We ran until our lungs were burning, crying out for air. We ran until our legs were ready to give out. We ran until we reached the cliff's face and despite the exhaustion, we did not rest.

When he broke into a sprint and then leapt up, grabbing hold of the rock, I followed. Though I had less luck than he to find secure footholds at first, I very quickly made up for it by climbing quickly, far quicker than I had ever climbed before.

He looked down at me over his shoulder once, grinning at how far behind him I was to start - surely thinking he was sure to win the race we'd silently agreed to.

He looked down at me again, his smile smaller but still bright, because I was still several paces behind him.

He looked down at me a final time, his jaw dropping down with shock because I'd caught up to him readily, and now threatened to surpass him as I gathered my feet beneath me and saw a wonderful hold several feet over me. Summoning up my courage and my strength, I leapt towards it, grasping on with both hands and landing rather ungracefully against the rock but staying strong all the same.

"Hey," he protested through a laugh. "That's not fair!"

"It isn't?"

"No! Get back down here!"

"Sure," I said, smiling down at him now. "Once I reach the top, I'll climb right back down to meet you!"

"You-!"

He was laughing, and so was I, and we both continued to climb, reinvigorated and wanting nothing more but to win. But my leap proved to be just the boost I needed, because I won the race hands-down.

I pulled myself up with more ease than I'd anticipated, and at long last, the effects of our footrace and the speedy climb caught up to me and I set my hands on my hips and sucked in a deep lungful of air. I stood tall even as my legs threatened to buckle, and I let out a breathy laugh at the silliness of it all.

When Link's face appeared up over the edge of the rock, looking awfully determined yet incredibly pouty, I grinned and knelt down, reaching for him. He took hold of my hand, and I clasped the other over it too before pulling with all my might. What I didn't account for was the adrenaline wearing off and my legs giving in.

I pulled him up, all right. And sent him tumbling right into me. My legs gave way beneath me and I suddenly found myself falling backward towards the ground below, and if not for Link's incredible reflexes, I would have made contact with the hard ground behind me but instead, he reacted, tugging me against him and managing somehow to twist us so that he ended up falling to the dirt instead.

With an undignified oof I landed against his chest, and rolled off him and got to my knees beside him before doing anything else.

His eyes were closed, his brow knit together as he laid there, and for a moment I was worried - but when I opened my mouth to call his name gently and ask if he was alright, his eyes snapped open and landed on me, nothing but mischief in his gaze. I shut my mouth right in that moment, though my lips curled anyway in a smile of my own.

"I'm fine, by the way," he answered before I could ask. "My ponytail broke my fall."

"You're sure? It's a small ponytail, Link."

"I'm alright, promise," he assured me. "Why? Should I grow my hair out?"

I chuckled lightly. "Only if you want to."

He accepted my assistance when I reached for him, and I helped him to sit up, then to stand. And then we were walking towards the canyon, and Link checked his map only once to ensure we were headed in the right direction to lead to where we'd left them.

As we walked, we fell into a comfortable sort of quiet, one I'd come to associate with Link. With only the sounds of nature and the sounds of our boots against the ground beneath our feet to listen to, it was all too easy to slip into my own thoughts and I became... conflicted, almost.

I was not questioning my decision. I was not doubting my instincts. I was not denying what I wanted.

But I just couldn't believe I hadn't put it all together before.

I glanced sidelong at him as we walked, and he seemed none the wiser, thankfully. This boy - the one walking beside me - was the one who stood at Princess Zelda's side before the Calamity struck. This boy was the Hylian Champion. He was chosen to represent our race and defend Hyrule with his very life... and he had.

He had given his life for Hyrule and its future.

For the princess, for his fellow champions, for all that had lived at that time...

For his fallen comrades, for his family and his friends...

Even for us, all those who came after him.

He had offered up his life so that we might be able to live fruitful lives.

And for all his effort, for all his strength, for all his sacrifices, it had not been enough. Ganon had not been defeated. He was walking now, after having been resurrected, after slumbering for a century, alone and unvisited, out of sight and out of mind...

Goodness, he'd been alone all that time.

He awoke in a Hyrule he knew but did not know, with no one of his past to greet him.

I couldn't imagine that. And for him to hold the burdens of his past, and all the guilt, but not knowing exactly what happened, to have holes in his memory where cherished times should reside...

"Link," I said gently, even as he called my name, too.

