Reaching The Temple of Time proved to be very eventful. The simple walk there was interrupted by many annoying Bokoblins and Chuchu Jellies. Of course, this was a small task to handle for Link and you. It only took a few minutes to defeat the hideous creatures, but it came with a small prize. As the two of you made your way between the ruins that rested below the temple, Link noticed a chest that was placed on top of a flat stone. He made his way towards the chest slowly and started to examine it before opening it. When the both of you peered inside you were met with two pairs of Hylian Trousers.
"Ooh, these are nice," Link said as he took a pair. He inspected it and then handed you one. You found it rather peculiar that it just so happened to have two pairs, but you didn't spend too much time questioning it. Instead, the two of you hid behind some large rocks to change into them. Once you were both done, you stepped out to look at each other.
"They certainly feel nice," you commented as you felt the smooth fabric before looking at Link.
"They fit well too," he added with a grin. You smiled before looking towards the steps that led to the temple. You gestured for Link to follow you before making your way up the steps. When you reached the entrance of the temple you stopped momentarily. You inspected the inside, seeing crumbled down walls to your left and shattered pieces of glass scattered across the grass filled floor. Your eyes travelled up, seeing huge holes in the roof which allowed you to see sky.
Although some things remained intact, it was still a complete mess. Soon enough your eyes trailed down towards the large statue that was casually placed at the far end of the temple. It was resting on a large platform, which you could get to by walking up some flights of stairs. You felt power radiating from the statue and this made you go towards it in a curious manner.
"That must be the statue of goddess Hylia," Link said to you. You had completely forgotten that he was there, so his sudden words made you jump a bit. Either way, your eyes never moved away from the statue. You took a few more steps towards it, feeling more and more power emitting from it. It wasn't until you heard the Old Man's voice that you snapped out of the little trance you were in.
"Up here!" The Old Man called out to Link and you. You rose an eyebrow and slowly looked up, seeing the elder standing on the roof of the temple. "I'm glad to see you both made it here safely. Now get up here."
"He's very demanding, isn't he?" Link commented quietly. You looked at him and laughed.
"That he is," you replied with a smile.
"How does he expect us to get up there?" He then asked.
You hummed in thought and began to look around. "Maybe there's a ladder around here?" You replied.
Link nodded at your words and began to search around the temple. He couldn't find anything that would help you guys get to the roof top, but he kept looking. It wasn't until he stepped outside that he saw a wooden ladder against a wall. He grinned and waved his hand to catch your attention. "Found one!" He told you, his grin still on his lips. You took one last look at the statue of Hylia before stepping outside. A smile came onto your face when you saw the ladder.
The two of you didn't waste any time and quickly rushed towards the ladder. Link allowed you to climb up first. You made sure the ladder was sturdy and wouldn't break before going up (because it's always good to be safe). Once it proved to be in good shape you started the climb. The wood would creak every once in a while, which only made you climb faster just in case.
"It's not going to break (Y/n)," Link said when he noticed you would pick up your pace whenever the wood would groan.
"You don't know that," you responded. Your response only made him laugh. You huffed out and moved your attention back to climbing. It didn't take long to get to the roof top, but you remained cautious. There were many holes in front of you and you figured the fall down wouldn't be pretty. At the far right edge, where the roof ended, was a turret of a sort. You squinted your eyes to see it more clearly and in doing so you were able to catch sight of the Old Man.
"Where's the Old Man?" Link asked when he stepped onto the roof. You turned to look at him before pointing to where he was.
"We have to be careful when we walk towards him though. This roof isn't too strong and it'll probably break if we step on the wrong spots," you said with a cautious tone. Link nodded and took your hand.
"I'll lead then," he said with a smile. He started to walk towards the turret, but he would press his foot down gently on certain areas. If the spot he was stepping on creaked too much, he'd move his foot to another spot and would have you do the same. This lasted for a few minutes, but in the end you got to the watchtower safely. Once the two of you stepped into the turret the Old Man cleared his throat.
