Rainworks LoZ

"If you keep staring like I'm an animal in a zoo, I'm going to charge you five rupees."

White stars erupted in Zelda's vision when she startled and thrust her head out of Link's lap. The tight quarters ensured that her violent movement bashed her head into the nearest steel wall. She groaned in pain and humiliation before setting her head right back where it started. Link gave her an awkward pat on the head which only made the shame worse.

"Come on, Lieutenant. Let's see what's out there today." He said bracingly.

They awkwardly disentangled their limbs and Zelda spent a moment adjusting her clothing and Link's bandana back into something resembling respectable. It was obvious that she had spent the night on the floor with a man.

Link had immediately began peering out the repaired periscope and nodded to himself in satisfaction. He cautiously opened the hatch just enough to allow his head to pass and gave a full circle survey of the landscape.

"Seems quiet, ma'am. We should be able to step out for a bit safely. Inspect the exterior and try to get this thing going."

"Ok, the gas gauge is nearly empty so we'll need a refill before we head out."

Link nodded again and grabbed his rifle before pulling himself out the hatch. Zelda heard a few scuffling noises before "Clear!"

She pulled out after Link and began sifting through the supplies strapped to the M4A2. No extra fuel.

"Damn Zora. Can't they keep supplies on hand? Sargent, any ideas?"

She glanced at Link who was gazing at a tank about a half kilometer away. Dammit. He was probably right that it was the only option.

"Ok, I see it, Sargent. You go for that one and I'll head to the one in the east. One of us will probably get lucky and find something. Meet back here in twenty minutes."

They both took one last look around for the enemy before heading out. Zelda breathed a small sigh of relief that her direction was slightly less trampled and there were fewer red stains on the ground. She was still careful with unfamiliar bits of shrapnel though. Her heart pounded with every cracked branch and every shuffle of leaves under her feet. It was terrifyingly silent without her small noises. Her target was getting steadily bigger as she crept closer and closer.

Link

The gas was easy to find on the decimated hunk of garbage that remained of the Lanayru machine. He was halfway through cutting the jugs loose when he realised he had a bit of a problem. The problem was the voices of at least two men that Link could hear speaking on the other side of the tank. Enemy.

He held his breath and tried to cut through the mesh as silently as possible. They didn't know he was there based on the level of noise they were making. They seemed comfortable. Secure. Arguing in dull voices about bananas. His knife dragged through the netting another time and the jug slipped just a little. Just a tiny scrape. The voices stopped. Muffled footsteps began to creep closer. Link shoved his knife through another hunk of netting. The tension from the weight of the jug caused the breakage to snap. A boot scuffed. Link gripped the handle of his knife with one hand and the jug with the other and took a breath in preparation.

He ripped the jug free of the netting and swiped his knife to the side where a Yiga soldier jumped out at him. Knives swung between them and Link barely managed to drop the gas in time to catch a fist heading for his balls. It was too late to also catch the knife that slid forward and cut deeply into the back of his forearm. He cursed loudly into the man’s face and shoved him backwards onto the dropped jug. It clunked on the ground and Link used the obstruction to twist the soldier sideways so he was pinned against the fraying netting and supplies. A quick bit of footwork took the man to the ground and knocked his head with a sickening crunch. One down. One to-

Link froze. The unmistakable feeling of a muzzle pressed against his back. 

“Drop weapon.” 

Link immediately dropped his knife. His rifle was slung over his shoulder still and he carefully spread his hands to the side and shrugged until it slipped down his arm and bloodied on the hilt of the knife still sticking out of his skin. It felt like he lit his arm on fire. The knife had hit bone. The enemy pressed harder into his back for a tense moment while Link shook in pain before stepping back a tiny amount to grab at the rifle. 

It only took that space of a moment for Link to turn and bash the man’s face with the butt of his dangling rifle. A gunshot rang out in the still air. Link screamed in pain as the knife ripped from his arm. He didn’t stop though, and bashed again and again until the man was down and would never come up again. He wasn’t shot. He was pretty sure. He patted himself down with his good arm and confirmed there wasn’t extra blood coming from anywhere. 

Eager to get out of there, he slung his rifle over his back again. Picked up the gas and took off running back to as much safety as can be found behind enemy lines.

Zelda

Zelda began running back to their tank when she heard shouting coming from the direction Link went. When a gunshot rang out she hit the dirt and crawled the last distance to the tank. She cowered behind the treads for a moment fumbling with her pistol and squinted at the figure running full tilt towards her. Slowly the shape formed into a man carrying a box. It must be Link with the gas. He was struggling awkwardly with the canister, but she wasn’t about to run out and help while someone was firing at them. She averted her firearm and watched carefully for movement behind Link. He seemed to have won whatever fight he was in.

It felt like ages before Link was close enough to see. He was bleeding freely and slowing down. 

“All clear!” He shouted.

That was all it took for her to burst into action, running to him and grabbing the tank of gas off him. It was full and very heavy, maybe 20 liters which wouldn’t last, but should be enough.

“You’re wounded.” She was afraid of what that could mean. She didn’t know much about medicine. 

“Yes,” He grit out between clenched teeth. “The bastard jabbed his knife in my arm. It fell out. Don’t worry about it.”

She squinted at him for a moment, but turned to climb up the side of the machine to put her paltry offering into the fuel line. She kept an eye on Link as he shed his rifle and shirt to get at his arm. It didn’t look good, but that could have been all the blood. He poured out a measure of water onto the wound and it was looking a bit better. Thank god it was the back of his arm instead of the fleshy underside. It was deep though, and wide. 

