Author Note: Just wanted to answer a question I've been getting a lot in my pm's. As mentioned in the summary of my book, there are changes in my story, meaning I have added more villages and towns then the game has, and memory locations have changed to fit my book's storyline. Not everything will be exactly like the game because it helps the story be less predictable. Now, with that out of the way, I wanted to tell you guys that school has ruined my writing schedule even more :( It'll take me longer to write chapters, but I'll try my best to continue! (:
•••
Alena swallowed hard as she held her sword out. She had used the weapon several times before, but the experience she had acquired during her travels left her brain as she watched you take your place just a few feet in front of her. Your eyes burned into her, and she could even feel Link's usual calm eyes examining her closely. She glanced to the left, seeing the blonde boy with his back against a tree, staring at her with anticipation.
"Ready?" You asked as your grip on your sword's handle tightened. Your (h/c) hair was pulled into a ponytail, so it wouldn't distract you as you duelled with Alena. The nervousness the other girl felt made your eyes soften. "I'll go easy on you if you want."
"No," she shook her head. Alena peered down at her sword and took a deep breath. "Don't hold back." The whole point of having a practice sword fight with you was to see where she needed to improve. And if you went easy on her, she'd never know that. Gulping once more, the girl raised her head, as if to show her preparedness.
You arched an eyebrow and stood straight. "If you say so," you shrugged, holding your sword out. The girl held out hers, having the two metal weapons meet. You grinned, a fiery gleam flashing over your eyes as Alena regained her composure. She gave you a small nod, and without a word, you slashed the air with your sword. The sharp sound of metal cutting the air sounded like music to your ears, and Alena responded by copying your movements.
The sound of metal clashing against one another filled the atmosphere, bringing vibrations to your hand. The sensation tickled at first, but you then ignored the feeling and pushed your blade forward. Alena's remarkable reflexes helped her parry your sword and twist to the right. You stumbled forward slightly, however, you were quick to regain your balance. Whipping around to face the girl, you raised your sword once again and charged at her.
Alena inhaled sharply when you came at her. Normally, she would side-step and avoid your attack, but she didn't want to cower. Holding her ground, the brunette lifted her sword and blocked your strike. A tiny squeak escaped her parted lips when you began to push down, causing her knees to buckle ever so slightly. Under the pressure, Alena felt her muscles shake. She knew that she couldn't hold this position for long, therefore, using the strength she had, she held the sword's handle with two hands and thrusted forward.
A smirk played on your lips when you saw her thrust at you boldly. If she had pushed forward a little harder, she would've been able to beat you, but that wasn't the case. You slid your sharp sword down, to the base of her blade. With one complex twist, you were able to do a downward thrust, causing her sword to clatter out her hand. You were about to raise the tip of your sword and press it against her exposed chest gently, but Alena seemed to understand your intentions.
The girl jumped back, her determined grey eyes glued on the sword that skidded to the right. Lunging toward it could result in you hitting her with the flat of your blade, and the duel would evidently be over. However, if she did nothing, she ran the risk of losing either way. The odds weren't in her favour, but out of impulse, she lunged toward her sword. She extended her hand, reaching out for her blade as she saw your sword coming at her.
When the handle of her sword was in her clutches, she picked herself from the ground and blocked your attempt at fake stabbing her. It took a lot of strength to do this with one hand, and the sweat that was rolling down her neck didn't make it any easier. Still, she moved past these things and tried her best to focus on you and only you.
The smirk on your lips hadn't disappeared, but your eyes did narrow. Alena had certainly improved over the months, and her reflexes were admirable. Still, she couldn't spend the entire time parrying and dodging your blows. At some point, she had to try an attack of her own, but she seemed too afraid to do so. "Are you ever going to attack me?" You asked, your words sounding harsh. This you intended to do, in hopes of getting a reaction from her. A burst of anger perhaps.
Alena's eyebrows furrowed at your comment, but she didn't respond. Parrying was one thing, but actually moving closer to fight was another.
You tapped her sword with yours, in a teasing manner. "Too scared?" You asked, grinning mischievously. The comment seemed to stir another emotion in her, and they reflected easily in her stormy grey eyes.
