled her arm out of his grip. “Like hell,” she hissed at him. “We’re in this together. I’m going with you.”

“You’ll just get in the way,” Link growled. “You’re useless to me without that power.”

“My power could awaken at any moment,” she said. “If it does, you’ll want me there.”

“I can’t possibly defend you and command an army,” Link snapped.

“Fortunately for you,” Zelda said, reaching down to pull a handgun out from the hidden holster inside her jeans, “I don’t need to be defended.”

“Where did you get that?” Link hissed.

Zelda grinned at him. “Stole it.”

“You’re not coming.”

“You’re wasting time arguing with me. I’m coming, and that’s an order.”

“I’m the boss.”

“Not of me.”

Link threw his hands in the air and turned away from her. He slid into the car, glaring at her as she slid in beside him. He turned the key in the ignition and gripped the wheel. “Promise me,” he said. “If things get hairy, you get the hell out of there.”

Zelda hesitated, looking him over. “Okay,” she said softly. “I promise.”

 

*****

 

Link sped across Hyrule and towards the city. The war had already begun, and just outside the city, Hyrule’s army fought alongside the Guardians in an attempt to break through Ganon’s defenses and reclaim the city and the palace. But the enemy’s defenses held strong as the strange, dark haze rampaged through the city, destroying everything in its path and turning the city walls to rubble.

But as they neared the battlefield, something else seemed to take shape. Something terribly wrong. As they crested the peak of Whistling Hill, the battle had taken a deadly turn. The Guardians were no longer moving forward in their plan to to infiltrate Ganon’s defenses, but instead had turned against the soldiers who fought alongside the machines. Soldiers scrambled out of the cockpits, some seemingly being ejected violently by the machines themselves. The Guardians turned their deadly blasts onto Hyrule’s army. The soldiers, not quick enough to escape the attacks, nor with any means to protect themselves from such deadly blasts, were quickly annihilated.

Link and Zelda watched in horror as the Guardians wiped out the soldiers en masse. Bodies were strewn across the battlefield as the Guardians marched through their defenses. Bullets ricocheted off of them, hardly making dents in their exteriors. Link turned his gaze to the sky as Ganon’s power struck the land. The darkness swirled through the sky, then shot across in four directions, each attack heading straight for the Divine Beasts that were perched and ready for their assault. The attacks made contact with each of the Divine Beasts, and the familiar blue glow to the machines turned to a wicked red. The beasts, now under Ganon’s control, turned their attacks onto Hyrule, obliterating the land, the towns, and the innocent people who were unfortunate enough to be in their paths.

Homes and towns erupted into flames that engulfed them immediately. The fire burned strong and fierce, even as the clouds rolled in and rain fell heavily around them. The Guardians turned their attacks to the collapsing villages around Hyrule, chasing people out of their homes and destroying them with sickening ease. Their mechanical legs crushed everything in their path as they fired mercilessly at everything in their way.

“No,” Zelda muttered as she watched the events unfold before her eyes. Her gaze was fixed on the Divine Beasts. “What’s happening? No!”

Link threw the car into gear. They, too, had been spotted by the Guardians as they made their way across the rolling countryside. Link slammed his foot against the gas and the tires spun against the wet ground for a moment before catching traction and lurching them forward. He sped towards the pavement and followed the empty road as fast as he could push the car. But the Guardians had closed in quickly and they were preparing their deadly blasts.

“Hang on,” Link warned Zelda, and the car careened off the pavement and across the grass. Behind them, a blast hit the pavement, just missing them by inches.

Link swerved his way across the grass, in and out of trees and through burning towns as the Guardians continued their pursuit. The blasts continued to follow, and to his relief, the gap between them grew. But his momentary victory was soon lost as the ground dropped away to the canyon. He cursed loudly as he spun the car around, drive frantically along the edge, but the Guardians were closing in. Instead of letting them corner him, Link turned the car once more in hopes of flanking them, but they closed the gap quicker than he anticipated, their blasts now coming at them head on.

Link continued to swerve the car, narrowly dodging each blast and the mechanical legs as they neared. The gap between them started to grow once more until they neared a thin forest. He attempted to swerve around the trees, but the tires began to skid and lose traction, and Link lost control of the car. It spun around until they faced the approaching Guardians, and at that moment, one of their blasts landed just on the edge of the car, sending it flipping into the trees, and Link’s vision went dark.

14: 14

It was only a few moments before Link came to. His vision was blurred and his wet hair plastered to his face. The world was full of chaos as he tried to focus his mind, taking in his senses one by one. Thunder rumbled loudly. There was the strange, unfamiliar sound of metal on metal. Something that sounded mechanical. And the distinct sound of crackling flames. He could smell smoke. Burning rubber. He felt wet and warm. He pushed himself up onto his hands and knees and just barely held back the urge to vomit. And then he heard it; a sound he would likely hear many more times through this forsaken war. A sound that made his heart drop and snapped his mind into gear. He scrambled to his feet, looking up and meeting one of the Guardians face on as it prepared its deadly blast.

“Fuck,” he muttered. The Guardian locked on and Link seized the opportunity to jump out of the path of the blast, rolling into the nearby brush. He scanned the area quickly, picking out Zelda’s familiar blonde hair as she lay motionless on the ground, and his heart dropped. For the moment, the Guardians were oblivious to her presence, just on the other side of the burning car.

She started to stir and groan. Her voice was weak as she called to Link, but it was enough to jump start Link’s heart and he snapped into focus.

“Don’t move,” he hissed to her.

But she did not seem to hear him. She pushed herself up and her hands flew to her head. She winced in pain, then opened her eyes. She blinked at the burning vehicle, then looked up at the Guardian that was searching for Link.

“Link?” Her eyes widened with worry, her face pale.

Link darted through the trees, running low, but the Guardian was quick to spot him.

“Come on,” he growled as he ran to her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to her feet. Zelda wavered for a moment, then caught her balance and fell into a sprint behind Link. He stopped suddenly as something else came to mind.

The sword.

“Go,” he shouted to Zelda, pushing her forward. “Don’t stop. I’ll catch up.”

She hesitated for a moment, then continued to run through the trees as Link turned back to the car. He sprinted towards it, dodging the legs of the Guardians as he ran, narrowly missing blast after blast. He threw himself into the burning vehicle, searching for the Master Sword frantically and ignoring the searing pain of the flames that burned his skin. Fortunately, he was able to reach through the broken windows and retrieve the sword, which had fallen onto the roof when the car flipped over.

He backed quickly out of the car, shattered glass tearing at him as he pulled away and hurried to his feet. He dodged another blast with sword in hand and sprinted through the woods once more, but now, Zelda was nowhere to be seen. He pushed himself faster as he ran through the rain until a hand grabbed at him and pulled him into the protection of an oversized rotted log. Zelda pressed him against the wood and let a finger rest against his lips.

They waited with held breaths as the Guardians marched through, neared their hiding spot, and continued onward in search of their prey. Only then did they dare to breathe once more.

“Shit,” Zelda spat. “Fuck.”

“Are you okay?” Link looked her over quickly. There was a good sized cut on her head, but it didn't look life threatening.

“Probably better than you,” Zelda said, pulling his arm towards her. To his surprise, it was burned, bloodied, and muddy. He couldn’t tell where one cut ended and the other began.

And hell, did it hurt. His whole body screamed in pain. His head most of all.

Link pulled his arm away and peered outside, trying desperately to ignore his wounds. The Guardians were out of sight, and he assumed they had returned to the battle.

“What do we do?” Zelda breathed, the adrenaline still pumping through her body. It was all she had to distract her from her own pain.

Kakariko wasn’t far, but it also wasn’t protected like Hateno was. Link was starting to come to the conclusion that Kakariko shared a similar fate as the other towns had. Impa would have known that, and chances are, she would have gone to the protection of Hateno with the Sheikah. Fort Hateno was a strong built fort and was enough to protect the town of Hateno. That’s where they would head. That’s where Zelda would be safe.

“We’re going to Hateno,” Link said. “It’s the safest place with the protection of the fort. And I have a feeling Impa will be there.”

Zelda nodded, too overwhelmed to be able to think rationally on her own. Link knew what he was doing. Link would keep her safe.

Link turned back and met Zelda’s gaze. “Listen,” he started. “Whatever happens out there, do whatever you have to do to get to Hateno, okay?”

“Link…”

Link pulled at her arm, his gaze hard on hers. “Promise me.”

She nodded wordlessly and swallowed back her tears.

Link pulled her out of the protection of the log and they dashed through the trees once more, their feet splashing in the muddy puddles. They ran as far from the battle as they could and didn’t stop until Link lost his grip on Zelda’s wrist and she fell to her knees. Link hurried to her as she sobbed to the ground, the realization of the situation hitting her harder than anything in her life.

“How… How did it come to this?”

Link got to his knees before her, hesitant. He watched Zelda as she started to unravel and in that moment, his own grief settled in his chest, making it hard to breathe.

“The Divine Beasts, the Guardians… They’ve all turned against us. It was Ganon. He turned them all against us!” Zelda looked up and met his gaze with tears in her eyes. “And everyone - Mipha, Urbosa, Revali and Daruk - they’re all trapped inside those things. It’s all my fault!” She buried her face into her hands and sobbed. “Our only hope for defeating Ganon is lost all because I couldn’t find this damned power! Everything - everything I’ve done up until now… It was all for nothing. So I really am just a failure! All my friends, the entire kingdom, my father most of all. I tried, and I failed them all.” Her voice softened. “I’ve left them all to die.”

