Holding you close in his arms, Link ran from the campsite. Reaching the clearing where the horses were resting, they raised their heads when they heard him coming. Nickering quietly, they gazed curiously over you. Coming in and out of consciousness as you were, you couldn't really say anything to them, but either way, what would you say to a horse?

Link set you down gently on the ground before throwing the saddle onto Epona. Nayru approached you, nuzzling your cheek with her snout, wondering why you hadn't greeted her. Realizing that something was touching you, you lifted your hand but she was led away before you could reach her. Link led Nayru to Epona and tied her reins to his mare's saddle.

He picked you back up and mounted as carefully as he could with you with him. He let you sit in front of him, and he leaned most of your weight onto him. Your legs were to one side, your head resting on his shoulder on his other side. He wrapped his arms around you tightly, grabbing the reins.

You briefly wondered why you were riding Epona- you thought she was injured, the foolish boy- but then you remembered that it had been a week since that incident and she was already healed. Link kicked into Epona's sides and grabbed his slate simultaneously. Looking over the map, he looked for the closest village. He knew little about healing- only small tidbits that he had picked up from watching you.

Link urged the horses to go faster- he knew that they were tired, but now was not the time to falter. He couldn't let you die.

Right now, you were unconscious. Your eyes were closed, but you were breathing. There was a steady trickle of blood running down the side of your face, burns on your skin, and your breathing was labored- but you were alive. That was all Link could ask for right now as he raced to find someone, anyone, who could help you.

His own breathing quickened as his doubt grew. He could attempt to heal you himself, to ease your pain, but he'd likely only make it worse, and he hated that he never paid attention to what you did when you assisted him when he was injured. He'd gotten burned before- by a Lynel, by being too close to a fire during a fight- but every time, you had been there, with a smile and usually a teasing remark, to heal him.

He hated to admit it, but he had taken your presence for granted. He appreciated you, of course, but he just assumed that you'd always be there for him. And you were, each and every time, but now, he paid the price.

You had sacrificed your own safety without even realizing you were doing it. You hadn't cared that you were possibly in the blast radius of the bomb. If you had acknowledged it, if you had even humored the thought, then it was in a part of your mind that had been ignored. Thinking logically had always been your strong suit- so what happened here?

Link's heart sunk at the realization that you'd sacrifice your life for him. His heart used to beat for himself, for the destiny he had been given. But now, in the past few months, his heart began to beat for you.

He didn't know what that meant at the time he realized it. He was naïve. Looking down at you now, at your injured form, he realized that the signs he thought he had been misinterpreting actually meant what he had always hoped they would. But that made things so much worse.

Link made it back onto the road, and turned southward, away from Zora's Domain. He had a new destination in mind. Riding quickly, you'd arrive there the day after this one. And then you'd be safe. You wouldn't have to sacrifice yourself for him any longer.

---

Sometime just before dawn, Link stopped. He brought the horses to a walk, and guided them towards a small grouping of trees. They were growing tired and irritable. He needed rest as well, and to check up on you.

He carefully dismounted and propped you against a tree for the time being. Link took the packs and saddles off of the horses and allowed them to graze and sleep, if only for just a few hours. Link stifled a yawn before coming over to you. He crouched down in front of you, looking over your body.

The blood had long since dried on your face. He could see the burning on the skin you showed of your arms and the charring on your clothing. It looked as though you had been attacked by dogs. He took a deep breath to steady himself.

He stood, grabbing the pack that held all of the medicinal supplies in them. There were salves, bandages for different injuries, elixirs, and specialty meals scattered through the bags. You had labeled everything carefully and precisely, so that you'd know what everything was. It was quite fortunate you did that- otherwise, Link wouldn't have known one elixir from the other.

Taking some burn salve, a plate of revitalizing and strengthening food, and some bandages from the pack, he returned to your side. He knelt down, looking over you again. He decided he'd start with the cut on your head. He found the cut after searching through your hair, which was caked with blood and dirt. The cut itself was small, but quite deep. He winced as he saw it, but got to work. He carefully wrapped a bandage around your head, doing his best to make sure that it was both tight enough but not too tight to cause you any discomfort.