The girl frowned and without question she ran toward you, raising her sword as she let out a battle cry. She slashed her sword, hoping to catch you off guard, but she should've known better, with you being more experienced. Her blow was deflected easily, but she didn't back down, not when you looked at her differently. You continued saying small little comments, and each time you did the brunette would respond with a yell and a thrust of her sharp sword.
Tension grew, and nothing but shuffling feet and clanging sword's filled the area. In one of Alena's slashing moments, you were able to duck her sword and hit her with the flat of your blade. The action caused her to groan and drop her hand, giving you an opportunity to disarm her. And you did. You plunged your weapon forward, in an attempt to hit the hilt of her blade with the tip, but the girl's reflexes acted up.
Subconsciously, Alena twirled to the side, avoiding your sword. She twisted her weapon, having it face to the side as she moved, wanting to hit your back. You responded to this attack by jumping forward, barely escaping the cutting whoosh of her blade. When your feet hit the ground, you whipped around and hit your sword with hers. The vibrations that were sent to her hands and yours caused both of you to wince, but neither of you let go of your weapon.
Now, more determined than ever, you clashed your sword against hers over and over again, twirling here and there to come at her from different directions. Suddenly, the two of you were face to face, with your swords pushing against one another, forming an X. The fire in your eyes resembled the ones crackling in Alena's grey ones. Both of you were set on winning, but you knew who would end up victorious.
In a swift motion, you stepped back and hit the hilt of her sword. The girl had no other choice but to let go of her blade, but this time, when she hurriedly reached down to pick it up, you were already pointing the tip of your sword to her heart. The blade was just an inch away from her undefended chest, and this made you grin. But rather than gloat on your success in defeating her, you pointed your sword down and bowed your head, breathing somewhat heavily.
"I'm impressed. You put up one hell of a fight," you said, lifting your head to face her flushed face. You raised your arm and wiped the sweat from your forehead with your forearm.
"I-I did?" Alena asked, quickly picking up her blade from the ground. She bit her bottom lip, smiling faintly. "I thought you said I was no good." She was talking about the cruel comments you said to her during the duel.
"Ah, I only said that to get a reaction from you," you clicked your tongue, sheathing your sword away. "I didn't mean any of it, okay?" You offered a tired smile and gulped dryly.
The girl seemed pleased with your words and nodded. "Okay... so is there anything I need to improve on?" She asked, running her fingers through her sweat filled hair. A grimace appeared on her face as she removed her hair tie, letting her long brown hair fall loose.
"You just need to work on your attacks," you said as you pulled your hair tie off as well. A relieved sigh escaped your mouth as you rubbed a certain part of your aching head. "Everything else is really good. Don't you agree, Link?" You turned your head to look at the amused boy.
Link, having observed everything, smiled and pushed his back off the tree's bark. He stepped out of the shade and walked toward the two of you with his hands behind his back. "I agree. Your skills are amazing," he said with a nod. He eyed Alena, chuckling at her out of breath state. He brought out a leather canteen from one of his pouches and offered it to the sweaty girl. "Here, you're probably thirsty."
Alena looked down at the canteen and exhaled gratefully. "Thank you," she whispered, her throat parched as she took the object from his hands. Her fingers gently brushed over his, causing her heart to beat faster than it had during the duel. Her already red cheeks warmed up more as she opened the canteen, bringing it up to her cherry lips.
You sighed and took ahold of the leather canteen that was strapped to your belt. Instead of drinking it, you slowly moved your head back and brought the canteen over your face, tipping it over so water fell onto your hot cheeks. The cool liquid refreshed you, and as it ran down your neck and body, you couldn't tell if it was water or sweat that rolled down your back. You shook your head and pulled your hair back, getting a sudden chill.
Link raised an eyebrow and parted his lips to ask you something, but he stopped when he felt Alena run her hand down his arm. He glanced at the girl, blinking when he saw where her eyes were glued. "What?" He asked, looking down at the collar of his tunic.
"How did you get that scar?" Alena asked as she handed him the leather canteen. She stared at the long scar that went over his exposed collar bone and then flickered her eyes up, making eye contact with him.