Zelda fell into Link’s arms, sobbing. He wrapped his arms around her and let his head rest against hers as she cried into his chest. His heart ached at the truth behind her words. His friends were gone. He and Zelda were the only ones left.

“You’re not a failure,” he forced out, pulling her closer to him. “Nothing we could have done would have prevented this.”

“Without my power, Ganon will destroy all of Hyrule. The fight has only just begun, and we’ve already lost.”

Link pushed Zelda away and took her chin in his hands. He gazed deep into her eyes, his brows knit together. “It’s not over. We haven’t lost. We will defeat him. I won’t rest until we do.”

Zelda hesitated as her eyes moved over his body. His burned arms, the blood that continued to seep through his clothes.

“How?” She met Link’s gaze once more, feeling hopeless and defeated. “There’s nothing left we can do. We can’t keep running from those Guardians. They’ll kill you.”

“I have to.” His voice was fierce, but he, too, had started to notice his own wounds. He forced himself not to think about the pain, for it would only hinder him further. “I’ll do anything to keep you safe.”

“You’re no good to me dead!” she barked at him.

“It’s gonna take a lot more than a couple of Guardians to kill me,” Link said as he got to his feet. He pulled Zelda up with him and held her in his arms. “You will be safe with Impa,” he continued, pressing his forehead against hers. “She will be able to help you find your power.”

“You’re not leaving me there,” Zelda muttered, pulling away from him and meeting his gaze. “We have to do this together.”

“I need you to be safe, Zelda. You can’t help me without your power, so you need to be safe until you find it.”

“What about you?” Zelda begged. “I can’t do anything without you. You can’t - you can’t go off and die on me! I need you, Link.”

Link hesitated but did not take his eyes off her. There was no use arguing with her. Not in that moment. They were still exposed and it wouldn’t be long before the Guardians found them. He had to get her safely to Hateno. If there was a chance left for them, it was there.

“I can’t stay with you,” Link said, his voice soft. He took her hands in his. “But I swear on my life I will find you and I will protect you. No matter what happens, I will come for you. Just promise me you will do this. Promise me you will be safe.”

Zelda nodded, her breath caught in her throat. “Promise me,” she said, forcing the words out as her throat tightened. Her vision blurred quickly as the tears pooled in her eyes. “Promise me that you will come back for me.”

Link pulled her to him and pressed his lips against hers. Zelda did not hesitate to return his kiss, pressing herself as close to him as she could. Her body felt so small and fragile against him, and he tightened his arms around her. They stayed like that for what seemed like a long moment until Link pulled away slightly and let his forehead rest against hers. He hesitated, biting his lower lip, his mind racing. He let his fingers brush wet strands of hair out of her face and met her gaze. His heart pulled in his chest for her. How he would do anything for her.

“I will always come back for you,” he said. “I promise.”

15: 15

Fear and adrenaline propelled them forward as Link and Zelda ran across the countryside of Hyrule towards Fort Hateno. To Link’s dismay, however, the fort was just barely holding on in their own battle against the Guardians. The machines were scattered around Blatchery Plain and were moving quickly towards the fort in an attempt to overrun in. The soldiers stationed there stood their ground as the machines approached. Machine guns peppered the air with bullets, but their weapons proved to be useless against the outer skin of the Guardians.

There was no way they’d get to the fort without being seen by the Guardians, which left only one solution: a mad dash towards the fort. Link wasn’t sure how much longer it would hold up to the blasts of the Guardians, but if he could get Zelda through and into Hateno, it would be enough. At the very least, it would offer her a chance to escape before the Guardians got through the fort. And if luck was on their side, she would be long gone before the Guardians reached the town. Impa would keep her safe, he could count on that.

Link pulled Zelda close to him as they stood on the edge of the field, neither of them noticed yet by the Guardians. “Head straight for the fort,” Link said to her. “Don’t stop, no matter what. Don’t stop until you get to Hateno. If Impa isn’t there, keep going. The fort should stand long enough for you to escape.”

“I can’t,” Zelda sobbed.

“You have to,” he hissed. “Don’t let this all be for nothing.”

Zelda swallowed and nodded and Link pulled her once more into a mad dash across the field. It wasn’t long before the Guardians spotted them and turned their blasts onto them, chasing them madly through the field.

Before they knew it, the Guardians had them surrounded, and their blasts came one after another, nearer and nearer to them. They continued to dodge each attack, heading for the protection of some ruins amidst the field. Link pushed Zelda to the ground as another blast came their way and the ground exploded around them, sending debris flying. Link threw himself over her Zelda in an attempt to block the majority of the debris. When it seemed safe, he tried to pull her up with him, but his knees gave way under his own weight.

He pushed the sword into the ground as he struggled to get to his feet once more. His lungs burned with each gasping breath and his head ached and spun sickeningly. His body hurt more than it ever had before, in too many places to count. He winced as Zelda grabbed his shoulder, her voice pleading with him. He could just barely hear her over the roll of thunder. His vision started to darken at the corners and his heart raced. He couldn’t let this be the end yet. Not until Zelda was safe.

“Link, save yourself,” she begged him. His weak, bloodied body trembled with each forced breath he took. She tightened her grip on him desperately. “Go! I’ll be fine! Don’t worry about me! Run!”

Link ignored her and pushed himself onto his feet once more, pulling the sword up with him as he stumbled backwards. He looked up as another Guardian came into sight, its target locking onto them. It was too close to them now - too close for them to escape. But he could at least protect Zelda from its blast. Link straightened as best as he could in an attempt to shield Zelda.

“No!”

But Zelda pushed herself in front of Link in a desperate attempt to save him from death. She threw her arm in the air and at that moment, a blinding light emitted from her palm, shooting across the land. The light stunned the Guardians, freezing them in their assault. Their deadly glows faded and they dropped to the ground.

Zelda watched in shock as the light diminished and the Guardians fell, one by one, their wicked red glows fading once and for all. She lowered her arm and stared at her hand as a piece of the Triforce faded away. She recognized it as the Triforce of Wisdom. “Was... was that... the power…”

She froze, her thoughts cut short as something hit the ground behind her. She spun around to see Link lying on the muddied ground, motionless, and her heart dropped, settling sickeningly in her stomach.

“No… no…” She hurried to his side, falling to her knees in the mud. She put her hands on him, shaking him, her voice pleading with him. “Link! Get up!” She pulled him into her lap as he came to for a moment. She scrambled for her phone, digging it out of her pocket. She could barely see the numbers on the screen through her tears as she dialed. She sobbed into the phone as she ordered for back up and a med flight.

“You’re going to be just fine,” she said as she pocketed her phone. She forced her voice to remain steady, but she didn’t believe her own words. Her heart raced, panicked, as Link met her gaze one last time before closing his eyes with a sigh. His body fell limp in her arms and she cried out to him, but it was useless.

Zelda buried her face against him as she sobbed. Her broken heart threatened to rip out of her chest, if only to find its way into Link to bring him back. She would have done anything to make that possible. She held his hand in her’s, his skin still warm. The rain continued to fall as she pressed her face up against his, her tears falling against his cheeks. She whispered his name over and over and her fingers caressed his cheek. The word was still and quiet around them; as lifeless and defeated as she felt in that moment.

So much so that she almost didn’t notice the soft, pulsing sound that had to have been a result of her grief-stricken imagination. But the sound grew, and it sounded sweet. It wasn’t a pulse, but a voice, calling to her. A voice she did not recognize, but a voice that brought hope to her heart.

She looked up from Link’s chest and noticed, then, the soft blue glow coming from the Master Sword. She stared at in in disbelief as the voice continued to call to her. With each call, the glow pulsed around the sword.

“The sword? So he can… he can still be saved?”

The familiar sound of approaching helicopters caught her attention and she turned her eyes to the sky. She watched as three helicopters closed in, then hovered above them for a moment. Her hair whipped around her face as one of them lowered just yards away from them. Men jumped out before the helicopter even touched the ground, working frantically to come to Link’s aid.

Zelda watched helplessly as they pulled Link away from her. She felt a set of strong arms pull her to her feet. Voices shouted to her. A hard grip tightened around her shoulders. Her shattered heart pulled in her chest as she watched the team pull Link’s body into the helicopter. It didn’t waste a second taking to the air. Zelda forced her gaze off of the helicopter, meeting the concerned gaze of one of the Hylian soldiers. Before them, another helicopter landed.

“Are you alright?” the soldier repeated to her.

She knew in that moment what needed to be done. “Don’t let him die,” she said fiercely. “If he dies, Hyrule will fall.”

“He’s in good hands,” the soldier assured her. “We need to get you to the hospital, too.”

Zelda pulled away, out of his hard grip. “No,” she said quickly. “I’m fine.” She turned her gaze onto the helicopter. “Bring me to the palace.”

The soldier stared blankly at her. “Princess… we’re at war. The palace has been seized.”

“Take me to the palace,” she shouted at him. “I’m the only one who can hold Ganon back until he can be defeated. Without my power, he will completely take over Hyrule. I can hold him back until he is defeated.”