Zelda tossed the empty jug to the side and climbed a little higher to grab the med kit she had hooked at the hatch. A bit of alcohol would clean it out and a pressure bandage would be as much as they could do for now. Luckily, the Zora had a bit of gauze she could use to help clean him off too. 

She offered him the bottle of alcohol, but Link just stretched his arm out to her and silently looked the other way. Zelda sighed, unstoppered the bottle and unceremoniously dumped a healthy measure onto the gash. Link grunted, but otherwise kept still and silent. She let the sting dissipate for a moment then swiped at the blood with the gauze. That got him to gasp and whip his head around at her.

“You could have warned me!” He bit out the words.

She shrugged and kept pouring and wiping until the wound and surrounding arm looked clean enough. The bandage was quickly shook out and pressed on carefully. She tried to be a little gentler with the ties and checked in on his face a few more times. He was a little pale, but seemed otherwise fine. 

“Come on, let’s get back in this hunk of metal and head home.” Zelda picked up his rifle and pulled it over her shoulder while he gathered his shirt and gloves. Now that he wasn’t in danger of bleeding out, she was able to look at the rest of him. He looked pretty good. Really good. Strong, too. 

She looked away before she noticed anything else and helped him climb up to the hatch.

“Put your shirt back on, Sargent.”

Link

"I think we're far enough."

Zelda slowed to a stop and Link gave a sigh and ducked back into the tank from where he was looking through the hatch.

"I don't recognize where we are, but we're on the edge of a copse with a decent sized field and a little creek. Should be enough landmarks to find us. Want to try the radio?" He asked.

Zelda nodded and motioned for him to swap places with her. He followed her direction and slid into the seat for the co-driver. His neck was aching after an hour of constantly surveying the horizon and tensing at every movement and glint of sun. His arm pulsed in pain in time with his heartbeat. Zelda fared better as the driver, but still seemed hesitant to start up the radio.

"Don't worry," He said, "We're about five kilometers from the last enemy troop we saw. We're definitely safe now."

She nodded absently at him and flipped the radio switch. It crackled to life and she silently waited for a moment listening to the static. She turned the tuner channel from the Zora setting to the one marked Hylian ally and let the static play for another minute. Finally, a voice came through reporting a supply convoy. Zelda met his eyes and they both released sighs together.

"Break, break," Zelda said, "Hotel Four-Zed, Hotel Four-Zed this is," she referenced the serial next to the radio, "Golf Tango One-Two."

The radio fell silent, and then...

"Proceed Golf Tango One-Two, this is Hotel Four-Zed." The crackled voice was the best thing Link had ever heard. They were going to live. He didn't really believe it until this moment.

"Hotel Four-Zed, this is Golf Tango One-Two. Code yellow, little bird returns. Unknown location. Traveled roughly 8 kilometers west from last known location. Over."

"Golf Tango One-Two, this is Hotel Four-Zed. Roger that. Stand by. Over."

Link waited quietly for an explanation of what Zelda had just done. What was "little bird”, what did that mean? She was a mechanic which wasn't exactly important enough to merit a code name. Something wasn't adding up. He did his best to let his displeasure known without directly questioning her. It was unlikely she would be intimidated by his glare, but it was worth a shot.

"Little Bird?" He repeated.

"Yes," She said crisply, "That's me."

The radio crackled to life again. A different voice was on the line this time.

"Golf Tango One-Two, this is Hotel Four-Zed. Come in, over."

"Hotel Four-Zed, this is Golf Tango One-Two," Zelda said into the machine, "Go ahead Urbosa, over."

The voice sounded furious, "Little Bird you stay where you are. I say again, stay where you are. Your location is confirmed. What is your status?"

"I'm fine, Urbosa. I'm not on my own. We're safe for now, but we've got wounded."

"Don't move an inch. We'll be at your location within four hours. Over and out."

Okay, he had four hours to get to the bottom of this. Zelda set down the radio and began pulling her uniform back into place where she had loosened it.

"Come on, Sargent. Let's get out of this heat."

He reluctantly followed her out and found himself breathing fresh air and taking in some sunlight.

"It'll be dark by the time they get here, ma'am. We should find something to eat while we can still see."

"What? No, they'll be here in less than ten minutes."

Link startled and said, somewhat stupidly, "But she said four hours?"

Zelda just waved him off and drank from his canteen. Ten minutes. She must be from intelligence and have actual information to pass on. He's been wandering around enemy territory with a spy. No way was he going to question her. She'd probably have it all twisted around in minutes and would be questioning him. Or she'd been doing it this whole time and he's accidentally spilled his guts. What had he told her? He couldn't remember.

They waited in a tense silence until suddenly eight people melted out of the shadows in the trees to surround them. All of their weapons pointed directly at Link. His frightened yelp was the only sound of the whole experience.

"Oh, stand down." Zelda said, annoyed. Guns were instantly moved to not technically be pointed at him, but still close enough that Link didn't put his hands back down from where he had them raised. Zelda must be a really important spy.

Zelda was about to speak again when the sound of a chopper overhead caused the commandos to shuffle closer and point their guns even more menacingly at places very close to where Link stood. It landed perfectly on the little stretch of open land available and an enormously tall and beautiful woman stepped out like a movie star. Every movement was sensual. Link glanced to the side to see Zelda's reaction and was surprised to see her looking rather penitent.

"What the hell were you thinking!?" The beautiful woman shouted at Zelda as soon as she was in earshot, "Nevermind. Get in the helicopter immediately. We are returning you to the rear where you belong."

The woman didn't touch Zelda, but made it clear she expected compliance. Zelda grabbed Link's good arm and dragged him behind her.

"What? No, he can return with the Ops. Do you have any idea how worried I've been? You disobeyed orders, left your command, terrified me, and I won't even get into what this has done to your father."

