#post botw

But there’s something lingering in the back of the champion’s mind, a threat that keeps being tugged and unwound more and more as he tinkers with the guardian in the field. Looking across Blatchery Plain, Link’s eyes fall on the fort a few yards away. It still looks defeated, heavy wooden boards covering gaps in the stone and the thick splintered wood logs carved into spikes atop the fort’s wide walls. The mud is deep in particular around the entrance and his mind fleetingly thinks of Zelda getting stuck before he gazes towards the Princess.

Princess Zelda, adorned in her usual travelling fear and with her strikingly blonde hair tied back into a long ponytail by a blue hair tie. A hair tie of which Link himself also used after refusing to get his own muddy blond hair cut. It had grown since the end of battle, but it wasn't yet in the way of his work.

Zelda is knelt beside a toppled Guardian, delicate fingers working the bolts and springs and gears all the while humming her own soft song. One Link hasn't before but sounded …familiar. The tune almost sounded like a lullaby, as if Zelda was putting the guardian to sleep.

Link shifts, the heavy weight of duty sits on his shoulders even now as he gazes across the plain as if watching the guardian’s closely. As if one is playing dead only to spring up on them when they got too close, he'd seen it happen before. Decayed guardians making a mockery out of him for adventuring too close to the sun and only to be surprised when they fizzled to life.

His eyes, ever so slightly focused on the one guardian Zelda is knelt beside as though challenging it to resurrect itself. Then, Zelda lifts her head, beautiful green eyes scanning the field and finding Link on guard as ever. She stops humming, the tune of her late mother’s lullaby sticks to her throat as she watches her knight skillfully rise to his feet to make his way over to her. But she notices that he isn't looking at her, more so the guardian she's working on.

“Link.” She calls out finally, a soft regal tone reaches Link's ears and his eyes light up again to meet her gaze. “Come help me for a moment, please.” She asks and as if she tugged on an imaginary lead, Link obeys and settles beside her.

Once he is close enough, the breeze wafting through their hair momentarily as Zelda reaches for one of his hands. “You seem troubled,” she says plainly, searching for a wound she knows isn't on the skin. “...these guardians won't rise again, if that is what you are concerned about.” Zelda puts the fear to bed with a gentle squeeze of Link’s hand.

The calloused fingertips and rough palms of using all manner of equipment during his journey seems to have taken a toll on the knight. Zelda’s hands though are soft and warm and sweet… Link snaps free of his haze, nodding stiffly at the mention of the guardians again. The master sword would have alerted him by now if this one was alive…

The two meet eyes for a moment before Link’s gazes towards the fort once again. The stirrings of guilt and the dawning of unfamiliarity settles in his gut. He turns his gaze towards the likeness of Ash Swamp before he finds the place where it all happened 100 years ago. A flash of red energy. A bright ball of holy light and the agony of fatal wounds.

He must have lingered on the spot for too long because Zelda’s hands reached out to touch his cheek, to coax him to look at her again. Her hands are cool against his face, especially over the jagged mess of a scar that blooms down his jaw and collarbone in memory of that night. The scar disappears under his champion tunic where only he knows it spreads wide over his left ribs and dips down towards his hip bone. Scorching heat is a phantom pain of the guardian’s dreadful energy.

“Link.” Zelda calls, seeing her knight’s eyes suddenly grow castaway almost. Like he was lost inside something and she needed to be his anchor. “Link.” She says again, thumb caressing his cheek.

“I forgot everything.” Link’s voice is always so soft for a hero who can slay Lynel’s with a simple pot lid. His voice is steady but void of any goodness. Zelda shakes her head before opening her mouth to speak but closes and thinks about her words.

“It's true. I don't remember much else aside from the preparation and the battle.” He voices quietly.

“And I died. There, in the field in your arms…when I should've been protecting you.”

Zelda closes her eyes for a moment and firmly takes Link’s hand in her own. “Do not act as though you did not protect me. You did so, down to your last breath.” She argues softly.