The soldier hesitated. “I can see about getting our troops -”

Zelda shook her head. “No. Don’t waste more lives in this fight. They won’t be able to get through the Guardians, let alone get to Ganon. I can hold him back, but Ganon won’t go down without the Master Sword, and only Link can draw the power from it.” She picked up the sword carefully and held it out for the man to take. “Return the sword to the Great Forest,” she instructed. “Only there will it be safe until Link can return.”

The soldier took the sword, hesitant. It was clear he did not believe Link would survive and he was skeptical of her plan.

“That’s an order,” Zelda hissed.

The soldier nodded. “I don’t know how close we can get you to the palace,” he said to her. “It has been overrun with Guardians and they’ll shoot down our helicopters.”

“Just get me as close as you can,” she said. “I can handle the rest.”

Zelda followed the soldier into the helicopter. She watched the world fall away as they were lifted into the air. She let her gaze settle on Blatchery Plain, an ache in her chest as she watched it grow smaller and smaller until they were high in the air. She turned to the horizon, and in the distance, the darkness that belonged to Ganon continued to swirl about the palace. Her brows knit together fiercely as her eyes settled on the sight. She wouldn’t let Ganon win. She would do everything in her power to stop him.

Her hair whipped about her face as the helicopter brought her towards the palace. She glanced one last time towards Blatchery Plain and Fort Hateno.

Don’t forget to come for me, Link.

16: 16

Open your eyes… Wake up, Link…

 

Link’s eyes flew open, and the world was bright. Terribly bright. He closed his eyes again, his head searing in pain. He opened them more slowly, blinking quickly as his eyes adjusted to the light. And the world took shape around him. A world of white. Of strong, bright lights. He stared at the lights that lined the stark white ceiling. He followed the ceiling with his eyes across the room to the far wall. A plain, white wall.

Link pushed himself upright as his eyes scanned his surroundings. He appeared to be in some sort of hospital room. There was a machine beside him that seemed to monitor him. He followed the wires that came out of the machines and were stuck to his skin all along his body. But, why was he here?

His eyes moved to the door. There were muffled voices coming from outside the room. He strained to hear them, but he could not make out their words. After a moment, there was a pause, and the door opened. A fierce old woman poked her head in first, then made her way to Link’s side. Link watched her curiously.

“You’re awake,” she said simply. “How do you feel?”

Link hesitated. A loaded question. He felt… confused. Who was this woman?

“Do I know you?”

The woman’s eyes widened. She turned on her heels, quicker than Link would have expected from such an old woman, and her gaze narrowed on the nurse who stood in the doorway. “What’s the meaning of this?”

The nurse hesitated, but stepped into the room. She let a light shine in Link’s eyes and he moved away with irritation.

“Do you know your name?” she asked him as she checked him over.

Link hesitated. He didn’t know his name. He didn’t know who he was.

“Snap out of it, Link,” the woman barked at him. She pushed closer to him with fury in her eyes. “Zelda’s stuck inside that palace and she needs your help.”

Link? Zelda?

“Do you know where you are, Link?” the nurse asked.

Link shook his head slowly.

The nurse straightened and turned to the old woman.

“I want answers,” she hissed at the nurse.

“It could be any number of things,” the nurse said. “His injuries were severe. There was a chance there would be some memory loss when he came out of the coma.”

The old woman muttered under her breath. “Leave us,” she said to the nurse. She held her gaze on Link until the nurse left, closing the door behind her.

“You must remember, Link,” the woman pressed. “The fate of Hyrule is in your hands.”

Link stared blankly at the woman. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Hyrule is at war,” she explained to him. “You and Zelda set off to defeat Ganon, but you were severely injured in the process. Zelda went off alone to try to hold Ganon back until you recovered.”

“I… what?”

“Our enemy, Link. Ganon is our enemy. You’ve been working in the Special Forces Unit to try to stop him from taking over. You were entrusted with the duty to protect Zelda and aid her in your mission to stop him.” The woman hesitated, her expression softening. “You don’t remember anything at all? Not even Zelda?”

“No,” Link said simply.

She turned away from him for a moment. “Link. I know this may be difficult for you, but Zelda’s waiting for you. Hyrule is counting on you. We need your help or else we will fall under Ganon’s control.” She looked over her shoulder and met Link’s gaze. “I know I’m asking a lot of you right now, but will you help us?”

Link’s brows knit together. “Are you insane?”

The old woman rolled her eyes and went back to muttering to herself. “Memory or not, you haven’t changed.” She strode across the room and picked up a few items; a cellphone and two guns. She tossed them carefully onto the bed at Link’s feet. “Your stuff.”

“My stuff?” Link stared blankly at the two guns.

“Let’s hope you’re a good a shot as you used to be, hm?”

Link ignored the weapons and picked up the phone. He turned it over in his hands, then turned it on. He wasn’t sure what he expected. Maybe a stray text message or voicemail, but there were no notifications at all. In fact, there wasn’t even service.

“Cell towers are down,” the woman said. “Since Ganon took over the palace, life is a bit more restricted these days. Travel from town to town is dangerous with the Guardians on patrol.”

Ganon, Guardians, Zelda; it was all foreign to Link.

“Think about it,” the woman said as she made her way to the door. “I’ll see if I can get you discharged today.” She held her gaze on Link for a moment before leaving him alone in the hospital room.

Link turned his attention back to the phone and flipped through it absentmindedly. He scrolled through some of the contacts. Daruk, Dorian, Impa, Mipha, Revali, Sidon, Urbosa, Zelda. He didn’t recognize any of the names. Did one of them belong to the woman? What was his relationship to her, anyway?

He gave up with the contacts and tried another route. He opened the photo gallery. It was just as sparse, but he looked through the few pictures that were there. There was an older looking image of what appeared to be a couple with a child. Something about the image convinced him that it was his family. A few pictures clearly had him in them, along with a few others he didn’t recognize. He and a Goron, quite a few of him with a Zora girl. There was an image of a Rito as well with a mustache and horns doodled on his face. Among these were a few of a young woman with blonde hair, and a couple of the two of them together. All friends of some sort (and perhaps one strongly disliked Rito). Friends he could not remember.

He let the phone drop onto the bed. It meant nothing to him. The images, the names - it wasn’t enough to put any pieces of the puzzle together. He couldn’t help but to feel guilty. These friends he once knew, that he could no longer remember, meant nothing to him.

And that woman who expected him to walk out of that hospital and save Hyrule. Who was she kidding?

At that moment, the woman returned. She was speaking as she opened the door and helped herself in. “...good to go tonight.” She met Link’s gaze. “Remember anything yet?”

“I don’t think it works like that,” Link muttered, growing irritated with her impatience. “Who the hell are you, anyway?”

“I’m Impa,” the woman said. “Leader of the Sheikah tribe and Zelda’s trusted advisor.”

“That means nothing to me.”

Impa made a sound through her nose. Her actions and mannerisms since Link woke up were unlike how Link imagined such an old woman to be, and a leader of the Sheikah no less.

“Is this how you normally act?” It was a fairly genuine question.

Impa shot him a glare. “Of course not. But after these last few weeks, I’ve grown rather short. And quite frankly, I’m tired of your attitude. Why couldn’t you have forgotten that?”

“I’m sorry I’m such an inconvenience to you,” Link muttered.

“At this moment you are. You proved useful up ‘til now.” She sat at the edge of the bed and sighed. “I am getting too old for this.” Her hand touched the phone on the bed and she picked it up. The gallery was still open when the phone clicked on, and an image of Link and Zelda was on the screen. It was clear by the image that Zelda had stolen his phone to capture the picture with her outstretched arm. Her eyes were bright with laughter, and though Link’s arms were crossed in the background, he had a smug smirk on his face.

“You don’t remember her at all,” Impa said softly. She smiled down at the picture.

“Who is she?” Link asked curiously.

“That’s Zelda,” Impa informed him. “It seemed the two of you had grown quite close.”

Link let his gaze fall back onto the picture. There was an odd pull in his chest.

“She’s in trouble?”

Impa nodded. “After you fell, she went to the palace to hold Ganon back as much as possible.” Impa hesitated and placed the phone back onto the bed at Link’s feet. “She can’t do it without your help, Link, and she can’t hold him back much longer. Her power is weakening day by day. It’s only a matter of time before Ganon is able to break her seal.” She met Link’s gaze, her eyes full of concern and sadness. “Please help her. Stop Ganon before it’s too late.”

He couldn’t believe he was doing it, but his head nodded, almost on its own. “Okay,” he said softly. “I’ll try.” He supposed it was the least he could do, after all. If everything Impa told him was true, then Zelda was someone very important to him, and she was counting on him to come for her. Oddly enough, he didn’t feel distrustful of the woman, despite everything she had told him and how ridiculous it all sounded. Something in the back of his mind told him he could trust her and that he needed to do this. Besides, without his help, it was likely Hyrule wouldn’t stand for much longer.

A soft smile spread across Impa’s face, erasing her earlier cold, hard expression. “Thank you, Link.”

Link hesitated. “I’m not quite sure what I need to do.”