Despite the beautiful woman's words, Zelda didn't let him go and Link was dragged aboard the chopper. Beautiful woman gave him an annoyed look and he returned a bewildered one. He rattled his name and serial number off. Hopefully that would be enough to keep her from tossing him to the squad of people with guns pointed not-at-him. 

They sat stiffly in the helicopter during the fifteen minute ride. Link tried not to look at the beautiful woman, the beautiful woman alternated looking disappointed at Zelda and suspicious of him, and Zelda watched the countryside go by. They didn't speak.

Finally the chopper landed and the beautiful woman reached over and pulled him back from Zelda.

"You leave last. Let her get to the ground before you step out."

It was an odd order, but Link wasn't about to get in the way of orders surrounding a high-level spy.

The beautiful woman opened the door and stepped out.

"I'm sorry." Zelda whispered to him before following the beautiful woman.

He gave it a beat before making his way to the door and looking out. He froze before he could step out because not four feet away from the edge of the helicopter blades was the King.

Zelda

Father was waiting for her when they landed. Zelda wasn't sure if she was surprised or not. Since she was missing for a time it probably made sense that he was here. It would look horrible if he was already in the country and wasn't there to greet his daughter on her return from being MIA. Zelda stepped in front of him and gave the best curtsy she could in her grubby mechanic uniform and Link's bandana. She was not looking the part of Princess at all.

Behind her, Zelda heard a gasp and knew that Link had finally put it together. Or at least realized that he was in way over his head. The suspicion around the codename had raised some questions, no doubt. But lots of people had codenames in the grand scheme of a war. Fewer had a King waiting for their return.

Zelda waited until she could hear Link's footsteps shuffling as close as he dared before...

"Father," And Link gasped again. "I want this Sargent to be awarded a medal for bravery. I owe him my life."

Link's training held and he was silent by Zelda's side. She couldn't quite see him from this angle, but she was sure that he was just over her left shoulder.

"Hmm," The King said, "Personal service to the crown merits more than a simple military award. Urbosa. Have my daughter and this man discharged immediately. The Princess will return to the palace and begin working again. The man can come at a later date for his investiture."

With that, he turned and left for the car awaiting him.

Zelda let out a breath and looked at Urbosa to see if she was going to start yelling. She wasn't. Papers were already in front of her face. No doubt they were discharge papers that she had already prepared. She tended to be one step ahead of everyone else.

"Your... Highness?" Link spoke quietly, "What... just happened?"

He looked completely bewildered. It was fun to see him so off balance after his calm and focus during their tumultuous escape. He was still a little pale from his injury.

"Oh, Link. We are going to be seeing more of each other, I think. You're no longer in the army. Or you won't be in a minute. You're to come to the Palace soon and get Knighted. I imagine you'll be getting a few titles actually, my father will want to make a point. No doubt you'll be weighed down by medals and then made my personal knight attendant or something equally archaic."

"...Knight?"

"Oh yes, there's no way you're getting out of this without a knighthood."

He was silent for a few minutes, absorbing. "So you’re… the princess?"

"I've been trained to fix anything! I was best in my class! Jeeps for the brass are not a priority. I should be with the troops and I should be serving my country in the best way that I can. Isn't that why I'm here?"

All the wind had blown out of Zelda's sails by the end of her argument. She was getting nowhere with the King. He wasn't going to lift his order to keep her safe and he certainly wasn't going to send her to the frontlines himself. She'd trained to fix the heavy infantry tanks that were stationed all over the eastern front. She was the best. No one was faster or understood more intuitively what needed to be done. But, instead, she was fixing jeeps that the Generals treated like pleasure vehicles. They'd come in with no gas and tell her it was broken or they'd need their goddamn wipers replaced. It was insulting.

"Nevermind, father. I'm going to get back to work."

She hung up and went back to her command. Which was a small motor pool with a squad of mechanics. Technically she was due a larger command, but no mechanic this far from the fighting should have her rank. The boys didn't really need her there at all, truth be told. General Impa was a micromanager and their shop ran like a civilian auto repair anyway.

Link

Link huddled into his small corner of home in the trench. He'd cleaned it up nice so there was a small divot dug into the wall so rain wouldn't ruin his small collection of keepsakes. Right now he had a little journal to write in, some playing cards, and a letter from some school kid who informed him "Mr. Owlen says I have to tell you that you're brave" which was charming enough to keep. He'd smoothed the ground beneath his feet so that he had comfortable dirt to sleep on and his trusty rifle settled over his shoulder digging into yet another dug-in divot in the wall. All-in-all he'd dressed it up to be the nicest spot in the line.

His squad had been stationed here for two weeks so far with very little else to do. At some point they would probably jump up and storm the enemy, but he tried not to think about that. He was too young to die. He tried to keep some dirt on his face at any moment. He wasn't technically old enough to enlist and anything that kept people from really looking at his face was a plus. It was easier before. He was the loader on a medium tank with only four other men for company. But then the gunner got his points and was sent home leaving the rest of them a man down. He'd gotten orders an hour ago to report to the depot to be assigned to a new crew in the morning. Until then, he'd be hunkered down here in this cesspit trying to get some shuteye and stock up on "supplies" that weren't part of the standard kit. Dirty pictures, booze, and hopefully some real food.

Zelda

"Lieutenant! Call for you, ma'am!"

"Thank you, Private."

Zelda took up the office phone and snapped out a greeting. She was losing another man. Pretty soon she was going to be running this place alone. Apparently heavy fire was anticipated and they needed another mechanic on hand familiar with the newest combat vehicles. She took up her roster to see who had the best qualifications for the job. If they were calling up someone from here it would be a rough job. She ran her finger down the list and stopped at a name. Could she do that? There was an obvious implicit order, but it wasn't actually said. She had free reign to send whoever she chose. Who could stop her decision? They were leaving soon.

