~* More Time *~

Welcome to my next Zelda story. My husband thinks I'm crazy with how much I love Zelink – but you all get it… right?

Set directly after the final battle with Ganon. So… obviously… spoilers.


Chapter 1 – Reunions


The walk from Hyrule Castle down to Castle Town was silent and haunting. I knew I should have been relieved – Ganon was gone, my father and the champions were finally at peace, and I was free for Godesses' sakes! But I couldn't bring myself to say anything more, instead feeling my brows furrowing into a state of both denial and regret. Link was only inches away, and equally silent. Was he thinking of them too? Or was there something else on his mind? If he was anything like the Link I knew before the calamity, he would share none of it.

But I was walking slower now, the dull ache that was beginning to spread from my feet to the rest of my body becoming ever apparent. I grimaced and tried to bear the increasing severity of the pain. You spent one hundred years fighting the very essence of evil, Zelda. Pull it together! Link finally turned to me, his bright blue eyes piercing into my own with concern.

"Are you alright, Zelda?" he said quietly, as if he were afraid to break the silence.

He called me "Zelda"…

He had stopped a few feet in front of me but I almost didn't notice. My vision was blurring as all of the things normal human beings experienced came rushing back to me in a tidal wave of sensations and emotions I hadn't felt in a century. Hunger. Thirst. The smell of rotting wood. The feel of the ground beneath my feet.

The very ground that was becoming closer and closer as I fell rather ungracefully. Forgetting all formalities and thoughts of dignity and poise, my arms flailed in every direction as I tried to grab on to something, anything, knowing all too well the only something, or someone, that could have been.

So there we were, the princess and the hero, tumbling onto the dirt path in front of the fountain at the center of Castle Town's square.

I also realized at that moment that it was first time I had felt the touch of another person in over a hundred years.

"Zelda? Are you alright? You aren't hurt, are you?" Link was kneeling next to me, one hand gripping mine and the other resting lightly on the small of my back to prop me up. I was dusty and dirty and covered in lifetimes of grime and sweat, but he was looking at me like he always did when he was worried – his eyes never leaving mine. And I couldn't say if it was out of nervousness, relief, nostalgia, or just the swarm of emotions channeling through me, but I began to laugh.

It was unexpected for both of us – a slight giggle that started in the back of my throat that escalated with each passing moment. It didn't last long, but I could feel the tears of laughter pooling in the corners of my eyes. "I'm… I'm sorry, Link," I finally managed, the confused and horrified expression on his face only adding fuel to the fire. His expression was finally beginning to soften, but I could feel his grip tightening ever so slightly.

"Can you stand?" Link was standing hunched over me now with both of my hands in his.

"I… I think so," I responded, fully aware of how dry my throat was. He slowly began pulling me to my feet as I shakily felt the ground beneath me. I knew I needed something to eat, somewhere to rest. Badly. "But I don't know how much more I can walk, Link. I'm not quite feeling myself again yet."

Walking side by side, our hands still intertwined, he led me to the edge of the dilapidated fountain for me to sit. I sighed with relief as I sat, the pressure and the pain in my legs being relieved somewhat.

Link pulled his hands away and nodded in determination. "I'll get Epona ready for the journey, then," he added while looking out towards the town entrance. He then let out a high-pitched whistle and, in no time, Epona came trotting up the main street that lead out into the expansive field. He patted her gently, ruffling her mane and whispering something in her ear. She snorted softly in response, tapping one of her hooves against the cobblestone.

He began to rifle through one of the packs on her saddle as I felt my eyes wandering. The buildings, the towers, the homes of those I was supposed to protect – they were gone. Razed to the ground in what I imagined to be only moments after Calamity Ganon had reappeared. Did anyone have time to make it out alive? Even the fountain, the one that once held the symbol of the royal family – my family – was in ruins.

"I think I'm finally ready to leave this place," I said stiffly, afraid I might just cry as the words came out.

Link turned back to me, nodding in agreement. "I know it isn't much, but we can get you something proper to eat at the Wetland Stable." He handed me an apple, which I grabbed almost too hastily. The emptiness in my stomach was beginning to overwhelm me as the pain in my legs had before.

"Thank you," I added, fully aware of how un-princess-like he must have thought I was behaving. But while there was no one to scold me or reprimand me, I still felt my face grow hot with embarrassment as I slowly took a bite. The feeling of food and liquid running down my throat was… indescribable. I had forgotten what it felt like, to eat, to drink, to taste. That apple may have well been the most delicious thing I had ever eaten in my entire life.