"Oops," he said sheepishly, turning his head to look at me directly for a moment. "Sorry. Go ahead, (Y/n)."

"No, I'm sorry," I protested. "You go first."

"Ok," he said. "If you're sure?"

"I'm sure," I told him. "You look upset."

And that was true. He did look upset.

He looked forward again, watching where he was stepping, and I followed suit, though it was certainly hard not to focus on him. "I'm... conflicted, I guess."

"Strange, that," I murmured. "So am I."

"Oh," he said, seemingly comforted by that fact, "Good, then. I just... I'm sorry."

"About what?"

"About lying," he answered, slowing to a stop. I stopped only a single pace after he did, and faced him, not wanting to miss a single thing he said. He did not meet my eyes, not yet. "I hid who I was from you. Er, who I am, rather. From the beginning, I knew you wanted to know what happened to the hero, but I..."

"Didn't trust me right away?"

"No, not at all," he said quickly, meeting my gaze now. "No, I felt I could trust you right away, (Y/n)."

"Really?"

"Really," he said, "which is why it was so hard to hide it. But I didn't want to... disappoint you, I guess. You seemed so excited to learn the truth - so how could I possibly just reveal who I was and say that I was the one who failed us all? You'd probably never believe me, anyway. Not if I just said it."

"No, you're probably right," I agreed. "I wouldn't have believed you. And I don't blame you for hiding it. I probably would have done the same. But just so you know, Link... I'm not disappointed. Not at all."

"You're not?"

"No," I answered surely. "How could I be? All the stories ever said was that the hero - that you died. What they didn't know was how. No one really knew where the princess went from there, either. To find out that you're alive... Link, it's a greater relief than you know."

"A... relief?"

I nodded. "All the stories I've ever read, and somehow, I'm lucky enough to speak to you. The others are just stories, but yours... I knew it was incomplete. I never wanted to believe that for us, for our Hyrule, that the story ended in tragedy. But it didn't, because you're here."

He smiled a watery, tearful smile, and I fought the urge to step close and hug him tight. Instead, I stood strong - encouraging him silently to do the same, too.

"The reason I was conflicted is that I didn't see it before," I told him softly. "You are a defiance of fate itself. You defied the odds and you defied death. You're alive, walking and breathing and fighting, and I'm lucky enough to travel alongside you. I just couldn't believe I hadn't put it together before."

"What," he said, "do I act like a hero or something?"

"You do," I confirmed, and at that, he seemed surprised. "You're chivalrous and kind, and selfless - more so than anyone I've ever met. And you're strong, too. Oh, and I was so upset because how couldn't I have figured it out when you've got ancient Sheikah technology and knight training?!"

"Yeah, I can't believe I let that part slip," he admitted sheepishly, making me laugh.

"I was curious, and more than a bit skeptical," I told him. "But I didn't want to pry. I didn't want to upset you."

"Well," he said, starting to walk again, and I fell into step right alongside him, "now you can ask me anything you like."

"Oh? Anything?"

"Mm-hm," he hummed. "Anything."

"Great! So, what was Revali like?"

"Aw, (Y/n). Why did you have to start with him?"

"Just answer the question, hero!"

—

The moon was high in the sky by the time we returned to Kakariko Village.

This was a much calmer ride than the first one into this village, fortunately. Under the veil of darkness, we passed through the archway with little more than a whisper of wind at our backs and the charms above our heads were noisier than we were.

Nightlife in Kakariko was scarce - very few folks were out, and that is to say, no one was. But I could feel the eyes peering at us from the shadows, from between trees and behind shuttered windows, and so I kept my hood up.

This was, apparently, the town I had been born in. I still couldn't believe it.

But I had little time to think about it before we dismounted, hitched the horses, then started up the steps to Impa's home once more. The doors were locked when we got there, and when we knocked, it took a few moments before we heard the lock come undone. Paya was there to open the door, and she smiled warmly - though fatigue was clear in her features - once she recognized us.

"Come in," she told us, ushering us inside and closing the door once we were. "Lady Impa is asleep. But we've prepared a place for you to stay - Lady Impa felt you would return tonight." She led us there, to a room in the back, tucked away and small, but warm and well-furnished. She gathered bedding for us, and when our cots were prepared in the center of the room, she bowed and headed for the door. "I'll be here to wake you before daybreak," she assured us. "No one will disturb you here."

