Hero by Heart

Chapter 25

Zelda awoke from the soft lips of Link brushing over her cheek. She opened her eyes and smiled up at him, looking straight into his beautiful bright blue ones.
     'Hi,' she said sleepily, pushing herself up on her elbows.
     He smiled back at her and gently wiped some stray hairs from her face. 'Hi,' he said softly, his voice hoarse in the early morning. 'I thought we should get an early start to have a nice day out. The sunrise is amazing here.' He smiled apologetically.
     Zelda nodded and sat up completely, grabbing her tunic to pull over her head. Through the window she could see it was still dark out, but if Link thought it was worth it, she would believe him.
     When she was ready they headed out towards their horses and loaded the bags with food and supplies. They hoped to be back before dark, but travelling with Link, Zelda had learned that he always came prepared.
     As the skies slowly started to grow lighter, she and Link rode out of town and onto the landbridge. Already the view was amazing, with the orange coloring sky ahead of them, brightening the sea.
     When they reached the main road, Link led them a little up the path, back from where they came. He took a turn left and they reached a set of ancient ruins, looking out over the sea and the Peninsula below. The place on its own was amazing, but the bright orange skies behind it were truly breathtaking.
     They dismounted and Link grabbed Zelda's hand, leading her to sit on the part of grass with the best view. She just sat there with big eyes, marvelling at the sight.
     Shreds of fog rose up from the sea, illuminated by the sky, which seemed to change every second that passed. At almost exactly four o'clock the first rays of sun appeared on the horizon, blinding her eyes. But despite the squinting, she refused to look away.
     With her hand in Links and her eyes set forward, she forgot everything else. She was in a different world, one that was too beautiful for all the horrors from her past to happen. Here she was happy, she was with her knight and she was safe.
     For at least an hour they just sat there, silently looking out over sea. Eventually Link stood up and walked over to the horses, where he looked in his bags for a while. When he returned he held out a plate for her, with a simple breakfast laid out on it.
     Zelda looked up at him, smiling brightly. 'Thank you, Link. It's amazing. All of it.' She looked back out at sea, the smile never leaving her lips.
     Link chuckled and sat back down. 'I just want to see you happy, Zelda.' He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. 'That's what makes it all worth it.'
     Zelda felt her cheeks slightly blushing, as she looked at him with a loving smile. She felt a whole new rush of butterflies settling in her stomach, but she quite enjoyed it. He made her feel good.
     He saw her looking and cast her a beaming smile, before happily munching on his food.
     When their breakfast was gone and the sun was up, they went back to their horses. Link smiled at Zelda as she followed him across the path again and over the grassy slopes on the other side. A small grove of trees came in sight and Link dismounted again, making Zelda wonder what could be here.
     After walking a little way through the trees it became clear to her what was so interesting in this place. In a pool of water, hidden between trees and rocks, was some sort of giant flower. There were colourful mushrooms all around it and the entire creation seemed to have a magical aura.
     As Zelda stepped closer, she could see sparks of light traveling up from the center. A path led up, to where she found a deep body of water.
     Suddenly a giant hand erupted from it, grabbing the side of the basin. A woman emerged from the water, shining in bright colors. Her hair was purple, as were her lips, her jewelry and her clothes. She seemed to sparkle and glitter, as she smiled enthusiastically.
     Zelda let out a scream, as she quickly backed away, half falling over the loose steps. She landed on her back on the ground, immediately soaked to the bone. It didn't matter to her though, as she looked up at the giant woman, her face one of pure shock.
     'Here I am!' The lady shouted, looking down at them. When she noticed Link she smiled fondly, making Zelda frown. 'Ah, you've come here again? Ok, let me see your clothes.'
     Zelda gasped, totally forgetting her fears. She worked herself back up to her feet and stalked up the steps, pointing a small finger at the woman. 'Excuse me? Who do you think you are?'
     The purple lady looked at her in confusion, before glancing at Link. She shot him a look as if to ask him who the lunatic was, but Zelda refused to be mocked.
     'Well? Who are you?' She demanded, regaining the attention of the woman.