You looked at him and as soon as you did a confused expression came over your face. The Old Man was glowing the same aqua colour as before, which made Link and you look at each other with a raised eyebrow. To this the man chuckled deeply, causing you to turn and look at him once again.
"Well done young ones," the Old Man began to say. "Alas, it is finally time to show you both who I truly am. I was King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule." He rested his hands on the top of his long stick while he kept his eyes on Link and you. He seemed to be looking for a type of reaction before speaking up again. "I was... the last leader of Hyrule. A kingdom which no longer exists."
At the end of his words, the aqua glow began to shine brighter. It was so bright you had to shield it by bringing your hand over your eyes. You squinted, the bright glow irritating your eyes slightly before it slowly began to disappear. As you brought your hand down, your eyesight adjusted and there before you no longer stood the same Old Man from before. The man in front of you was still glowing, but he was now dressed completely different. His raggedy old clothing was replaced with a fancy white shirt and pants. He wore a blue coat, that was adorned with golden coloured lines and jewelry. Not to mention there was a gold crown —that had a single diamond fashioned into it—resting on his head.
Your jaw dropped. It was safe to say you were quite surprised with the Old Man's true form. But he didn't seem human at all. The King then went on to mention how he had taken a temporary form as to not overwhelm Link while his memory was still fragile. You nodded your head slowly before glancing over at Link. He seemed just as surprised as you, but their was this seriousness dawning over his features. As the man continued speaking of Hyrule's terrible past, you were more interested to see how Link would respond to all of this.
It was a lot to take in and you felt the weight of knowledge come over your shoulders as well. The King continued talking, mentioning how in the past they came across ancient relics like the Divine Beast and Guardians which served as mechanical soldiers. Once again, your mind went adrift. As he spoke of a prophecy, you couldn't help but wonder if you were somehow apart of it. He then spoke of a princess, and a certain knight that was appointed to her. You figured that knight was Link.
"The princess... was my very own daughter. My dear Zelda," King Rhoam said, a sentimental tone making its way into his voice. "And the courageous knight who protected her to the end... that was you Link."
/Called it/, you thought to yourself.
"You were taken to the Shrine of Resurrection when your fate took an unfortunate turn, and here you stand 100 years later," the King added. "The words of guidance you have been hearing since your awakening are from Princess Zelda herself."
This part made you raise an eyebrow. /If she's talking to Link... could it be she's the one speaking to me as well?/ You furrowed your eyebrows. It felt like the reasonable answer, but you were pulled away from your thoughts when you noticed the King's eyes fixated on you. He knew something about you was different, and he had a pretty good idea of what it was. You hesitated, glancing behind you just to make sure it was you he was looking at.
"This young girl... I sense something in her. Something powerful and good. If you need a partner during this young man, I believe you should look no further," King Rhoam said, directing his words to Link, but he kept his gentle eyes on you. To this Link turned to look at you. You wondered what was going through his mind as he stared at you for a few moments before nodding.
"I sense it too," Link said to himself. You didn't expect him to say that at all, but you brushed the comment away. The King finally directed his eyes elsewhere and turned to look out the large arch opening of the turret.
"Now then, I suggest you both make your way east, out to one of the villages in the wilderness," King Rhoam told the two of you before pointing towards a road that laid far below and ahead of the Great Plateau. "Follow that path to Kakariko Village. There you will find the elder, Impa. She will explain to you two in detail the journey that lies ahead. The map on your Sheikah slate, Link, will help you get to the precise location."
Link looked down at his slate and gave a nod. "Understood," he responded before looking back up at the King.
"Good, just make sure to pass the twin summits of the Dueling Peaks. From there, follow the path that continues north. Oh and before I forget!" King Rhoam lifted a finger before turning behind him. He knelt down and grabbed the paraglider Link was promised over a week and a half ago. "Here is the paraglider young one. Now the two of you should be able to safely fly off the cliffs surrounding the Great Plateau."
Link took the object into his hands. He then looked up at the King and said, "Thank you."