The boy paused, a sudden grin forming on his lips. He glanced at you, chuckling a bit as the two of you remembered a conversation you both had in a cabin weeks ago. "I got it when fighting one of Ganon's creations," he looked back at Alena, speaking proudly. "Fireblight Ganon."
"Fireblight Ganon?" Alena asked, suddenly intrigued. "You mean the creations that are inside the Divine Beasts?! That's amazing!"
"I don't think amazing is the right word," you interjected as you put your canteen away. You placed your hands on your hips and shook your head, looking at Link with a disapproving gaze. "He almost died when fighting Fireblight. Actually, scratch that. He did die when fighting that thing." You shuddered and clicked your tongue.
"Okay yes. But Mipha's Grace saved me and I was able to defeat Fireblight in the end," Link held up a finger, in a way of correcting you. "So I would say that's pretty amazing."
"More like reckless."
"No."
"Yes."
Link pouted and opened his mouth to disagree again, but Alena spoke up before he could. "Wait a second," the girl said as she held up her hands, wanting to process everything the two of you were saying. "You died?" She stared at Link in disbelief.
The boy looked into her eyes and smiled a bit sheepishly. "Technically yes... but again, Mipha's Grace saved me."
"She doesn't know what that is, Link." You smacked his arm gently.
"Oh. Right," Link nervously chuckled and stared back at the concerned girl. "Mipha's Grace is this... ability I guess you could say, that I acquired when appeasing Vah Ruta. I met the spirit of the Zora Champion, Mipha after defeating Waterblight Ganon, another creation. And as a gift for freeing her spirit, she gave me her healing power which is known as Mipha's Grace."
You nodded your head and looked at Alena, who stared at Link in a confused, yet fascinated way. "Yeah and the way that ability works is whenever Link is close to dying or is already dead, Mipha's healing power will kick in and save him," you added, waving your hand around as you explained.
Alena's mouth hung a bit open as she paid attention to Link and you. She ran her hands through her hair and knitted her eyebrows with a puzzled expression. "Huh... interesting," she said rather slowly. "And this ability only works on you, Link?"
Link scratched the side of his head and hesitated. "I think so? I don't know if I could use it to save someone else," he answered honestly. He then turned to look at you and tapped his chin. "Do you think I could do that?"
"I don't know. But if I'm ever dying you can test it out," you replied jokingly, patting his shoulder.
Alena hummed in thought. "Link, you told me you appeased two Divine Beasts," she recalled, folding her arms as she pondered.
"When did he tell you that?" You asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Oh, we stayed up talking about it two nights ago," Alena answered before waving her hand, as if that was of little importance. You blinked, parting your lips to question a bit more but the girl began talking again. "Anyway, Link, since you received a power for appeasing Vah Ruta... Does that mean you received one after taking control of Vah Rudania?"
Link smiled wide and nodded his head childishly. "Yes. I was gifted a power called Daruk's Protection," he said happily. "Oh! I can show you what it is, look." Having done so several times now, Link simply had to focus on activating his power and in a matter of seconds, a familiar force-field circled him and a small area around him.
Alena gasped as she stared at the orange force-field with wide eyes. She extended her hand slowly, wanting to see if her hand went through the transparent force-field, but you grabbed her hand to stop her. "I wouldn't do that," you said cautiously. "It's pretty dangerous."
"Dangerous?" Alena glanced at you. "But it looks harmless."
"Looks that way. But the force-field protects Link from anything," you said.
"Yeah. Last time (Y/n) struck the force-field she was blown away and got hurt," Link mentioned, wincing at the memory. He deactivated the power and looked at you sheepishly.
Alena nodded her head in understanding. "Oh, okay. Well, that's a pretty useful power," she giggled, moving her hair to the side.
"It is and since I acquired powers after appeasing these last two Divine Beasts, I assume I'll obtain another after taking control of Vah Naboris."
"Ah yes. The one that's near Gerudo Town, correct?"
"Yeah," Link nodded.
"You know, speaking about Gerudo Town," you rubbed your arm, turning your head to look at where Link and you had left your horses, "we really need to continue travelling toward that place. We've spent too much time dawdling around."
Link followed your gaze and sighed. "I guess you're right," he agreed.
