Link x Reader: The Hero and the Spirit

Chapter 2: The Return

I had found my way back to my uncle, who was worried about me when I didn't come home earlier. I told him about Y/N and how you helped me out of the forest, but he just laughed, saying that I must've imagined it all. I puffed my cheeks out. I know that I didn't imagine it. I know that I didn't imagine her. I asked him more about the spirits, hoping that I could learn a bit more about them. He told me that spirits liked to trap Hylians in the forest, and then come out to eat their soul at night, but that was just a rumor. I shook my head, not believing it. Y/N was too kind to do such a thing. Besides, she led me out of the woods before sunset, so that must be a lie. He also told me that spirits like to hold festivals, and sometimes people wander into them by mistake. For the rest of the day, I kept my thoughts only on her, not sure whether it was out of curiosity or something else. The following day, I had returned to the same place that I had last seen you with my thank-you gift. I stopped once I reached it, seeing you already there, sitting on the grass.

"You came back." Y/N said. "I didn't think you'd really come back." After getting no response from me for a minute, she tilted her head, looking at me confused, I think. I grinned and ran towards her.
"You waited for me!-" I was cut short when she hit me on the head again with the same stick as yesterday. I held my head in pain.
"You just don't learn, do you?" She said, sounding slightly annoyed that I kept trying to hug her. I looked up at her and smiled.
"I was so happy, I just... Sorry." I chuckled nervously. She stood up from your spot and walked over to me.
"It's a bit hot here. Shall we go somewhere cooler?" Y/N suggested. "Don't worry. I'll see you out of here again." She started walking into the woods. I nodded happily and followed her with my gift. As we walked, we ate some popsicles that I had brought with me. I noticed that Y/N had lifted her mask up to show her mouth while she ate. I looked around the forest as we walked before stopping when I heard a noise. I looked around, thinking it was just my imagination and kept walking. After walking a bit more, I heard it again and looked once more, seeing a shadow-like creature form by the trees. My eyes widened a bit, and I stepped back, feeling afraid a bit.
"Y/N." It spoke. "Is that a Hylian child? Can I eat it?" I stepped behind Y/N, and she shielded me with her arm.
"No." Y/N replied. "He's my friend."
"Is that so?" The shadow's eyes shifted to me. "Hylian child. Please don't touch Y/N's skin. If you do, I will eat you!" I stepped back, fear running through me. I then heard Y/N sneeze, quickly turning my gaze to her. As she did, the spirit yelled a bit in fear, smoke appearing around it as it jumped into a tree, turned into a fox with two tails.
"Oh! Is that a fox?" I asked, looking up at it before it jumped away into the forest, still startled from the sneeze.
"He's another one of the spirits. He transforms to scare people, but he's all bark and no bite." Y/N explained. I felt the happiness build up in me and grinned happily.
"Amazing! This is the first time I've seen a real spirit! So they really do exist! Amazing! Incredible! Fantastic!" I jumped around with joy.
"So what did you think I was?" Y/N asked, looking at me before she continued walking. I noticed that she did and quickly followed after her again.
"Y/N, are you a No-Face or something? Why do you wear a mask?" I ask her.
"No particular reason." She says. "Never mind me. Tell me a bit about yourself."
"Are you curious?" I smiled.
"That's why I waited for you." I laughed, running ahead of her as we reached a huge open meadow.