King Rhoam simply nodded once. The aqua glow that engrossed him began to shine brightly once again. "You must... save Hyrule," he said, his voice a mere echo as he began to disappear. The glow slowly began to go away until there was no one standing before you. You blinked a few minutes before looking at Link. His eyes were resting on the paraglider that was in his hands, but he had an unfocused stare.
"You alright?" You decided to ask him gently. You knew the information was... well heavy. Link hesitantly glanced up at you. When your eyes met, you could see a bit of worry in them. "What's wrong?"
Link let out a deep sigh before moving his head back down. He started to fidget with the paraglider. "What if... I'm not cut out for this?" He asked very quietly. His voice was barely a whisper so you had to lean in, in order to hear him.
"What makes you say that?" You asked softly.
He didn't respond. Instead, he shook his head and took a deep breath, trying to forget he had ever spoken up. His head rose once again to meet your gentle gaze. You wondered what was going through his mind because he looked at you with a curious look. "You know," he said with a half-smile. "King Rhoam was right. There's something... about you." He stopped to think for a few moments.
"Something about me?" You questioned.
Link nodded before humming out in thought. "Yes... and if you want," he said as he began to trace circles on the paraglider. "You can be my partner during this journey." He was a bit hesitant, since he wasn't sure if you'd want to. But he hoped you did because he didn't want to do any of this alone.
"I'd like that Link," you replied with a wide smile. His eyes lit up at your response, and a look of relief washed over his face.
"R-Really?" He stuttered, which caused you to laugh quietly.
"Yes really. Now, /partner/," you said as you nudged him while wiggling your eyebrows. "I think we should get going."
Link chuckled at your actions before nodding. "I agree, partner."
•••
"I don't think I want to," You said as you peeked over the edge of the cliff cautiously. You were very high up, that was certain, but the idea of /gliding/ down scared you. "What if my hand slips off the handle?" You were just being cautious, but Link only snickered at your words.
"I'll make sure you don't slip, don't worry," He assured as he got the paraglider. He held it over his head and looked at you. "Step in front of me and grab on."
You crossed your arms and shook your head. Your eyes flickered towards the cliff and back to him many times. It was obvious you were nervous about the idea. Link then sighed and brought the paraglider down. He reached out and grabbed your arm gently before pulling you in front of him. He had you face towards the cliff and once again rose the paraglider over your heads. "We'll be fine (Y/n), okay?" He told you softly. He was highly optimistic, even with this being his first time paragliding as well.
You shivered when his warm breath came in contact with the back of your neck. You shut your eyes and tried to pull yourself together before nodding. "Okay," you gulped. You grabbed onto the handle tightly since you knew your life depended on it.
"Alright, ready?" Link asked you, not wanting to go forward until he knew you were prepared. You took a few deep breaths when your heart beat quickened. You then nodded as a response.
"Okay, we jump on three. One, two... three!" He shouted as the both of you jumped off the ground. The wind pushed you two forward and soon you were gliding high above land. You tightened your grip on the wooden handle and you tried to keep calm so they wouldn't get clammy. This wasn't an easy task, but with enough focus you were able to get ahold of yourself. Link seemed to maneuver the paraglider easily by leaning to the right, left, and so on.
Despite hanging hundreds of feet above land, you couldn't deny that the view was astonishing. You could see every part of Hyrule, which made your jaw drop just a bit. Link soon leaned forward, causing the paraglider to descend more quickly. Even though you enjoyed the sight and the feeling of being in the air, you were starting to grow a bit tired. Having a good grip on the handle wasn't at all easy, but once you were closer to the ground you let go.
Yes, the fall was merely a few feet, but it was enough to knock out some air from your lungs. Not to mention you landed rather roughly as well. You laid on your stomach before turning over to your back which was aching. This made you groan out. You figured you should sit up, but instead you stayed laying down until Link walked over to you. His azure eyes examined you from head to toe, which made you get slightly embarrassed.
"You let go to early," he said with a shake of his head. He then cracked a smile and offered his hand. "You alright though?"