She scribbled out the order, updated the roster list, filled out the daily report, and marked the next in command. She would leave immediately. Her duffle was already supplied for departure and she grabbed a go-kit with essential tools. The truck was already nearly loaded up with supplies and her driver was climbing in.

"Ready?" She called to the back when she was settled.

"Ready!" the loaders confirmed.

"Move out!"

The driver pulled out of the compound and they were on their way to the front. He glanced at her, but clearly eyed her epaulettes before deciding to keep his mouth shut.

Link

Link settled into his position in the turret. They were buttoned up and already getting ready for a fight.

"Load up, gimme seven five!" The new commander Burlon called from his spot above him in the radio seat. Link slithered down to the floor and started pulling up the armored cover and pulled out the smooth munitions. Burlon was calling out directions to Dalt to position the gun. The ammo was loaded and the gun was ready in seconds.

"Up!"

Burlon called out the fire and Link pulled up the next load. He was fast and being small made it easier for him to get into all the little hideaways where any spare air was filled with ammo. The place stank up quickly with the sweat of five men in tight quarters. It was hot as ever and beads of sweat ran freely down his back. Only his hands were kept dry with any spec of spare cloth to be found. He couldn't afford to drop something. One store empty, Link closed it up and moved to the next in an awkward spot beneath his gunner's butt.

"Move your ass, Dalt. I can't get in."

Not quite a well oiled machine just yet, this new crew.

"Fuck you. I gotta aim."

"Quiet. All of you," The commander was looking through his scope, "HEAT! Take us back!"

Burlon's frantic calls on the radio blurred into the background. Anti-tank guns. Link scrambled to lock away all the mortars. Easiest way to kill a crew was to blow them up with their own gun. The tank rocked roughly in the retreat and Link banged his jaw against the bottom of his seat. He let out a slew of curses and braced against the top cage.

"Back in your seat, soldier!" Burlon ordered.

Still cursing, Link threw himself into his seat and threw a hand up to check his face. It came away bloody.

"Incoming!" As one, the team bent and braced for impact.

Zelda

"Okay team, the enemy is retreating. We need to get out and salvage what we can. Level one and two damaged vehicles will be handled by the first division. Level three damage is us. We'll work from near to far."

Zelda nodded to her partner and began running to her assigned vehicle. A Farore Mk IV about a mile away that's likely still in good enough condition to at least drive. The field was a mess of tracks and mud and empty casings. Burn marks scorched across huge stretches of land where shells exploded. Zelda tried not to see the remains left behind. The wounded and dead were attended already, but sometimes things were left behind. A half burned boot was stuck in the mud and Zelda pretended it's because the soldier decided to take off his shoe. She knew these soldiers were fighting for their homes and their families, but it felt like they were fighting for her as the Princess. She would face the cost when she wasn't working. When she had time to process.

She stopped with her partner, a big Private who could do some of the heavy lifting, when they reached a potential salvage.

"What do you think, ma'am?" He circled and shook his head.

"I don't think so, let's keep going. We can't drive with the track looking like this." It was mangled. "Avoid that next one, it's still smoking."

"It should be alright, let's look real quick. See? The smoke is coming from the front. Probably just overheated." Zelda wavered and the Private took his chance.

"It'll take less than a minute to check and then we can move on."

Zelda sighed and gave a nod. He was older and more experienced for all the rank difference. They crept to the tank and began an exterior inspection. Smoke was lightly billowing from the front so Zelda moved around to the back to ensure that whatever was smoking wasn't coming out another side.

Everything looked fine in the back except another pair of boots under the chasis. This time, the boots still had feet in them.

"Hey! Wounded!"

Zelda pulled on the boots and a soldier slid free with a squelch. She yanked his shirt out of the way and thrust her hand to his throat for a pulse. It was strong and steady. The Private was working the portable radio frantically.

"Lieutenant! Incoming troops! We have to find shelter!"

"What?!"

"I'm going in!"

"What?! NO! It might not be-"

An explosion cut her off. The opened hatch let in a rush of oxygen and ignited the dying fire within the tank body. Zelda threw herself over the unconscious man. She held on for dear life and clamped her eyes shut. Her ears rang and her head blurred, the heavy armored vehicle rocked ominously in her direction. The enemy was coming. She never learned her partner’s name. The man below her would die if she didn't recover quickly enough. What next? She could hear them coming. A dull rumble turning to a roar. Men shouting.

She shoved the wounded man back under the chassis where she had found him and squirmed into the mud beside him. She prayed to all the goddesses that they would take the smoking remains of this tank as reason to pass it by. Prayed that it wouldn't continue to explode above her. Prayed the man next to her didn't die while she laid in a grave next to him. Just in case, she kept her hand on his throat to feel his pulse throb in a steady, comforting rhythm.

Link

His head ached. A terrible ringing grayed out his vision. His body was hot and cold and hot and cold. His throat was full of smoke and death and weight. And damp. A wet, hot, muddy hand was pressed against his throat. He breathed in quickly then was cut off from shouting when the dirty hand shot up to his mouth.

"Shh!" He couldn't see the shusher, "They'll hear you."

It was a woman's voice. Link tried to take stock of the situation, but there wasn't much to go on. He was lying in a drying puddle of mud under what was likely his tank with a woman. If it weren't for the mud it might have been on purpose. And if his head didn't feel like it had been split open by a hatchet.

"What happened?" His words were slurred.

She didn't answer immediately.  "We were overtaken."