Impa leaned against the footboard at the end of the bed. “Since you are without your memories, let me fill you in. The history of the royal family of Hyrule is also the history of Ganon, an evil that has endured over the ages. It is fated that history will repeat itself, and that Ganon, a man who holds a piece of the Triforce, will rise over and over again in an attempt to gain the other two pieces and claim ultimate power. And just as Ganon is fated to return, so is it fated that two individuals will rise to seal him away once more. These two individuals are a princess who carries the blood of the Goddess, and a warrior who has the soul of a hero.

“In preparation for Ganon’s return, King Rhoam, knowing the destiny his daughter was meant for, groomed her for the task in sealing away Ganon. It was crucial for Zelda to awaken the Goddess’s power that slept inside of her, so she went through vigorous training through most of her life. Even you, Link, though you did not realize it, were groomed for the task to aid Zelda in saving Hyrule from Ganon’s looming threat.

“You and Zelda came together and worked to activate four Divine Beasts, an ancient technology created by the Sheikah hundreds of thousands of years ago. Along with the Divine Beasts were the Guardians, which were created to work alongside the Hylian soldiers as defenses against Ganon’s army. The power of the Divine Beasts was to be used to help defeat Ganon, allowing you and Zelda an opportunity to stop him and seal him away once more.

“The Divine Beasts were piloted by four individuals we called Champions: Daruk of the Gorons, Mipha of the Zoras, Urbosa of the Gerudos, and Revali of the Rito. These warriors were among the best of their races and were brought into the Special Forces Unit to work with you and Zelda. Together, you were the team that would defeat Ganon and restore peace to our country.

“However, we had underestimated Ganon’s power, and the Guardians and the Divine Beasts were lost to Ganon’s power and the four Champions were killed. They remain under his control, making the country very dangerous. The Guardians patrol the roads and guard the palace where Ganon is locked away. The Divine Beasts wreak havoc over the land, threatening the lives of everyone near them.

“In order to bring Ganon down, the Divine Beasts must be reclaimed from his control. Without them, you likely won’t even be able to get near the palace. You’ll need to free them before you can reclaim the palace and save Zelda.”

“Piece of cake,” Link muttered.

Impa smiled and let her hand rest on Link’s foot. “I’m sure it will be for you,” she said. She stood and her joints cracked. “The road will be dangerous with those Guardians. They’ll come at you with everything they’ve got and they won’t rest until you’re dead or out of their sights. But you’ve outrun them before. I’m sure you’ll be able to do it again.” She picked up the phone and tossed it at Link. “The Divine Beasts are right where they should be. You won’t have a hard time finding them at all. Just look for the large machines causing chaos, hm? But if you get lost, these fancy smartphones have some pretty useful apps.” She scrunched her nose at the device. “They’re beyond me. If you need me, I’ll be back in Kakariko where I have some business to tend to. My army is just about all that remains left to defend Hyrule, so we have our own preparations to make. Oh, and one more thing.” She turned to the table to retrieve one more item.

“This is the Sheikah Slate,” she said as she tossed it to Link. “You’ll probably need this for those Divine Beasts.” Impa made her way to the door, pausing with her hand on the handle. She dug through her pocket and tossed him a set of keys. “Make haste, Link. I don’t know how much longer Zelda will be able to hold Ganon back. And be careful. We can’t afford to lose you, hm?”

17: 17

Link stood outside the hospital with the keys in hand. He clicked the button and searched for the beep that signaled the car was unlocked. He saw the flash of headlights and walked towards the sleek, black car that waited for him in the parking lot. He slid in behind the wheel and sat there for a long moment, staring out the windshield. Finally, he turned the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life.

He pulled up the image of him and Zelda once more, studying it carefully. He was curious to his relationship with the woman. Impa seemed to suggest that they were very close, but how close was that, exactly? That odd feeling in his chest returned, like an ache in his heart, as if his body knew her, but he did not. It pulled to this strange woman, as if it wanted nothing more than to be with her again.

Link tossed the phone against the passenger seat. He decided he would head to Goron City first, to the far north of Hyrule. He still wasn’t quite sure about this mission he was assigned, or how he would even go about regaining control of the Divine Beasts. But Impa seemed confident he would figure out. He just hoped he wouldn’t end up disappointing her. There was a lot riding on his success, after all. No pressure.

Link pulled out of the parking lot and followed the winding road out of the city and onto the highway. He followed the map on his phone, but just as Impa had said, the area was not shy of Guardians patrolling the roads, and they were quick to notice Link, the only vehicle on the deserted roads as no one else dared to travel beyond their homes… or what was left of them.

Fortunately, the car Impa had given him was fast, whether that was intended or not. He had a feeling she made sure to give him the best car available, and he was grateful for that as he shifted into a higher gear. The engine roared as it rocketed down the street, easily outpacing the Guardians. The machines shot their deadly blasts at Link, but their attacks only hit the pavement as Link easily escaped.

As he continued his drive north in a similar fashion, the palace started to come into view. The city below was completely devastated, and a dark haze settled around the palace. But something seemed to keep it contained around the palace. Was it Zelda inside the palace, as Impa had said?

Link’s curiosity was cut short as another wave of Guardians chased him down the road. Their defenses seemed to be heaviest around the city and the palace, and this time, it was not as easy for Link to speed away from them as they swarmed in. He swerved this way and that, turning off the pavement in a desperate attempt to lose them. Though they held strong - and their blasts came dangerously close to the car - Link was able to shake them once more and escape their sights.

His heart raced as he glanced in the rear view mirror. He could tell already that this would get very old, very quickly. How much longer could he narrowly escape their assaults? But they had disappeared from sight once more along with the palace, which was now behind him. All he could do was hope that the rest of the drive to Goron City would be uneventful.

 

 

“We’re going to be working together a lot,” Zelda said. “Might as well get used to it.”

“You don’t sound very thrilled about that.” Link could feel her eyes studying him once more.

“Well, if we’re being honest,” she said, turning her eyes back out towards the horizon, “I don’t appreciate the fact that my father made the newest member of the force my handler.”

“Yeah,” Link muttered. “Must be a real buzzkill.”

“I thought my life was more valuable,” she continued, ignoring him. “Yet, he gives me this inexperienced boy.”

“I’ll remember that if you ever find yourself in trouble.”

Zelda’s eyes moved back to him, then down to the weapon under his arm. “And how proficient are you, exactly, with that weapon?”

“Proficient enough.”

Zelda settled back into the seat, but her stature remained stiff. “That’s reassuring,” she muttered.

“Don’t listen to what any Ritos say,” Link said. “I could out shoot them any day.”

Zelda smirked. “Ritos like Revali? He is a very skilled fighter, you know.”

“Ha.”

“Though he does seem to dislike you.”

“He dislikes anyone who challenges his authority and skill.”

“Not necessarily a bad trait for this kind of job.”

“Well,” Link started. Without realizing it, his grip relaxed on the wheel, though his fingers felt stiff. He stretched them for a moment. “When we get back, you can ask to have Revali as your handler.”

Zelda turned her gaze out the window. “I don’t know,” she said. “He’s a little too arrogant. He’d drive me crazy.”

“Welcome to my life,” Link muttered. He turned off the highway onto the road that wound through the country and up towards the mountains where they would find Goron City.

 

Link recognized the road he was on. It was the most direct route up the mountains and to Goron City. The same one he had seen before. How long ago was that? Six months? Six months ago, give or take, he drove this same road with Zelda beside him. They were headed to Goron City to activate the Divine Beast there.

It was a memory. A vivid memory. He remembered.

He glanced in the rearview mirror once more. Was Zelda really that condescending? Something told him she wasn’t like that; not in the slightest, but it was all he could seem to remember of her. But it was something.

 

*****

 

It didn’t take long to drive up the mountain, and before he knew it, he was in Goron City. High above, sitting on one of the mountain peaks, was the Divine Beast. It climbed slowly over the mountains, its deafening roar a warning to the Gorons below. He pulled to the side of the road and stepped out, his gaze on the Divine Beast. It was massive and intimidating.

“Link,” a voice said from beside him. Across the road, an elder Goron greeted him. “You’re alright.” The Goron moved to Link’s side and let a large hand rest on Link’s shoulder. “We weren’t sure if you had lived,” the Goron continued. “Our communications have been almost entirely cut with Impa since Ganon’s attack. Are you here to help us regain control of Vah Rudania?”

Link stared blankly at the Goron. He hesitated, unsure how to even begin explaining this… situation he had found himself in.

“Look,” Link started. “Impa sent me here to help with the Divine Beast. But… Apparently I’ve been in a coma for the last few weeks and I lost my memories.”

“Oh.” His relieved smile disappeared. “That’s unfortunate,” he said slowly. “I’m the elder of the Gorons, Bludo.” Bludo hesitated. “I suppose, then, you have forgotten Daruk.”

Link shrugged. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Bludo’s eyes were sad. “You two were close friends,” he said with a sigh. “Unfortunately, when Ganon attacked, he used his power to take over the Divine Beasts, and Daruk died trying to keep that from happening. I believe the other Champions suffered similar fates.”

Link shifted uncomfortably on his feet, slowly starting to resent Impa for pushing him into doing this. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

“Just stop Ganon,” Bludo said fiercely. “Take back Vah Rudania and bring that swine to his knees.”

“I’ll do my best,” Link said.