You nodded and looked at Alena, pursing your lips. You didn't think it was wise to bring her along, not when there were so many dangers in your journey. But you couldn't very well leave her here. That would be rude. "Are... you going to come along or are you headed somewhere else?" You asked with a bit of hesitation.
Alena paused and ran her fingers over the hem of her tunic in a thoughtful manner. "Well, I'm sure travelling with you two would be delightful, but I've been wanting to go to this place called Rito Village. According to many travellers, it's a beautiful region near Hebra Mountains," she said, smiling as she lowered her hands to put behind her back.
"Rito Village? Hmm, I think that's the next place (Y/n) and I are going to after Gerudo Town," Link hummed, pulling out his Sheikah Slate. "Do you know how to get there?"
Alena shook her head shyly. "Not really."
Link let out an airy chuckle and glanced down at the map. "Well if you need to look at a map, I got one here," he shook his slate, showing it to her before pressing an icon that activated an incomplete map.
The brunette's eyes widened when she saw what he held. "Is that a Sheikah Slate?" She asked in a shocked tone. "How do you have one?"
"That's a pretty long story," he replied, grinning a bit awkwardly. He then shook his head and glanced down at the map, moving a bit closer to her so she could see.
"The maps incomplete," Alena pointed out.
"We need to activate towers in order to get maps of certain regions," you told her, so she could know why the map wasn't complete yet.
"Ah," Alena nodded, flickering her eyes to you before looking back down at the map. "So how do I get to Rito Village?"
"Well, I don't have the map of that area yet, but this glowing point represents Rito Village," Link said, pointing to the screen. "And in order to get there you..." He paused to study the trails that the map displayed. "Ah, okay. You have to take this trail that goes west."
Alena leaned forward, her shoulder brushing against Link's from how close they stood. "Assuming that this arrow represents us," she glanced at Link for confirmation and when he nodded his head she continued, "we're pretty far away from the trail I need to take."
"It's not that far away. It'll take us a few hours to reach it," Link figured while placing a blue mark on the map. "And according to the map, there's a stable on that trail. So you'll have a place to stay after we split up."
"Oh, well that sounds good. I rather not spend a night out in the open alone," she shuddered, looking at Link again. Her cheeks heated up when she realised how close they were, so she quickly took a step back and cleared her throat. "Now then, let's get going, yes? I don't want to give you both any more detours."
You snickered, turning your gaze toward your grazing horses. "Actually, before we begin our way, I think we need to do something first."
"Oh? What do we need to do?" Alena asked, quirking an eyebrow curiously.
"We need to get you a horse. If you're going to travel on your own in a few hours, you should at least have one," you said as you started walking toward Zephyr and Epona. You gestured at Link and Alena so they could follow you. "Having a horse makes travelling a lot easier, and you'll be able to reach Rito Village much quicker as well."
"That sounds appealing," she chirped, walking by your side. "Problem is, I don't know how to tame a horse."
"Oh it's quite easy," Link spoke this time, walking next to you as well. "You just jump on their back and soothe them as quickly as you can 'cause if you take a long time they'll start bucking and neighing and eventually you get thrown off."
Alena blinked, looking at Link with frightened eyes. "They... They what?"
"Throw you off."
"That sounds painful."
"Nah, it's not."
"How would you know?" You scoffed, looking at him. "You had no problem taming Epona because she had an immediate bond with you. Whereas I had to tame Zephyr while she bucked around like crazy." You shook your head and glanced at Alena, who stared at Link with a worried gleam. "Taming a horse won't be easy, but we'll walk you through it. Or well I'll walk you through it. Sound good?"
Alena looked at you and bit her bottom lip. She gave you a not-so-sure nod and glanced away.
"Great. Now, let's just look for a herd of horses so we can begin," you said as you reached Zephyr and Epona. "Link, are there any open fields around here?"
Link brought out his slate once again and stared at the screen. "Yeah, there's a clearing southeast from here," he replied, putting the Sheikah Slate away.
"Alright, you'll lead." You raised your foot and placed it on Zephyr's stirrup to hoist yourself up. Once you say comfortably on your horse's saddle you turned to look at Alena and offered your hand. "Want me to help you up?"
