The Pen is Mightier! (penismightier) wrote in chaotic_library, @ 2017-10-26 21:25:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | het, legend of zelda: breath of the wild, link, link x zelda, pg-rated, short story, zelda |
[Link/Zelda; PG] Where Your Road Leads
Character/Series: Link/Zelda; The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Rating: PG
Notes: Written under the assumption that the final picture memory is the last thing you get before going to the castle. Also, I have not gotten farther than that, SO DON'T YOU DARE SPOIL ME.
Title: Where Your Road Leads
Author: yuuo
Word Count: 3341
Summary: Things had gone so very, very wrong.
Things had gone so very, very wrong.
Zelda's power that she'd never been able to awake had failed them, a fact that called many things into question, but Link wasn't interested in asking them until he was sure they were safe. 'Safe' would probably be relative, with the Calamity taking control of everything in the four corners of Hyrule. But there had to be some place they could lay low until they'd come up with another plan. Zelda could do the questioning then, and he knew she would. He'd listen for awhile, then he'd start riding her case to start trying to come up with answers to questions that would matter more at the moment.
Link had decided the Lost Woods would be their best hope, a place that anyone who didn't know it would get lost in, and a place where they- and the Sword -could rest and heal. Its power was dimming in his head.
It was raining, and the paths were muddy and slick under their feet. If Hylia had written this tragedy that was playing out, she was a mistress of grim settings that were overused and should be relagated to the dumpster bin of drama for a few millenia or so. He almost wondered if it rained every time the Champions and Princesses that came before them fought Ganon, or if it was just for their failure.
Another question he might ask later, though nobody would be able to answer it.
Zelda was just barely keeping up with Link, and if their lives weren't in danger, he'd feel bad for how he was practically dragging her across the countryside in a torn and dirty- and getting increasingly so -holy gown.
Her startled yell came a half heartbeat before her hand slipped out of his. He skidded to a stop and turned back, glancing briefly for signs of Guardians before focusing fully on Zelda.
She didn't give him a chance to even ask if she was hurt before she spoke the question he hadn't wanted to think about- what had gone wrong? Everyone was dead, the Guardians and the Divine Beasts had turned.
And of course, she blamed herself.
Link knelt down in front of her, and held her quietly, letting her wail out her grief. It wouldn't be the last time she did, nor the last time he'd hold her through her tears, and his instincts said he shouldn't let her at all until they were safe in the Deku Tree's clearing, but the only thing he'd ever been able to tell her 'no' to was her demands to let her take care of herself.
The weather was working against them, and while the rain may mask Zelda's crying to organic threats, the Guardians didn't seem to care what sounds their prey were or weren't making. Hopefully, the ground was wet enough that it'd be impossible for them to mask their heavy, mechanical footsteps.
They couldn't risk staying there anymore. Zelda would have to set aside her emotional troubles and pay attention again to their more immediate ones.
"Zelda," he said softly. "Stop now."
She lifted her head, face marred with smoke and mud and wetness from both the rain and her crying. "Stop? Stop? Everybody's dead and you wan-"
He put his hand over her mouth, shushing her. "I know. We'll mourn them later. But we're doing nobody any good by staying here this close to the castle. You can cry more later. Right now, we gotta run. Did you hurt yourself?"
For all her occasional tantrums over having him as a sometimes unwanted shadow, she'd always yielded when he actually had to do his job and made the calls. She shook her head and wobbled to her feet. "No, I'm not. I can't run in these shoes, though." She wrestled with her shoes- one of the straps on one had broken, that must've been what caused her fall. "Okay, let's go."
He took her hand again. He'd rather carry her on his back- even with the added weight, he'd be able to run faster than she could, but he needed access to his weapons too much. So he took her hand and began running again, forcing himself to not run at full speed so she could keep up.
They didn't even make it to the Military Camp. Guardians had beaten them to the Woodland territory.
The Guardians were far enough away that even they couldn't see Link and Zelda- their view range was far, but not as far as the two Hylians.
"Now what?" Zelda asked quietly, gripping Link's hand tightly. "We can't possibly outrun that many to get to the forest."
No, they couldn't. They could trek for days up the mountain to try to skirt around the line of Guardians and might never make it around them. And even without her ridiculous shoes, Zelda wasn't that great at climbing.
"Do we know who's left?" he asked, already inching back away from the distant patrol.
Zelda looked around and behind them as if whoever there was might materialize behind them. "Impa had left to get Robbie and Purah. They should be in Kakariko."
Link didn't give her the chance to say the heavy 'if they're still alive' statement that was on both of their lips. "Then we'll head that way, try meet up with them. If we don't find them in time, we'll head up to the Great Plateau ourselves and hope they catch up."
"The Great Plate- the Temple of Time," Zelda said, cutting off her own question. "Of course, the last holy place in Hyrule."
One corner of his lips twitched in dry amusement. "And you thought I wasn't listening when you read to yourself out loud all these years."
"Well, I hope you listened enough to know that the Plateau is an impossible climb."
"Which is why the Guardians won't be able to get up there," he said, turning and half-dragging her along behind him. "And impossible for you, maybe."
She yelped as he spun them one eighty degrees, but immediately caught her footing and was sprinting as close to his side as she could. "What are you planning on doing, carrying me up there?"
"If I have to," he said.
"You'll be exhausted by then," she protested.
"Then we'd better hope we meet up with one of our friends," he said. "One of them can carry you."
"They'll have to," she said firmly, although her winded breathing took the edge off that tone. "You'll be too tired to do it. Are you sure you'll be able to get even yourself up?"
That was a good question, and one he didn't want to answer honestly. He might not be able to. The Great Plateau was a long way away, and he'd been fighting hard for hours at that point.
"I don't have a choice," he said, as close to being truthful as he could. "It's that or die at this point."
His grim words silenced any further protests.