Enemy territory. Okay. There was a process for this. Hide. Get somewhere safe. Take stock. Gather supplies. Make your way back. Don't get caught.

"Did you work on this hunk of garbage, Sargent?"

"Yes, ma'am. Loader in the hole."

"Okay. Then here's what we're going to do. The M4A2 at two o'clock looks in alright condition from here. We'll take shelter inside until we can come up with a better plan or until we can get it running and make a break for it."

"That's a Zora tank. I've never-"

"Me, either. Can you walk? You hit your head, I think."

"I think so. It's not far."

He really wasn't sure. The woman, a Lieutenant, seemed to have a plan which is a sight better than he had so he would just have to make it. The mud squelched and slurped noisily with every extracted limb. A cool breeze nearly froze him to the bone after so long in the damp. The Lieutenant steadied him with one hand and kept a grip on a metal box with the other. He thanked the Goddesses when he realized it was a mechanic's toolbox. She carefully picked her way through the supplies they had strapped to the back of the vehicle and grabbed the med kit and a small bag of foodstuffs. Link grabbed his personal pack and slung it over his shoulder with his rifle.

They set out across the field with furtive glances in the direction their camp used to be back when it wasn't completely deserted. The ground was rough and packed hard from the heavy machinery driving over the ground. A faint smell of dead hung suffocating in the air and kept Link light-headed the entire journey. He hung his head to the ground and followed the woman blindly into danger. They stuck together from one safe cover to the next. She stepped carefully around any unknown piece of metal on the ground and avoided bloodstained dirt like it was contagious. She was basically unarmed and unfamiliar with a battlefield and squeamish on top of it all.

"You green?" he asked.

"No" was the clipped reply. He reached out to her anyway and pulled her up short.

"Listen, Lieutenant Bospho-" He squinted at her name patch. "Bosphor--... Lt. Bosso. Listen Bosso, I've been active for a while and I'm the one with a rifle. I'll take point."

She looked very upset. Either she wanted to lead the way because of her greater rank or she disagreed with his butchering of her name. It's not his fault her name didn't fit with standard sized lettering. He let his grip on her sleeve tighten and pulled her behind him before striding forward carefully and tugging gently at her sleeve in a silent command to follow. She didn't think of an objection before they were moving, but Link heard her mouth click shut. It hardly mattered, superior officer or not she was a mechanic and likely didn't carry anything more than a pistol if she had any weapon at all. He was trained and was at least used to the leftovers in a field. His hands were already bloodied.

Their pace picked up with him in the lead. He marched confidently through the mud, avoiding bloodstains for his delicate companion, and arrived at the Lanayru tank shortly. He circled the machine once to look for smoke. The turret hatch was open so there was unlikely to be anything smoldering inside. Lt. Bosso hauled herself up to the top and flashed a torch into the hole. As it happened, she did carry a pistol, and was comfortable enough with it to wield it alongside the torch.

"No one's home. Let's get in and rest for a bit. I wonder if they've got a decent map in here."

Link pulled himself up and slid in after her. She shuffled her way into the driver seat and he slid neatly into the gunner's . This thing had elbow room. Maybe he should have lied about his age and his home province. This would have been nice. It gave him the room to eye the Lieutenant's shapely behind from several excellent angles while she found her seat. He was still considering his luck when she finally put her butt down in a chair.

"So, Sargent Forrester. Let's figure out what's next."

Zelda 

Sargent Forrester was rude and brash but kindly enough. His stumbling over her name was fairly rude and Zelda wasn't sure how he didn't recognize it. His behavior bordered on insubordination, but she was grateful that one of them knew what to do at least. She could plan all she wanted, but none of this was like boot camp and certainly unlike anything she had seen in her year of service. She ignored him as best she could when they got in the Lanayru M4A2 and immersed herself in the parts she could see from the driver's seat. The most obvious problem was a misaligned periscope, but there was likely something more wrong with it or it wouldn't have been abandoned like this.

She opened her baggage to see what they had to work with. Extra rations would have been nice, but instead there were perishable goods that had the faint smell of smoke wafting out of the first bag. Probably three or four meals worth for each of them. A field medical kit with little more than trauma bandages and some morphine. If things got that bad they were dead for sure. Her kit was undamaged but was designed to repair Hylian machines. The small kit from under the co-driver's seat would be more useful. Her own pack had some rations and a similar first aid kit supplemented with alcohol.

"What's in your bag, Forrester?" she asked. Maybe he had something of use.

He settled further into the gunner seat and closed his eyes.

"Standard pack. Rifle. Canteen. First Aid. Shovel. Ammo. Pistol. Rations. Blanket. Cigarettes. Ma'am."

Technically not insubordinate. The lists soothed her frazzled nerves. When in doubt, make a list. When the air smells of death and sweat and burning rubber, make a list. When you've seen bloody spots on the ground where your subjects lay dying, make a list. When you're locked in a tank with a stranger with a gun, make a list.

To be fair to Sgt. Forrester, he seemed trustworthy. He was rude and gruff, but followed her where she wanted to go and was clever enough to inspect the machine before he just climbed in like her dead partner. She just left his body there. She didn't even look to see if there was anything she could salvage for his family. Self-recrimination ate her from mind to heart.

"Are you alright?" Sgt. Forrester had come up to her from behind without her noticing. His eyes were soft and concerned and scanned her head to toe. He seemed to be assessing her physical and mental condition with one efficient glance. He didn't seem satisfied with the results when he was done. His hand hovered over her shoulder for a moment before retracting back to his knee. "Is this your first time out? There's no shame in snapping your cap looking at all this. I wouldn't judge you for crying even, the Goddess knows I've wanted to more than once."

