#ls wild

Link's expression flickered between a few, subtle options. A nervous glance. A sad smile. A gentle sympathy. Link looked at her a moment longer, and took a few careful steps closer, as if she was an illusion that would vanish if he touched her. He nodded "yes" but she wasn't sure he actually noticed he was doing it.

Zelda sighed, looking up at the castle beyond them. Looming. She looked at him. Her body and eyes were heavy with exhaustion. "Can we go?"

Link nodded, pulling the sheikah slate off their hip and grabbing her hand. Enveloped in a swirl of blue.

She swayed and stumbled on her feet at the teleportation. Link gasped, grabbing her arms. Zelda blinked a few times, registering the cliff and the spread of Hateno before them. Link frowned at her, then picked her up. She yelped as he hoisted her around onto his back. "Link!"

He laughed lightly, which made her giggle as well, despite feeling silly and flustered. Link started climbing down the slope. Zelda snuggled against Link's back, feeling a hazy sleepiness overwhelm her senses. Once they were on solid ground, Link gently put her down, hands framed on one shoulder and an elbow. Steady. They crossed an old bridge this careful way. Zelda considered the house ahead of them with a soft hum. She leaned her head on Link's shoulder while she read the sign.

"Link's House"

Zelda smiled. They showed her the house with a light wave of their hand to the interior and a small smile. Zelda sighed in relief. He had a house. He had found somewhere to rest in all the chaos and pressure of Destiny. She leaned against him heavily as they walked inside.

Sparsely decorated and horribly utilitarian. Zelda, exhausted as she was, was already considering ways to help Link find himself in the decoration of the house. She knew they needed it. Link looked at her questioningly and pointed. Bed or table chairs.

She was already feeling the pull for sleep. After decades of fighting. She just needed to truly rest. "If you don't mind, a rest sounds wonderful, please." Link nodded, helping her up the stairway carefully. Their hands so gentle on her shoulder. Steady and warm. 

Link guided her to the bed and stepped back as she settled into it. Zelda considered him. He stood beside the bed, turned to look at the stairway, glancing occasionally back at her. It was almost like he had designated himself her guard once again, but it came with a nervous air, uncertainty. …She couldn't quite figure out where it lied for Link, but she understood. Their roles of Princess and Knight weren't quite the same anymore. Zelda wasn't sure she wanted to return to it anyway. 

She shuffled to make space in the bed for him and reached, offering. Link stared at her hand. They stepped forward and took her hand gingerly between their own. Briefly, Zelda wondered if their reaction was connected to how she was finally physically present with them. No longer a voice. She wouldn't blame him. Part of her was bewildered too. That she could touch and be touched.

She smiled, soft, "You should rest too," she whispered.

Link's brows knit together. He slipped onto the bed, on top of the blankets, shoes still on. She rolled her eyes lightly and curled in against his chest. Her eyes shut as she listened to the beat of their heart. Steady and present and strong and real. She swallowed thickly. Alive. A tear rolled down her cheek unbidden.

She hid her face against his chest. He was alive. She had grieved him so much already. She wouldn't grieve him any longer- he was alive. He was here.

Link wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Soft and warm. His nose brushed against the top of her head. The knight curling around her. She swallowed down the old pains and snuggled in. Sleep taking her away soon enough.

The drum of Link's heart became a pattern of hooves on soft earth in the world of dreams. A hazy world bathed in warmth and light. Then water slipped through her fingers, cold and quiet. The horses were gone. She rose from the edge of the pool. Behind her, a guardian bathing her in an ominous red light. She reached for Link's hand to run. As she had every time she relieved this memory, this dream. His hand was always cold and ghostly. And when she looked back to check on him, he was gone. 

Zelda flinched awake. Her arms were empty. …her arms were empty. "Link?" She croaked out, grabbing at the blankets as if she could find him hidden in them. "Link?" She called a little louder. She sounded more desperate and scared than she had hopped to. The dream was just a dream. She knew it. It was only logical. They were likely nearby- Link had always been one to wake early. She was not. He wouldn't just leave.

He didn't answer either. She fumbled with the blankets and crawled out from the bed. Her body protested, lightheaded and dizzy. The world swirled for a moment as she steadied herself. She carefully walked down the stairs. Bare feet padding against hardwood. She looked around the lower level of the house. Empty. 