“Yunobo will bring you there,” Bludo said. He indicated to a young Goron further up the road at the split. Following the road to the right would have brought Link into the city, while the left appeared to wind its way up the mountain and likely to Vah Rudania. Yunobo was preoccupied with staring at the Divine Beast between the two roads, his back to them.

Link followed Bludo as he made his way to Yunobo. He called to the young Goron, his voice hinting at irritation just slightly. Yunobo turned to them and, when he saw Link, grinned widely.

“I knew you would come, Link,” he said excitedly. “You’re going to stop Vah Rudania, right?”

“Yunobo,” Bludo said gruffly. “Will you take Link up Vah Rudania?”

Yunobo nodded, still grinning. It was rather alarming to Link to see a Goron grin with such enthusiasm as Yunobo had. Was the young Goron always like that?

“There’s someone… or something... that’s controlling Vah Rudania,” Yunobo informed Link. “I can’t get a good look at it, but it seems that they’re patrolling the area. It doesn’t let anyone get close to it, and sometimes, we can’t even come in or out of the city.”

“How the hell are we supposed to take it back, then?” Link asked angrily. It was starting to sound like he was being sent on a suicide mission.

“It’s easy enough to sneak up on it,” Yunobo said. “I do it all the time. You can climb right up as long as that thing controlling it doesn’t see you.”

“And then what?”

Yunobo blinked at him, his expression suggesting that that was for Link to figure out. He shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said. “Isn’t that your job? To figure that stuff out? Like, kill it or something?”

“Or something,” Link muttered. He rubbed his temple and sighed. “Okay, let’s take care of this or something.”

“Be careful, Yunobo,” Bludo warned him.

Yunobo motioned to Link and Link followed him up the road toward Vah Rudania. Yunobo kept close to the edge of the road as it wound its way up the mountain, pressing his back to the ledge from time to time, but Link, unamused, walked in the middle of the road with reluctance. He gazed up at the Divine Beast as it loomed before them, its back to them. He found himself intimidated by the size of the beast.

 

 

The three of them climbed their way to the top where the control panel stood and Zelda set to work activating it with the Sheikah Slate. Within a moment, the two devices seemed to sync, and Vah Rudania came to life, moving and seemingly stretching its body beneath them.

“Well, whatta ya know,” Daruk said in awe. “To think they had this kind of technology so long ago.”

 

The pain in Link’s chest was like anything he had felt before as the memories of Daruk came rushing back to him. Anything he could recall feeling before, that is. The wound felt fresh and raw in his heart as the pieces came together; their late nights at the bar, his heavy hand coming down on his shoulder, the way Daruk referred to him as ‘brother.’

And his brother was gone. Dead. Murdered.

“Link?” Yunobo was waiting up ahead when he had realized Link had stopped. “You should really be more careful to stay out of sight. If Vah Rudania sees us, we’ll never make it out alive.” Fear flashed in the young Goron’s eyes.

Link’s brows knit together fiercely as he gazed back up at the Divine Beast, then back to the darkness that surrounded the palace in the distance. He would make sure that Daruk’s sacrifice was not in vain, even if it killed him.

There was a deafening roar at that moment, and Link and Yunobo spun around, turning their gazes to Vah Rudania. The Divine Beast had turned itself around and it had spotted them. Its roar bellowed and echoed off the mountains and the ground began to tremble.

“Oh, no,” Yunobo said weakly. His knees began to shake. “Link…”

Link pulled the loaded gun out of its holster, though he still wasn’t quite sure exactly what he was going to do. He ducked low and pulled Yunobo against the ledge in a desperate attempt to stay out of sight.

“Get out of here,” Link growled to him. “Get back to the city. I’ll take care of this.”

Yunobo shook his head. “I can help you get around and on top of Vah Rudania,” he said. He pulled his shoulders back with a proud grin on his face. “And I can help shield you from some of its attacks.”

Link raised a brow at him. “Shield me?” he asked skeptically. “How?”

“Daruk and I were cousins,” Yunobo said. “We share a power that has been passed down over generations.” Yunobo hesitated. “I’m not as proficient at it as he was. I won’t be able to stop Vah Rudania’s more powerful attacks if we get caught up on the ground, but whatever trouble may be waiting on top of it, I can help you with that.”

“You have no clue what’s up there,” Link reminded the young Goron.

“Guess we’ll see soon enough,” he said with a shrug.

The ground trembled once more. There was no time to argue about it. Link sighed. “Fine,” he grunted. “Lead the way.”

Link followed close to Yunobo as he followed the ledge further up the mountain. This time, however, instead of following the road, the Goron cut into a narrow passageway that wound its way along until they were behind Vah Rudania, who was still focused on where it had last seen Link and Yunobo.

When they got close enough, they climbed out of the narrow passage until they were on the same ground as the Divine Beast. Yunobo pointed towards one of the back legs, just behind the tail.

“There,” he started. “That’s how we can climb onto Vah Rudania.”

The Divine Beast let out another bellowing roar in frustration and slowly, it lifted a front leg. Its head turned away from them to the left, then to the right, then back to the left before taking a step, turning its massive, mechanical body around.

Link ran forward, keeping low in hopes of staying out of sight. He ran towards where Yunobo had pointed, not willing to miss his only opportunity to climb aboard the beast. But it moved quicker than he was expecting, and its massive tail moved with it. It dragged heavily and low through the air as it turned, and Link was right in its path.

18: 18

By the time Link came to the realization that he could not outrun or dodge the tail, it was too late. The tail came at him with more speed than he expected, bringing with it a powerful wind. In one last attempt to dodge its blow, he threw himself against the ground. But the tail didn’t make contact with him. Instead, it made an odd clunking kind of sound, as if it had hit some kind of barrier. Link looked up to see Yunobo at his side, and around them a large, round red barrier that acted as a shield. Vah Rudania’s tail had bumped against it and the Divine Beast hesitated for a moment at the surprise of the impact. It let out another roar and Link scrambled to his feet, pulling Yunobo forward before the tail could swing around once more.

Vah Rudania moved quicker as it came to the realization that something was behind it, but Link and Yunobo were close enough to their intended target - its back legs. Link threw himself at the Divine Beast, clinging to the rungs that moved up its leg and pulling Yunobo along with him just as the leg lifted off the ground. They clung to the rungs as it moved through the air and came down hard on the ground once more. The sensation made Link’s stomach churn sickeningly, but he pulled himself up to the next rung quickly, scaling the Divine Beast until they reached the top. Link pulled himself up, then turned to help Yunobo shuffle up.

Link straightened, taking a moment to balance himself as Vah Rudania continued to move beneath them, and took in his surroundings. In the middle of the Divine Beast’s back he recognized the control panel. Zelda had used the Sheikah Slate to activate it before. Would it be as simple as that?

Link’s answer came to him, first as a bellowing shriek, then as a tall, fiery phantom fast approaching them. A Fireblight. It wasted no time hurling its attacks at Link and Yunobo. Massive fireballs soared through the air before Link could react, but they bounced off the red shield that Yunobo pushed up around them.

“Th-that’s it,” Yunobo said, shaking. Link could sense the shield around them growing weaker as a result of Yunobo’s fear. “That’s the thing I saw.”

The Fireblight, angry that its attackers were so easily deflected, screamed as it rushed at them. It threw its body at them before shooting up into the sky, causing Yunobo and Link to stumble backwards from the force. The round shield dissipated around them and the Fireblight circled around to rush at them once more.

This time, Link took aim with his gun. His arms shook for a moment until he wrapped his finger around the trigger and a sense of familiarity came rushing back to him. He was no longer afraid of the weapon, or even doubtful in his abilities for that matter. His arms were still and his breathing steady and for a moment, the world seemed to fall still and silent. The Fireblight neared, and he fired off three consecutive shots with ease. Each shot met its target, ripping through the flesh of the creature. It shrieked in agony and plunged down onto Link. Once more, Yunobo’s shield flew up around them and the Fireblight bounced off of it.

It shook its head as if to orient itself, but instead of plunging at them once more, it stood in the air and gathered a large fireball in its palm. It grew and grew, red hot flames licking the air threateningly. The Fireblight threw the fireball forcefully towards them, and both Link and Yunobo threw themselves away from the attack. The fireball landed between them in a fiery explosion. Link scrambled to his feet, sprinting across the Divine Beast in an attempt to avoid any debris and ash from the blast. He readied his gun and once more took aim at the Fireblight in the sky. He shot off three more rounds, but this time the phantom anticipated his attacks and was quick to dodge, only one of the bullets ripping through his flesh. But it was enough to bring it down, screaming in agony as it landed across from Link. Its body shook as it screamed, and Link reloaded his gun for the final kill, but the Fireblight had one last trick up its metaphorical phantom sleeve.

A large, round, fiery force field of sorts, similar to Yunobo’s red shield, erupted around the Fireblight, and it shot up into the sky once more. Link followed it with his gun, peered down the sight, and shot off a round, but the bullet only ricocheted off the blazing shield. The Fireblight zig-zagged through the air for a moment, positioning itself across the Divine Beast, and the shield disappeared. It began to collect more energy in its palm, summoning another fireball. Link didn’t waste a second searching for somewhere to shield himself from the fiery blast, and as the fireball was hurled down towards him, he dove behind one of the pillars on Vah Rudania’s back.