"Thank you, Paya," Link said gratefully for both of us, looking awfully confused when all her formality disappeared and was replaced by embarrassment. With a stammered reply and a quiet goodnight from me, she left the room. "Strange girl," he noted, and I smiled indulgently, saying nothing more.

And when we were ready for bed, we settled into our bedding, whispered our own goodnights to each other, and he blew out the lantern once I was comfortable against my pillows. And because my body was so grateful for the chance to rest in such luxurious conditions and not outside, I fell into a deep, dreamless slumber right away.

Before the sun rose, Paya was there to wake us. I so desperately wanted to stay in bed but Link was at my side right away, rubbing the sleep from one eye with one hand and reaching for me with the other. "Impa's requesting us," he said, and I nearly waved him away if not for his next words: "Both of us, (Y/n)."

Well, that woke me up right away.

—

Impa was seated as she normally was, where she normally was, by the time we came to stand before her. There was a wise gleam in her eyes and a sly smile on her lips as she regarded us.

"Good morning," she said first, and Link and I each bowed slightly to her, out of respect for the Shiekah matriarch. "Back so soon," she noted. "I heard you got back late last night."

"And we heard you'd been anticipating our arrival," Link countered easily, lifting his head to look at her.

"That I was," she affirmed. "I know how troubling it must have been for you, and how jarring, too - so I knew that as soon as you'd find it, you'd return."

"Well," Link said quietly, "it wasn't as soon as I found it."

"No," she said, agreeing with him. "No, surely you had a lot to discuss."

"We did," Link said, and he glanced at me briefly. "But I trust her."

"Enough to talk of your past?"

"More than that," he said easily. "I trust her with my past, and with my future, too."

"Hm," she considered. "How interesting. You were dutiful to the end, Link, but never quick to trust. What makes her different, I wonder...?"

So do I.

"I don't know," Link answered honestly. "Just... I know in my heart I can trust her."

"And I take it to mean that you'll be traveling with him indefinitely?" The question was directed at me specifically, and I nodded.

"Yes, Lady Impa."

"Tell me, Link. What did you see?"

"I saw my death."

I looked over at him, only to see the steely determination on his face - he was determined not to waver, not to let the grim nature of what he'd seen strike him as it had when he'd first seen it. But it was clear in his eyes that it was affecting him. So, wordlessly, I reached out, my fingers drifting across his wrist, a silent reminder that I was here - and he, without a moment more wasted, took my hand in his, holding it tight.

As though the movement alone helped him regain his nerve, he stood a little taller, tipping his chin upwards.

"I saw my death," he repeated, "and the princess, ordering for me to be brought to the Shrine of Resurrection."

"That was a dark day for us all, I'm afraid," she noted. "But there was nothing more to be done about it. You had fought countless monsters and worked yourself tirelessly that day. You offered all of yourself to Hyrule, and now it asks for aid again."

"It's the same call for help," Link said, shaking his head. "It's long overdue I answer it."

Something strange crossed Impa's face, then - pride, perhaps. "Then this time," she said, "I've no reason to believe you won't succeed. Ganon will fall."

That thought alone scared me. Ganon, a being of evil, true evil...

"Now that you've seen some of the princess's memories," Impa went on to say, "you must have started to remember certain things." It was a prompt, one Link did not answer. "Here," she continued. "I will hand this over to you now, before I forget."

What she presented him with was divine - and in the bleak sunlight of the room, it stood out brilliantly. It was a tunic of bright blue fabric, crossed with belts and packs and lined with white patterning. It came with gauntlets, gloves, and white pants - and a new undershirt, too.

Compared to the simple tunic he wore now, green and light, one he'd picked up in Hateno, this one seemed so much better for him. Why I felt that, I had no idea. It just seemed to fit him.

"The Champion's Tunic," Impa explained as Link took it in hand, and I didn't have it in me to acknowledge how cold my hand seemed now. Instead, I linked my fingers together behind my back and watched Link run his fingers along the tunic almost reverently. "Garments like these were gifts, given only to those who earn the respect and gratitude of the royal family."

"It feels familiar, somehow," Link murmured.

"This is something of yours that I have been keeping safe, by request of the princess. This clothing was specially made for you when you became a Champion. Please handle it with care."

"I will," he said surely. "Impa... what shall we do now?"

"Now," she said slowly, "your path is yours to choose. Ultimately, you must destroy Ganon. But to do so, you have many options. As I said, it would be best to regain control of the Divine Beasts. They are Vah Rudania of the Gorons, Vah Medoh of the Rito, Vah Ruta of the Zora, and Vah Naboris, of the Gerudo. You may reclaim them all, only one, or none - the choice is yours, because only you can do so. But before all that, I think it might be a good idea to go get changed."

