Guided by Spirits

Before the Calamity: Responsibilities First

Zelda sat in her tent, watching Link and the girl. Her anxiety overflowed after watching Link fight those... things. He was safe now, though. The girl was hugging him.

What were those tricks he used on the monsters? They kind of looked like the powers of the Champions. Whatever. What's important is that he's safe now. Zelda was full of relief when suddenly...

"...we could settle in Hateno or Lurelin Village together?" 

She was asking if he wanted to go with her. No.

Pain shot Zelda in the heart like and arrow. Link was her bodyguard. 

Suddenly, Link spoke. He said his name. Zelda was still in shock from him speaking today, and now she gets to feel that way again. The other girl was shocked, too. Maybe he hadn't spoken to her either?

He spoke softly, angelically. Zelda listened to his speech thoughtfully.

"My heart, my soul, and my life, is to that Princess. I would do anything to see her again. To hear her laugh, to see her bright smile. It breaks me that she's in that castle, alone, while I'm out here. She must think I'm pathetic, as I can't remember much from the past, and I'm not nearly as strong as I was. But, I hope that she'll let me save her. She's the only thing keeping me going. She's the reason I'm still here. If it weren't for her, I probably would've given up and let some random monster kill me. But the thought of her inside that castle, waiting for me, has kept me fighting. I'm sorry, Fenestra, I can't go with you, because she needs me. I will always choose her. I love her."

I love her.

Zelda could feel her heart leap. Though she was in the dark about the circumstances he was in, he said that he loved her. He hasn't left her behind.

As she watched the girl wither away, confusion spread like wildfire, but was put out as she watched Link. His beautiful face put her at ease. 

She closed the orb and took a deep breath. Then, she walked outside. Link was sitting next to a fire, watching the road. When she emerged from the tent, he looked back at her with those gorgeous, sparkling, blue eyes.

Without a word, Zelda sat down next to him and looked in front of her. She rested her head on his shoulder, and they sat there. In silence. 

A comfortable silence. No words needed to be said. Their breathing calmed and Zelda quickly fell asleep, comfortable next to Link.

________________________________________________________________________________

The next few days were less awkward than before. Link still didn't say much, but he did talk a bit. About horses. About monsters. About Rito Village. 

Soon enough, they reached the community of bird people.

Zelda and Link quickly found Rivali and they discussed Vah Medoh and it's powers. Everything was going well. 

That night, Zelda pulled out the orb, but couldn't open it. She sat on one of the landings of Rito Village. Everyone else was asleep, except for Link, who was training in the forest below. 

Zelda tried to open the orb, but was halted by a reminder that her days have expired, and she needed to bring the orb back to Mirai.

She and Link left the next day, and she explained to Link that she needed to go back to Mirai to return something. Confused but unable to resist, Link accompanied her for the next six days to the Southernmost part of Hyrule.

The trip was mostly peaceful, with a few stops to destroy a guardian or kill a camp of Bokoblins. Finally, after a week of exhausting travel, they finally made it to the sun-baked, rocky valley East of Gerudo. They climbed the slope of boulders to Mirai's cave. Link waited outside as Zelda met with Mirai.

"Princess Zelda, thank you for returning this to me. I hope that borrowing it has put something inside you at ease. Since you complied with the rules, I have one last thing for you," Mirai said to Zelda.

"If you want to, I can send you to the future for only a few minutes, but whoever you want to see will also be able to see you. As long as it's not yourself, you can talk to whomever you wish," she explaine.

Zelda was overcome with joy and wonder. "Please! Let me see Link!"

"Very well. Close you eyes," Mirai smirked.

Zelda shut her eyes and waited a few minutes. She felt her body turning to wisp as she transported 100 years into the future.