Chapter Text
To Capture the Heart of a Hero
Chapter 1 – Offer
Two horses and their riders traversed silently across the Gerudo Desert at twilight. By this time, every inch of the sanded plains was now bathed in the orangish glow of the evening. With the day soon drawing to a close, the desert seemed rather tranquil, providing an eerily silent atmosphere.
The pair of horses were galloping at a steady pace to the East, the opposite direction of the sun which was already threatening to disappear below the horizon. As the riders glanced at their surroundings, they could already tell that the shadows were growing longer and darker by the second. It wouldn’t be long before night was upon them. Nevertheless, they continued on their journey across the sand.
The first rider was a man clad in green, with a sword and shield strapped to his back. He had a somewhat muscular build, as well as dirty blond hair and blue eyes. His name was Link, a swordsman, adventurer, and a hero for his recently troubled Kingdom. Naturally, he rode on Epona, his faithful chestnut-colored steed.
The second rider was a woman wearing an elegant white and purple dress. She was rather slim and beautiful, with sapphire eyes and long brunette hair that was tied into a braid at her back. Her name was Zelda, and she was the Princess of the Kingdom of Hyrule. She currently rode on a majestic white horse, which went by the name of Reina.
The two of them continued to travel in relative silence. Neither one of them particularly felt like talking, as they both had a lot on their minds. Directly behind them, across a field of sand, rested the Arbiter’s Grounds. It was an incredibly large structure made of stone that towered over the surrounding landscape.
Link and Zelda had just departed from that structure. Having reached the conclusion of the Twilight Invasion with the Kingdom of Hyrule being saved, the time had come for Midna, the Princess of Twilight and Link and Zelda’s dear friend, to depart from this world. The two Hylians had gathered at the Mirror of Twilight to see their friend off. After saying their goodbyes, Midna shattered the Mirror, in the hopes that their two worlds would never endanger one another again.
It was sad, but her decision was probably for the best. Hyrule would be safer if there was no longer any access to the Twilight Realm. That’s what Link told himself anyway…
To be honest, Link was feeling a little depressed after this sequence of events. He and Midna had been adventuring together for a long time now, and the two of them had grown to be good friends. It was incredibly sad to know that he would likely never see her or speak to her again.
“Link!” Zelda suddenly called from behind him.
Link glanced back in the Princess’s direction. “Yeah?”
“I think it would be best to stop for the night. The sun’s about to set, and it will be completely dark soon.”
Link nodded in agreement. He knew that they weren’t going to make it back to Castle Town until the next day anyway, even if they did ride all through the night. It would be better to stop and set up camp. “All right.”
Link soon rode Epona over to a large flat rock that rose out of the dunes and brought her to a halt. Zelda did the same with her own white mare. They then dismounted and inspected the site. It seemed like as good a place as any to spend the night in this relatively empty sand land. At the very least, Link assumed that this outcropping of rock could provide them some cover from the occasional harsh desert wind.
“Will this place do, Princess?” Link asked his companion. As he turned to glance in her direction, he was surprised to see Zelda frown at him for a second, looking a little disappointed. However, she soon hid the expression away.
“Yes, this will work for the night,” she answered, placing a gloved hand against the rock. “We should probably start a fire. I’ve heard that the desert can get rather cold at night.”
Link just nodded. It was true. He had spent a number of days in this desert while he was on his adventure, and he recalled that the nights could be incredibly chilly at times.
Zelda turned to Link. “Would you mind searching the area for some firewood? In the meantime, I can feed the horses so they settle for the night.”
Link shrugged. “Sure thing, Princess.”
Once again, Zelda flashed a disappointed frown at him. This time however, she let it stick. “Link, you don’t have to refer to me by my title, you know. Just ‘Zelda’ is fine. I think I’d prefer it, honestly.”
Link blinked a bit, taken aback by this. He hadn’t been expecting her to say something like that. “What? You’re sure?” he asked.
Zelda gave him a strong nod. “Yes. Hearing you call me ‘Princess’ just makes it sound like you’re a stranger. After everything we’ve been through recently, I should think we are closer than that.”
Link scratched the back of his head a bit. It was true that he hadn’t known Zelda for very long, but he had gotten to know her better throughout the last few months as they had worked together to fight off the Twilight Invasion. Not to mention, she, like himself, had also been a good friend to Midna. It was true that the two of them felt like more than just acquaintances at this point. But still…
Link just gave her a somewhat nervous look. “But wouldn’t it be…uh, you know…improper?”