Humming. She frowned lightly and opened the door of the house. Then she could smell it. Warm aromas of fresh eggs and bread. With frightening urgency, she recognized she was starving. She walked out onto the grass, feeling like a newborn fawn fumbling down the slope. Blades of green tickled the soles of her feet, wet with morning dew. Link was clearly absorbed in his cooking, humming happily as he expertly flipped an omelet.

"Link" Zelda breathed out, halfway to a whisper. As if speaking louder would break the illusion and he and his joy would disappear.

He jerked and looked up, eyes wide. "Oh!" He smiled, looked back at the omelet, and slipped it onto a plate. He added a garnish, and carefully arranged the elements of the plate as if he was her royal chef. She frowned lightly… was he just doing this for her? He held up the plate with a broad smile. His eyes met hers and the smile dimmed. 

"...don't like it?" He asked quietly.

Zelda blinked. She shook her head frantically, trying to erase the frown from her features, "No no! It smells absolutely divine, I- It's just- you didn't have to do all this work and I don't want you to think you must do all this for me, I will eat anything currently, it doesn't have to be so gorgeous- and it is gorgeous- I hadn't realized you had such skill in cooking-" Link tilted their head, watching her ramble awkwardly. She cut herself off. "...Thank you." She said.

She sat down in the grass next to him and took the plate. She tried to forget the embarrassed blush in her cheeks in a bite of bread. And as soon as she had one bit, she had to devour it all. She scraped as much off the plate as she could by the time Link had finished his bread. He was smiling at her again. Was he amused?

"I'm- I was positively starving. I- honestly can't remember the last time I ate." Zelda looked down. "Sorry-"

"Why?" Link asked, simply. He never used to ask that. Questions, she realized, must have been forced out of him 100 years ago. He hadn't fought against the sentiment against their curiosity like she had...and she hadn't thought to fight for him too. She stared at him. She swallowed, she'd answer his questions. She'd answer any question he ever had again.

"I- I was not entirely material, when I was holding back Calamity Ganon- I had- I'm not sure. It was like being trapped in a crystal, present but not. I- I couldn't have had food if I wanted."

Link was quiet for a moment. Processing this. "But what are you sorry for? I made it for you."

Oh. Zelda frowned. "Because… It wasn't very…ladylike of me? Just then?"

Link shrugged. "Perfectly human of you, though."

She stared at him. Impulse demanded she defend herself- no, her background. But it wasn't even a critique. It was just simple wisdom. He was always so full of it. Perfectly human. She could stand to replace Ladylike for Human. She laughed, "I suppose it is."

Link smiled, finally moving on to eating the rest of his plate. Zelda sat back and watched. When he set the plate down, she scooted closer. When he leaned one arm on the grass, as subtle as she could, she shifted to let her arm brush against his. Her fingers sought his wrist, feeling for the thrum of his pulse against her skin.

Then he slipped through her fingers again. He stood, collected the dishes, and with a smile and an analytical glance around their surroundings, went inside. She sighed at the failure to capture the closeness she sought. She stood and followed him.

Link washed the dishes. She briefly considered offering to assist, but her body felt heavy and sore. As if walking around the house was the equivalent to a hike. Zelda sat herself in a chair, kneading her temples. Rather than lose herself to exhaustion built up from 100 years, she watched Link work. He finished the dishes quickly, and soon enough, he was on to the next chore, grabbing a broom to sweep.

"Do you usually do all this in the mornings?" Zelda asked. 

Link nodded as he brushed the dirt and dust back out the door. He whacked the broom against the edge of the door frame once, then moved upstairs. Zelda shifted to look up at him. "Did you rest well? I apologize if I woke you at any point-"

"I slept," Link responded. Simple. Vague. Unsatisfying. Zelda frowned.

Link looked over the edge of the loft at her. Considered. "Do you want new clothes?"

She looked down at herself. Her white dress was ripped and stained. Covered in terrible memories. She frowned at it. She had nearly forgotten what she'd been wearing. Then she considered the slight hazy, heavy feeling in her body. "I don't think I could make a trip to town, honestly…"

Link nodded, "I'll get you something." They rushed down the stairs, and put the broom away. Link took out a hood and clipped it around their shoulders. "Anything specific?"

Zelda sighed, looking at him. "Anything comfortable."

They nodded firmly, as if it was an order, not a vague idea. It settled oddly. But they smiled again, seemingly excited about going out, so she tried to let the feeling go. He would be back. 

Link took her hands in his and spread their arms together. Zelda blinked, eyes wide. "What are you doing?" She squeaked.