After helping me onto Epona, Link pulled himself up onto the saddle as well, sitting firmly behind me. While I was still getting used to my body again, I knew that this experience was entirely new. My back was pressed firmly against Link's chest – the closest proximity to him or any other man I had ever been in. My face flushed as his arms wrapped around me to take control of Epona's reins.

"Are you comfortable?" he breathed behind me, sending a wave of shivers down my spine. Good goddesses.

"Yes, I'm quite comfortable. Thank you." How I managed to get all of those words out without a hitch, only Hylia herself knows.

The sound of shifting rubble caused Link to suddenly pull on the reins, spinning Epona in the direction of the source of the noise. A low beeping was followed by the dull blue and unmistakable glow of Sheikah technology. It was a Guardian – or what remained of one. I could feel the immediate tenseness in the air dissipate as the realization dawned on both of us – no more Ganon meant they were no longer controlled by him. Gone were the angry red glows and the fierce laser beams. Now they almost seemed… helpless.

"Once things have settled down, I think I would like to examine some of them," I commented to no one in particular. Link grunted in response, turning Epona back towards the path and out of the desolate town.

We passed the Sacred Ground in silence, the memory of a subdued ceremony trying to force its way to the front of my mind. In my years trapped with Ganon, my memories and thoughts were the only things at times that kept me going. I would sometimes try to recall my past as if I were reading a book, remembering my earliest memories of my mother and father. And then I would think of Impa and Purah and Robbie. Mipha, Daruk, Revali, Urbosa. My friends, my family, all of those who I failed to protect.

And Link. He shifted slightly as we continued past the Sacred Ground ruins, seemingly bothered with a memory as well. I could only imagine it was the same one I tried too hard to erase. No matter how many times I replayed it in my mind, I could not forgive myself for how immature and selfish I had been to him in the early days of our journey. I treated him with disdain and hatred, yet he never faltered or failed in his duty. While I was cold and mean, he was loyal and unwavering. I often wondered if I had done things differently, if I had treated him differently, maybe my powers would have revealed themselves sooner…

"It'll be several hours before we reach the stable. Are you sure you'll be alright?" He was clearly still bothered by my bizarre behavior earlier.

I shook my head in response. "I'll be alright, Link. Thank you." Another awkward air of silence descended upon us as Epona continued to trot towards our destination. I racked my brain for something to say, but where do you even begin? But he was silent, too, as was normal for Link, and I figured that maybe, for now, silence would do.

Besides, time was finally something we had on our side.


My concept of time was still a little off – a hundred years being in an endless battle will do that to you. But I could guess by how low the sun now hung in the sky that it had to have been over three hours by the time we crossed the Rebonae Bridge and made our way up to the Wetland Stable.

"Link!" came the voice of a man behind the counter of the stable. "Always a pleasure to have you!"

His skin was a deep brown, and his eyes equally so. His smile lit up the corners of his eyes and I could tell hospitality was what he lived for. But when those eyes suddenly turned to me, I realized, to my absolute horror, that I was interacting with people – actual people! – looking and smelling like I just rolled around in the Bottomless Swamp. He narrowed slightly at me, obviously wracking his brain for any recollection of who I was.

"And who's your friend? I don't believe I've seen her around before." The smile never left his lips, despite clearly noticing how disheveled I must have seemed.

I could feel Link looking at me out of the corner of his eye and I prayed he could read the still rather uncomfortable expression on my face. "Thank you, Lawdon. My friend and I here just need a place to stay the night before we head to Kakariko in the morning."

I let out the breath I didn't know I had been holding in, relieved he hadn't just announced that Princess Zelda Bosphoramus Hyrule had finally arrived. This certainly was not the time, place, nor manner of appearance in which I wanted to make a debut.

Besides, would anyone believe me?

I turned away from Lawdon uncomfortably, unsure if I should even say anything. My eyes landed instead on a nervous-looking girl with short brown hair standing in the entryway of the stable.

"Here, let me help you down." Link had somehow dismounted without me even noticing and was offering me his hand. But I was still shaky, and I knew he could tell when he grabbed my hand. His bright blue eyes looked up into mine with quiet concern, causing my breath to hitch in my throat. "This might be easier," he said quickly before grabbing me by the waist and lifting me off Epona. "Why don't you sit down on one of the beds? I'll wrangle us up something to eat and see if there is anything clean we can get you changed into."

His mouth betrayed the slightest hint of a smile to which I couldn't help but return. "Thank you," I whispered, unsure of how to react to Link's unsurpassed chivalry since the battle ended. Had he always been this way and I was too self-absorbed to notice?

"Leekah, could you help my friend to one of the beds?" Link suddenly called to the nervous girl. She instantly perked her head up towards us before trotting over. "And do you possibly have anything she could change into? We'd pay you, of course."