You pursed your lips and took his hand. "Oh yeah, just peachy," you responded in a sarcastic way. Link chuckled when he caught your sarcasm and lifted you up. He helped you dust off a bit of dirt that was on your long sleeve before stepping back. You sighed and looked towards the Dueling Peaks. It was far away and you figured it would take quite a few days, maybe even weeks to get to it. Link then pulled out his Sheikah slate and looked up.
"The location of Kakariko Village is on here, but there's no actual representation of a map," He said. "I'm pretty sure I have to activate another tower in order to get it."
You hummed out in understanding before walking past a few trees. "Well, we're too far away to know if there is one. But I'm sure we'll come across it soon," you said before turning to look at him.
"Hopefully," Link replied. His head then cocked up to look at the sky. "Let's try to cover some ground before sundown." He glanced back down at you and smiled. "Unless you want to rest for a bit."
"No, I'm not tired," you said with a shake of your head.
"Well I am," he replied with a grin before looking around. "And that shade over there looks like a perfect spot to take a nap."
You face palmed yourself. "I don't think sleeping is a good idea Link." But he didn't pay attention to your words. Instead he hummed out and went over to a tree that created shade. He set his things beside it and plopped down on the ground. "Link come on. It's barely noon! We can cover a lot of ground," you scoffed as you went over to him. You grabbed his arm and tried to pull him up, but he stayed put.
"Just a little nap. We travelled a lot today!" He groaned. It was clear he wanted to rest, and you couldn't argue with his words. You had done many things, so perhaps a bit of rest time wasn't a bad idea. You sighed out and sat in front of him as a smirk made its way onto his lips.
"Fine, we'll rest," you said while putting your satchel and weapons to a side. "I'll keep watch though. Who knows what lurks around here." Link smiled and got comfortable in his spot.
"Wake me up if a monster is near," he told you before resting his head against the tree bark. His eye lids close and little by little he drifted off. It felt nice to sleep after being given a whole bunch of information. He was a bit overwhelmed with the huge task that was put over his shoulders. /Save Hyrule,/ ringed in his head now and it still did, even in his sleep.
•••
You lost track of how many days —or maybe weeks— had passed. The path that lead to Dueling Peaks was a long one and it had been interrupted with many things. Most of the time it was monsters, but the new creatures Link and you came across were far more difficult to defeat then the simple red boko's that resided in the Great Plateau. Nonetheless, you both pushed past these challenges and continued towards your destination and as luck would have it was only a days walk before reaching the peaks.
"(Y/n)!" Link called out when he saw you were walking way ahead. You stopped and glanced over at him. He motioned for you to come close and when you did he pointed out something. You brought your hand over your eyes, to shield them from the sun. This allowed you to see what laid ahead. In the midst of the thin trees was a campfire. It didn't take you long to spot the creatures that surrounded it.
"There's a chest on that watch tower," Link said to you.
"And you want to get it?" You asked even though you already knew the answer.
"Well yeah! Maybe it has some treasure or even better, weapons," he said with a childish grin. Over the course of the weeks the two of you had come across many camps and most had chests within them. So now, whenever Link notices a chest in a camp infested with monsters, he wants to get it. You playfully rolled your eyes and looked over at the camp. It was occupied with at least four Lizalfos and five Bokoblins. /Shouldn't be too hard./
"Alright, what's your strategy?" You asked him while crossing your arms.
Link brought his hand up to his neck and rubbed it. He hesitated for a few seconds before he perked up. "Bomb rune," he suggested.
"Really?"
"You have a better idea?"
"No, not really," you huffed out.
"Then we use the bomb on them. It'll hurt them just enough and then it won't be too difficult to finish them off," he said, as if it was the best plan he had ever created. He then looked back at camp before tapping on his chin. "Only thing is... how do I get the bomb to them without being noticed?"
You fidgeted with your fingers in thought and looked at the Lizalfos and Bokoblins. "What if I distract them?" You asked while turning to look at him. "I can drive their attention towards me. That way they won't see you coming and before they have time to grab their weapons and attack, you detonate it."
Link frowned at the idea. "No," he said sternly. He didn't like the thought of putting you in danger.
