Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Link stands, barely, on his feet. The Calamity Ganon is poised, ready to strike in front of him. Link dangerously sways once, feeling like a kid again, clutching a flimsy tree branch against a vicious, inky black bokoblin. The monstrosity of Malice and all things full of death, roars out a battle cry that makes Link’s throat want to close up. He'd never been one to feel fear, but, as he unsheathes the Master Sword in all her glory, burning a bright, holy glow, Link desperately prays to anyone listening for a mother's soft embrace he never really knew. 

The sensation of Malice is never a pleasant one, but Malice dripping straight from the Calamity Ganon's mangled form, is a completely different thing altogether. The initial scalding heat leaves a burn that can be felt to the marrow of your bones, but the unnatural pain that turns into unfiltered agony, it reaches your soul. A single drop on Link’s hand starts to eat away at his skin, like a parasite. His good hand spasms mid-strike, giving the amalgamation time to dodge. 

The feverish desperation in Link’s last strike goes unnoticed, as the Calamity Ganon shrieks like a fox caught in a trap, and expels the mess of tormented souls and drowns the air in a stench of drawn-out suffering. The ear-splitting wail rattled his core, and then - silence. Link wanted to believe it was over, he wanted to rest, but the ground still trembled. The wind still blew. The sky was still tinted red. The world had not stopped, but Link’s had. The silence felt too deep, too wrong. Though the creature had fallen, the shadow it cast over the Kingdom was not gone. Not yet. 

- - - 

"...do you really remember me?"

Link wants to scream and laugh and cry and throw up and apologize and praise Hylia all at once, so he settles with collapsing on the spot. 100 years. He finally, finally saved Zelda. Saved Hyrule. Finished a job that shouldn't have been unfinished in the first place. The Princess stays by his side, her hands glowing with sacred, ancient magic, she heals him, as Link’s spotty vision blurs into nothingness. 

- - -

3 days later, the Hero finds himself cornered. He was just going to the Duelling Peaks Stable to return Epona, when a strange group of travelers approached. These men weren't just regular travelers, though. No, these strangers were clad in armor, chainmail, and - was that his Sword?!

"Excuse me," the oldest looking one, with peculiar markings on his face, and a long, unforgiving-looking scar on one of his eyes speaks first, but Link pays no attention to him, still gazing at his sword, on this stranger's back. 

" - have you seen the Hero? We have a quest - "

Hero. Quest. Link lurches backwards, feeling like the ground under him was pulling away. These strangers carried themselves like they knew more than they let on, he could see it. The firm set in the shoulders, the tired, battle-worn look in the eyes, the forced air of control, of calm. Link sees it. He sees it every time he looks in a mirror.

A quest, so soon? Link wasn't ready. He'd barely laid down the Sword, barely had time to process. Peace hadn't even taken root yet, and fate was already calling his name. Link swallows down the rising panic, eyes darting around to potential exits. There were none.

Chapter Text

Zelda was worried. She had put off the sinking feeling in her gut for Link, getting him to Kakariko Village as soon as she could. It was the least she could do for him, after he'd just saved her from an age-old horror. They spent two days under the watchful eye of Impa, who aged many years since Zelda last saw her. 

But now, three days later, the uneasy feeling peaked, causing her to stumble slightly. "Something wrong, dear?" Impa questions. Zelda weighs her options, and decides to go with the truth. No point in hiding anything.

"I've...had this feeling. For a couple of days. I think..." she sighs quietly, turning away. "I think something's wrong with Link." Impa just hums, as if she'd been expecting this.

"If you truly think that something isn’t right, I won't stop you from leaving. But, you deserve some rest. Think about it, before you act, please. The Kingdom just got you back. We can't lose you again, Princess."

Zelda chews on her lip, the decision already made in her head. There was no way she would let Link get into more trouble. 

- - - 

Link underestimated these strangers. Severely. He raises a simple Knight's Broadsword to block the guy with a blue scarf's attack, his free hand clutching his wounded side. Link's throat burns painfully as he takes another wheezing breath, the Malice still not out of his system. He does a tricky maneuver with the sword, wincing at how the grip irritates the severe burn on his palm, reminiscent of the ones he had when he wasn't enough of a Hero to pull the Sacred Blade. 

"Listen," the one with a white cape yells, attempting to trip Link. "We just want to talk!" Nice try.

He uses the Slate to freeze time, aiming the yellow chains at the guy with strange markings. You take out the leader looking one, the rest'll retreat. Unfortunately, when he fires a few arrows at the frozen guy, the one with a wolf pelt seems to get more angered, and starts attacking more viciously. This also results in Link to be pinned to the ground by said guy. 

"Are you the Hero? No point in lying."

"...nope. The Hero...is on vacation."

Link stalls for time, fumbling blindly for the Slate at his hip. The guy pauses for a second, blinking, clearly astounded at his audacity, before shaking Link by the shoulders. He then pulls Link up by the collar, glaring at him like a wolf about to pounce.

The one with his Sword, introduces himself as 'Sky.' Link glares at him, tapping at the Slate blindly. He smirks as the groans and shouts of surprise reach his ears, already half dissolved into blue strings of energy.