Seashells | BotW

Chapter 14 -

T.w.
Multiple Mentions of Death

3rd person POV

Zelda brought Link's body to the Lost Woods on her horse. His body had been wrapped in a special fabric and tied with string. Link's burial took place there, secluded from the outside world. No one was able to attend aside from Zelda, the Great Deku Tree, and the Koroks that lived in the forest. He was buried in front of the pedestal where the Master Sword was quickly returned to. It served as a gravestone.

Eventually, rumors had spread throughout Hyrule about the death of the Hylian Champion and whether Zelda was dead, too. People assumed the Champion and the princess died of their injuries after the fight with the Calamity, and began wondering if it would return. Zelda had decided to stay secluded in Zora's Domain until further notice, or until the rumors stopped and she could come out again. Having been close with the Champion of the Zora, Mipha, she felt very safe and welcome in their Domain.

"Thank you for allowing me to take refuge in your Domain, King Dorphan," Zelda smiled, bowing her head to him.

"Oh, of course," he responded. "You are welcome here any time you need somewhere to stay." Zelda smiled. "And, I understand your reasoning behind wanting to stay here. Link's death has been hard on us all." Sidon, who was in the room with them, frowned.

"Zelda, if I may.." he chimed quietly. "I wish to speak with you about something important." Zelda nodded slowly.

"Oh.. of course, Prince Sidon," she said. "What is it?" Sidon tapped his foot.

"I can't live with myself knowing I couldn't do anything to save Link," he said. Zelda sighed.

"There was nothing anyone could do about it," she replied. "He was bleeding out too rapidly. If I had all of my power, I might have been able to do something, but.. You must understand; I'm severely drained from the fight with the Calamity. But, even still, I feel bad, too. I've heard that one of my ancestors was able to heal a dying imp who lived in Twilight who was wounded by light, and her magic was much less powerful than mine, even now." Sidon put his hand on her shoulder.

"Imps are much easier to heal than Hylians are, Zelda," he said, trying to comfort her. "Plus, your magic isn't necessarily healing magic, either. Hers probably was."

"I've never heard of her having any other kinds of magic," Zelda said. "I do know that she sacrificed her life to save the imp, however." Sidon hugged Zelda tightly.

"You're doing just fine with your magic, Zelda," Sidon whispered to her. She hugged him back tightly and sobbed quietly. She pulled away from the hug, wiping her eyes with her glove.

"Thank you, Prince Sidon," she smiled softly at him. "I needed that."

"Son," King Dorphan boomed. "Can you please show the princess where she will be staying, and show her around the Domain?" Sidon nodded.

"Of course, father," he chimed. He walked Zelda outside and showed her the Domain; the Inn where she would be sleeping, the pools where the Zora slept, and everything else about it that she would need to know.

The sky suddenly turned a very dark red color. The clouds looked like blood and a dark red moon rose above the sky.

"The moon is still doing that.." Sidon said. "It looks nice." Zelda's eyes widened slightly with shock.

"..that shouldn't be happening," she said to no one in particular.

"What do you mean?" Sidon asked.

"That is a Blood Moon," Zelda explained, "and it's fuled by Ganon's power. When it rises, every creature tainted by Ganon's power returns to flesh. But Ganon's gone, so what could be causing this?" Zelda thought to herself for a moment before Sidon finally spoke.

".. is this bad?" He asked. Zelda hesitated.

"I don't know."

Time Skip

He groaned, sitting up in the dirt he was laying in. He gasped softly, his voice raspy and distorted.

"I'm alive," he said to himself. "Oh, thank the Goddess, I'm alive!" He gasped. He stood, looking around. He recognized this place he was in. He had been here once, maybe twice before. He recognized the fog, the grass, she cold air.. the Sword resting behind him. He stood, limping towards the sword that he felt so attached to. He grabbed it, pulling it effortlessly out of the stone it was in. He smiled at the glowing red sword sitting his hands.

"Ah, you've returned to me," he said, giggling. "You can't leave your Master, even in death." He looked behind him at the path on the ground. He mindlessly followed it, into the fog, knowing he would get out alive. And, even if he didn't, it didn't matter. The Blood Moon would bring him back, anyway.

The cold fog seemed to burn his skin when it touched it. He stepped, and stepped, and stepped, but he never seemed to go anywhere. There were no landmarks aside from a torch every once in a while. His feet felt heavy, and his body ached. Eventually, the fog cleared, and he was in a small forest with a path. He smiled, laughing exhaustedly to himself, his hands shaking.

"Oh, thank the Goddess; I didn't think I would make it out of there!" He continued walking along the path, just trying to go somewhere he knew. He made it to a field; a field he was in recently. A field that he recognized. He smiled and let out a loud whistle. He heard galloping nearby getting closer. He smiled softly and jumped onto his dark-colored horse, who had just ran by. He smiled, unsheathing his sword and swinging it above his head as his horse reared back.

"I'm back."