The Legend Of Zelda: Timeless

Chapter 2

The small town of Kakariko was bathed in moonlight when they passed through the gate. Link pulled the reins slightly to direct his mare towards the spring. After slowing to a stop, he immediately slid off the saddle. As soon as his boots made contact with the edge of the sparkling pond, he could feel his pain and weariness start to dissipate. The relief that flooded over him almost made him forget about the princess that was waiting for him to regain his composure. He did immediately, helping her down from Epona's back,

"We should get inside quickly, your highness." He murmured, looking around, "Ganondorf may be gone, but not all of the monsters are." She nodded before following him as he walked towards the inn. Though the spring had healed him physically, he was still exhausted, so the thought of finally having a peaceful night was alluring.

As they approached the inn, a familiar face opened the door.

"I am pleased to see you return, Link." The man said with a gentle smile. Link nodded in return as the pair stepped inside the warm room,

"Hey, Renado." Though he had hoped, a part of him believed he would never see this place again. Even after all of the trials he had overcome, defeating Ganondorf seemed like such a long shot. He glanced around, "Are the kids asleep?" Renado nodded before his eyes landed on the princess, bowing,

"Welcome, your highness. I am grateful for your visit to Kakariko, though the circumstances are unfortunate. I hope the accommodations are to your satisfaction." A polite smile crossed Zelda's face as she watched the man,

"Thank you for your hospitality." She responded softly. Link couldn't help but notice the disingenuous calmness in her gaze. When he really thought about it, he realized he had never seen unfiltered emotion until they had discovered Castle Town, and even then it was brief. He couldn't fully grasp the pressure she must be under to keep a brave face.

"Please, follow me." Renado continued, pulling Link back to the present as he walked towards the back on the inn. As they entered the back room, Link looked over at the sleeping children and his childhood friend, Ilia. A fond smile crossed his face as he looked down at them, relief flooding over him. They were all safe now, "I apologize, but it looks like there's only one bed." Link looked over,

"That's fine. A floor is a luxury mattress compared to some things I've slept on." The shamen nodded and left, and Link went to a nearby closet to grab an extra blanket and pillow before laying them on the floor, subconsciously putting himself closest to the door. He then pulled his gear off and laid down. Without realizing it, he positioned in a way that his hand rested on the hilt of his blade. He closed his eyes to let sleep take him, but after a few long minutes a soft sound caught his attention. He turned over to see Zelda in the bed, eyes squeezed shut as silent tears wet the pillow under her. He debated going over to her, wondering if it was completely out of place. After a few moments, his concern won. He quietly approached, crouching in front of her,

"Princess?" She stiffened slightly, opening her eyes. He suddenly felt awkward, not quite sure what to say. 'There, there' hardly seemed appropriate. "A-are you okay?" He whispered lamely. She didn't answer for a moment,

"Yes, of course." She said, hurriedly wiping her face as she plastered on a smile in its place. His eyebrows furrowed,

"Stop that." He said. Her eyes widened in shock, and he realized what he said, "Um, I mean, you don't need to do that, your highness." He said, trying to backpedal, "Don't smile at me. Er-I mean in this situation-" This was going south. A look of amused confusion settled in her features as she watched him stumble on his words. He finally sighed, "What I'm trying to say is, you don't have to pretend everything's fine. I know better than anyone just how messed up of a situation we were just in. The fact that we are alive to be having this conversation is a miracle. But this battle wasn't just between the triforce bearers. There were a lot of casualties, and it's ok to mourn the loss of your people. You don't have to keep it together all the time." Her expression was solemn as she took in his words, gaze never leaving his. As the silence stretched on, he looked down, "I'm sorry, it isn't my place to be so direct." She shook her head,

"No, it is quite alright. I needed that." She said softly. "Locked away in that tower, I knew what was happening, but until I saw the effects of his wrath, I was unable to fully grasp what my people faced. The residents of Castle Town.." Her voice faded away, tears sparkling in her eyes. She put her face in her hands. "I could not save them." She said, her voice muffled.

"This is not your fault. You did the best you possibly could. Even Midna and I, who were at the center of all of it, couldn't have saved everyone." He paused a moment before continuing, "What matters now is getting Hyrule through this, and you will." She looked at him, opening her mouth to respond,

"Link?" A groggy voice asked, and he turned to see Ilia rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, "You're back!" She said, a bit too loudly for a room filled with sleeping children. She ran over and hugged him, which he stood and returned with a quiet laugh,

"Of course I am." He said as she pulled back and looked over him worriedly. He forgot that he was covered in dried blood, but after seeing that there was no injuries under the stains she settled, "You should go back to sleep. I'll still be here in the morning." She nodded, the worry not completely faded from her eyes as she went back to her bed. When he turned back, the princess was turned away,

"Good night." She said quietly. He returned to his makeshift bed,

"Good night, your highness." He replied, settling down and closing his eyes.

"You can call me Zelda." He heard just before exhaustion pulled him into sleep.