"Good mooooooorning!"
You nearly leapt out of your skin, though you did fall out of the bed. You snapped up. "Please don't scare me like that!"
The little forest spirit trembled. "I'm sorry, Mr. Prince, sir."
You couldn't stay mad at the adorable Korok. "Just... next time, please don't yell." You got up and stretched, feeling the strange satisfaction of your back popping. You stepped into the corner of the room and stroked the side of the wall. With a little rumble, the wood parted, sending fresh cool water running down your body. Any excess was instantly soaked up by the floor of roots. You used a mixture of sugar and wildberries to make a scrub that you lathered on with a moss sponge. You sighed, feeling more clean and relaxed than you had in the past week.
Getting to the Lost Woods was easier said than done. Originally, you and Link took the main road, but a series of encampments and Guardians drove you farther and farther off the path until you ended up having to go up and around Hyrule Castle via Tabantha (which didn't sit so well with you). What followed was a week of straight rain and mud until you finally made your way to the sanctuary of the Master Sword. Finally, it felt like you had the last of the sand of the Gerudo Desert and the mud of every other province washed off.
"So, where is Link?" You asked the Korok, while you dried off with some leaves. "Did he go looking for more of Hetsu's seeds?"
"Nope!" The Korok chirped, handing you a freshly roasted fish for breakfast. "Mr. Hero just finished the last trial and is ready to try and pull the Master Sword from its pedestal!"
"Why didn't you say so?" You hastily scarfed down the fish and tossed on your tunic. "Morning everyone!" You shouted to the other spirits that lived within the Great Deku Tree. The cracked stone shrine to the sword of evil's bane stood before you. Link stepped up to the pedestal, giving you a smile and a tiny wave. He then took a deep breath. He crouched down, grasping tightly. At first, nothing happened. You could see the beads of sweat on Link's forehead as he struggled to pull the sword. With a scraping sound, suddenly the sword began to come free, inch by inch. As he lifted the sword, a great blue light spilled forth from the pedestal, and Link disappeared.
"Wait, where'd Link go?!"
The Great Deku Tree hummed above you. "Please don't fret. Link has been transported into another realm for the Trial of the Sword. He has passed before. In fact, he passed with flying colors. He'll be back soon."
"Oh... okay."
"Oh, and Prince [Y/n]," the Great Deku Tree added. "I have a gift for you." With a snap, some roots shifted and revealed a chest.
You opened it. Inside was a beautiful greatsword, white as moonlight. It was intricately carved with the symbols of the ancient sages and glowed with energy. "That is the Sword of the Six Sages, a relic of the Twilight Era. That very sword was once wielded by the ancient sages, but also by Calamity Ganon's former incarnation known as Ganondorf. That man, might I add, was your predecessor as champion of the Goddess Din."
You held the sword in your hands, a thrum of energy passed through you sending shivers down your spine. "Thank you, but..."
"Why?" The Great Deku Tree offered. "It may not seal the darkness like the Master Sword, but it can certainly harm it. The sword is imbued with the blood of Ganon; even it and its minions cannot block its strike. However, a word of caution: the sword is imbued with the energy of light and darkness making it capable of bringing great good or great evil to Hyrule. I trust you will make the right decision."
You bowed to the sword in reverence and sheathed it with a flourish. "I promise I will make you proud. Thank you." You strapped the sword to your back, knowing it may be the very tool you'll need to turn the tide of battle.
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Night had fallen, and Link was still in the Trial. You prepared extra dinner, Meat Rice Balls, though it was growing cold. You initially wanted to make crepes now that you had all of the ingredients, but you quickly discovered that the Koroks did not like to watch you eat any form of vegetable or fruit in front of them.
By the light of the fire, you finished a few final papers for the company. You now reached every major settlement in the kingdom. The Rito now joined your company as a simple mail service, much like how they did in the golden days of Hyrule. For larger packages and products, the company had a fleet of rebuilt covered wagons and ships. While everyone still avoided Hyrule Field - and for good reason - people had access to more than ever, faster than ever. A nickname for you was starting to spread: the Prince of the Wild. For that, you blamed Kass, but it had a nice ring to it.
Requests came in for a variety of products, some large ones needed your approval. You signed off on a major ongoing shipment of fish from Lurelin and Tabantha to the Zora's Domain. Prince Sidon personally ordered his tenth shipment of Hearty Salmon. You also denied a request for fifty-five rushrooms from a certain stable hand near Kara Kara Bazaar. The man had a problem, and you were not going to be an enabler.
You set the papers aside. You would drop them off at Riverside Stable to be sent out with the mail on your way to Hyrule Castle. A flurry of butterflies danced in your stomach, anxious about returning home. Was Zelda okay? What if she couldn't hold Ganon back before you got there? What if you couldn't get into the castle? What if Link got hurt? What if Link died?