Once the bandage was secure, he wet a rag with water from his canteen and began smoothing out your hair. Throughout the journey, having dirty hair was always a discomfort for you. After every fight, you'd wet your hair and clean it, hating the feeling of matted, bloody, muddy hair. You had also gotten him into the habit as well, after some annoying encouragement and insistence.

He then prepared himself for all of your burns from the blast. Your burns went well beyond the skin he could see, so he carefully lifted your tunic up, leaving you in your thin undershirt. He got the burn salve and continued work.

---

There was an odd cooling sensation on your arms and neck. Your head was pounding, but much less so than earlier. Finding the strength to, you pried your eyes open and let your eyes adjust to the light of dawn.

Once your eyes were able to focus, you figured out where you were. You were in a small pocket of trees, and you could see the horses resting nearby. You looked down at yourself. You were in your undershirt, your tunic on the ground a few feet away. Your pant legs were rolled up and your boots were by your tunic. Identifying the odd cream on your legs and arms as burn salve by the smell alone, you looked for Link. Where was he?

Looking over by the horses again, now able to completely focus, you noticed that Link was resting against Epona's stomach as she lay on the ground. You leaned forward, wanting to get to him. You prepared to stand up- gathering your strength, you got your feet underneath you and managed to stand. Leaning against the tree for a moment, you caught your breath.

Link caught your eye again. He was sleeping. Or, at least, his eyes were closed. You took a step, pushing off of the tree. Taking another, you wobbled slightly. Gaining your balance, you held your head which began to throb before taking another. Slowly, you made your way over to Link.

You saw some small cuts on his hands. There were no other injuries you could see, but you wouldn't go undressing him right now to check his chest. You'd let him rest. Reaching over to the nearby pack, you grabbed a long bandage. Stretching over to the bag brought unwanted difficulty. It was only a foot or so away- it should not have pained you so much to reach for it.

Ignoring your own pain, you settled yourself on your knees next to Link and took his hand into your lap. It was bloody and dirty, and would need cleaning first. Sucking in a breath, you reached back towards the bag and retrieved what you needed to. Finally having what you needed, you began to clean and bandage Link's hand.

As you wrapped the bandage around his palm, one of his fingers twitched. The movement surprised you until you noticed that he was stirring from his rest. Continuing to wrap his hand, you waited until his eyes were open to look at him.

"(Y/n)," he said, sounding slightly alarmed. "What are you doing?"

You sent him a skeptical look. "I'm bandaging your hand. I would have tended to your other wounds already, but I didn't want to wake you."

"No," he said, "you should be resting. Sit down here; let me get you something to eat, and then you can go back to sleep."

"Link, your injuries-"

"I'm fine," he insisted, standing up.

You shook your head. "That was a bad fight, Link; I saw you get injured-"

"My injuries are minor and don't matter right now."

You simply looked at him with disbelief etched into your features. Your eyes narrowed. "They don't matter? Bruised ribs aren't just nothing, Link. I need to check them out, or they'll get-"

"I'll live," he muttered.

"Are you done interrupting me?" He looked at you. "Good. Now sit down, Link. I'm not eating or resting until you're properly taken care of."

Link heard your tone of voice. He knew that you were serious about refusing to eat or sleep. He knew you'd keep your word on that statement, so he wisely chose to sit down and stay quiet while you tended to him.

---

You wanted to ask where Link was bringing you, but you were just so tired. After tending to Link's wounds yesterday, you had eaten a small meal and then slept for the majority of the day. Link had watched over you, making sure no monsters came near. The whole day had gone by without a single step traveled.

Today, though, was a different story. Waking up early, he packed the gear onto Nayru and helped you up onto Epona behind him. You asked him why you were both on Epona, but he didn't answer you. So now, as you sat with your arms wrapped loosely around his hips, you rested your head on his back and managed to fall into a deep slumber, unaffected by the world's troubles.

When you woke up next, it was because the sun had appeared over the tree line- but the forest you woke up to find yourself looking at seemed very similar. Lifting your head from his shoulder, rubbing your eye, you looked around.

He was guiding Epona up a gentle incline. The grass was bright green, untroubled by snow or fire. There were rolling hills as far as the eye could see.

Realization rolled over you like a wave, bringing you crashing back into your senses.

"Link," you asked slowly, even though you knew the answer perfectly well, "where are we?"