“And it wasn't enough. You still faced him alone.” Link contests, a shadow falling over his eyes from how he lowers his head slightly.

Zelda knows that look, a look of defeat and guilt and an intimate war inside oneself. She's felt it before and even still she deals with the raging guilt of not awakening her sacred power until the last moment. And that has costed so many lives…

“Link, this will eat you alive. The feeling, the emotional war inside… let me help you, like you helped me.” She asks gently, squeezing his hands in her own. She traces the leather arm guard, it's scratched up due to the many times Link loosed an arrow from his bow over his quest.

“But I have nothing, nothing but you. And that should be enough but -” Link’s shoulders curl in on themselves, lowering his head so his princess didn't see him begin to struggle with his emotions so suddenly. He was also so stoic and so quiet…

“You do have something, what of the companions that aided you during those long months? Sidon. Riju. Teba and Yunobo. Even Huddson and Purah and Robbie…you are still surrounded by those who want to see you succeed and continue. Like myself.”

Link shakes his head, unable to put the feelings to words. “I know that. I know they wish the best for me but it isn't…the memories, Zelda. Family and childhood. Friends and enemies. First times and last times… I have none of it.”

Zelda suddenly realises that this is more than just the grief of losing his friends to the divine beasts. This is the loss of family and a world prior to even the master sword. A life of which Link no longer can remember. Unlike herself, who can still recall her father’s harsh tone and yet gentle embrace, or the face of her mother smiling at her.

Link has neither.

“Link. I am so sorry.” She whispers, turning properly to gently embrace the hero who curls forwards in mourning. “But I know that they would be proud of who you have become.” She adds as Link’s voice cracks under the weight of it all.

There's silence across the Blatchery Plain, deafening as Link inhales deeply and finally lifts his head. Zelda doesn't move, her hands gentle on his back and shoulder to coax him upright again once he’s ready.

“I cannot be the man you first met.” Link’s voice is slightly raspy, evidence to his mourning. Zelda shakes her head, ignoring the husk of guardians around them. Soon they would be gone, and she hopes Link can return to Fort Hanteno with a brighter mind.

“I do not want the man I met back then. I want you, as you are in front of me, Link.” Zelda affirms in that gentle wispy voice of a goddess reborn. Link feels an unwavering warmth in his chest where Zelda pressed her small palm there, as if the golden power of her eternal power awakens his own.

“You are allowed to mourn, Link, and if it would be of …comfort, I can stay with you. Know that those in your heart will be forever tied with you to the ends of Hyrule.” Link’s breath is shaky, coming out in warm puffs as he gathers himself from Zelda’s touch.

“As long as you stay where I can see you.” Link murmurs, finally blue eyes meet green in a dance of revelry.

“Of course, for I shall be with you till the end of time.” Zelda whispers, feeling the lub dub of Link’s heart against her hand on his chest. Link reaches out to tuck a stray hair behind her ear, fixing her golden earrings before cracking a tiny smile.

“These guardians won't dismantle themselves you know!” Robbie’s suddenly squawking voice echoes over the plain somewhere to the left of Link, causing Zelda to laugh in the afternoon sun. Caught in her beauty, Link finds himself anchoring to the present at last.

comments welcome

Zelda always kept a high standard, getting up early to start her hair, then change, the princess kept a tight schedule while her knight and partner was the complete opposite. Link never has a schedule, sure he has a list of things to do, but he’ll get to it when he does. He’s free spirited, and she ends up having to force him to take care of himself.

“Link, when was the last time you brushed your hair?” Zelda looks at his untamed hair.

“I… uhh… I don’t remember” He flops in the bed next to her.

“Goddess” she snatches her hair “sit on the floor in front of me” she shoves him down.

“Zel- Babe please don’t” Link looks up begging “please no- Ow!” She brushed

By the end of it Link’s hair went down to his mid-back. “It’s this long?” Link runs his hand through it.