"Measuring!" Link explained simply. Then, with a gentle wave, he left. Slipping through her fingers.

She let her arms drop to the table. With little else to occupy her, and feeling tired regardless, she stood and crawled back into Link's bed.

She returned some time later. Zelda had woken up, fiddled with Link's sparse decoration, and returned to bed already when Link came in. She was wearing a dress, twirling the fabric back and forth with a swish of the hips in each step.

"I never thought of you as one for dresses." Zelda commented, tilting her head. She'd always been a touch jealous of Link's clothing options, neutral and practical… Why would she change that?

Link looked at her like a deer in headlights as she stopped at the edge of the landing. 

Oh. This was a fragile, new thing, wasn't it? "It looks beautiful on you!" Zelda amended quickly. "You clearly enjoy it."

Link smiled shyly and nodded. The nervous moment dissipated. Link immediately laid out clothing options in front of Zelda.

A tunic exactly like Link's Hylian Tunic, but in purple. A light dress and leggings. A hood that just nearly matched Link's, but distinctly her own anyway. A smart shirt and pants. A caplet and warm dress shirt and layered skirt. A loose dress Zelda assumed might be a nightgown.

Zelda looked at all the options with a blink. Link hesitated for a moment, then took out a blue tunic that looked exactly like she remembered it to. She gasped. "Where did you get this?"

"Found it in your old room… had it fixed up."

"How- just now?"

Link shook her head… Something she’d prepared for, then. …It was a sweet idea, that she’d known she might want her old research gear.

She touched the fabric and looked it over. "Thank you Link… I… I assumed it was all gone."

Link shook her head almost frantically. "I have a good bit under the stairs. I can grab it-”

Zelda placed her hand on Link's shoulder. "No, we don’t have to sort through it all now. Later, maybe?" 

Link nodded.

She looked down at the fabric. Her old tunic shirt was something of a chore to put on. She picked up the Hylian Tunic instead, "I'll wear this right now. Where can we keep the rest?"

Link quickly took up and neatly folded the outfits, and placed them in a drawer by the bed. She smiled, gesturing at the drawer.

Zelda giggled lightly, "Perfect, thank you… now mind uh, going downstairs so I may change?"

She blinked, wide-eyed, then nodded repeatedly, leaping down the stairs. Zelda shook her head. Silly.

She descended the stairs carefully, old white dress hooked under her arm. Link was busying herself with the sheikah slate, clicking through pictures. She turned and looked at her with a soft smile. Zelda returned a nervous smile in response. 

"Ah, where should I put this?"

Link offered a hand. She placed it in her hands. Link tilted her head. "Do you want it fixed?"

"No," Zelda said before she could really think about it. It came out frustrated and angry. Link looked at her wide-eyed. Zelda closed her eyes and huffed a breath. "I would rather not wear or see it again, it- it's stained with far too many terrible memories."

Link frowned, looking at the fabric. "Make something new or destroy it?" Link offered.

Zelda blinked. Options. She had so many options, now that Link had given her some to consider… she wanted to rip it apart. She wanted to make it unrecognizable. …But she didn't want to lose any more history than she already had to the calamity.

"I want- I need it to be something new." Zelda decided, "can I rip it up? Then you can do whatever you see fit with the pieces?"

Link smiled. "Deal."

Zelda sat next to her, grabbing the white fabric back and tore it at a seam. The fabric made a satisfying rip. She found another seam and tore that apart as well. A methodical destruction of the rich fabric. Zelda put all her remaining strength into breaking apart the last symbol of her anger and pain. Growling and scratching and tearing. 

She… no that didn't feel quite right. They? felt exhausted. They felt renewed.

Zelda huffed as they shoved the remainders of the torn white fabric to Link. She admired a piece, and nodded. Link folded the sections up and placed them in a pocket.

They sighed and rested their head on the table. Satisfied and exhausted. Link scooted the slate into their view. They shifted to look at the picture shown. It was a seemingly random pair of rito. 

"Who's that?" Zelda whispered.

"Teba and Tulin, his son. Teba helped me get to Vah Medoh."

Zelda looked at Link and smiled. "It's a very nice photo."

Link nodded and flicked to another photo. Then another, and another. Mentioning the people or event depicted. Many were landscapes or animals or monsters, but everything had a new memory attached.

They smiled warmly at Link as she got to the end. "We should have some of these printed. Hung up on the walls."

Link hummed. She offered the slate to them.