Hateno, your home village, was the only destination this road led to. You knew this road like the back of your hand- the forest, the hills, the neat dirt road. It was a lovely sight, just as it always had been, but now...you dreaded the sight of it. It was the last thing you had wanted to see.

Silence was your answer from him. "No, Link, this isn't right. This doesn't fix anything. What are you...why...Link, answer me, please!" You leaned slightly to one side to look into his face. He looked the other way, avoiding your gaze. "What will bringing me here accomplish? Please, tell me this is a joke! Link, please!"

Looking around now, you realized that Nayru was gone. "Where's Nayru, then? Did you leave her at a stable while I was asleep?" Your voice was soft, but firm. You couldn't believe this was happening. The gate came into view. "You can turn around now, you had your fun. The joke is over, right?"

You passed through the gate. Each familiar home and shop you passed made the lump in your throat grow. "I'm bringing you home," Link said quietly.

"I don't want to go home," you countered. You let go of Link and began to slide off of Epona, but Link grabbed your arms firmly, with strength he had never used while touching you and you were forced to stop, both out of shock and because he held you still. "Link...why?"

He didn't answer you. Looking around, you saw faces you had grown up seeing. Some were just appearing out of their homes, while some were already out and about on their daily errands and chores. Some waved to you, eyes wide. Others shook their heads in disbelief, seeing you in the condition you were. You didn't necessarily look too injured- but from the journey you were more weathered, dirty, and rough looking than you ever had. A select few whispered to each other, being quite obvious in their gossiping.

Some cast menacing looks at Link- seeing the grip he had on you and probably thinking he had abducted you or something along the lines, recognizing him from his brief visit from so long ago. His grip did not falter all the way up to your home. The sight of it simultaneously warmed your heart but made it sink to your stomach. You had wanted to return to this home with Link someday, but not like this.

Link slowed and stopped Epona just outside of your house and got off, bringing you down with him. Still grasping one of your wrists, he went to your door and opened it. Once inside, you went to argue further- the words were just about to leave your mouth when you realized you weren't alone in the house.

Staring at you with the same amount of surprise that you were sending at them, were your parents.

Your words failed you. Link closed the door behind you slowly, and let go of your wrist. "(Y/n)," your mother exclaimed, "my word, look at you! What happened?" She rushed to you, taking you in her arms forcefully and looking you over. Your father came next, his eyes expressing worry that he didn't outright say. His eyes turned over to Link and hardened.

"Who is this?"

Your mother looked at Link, only to look back at you. "Oh, (Y/n), we heard that you had gone off somewhere with a stranger, and we were so worried! We got a letter from Mr. Krum, and we rushed here to see if it was true! We got here, and you were nowhere to be found, and..." She trailed off, tears forming in her eyes. "We had no idea where you were, if you were ok..."

"Have...have you been waiting for me long?"

"Your voice! Dear, get her some water, please, she sounds like she's dehydrated, when was the last time you drank something, (Y/n)?" You went to answer but she continued blubbering worriedly. "We've been waiting here for months for you, (Y/n)! Where in Hylia's name were you?"

"Here, there...everywhere, really," you answered with a sheepish smile as your father went to the faucet.

She looked at Link. "Thank you for bringing her back safely," she trailed off at realizing she didn't know his name.

"Link," he supplied quietly.

"Link, as in the hero from 100 years ago?" Your father spoke up now, handing you a glass of water that you accepted gratefully.

"It's funny you say that, actually," you said. You looked at Link, but he wouldn't meet your eyes. "This is the very same Link."

"You certainly age well," your father said cynically. "Forgive my skepticism, I just hadn't heard the hero was back up and walking around."

"Would the Master Sword be enough proof?" You looked at your father, hoping that if he saw that Link was the hero, he'd let you go back with him if he knew you had taken up noble companionship.

"I believe it would."

Link sighed and lifted the sword from its scabbard. He held the sword out, and both of your parents looked at it for a silent moment.

"How are you alive again, Link?"

"I was put in a Shrine of Resurrection, sir," Link said, meeting your father's eyes, putting the sword away. "I only woke up a few months ago."

"We thank you again for bringing her home," your mother said with a smile. "Please, don't let us keep you. We just need to have a nice long talk with our daughter."