“Yes but it’s dirty come on” Zelda drags him outside, filling up a bucket with water “lay here” she point. Link’s at her mercy at this point so he has no choice. She washes his hair, he almost falls asleep to her rubbing the soap in. “Hey” her soapy hand flicks his nose “no sleeping”

Link sneezes

“Bless you” she laughs “you have a funny sneeze”

Link got back from hunting. Zelda has all her hair in a braided crown, she has a bandana tied around her head, and she’s carrying clean folded clothes. One of the children from the village, Aster, was hanging out with Zelda. Aster ran up to Link “Mr. Hero!” She says “your back!” She hugs him. Link goes stiff…

~~~~~~

“Big Brother!” A little girl ran to him “Big Brother… why are you in fancy clothes?” She questions

“Oh Honey…” an older woman “ she puts folded clothes down “my baby” she walks to him cupping his face. She fixes his hair and berie “your named after an ancient Hero from your Fathers side, the Hero of Time, Link” she straightens his back “you’ve made the name your own, I’m so proud of you” kiss

“Mom” Link’s stoic facade falls and he hugs his mother “I’m gonna miss you” he tries to hold himself together.

“It’s okay just let it out. Momma’s here” she coos kissing his forehead.

“I love you, Momma” he hug tighter.

“I love you too, Link. Say bye to your sister” she fixes his hair.

Link kneels to her “hey Kiddo” he ruffles her hair.

“Hi big Brother” she hugs him “your leaving like Daddy did?”

“No I’ll come back this time I promise, I’ll come home again Aryll” he runs his hand through her hair “I’ll come home”

“I love you Brother”

“I love you more lil sis” he backs up a bit rubbing her arms before standing “I love you, both of you, Aryll take care of Momma okay?”

“Okay Linky” Aryll solutes, smiling wide.

Link solutes back a warm smile on his features then turns calling Shadow, hoping on the horse and waving goodbye

~~~~~~

Link snaps out of it, met with Zelda holding him and Aster holding his hand.

A Bokoblin camp, Link observes. Now he could be normal, but nay. He turns and climbs up the mountain, the slow process boring him, he jumps to the top. Once he’s rested enough from the climb he jumps off paraglides close to the camp and let’s go, entering his Champions ability and slowing time down he pulls out bomb arrows and blows up the camp, once his bomb barrage is over he pulls out fire arrows and burns the stragglers.

He lands in the burning camp stand there smiling and picking up the guts and bones he can before putting them in the Sheikah Slate.

He heads back to Hateno proud of his arson. As soon as he walks in the door to his house he feels Zelda’s glare.

“Where have yo- why in Hylia’s golden light are you covered in soot?” Zelda grips the railing of the loft.

Link laughs awkwardly “well I was bored-“

“So you burned a camp down again?” Zelda scoff “trigger happy”

Post Calamity Zelda and Link set out on adventures together across Hyrule, or at least that’s what the people would tell you. According to the Princess and her Knight these “adventures” are dates.

Date one, prep:

Link is outside cooking while Zelda is inside the house folding clothes neatly and putting them in the Sheikah Slate. Link comes in, knocking on the table to let Zelda know of his presence, normally l in the house Link would talk freely, on the rare occasion that he’s not talking, something’s wrong. “Link?” Zelda peaks out from the loft “is everything alright?”

‘Bolson talks too much’ Link signs after placing a few plates down then he signs ‘I can only listen for so long, he’s annoying’ Zelda laughs, Link smiles “you always make me feel better with that laugh” Link says, his voice gentle.

Zelda face goes flushed, now it’s Links turn to laugh, “you flirt!”

“Only for you Princess”

“Oh shut it” she grumbles.

He materializes more food, placing it on the table, Zelda scoffs walking down the steps, she hugs Link form behind. Despite this being the first date, they’ve been all lovely dovey like this for 6 months. Link hums and turns to her “hey…” he leans up and rest his head on her shoulder, “I’m proud of you” he rubs her arm.

Zelda smiles playing with Links hair “thank you” she hold him tighter “for everything”

“I was just doing my job Hun”