"No thanks. I should get used to mounting horses on my own," Alena grinned to herself and made a move to put her foot on the stirrup.
"Hey, why don't your try manoeuvring Epona?" Link asked, facing Alena with a small smile. "That way you could practice and when you have your own horse, you'll be able to steer them with ease." He stepped to the side, gesturing for her to mount his horse.
Alena glanced at Link rather nervously and hesitated. "Are you sure?" She asked as she strolled toward him, her eyes glued on his horse.
"Yeah. It's not that hard," he said, chuckling softly. "You just hold her reins and tug them when you want her to move to the right or to the left."
The girl gulped and nodded as she heard him explain what to do. "Alright," she took a deep breath and mounted Epona with no help whatsoever. It was a bit difficult for her to do, but once she sat on the horse's saddle she exhaled and looked over at you.
"Try not to pull on her reins too harshly," you told her before demonstrating how she should tug on the reins with Zephyr.
Link mounted his horse and sat behind Alena, though he was sure to stay at least a few inches away from her. "Yeah, the more gentle you are the more you'll bond with your horse. The only time you can be brisk is when put in a life or death kind of situation."
"Like when you're facing monsters?" Alena looked over her shoulder to glance at Link.
"Exactly," Link nodded. "Now, lead Epona onto the trail and keep her going straight. I'll tell you when to stop."
Alena nodded, looking at you for some type of reassurance. A tiny wave of confidence filled her when you sent her a sweet smile. Slowly, she took ahold of the reins and kicked Epona's sides gently, not wanting to hurt her. When the horse responded by moving at a slow pace, she smiled and cautiously directed her toward the trail. "L-Like this?" She asked, holding onto the reins as tight as possible.
Link was going to nod, but then he remembered she wouldn't be able to see it. "Yes, but kick her sides again so she can move at a faster trot," he said, his hands holding onto the saddle rather then Alena's waist.
Alena did as she was told and kicked Epona's sides once again. She smiled, seeing that manoeuvring the horse wasn't at all hard and she noticed that after a few minutes Epona trotted on the trail needing no guidance at all. The girl relaxed her hold on the reins and glanced over her shoulder. "You were right, it's pretty easy."
Link laughed and leaned back slightly. "Yeah. The only time it gets hard to manoeuvre horses is when they're moving really fast," he said, tilting his head as he made eye contact with her.
Alena gave him a sideways smile and turned around, her gaze falling on Epona. She stroked the horse's mane with one hand gently. "But it gets easier with practice, right?" She asked, keeping her soft grey eyes on the snorting horse. If that was a good sign, she didn't know, but she continued stroking Epona's mane sweetly.
Link leaned to the side carefully, smiling when he saw Epona enjoying the attention. "Yes," he replied, snickering as he observed his horse.
As Link and Alena conversed, you looked around the area. Something about the two of them talking and bonding caused your stomach to flip, and in order to ignore said feeling you occupied yourself by humming quietly. Your eyes, every once in a while, would flicker to them, but for the majority of the time, you kept your gaze on the scenery around you. "Link," you spoke up, kicking Zephyr's sides so she could trot beside Epona. You glanced to the left, feeling somewhat relieved when you noticed Link holding onto Epona's saddle instead of Alena. "How long until we reach the open field?"
"Let me check," he said, moving carefully to grab his slate. As he worked on getting his Sheikah Slate, your eyes moved toward Alena. The girl's lips were curled in a beautiful smile, and her eyes emitted a sense of excitement as she steered Epona with ease. Your eyebrows naturally furrowed as you examined her features. Alena, to put it simply, was a very attractive young lady, and as you thought about this, a part of you couldn't help but wonder if Link found her pretty. You wouldn't be surprised if he did, but you would be dejected. A tiny frown cast on your face as you looked away, waiting for Link to speak up.
"We should be nearing the area soon," Link finally said, his hand instinctively grabbing onto Alena when Epona jerked to the left suddenly.
"Sorry," Alena said shyly. "I tugged to the left briskly."
The boy shook his head, mindlessly keeping his hand on her waist. "It's alright," he chuckled, turning his head back down to the slate. He hummed and put the object away before glancing at you.
