Author's Note: So I just finished Breath of the Wid yesterday, a game we've been speculating about for years and is finally over; the story at least. I just had to write something about it, however these will be a series of oneshots instead of a full blown novella, so I hope that you stick around! :3 Also Bound History is coming soon, I just need to get Breath of the Wild off of my mind (nevee gonna happen aha!)

And just to make clear, this does include story spoilers throughout so if you don't want to be spoilt (which I highly recommend; it makes the game more emotional), then don't read this just yet!

Beyond

One: New Beginnings

~O~

For a moment, she didn't want to turn around. Her body was basked in the sunlight, the world was finally calm, but she couldn't let herself turn around for fear that it would all fall to calamity once more. For the first time in 100 years, she could actually feel the world at her feet and the wind in her hair—she wasn't a spirit fighting Calamity Ganon anymore, but a free woman to return to her Kingdom again.

But despite all of that, she still couldn't muster the energy to turn around, lest the horrors of Calamity Ganon still be there.

"I've been keeping watch over you all this time..." she murmured with a pounding heart. The clouds were beginning to clear above her, ruby and charcoal covered skies blown away by the power still radiating from her hand. Although a scarlet hue still clung to the grass around them, the air felt so much clearer than the last time she had set foot in Hyrule. "I've witnessed your struggles to return to us as well as your trials in battle."

His footsteps were crunching across the field, making their way towards her the longer she spoke.

She prayed that once she finally met his eyes, she would not see the blood staining his clothes that she witnessed 100 years ago. "I always thought—no I always believed—that you would find a way to defeat Ganon." A smile tugged at her lips. It was the simple feeling of his presence that sent her heart soaring. "I never lost faith in you over these many years…"

With a hitched breath, she finally forced herself to face him.

There was still blood; that she couldn't deny; but compared to the last time that they had physically been around one another, this seemed like only a scratch. She had seem him get knocked around a few times by the beast form of the Calamity, but just like before he still got up again. Towards the end he even let his horse flee before it was killed so that he didn't lose them too. He was still smiling now—it was meek and simple, yet it spoke louder than any roar of the Calamity that he had just faced. He didn't have all of his memories back, of course, but he still could recall enough about her to be thankful for her being alive.

As she said; courage could not be forgotten, especially his.

"Thank you, Link… the Hero of Hyrule," she breathed, her hands clasped over her chest. Her joy was soon beginning to overwhelm the crippling fear from within. After so long of fighting, it was all over. *And yet, a voice inside of her whispered. There's something that you must know. She took a deep breath, a small bout of courage flowing through her as she dared to ask, "May I ask… do you really remember me?"

He silently made his way towards her and knelt down, plunging the Master Sword into the earth and taking her hand into his. "I do, Your Grace," were his first words to her after so long. "I'm sorry for ever forgetting."

Since she was no longer the Princess of Hyrule in her eyes—she couldn't govern her lost people from a pile of rubble, after all—she was glad that nobody was around to scold her as she fell onto her knees to reach his level, wrapping her hands around his. He was soaked from the storm that had not long since passed, and her second order of business was to find somewhere warm for the both of them. However her first order of business was to say, "Just Zelda will do."

His smile grew. "As you wish… Zelda. Now," he added after a short moment, lifting her onto her feet and whistling out for his horse—who was thankfully not far away from the battlefield. The inky stallion raced towards the Princess and her appointed Knight, kneeling down in order to allow the former onto him. She protested as much as she could, causing her Knight to chuckle. "You're just the same as before," he murmured, not noticing that she had heard him. He turned to meet her eyes evenly. "I'm simply doing my job as your Knight and as your friend. The least I can do is get you into a warm and safe place after your fight."

She frowned at the way he called it "her fight," but refrained from asking as he mounted his horse from behind and began to steer them away from the field once infested with Guardians and the Malice, a place that was now covered in large hoof prints and clear skies. Zelda could finally feel at peace as she rested against the form behind her. Her eyes fluttered a little before a thought came to her. "Couldn't you use the Slate to bring us to a nearby village?"

He tensed suddenly, "I… I wanted to let you see the Kingdom that you saved, but if you'd prefer to—"

"It's quite alright, Link," she cut in with a chuckle. "I'd much prefer this."

Even though she was exhausted, she made sure that she stayed awake for the entire journey—after all, it was the least she could do for her Knight.

He brought her to the Riverside Stables where he bought them a place to stay for the night. It was a quaint place, far from the lavish lifestyle within the Castle, but it would do after her hellish century alone fighting Calamity Ganon. Link made sure that they both ate and settled down in the best beds he could pay for.

For the first time in 100 years, the two finally slept without worry.

The sun rose, signalling the first morning of peace in the Kingdom of Hyrule. Zelda rose with the sun, plaiting her hair back and asking for anywhere private to bathe. Unfortunately there wasn't, meaning that she had to take a trip to the riverside instead. The last time she was in such cold water, she was trying to awaken the sealing power from inside of her. She shuddered at the memories as she made her way down toward the riverside.

She stopped, however, when her eyes fell onto two figures a few feet away.

Her Knight was tending to a brilliant white stallion, the water of the river gushing up to their knees. He was feeding it with ease as he brushed it down, its bridle and saddle neatly folded up on a blanket on the riverbank. It was the exact same equipment that she had once used with her own stallion 100 years ago, but it was nearly impossible for a wild horse to hold such a beauty and for her Knight to have the exact same bridle and saddle that she once had, right?