"Oh come on Link. I can defend myself!" You said in a protesting manner. Link huffed out and looked at the camp. He knew you were right.
"Fine, but just be careful," he sighed out.
You grinned and then nodded. "Of course. If anything goes wrong—," you were cut off by him.
"Nothing will go wrong," he said with confidence. "Now lets go. I'll go hide behind those trees over there. Once you start distracting them I'll slowly make my way into the camp and place the bomb. Got it?"
"Yes," you said with a nod. He sent you a soft smile before walking away. You then quickly made your way between the thin trees. The closer you got to the camp, the more noises you could hear. The disgusting sounds that the Bokoblins and Lizalfos made caused you to sneer. You took a deep breath and continued walking with caution. Once you were a few feet away, you hid behind a tree.
You slowly peaked your head out and when you saw that the monsters were still occupied, you stepped out. You gulped and crept your way up a small ridge in order to create distance between you and the bomb Link would soon detonate. When you stood on top of a small hill you looked around and spotted a rock. You grinned and picked it up. Perfect, you thought before looking down at the group of monsters. You lifted the rock with all your strength you threw it forward.
The rock ended up hitting one of the Lizalfos, and when it turned to look where it came from you began waving your arms around. "Hey!" You yelled, causing every monster to turn and look straight up at you. When Link saw the creatures now directing their attention to you, he activated the bomb rune and held it in his hands. The glowing blue caught your attention, and when you saw him creeping to the camp you decided to throw another rock.
This time the rock hit a Bokoblins eye. It cried out in pain and you knew it would try to attack, but before it could reach down to grab a club it turned around. Link had stepped on a twig which made all of the Bokoblins and Lizalfos turn to see him. He hesitated and glanced down at the bomb that was still in his hands. He quickly placed it on the ground and ran off.
"Stay where you are (Y/n)!" He shouted to you, but you didn't listen. The monsters were already chasing him, and you knew he wouldn't have enough time to detonate the bomb. You pulled your sword out and followed. Before a Lizalfo could spew its acid to Link, you lunged towards it. You brought your sword down on its head and successfully killed it.
You sprung into action and started swinging your sword around to block any attacks the Boko's and Lizalfos directed towards you. When Link saw you fighting, he immediately deactivated the bomb rune and put the Sheikah slate away. He then brought his own sword out. He noticed a Lizalfo getting ready to stab you with its sword from behind, so he hurriedly stepped in and blocked it for you.
Using his foot he pushed the monster back, causing it to stagger behind. As it tried to regain balance Link lifted his sword and pierced its body. Once it died he pulled his sword out and went to your side. The sound of metal clashing against one another ringed in your ears as you blocked a strike. The vibrations that were sent through your arms caused you to let go of your sword. You quickly kneeled down to grab it, but when you moved to get back up the Bokoblin brought its own blade down. You gasped and closed your eyes, preparing yourself for the impact, but it never came.
You opened your eyes to look and saw Link blocking it with his sword. He grunted and pushed the Boko away with great force. Before resuming the fight he grabbed your arm and helped you up. He was about to ask if you were okay, but was interrupted by the screeching sound of the Bokoblin. Link charged towards it and swung his sword towards the monster before it had enough time to defend itself.
As you bent down to pick up your sword once again, you noticed the remaining Boko's and Lizalfos circle around Link. You frowned and quickly shook away your stunned feeling. Without wasting another second you rushed towards the monsters. Your muscles were aching as you swung your sword against the body of a Lizalfo, but you didn't have time to focus on yourself. Once the creature disappeared in a purple smoke you moved onto the next.
Link felt beads of sweat form on his forehead as he swerved away from an attack. He glanced at you for a few seconds before jabbing the last Bokoblin in the stomach multiple times. When the creature shouted out in pain and stumbled back he swiftly pierced its heart, successfully killing it. Just as he was about to help you finish off the last Lizalfo you thrusted your sword into its skull. You pulled your sword out and breathed heavily as it vanished.