"Okay," you responded, seeing where his hand was from your peripheral vision. Your eyes then snapped back in front of you, however, a foreign emotion began to stir inside of them. Pursing your lips, you resumed occupying yourself, overlooking Link's confused face.
He stared at you with knitted eyebrows. The look on your face was one he had never seen before and just as he opened his lips to question you, Alena's out of the blue gasp stopped him.
"Hey, look! There's a herd of horses over there!" She pointed with her index finger, quietly squealing as she examined the variety of horses that grazed a mile away from the trail.
Link followed where she pointed and smiled. "Do you see any you like?" He asked, moving his hand back down to the saddle.
Alena pouted when she felt his hand move away, but she didn't question his action. Before she responded, the girl squinted her eyes and examined the horses and their different colouring. "That blue one," she spoke softly, tugging Epona's reins gently so she could come to a stop. "It looks interesting." She studied the horse's sky blue colouring and it's long white mane.
Link smiled, catching sight of the horse she referred to. "Well then, you should go and tame it," he said, hopping off Epona's back.
You pulled back on Zephyr's reins and sighed. "Yes, but Alena," you glanced at the girl, "you have to approach the horse as slowly and quietly as you can. Any little noise can startle it."
Alena slipped off Epona's back gracefully and looked up at you. "Slowly and quietly," she nodded her head, repeating what you had said. "And when I reach it I just jump on its back?"
"Yes and you start soothing it by rubbing its neck gently," you explained, dismounting your horse as well. You strolled toward the side of the path, your gaze locked on the blue horse that grazed on the green grass. "The horse will respond to your sudden action by bucking around, so you'll have to hold onto it tightly."
A knot formed in Alena's stomach as she took her place beside you. She nervously folded her arms, staring at the magnificent stallion with anxious eyes. "What if I get thrown off?"
"Guess you'll just have to try again if you do," you shrugged, glancing at her. Seeing her nervous state caused you to exhale and soften up a bit. "But I'm sure you won't."
Alena, keeping her attention forward, nodded and took a deep breath. "I can do this," she told herself in a hushed tone.
You half-smiled and looked over your shoulder. "Link, do you mind staying with the horses?"
"No, I don't... mind?" Link's voice suddenly went questionably high as he got closer to you. His blue eyes, though looking directly at you, seemed distant.
You raised an eyebrow, staring into his offset eyes. "Link? Are you alright?" You asked, turning around to face him completely.
Instead of answering, the boy side-stepped and walked a bit more ahead. He looked around the clearing, taking in the strangely familiar setting. He mumbled something to himself as he instinctively took ahold of his Sheikah Slate.
"Link?" Alena asked now, taking a step toward him.
You grabbed her arm, stopping her from getting closer to him. "He's having a memory," you said, tugging her back as Link raised his slate to compare the scenery with a picture on his screen.
"A memory?" She frowned in a puzzled way and looked at you.
You simply nodded, not giving her much of an explanation. Already knowing Link would stumble back, you quickly set yourself behind him, holding your arms out. And sure enough, the boy gasped and fell back into your arms. You caught him easily and wrapped your arms around his chest. "Are you okay?" You asked, knitting your eyebrow in concern as you held onto him.
Link blinked a few times, his mind gradually coming back to him as he leaned against your arms. He hesitated, rolling his head back so he could look at you. "Yes," he mumbled with a slow nod.
"What did you remember?"
"Princess Zelda."
"That's all?"
"No... we were talking, or well she was talking, about something." Link stared at you for a few seconds before standing straight up. There was a hint of sadness in his words, but it could've easily been mistaken for a tone of confusion. He looked down at his slate again, staring at the image on the screen with troubled eyes. A long sigh escaped his lips as he hooked the object onto his belt once again. "Thanks for catching me," he said, turning around to face you.
You looked at him with pursed lips. Whatever it was that he remembered obviously bothered him, but you decided to ask about it later. "You're welcome," you said, exhaling. You then faced Alena, who was looking at Link with raised eyebrows. "Do you still want to tame that horse?" You asked her, gesturing at the blue coloured horse with your head.
