【 P R E S E N T L Y 】
As soon as you stepped outside, you were blinded by the bright sun.
"Whoa!" You exclaimed in surprise.
You squeezed your eyes shut, desperately hoping you didn't just fry your corneas.
"Hey! [Y/N]! Come on over here!"
You automatically opened your eyes at the call of your name. Despite the annoying little dots dancing around in your vision, you managed to spot the owner of the voice. He was a familiar one, though you couldn't quite match a name with his face. He was standing amongst a small crowd of people not too far away, waving you over with a sense of urgency.
Of course. You were the last person to show up.
"[Y/N]!"
"Coming!" You called back before scurrying over.
You quickly spotted Shad standing near the back of the crowd. He turned around just as you reached him, and you automatically went to his side. A somewhat relieved look appeared across his face. Ever since last night, you had been weighing on his mind. He had tried to chase after you, only to be stopped by Link. The blonde suggested it was best to leave you alone to sort out your thoughts. Although it took some persuading, Shad eventually relented and spent the rest of the night worrying about your wellbeing.
However, one look at your refreshed and energetic face made him realize that Link was right to give you your space. The scholar's eyes flickered over briefly to the side, spotting the hero making small talk with Auru. Then the strangest thing happened. An ugly little emotion known as envy latched onto his heart.
Shad was jealous. He was jealous of Link.
Why was he jealous? The redhead wondered.
Sure, Link was the hero of Hyrule, attractive, and loved by all... But Shad never really cared about any of that stuff. That must mean...
"Good morning!" You suddenly appeared beside Shad, smiling up at him happily.
You. It was you. Shad was jealous of Link because of the history he shared with you.
Despite how close he's grown to you in just the past month, he realized he was nowhere close to understanding the many layers of your personality compared to Link. Heck, he didn't even know the details of your childhood!
Trying to quell the aching of his heart, Shad instead focused all his attention on you and mustered a smile. "Good morning, [Y/N]. I'm glad to see you in high spirits today."
"Thanks!" You replied while adjusting the straps of your pack. "Are we heading off soon?"
"I think so. We're just waiting for the Gorons. They'll be accompanying us to their village."
"Hmm." You hummed in reply. You tilted your head back, this time being careful of the harsh sunlight. "I hope they show up soon. Once it hits noon, it'll be ridiculously hot."
Shad followed your gaze, shielding his eyes with his dominant hand as he did so. "You're right. There doesn't seem to be any clouds today either."
"Oh, wait! No, I see one!"
You raised your free arm with your index finger pointed at the sun. There was a small wisp of a cloud floating by. It actually looked more like a puff of smoke than a cloud.
"But I guess that won't really help... Huh."
Shad chuckled in amusement.
"It's too bad, though," you sighed, shoulders dropping in disappointment. "It's such a nice day, and we have to climb that giant mountain."
Shad felt his heart flutter when he turned back to you. Even though your face was currently scrunched up in annoyance, he couldn't help but find you irresistibly cute. And then, when your large [e/c] eyes met his gaze, he could've sworn his heart stopped for just a second before resuming.
"Shad?" You called out, your voice laced with worry.
You couldn't quite place your finger on it, but something seemed off about the scholar this morning. He wasn't the usual awkward, kind and easily flustered person you had come to know. He seemed... Troubled? And maybe a little distant?
A rush of fear seized you. Was he mad at you? For what happened last night?
Shad, as if sensing your discomfort, seemed to snap out of it.
"U-Um... Oh! That's right! You've climbed Death Mountain before, right? Got any tips?"
You gave him a calculating look, trying to figure out what had just happened.
"Yeah... Stay alert because sometimes Gorons will roll at you, and it'll rain fire."
The male's eyes grew wide, and his mouth dropped open in shock. Suddenly realizing what you had just done, you quickly continued in hopes of undoing the damage. "Oh, but that was back then! You know, with the Twilight and everything? I'm sure it's fine now."
"Y-Yeah...?"
"Yeah!" You echoed back energetically. "Plus, don't worry. If anything happens, I'll be here to protect you!"
The troubled expression from earlier appeared across Shad's features once more. He looked like he wanted to say something to you, only to be cut off when the earth began to shake.
Everyone immediately braced themselves, trying to maintain their balance as the ground rumbled.
"Hey, hey! What's going on?"
"I thought the eruption problem was solved!"
Their uncertainty and concern, thankfully, didn't last long. A large boulder came rolling down the path, stopping right in front of the crowd. The rumbling, too, immediately ceased. From where you stood, you could barely make out the rocky 'crust' on top of the boulder. Suddenly, a set of limbs spouted from the rock, and a face appeared!
