My Heart is Drawn to His

Chapter 4: Date

Link woke up the next morning groggy from the day before. He had collapsed in the middle of the pilgrimage with Paya and Impa to the shrine in the forest just past the Great fairy fountain. In doing so he dropped the Sheikah orb onto its proper pedestal and from the earth emerged a shrine. Although Link collapsed he quickly got his bearings once his head hit the floor, Paya and Impa watched in surprise. Impa then urged Link to refrain from entering the shrine in his condition.

A suggestion that Link stubbornly declined and proceeded into the shrine and accepted its challenge. Paya and Impa waited in silence for Link's return. Impa felt uneasy by what she had seen before her moments earlier, Link suddenly collapsing when she asked if he was really himself and not dreaming? Perhaps there was more going on than what meets the eye. Impa was perceptive and could frequently tell when Link was, well Link. He'd been behaving much differently as of recently.

They waited in silence for some time, then the shrine opened once again, Link emerging from the lift.

"Link. That was very reckless." Began Impa, even though she'd known him since they were both at the ripe age of seventeen, her being older gave her the chance to scold him like a mother, or grandmother for that matter. "If you are to defeat the calamity, you must exercise caution when you can and can't go on. Barging into danger with barely enough energy to continue on will only lead to your demise."

Link stood dead in his tracks, a few meters away from where he emerged from the shrine's lift. He nodded and looked down in humility. Being a royal knight, he had a lot of humility and was no stranger to the scolding of anyone. Even though he could not recover his memories from the life he had lived, his knightly behavior was second nature to him. "I'm at least content you were able to successfully accomplish the Monk's trial. Come," said Impa. "Let us have a meal and discuss the blood moon."

The trio walked, Paya had been quiet the entire way back. Impa held onto Paya and Link's arms as they descended back down the slope to Kakariko Village. When the three arrived Paya and Link helped Impa up the stairs and into the house. Paya then walked into the kitchen to prepare a meal for everyone whilst Link went back outside to practice his swordsmanship on the scarecrow outside.

Impa relaxed on her floor cushion, old age was getting to her and her posture had begun to cripple. She thought of the things playing out before her, Link was acting strange lately. Some days he would wake up as a different person, and other days he would be as she remembered him, quiet and stoic. Some days he would help Paya out in the kitchen, preparing meals, and other days he would not even eat, he would be training all night.

"Curious.." she thought to herself. Was there a possibility that he was, indeed, someone else entirely?

Paya came out into the main room where Impa had been sitting. "Grandmother." She said in order to get Impa's attention, who was deep in thought. "I have prepared a honey glazed beef over rice for you..." she paused for a moment. Impa could tell there was more that her granddaughter wanted to say.

"Yes, dear. Is there something more you want to say?" Said Impa.

"L-L-Link and I have plans for a picnic. J-just the two of us..." Her voice began to trail off into silence as she spoke. She felt shy about going off with the Hylian swordsman. It had been difficult for her to accept Link's invitation prior, she felt happy and terrified all at once but she agreed.

But there was a slight insecurity she felt, Zelda. The Princess whom Link nearly gave his life for a hundred years prior. Impa told her this story many times, it was a story she told Paya in order to give her courage for the one she falls in love for. How ironic that she has fallen for that same Hylian knight.