Alena nodded her head very slowly. "Yes...," she replied, flickering her eyes at Link. "You got a memory?" She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
Link folded his arms and affirmed her words with a nod. "Yes. I did," he answered. Since the girl looked at him with a strange face, he faked a cough and looked toward Epona. "I'll explain later."
Your attention flickered between the two continuously until you decided to clap your hands together. "Come on Alena," you said, waving your hand so the girl could follow you toward the grazing horse slowly. You looked at Link and smiled softly. "We'll be right back."
Link smiled back faintly, watching as Alena and you crept toward the horse, making no noise whatsoever. His attention, however, wavered from the two of you. He looked toward a forested area with a sad frown. The memory he had obtained was different from any other he had gotten before. He closed his eyes, imagining the thundering sky and the heavy rain that poured down on Princess Zelda and him over a century ago. Everything about his memory was vividly perceived, and the more time he spent recalling said memory, the more his heart ached. The Princess's voice was so full of despair, and the hurt look she had on her face burned into the boy's mind as he finally fluttered his eyes open.
•••
"So let me get this straight," Alena stroked her newly acquired horse gently as she rode him. Not having a saddle and reins made guiding her horse a whole lot harder, but after travelling for a few hours, she was starting to get the hang of it. She raised her head to continue speaking. "You lost all of your memories because you were put in some type of shrine 100 years ago?"
"Yes," Link replied, keeping his eyes glued on the Sheikah Slate he held in his hands, letting Epona trot down the dirt trail on her own. "And when I come across the area these pictures were taken in, I get a memory." Explaining to Alena who he was and why he got memories from the past took awhile, but in the end, he was somewhat relieved to speak up about it. And the fact that the girl didn't question it at all, or made any type of strange comment helped him feel normal. He put his slate away and raised his head.
"Wow," Alena said, moving her hand back to her horse's white mane. "I can't believe you're the Hylian Champion from 100 years ago... though it explains a lot." She smiled and glanced at you with a peculiar stare. She wondered if you were also some type of Champion from the past. "What are your memories about?" The girl looked back at Link, her head tilting as she waited for his response.
"Most are of Princess Zelda," he answered, making eye contact with her. "But some involve the other Champions."
Getting more curious about his life in the past, Alena moved her horse closer to Epona and placed one hand on her lap. "The other Champions? That's amazing," she beamed, her lips curling in a smile.
"I guess," Link pressed his lips together and looked away from Alena. He didn't like obtaining memories, even if it meant knowing more about his past. Knowing that the other Champions, his friends, were killed because of Calamity Ganon pained him immensely. And being the only one that survived wasn't exactly a blessing. However, as he pondered deeply, he realised that there was one good thing that came from surviving the Calamity 100 years ago. You. If it weren't for you, he would've been miserable during his journey. Realising this made a tiny smile form on his lips as he turned his head to look at you. He sighed, observing how pretty you looked as you admired the beautiful night sky.
You blinked when you felt someone staring, and as you lowered your eyes, you met Link's blue ones. The funny smile on his lips and his dazed eyes caused you to snicker. "What?" You inquired, ignoring the race of your heart and the heat on your cheeks.
Link's eyes widened when he was caught staring. He looked away, turning a light red as his bangs hid his embarrassed eyes. "Nothing," he said, glancing at you from the corner of his eyes.
You smiled to yourself and looked back at the sky. As Alena asked Link a few more things, you noticed something glowing brightly in the sky. You quirked an eyebrow curiously and kicked Zephyr's sides, so she could continue up the trail that went over a large hill. You paid no mind to Alena, who questioned why you were going more ahead, and when you reached the top of the hill you hopped off Zephyr's back and looked up. Being higher up allowed you to observe the strange-looking creature that brightened the night sky. "What's that?" You asked after you felt Link and Alena's presence behind you.
Link dismounted Epona and jogged to your side. He cocked his head back, seeing a green glow as well. He furrowed his eyebrows, studying the creature intently until he knew what it was. "That's the green dragon, Farosh," he said, seeing small balls of electricity emitted from the dragon's body. The mystical creature continued flying through the night sky at a slow pace, leaving Link and you in awe.