Wait, I didn't have any money! How in Hylia's name were we even affording to stay here? My thoughts were soon quelled as soon as Link took out a very large pouch of rupees, handing several red ones over to the girl.

Her eyes grew wide as she realized just how much Link had paid her. "Y-yes, of course!" she said quickly before turning to me and taking me gently by the arm. "Come with me, miss."

As Leekah led me into the stable, I gave Link one last look, mouthing the words "thank you" to which he returned with the brightest smile I had seen since we defeated Ganon.

There were five small beds inside the stable, all seemingly comfy yet lacking any indication of privacy. I sat down on the furthest bed from the door, amazed at how soft the bed felt. "Are you sure you wouldn't like a bath as well, miss? There's a nice private spot down in the river I could show you, if you're feeling up to it, of course."

Dear Goddesses, a bath sounded like the most amazing thing in the world. But so did food. And water. And rest. But I knew cleaning myself up would do absolute wonders for my confidence. "Yes, that would be lovely."

Leekah nodded and rushed out of the stable, presumably to wherever she kept her belongings, as she came back several minutes later with a towel, soap, and a simple, clean outfit. My heart soared.

I found myself a little while later, down the steep slope near the stable, in a rather shallow area of the river that was formed between some boulders. They created a nice area of privacy, and a rather comfortable support to lean against when your legs have decided they're done for a while. The water was cold, but oddly refreshing. I couldn't even begin to imagine what day or month it was, let alone the season, but I knew well enough that the dryness in the air suggested the onset of autumn.

I was relieved to find the outfit Leekah had given me consisted of a long-sleeved tunic, a simple sash, and a pair of pants – clothes much more suited to the climate than the dirty, sleeveless dress I had been traipsing around in.

The sun was close to setting as Leekah and I made our way back to the stable. The aroma of cooked meat and vegetables and spices caught me rather off-guard – spicy and sweet yet something I couldn't even name. It had been so long – far, far too long – since I had eaten a decent meal, even before the calamity began.

Link was bent over the fire, his face twisted into a look of intense concentration that I had only ever seen when he practiced his swordplay. He was rotating some skewers over the pot, inspecting each one before moving on to the next. Chivalrous, concerned, and now a chef? He had certainly changed.

He must have heard our approach because his eyes shot up. I could tell he was about to say my name, as he opened his mouth to make a "z" sound before shutting it once again. "Please, sit," he decided on instead, motioning to one of the small stools that sat around the fire. Leekah gave me a shy smile before heading inside the stable.

"It all smells so wonderful," I said with a smile, much too giddy and excited than most people would be around meat and vegetable skewers. But he gave me a crooked smile and continued to rotate them, ensuring they were done perfectly.

"You certainly seem much more comfortable," he finally said before adding, "Princess" so inaudibly I almost didn't catch it. He didn't turn to look up at me, but his eyes did, catching my own in a way that made my heart stop.

Goddesses, Zelda, get a grip! I'm sure he looks at every single other girl that exact same way. Whose heart wouldn't stop when those bright blue eyes are piercing into your very soul?

"Are you absolutely sure you're alright?" His eyes were still staring into me. But he looked away suddenly, possibly unable to read the frozen expression on my face. He coughed slightly to clear his throat before handing me one of the skewers. "Here," he said stiffly, "It's no gourmet meal, but it gets the job done."

Gets the job done? Dear Hylia, the man was either way too modest or I was way too deprived of food. Well, maybe both.

We ate in silence as the sun fully set behind Lindor's Brow and Vah Medoh far to the west. It was not long after, I was settling myself into the bed I had sat down on earlier, finally ready to have my first night's rest in a century.

Except, there was a dark figure sitting at the foot of my bed on the floor, his legs criss-crossed, his head leaning against one of my bed posts, and his attention focused no doubt into the world outside.

"Link, for Hylia's sake, aren't you going to get some rest?" I whispered, hoping not to wake anyone. "You deserve it as much as I." I propped myself up on my elbows, peering at him in the dim light of the stable. Soft snores echoed off walls around us.

No response.

"Oh for goodness sakes, Link. You can drop the valiant knight act for a night." I was getting a tad irked at this point, swinging my legs over the bed in frustration. I crept toward him quietly to get him to come to his senses before I realized just where those soft snores were coming from.

I quickly covered my mouth, snorting extremely unlady-like out of surprise and amusement, praying I hadn't just waken him. But did he really need to sleep at the foot of my bed? There was an empty one next to me!

Fearing he might not go back to sleep if I were to wake him, I decided to leave him be. I quietly climbed back beneath the covers and let myself drift into a dreamless sleep.