You looked at your mother, horrified. "No," you said, "I'm not staying. I'm going with him."

"(Y/n), look at you! You're a mess! You're not thinking straight."

"It was no problem at all bringing her home," Link said, somewhat forced. He bowed his head briefly before turning on his heel and opening the door again. Link stepped outside, and you felt your heart shatter into pieces.

"Link," you called desperately, to which you got no reply. Link was nearing Epona and here you were, motionless, by your mother's side. You rushed to the door, hoping you could reach him and change his mind. Your father was there first, grabbing your arms and holding you just inside the door frame. Leaning all your weight against him, you tried desperately to reach Link. Tears brimmed in your eyes, blurring your vision. "Did our time together just not matter to you? You're able to just run away like this? Do I mean nothing to you?"

Link mounted Epona and as he turned her, looked you in the eyes one last time. His blue eyes were framed with tears and one fell down his cheek as one slid down yours. "I need to be sure that you're safe," he said.

"And how will I know if you are?" You asked this quietly. "Link, please, I can't stay here while you go off by yourself."

He shook his head. "I can't see you get hurt again. I care about you too much to see you in that kind of pain."

"This hurts more than any battle," you countered, pulling away from your father. He pulled you back, and you winced from the burns on your arms, but still, the pain from them wasn't nearly as bad as the pain your heart felt. Link closed his eyes and looked away, and you opened your mouth to say more but the words died in your throat. You squeezed your eyes shut as you heard Epona gallop away, down the hill.

As your father brought you back inside, you couldn't do anything other than uselessly repeat Link's name over and over. You continued to cry, feeling powerless. As your mother took you into her arms for a hug, wondering why you were crying, you made up your mind. This was the last time people would just decide what would happen to you.

---

Staying in one place for so long didn't feel right to you- or, at least, being somewhere without Link felt wrong. Your first night at your home had already passed and still, you couldn't bring yourself to focus on anything else other than him.

He meant the world to you- and you had assumed that he felt likewise towards you- but now, you had no idea where he was. He had left you behind, not caring about your wishes to continue to travel. So what you had gotten injured? This had been your most major injury, but Link had certainly suffered worse. You hadn't ever forbade him from traveling; you simply helped him recover.

Already you had cleaned yourself off, and the feeling of your clean skin was certainly not unwelcome but it surely felt odd. You were well fed and rested, and sleeping on a bed was lovely but once again, you had gotten so used to resting on the ground with only a small layer between you that you knew that when you left your house again, readjusting into that lifestyle would be more than difficult.

Right now, you were helping your mother peel potatoes. She was sitting in a chair across from you. A small trash bin sat between you as you peeled potato after potato. You were bored, to say the least. "(Y/n)," you mother said, "you seem distracted. Are you alright?"

"No," you uttered honestly, still looking at the floor where your gaze had settled as you got lost in thought earlier. "I'm bored out of my mind and I miss him." The words had left your mouth before you had even processed them- looking around hurriedly you sighed in relief in realizing that your father was still out buying meat from Hateno's butcher for dinner.

The golden sunlight poured in through the open windows. A pleasant breeze rolled through your house, but you longed to be feeling the breeze from outside. "You traveled together for a while, then," your mother stated, looking up at you. You nodded.

"For months now, we've been traveling together." You looked her in the eyes. "He just showed up in the village one day, and we met and then...I went with him on this journey and everything I've done so far, everything I've learned and seen...The rest of my life seems so boring in comparison."

Your mother pursed her lips together thoughtfully. "And he's the hero, isn't he?"

You knew she was just pushing the conversation along. She was doing her own digging, trying to get what information from you she could. Somehow, you didn't mind. "He is. We were on our way back from Kakariko- that's how long I was originally planning on going with him- when I found out. From there, I promised to stay with him until he finished his journey."

"And he...well, you were helpful to him, weren't you?"

"Of course I was," you assured her. "I did the cooking, I tended to his injuries, and he taught me how to fight."

"To fight?" Your mother looked up at this statement, evidently very concerned. "A young lady should not be using weapons."

"I asked him to teach me, so I could protect myself. He didn't think I'd be a natural with a bow, but I was, and from there, I learned to use a spear and sword. I needed to be able to defend myself out there."