     'I am Mija,' she said, as if that was obvious. 'I am the fairy of this Great Fountain.' She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. 'Who are you?' She then asked with raised eyebrows.
     'I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule,' Zelda said, straightening her back and looking up at the fairy defiantly. This woman unsettled her and she didn't like that.
     'Oh my, are you really?' Mija said, her tone considerably friendlier. 'Well, it is great to see you back amongst the people, Your Highness.' The Fairy smiled, this time a lot more genuine.
     Zelda was a little put off by her sudden change in attitude, but decided that she would let it slide. If this lady could forget their difficult start, she would too. At the same time she felt Links hand slide onto her shoulder and she realised she might have reacted a little hostile.
     'Thank you, Mija. It's great to be back as well.' She smiled. The woman was looking down on her with a friendly smile, making Zelda realise she might not be the kind of person her first impression had made her out to be.
     'And just to be clear,' the Great Fairy said. 'I am able to enhance special abilities of clothing. I was not trying to hit on your man.'
     Zelda sputtered awkwardly, trying to brush that away. 'We're not... I wasn't... Eh.' She dragged her hand through her hair, looking at Link in desperation. 'That's awesome,' she eventually settled on with a small voice.
     Link laughed out loud, gently patting her shoulder and showing her the sparkle in his eyes. 'Nice safe, honey,' he said with a wink.
     Zelda just stared at him. He had never called her that before. It was strange, yet comforting. It made her heart flutter and a smile crept onto her face.
     'So am I to assume you don't have anything for me to enhance?' Mija interrupted their staring.
     Link looked back up at her and nodded. 'Sorry, Mija. I came to introduce Princess Zelda to you and show her the magic of the Great Fairies. I have nothing to enhance.' He gave her a genuine smile, one that the Fairy could not resist.
     She smiled back, spreading her arms. 'That's alright. So long for now, I suppose? Once you have some clothing you want to upgrade, come back anytime.' She looked over at Zelda and gave her a friendly smile too. 'See you later.' She then threw up her arms and sank back into the water. 'Goodbye!'
     Zelda looked at the place where the woman had disappeared, a little baffled with the entire situation.
     'Are you alright?' Link asked her, stepping closer.
     Zelda nodded, then smiled at him. 'Let's go on. There is still so much to see!'
     Link chuckled. 'Don't you want to get some dry clothes on first?'
     Zelda looked down, completely having forgotten she was soaked. 'Well, it's warm out today and I don't want to waste our time running back to town. It'll dry.'
     Link looked at her questioningly, trying to see if she was serious. Then he shrugged and nodded, turning to walk back to the horses.
     Zelda followed him as he led her across the grassy planes, around the rockformations pointing up to the sky. Not much later they were back on the main road, this time heading towards the cliffs surrounding Zora's Domain. It was the same road they took the day before, but it looked completely different from this side.
     Again Zelda was looking around in wonder, taking in all the beautiful scenery. As they stepped onto the first bridge, she threw her head in her neck to look at the two majestic waterfalls that came down the cliffs.
     'It is all so beautiful,' she sighed.
     Link looked up and nodded. 'I have traveled all across this kingdom, but it still manages to amaze me every time.' He followed her gaze and noticed the waterfalls, making a smile appear on his face.
     He pulled Epona to a halt and motioned Zelda to follow, as he dismounted and ran over the grass towards the water. From here it was hard to see the sky.
     'Considering you're already wet,' Link said with a smirk, gesturing towards the water. 'What do you say?'
     Zelda raised her eyebrows in surprise. 'You want to go for a swim?'
     'I want to go there,' Link said, pointing straight up towards the edge of the cliff.
     Zelda looked at him as if he had gone mad. 'I'm not climbing up there! It will kill me.'
     Link smiled and walked over to Epona, pulling his Zora Armor out. 'You won't have to.' He pulled his tunic over his head, giving Zelda a glimpse at his fine body, before he pulled the armor on. 'All you have to do is trust me,' he said while extending his hand towards her. 'Can you do that?'