Though the pillar was wide and sturdy, the flames from the attack licked around it and he threw himself away from the searing heat. He scrambled to his feet, spinning around once more to see the Fireblight’s fiery shield rise to his defenses once more, making Link’s shots useless. He cursed under his breath as the Fireblight zig-zagged through the air once more to position itself for its next attack.

Yunobo rolled to Link’s side, panting, and pulled at Link’s arm. “It drops its shield to attack,” the young Goron said. “That’s your chance. Get him when he drops his defenses and before he can hurl that fireball at us.”

Link looked up at the blight as it settled into position, and once more, it dropped its shield and started gathering energy for another attack. Link muttered to himself; it was so easy to predict, he felt like an idiot for not noticing sooner. He took aim as the fireball grew in the phantom’s palm and fired off three more shots. The fireball exploded in the blight’s hand and it fell to the ground once more shrieking in agony.

“Get it!” Yunobo shouted.

Link emptied the rest of the bullets in the gun on the blight and its screamed bellowed and bounced off the mountains around them. It withered and screamed before finally exploding before them. Yunobo raised his shield around them as the embers scattered in every direction, and then the world fell silent.

“We did it!” Yunobo cheered, but his grin disappeared when Link narrowed his eyes disapprovingly at him. “You did it,” Yunobo said. The smile returned. “I knew you could it. We Gorons owe you our thanks!”

Link pocketed his gun and pulled out the Sheikah Slate. “Don’t mention it,” he muttered. He moved towards the control panel, his eyes moving from it to the slate in his hand, then back to the panel. With a shrug, he placed the slate on the panel, and the wicked red glow faded into a cool blue. Vah Rudania’s roar echoed throughout the land as it settled down and rested against the mountain side with an almost animalistic and calm sigh. Link removed the slate as Yunobo stood a his side. He peered at the control panel curiously.

“So, this is Vah Rudania,” Yunobo said with admiration. “Daruk always seemed to like being up here. He knew just what to do with Ganon attacked.”

“Well,” Link started. “This war isn’t over with. Someone will need to man Vah Rudania when the time comes to defeat Ganon.” He turned his gaze to Yunobo and raised a brow. “You up for the challenge?”

Yunobo blinked at Link, his expression blank. “Me?” He thrust a thumb into his own chest.

“No one else knows it like you do,” Link said.

Yunobo turned his gaze to the horizon, hesitant. “I will make Daruk proud,” he said, placing his hands on his hips. “I will gladly serve with you, Link.” His eyes met Link’s. “Just… no Fireblights, right?” Daruk’s death was obviously still fresh in his mind.

“I promise,” Link said in his best attempt to reassure the young Goron. “Ganon won’t be getting at the Divine Beasts again.”

This seemed to satisfy Yunobo and the smile returned to his face. “Vah Rudania and I will be waiting for your command.”

 

*****

 

“Thank you for stopping Ganon’s blight, Link,” Bludo said. “It would have turned Vah Rudania against us. We are in your debt.”

Link leaned against the open door of his car. He turned his gaze to the Divine Beast that was perched atop the mountain. It no longer threatened Goron City and waited for further command from its new Champion, Yunobo.

“Where are you going now?” Yunobo asked.

“Looks like I’ve got three more of these things to reclaim,” Link said. “Next up is Vah Medoh.”

Bludo’s eyes were soft. “Daruk did not go down easily,” he said. “I’m certain the other Champions fought valiantly as well. Ganon won’t get away with this. Be careful out there, Link.”

Link nodded to Bludo as he slid into the car, closing the door with him. He winked at Yunobo who waved excitedly at him, then pulled away from Goron City, back towards Hyrule.

His eyes glanced over the map on his phone, then across Hyrule as he descended the mountain. The easiest way to Rito Village would like be to take the northern route, behind the palace and the city and around that way. It avoided the main interstate, which Link hoped would mean avoiding some of the Guardians.

To his relief, his prediction was correct. Away from the city, on the lesser traveled roads, the Guardian presence proved not to be as heavy as it was around the city. Which meant for fairly smooth sailing across Hyrule. From time to time, he ran across a stationary Guardian, and while some of these seemed to be inactive, others lit to light as they sensed his presence. But Link was able to out drive the machines with ease, dodging their blasts and continuing on his way.

It was late in the night when Link decided to stop. He pulled off the road, hoping to keep out of sight of any unexpected Guardians. He put the car into park in a thick covering of trees, cut the engine, and slunk back into the seat with a sigh. He pulled his sleeves up and inspected the burns on his arms. They didn’t seem to be as bad as they felt. He pushed the seat as far back as it would go, laying down and staring up at the ceiling. It was much too dark to see anything. The streetlights on the roads did not work, and there was no moon out to provide any relief from the darkness. So when the roof of the car suddenly seemed to glow with a blue light, Link’s heart jumped into his throat until he realized that the source of the light came from his phone.

He pulled himself upright and peered at the phone. Something had woken it up and turned the screen on, but he wasn’t quite sure what that was. There was no text message, no incoming call, no notification of any sort. Except for something in the top corner of the screen. Something that flashed for a moment, then remained still. Two weak bars indicated that the phone had located service from a working cell tower somewhere. No longer was there a line through it with the words ‘No Service’ across the top.

Link looked around, as if expecting to see something in the darkness of night, but he could not make out any sign of life, and certainly no nearby cell tower. Regardless, there was service in that area. He wasn’t sure exactly what that meant, but it brought a feeling of hope in his otherwise dark and memoryless life.

19: 19

It was midday when Link finally arrived at Rito Village. He had driven straight through the morning, watching the cell service from time to time. It only got stronger as he neared the town, and working cell towers loomed in the distance. He was greeted by the Rito Elder, Kaneli, who seemed to be expecting Link’s arrival.

 

 

“I could smell that horrible thing from a mile away,” Revali said, making a face at the car.

Link leaned against the hood, his arms crossed. “Funny, I was just about to say the same thing about you.”

“Link,” Zelda warned.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you over that obnoxious engine. Which I also heard from a mile away.”

“You must hear that a lot considering any vehicle could out drive you in flight.”

Zelda shook her head, her fingers on her temples.

Revali leaned forward, making sure to get in Link’s face. “I don’t need speed when I have deadly accuracy with a weapon.”

“Are you finished?” Zelda muttered, but still, she was not heard.

“You’re all talk,” Link said. “But I have yet to see you backup your claims.”

Revali’s beak turned up in a sly smile. “How about a little wager, then? We’ll settle this once and for all. But, where?” He stroked his chin thoughtfully as he straightened and paced about. His eyes widened as if struck by an idea. “Well, how about up there?” He pointed a wing towards the Divine Beast that perched on top of the mountain. “Atop Vah Medoh. Oh, wait.” He laughed lightly. “How could I forget? You have no way to get up there on your own, now, do you?”

 

Kaneli was not Revali. He was much older and, in turn, wiser, reserved, polite. Not an arrogant jerk. There were no pictures of Kaneli with horns doodled on his head.

Still. Revali was a strong, brave warrior, loyal to the bone, and a true example of the Rito and their ancestors. There was no doubt in Link’s mind that he didn’t give up Vah Medoh easily. He was stubborn, and he likely fought until his dying breath. And that familiar pain crept into Link’s chest. Another comrade gone.

“My scouts saw you coming,” Kaneli said as he welcomed Link and guided him through town. The Rito, being a bird-like race, preferred to live in a way that was more natural to them, which meant that Rito Village was set in high elevations. Link had driven as far up the mountainside as he could until the path brought him across bridges that wound their way further up and across to other ledges where their homes and businesses resided. Link and Kaneli walked across these bridges, though most of the Ritos flew over the large town to their destinations.

“We’re fortunate to be able to take to the sky, keeping us out of sight of the Guardians,” Kaneli continued. “My scouts have been the only way we have been able to communicate with everyone else in Hyrule. They’ve even been able to restore some of the cell towers in the area. At this rate, they just have the eastern side of the country to restore, which should greatly help us in this war we’ve fallen into.” He pointed a wing to a tall, pillar like structure in the distance. Floating just above it was Vah Medoh, its large head turning this way and that as it inspected the area below.

“Vah Medoh has been keeping close tabs on us,” the Rito Elder said. “As the other Divine Beasts are, it seems. Despite that, they are large and flawed, and it has been easy enough for us to get by unseen, for now.” He turned his gaze on Link and smiled. “I know you were able to reclaim Vah Rudania, so you should have no problem with Vah Medoh.”

Link shrugged and turned his gaze to the Divine Beast. “Sure,” he started. “If I can figure out a way to get up there.”

“Teba can help you,” Kaneli said. “He’s the only one of my soldiers who has been able to get near enough to the Divine Beast. He’s tried to reclaim it himself, but without much luck. It won’t be an easy task; Vah Medoh attacks anything that gets near it.”

“Of course,” Link muttered. He shoved his hands in his pockets. “We’ll figure it out.”

Kaneli let a wing rest on Link’s shoulder. “I know memories evade you, Link,” he said. “I appreciate all you have been doing for us, even before this war started.”

Link hesitated, unsure how to respond to the elder, but to his relief, Kaneli didn’t wait for a response.

“You’ll find Teba at the Flight Range,” he said to Link. “He’ll take you up to Vah Medoh.”