Zelda just stared at him for a second before giving a small smile and shaking her head. “The only ones who care about things like that are some of the more stuck-up court nobles. Trust me, no one will fault you for calling me by name, especially since I am the one who has insisted on it.”
Link just looked away, still feeling a little unsure. “I don’t know…”
Zelda frowned again. “Would you like it if I only referred to you as ‘Hero’ or ‘Sir’ all the time?”
Link closed his eyes. She had a point there. Even though he had helped save the Kingdom from the threat of the Twilight as well as the evil tyrant Ganondorf, he still didn’t really feel like anyone special. And he knew that if he had to listen to people refer to him as a “Hero” or “Brave Knight of Hyrule” all the time, it would definitely feel out of place.
“Very well,” he agreed. “Zelda it is.”
Zelda softened her expression once more. “Thank you.”
Once that was done, Zelda went to look though her horse’s saddlebags, searching for the provisions she had prepared. Meanwhile, Link started circling the rock, searching for any random pieces of wood or other burnable materials. The sun would be descending completely below the horizon any minute now, so he made sure to work quickly.
Fortunately, he stumbled upon the remnant of some sort of wooden Bulblin-made structure. Link recalled that the green-skinned horned race had built a number of these structures out in the desert, and he had even destroyed a few of them himself when he first came here to explore. The ruined structure he was staring at now seemed to have been some sort of lookout tower. By the look of it, Link assumed that it had likely collapsed many years ago. Now all that remained was a random assortment of scrap wood, some of which was half buried in the sand. Wasting no time, he managed to pull away a number of logs before he was satisfied.
Link soon made his way back to the camp. There, he saw the two horses lying down in the sand, lazily feeding on something. Link wasn’t sure what they had been given to eat, but he guessed that it was probably just something to tide them over for the night. He knew that they wouldn’t be able to be fed properly until they could reach the stables back at the castle. Nevertheless, Epona and Reina seemed satisfied to take a rest.
Link also spotted Zelda by Reina, and she seemed to be searching through her saddlebags again. She glanced over at him when she noticed his approach. “Not a bad haul considering our location,” she said, sounding impressed.
“Thank the Bulblins,” Link said with a small smile. He soon set the wood down and began arranging it into a pile. Once he was done, he noticed that Zelda had walked over to join him. He looked up at her. “I don’t suppose you brought some flint?”
“That won’t be necessary,” Zelda replied. She then gestured for him to move. “Would you kindly stand aside?”
Link gave her a curious look but did as she asked. He took a few steps away from the woodpile before glancing at Zelda again. To his surprise, she appeared to be in some sort of prayer, with her head bowed, eyes closed, and hands clasped together. She stayed like this for a few seconds before opening her eyes and raising her head once again. She then crouched down near the wood pile and extended a gloved hand over it. There was a brief pause before a bright light flashed before them. A second later, an orange fire burst to life over the woodpile. Feeling the fresh heat from the newly born flames, Zelda stood up, satisfied with her work.
Link just stared at the fire in amazement. “Whoa, was that magic?”
Zelda nodded. “Yes.”
“That’s incredible.” No matter how many times Link witnessed magic being used before him (and sometimes against him), he was always impressed by what it was capable of.
“I am only able to do this because the Goddesses are kind enough to lend me their power from time to time,” Zelda replied humbly.
“It’s still impressive,” Link encouraged her.
Zelda gave him a somewhat shy smile before turning away. She soon grabbed two small packages that she had set on the ground after fishing them out of her bags. She handed one to Link. “I’m afraid it’s not much, but here’s your dinner. Enjoy.”
Link looked down and quickly realized what he was holding. It was a military ration, a small bundle of food that was often served to soldiers who were on the road and couldn’t afford to stop and prepare a hearty meal. The general purpose of the ration was usually just to make sure that the soldier was replenished enough to stay energized and on the move. It was typically seen as a subpar replacement for an actual meal.
However, Link gladly accepted the small bundle of food with a smile. His stomach had started growling, reminding him that he had barely eaten anything that day, so to him, this ration looked incredibly appetizing. He soon plopped down in the sand next to the warm fire and began eating.
Zelda also took a seat on the sand, although she did so more elegantly than Link had. She took her time eating her ration, trying to savor the sparse flavor of her meager meal.