     Zelda looked at him with narrowed eyes, trying to understand what he was going to do. Eventually she nodded and took his hand. No matter where he dragged her, she would always trust him.
     Link smiled and suddenly grabbed her other arm, pulling her onto his back. She let out a startled yelp, but he just laughed, as he jumped off the rock they were standing on and into the water below.
     It was not too high, but Zelda felt her stomach leave her body, as they plummeted towards the dark blue surface. The cold almost made her gasp for breath, but just in time she kept her mouth closed, hoping they would soon come up again.
     When her head broke out above the surface she gasped for breath. She was still clutching onto Link, who now started swimming towards the massive waterfall.
     As they approached the aggressive splashing of water and they were surrounded by a haze of cold drops, she looked up only to find that she could not see the sky from here. She wanted to trust Link, but she really started to wonder if he had lost it. Would he have them get killed by the force of the water?
     She opened her mouth to ask him what he was doing, but then she felt a jerk, almost making her lose her grip on him. They sprang forwards and then up, straight into the crashing stream. Her mouth instantly filled with water and she could do nothing but close her eyes and pray to the Goddess that she would survive this.
     With an immense speed they hurried up the water, making it pound down on them almost painfully. Zelda kept her eyes squeezed shut, imagining the incredible heights they were reaching. All she knew for sure was that she was terrified.
     Then all of a sudden the constant violence of water stopped and they shot into the air. She screamed as she desperately clung to Link, seeing the deadly depths below her.
     With incredible speed Link unfolded the paraglider that he always had on him and they now gently floated over to their right. Their feet touched the rocky ground and they stumbled forward, before Zelda let go of him and collapsed onto the earth.
     Link crouched down beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. 'I'm sorry, Zelda. Are you alright?'
     She snapped her head up to look at him, a deadly glare in her eyes. 'Don't you ever make me do that again!'
     Link quickly nodded, his eyes big and apologizing. 'I'm really sorry, but I think you will find it to be worth it. Come.' He held out his hand and with a last angry glare, Zelda grabbed it and followed him.
     They walked over the grass until they were right at the edge of the cliff, where Link sat down with his feet dangling over the edge. Zelda reluctantly sat next to him, staying clear of the looming depths.
     She then looked out over the land below and had to admit that he was right. It was worth it. The view was again truly breathtaking.
     They could look out far over sea, a vast and empty space at the edge of the horizon. In front of that were the Akkala Highlands. She could see the Peninsula way down below, just like Tarrey Town and the half circle cut out in the rocks where she now knew was the Great Fairy Fountain. She could follow the road they had travelled on and the little island right below them, where she could see two small horses standing near a tree.
     The hills were green and brown, with trees in all kinds of colors, stretching out as far as she could see. Together with the gentle breeze, the sun on her skin and the sounds of water and animals around them, she couldn't help but feel happy.
     Link watched her face and smiled at the wonder he could probably see there. He carefully crept closer and put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. Despite her earlier anger towards him, Zelda smiled and leaned into him.
     They sat like that until they were completely dry and Zelda's stomach started to rumble. Link laughed and stood, helping her up as well.
     'Are you willing to fly down?' He asked, a guilty look on his face. He knew she might not like it, but he had taken her up here and they had to get down somehow.
     Zelda nodded. 'It's fine. I trust you.'
     Link smiled and unfolded the glider, before waiting for Zelda to grab onto him. Then he jumped off and made his way towards their horses.
      They landed within three feet of Epona, but she barely spared them a glance, obviously used to seeing Link jump out of the sky. Thunder, however, neighed and skittered away a little, but calmed when he recognized Zelda.
      They mounted and continued their road, while munching on their small lunch. Zelda had just taken a bite of her apple when they crossed the last bridge and Link steered right, over the grass. It didn't look like there was anything there, but as they rounded a big rock formation, some sort of road suddenly doomed up.
     It was a broad path, but incredibly steep, going down towards Torin Wetland. Zelda tightly held on, as she had to lean back quite far. When the ground finally levelled out, she let out a relieved sigh and loosened her grip, which had turned her knuckles white.