 

*****

 

To no surprise, Link found Teba at the Flight Range, just as Kaneli said. And like Kaneli, Teba seemed to have been expecting Link, though he was less than thrilled to see him. He was cleaning his own weapons when Link approached, and he started speaking without so much a greeting.

“I hope you brought your A game,” Teba said without turning around.

“Actually,” Link started. “I left it back in the car.” He threw his thumb back. “Should I grab it?”

Teba was not amused. He peered over his shoulder at Link. “I’m in no mood for your sarcasm, Link.” He straightened and turned to face Link. He looked him up and down quickly. “Is it true, then? You have no memory of anything that has happened?”

“Some of it’s coming back,” Link said. “I remember why I drew devil horns on a picture of Revali.”

Teba couldn’t help the grin that split his face. “You two always did butt heads.”

“I know,” Link said. “I remember that.”

Teba turned back to his weapons and pocketed them in the holsters under his wings.”I don’t know how much help I can be for you,” Teba admitted. “I can get you up there, but Vah Medoh will not hesitate to try to shoot us down.”

Link shifted his weight on his feet and folded his arms across his chest. He raised a brow at Teba. He remembered the Rito; a soldier much more reserved than Revali, but just as loyal and dedicated to his job. And he knew that Teba already had a plan in mind. “So,” Link started. “What’s the plan?”

Teba turned his gaze to Link and his grin returned. “There are four turrets on the outside of Vah Medoh,” he explained. “That’s what it uses to attack us when we get too close. It also has a force field to protect itself. If we can take out the turrets, it will also destroy the force field and we’ll be able to land on top of it.”

“Doesn’t sound too bad,” Link said.

“I didn’t get to the bad part.”

Link rolled his eyes. “Hit me.”

“The turrets act similarly to the Guardians,” Teba said. “Which means that they’ll lock on to a target in its sights before shooting. Once it locks on, you have to act quickly or get caught by its attack. The only way you’ll be able to get a clear shot is if I act as distraction. I can get it to lock on to me and dodge it no problem. That will be your chance to take out the turret.”

“I’m a decent shot,” Link started. “But I don’t think I can keep myself steady while you’re flying through the air and get an accurate hit on those turrets.”

“Of course not,” Teba said as if his plan should have been obvious to Link. “The only way you’ll get a good shot is if you jump off my back and shoot at it.”

Link stared at Teba blankly for a moment. “You’re not kidding,” he finally muttered.

“Don’t worry,” Teba said. “I’ll catch ya.”

Link narrowed his eyes at the Rito. This had to have been the stupidest plan in the history of Hyrule.

“Do you have a better plan?” Teba inquired.

Link looked up at Vah Medoh, still looming above them, and sighed. “So help me, Hylia,” he muttered, turning his gaze back to Teba. “If I go down, I’m bringing you with me.”

 

*****

 

It took every ounce of will for Link not to grip Teba’s feathers as they soared through the air. Of all the things he had encountered before - Guardians, Divine Beasts, Yiga Clan soldiers, and even Ganon himself - being so high in the sky without the safety of a wall was the most terrifying thing he had ever endured. He was certain Teba could feel him shaking pathetically as they climbed higher and higher, but if Teba had noticed, the Rito never mentioned it to Link. Instead, he was focused on their task in getting aboard Vah Medoh, and he was busy reviewing the details with Link once more. When he finished speaking, he looked over his shoulder at Link.

“Got this?”

Link sucked in a breath and pulled out his gun. It was already loaded and ready to go. “Yeah,” he said, forcing his voice to remain steady. “Piece of cake.”

He didn’t have much of a choice because at that moment, Vah Medoh had spotted them, and it roared angrily. Its red shield wrapped around, protecting it, and the turrets came out of its body.

“It’s go time,” Teba said. “Once that target locks on to me, take it out. If you wait too long, you’ll miss your chance.”

Teba swooped down towards Vah Medoh, aiming for the first turret near its beak. He flew by it, he and Link watching carefully as the turret moved around before locking on to its target and following the Rito through the air. That was his cue.

Link threw himself off of Teba before his brain had a chance to talk his body out of it, but the rush from the fall was greater than he had expected and his stomach dropped sickeningly. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the gun with both shaking hands, barely getting off a shot, but it missed his target by an embarrassing distance.

Link felt sharp talons rake at his back and he was jerked back up into the sky. Teba flapped his wings hard as they accelerated away from Vah Medoh.

“Fuck,” Link muttered. That did not go as he had planned. He shimmied angrily under Teba’s grip.

“Get it together,” Teba growled to him.

“I got it,” Link shouted up at him. “Let go of me.”

And to Link’s surprise, Teba did, and he fell once more down towards the Divine Beast. Teba swooped down and around him, taunting Vah Medoh and it locked on to the Rito once more. But this time Link knew what to expect, and he was better prepared for the sensation of the fall. He forced himself to focus on his target, taking aim and pulling the trigger. This time, his shot hit, and the turret exploded.

Link fell against Teba’s back, clinging to his feathers as Teba shot upwards and around the Divine Beast to the next turret.

“Yes,” Teba cheered triumphantly. “That’s it. Three more.”

“Three more,” Link muttered as he readied his next shot.

And the process repeated. Teba swooped in around Vah Medoh until a turret locked on to him and Link leapt into the air, firing two more shots. One of them hit, and the second turret erupted. Once more, Teba caught Link as he fell, circled back around, and aimed for the third turret. It took another two shots, but the third turret was taken out, and with Link’s last shot, the forth turret met the same fate.

Vah Medoh’s roar echoed through the valleys and its red force field dropped, allowing Teba and Link to board the Divine Beast. Teba swooped down, circling for a moment before landing on the tail end. Link slid off Teba’s back and worked quickly to reload his weapons. If it was anything like Vah Rudania, there would be a blight somewhere aboard Vah Medoh, and it wouldn’t hesitate to attack them as soon as it saw them.

Link looked around them quickly, taking in the sights. The back of Vah Medoh was fairly open, but Link could easily pick out the control panel towards the middle of its back. Beyond the control panel, near the Divine Beast’s head, were a circle of tall pillars, and coming through those pillars was the Windblight that occupied Vah Medoh. It shrieked at the sight of Link and Teba and disappeared in a flash.

Link held up his gun, moving erratically around in search for the phantom, and it appeared just inches above his head with another loud scream. But Teba lurched forward, throwing Link to the ground as the Windblight shot at Link with its turret styled weapon. The shot exploded as it hit the ground, just missing them by inches. Teba pulled Link back onto his feet and they broke into a sprint across Vah Medoh.

“Get on,” Teba shouted at Link. “We’ll have a better chance if we can get above it.”

Link didn’t argue, and he leapt onto Teba’s back just as he pushed off into the air, his wings flapping hard as they gained altitude. Below them, the Windblight shrieked and disappeared, and when it appeared again, it was just yards in front of Link and Teba.

Link fired off three rounds quickly before the Windblight could attack. All three of his shots hit their target, ripping through the Windblight just as they had done with the Fireblight. The phantom fell to the ground, crashing against the pillars, and Teba swooped in quickly as Link fired off another set of rounds. Teba pulled up quickly as the Windblight regained itself and Link took the opportunity to reload his gun.

But when the Windblight took to the air once more, it had traded its turret styled weaponry for something much more deadly. Like the Guardians, it locked on to Teba and Link and fired a deadly, laser like blast at them, catching both of them off guard. Teba dove to the side in an attempt to dodge the attack at the last minute, but the force of his maneuver threw Link off his back and plummeting towards the ground.

Link landed on the hard floor, his body skidding across. The force knocked his gun out of his hand and the wind out of his lungs. He fought against his darkening vision and waited for the spinning to cease. But when he was finally able to focus himself, the Windblight was just inches above him, and it had locked on to him.

20: 20

A blur of white swooped down and Teba threw himself against the Windblight, knocking it to the ground and sending its prepared laser attack shooting across the sky. Link shot twice more at the blight as it lay stunned on the ground. One of the bullets hit, but it dodged the second as it stood up once more, shrieking in agony. It was slower now and growing desperate. It prepared another attack, this time firing rapidly like a machine gun at Link and Teba.

They ran across the Divine Beast once more, ducking behind one of the pillars in an attempt to avoid the attacks. The bullets stopped and the blight returned to its laser attacks, blasting the pillar away. Link and Teba ran from the debris of the blast and Teba pulled Link onto his back once more as he took to the sky. The Windblight wasted no time teleporting above them, another deadly blast locked on to them. But this time, before Teba could think to dodge the blast, Link lept off of his back and onto the Windblight, clinging to its legs.

The blight shrieked and tossed itself around in an attempt to dislodge Link, but he clung on and fired two more shots up at the phantom. The Windblight screamed as it plummeted once more to the ground, and Link held on as it crashed against the ground. It did not hesitate to prepare one last blast, but this time, Link took hold of its arm and forced it backwards, twisting it around as the blast let loose. The blast hit the Windblight square in its head, cutting its screams short as its head exploded. Mechanical debris and a strange, dark haze flew in every direction and the blight fell limp, defeated.

Link pushed himself to his feet and leaned against his knees as he fought to catch his breath. At the corner of his eye, he saw Teba land beside him and grunt at the corpse of the blight.

