Link x Reader ~ Find You

Chapter 1

 The aroma of vibrant field flowers swaying gently in the breeze and the symphony of chirping birds flitting about in the trees around you pulled your delicate lips into a smile as you worked diligently on your laundry by the stream.

Not your laundry, actually. It was his. Link's. Ever since his return to Ordon from his journey, he'd been working tirelessly with the other men to repair the damage dealt to the village by Ganon's monsters. You had tried several times to convince him to relax and rest for at least a day before he pushed himself past his breaking point, but every time he'd just rub your head in a brotherly way and reassure you that a little manual labor was nothing compared to battling the Lord of Evil.

He said that, but you could see his face contort in pain whenever he hoisted up a beam for a house or herded the goats with Epona, anything even remotely strenuous. You had offered to help him with the repairs and such, but the boy refused to let you. He said it was too dangerous for you, but since you were absolutely determined to be helpful to Link in someway, you took it upon yourself to clean his filthy work clothes.

You had snuck into his house that morning after he departed with the other men to the ranch, and the first piece of clothing you plucked off of Link's cluttered floor was literally stiff with dried sweat as you tossed it into his mostly empty laundry basket. You suppressed a few gags as you continued around his incredibly unkempt tree house, tossing rank socks and ripe, sweat-stained tunics into the basket until it was full.

You shuddered thinking of the nasty, crunchy shirts you had already cleaned and pushed the thought out of your mind. Humming lightly to yourself, you reached into the bottom of the basket and gripped onto a familiar green tunic. Your eyes scanned over the fabric in search of any major stains and gasped when you caught sight of something that stopped your heart. There was a massive gash right in the belly of the tunic, stained with a pungent rusty substance. It was blood. By the looks of it, it was very old.

((flashback))

"You cannot escape me, __f/n__." The haunting creature sauntered through the dark in his black robes, his helmet seemingly the only source of light, and lay his cold hands on your arms. You opened your mouth to scream for help, but you found you couldn't even manage a whisper. In that moment, the being's helmet opened to reveal a slimy, pale blue face with disturbing, luminescent eyes. One name echoed in your mind when you looked at the terrifying figure: Zant.

"No matter how far you run, I will always find you, love."

You bolted straight up in your bed, covered in a sheen of sweat. You let out a ragged sigh as you fought to catch your breath. "That nightmare again..." you mumbled to no one in particular. "If these nightmares don't stop soon, I'll need to see the doctor in Castle Town..."

You ran a hand through your disheveled (___h/c___) hair as you stumbled drowsily over to your dresser. After fumbling around in the drawers for a few moments, you snatched a pale purple blouse and tan pants, threw off your night gown, and yanked your clothes on. Then you headed out into the brisk morning air.

Your eyes settled upon a peaceful view of the lake shrouded in a thick veil of fog, mourning doves cooing to each other quietly. With a small smile, you turned on your heel and strolled slowly towards the town spring. As Link's home slowly came into view, you gasped, noticing a familiar filly standing below Link's hut, and a flash of green disappearing into the cozy tree house.

"Link!" you cried out to your best friend in joy, but he didn't seem to hear you. You scrambled your way over to the ladder to climb up to his front door, but your lack of sleep rendered you even more uncoordinated and clumsy than you usually were, and you tripped over several roots and even managed to fall off the slippery ladder in your frantic pursuit. By the time you actually made it to the top, Link was opening the door dressed in his traditional Ordon attire rather than the Ancient Hero's garbs.