Meanwhile, it only took Link but a few minutes to completely scarf his down. “Man, that hit the spot!” he said happily as he finished. He soon glanced over to Zelda, who sat off to the side. “I’m glad one of us planned ahead and decided to bring something to eat.”
Zelda gently wiped her mouth with a cloth that she had apparently brought with her, before turning to Link and raising her eyebrows. “Of course. It would be foolish to enter the desert without any sustenance.”
Link frowned sheepishly and quickly turned away. He had been to this desert a few times before and yet he had never thought to bring food with him…It had never really been a pressing issue. Every time he had visited this place before, Midna had been with him, and she had been able to warp Link out of there should the need ever arise.
Link paused for a second, before frowning once more. His gaze settled on the bright orange flames of the fire as his thoughts drifted to his Twili friend.
Midna…
As Link continued to stare into the flames, he couldn’t help but wonder what the girl was up to at this moment. Had she made it back to the Twilight Realm all right? Was she thinking of him at all? He had no way of knowing, but he was still curious.
By this point, the sun had set, and the sky had turned dark save for the sea of stars that hung overhead. The desert had also turned rather dark, with the only source of light for miles being Link and Zelda’s small campfire. A single spark on an otherwise black canvas.
Eventually, Zelda finished her ration as well, before she turned her attention to Link. She had been silently watching him whilst she consumed her meal, and she couldn’t help but notice that his expression had turned rather somber.
“Are you thinking about Midna?” she asked softly.
Link seemed a bit startled by the sudden question. He soon glanced at Zelda, but just as quickly looked away. “Yeah,” he mumbled.
“Do you miss her already?” Zelda asked.
Link felt embarrassed to admit it, but he nodded his head anyway. It was true after all.
Zelda watched his nod before turning her gaze away, and frowning a little. “I feel the same way.”
Link was surprised to hear that. He thought Zelda might have chastised him for being so openly saddened by Midna’s departure. He certainly knew that Midna would have made fun of him for it, if she were here. “Really?”
Zelda nodded. “Of course. She was a great ally to me during the Twilight Invasion, and I also considered her a good friend. It’s sad to know that she has departed our world, possibly for good.” Zelda paused for a second, before giving Link a soft smile. “I’m sure you feel even stronger about this than I do though. The two of you spent a lot of time together when you were out adventuring.”
Link nodded back. Zelda seemed to understand him completely. “It’s true. We grew pretty close after everything we’d been through. At this point, I’d almost say she feels like family to me.”
The Princess was surprised to hear this. “Oh?”
“Yeah, she’s like a little sister. An annoying one,” Link said with a laugh.
Zelda couldn’t help but give a small laugh as well. That description of Midna felt a little too accurate.
Link soon stared up at the stars with a small smile. “I hope she’s all right, wherever she is.”
Zelda smiled a bit too. “I’m sure she is. She’s likely back home with her own people now, and that’s what she wanted for so long. Hopefully, her days will be peaceful from now on.”
“I hope the same for us,” Link replied. “I get the feeling that things will be a lot quieter in Hyrule now that she’s gone.”
Zelda shook her head a bit as she spoke up in a strong voice. “On the contrary, I believe the days ahead of us might be busier than ever before. Now that Hyrule has been saved from the threat of the Twilight, the Kingdom needs to take some time to focus on recovery and rebuilding. A great number of the towns and civilizations are still in disarray after everything that has taken place, and I can even say the same for our own Castle Town. I’m afraid it’s going to take a lot of time and effort to get things back to the way they used to be. No, to make the Kingdom even stronger than it was before.”
Link just stared at Zelda in awe. Her voice was full of determination, and the fire was reflected in her eyes. Being a Princess, Link should have known that Zelda was more than capable of giving a strong speech, but he had hardly expected one to come out of nowhere like that. And yet, she made it seem so natural, as if she was just expressing how she truly felt. He admired her conviction.
“That’s quite the vision,” he said, sounding impressed.
Zelda smiled at his comment. “This is my hope. A stronger, better Hyrule.”
“Well, I wish you luck in your quest, Princess.” Link paused for a second. “Er, I mean, Zelda…”
Zelda didn’t seem to mind his small slip up. Instead, she just turned to him with a curious look. “Link, if you don’t mind me asking, what do you plan to do now?”
Link felt like he was caught off guard by that question. “Huh?”
“Hyrule has been saved, and Midna has been safely returned to her home. What do you plan to do now that your journey has reached its conclusion?”