She shook her head. "I cannot believe you went off without consulting us first."

"There was no time to," you said, "and besides, I know what your answer would have been."

She put the potato she was peeling down and looked you in the eyes. "And don't you think that our answer would have been the one that was better for you?" She asked this firmly, making you wince at the tone slightly. "Look at yourself. You have scars and cuts and bruises all over you. And the burns on your body...those are recent. What happened to you for you to get those?"

You sighed. "Link and I are excellent partners, but in our most recent fight with a band of Bokoblins, Link was in trouble and in trying to save him, I got hurt. It isn't a big deal- at least he's safe."

"What a reckless, stupid thing for you to do! (Y/n), why in Hylia's name would you...Putting yourself in harm's way! Have I taught you nothing?"

"You taught me to protect what I care about, mother, and to stand up for what I believe in. I don't care that I got hurt. If the Champion of Hyrule got hurt, who else would there be to save the world?"

"Don't take that tone with me," she snapped. She continued peeling after taking a breath. "Go and see if your father needs help with anything."

You set the potato and peeler in your hands down on a nearby table and stood up rather forcefully. You turned and walked out of the house, looking for your father. He was coming up the hill now. You steadied yourself, set a pleasant countenance on your face despite your anger, and called down to him. "Dad," you called, "do you need help cooking tonight?"

He looked up at the sound of your voice. "No," he said, shaking his head as he neared. "I'll just start these up, but could you ready my axe and some wood for cutting? I'll start cooking and be back out in a few minutes to chop it."

You nodded your head, heading towards the back of your house where a pile of logs sat. You lifted one and set it on a sturdy stump your father had always used for chopping wood. You readied his axe, making sure it was sharp, before setting it down next to the stump. As your fingers left the handle, you stopped.

Why leave it to him? I can do it, just like I've been doing for months for our campfires.

Picking the axe back up, you ignored the soreness in your shoulders and lifted it above your head. Bringing it down quickly, you chopped through the wood and the two pieces fell of the sides of the stump. Smiling, this reminding you of your time with Link, you grabbed another small log and continued your work.

Your father came out of the house a few minutes later, expecting his work to be laid out for him. Instead, he was met with his daughter doing it for him, something he had admittedly never thought would happen. He set his hands on his hips, frowning slightly. Just what had his little girl become?

---

The second night went by quietly, but you were growing sick of staying at home. You found yourself spending most of your time gazing out of the windows of your home, wondering where Link had gone off to. You were determined to find him and join him again.

You loved spending time with your parents, but the atmosphere since Link left was nothing short of strained. They were angry with you but wanted to seem as if they weren't. You understood where they were coming from, of course. Their daughter had run off without letting them know and nobody knew where she was.

But you couldn't stay here any longer. Your house was no longer your home. So, you waited until your third night to leave.

Your parents were already sound asleep on your brother's bed since he was still away on his own travels. You quietly slipped out of bed, changed into your regular clothes from your pajamas, and made your way to your desk. Scribbling a short note to your parents for them to read in the morning, you explained why you had to leave and left it on the kitchen table for them.

You made your way on silent feet over to the front door and cast one last look over your parents. You wouldn't waver in your decision. You would go mad if you stayed here. The world was waiting for you, and it wouldn't meet you halfway. You had to go meet it.

Slipping out the front door silently, the latch making only a faint click, you went over to the small shed outside your house and opened it. Inside, your father had tossed the pack that Link had left you. It was your original bag to begin with, and it held your personal items and a few weapons.

You took out your quiver and sword scabbard, looping them onto your belt. You filled the quiver with an assortment of arrows, put a sword in your scabbard, and placed your bow on your shoulder. You slung the pack over your other shoulder, adjusting to its weight, and set off down the path. You didn't look back until you were on top of a hill just beyond the village. Turning, you could still see your house.

Because that was all it was now- a house. It was no longer a home. Your new home was with Link, and you would do anything to make it back home to him.

Author's Note: hopefully I can finish this story before the net neutrality changes go into effect because honestly I love writing this story but if I have to pay then rip

Anywho, I love the new DLC. I already said that, in a previous chapter. Who cares? Not I.

Thoughts? Don't worry, you'll reunite with Link...eventually...in a couple of chapters...

Thanks for reading. See you all in the next update!