Zelda didn't want to feel better. She wanted to curl up and wallow in self-pity. But he was kind and she couldn't help but be comforted by his words. She gave him a wan smile and gave herself a little shake.

"I'm fine. Thank you," she said a little more prim than she had planned, "This is my first day out, but I've been in the service for almost a year. I didn't expect... Well I thought it would be different. I've never been to the front before."

"Little more than the front, I reckon. We seem to have wandered past the front and into the back again. This hunk of metal gonna get us back? I've never been in a tube so roomy. We could..." he glanced at her and changed what he was going to say, "We could throw a party in here."

"Yes, well. There's definitely a few things that need fixing. We'll be here overnight at least. Might need to look for some replacement parts. I'll know more when I open her up." Zelda replied. She thought for a moment then thrust her hand in his direction. "I'm Zelda. What's your name?" She wasn't going to miss another name.

"Link, ma'am."

They shook. Link's hand was warm.

Link 

Zelda was a surprisingly good mechanic. She pulled apart the busted periscope and spilled metal innards across the ground like the first slice into a pot pie. It didn't seem like a complicated piece of equipment until he saw all the pieces dumped unceremoniously on the floor of the otherwise pristine cabin. She poked at one of the mirrors with a wrench she pulled from her bag until she was satisfied. Link thought it looked exactly the same as when she started poking at it, but she's the expert.

She bent over nicely to see the track the periscope swivelled on to view side to side. Since her back was turned, Link let his eyes wander over the view she provided. So it was a surprise when a loud clang echoed through the still cabin. It rang like a bell for a moment before Zelda reeled back and whacked the track again with a hammer that had appeared in her hand while he was distracted.

"What are you doing?!" Link asked incredulously, "You're gonna break it!"

She ignored him and reeled back where he caught her hand before she could thrust forward and hit the track again.

"Hey!" She screeched, "Let go! It's almost fixed!"

She yanked against his hold and he tightened his grip.

"You can't do that! What if it breaks? We need that periscope so I can see while I drive this thing back."

She stopped flailing against him for a moment and he suddenly noticed their position. He was holding her arm over her head and had pulled her by the waist to press her back flush against him. There was very little space between them and it was completely inappropriate, but if he loosened his grip she might hit the hull with her hammer again. Or him. Either way, he kept his grip tight and imagined she didn't feel soft and plump and warm. She didn't seem to be having the same problem.

"You drive?! I'll be driving."

"You? I know how to drive these things. You're just a mechanic. You'll be on the radio."

"No, I'll be driving. No one is going to be on the radio. You will be sitting in the back and manning the gun. I can't shoot that thing and there's no way we're getting back without alerting the enemy. When we've crossed the lines then I'll man the radio."

Right. That made sense. He released her body and immediately used his hand to push the hair out of his face. He needed to find out how to fire this thing quickly. She used his lapse to throw her whole body forward and hit the periscope track one more time with all her body weight. She inspected her hack-job and seemed satisfied with the level of damage inflicted. The periscope was reassembled in minutes and she gave him a smug look when it swivelled from side to side smoothly. Minx.

"How do you boys sleep in this heat? I know sometimes you're in here for days. It's suffocating." She asked while sitting down delicately in the drivers seat. It was strangely feminine compared to the way she trudged around while working. She clasped her hands and draped her legs elegantly to the side as if they were sitting in a nice restaurant instead of huddled in a tank beyond the front.

He shook himself. "We don't. I usually sleep on the ground outside. But, we'll have to keep buttoned and tough it out in here. "

Link tried to seem nonchalant as he unbuttoned the first few buttons on his uniform and removed his boots. Every movement felt unrefined compared to her effortless presence. It was going to be a long, hot, uncomfortable night. The width of the cabin wasn't wide enough to lay completely flat, but it was close. He couldn't remember a time that he wished he was shorter. Zelda wasn't faring much better. She was a little taller than him and seemed reluctant to sleep sitting against the wall as he was preparing to do. He mostly didn't watch as she pulled off her shirt to reveal a white undershirt and remarkably toned arms. Link suppressed a smile when she bundled it into a cushion for her distracting bottom. Zelda's shoulder brushed his before he realised that the only place for her to sit was squished next to him, jammed into the console and with her feet pressed against the small step on the other side into the turret. She was soft and warm against his side. He pulled his bandana off his head and offered it to her. Anything to keep her soft hair from brushing him all night long and shifting his dreams to images of her.

Author's Note:

I am facing the reality that while I wish for a child, I may need to choose between receiving proper medical care for the dangerous medical condition of pregnancy and staying in my home state. This ruling makes it dangerous to carry a wanted child. This ruling is dangerous for people who do and do not wish for a child. It is bad for both pro-choice and pro-life people. Attempting to conceive does not mean you are waiving your right to life-saving medical treatment. My home state is outlawing medications used to assist people experiencing a miscarriage.

This is a terrible time for everyone and it's about more than the absolute human right to their own bodies although that should be enough on its own. This is about letting women die of sepsis in a miscarriage. This is about the death of a woman who cannot carry her abuser's child to term. This is about a person who isn't ready and this is about a person who will never be ready. This is about loss and heartbreak and autonomy. This is about all of us.

Grief

Link couldn’t help but pace. He was barred from the house he shared with Zelda as she went through the worst moments of their lives. Ganon had nothing on this. Losing their friends was a dull memory in comparison. Every shriek from her jolted his insides and every long silence froze them. He resisted the urge to climb up the walls and find the misaligned board that let him view in just enough to see the midwife, but not enough to see Zelda.