I could feel myself slowly emerging into the conscious world, the faint echoes of whispers and talking on the edge of my hearing.

"…Satty, stop!" Satty? Who's Satty?

I rolled over, my eyelids still refusing to open, but I was met with hot, smelly breath and an enormously wet… tongue? My eyelids decided to open. "AHHH!" I instinctively yelled in response to the dog whose face was much too close to my own. I shot up in bed, pulling the sheets around me as if I were naked.

"Satty! Bad dog!" A middle-aged man came running into the stable, his eyes wide in horror and embarrassment. "I'm terribly sorry, miss!" He gently grabbed the dog, pulling it away from a very startled me. But movement out of the corner of my eye caught Link coming in from the other stable entrance.

"Sleep well?" he said simply, placing a bag at the foot of my bed.

I glanced from the man with the dog, back to Link, then to a little boy who decided it was the best time to run in circles around Lawdon's desk. "Aside from it feeling like Main Street in Castle Town right now, I slept quite well, thank you." I glanced back to Link, who was looking at me expectantly. "And how did you sleep, Link?" His face paled a bit, but he kept looking at me.

What?

He shook his head slightly, as if in response to my inaudible question. "As soon as you are ready, we can head out. I left you some breakfast if you're up to it." He nodded towards the small table next to me. I followed his gaze, resting my eyes on the wooden plate containing an omelet and another one of those bright red apples.

"I…" managed quietly, before Link interrupted.

"I'll get Epona ready in the meantime." He turned on his heel, almost as if he were embarrassed about something.

After finishing another wonderful meal and running a comb through my hair, I found Link brushing Epona's mane out near the road. He seemed fully transfixed on grooming his horse, I was almost certain he couldn't hear me coming.

"Link," I said flatly, causing him to confirm my suspicions by straightening up suddenly. "May I ask…"

"You may."

I could feel my nose scrunching slightly. "May I ask to what circumstance I am afforded such… odd behavior from you."

He stopped brushing Epona, finally turning to me. "Odd behavior?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.

My lips tightened. "Yes. You're acting overprotective of me one minute, then stand-offish and distant the next."

A slight smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. "And that's odd for me how?"

This man was beginning to infuriate me and he knew it! Yes, he was always a bit overprotective and distant, but how could he be after everything that just happened? "You know what I'm talking about, Link. We've barely said more than a few sentences to one another since Ganon was defeated. For Hylia's sake, you're acting like you barely even know me!"

My face felt flushed and hot. He was letting me work myself into a tither! Epona snorted softly. Link stood perfectly still, but I could see he was wracking his brain behind those bright blue eyes, the realization hitting me.

"Link, I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

"It's fine," he said, looking away from me and finishing securing the packs to Epona's saddle. "Let's just get on the road."

Silence once again hung over us like an impending storm – one word and the heavens themselves would burst open. I sat in front of Link again, but I could feel him doing his best to keep his distance from me.

I tried to get my mind off the current situation by braiding Epona's mane into a million little braids. But after an hour or so, the road soon turned into a steady upward slope, causing the mare's movements to becoming more erratic. Link wordlessly wrapped one arm around my waist to keep me steady, the other still firmly held onto the reins.

My blood froze at the sudden contact, but I remained as quiet as Link. We continued to climb up what I remembered to be Sahasra Slope, until something odd caught my eye.

"What is that?" From what I could tell it looked like a cave shaped like a massive skull.

Links shifted a little but kept his grip on me. "It used to be an old Lizalfos hideout."

I turned slightly to look back so I could see him out of the corner of my vision. "Let me guess, you're the reason it's abandoned now." I could feel a wry smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

Finally, his eyes sparkled in what I could only perceive as pride. He raised one of his eyebrows inquisitively, but soon a genuine, albeit small, grin took over. "You could say that."

I smiled back at him, finally turning around to face the road, or lack thereof, ahead. The rest of our journey continued in silence, but I could almost feel his smile remained just as mine had.


It was after noon by the time we traveled through the mountain pass and reached the entrance to Kakariko Village. I searched my memory for the things that had changed, the things that remained. The fence around the Goddess statue pond looked new. And maybe the deck looking over Lantern Lake was bigger. But overall, the village seemed to have weathered the test of time… much like Link and I had.

We dismounted from Epona near the inn, Link making sure to feed her a couple of carrots before securing her to one of the posts.

"Link! Y-you're back!" We both whipped around towards the village leader's house where a beautiful young Sheikah woman was running towards us.