You closed your eyes and took deep slow breaths. "One step at a time," you whispered to yourself. "One step at a time. We'll get there and keep fighting until we can't anymore."
You decided to distract yourself, specifically with a different project you had been dreading: the final draft of your love letter.
Dear Link,
I'm writing this as we prepare to take back Hyrule Castle. This is it, our attack on Ganon, and perhaps the last chance the people of Hyrule have left. I want to write this for you, so that you can hear my words should the worst happen.
I've never been able to speak these words to you; I always get tongue-tied when I see your smile. It was that beautiful smile that got me when we first met. That smile brought me out of the sadness of my mother's passing, and I knew immediately that I could trust you.
Sometimes, I don't think you realize how amazing and beautiful you are. I love how you like to talk, but only with me. I love your sparkling eyes when you laugh. I love how you're the best swordsman I've ever seen. No one can hold a candle to you, no matter how hard anyone may try.
I've always appreciated how kind you've been to me; even if you can't remember everything from so long ago. You've always been there by my side, teaching me to be better whether it was with my sword or as a person. I trust you more than anyone else. The time I spend with you makes me the happiest man in the world.
This might be my only chance to tell you. Link, you are my dearest friend, and I love you. I love you not just as a friend, but romantically. I understand if you don't feel the same, but I want you to know that I will always stand by your side.
With all my love,
[Y/n]
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You finished the letter and folded it into a makeshift envelope. If you were in the castle, you would have sealed it with wax and your personal seal, but wax candles were a luxury you typically didn't carry with you. Other options like tree sap and honey crossed your mind, but they would likely ruin the letter.
You looked up and saw a flower: a Silent Princess. It was one of your sister's favorites, and Link's as well. You picked it and tied it with some twine to your letter. You slipped the letter in to his pack.
Link suddenly appeared in a burst of light, hair disheveled and very naked. "[Y/n]!" He tackled you to the ground, arms around you in a bear hug. "[Y/n]" he choked, tears falling on your Hylian tunic.
"Link, what's wrong?"
"You're alive... thank all the Goddesses, you're alive..."
"Yeah," you laughed. "Been for a while, thanks for noticing."
"No," he sniffed. "I remember. Tanagar Canyon... you fell... I'm sorry, I didn't protect Zelda or you."
You smiled, wrapping your arms around him and stroking his hair. "I'm fine, aren't I?" Outwardly, you were calm, but on the inside, you were screaming for joy, holding him in your arms. "Just glad you're safe too."
"Thanks."
Suddenly, a chorus of Korok chatter rose from around you.
"What are they doing?"
"Are naked hugs a thing?"
"Can we have hugs?"
The two of you turned an incredibly bright shade of red. Link quickly pulled away, but his hand lingered for a moment on your arm. "Think you'd better get dressed," you murmured.
He tossed on his tunic and turned to the sword. Once again, he grasped and lifted. The Master Sword came free with no effort gleaming in the forest light. As Link lifted it skyward, you swore you heard a voice in your ear whisper, "Thank you."
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You tightened the clasps on your Ancient Cuirass and Greaves. Robbie still was working out the kinks on the helm. The NaVI system was a bit... overzealous, so he was trying out something he called the "Telemetry and Target Lock" to balance it out. The result was explosive to say the least. Instead, you wore your crown, feeling it was far more appropriate. You ran a quick checklist: Sword of the Six Sages, Royal Shield, Royal Bow, tons of arrows of all types, and a handful of healing potions. Your heart pounded. Your home had never appeared so menacing to you.
"Ready?" Link asked. He was in his Champion's Tunic and Hylian Hood and Pants. The Master Sword gleamed on his back, next to his Royal Shield, and Royal Bow.
"As I'll ever be."
You stepped onto the raft and pulled out a Korok Leaf, while Link braced the sail to steer. The sky grew darker and darker as the raft crept across the moat. The malice and dark magic in the air made goosebumps all over your arms and shivers down your spine. The Calamity roared high above you but didn't seem to notice the intruders.
"Zelda's in the highest tower," Link said. "What's the best way up there?"
"Usually the main road to the Sanctum, but I doubt that's unguarded or even intact. We'll need to sneak in near the old mines or at the docks."
"And then?"
"Play it by ear."
Link didn't respond. The dark water looked as though it would swallow you up. Thankfully, there were no aquatic Guardians otherwise your approach might have been impossible.
"Don't worry Zelda," you murmured. "We're coming. Just hang on a little bit longer."
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A/n: Hello all, hope you're enjoying the story! Please let me know if there's any strange grammatical mistakes. Wattpad has been acting up for me and some of my periods, commas, or even spaces have just disappeared. In some cases it even removed half a sentence. I think I caught them all, but let me know if you find a spot I missed.
Thanks and I hope you're ready for the seige of Hyrule Castle in the next chapter.
DreamDepot