It had happened so suddenly. They were lounging in the garden that Zelda had planted. She was telling him about the wintery herbs that she was certain she could cultivate in the too-warm Hateno air with a special soil mixture. He was so content with her voice prattling in his ears and the warm sun of her smile. They had been married for little more than 6 months and she was only two months along. Zelda thought it was a boy and Link knew better than to disagree with an expecting mother, but secretly he hoped for a girl as beautiful and daring and intelligent as his wife. This child would be cherished by their parents and would take the world by storm.

Except they wouldn’t. Zelda had frowned. Her pointing hand fell to her belly where the child hadn’t even begun to make itself known yet. She swayed a little in place where she sat before slumping down. 

“Link,” she had said in a rough, terrified voice, “Fetch the midwife.”

He had never run so fast. Leaving her was heart-wrenching, but defying her orders was blasphemy. The woman brought her herbs, but also a little pack that chinked with metal. They got Zelda settled into their bed when the woman kicked him out. He wasn’t sure why. Something about hysteria and unsettling the patient. 

So now he waited. It was obviously bad news. Zelda’s shouts were one part physical pain and one part grief. All he could hope for was Zelda’s health to recover. That one day they would be able to try again when their grief wasn’t new and raw.

Another long silence froze his heart. It lasted longer this time. The midwife called his name. 

“Link! Come in here.”

Link didn’t rush as quickly as he could this time. He stepped to the door with trepidation. He took a great breath to steel his nerves and reflected that courage was supposed to come easily to him. He opened the door, slowly ascended the stairs, and saw Zelda with her eyes closed and a wet brow. And a rising and falling chest. 

Zelda had lived through the procedure, although there was a mess around the bed and it looked like the midwife was crying too. She bundled up all her materials and hid them from his gaze. 

“My condolences. Zelda will be well again, but she will need care. The herbs she will require are on the desk.” She kept the bundle close and slipped down the stairs and out the door. 

Zelda looked pale and fragile. She was always larger than life and in motion so Link occasionally forgot that she was an exceptionally small and slight Hylian. But it was obvious now that she was small and in pain. Her tears spilled past closed eyes as if she couldn’t hold them back. 

Truly I didn’t mean for it to go this far. Link and I had been touring Akkala Citadel with my usual entourage of waiting women, men at arms, and servants. It was a royal visit and tourney to commend my uncle, the Protector of the East, for an admirable success in removing every Hinox from the district. Indeed there was a marked reduction in all goblin folk under his administration and we were sorely in need of his leadership. Akkala was to be our country’s corridor to retreat in the event of evacuation to the seas. Our people had been a sea people in our long history and we were preparing for a future as one as well. No one knows in what way the Calamity would appear.

But I digress, it was a royal visit and thus we were on our best behavior. Link stood at parade rest whenever I paused for more than a moment, I nodded to every noble who so much as glanced my way, and my ladies knelt in prayer every time I mentioned the King. We were walking about the ramparts when I overheard two men, I believe they were sons of the Duke of Faron discussing the Spring of Courage within their borders.

“Excuse me, I couldn’t help but overhear, are you aware of the location of the Spring of Courage? I’ve been searching for information on that Spring for several months now. I would appreciate any help you can provide.” I asked the men.

The older of the two looked me over, slowly, before lazily dragging his eyes over Link and my ladies. He leaned back on his heels before answering me.

“I don’t think it’s any of your business what we are discussing, Your Highness”

I colored with embarrassment, but pressed onward, “Yes, and I apologize, but since I did overhear, I would be very grateful if you had information on the Spring of Courage. I wish to visit the spring to pray before the Goddess.”

The man frowned. “Only men are permitted to hear the riddle of the spring of courage. Women are not strong enough to manage the trials that await those who wish to pray at the spring.” He cast his eye to Link in his clean royal guard uniform and perfectly placed buret as well, “Neither are the men who trail after such women.”

I gasped aloud at his rudeness and stepped closer than was respectable in my anger. “You will apologize immediately, Sir, or face my displeasure.”

I did not have a chance to continue my tirade as the rude man drew his arm back with an open palm. I flinched at the strike that never came. Link had his arm in a vice grip and had pulled a knife to poke through tunic and undershirt before resting on skin.

“You have rudely rejected our Princess’s requests,” Link said cooly, “And I must insist that you beg her pardon.”

The Duke’s son struggled for a moment before kicking at Link’s shin. Link gave him a quick shake as he would an errant animal.

“In that case, I challenge you. I will see you in the lists for your refusal to provide knowledge that the Crown requires. When you lose you will also apologize to my Lady and her companions for the rudeness you displayed so abhorrently in their presence.”

Link released his arm and stepped back into place behind me.

“Very well, boy. You are Link of Faron, are you not? A child from my own province and the recipient of a mare from my father’s stables. I shall have her back if you lose.”

He stormed off with his brother and we all watched them disappear through a door. I turned, wide-eyed, to Link and discarded several unwise reactions before settling on staring in horror.

“Do not be afraid, Princess. I will make something up rather than expose your research.”

“Link! What about Epona?!” I was horrified. I couldn’t pick which terrible thing to exclaim about next. His safety, his reputation, the knife. But he just smiled at me.

“Don’t you believe in me, Princess?”

I was silenced once again. Of course I believed in him. He was the Hero of Hyrule and my personal protector. There was no one better in the whole of the kingdom. Even with this knowledge, my fear did not recede.

—

So I find myself now, standing on a low landing near the entrance to the tournament grounds. Link was riding his faithful Epona, a pawn in this fight, with a sword that was not his Goddess-gift (“It wouldn’t be fair, Princess. I cannot raise that sword against a Hylian”), and his rarely-used soldier’s armor.