"Oh- you want me to pick?" 

Link nodded.

Zelda blinked, fiddling some with the slate until they could see the overview. And… placed in such a manner, they realized just how many new memories Link had compared to the sparse few that had survived from 100 years ago…. Zelda smiled. 

They picked one of each of Link's new friends, descendents of the champions. "How about these?"

Link smiled and nodded.

Zelda had lulled their head on the table while Link cooked something for dinner. He had changed his outfit again. His champion’s tunic still fit him well, they noted idly. It looked over-soft from use and age, carefully patched new edges and mending blended well in color but oddly rough against the old fabric. An interestingly seamless clash of new and old. They looked around the house. The house was mostly old.

“What else do you think you’d want in your house?...” Zelda mused softly.

"It’s not mine. ...It’s yours." Link said.

"What?" Zelda sat up. Suddenly they registered what exactly Link had placed inside. Their old room’s salvage. The champions’ old weapons. Their new clothes were the only things in those drawers. He asked them to pick the photos… Link’s personality didn’t show very much because he planned for it to be Zelda's the whole time…

"I’m giving it to you…” Link said, eyes focused on the pot they were stirring. “The construction crew, uh, never actually asked me what I wanted on the sign… I didn’t know how to ask them to change it." he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"You bought a house… for me?"

Link nodded.

Zelda stood, feeling wobbly on their feet, “Link-”

He turned at his name and rushed over to them. He took their hands in his, steadying them.

“I’m okay,” Zelda whispered. They frowned softly, “But you can’t really just- give this house to me entirely?”

“I travel too much to keep it properly.” Link smiled, but something in it was strained, unsteady. “You deserve your own space.”

Zelda glanced at the house. They could already imagine every opportunity to make the space Home. More photos. Books. Everything. They couldn’t deny the gift. “I’m honored, genuinely. Thank you.” They looked back at him. They looped their arms around his neck and hugged him. 

Link sighed in relief. Zelda clung to him as long as he allowed. Which, unfortunately, was short, because he gasped and ducked away to return to his cooking. Zelda settled back to their chair, watching him with a soft smile. 

They ate together, Zelda speaking of all the old and new friends they hoped to see and meet. They rambled for at least an hour, before Link finally took away forgotten plates and washed up.

Exhaustion settled back into their bones, and Zelda made their way back up and changed before Link would have to be forced downstairs anyway.

"Oh, good night," Link called from downstairs. Voice strangely quiet and far away… Perhaps it was an illusion of their exhaustion.

Zelda hummed. "Good night, Link." Sleep pulled them away quickly, and they dreamt of walls of photos and the smell of fresh food and finding several more excuses to hug Link.

They awoke to Purah's goggles in their face. Zelda shrieked, "Purah!"

"Hey Zell-zu!" chirped a voice younger than they recalled.

"Purah?!" They gasped. "You're- you're a child!"

"Well now you sound like my sister. Look at yourself Missy. Not a day over 100"

"But you-"

"I knew you'd come back. I saw the aftermath of you and Link defeating the Calamity. Hadn't figured out where you vanished to, until Linky said you'd be here." Purah continued on without paying mind to Zelda's questioning. Much to their ire.

"Where is he? Cooking outside?"

"Hm? No, he gave me an absurd stash of food to give you though. As if you can't feed yourself." Purah shook her head.

"What?" Zelda sat up, "Where did he go?"

"...uh, I didn't ask. He's a big boy." Purah said with a frown, "Should I have?"

"But- I thought- …" Zelda shook their head. "Nevermind."

"Well." Purah hummed, "Maybe he's just going his rounds across the realms to tell everybody you're back."

"...I suppose. Wouldn't that take some time? Why not a letter?"

"The postal system is dead, Zell Zell." Purah humphed. "Why all these questions about Link! I'm here, aren't you happy to see me?"

"Oh sorry Purah, I am, but Link-" Zelda found theirself choking on his name. They frowned, clinging to the blankets.

Purah looked at them softly and understandingly. The ache in their chest and throat only solidified. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have teased. I know why." Purah said quietly. 

"We lost him. Not- not almost- we did. And I- If I can't see or hear or feel him it just sits here in my chest like a specter-" Zelda whispered.

Purah crawled up onto the bed with them and hugged them. "It's okay, he's okay. You aren't alone."

A dam broke. Zelda felt tears well in their eyes and they sobbed and screamed as Purah's too-small hands and arms cradled their head. Her too-young voice whispering soothing sounds. Yet she felt so much older and wiser all at once. 