"Oh, right," he said, and I chuckled as he dashed around me to head to that back room for some privacy. That was when Impa's attention turned to me.

"He always acted like a hero," I said to her. "Now he can dress the part, too."

Something about her smile told me she agreed with me. "Come closer, child." I did as she requested, and soon, I was standing just before her, looking into those dark eyes of hers, dark eyes that hid so much history, so much knowledge - but so much pain, too. "I've a gift for you, too."

"A gift," I echoed, shaking my head. "I appreciate the thought, but I've done nothing-"

"Joining the hero is no small feat," she said, her hands on my shoulders, guiding me to turn around. She guided me to kneel before her, and I did so reluctantly, and I grew more confused by the second as her fingers undid my hair of their tie. "It takes a good deal of courage and strength, though some measure of stupidity, too."

"Well, that's-"

"Link was chosen for his skill and for his courage," Impa told me, her fingers running through my hair, disentangling any knots she found with a gentle touch. "You have chosen yourself. You will forge yourself into a hero and dare I say, into a Champion."

No, I wanted to say. I'm not worthy.

But I felt she knew that much already. She knew how I felt.

"This gift," she continued, "is something to help you on your way."

Before I could say anything more, a cool stone was placed against my forehead. I nearly flinched away, but her hold was warm, and I closed my eyes as she weaved something through my hair, plaiting around it.

"This is something your mother taught you, is it not?"

It had been a while, but I could recognize the patterns in my hair, the directions she took. "Yes," I answered. "But it's been a long time since she's done it for me."

"Good," she said quietly. "Worry not about recollecting how to do it; memories have a way of returning when they're needed."

Yes, I suppose that's true. I'd learned as much last night.

When she was done, she had Paya fetch for us a mirror, and Paya held it before me so I could see my reflection. And the gift was... beautiful. It was a circlet of stunning silver, with a blue gemstone against my forehead. It was finely crafted, and in some places my hair was so expertly woven around it that the silver simply looked like highlights - as though the stars themselves found their way into my hair.

"This circlet was meant for the princess," Impa stated, and I focused now on the gemstone, tiny and easy to miss, but incredible all the same. "But she cared not for such things. It is blessed with Hylia's grace, and it is now only befitting of the one who so graciously offered to travel with the hero."

"Thank you, Lady Impa," I said quietly, still unable to believe it.

"Don't thank me," she protested gently. "You're the one courageous enough to go. Take this, and take your strength - the goddesses would be fools to let it go unnoticed."

"And if they do?"

"That, my dear," she said, catching my gaze in the reflection of the mirror, "I think you have no reason to worry about."

Just at that moment, there was a thud from the other room - Link falling over, if I had to guess, and I fought the urge to smile. Impa smiled knowingly though, and I knew I had been caught.

"You've a long journey ahead of you," she said, letting go of me and so I stood, walking away a few paces before turning to face her once more. "Take today to rest, if Link is able to do so for that long. And tomorrow-"

"(Y/n)," Link suddenly called, dashing into the room. "(Y/n), look!"

He turned around himself just before me, his arms out wide and he was looking down at himself, as though he couldn't believe what he was wearing - when he had been the one to dress himself.

"It looks great," I said honestly. "But truthfully, I thought the green suited you, too."

"But... Wait, no... Really? I thought-"

"I'm only kidding," I said, holding back my laugh as best I could - but there was no hiding my smile, and Link's cheeks were flushed with heat as he realized it.

"That's not nice!"

"No bickering, you two," Impa said. "Though I suppose I far prefer this to your old silence, Link."

Honestly, I don't even think the boy heard what she said. He was still looking down at himself, smiling proudly.

"Go," Impa said to us. "Explore the village - (Y/n), your parents are part of the hunting party today, so you have no need to conceal yourself. But don't make fools of yourselves, and be back before..." She sighed. "And they're gone."

And it was true. We set off into the beautiful dawn, laughing and acting like fools. We did not stay in Kakariko all that day, no. Not even close. We wandered the shops and purchased some provisions, a few elixirs, and Link even bought a set of gear sure to make him stealthier - and that was all, before we mounted up and took off.

We took off together into that glorious morning, towards adventure and towards danger most certainly, but also towards the destiny that awaited us both.