He gave me a blank look that I knew was hiding a smirk. I leaned over to tie my favor about his arm where it could be viewed by any in the crowd. I gave him a glare to ensure the blank look remained.

“What did you tell them?” I murmured under my breath.

“The truth.” My heart stopped for a moment. Until I saw mirth crinkle the corners of his eyes. “Sir Rodai and I had a philosophical difference that we could not settle with words. Instead, we chose to let the Goddess decide in a trial by combat.”

He took in my white face and shaking hands before adding “The Goddess wishes for you to have this knowledge, my Princess. And she has seen fit to bless me many times in my life. Trust in Her to make this right as well.”

I gave him a small nod before saying the rote blessing I never expected to say.

Link screwed up his face and gave the bowl a delicate sniff. He really was very pretty. Long lashes and pouty lips made for a very feminine face. He could probably pass as a woman fairly easily. He raised the spoon to those red lips and with a sensual movement opened his mouth and lapped a small amount into his mouth. His face changed from uncomfortable to surprised to predatory in moments. He dragged his tongue along his top lip slowly before taking a second spoonful.

“Goddess, this is better than sex.” He groaned. His voice had turned husky and deep. Zelda couldn’t help the whole-body shiver that ran through her at the sound.

“Don’t tell the Princess that Master!”

Link’s head jerked around swiftly and eventually settled on Zelda’s lurking form. His eyes were wide for a split second before his face broke into another of his sultry smirks and he once again dragged his tongue across his bottom lip.

“I can only think of one thing that might be better.” He told the soldier at his side.

He swung around and opened the door to see the Princess sitting demurely on her settee with ankles crossed and back straight. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, excepting the heavy red flush on her face and the scattered gears on the floor. She carefully did not look at him.

“Your Highness, is anything the matter?” Link asked keeping all traces of humor out of his voice.

“Of course not. You may go.”

She put up a good pretense for a moment before glancing up at him and flushing somehow deeper red at the sight of his bare chest. As with the first time they met, she was entranced. The folk here at Castle Town were different than Gerudo. It was considered indecent and shocked the poor repressed civilians. And Princesses. This Princess wasn’t didn’t stop at his chest though, her eyes trailed down his body and stuck on the large gem in the middle of his belt buckle. Link was about to step forward and get her a little more flustered and closer to that buckle when she threw him for a loop.

“I thought there was a blue gem there before?” She asked.

She had been looking before too. Now the smirk was permanently etched on his face.

“Yes, Your Highness. Sapphires keep me cool in the desert, but this isn’t the desert. I had it replaced with a ruby. I’m not used to the cold of these northern provinces.”

She seemed satisfied with his answer but didn’t take her eyes off the gem.

“I’ll return to my post.” Link said and turned, but not before giving the gem a good rub to “clean” it. Just to remind the Princess where she was looking. A muffled gasp behind him gave away his success.

The door was shut and the spear was once again in hand crossing her doorway when the sword decided to speak again.

“Next time you should get an amber stone and offer for her to grab it! Get her used to touching something hard and shocking!”

Another crash came from inside the room.

The corners of his mouth rose involuntarily. He didn't know what to do with a Goddess in the flesh, but a woman that couldn't keep her eyes off his chest? That he knew how to handle.

He bowed slightly but didn't obscure her view with his hands. "I am fully at your service, your highness. I would be pleased to satisfy any of your needs."

The Princess turned quickly and strode out of the room.

"Damn! Hate to watch her go, but love to watch her leave..."

She colored further until even the tips of her ears were red and wrenched her head around to look at him before the door closed behind her. She had heard the sword.

Link couldn't help it, he let out a smothered snort of laughter at the sword's comment. It rang out in the silent hall and suppressed gasps echoed behind him. Heavy footfalls marched up and a gauntleted hand reached out to cuff him sharply over the head. Link let the momentum knock him to the side and rolled while pulling out a shined and glimmering dagger. He pointed the tip at the gauntlet and glared ferociously at the accompanying face. The man stood with a hand at his sword and crouched knees. His chest clattered with the sound of his multitude of medals knocking together.

Pandemonium erupted around the hall. The King stood from his throne and fled from the room. The soldiers remaining surrounded Link. They hesitated to approach, but pulled their weapons and focused on him. The Gerudo contingent all pulled their weapons and jumped into what quickly turned into a fray. They surrounded Link and began moving as a unit towards the door. These soldiers were all familiar to Link, they had worked together in the desert and fought Yiga together. This formation was taught to all warriors in the event of an injury. Link himself fought in a similar circle to evacuate a warrior that eventually died of their wounds. It was shameful to be protected when he was unhurt. He shouted his war cry and leapt from the protection to parry a clash from a Hylian soldier with his dagger. The soldier wasn't expecting resistance and let the weapon slip from his hands and drop to the floor. He looked up at Link and the color drained from his face. He bowed his head and shuffled back until his rear hit the door to the throne room. It had been thrust open and a feminine gasp rose above the commotion.

Every soldier froze as one unit. Combatants lowered their weapons and moved to stand side-by-side. The Princess Zelda walked into the room with the grace of the Goddess. She looked at the faces of her soldiers and stopped at the angry face of the gauntleted man.

"General Zain, do you require assistance with your introduction to the Chosen Hero?"

The gauntleted man's face turned a sickly violet, "I believe I have become sufficiently familiar with him." He gave a short bow and stormed out of the room.

The Princess let him leave and watched for a moment as his back disappeared from view. She turned slowly to survey the remaining soldiers. One by one, they dropped to their knees. Even Link couldn't stay on his feet when the eyes of the Goddess looked out at him.

"Which of you is my Champion?" She asked. "Anyone who is not should find something else to be doing."