You were obviously worn out, and catching your breath proved to be a difficult thing to do. Link rapidly went to your side to make sure you were okay. "Are you alright?" He asked you with a gulp. You took a deep breath and slowly let out your air while closing your eyes.
"Peachy," you said, knowing that word usually made him smile, and it did. You didn't need him worrying about you, it had to be the other way around so you shoved past your aching feeling and wiped the sweat from your forehead. "How about you? I thought you said," you cleared your throat to mimic him. "Nothing will go wrong."
Link couldn't help but laugh at the way you mimicked his voice by making it somewhat deep. He used the back of his hand to wipe away his beads of sweat. "I don't sound like that and I guess I spoke to soon," he said before defending himself. "But in my defence, there were a lot of twigs on the ground."
"Mhm," you said before cracking a small smile. "You have no stealth. Like, at all."
"Oh and you do?"
"Perhaps," you said with a snicker. At this point your breathing went back to normal, and your heart rate as well. "Thank you by the way. For saving me."
"No need to thank me. Your my partner! We have each other's back," Link stated as he nudged you with his shoulder. His words made you smile wide, which was the reaction he was hoping to get.
You then looked at the amount of weapons that now laid on the ground. "Well, I'll collect the weapons, you go ahead and get that chest you wanted." You nodded your head towards the chest that still laid atop the watch tower.
Link had a childish look come over his face when he remembered the treasure. "Be right back," he said before using his remaining stamina to sprint towards the chest. You laughed and made your way to the weapons. You decided to simply get the swords and two spears.
Once you finished picking up the weapons, you walked over to a thin tree. It didn't cast a lot of shade, but it was enough for you to relax under. You dropped down, though your muscles still felt tense. This didn't allow you to relax, but there wasn't much you could do about it. You ran your fingers through your hair, only to feel it rather wet from your sweat. You wondered if there was a lake nearby to bathe in.
"(Y/n)!" Link shouted as he ran to you happily. When he got to where you were he plopped down in front of you and eagerly showed the amber he had gotten from the chest. "Look." He was content with the treasure he had found, and his eyes had a childish glow in them. It was impossible not to smile with this demeanour he had.
"Ooh," you said, leaning in a bit to take a closer look. You grabbed your satchel and opened it. "Let's put it in with the rest." Link nodded and gladly began stuffing the amber into your bag. It was starting to get heavy due to the amount of things you were carrying in it.
"We need to do something with all of this," you said as you removed the strap from around you. You placed it to the side and rested against the tree bark. "It's getting really heavy."
"I can carry it for now," Link offered with a shrug. He took the satchel and held it to see how much it weighed.
"Oh," you mused before shaking your head. "That's alright. I can do it." You leaned forward to grab the satchel, but Link moved it away.
"No no, I'll carry it for the time being," he told you. He put the satchel on his lap and stretched. "You should rest for a bit, I'll keep watch."
You rose an eyebrow. "I don't need to rest," you answered. You attempted to get up, but your legs didn't cooperate with you. Not to mention your tense muscles were practically screaming for you to take it easy. You exhaled and sat back down.
"I think you do," Link advised. He opened the satchel and pulled out a piece of cloth he had found on the side of the path days ago. "Here, use this as a cushion for your neck."
You looked at the brown cloth before taking it. It was clear you had no other choice, so you did as you were told. You rolled the cloth and moved a bit to place it around your neck. After moving your hair to the side, you once again rested against the tree, only this time it felt way more pleasant. "Thank you," you beamed.
"You're welcome," Link said gently. He placed his arms behind him and rested against them. "Now sleep, I'll wake you in an hour or so."
You nodded and your eyes then fluttered close. You could feel Link's eyes on you as you tried to sleep, which made you get rather flustered. The feeling soon went away and as the minutes went by you began to doze off. Link kept his eyes on you the entire time. Mostly to make sure you were actually resting, but when he saw you breath in and out in a slow rhythm he knew you were asleep. This made him smile before he rested his back on the ground. To pass time, he started forming shapes and animals from the clouds in the sky, which he now had the custom of doing because of you.