Eventually, the tears settled into something manageable. Purah rubbed their shoulder. "Come on now, let's get that care package from Linky warmed up. I also want to give you a looksie do"

"...huh?" Zelda croaked as they found the strength to sit up.

"I want to check your physical condition." Purah said with far more seriousness this time. Zelda was suddenly self conscious of the way their legs shook from exertion to stand. 

They swallowed and nodded. "Food first?"

"Food first." Purah agreed, hopping off the bed and taking Zelda's hand. They walked down the stairs. Zelda felt vaguely like a babysitter and the kid all at once as they followed Purah.

Purah easily distracted them with chatter about her research of the guardians, details about Impa and Robbie, the state of the world after the Calamity… Zelda barely noticed their "exam" had finished by the time Purah announced it.

"You seem very weakened, physically. Even just the stairs seemed taxing… A toll from fighting the Calamity sustaining only off your own magic, I assume?"

Zelda nodded softly. They closed their eyes with a sigh.

"Good news is, if we treat some of the depletion of magic, I think you'll be feeling better in no time! But you have to be careful while you're still weak." Purah pointed her recorder at them. "And you should exercise, to build up your strength again."

"I will." Zelda promised. They smiled at Purah, "Thank you."

"It's nothing, you're my friend."

"I still can't believe you de-aged yourself for Link and I."

Purah whacked them in the arm. Zelda laughed. "What I can't believe is that I suffered walking through town to see you."

"Children ask you to play?"

"Worse, they hid behind things and whispered."

"People always did that around us" Zelda giggled softly with a shrug. "You'll survive. Maybe you'll have fun with the kids if you try, too."

Purah shook her head, "Trying to lure me out of the lab more huh? How about you go visit me. The walk might be good for you."

"I don't know if I can make it to that lab…"

"...We’ll table it for a little later, then. Start with walking around the house."

Zelda nodded, "For now… more rest." They chuckled lightly.

"Okay… fair enough. I'll be back tomorrow. Okay?"

Zelda smiled, "That would be wonderful, thank you."

"Take care." Purah said. Purah gently pushed them along to start back up the stairs.

"I shall," Zelda affirmed.

They settled back into the blankets with a sigh. Idly, they hoped, wherever Link was, he was okay.

-

Wolf was watching him from the edge of the woods. Link walked up to the beast of a wolf and ruffled his fur. The wolf huffed, giving him an indignant glare.

"What?" Link asked, walking deeper into the forest, grabbing a mushroom off a tree as he walked.

The wolf trotted after him with a gruff growl-huff.

"I'm not leaving her alone, I told Purah first for a reason." Link reasoned.

The wolf snorted.

"Sassy today?" Link muttered as he looked back at him.

Wolf "smiled", which was more of a threat to wolves, as Link had learned from unfortunate experience. But it still seemed more like a sarcastic or vindictive grin than an actual warning sign with his Wolf.

Link humphed and rolled his eyes. 

"Ouuf"

He sighed heavily. "Whaaaaat? What am I supposed to do? You didn't feel what I felt with those memories-"

A soft single-note whine.

Link stopped walking. He closed his eyes. "Zelda hated me. For the longest time. I- I have no idea how we became friends other than just- talking, I guess. Maybe. I don't remember that part!"

The wolf rested a paw on his leg. Link slipped to sit on the ground. Letting the wolf wiggle up into his lap. Link buried his hand in the thick fur.

"All I know is that she got mad specifically when I followed her everywhere. So. I just- have to not do that. Right?"

The wolf looked at him. Intelligent eyes questioning.

"It's so- it was so hard not to. I just- every second of the day I just kept wanting to grab her hand and never let go. Never let her out of my sight just in case something happened. I had to leave. She's safe there, I know she is, I just- … I can't ruin it if I'm not there.”

Wolf heaved a mournful sigh and Link rather agreed to the sentiment. He leaned down and buried his face into the wolf's fur. They stayed there for a moment. Silent.

"Well." Link muttered quietly. He nuzzled his cheek against the fur before leaning back up. "I think we should go to Kakariko first, then Zora's Domain, Gerudo, Herba, then Death Mountain. Yeah?"

Wolf stood up with an agreeable "boof".

Link nodded lightly. Clicking through the slate map. "Sorry it's so many towns… I'll take us just outside and meet you back there. Okay?"