     The ground was flat now, with trees scattered all around and pools of water reaching to their ankles. Dead Guardians were scattered all around, their remains long stripped clear of any useful item.
     For a while Link and Zelda trotted around, taking in the sights and occasionally inspecting a decayed Guardian. Zelda still found them interesting, even though most of them were exactly the same.
     As they roamed around, clouds started to form in the sky, quickly packing together until the entire sky was a dark grey. Raindrops started to fall and Zelda looked at Link, enjoying the sudden downpour.
     She swirled around and spread her arms, her face turned upwards as she laughed. 'Dance with me, Link!' She called out, extending her hand towards him.
     Link laughed, but did as she said and took her hand. They paraded around, without much coordination, but with all the fun. They manoeuvred around trees and guardians and splashed through puddles, never ceasing their laughter.
     Eventually a thunderclap startled them, making them stop their movements. Zelda looked up at the sky to see an almost pitch black mass looming above them.
     'Maybe we should head back,' she said disappointedly. 'That looks like a heavy storm.' She released Link and started to walk towards their horses.
     Link nodded, quickly following her. But before she got a chance to mount Thunder, he grabbed her arm and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
     'I just wanted to do that first,' he smiled.
     Zelda chuckled and put her arms around his neck. She leaned her forehead against his as she whispered: 'Me too.'
     She then closed the little distance left. It was a perfect kiss, passionate and slow, with water running down their faces and a thunderstorm fully breaking out around them.
     When they broke apart they had similar smiles on their faces. A smile that showed their joy and excitement, their sense of adventure. It was their little secret, that moment right there.
     Link then stepped back and shot another worried glance at the dark clouds. 'We should really go now, though. Storms out here can get very dangerous.'
     Zelda nodded and mounted Thunder. With a glance towards Link to check if he followed, she spurred him on to a gallop, just as the sky lit up in a lightning strike.
     Side by side they rode across the plain, while lightning became more frequent and started to get really close. They passed between trees and jumped over Guardianlegs and pieces of old ruins.
     Zelda could feel her heart pump fast, as adrenaline shot through her system. The constant stream of rain made that she hardly saw anything. She trusted entirely on Thunders senses to jump over any obstacle.
     Suddenly it sounded as though the sky itself exploded, in a thunderclap that made her ears ring. At the same time a lightning strike shot down, hitting a decayed Guardian a little ahead of them.
     Sparks flew off and the Guardian actually lit up and stuttered for a second, before it went dead again.
     Zelda let out a strangled scream, but Thunder didn't seem to be fazed, as he dashed forward and past the now slightly scorched Guardian.
     Link quickly followed and called out, but Zelda didn't understand him over the brutal force of nature. The wind was howling, rain was pouring down as if it wanted to drown them and thunder became more and more frequent.
     They reached the road and traveled up, back towards Tarrey Town. Zelda led Thunder to cut off a part over the grassy slopes, but it was obvious from his nervous neighs that it was quite slippery.
     Still, the horses carefully found their way back to the road, where now a solid stream came running down.
     To Zelda's relief she suddenly noticed the sign that stood at the crossroads, where they made a sharp turn to the right. With the constant flashes of light and the loudness of nature's forces, her senses were overpowered, making her feel incredibly small and vulnerable.
She looked at the bridge hesitantly, knowing they could easily lose the path and tumble down.
Luckily, Thunder still didn't seem to be impressed, as he just galloped right over the slippery bridge and into town, Link right at their heels. They quickly dismounted and led their horses to safety, where they unsaddled them.
Now that they had a roof over their head, Zelda let out a relieved sigh. She looked at Link and laughed. 'Well, that was quite an adventure.'
Link nodded with a grin. He brushed off Epona, before walking over to Zelda and pulling her into a hug. 'I hope you still had fun today.'
Zelda nodded. 'It was amazing. Thank you.' She smiled. 'I do really desire a bath right now, though.'
Link chuckled. 'Your wish is my command.' He then winked at her and turned to lead the way back to the inn.
Zelda looked after him for a second, before smiling and gathering her stuff. She then followed him out into the thunderstorm for the last time, happily looking forward to that warm bath. It was just what she needed.