"Ah, sorry, I'm late!" The rock-like creature apologized before rising to his feet. "I was looking for some tasty rocks and lost track of time!"
Wait a second. You recognized that voice!
It was Yunobo! [1]
You remembered this Goron so vividly as if you had just met the other day. Yunobo was incredibly sweet, though somewhat of a scatterbrain. His role within the tribe was going around and searching for sources of food. That was how you met. When you, Link, and Midna first attempted to scale the mountain, Yunobo rolled at you guys. Without any means to defend yourselves, you were tossed from the mountain. Then after the whole ordeal with the Fused Shadow, you somehow ended up as friends.
"Yunobo!" Both you and Link exclaimed simultaneously, with the latter making his way to the front of the crowd.
"Link!" The Goron greeted the hero happily while opening his arms for a hug. "It's good to see you, my dear friend!"
"Ah, that's okay..." Link laughed nervously, trying to decline the hug politely. "It's good to see you too."
"And is that [Y/N] I see over there?" Yunobo looked over, instantly spotting you thanks to his massive height.
You smiled and waved but hesitated on heading over. Because if you were over there, that meant you had to be near Link.
"Go on," Shad found himself saying, much to his own surprise.
The jealousy swirling within him told him to keep you close and away from Link. But when he saw the excited look on your face at the sight of your old friend, his more reasonable side kicked in. If he cared about you, that meant he should always put you first, especially before his emotional turmoil.
Your unsure eyes met his briefly before returning forward. Mustering up the courage you didn't even know you had, you made your way over toward the front with more than a convincing smile.
"Hey, Yunobo!"
Unlike Link, you happily welcomed the hug. Your Goron friend easily picked you off the ground and swung you through the air. You laughed, enjoying the sensation. It didn't last long, however, and soon you found your feet back against the earth.
"It's so good to see you both!" Yunobo exclaimed, smiling. "I had no idea you two were in the Adventurer's Guild!"
"Ah... Well..." You shuffled your feet awkwardly, trying to think of an acceptable excuse. "I missed going on adventures."
"Same with me." Link replied smoothly. "I also wanted to see everyone again."
Yunobo's smile seemed to widen even more if that was even possible. "The Elders will surely be surprised! Come on then. We should get going before the sun climbs even higher!"
"We're so very excited you allowed us permission into the mines!" Someone behind you exclaimed. "Thank you!"
"Yes, it's such a great honour!" Ashei agreed from somewhere in the background.
Yunobo laughed good-heartedly, his dark eyes twinkling with joy. "We're really excited too!" He then turned around and began walking, his mutter going unheard. "... Since we closed off the place from everyone two years ago... Didn't think anyone would want to come to visit..."
Your guildmates began moving at once. Since you were in the front, you had no choice but to walk as well, alongside Link.
You bit down on your lower lip and tightened your grip on the straps of your bag. The events from last night flashed before your eyes, causing your stomach to flip uncomfortably.
Part of you couldn't help but wonder: how was Link?
He did seem pretty worried about you... And upset... And...
You couldn't help but look over furtively, only to realize he was looking right back at you too!
You immediately turned away, keeping your gaze fixed forward.
Why was he looking at you?!
Suddenly feeling awfully self-conscious, your mind wandered back into a time before you left Ordon. The insecurities and anxieties, which had been haunting you for centuries, suddenly overwhelmed you at once.
Was Link serious? Did he actually love you? If so, why didn't he tell you earlier?
No, that wasn't true. Link didn't love you.
He's in love with the princess- wait, no, in this life, it wasn't Princess Zelda. He loved Ilia.
Where did that leave you? Where was your place in his life now that the evil was vanquished?
You quickly shook your head, trying to push those toxic thoughts into the deep, deep recesses of your mind. You couldn't let yourself return to that time. It would've made leaving Ordon and learning how to make your own choices a complete waste.
You weren't that same girl from a month ago. You weren't going to spend whatever time you had left of this life mourning and lamenting for Link's love. You were going to seize the day. You were going to live your life as your own. You were going to make some precious memories so that when you looked back in your next life, you'd smile instead of cry.
Just like the sun, you were going to shine, even if that meant others around you would burn.
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Walking by himself at the back of the group, Shad found himself straining his neck to catch a glimpse of you. Whenever he managed to do so, he also saw Link.
You and Link... You two looked so perfect beside each other. You were the mysterious, beautiful girl with a breathtaking voice. Link was the handsome hero of Hyrule. You two were heroes legendary heroes. You would go down in history, and your feats would be told for centuries to come!
But what of your relationship? How did you and Link feel about each other?
More importantly, how did Shad feel about you?
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[1] It was Yunobo! ----- Yeah, it's the name of one of the Gorons from "Breath of the Wild" :D