Before the Wild

Resurrection of Calamity Ganon

Zelda

Zelda didn't remember much of her first five birthdays, but she was sure they were royally extravagant for the young sole heir of the Hyrule line. She might have started the day opening gifts from the various nobles of Castle Town, the Hylian provincial leaders, the non-human races, and from her parents. She might have had a huge dinner in her name with her favorite foods before a monstrous cake just for her day was brought out. She might have made a wish before blowing out the candles. Her wishes those days might have been simple. "I wish for a unicorn." "I wish for Impa to get married to Sheik." "I wish to be a wise queen like my mother."

Those days were gone the moment she turned six. Queen Tetra had passed, and no matter what the servants did that rainy day, nothing could cheer the grieving princess. The seventh was much like the first five, but without Queen Tetra, it wasn't the same. The ninth, the tenth, to the sixteenth, Zelda had all but celebrated her own birthday. It was the only day her father allowed her to not worry about training and prayer, but her own work never ceased. She researched, she trained with Impa, she treated it like any other day of the year. There was no time to waste when the fate of Hyrule was in question. For nine birthdays, she treated it as if Calamity Ganon could show up on the same day.

It was minutes after she was born that Rhoam was made aware of Calamity Ganon. It would be poetic justice for Hyrule's doomsday to be the same day.

It was 2:34 am, according to the Sheikah Slate. The Princess had snuck away from Link's home and walked through the slumbering town of Hateno up to a hilltop overlooking the bay and the town, with a decrepit lighthouse at its cliff. Zelda found a spot leading up to the lighthouse, sitting on the edge as she gazed at the peak of Mount Lanayru. Her thoughts on the matter were bothering her, that at any moment Calamity Ganon could return, and she had a bad feeling it could be today of all days. But if she could make it to the peak, pray for a few hours, and possibly receive the power she needs, she might feel better. Link would be against it, as he thinks she needs to relax on her birthday, but...ever since her dream, Zelda couldn't do just that.

Her hero was going to be pissed that she left, but she left a note explaining that she had to do this, even if it was just a precaution. But it had to be done. She had a plan to get to the peak and had packed accordingly to keep herself safe and warm. To move quickly, she would warp her way from her current position to a pine tree on the mountain, and use Farore's Wind to move to the next landmark until she was within walking distance of the fountain.

Standing to her feet, she checked herself one more time, then faced the distant tree, imagining herself beside it. However, her magic detected another presence nearby, one so familiar and one she wanted to avoid. She immediately stopped what she was doing, thinking he was going to stop her. Instead, a warm hand slipped into hers. Zelda opened her eyes, turning to the blue-eyed warrior in confusion. "Link?"

"I'm coming with. Can't let you freeze your ass alone, can I?"

"But...why aren't you stopping me?"

"You aren't the only one who feels uneasy. You fear Calamity Ganon as much as I do, but what I fear more is that you... So if there's needs to be another way, I want to help find it." Link turned to Mount Lanayru, biting his lips apprehensively. "The Triforce...could it...save us if we find it?"

Zelda frowned, processing what Link stated. All these years, Zelda and Rhoam had depended on her power that no one thought to seek the ultimate power. But if it did even exist, where would they begin to look? "I...never considered the Triforce. But do we have time?"

Link shrugged. "As far as I'm concerned, we've been losing time for the last seventeen years." Zelda sighed, looking back to the pine tree. Whether or not they could find the Triforce, Zelda knew that the Spring of Wisdom was just across the mountain. She tightened her grip on Link's hand and focused on bringing them closer to the tree.