"Link," she remarked, catching his attention instantly. He patted the stallion's neck and waded out of the water to dry himself down. "Where did you find this horse and equipment? It seems…"

"Just like your own?" Link finished once she trailed off. The Princess nodded silently. "I found him not far out from the Manhala Bridge in the west. According to one of the stable hands nearby, he is the grandson of your horse and he was given the same bridle and saddle you had 100 years ago. You were still asleep, so I thought I'd give you something familiar after all this time for when you woke up."

Zelda stripped her sandals from her feet and made her way over to the stallion. He was skeptical of her presence at first, but with reassurance from his original owner when he passed her an apple, the stallion eyed her hesitant hand and allowed himself to eat the fruit whole. Zelda laughed as she shuffled closer to the horse and was permitted to pet the stallion's neck. "Take the time to soothe your mount…"

"That's the only way it will know how you truly feel," came his voice from behind her.

Zelda gasped and cast her gaze to him. "You remember that?" He nodded, however she could see that a nerve had been accidentally struck through the lack of memories that he truly had. She decided to change the subject, "What did you name him?"

Link smiled hesitantly. "I named him Rhoam—after your father—b-but he's your horse now, Zelda. You can name him whatever you like. If his name is inappropriate, then you are free to alter it..."

She couldn't help but smile. "You have far from offended me, Link." She glanced back to the stallion. "I won't take away his name… yet I think that I should honour the horse which stood by me before. I am sure that Rhoam Lien sounds fine, correct?"

"What does Lien mean?"

She swallowed thickly, suddenly bashful of her choice of name, "It is… it is the name of the Hero in the ancient language of the Sheikah. I was always rather fascinated by the past, you see, and I thought that I would honour the one who helped this Kingdom time and time again." Zelda refused to meet his eyes as she quickly added, "I hope that it does not affect anything between us, however. I was but a child and—"

The Princess was cut off by a hand on her shoulder. Link, uncaring that his legs were soaked again, quickly removed his hand, "It's rather an honour, Zelda. I promise." He brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes before his eyes widened—both at his behaviour and sudden remembrance. Zelda watched in sheer perplexion as her Knight rushed out of the water and return with a wrapped package that she didn't notice lay beside the blanket. Link silently knelt down in the water and held up the package for her. Zelda skeptically took the package into her hands and pushed the material away to reveal the Bow of Light that she had bestowed upon him during the final battle. "I thought that I should return it to you and clarify that you are my charge but also my friend. I will do anything for you, Zelda, and I will stay at your side for as long as I am able to."

She propped the Bow of Light against the crook of her arm and helped Link to his feet with the other, "I know that, Link, and I'm extremely proud to have such a wonderful companion at my side."

He grinned in reply. "And I you, Zelda. And now that I have returned it to you," he added, holding up the Sheikah Slate. "Where does the Princess of Hyrule like to go to first on her first day back in her Kingdom?"

"After all this time trapped within the confines of Hyrule Castle, I have always dreamed about this moment. And yet, now that I am here... I am unsure," she explained. "Is... is Impa still alive?"

Link smirked. "And kicking. She has been waiting for you for a long time, Zelda. I'm sure she would be overjoyed to see you all again."

"Then let us go there, then," was all she said. He nodded and lead Rhoam Lien out of the river, drying off before buying some last minute resources for the journey. Now that the Guardians were no longer a threat, they could travel to Kakariko Village with ease—and Link was sure that the Princess would want to feel the breath of the wild air in her lungs again after so long.

They set off on another journey, just like old times.

As they veered away from the river, Zelda couldn't help but notice her Knight pressing a hand to his chest for some reason. When she voiced her concern, he merely waved it off as, "Just an old bandage—nothing more." She couldn't read him as easily as he could read her (an ability he hadn't seemed to have lost over the past century), but she knew that he was lying. When she shot him a tight look, he finally confessed, "I was hit during the last fight, and a kick from his beast form made it worse... I will be fine," he quickly added when he saw her eyes widen.

There were times during the final battle between her Knight and the Calamity where she lost her touch with reality, meaning that she missed parts of the great clash. He must have been injured during one of those blackouts, and she hated herself for not noticing.

"We should stop..."

"No, no, it's alright. I made elixers this morning just for it. It's simply a tad uncomfortable, that's all." Despite this, she couldn't believe him. What if something happened that she couldn't stop? He forced a sad smile. "Come on, Zelda, you can't be sad on your first day of freedom. I've managed up until now; a wound like this won't do me in."

She sighed. "You're right... but if you feel any pain then you will tell me, won't you, Link? I may not have any healing powers, but I can do everything I can to help you."

"That's the Zelda I half know," he remarked with a chuckle, the action infecting her too. It was heart breaking that he didn't have all of his memories, however externally it didn't faze him. It left a hole in him that may not have the ability to be healed, but she would try and fill that gap to the best of her ability.

There was so much to do, so many memories to reopen and reheal, so many lives to mourn and cherish.

But that would come in time.

It would all come in time...

Author's Note: And there's the first oneshot! I really hope that you liked it! I actually enjoyed doing it and want to do some more, so if you guys have any ideas feel free to let me know! I want to do one about each of the new Champions (I guess they'll be called that), especially Riju, and more about Link's lost memories. Oh I'm excited now!

Let me know what you thought of this and Breath of the Wild in general! ;3

~RandomButLoved~