Link had been acting strange recently. Stranger than usual at least. At first, you figured it was just… Link being Link. Maybe he was having a bad week, or a noble had insulted his common origins again, or maybe a knight had badmouthed the princess’ honor. There were so many little explanations for his behavior. 

Yet you couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to it than that. 

Which was ridiculous. If something was bothering Link so terribly, you’d like to believe he’d tell you. Though the more you think about it… and who you’re talking about… Link probably wouldn’t even tell you. Someone he trusted enough to love. 

The idea made your chest hurt, but you couldn’t deny the validity of it. Link has always been horrible at sharing his problems, even with the people who cared about him.

“Link?” You whispered softly, voice echoing through your shared chambers. You received no response. This wasn’t uncommon. Link may not appear as such, but he was a deep thinker. His mind was brilliant, and that brilliance had been what had pulled you in, all those years ago. Being little kids in Mabe Village, running around the ranch. You could vividly remember the childish laughter, and how quickly it turned into hushed whimpers as the others hid from the guards that had come to collect Link. To take him far away from home. 

So far it took you years to finally find him again. Despite his fame as the hero, all you could see is that brilliant young boy with eyes bluer and brighter than the lake that you’d visit with the other ranch residents. 

“Link,” you called again, footsteps echoing alongside your voice as you stepped closer to where he sat on the bed, prepared for what would be a… restful sleep. 

“Starlight,” he finally breathed as you sat next to him, his eyes meeting yours as he was dragged out of the haze he’d been stuck in for the past few days. 

“You’ve been… unwell these past few days, is there something wrong?” You ask, hand brushing over his knuckles as he entwines your fingers together. 

“It’s… nothing you need to worry about, Starlight,” Link assures you, breathing out a sigh as he brings you close, bringing you into his arms. “I’m just worried that the Disaster will come, and we won’t be ready,” Link admits, arms tightening around your shoulders. 

“Sunshine, you’ve been training for this all your life… even if you think you’re not ready yet, well, I know you’re ready for whatever comes your way. Whether it be divine wrath or a man with a pitchfork,” you answer, pressing your forehead to his, hands cupping his cheeks as he stares into your eyes with admiration… and doubt. 

“How can you be so sure?” Link questions, voice soft, eyebrows furrowing.

“Because I know you, Sunshine. You’re someone who never gives up, who never backs down, and has a mind so brilliant, I’m not sure how I got so lucky,” you speak, gently brushing away the mussed up hair from his face. Link smiles lightly, gaze softening as he looks into your eyes, bringing you into a crushing hug. 

“You always know just what to say, dontcha, Starlight?” Link chuckles as you press your face into his shoulder, memorizing his scent and the feeling of his warmth surrounding you. What you couldn’t see was the way his smile falls, the soft look in his eyes replaced by something unreadable. 

— 

“The hero is missing!”

“What?”

“He disappeared!”

“Where could he have gone?”

“Did he abandon us?”

“How could he!”

“That traitor…!”

—

“...Your Highness,” you mumbled. 

“Good evening, dear knight,” she greeted, voice tender, eyes filled with the same warmth you could recall in her gaze every time you had met. “...You heard the news, didn’t you?” Zelda questioned, and your silence told her everything.

“My deepest, sincerest apologies, my dear knight…” Zelda murmurs as she wraps her arms around you, quietly soothing your sobs as the night passes on. 

— 

“Black blooded monsters? That is… quite unusual,” Zelda comments as you bring her news of what your latest travels had uncovered. “Perhaps… he has something to do with this? The same way he had corrupted the Guardians… Do you believe you’ll be able to grant us an audience with one of them? I believe we’ll need to discuss this with them,” Zelda requested, eyebrows furrowed in thought. 

“Of course. I’m sure Nayadra would be more than willing to help,” you nodded, a hand grasping at the strap of your leather bag. 

“I greatly appreciate this, I’ll have to inform the guard to be wary of these monsters. They appear smarter, more powerful compared to the usual monsters we’re accustomed to, no use risking an encounter,” Zelda answered, dismissing you shortly after that. 

Sighing, you wandered away from the castle, heading toward the peaks of Necluda, a place of freezing cold temperatures… and the Guardian of Wisdom’s favorite place to linger. First, however, you wanted something to eat before you hit the road. Cooking on the road may be delicious, and you liked to believe you’d developed some decent cooking skills… nothing could be a local restaurant. Not when it came to the Castletown businesses. 

You found a stand selling some food, and decided that it was best you grab some to-go food instead of dining it. 

“That’ll be 30 rupees,” the shopkeep said as you sighed, digging through your wallet to grab the thirty rupees. It wasn’t expensive per se… but still. You could only hope the food was worth the price. 

Walking to the outskirts of the city, you smiled at the sight of your loftwing peacefully resting near the stables. “Hey girl, ready for a trip to Necluda?” You greeted the bird, who gave a low coo in return, unraveling from her place near the stables. “Thank you for taking care of her,” you bowed to the stablekeep, who waved you and your extra rupees off. 

Once out of the city, you mounted your loftwing, and you suddenly found yourself with a foreboding feeling. 

It was probably nothing. 

—

This is definitely not nothing, you thought as you stood next to the usual spot that the Guardian of Wisdom liked to hang out at. The peaks of Necluda. For some odd reason, you couldn’t find any traces of the Guardian around. 

What you did find was a portal that was swirling purple, accompanied by the overwhelming urge to enter it. 

Still, what kind of hero would you be if you randomly entered every suspicious portal you encountered? So, seeing as Nayadra wasn’t around, you attempted to settle down at the Necluda peaks for the night, your loftwing flying off and away from the freezing temperatures she was not made to withstand. 

Of course, your attempts to ignore it were… futile. As the pulling and tugging in your chest turned into a yanking sensation that knocked you off your feet. 

“Fuck fuck— okay! Okay! Geez–... what do you want now, White Goddess?” You cursed, fumbling as you did your best to resist the journey the White Goddess was attempting to send you on. No way you were going on another one. The first two had already been worse than the depths of Dinraal’s recklessness. 

No way, not by the Golden Goddesses, would you willingly go on another one. 

“I’m afraid she isn’t giving you much choice,” a familiar, collected voice cut through the snow storm. 

“Nayadra!” You exclaimed before their words registered. “Wait, what does that mean–” Before you could even finish, a portal opened up underneath your feet, and you found yourself swept away and into a brand new adventure. One you were sorely unenthused about. 

. . .

“That… that fucking hurt!” You hissed, hands on your knees as you breathed in and out. A harsh glare was aimed at the river you’d landed in. It just had to be a running one too, didn’t it? Was this some sort of retribution for your attempts to resist her? You swore you were so gonna tell Zel about this when you got home. At least she could lower the amount of sacrifices that year. That’ll teach that damned goddess a lesson. 

Before you could properly assess more about your current location, you heard the sound of approaching footsteps. And they didn’t sound very friendly. In fact, heavily armored was more like it. Well, one heavily armored person. The rest of the armor sounded lighter to you. 

When you turned, still disorientated by the wonderful little dip you’d just taken, you almost jumped out of your skin at what you saw.