“That was ballsy,” Teba said with approval.

“Yeah,” Link said between breaths. “No shit.” He straightened, pocketed his gun, and turned his gaze to Teba. It was then that he had noticed the scorch mark down the side of Teba’s body. He opened his mouth to say something, but Teba cut him off.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said quickly, waving a wing at Link and turning around with a slight limp. “Let’s just get out of here.”

“You’re not gonna leave me up here, are you?”

“If you don’t hurry up, I will,” Teba warned him. “It does hurt, you know.”

Link rolled his eyes and jogged to the control panel, pulling the Sheikah Slate out of his pocket and placing it against the panel. It pulsed a cool blue light for a moment and Vah Medoh let out a life-like sigh. Its screams turned into a more melodic kind of screech and it perched upon the tall pillar above Rito Village.

Two down, two to go.

Link tucked the slate in his pocket and hurried to the edge of Vah Medoh where Teba waited. He climbed as carefully as he could onto his back and they took flight, making their way down into town.

 

*****

 

Teba, a newly appointed Champion, did not let Link leave without stocking his car up with gear. He filled the trunk with additional ammunition, for Link’s guns and for a few additional pieces that lay across his back seat, courtesy of the grateful Ritos. Along with these weapons were some knives, a box of C4, and of course a few snacks for his drive. Besides a quick bite in Goron City before he left, he couldn’t remember the last time he had eaten, and his stomach was definitely complaining about that.

He tossed some chips in his mouth as he drove south towards Gerudo Desert. Once more, he opted to avoid the main interstate as much as possible, taking the long way around in hopes of avoiding as many of the Guardians as possible. The road moved up and down over the rolling hills of the countryside, and he noticed a few shrines in the distance as he drove.

 

Zelda mused over the shrine. She held the Sheikah Slate in her hands, peering at it curiously before attempting to place it on what seemed to be the control panel just outside. Unlike the Divine Beasts, however, the slate did not seem to activate it in any way. She was muttering to herself as Link got out of the car. He closed the car door which caught her attention, but she only seemed aggravated with him.

“Let me guess,” she started, her hands on her hips. “My father sent you after me.”

Link opened his mouth to speak, but Zelda cut him off angrily.

“I bet he told you I was off doing some silly research project like I’m some dumb schoolgirl. If it doesn’t have anything to do with this stupid power or a damn war that hasn’t even started, he doesn’t want me doing it. But I’ll have you know that there’s more to these shrines than people realize. They’re part of the ancient Sheikah technology, too, so they must be important, and I’m going to figure it out.” She turned on her heels abruptly and collected the slate from the pedestal. “I just don’t know why the slate isn’t responding to it. I cannot get them to open no matter what I try!”

Link hesitated, unsure of what to say to comfort her. But mostly, he didn’t want her going off on some rant. “Maybe you just need-”

“What I need is for everyone to stop breathing down my neck!” She pocketed the slate and turned to Link angrily. “Stop following me! I don’t need any guards or escorts and I don’t need you. Got it?”

“I don’t think you have a choice in that matter,” Link said crossing his arms.

Zelda ignored him as she walked towards her car. She slid in the driver’s seat, closing the door hard as she did so, and turned the key in the ignition. Without hesitation, she threw the car into drive and peeled away from the shrine and back onto the road heading towards the highway.

 

Link slunk into his seat. While his memories of the Champions had come back to him suddenly, one by one, the ones with Zelda were more sparse, and he couldn’t quite fit the pieces together. So far, all he knew was that he was entrusted with the task as her handler to work with her to prevent Ganon from starting a war. And that she was kind of a bitch.

Still. For reasons he didn’t understand, he felt drawn to her. With any luck, more memories would come back to him and complete the mysterious puzzle that was his life.

 

*****

 

To Link’s fortune, the drive to Gerudo Desert was fairly uneventful. Except for the stray Guardian patrolling the back roads, Link had no other encounters, deadly or otherwise. Hyrule seemed lifeless. Cities and towns lay in ruins, and the ones that somehow managed to remain standing were heavily guarded, makeshift walls built around them in hopes of keeping Ganon’s forces out. No one dared leave the protection of the walls, and they were even more hesitant to let unfamiliar people in, including the remaining Hylian soldiers. Despite that, Link had managed to find a bed to sleep in for the night instead of his car, and he arrived at a small town just outside of Gerudo City early the next afternoon.

And that’s where his fortune ended as he was stopped by two Gerudo soldiers.

“What business do you have in the desert?” one of the tall, dark skinned women asked him. Her gaze was fierce.

Link flashed his badge at them. “I hear you have a pest problem,” he said.

The two Gerudo exchanged unamused glances. “If you’re referring to Vah Naboris,” the soldier continued, “pest is an understatement.”

“Are you going to let me through to get to it?”

“That depends,” the second woman said. She popped out a hip and placed her hand atop it. “Do you have a death wish?”

“Vah Naboris has been possessed by Ganon,” the first explained. “It has whipped up a sandstorm that threatens to overtake the city and won’t let anyone near it. If we are fortunate enough to penetrate the storm, it attacks us with lightning.”

“Look,” Link started. “I’ve reclaimed two of these Divine Beasts already. I’m under order to reclaim them all so we can end this war. Are you going to let me through or not?”

“We have our own orders, Link,” she snapped at him. “Riju, the leader of the Gerudo, has ordered that no one enter the desert without her approval.”

Link sighed and rolled his eyes. “Then get me approval.”

“Fine,” she said. “I suppose I cannot deny you that. But even if Riju lets you in, I can assure you that you will be unable to reach Vah Naboris. You will die before you get within one hundred yards of it.”

“Let me talk to Riju.”

The Gerudo shook her head. “You should know, Link, that voe are not allowed in the city.”

“We will let her know that you are here,” the second woman said. “If she wishes to speak with you, she will come to you. For now, you can stay in town here.”

Link narrowed his eyes at them. “Don’t keep me waiting too long,” he said. “I have a war to end.”

The two Gerudos stepped aside allowing Link to enter the small town. He found his way to the inn on the other side of town and parked in the small lot. Outside, the wind picked up, and he turned his gaze across the desert to where a sandstorm kicked up. He could hear the distant roar of Vah Naboris, hidden by the wall of sand that surrounded it.

Rather than see if he could get himself a room, he walked anxiously about the town. A few smaller memories dribbled back to him as he walked about, and he realized the town was very different from what he had remembered it to be; a place where people all over Hyrule had come to enjoy the desert heat, like a sort of vacation spot. But now, only Gerudo women and children occupied the town, and very few of them dared to even venture down the road to Gerudo City for fear of Vah Naboris.

Link wandered aimlessly around until he found himself back at the inn. He trudged back over to his car and checked his phone. It had been a couple hours since he had arrived, and he wasn’t sure how long it would take to hear from the two Gerudos, if he would hear from them at all.

“It’s about time our hero showed up.”

Link turned to the sound of the voice. At the edge of the parking lot stood a young Gerudo. Her red hair was pulled up, but draped over one shoulder, and there was a sort of crown on her head. She was much shorter than the other Gerudo, but her stance told Link she was just as fierce and full of sass. She had her hand on her hip, the other raised in the air in a pose that screamed “what gives?” to Link. Behind her stood the two Gerudo soldiers Link had spoken with earlier.

She strode across the parking lot as she spoke. “I got word from one of the Ritos that you were heading this way. Seems you’ve been pretty successful with those Divine Beasts.” She leaned against the car when she reached it and threw her chin in the direction of Vah Naboris. “Up for another challenge, then?”

“Riju, I presume,” Link said with a raised brow. “How kind of you to speak with me.” He was only slightly sarcastic in that comment.

Riju grinned up at Link. “I like you,” she said. “Urbosa was right about you.”

“Oh, yeah?”

Riju nodded. “I may not be my sister, but she was my sister. Her friends are my friends.”

Link offered her a smile, unwilling to admit to her that he had know idea who Urbosa was. Riju was spunky though, and pretty. And like all the other Gerudo, she wore very little, leaving plenty for Link’s imagination.

He cleared his throat and forced himself to keep his eyes on her. “So, Vah Naboris,” he said. “How can I get to it?”

“You can’t,” Riju said with a grin. “Not without my help, anyway.”

Link raised a brow at her. He had a feeling that she would not take kindly to Link’s chivalry; she would not allow him through unless she were with him. “So, are you going to help me?”

Riju rolled her eyes up in thought. She put a finger to her still smiling lips, then met Link’s gaze and held a hand out as she spoke. “I guess I can,” she said playfully. “Under one condition.”

“And what’s that?”

“I’m driving your car.”

Link glanced at the car, hesitant.

“Is there a problem?” Riju said, her eyes narrowed at him. She leaned forward with her hands on her hips.

Link shook his head quickly. “No. Of course not. But… it’s a fast car.”

Riju grinned. “I know. I like it. Are those the kinda toys you get to play with when you’re in the SFU?” She stepped around Link and peered into the tinted windows. “What other cool stuff you got in there?”

“Nothing for you,” he muttered.

“Is that an AR?” She pressed her nose against the window.

“You can drive, but that’s it.”

Riju turned and grinned at him. “Good, because I know my way around Vah Naboris better than anyone. You’ll want me behind the wheel if you want to get aboard in one piece.”