"…Impa?" I gasped quietly. Suddenly I felt a comforting hand give me a quick squeeze on the shoulder before approaching her. No… of course not. I had seen Impa in flashes and visions while I did my best to keep an eye on Link's journey. She was well over a hundred now! But this girl…

"Paya, is Impa free? We'd very much like to speak to her."

Paya…

Her eyes rested on me, the brightness in her smile fading. She stood still for a moment, her long silver hair blowing ever so slightly in the wind. She seemed as if she were… trying to remember me?

A silent moment passed before she snapped her attention back to Link. "Y-yes, of course. F-follow me."

I nodded to the two Sheikah guards who stood at the base of the long stairway that led to where Impa supposedly now lived. Both gave me a welcoming, yet oddly suspicious look – the very definition of the cautious but hospitable way of the Sheikah.

"Grandmother, she's here!" Paya nearly screamed the moment we opened the double doors. I froze in the doorway behind Link, unsure of what to do, what to say, what to think.

So Paya's her granddaughter!
Goddesses how do I not let her old age rattle me?
Do I just stand here or should I bow?
Why does this Paya girl seem so attached to Link?
Who did Impa end up marrying, anyway?

I felt like I was trying to skim a book with nothing but blank pages. My breathing slowed and my heart raced.

"I-Impa?" I managed quietly. "Is that really you?" Dear Hylia it felt so wrong when it escaped my lips – like an insult rather than an innocent question.

But she just looked up at me slowly, her traditional Sheikah hat brim barely exposing her wrinkled and tired eyes.

"Yes, yes. It is me." She smiled genuinely as I felt hot tears slowly run down my cheeks.

I couldn't hold it back any longer and I ran to her, throwing my arms around her now tiny, feeble frame.

I cried. Unrelenting, uninhibited tears of joy, sadness, exhaustion, and misery all jumbled together into one sobbing mess. And I didn't even care that Link and Paya were watching. Impa just put her arms around me and let me cry, as hard and as much as I needed to.


That night, we sat on the deck near the general store, overlooking Lantern Lake. Impa sat behind me as she slowly braided my hair, her delicate hands working at half the pace they used to, but it felt much more calming now.

"How is Link doing?" Impa asked out of the blue. I stiffened. I honestly had no idea.

Impa gave a playful "hmpfh" before continuing her current braid. "You know as well as I do that he deserves to know."

I rolled my eyes to the witness of absolutely no one. "I just… can't, Impa. He's not the same Link I used to know."

She sighed, audibly this time, finishing the braid and tucking it softly behind my ear. "Just as stubborn as ever, I see." She placed her shaky hands on my shoulders, turning me to face her. "I may be old, Princess, but I am more all-knowing than I ever was before." She gave me a quick wink. "You and I both know what awakened your powers. It's about time he knows as well."

The pit that had been forming in my stomach had suddenly turned bottomless, endless, vast and dark. "I… I just need more time," I swallowed dryly, hoping, praying she understood.

But she looked towards the center of the village where Link was currently rounding up some feisty cuccos as the sun continued to set behind the mountains surrounding Kakariko Village. He was having a hard time with one of the male cuccos, scrambling to keep his hands on it as it continued to flap its wings and cry out.

I smiled a bit at the sight, glad to finally be seeing some simplicity, some everyday life. I noticed Paya near him, looking at him as she had since we first arrived in the village. That unmistakable look of admiration and longing I knew I betrayed one too many times in the past.

I turned back to Impa, trying to hide the conflict I knew raged behind my eyes. "It's been a long time, Impa," I tried to clarify, hoping she could read between the lines.

She sighed, looking me directly in the eyes now. "Do you really think a man only cares about duty and country when risking his life, day after day?" she asked quietly. "There's usually a motive, a someone, driving him to be the best he can be." She cupped her hand around my face. "He may not even know it himself, but there's still something else driving everything he does. No amount of memory loss can change the heart."

I looked back to him, finally able to get the cucco into its pen. "You may be right, Impa," I said, defeated, "but it looks like I'm not the only one competing for that heart."

Paya visibly swooned as Link flashed a triumphant grin. His eyes soon wandered to where Impa and I sat, breaking out into an even brighter smile. I did my best to smile genuinely back, my nerves taking over when I sure as hell didn't want them to. I added an awkward wave before turning away, feeling as if I were a child caught up in the early stages of puppy love once again.

"I'm over a hundred years old, Impa!" I gasped. "Surely I should be able to figure out a way to act around men by now!"

Impa smiled, turning me slowly around so she could braid my hair more. "If you know the old Link, you'll be able to figure out the new one with ease. But you need to look past the triviality of memories and look into his heart and his mind for once."

I sighed. This was going to be tougher than thought.