Link looked away and scratched the back of his head a bit. He hadn’t really given it much thought. “I don’t know…I do still have some stuff I need to take care of. I’d like to make sure that the children from my village make it back home safely. They’ve been staying in Kakariko Village for a while now, and it’s about time that they returned home. I think it would be best if I escorted them personally, to make sure they don’t encounter any trouble along the way. Plus, it’ll be nice for me to stop back home and see everyone. It’s been a while since we’ve been there.”
Link took a second to glance at his chestnut horse resting behind him. “I’m sure Epona will be excited to see Ilia again too. Isn’t that right?”
Epona responded with a happy whinny. She clearly recognized the name.
Zelda smiled a bit at the horse’s sudden cheerfulness. “Who is Ilia?”
“She’s a friend of mine from Ordon. She does a good job of taking care of Epona for me. She always has.”
Zelda gave a small nod. “She must do good work. Epona is an excellent horse.”
Upon hearing her name, Epona whinnied again. She seemed to be enjoying the praise and attention.
“All right, settle down you,” Link said in a playful tone. He reached back to rub her neck a bit.
Zelda watched the two of them for a few seconds before speaking up once more. “So after you return home, how do you plan to spend your days? What lies ahead in your future?”
Once again, Link looked unprepared to answer that question. “Hmm…well, I’m not too sure. I guess I’ll stay in Ordon Village for a while, although it will be a bit weird to return to the ranch life after everything I’ve been through lately.”
Zelda smirked a bit as she listened. “I wondered if that was the case.”
“Hmm?” he mumbled.
“Link, can I make you an offer?” Zelda asked politely. “How would you like to aid in Hyrule’s reconstruction?”
Link just blinked in surprise. “Huh? You want my help?”
“Of course. We’d be more than happy to have you by our side as we try to rebuild our Kingdom. You have a very impressive skillset and I’m sure we could find a number of ways to put you to good use, should you wish to join us. From your strength and fighting ability, to the connections you’ve formed with all kinds of people across the entire Kingdom, I have the feeling you’ll be a very useful ally in the days ahead of us.”
Link soon found himself blushing a bit. He hadn’t expected to receive all this praise, and from the Princess no less. “You certainly seem to think highly of me…” he mumbled, sounding a little embarrassed.
“Should I not?” Zelda replied. “You’re the hero who defeated Zant and Ganondorf and saved Hyrule. Never forget that.”
Link sheepishly scratched at one of his pointed ears while he stared down at the sand. She was right. He had done some amazing things in order to save everyone. But Link wasn’t the type of person to bask in his own achievements, so he tended to forget just how extraordinary they were from time to time.
“This could be a good opportunity for you to continue your heroic activities,” Zelda added. “If you don’t wish to return to the simple life of a ranch hand, that is.”
These words seemed to strike a chord with Link. It was true, he wasn’t exactly planning to fully return to his simple life on the ranch. How could he, after everything he had been through? He had crossed great distances, slayed numerous monsters, explored ancient dungeons, and even saved the Kingdom. It had been an incredible journey, and after experiencing such a thing, could he truly just return to his old life as if nothing had ever happened? Just hang up his sword and shield and call it a day?
No, of course not Link told himself. If this journey has proven anything, it’s that I have the power to help people. I have the power to make things better. I can do so much more than just ranch work. Shouldn’t I do what Zelda says, and put my skills to good use? Continue my journey by aiding Hyrule even further?
Link soon found himself smiling as he thought it over. Before long, he felt like he had arrived at an answer. “Very well, I’ll help you out with the recovery effort.”
Zelda smiled at his decision. “Wonderful. I’m very happy to hear that.”
Link clenched his fingers into a determined fist. “Just tell me what I can do to help and I’ll do my best to make it happen. Epona too of course.”
Hearing her name once more, the chestnut horse whinnied again.
Zelda gave a small giggle, but quickly suppressed it. “I appreciate the enthusiasm that you both show. However, I’m afraid that nothing has been set into motion quite yet. We’re still in the planning stages, and I’ll need to discuss many things with the Hyrule Council as well as my father. So, it may be some time before we truly have need of your talents and expertise.”
Link quickly felt his enthusiasm deflating. He slowly lowered his fist as he frowned. “Oh…I see…”
“But be patient,” Zelda said encouragingly. “I’m sure it won’t be long before we are calling upon you once again.”
Link allowed himself another smile. “And I’ll be happy to answer that call.”