"I've never seen a dragon before," Alena gasped, hopping off her horse's back quickly. She hurried toward the two of you, her gaze coming upon Farosh. Its elemental orbs continued spewing off its body, protecting it from anything or anyone that dared come close to it.
The wind began to pick up, blowing the three of you rather briskly. Despite this, you held your ground as you moved your hands to your hair, tying it so it wouldn't whip over your face. "It's beautiful," you whispered.
"Hmm, you're more beautiful," Link said, his eyes flickering down to look at you. He grinned when he saw your cheeks blush. The flustered look on your face caused his own cheeks to flush as he glanced back at the mystical dragon.
Alena, having heard Link's little comment toward you, raised an eyebrow and glimpsed at the two of you. It was obvious to her that there was something between you both, despite what you had said about just being friends. She pondered, swaying her hips around as she lowered her eyes to look at the bottom of the hill. "Is that a stable?" She asked when she saw a tent just a mile away from the trail you were all on.
Link brought his attention to the stable Alena pointed at. "It is," he affirmed as he grabbed his slate. He activated the object and when his incomplete map appeared he saw that they were just a few minutes away from the blue mark he had placed just a few hours earlier. "That trail over there is the one you need to take in order to get to Rito Village."
"Oh?" Alena peered at Link, getting mixed emotions when she realised this was the end of her trip with him and you. "Um, do you know how long it'll take me to reach the village?"
"Without the map of that area, I can't really say," Link replied, hooking his slate back to his belt. "But with your horse, you'll be able to get there quicker." He offered a sweet smile and glanced at Alena's horse. "Be sure to register him so you can get a saddle and bridle. That should make manoeuvering him a whole lot easier."
Alena blushed at his smile and nodded. "I will," she responded, having her body face Link and you. She then exhaled sadly. "So I guess this is goodbye."
"Well who knows, we might come across each other again," he chuckled before shrugging.
"Hopefully," Alena responded, giggling at his words. She sighed through her nose, biting her bottom lip as she looked up at the boy. Hesitantly, she took a step toward him, placed her hand gracefully on his shoulder and stood on her toes to press a gentle kiss on his cheek. The action caused an eruption of flutters to enter her stomach as she stepped back with a pink face. Her hair fell over her face, covering her blushing cheeks. "I wish you both safe travels." She peeked at Link and you through parts of her hair before jogging toward her blue horse. She mounted her horse quickly and sent you a tiny wave as she kicked her horse's sides gently.
Link's eyes followed the girl shockingly. He didn't expect the sudden kiss, and as Alena trotted away with her horse, he rubbed the spot she had kissed flusteredly and turned around to face you. He opened his mouth to say something, but due to how shocked he was, nothing came out.
There was a visible frown on your face, but when you felt Link's eyes on you, you quickly replaced it. Hiding the jealous emotion you felt was nearly impossible, so to make it less obvious you turned around and walked to your horse. "So," you said, wanting to sound calm and unfazed, "let's get going."
The boy came back to his senses when he heard a different tone in your voice. He jogged toward you and gulped. "D-Don't you want to set up camp for the night?" Link asked, knitting his eyebrows together when he saw the fake smile that graced your lips.
"Oh, right. Camp," you said, glancing at him. You exhaled deeply and took a few steps down the hill. "There's a small area of trees over there. We can set up our beds between them."
Link nodded and whistled so Epona and Zephyr could follow the two of you down the hill and toward the trees. Once he saw the horses following he hurriedly moved beside you and took your hand, wanting to feel your warmth. "Are you okay?" He leaned forward to catch a glimpse of your face.
"Yes," you lied. Alena's action bothered you immensely, even though it shouldn't have. It wasn't like Link was yours, so there was no reason for you to be mad. It was just a friendly kiss on the cheek, you thought, trying your best to push away the jealousy you felt. You took a deep breath and looked at Link, giving him a genuine smile while squeezing his hand. "I'm alright." Though your statement was true, Link didn't seem to think so. And so, with a soft sigh, you stood on your toes and kissed his cheek. This one lasted longer than the one Alena had given him, and it had so much more meaning.
By the time you moved away to see Link's red yet cute face, you realised how much you longed to be more than just friends with him. And this realisation caused your heart to flutter and your cheeks to burn as red as his.