Homeward Bound | Legend of Zelda

Chapter 2 - The Perilous Art of Being Alive

The path winding down the mountain was as daunting as taking his first steps had been. The grass sloped worryingly steep, and that wasn't even mentioning the glow of dew the grass held, making it even more of a slipping hazard in the fine morning.

Hyrule was the first to begin his descent, his feet barely making a dent in the grass. Link watched curiously, then glanced down to his own feet that were barely visible between the blades of green. There was something off about this boy. Maybe it was the dancing green flames tinkling around his ankles. Link chewed his lip, casting his eyes back across the landscape. He was supposed to save this kingdom? It didn't look like it needed saving. There was a murkiness around the castle, sure, but it couldn't have been so bad. The land looked beautiful, so whatever darkness it hid couldn't have been so encompassing that they had to wait for him specifically to lend a hand. He was probably just a last resort. There couldn't be anything remarkable about him, not when he woke up in a cave with no memory of how he got there or who he was. 

"Link?" Hyrule called back to him. The smaller man gazed at him, bushy hair completely unaffected by the breeze messing up his own.

Link shook off his thoughts and trailed after him, feet crunching through the piles of leaves and twigs. Thankfully, the path down hadn't been as hazardous as expected, even with his still wobbly legs threatening to give out at any moment. His head still felt slightly clouded, like the blue sky that was speckled with white. His thoughts began to wander again, eyes finding a hundred things every minute to study, only to then be distracted by something else and leaving his previous questions unanswered.

"Look." Hyrule suddenly stopped, pointing towards a small shroom at the base of a tree. He trotted over, crouching beside it. He glanced over his shoulder and beckoned Link over. "This is a Hylian Shroom." He explained. Link just scrunched his nose. "I believe that device should be able to hold items for you. You should collect as many of these as you can."

Link frowned. "Why?"

Hyrule looked up at him, then held his hand out as if he were about to grab the shroom, only to stop inches away. "Your body may have healed, but you're still recovering. Hylian Shrooms are good for restoring health." He glanced back to Link. "They also fill your belly. You need to eat."

Ah. So that was the uncomfortable grumbling noise his stomach was making. Interesting. He reached for the shroom and plucked it from the ground, raising it to his lips without a second thought. 

"Wait!" Hyrule's eyes had widened in alarm. "You have to cook it. It's better for you that way."

Link pouted. "Oh."

Hyrule chuckled. "Come on, there's some more down there." He pushed off the ground and ventured further down the path. Link watched him go. There... There was something achingly familiar about him. From his easy smile to the green tunic, it was like he already knew him. Hyrule had said their souls were one in the same, but what did that even mean? They are bound by their souls... were they soulmates or something? Link shook his head. No, that didn't feel right. But... what did?

Link shrugged off the thought, opting to simply follow the smaller man's lead. Man. His lips curled into a frown. This guy had to be younger than him. He was shorter, that was for certain, but his face still held remnants of puppy fat that Link had grown out of years ago. Link was seventeen, he knew that for certain. This boy must have been about... what, fifteen? Sixteen? Younger than him, at any rate. 

Hyrule crouched at the base of another tree, rooting around in the grass before moving on to another patch. 

"Why are you doing this?" The words left Link's lips before he had the chance to stop them. The boy looked up at him, a frown marring his otherwise perfectly cheerful face. And youthful.