"So, where did you learn to fix up wounds?"

"Where? At home, I suppose. Pan was always getting hurt as a kid, so I asked my mother to teach me how to patch up cuts and make sure he didn't, you know, die while we were out playing."

"He got hurt so much that you became a natural at it?"

"Not quite, no," you said with a laugh as you wound the bandage around his bicep. "He didn't get hurt so often and so badly that I needed to patch him up – though I knew how to help, I'd usually end up crying and panicking. It wasn't until I was a bit older that I used to start caring for the younger kids when they were too afraid of going home and getting in trouble because they got hurt." You leaned back after tying off the bandage and fixed his sleeve, tugging it back down his arm. "They usually only had small cuts and scrapes. You, on the other hand..." You trailed off and looked at him pointedly.

Link grinned unabashedly, not at all ashamed to admit how much he got hurt... and usually in ways he could have easily avoided. "I gotta keep you in practice," he said, pressing a quick kiss to your cheek before getting up and stretching. "Thanks for keeping me in tip top shape!"

"Like I have a choice," you laughed, accepting his offer of help and taking his hand. He helped you up and you headed over to where the horses were tethered and were lazily grazing. "You'd complain if I didn't."

"You're good at ignoring my whining," he countered, picking up Nayru's saddle as you adjusted her bridle.

"That's true," you mused. "But my patience can only last for so long, you know."

He sent you a cheeky grin that you couldn't help but return. You finished tacking up the horses and after a few more minutes, headed out onto the road again.

---

The road leading to the Domain was not an unfamiliar one to you. You spent several weeks camped at different points along the road, waiting for Link. Of course, you didn't know it at the time, but he had been wandering aimlessly, searching for you.

To be standing here now, at the very edge of one of the foothills leading to the valley in which the Zora's home, felt weird to you. For so long you fought here alone, asking each merchant that passed by if they had seen your boy, but they never did.

Well, Beedle had, but he wasn't of much more help than that. All that encounter had given you was an update on his well-being, because as of a week before you saw Beedle, Link had, so he had been alive.

And that had been the most momentous day of the several-month period in which you and Link were looking for each other.

Nayru snorted under you and you snapped back into reality, only to find that Link was waiting patiently on Epona a few yards ahead of you. "We're so close," Link said with a smile. "Don't get cold feet now."

You laughed quietly. "I'm not having cold feet," you explained as you kicked into Nayru's sides, "just got lost in thought for a minute."

"What were you thinking about?"

When you caught up, Link urged Epona into a walk and you continued forwards. "I was thinking about the last time I was here."

"When you were waiting for me?"

"Yeah," you nodded. "It gets colder the closer you get to the Domain. And the rain..."

"It wasn't always like that, right? I remember talking to some old folks and they told me about how their parents would vacation at the Domain. People wouldn't vacation there if it was always raining, would they?"

You shook your head. "Before the Calamity, it was a hotspot for vacationers. It has beautiful scenery, but for some reason it never stops raining there. Some say it has something to do with their Divine Beast, but it could all be rumors."

"Well, that's just another reason for us to hurry up and get there." He sighed and frowned slightly. "It's been a long detour but we're finally back on track."

Your brow furrowed. "You don't seem to be very happy about that."

"Well..." He trailed off and shrugged. He took a moment to collect his words before speaking again. "It's been nice. Exploring, I mean. I didn't like being apart from you for those months, but once we reunited... I've loved it." He met your patient eyes and gave you a small smile. "We've just gone where we wanted to, without rushing. If we felt like riding around, we did. If we felt like relaxing, we did. And..."

"And?"

"And... Well, when we get to the Domain, we can't do that anymore. We'll be stuck looking for clues, finding ways to get to the Divine Beast, and..."

"Doing it together," you interrupted with a small smile.

His frown stubbornly persisted on his face. "But I'll be going into the beast alone." You opened your mouth to protest but he cut you off. "I'm not changing my mind about that. But still, you'll be alone with the Zora and I'll be off fighting. And knowing you, if you got bored waiting for me, you wouldn't leave to find something interesting to do. I know you always watch."

"I like keeping an eye on the beat while you're in it, yes," you said. "But think of the time we will spend together before then."

"But then it all happens again on Death Mountain. And then when I face Ganon, assuming I even make it that far."

"Don't talk like that," you said, narrowing your eyes.

"There's no guarantee I'll live past tonight, (Y/n)! What with the Yiga Clan hunting me down, that village of psychopaths ready to kill me, and Ganon steadily regaining his powers over the past hundred years, the odds are stacked in my favor, wouldn't you say?"

Link was getting uncharacteristically flustered now, and this was perhaps the angriest you've ever seen him. His cheeks were flushed, and his brow furrowed, and his grip was so tight on Epona's reins that his knuckles were white. "Link-"

"I'm not sure if I've even gotten stronger this time around, which was the whole point of me going under!" He had tears in his eyes now and he looked away from you. "If I haven't gotten stronger, then how in Hylia's name am I supposed to defeat Ganon now, when he's had years to regain his strength and, really, get stronger? I couldn't even do it then, with years of proper knight training and a team behind me? It's a hopeless-"

"Link!"

He finally looked back at you now, and you reached across and grabbed Epona's reins, gently pulling on them to stop her just as you pulled on Nayru's. He seemed to refocus, to center back on reality. But he didn't look apologetic, or regretful – just sad.

To see him like this was heartbreaking. He always seemed so confident. He was always ready for a challenge; heck, he greeted every challenge that came his way with an easy smile. He was courageous, more so than anyone you knew. So just where was this change coming from?

"Do you really believe that?"

"Do I really believe what?" He asked, sounding exasperated. His shoulders slumped and you sighed.

"That you haven't gotten stronger, and that you can't defeat Ganon." He glanced at you briefly, yet it was as if he couldn't meet your eyes for any longer than that. He shrugged his shoulders and shifted in his saddle. "I'm not quite sure where this is all coming from, but I can assure you that I've seen growth in you since I've met you. Which, in your life, hasn't been very long. And you know I can and will talk for hours about that. So where is this all coming from?"

"I just..." He sighed and looked at his fingers as they threaded absentmindedly through Epona's mane. "I just want to have a peaceful life, you know? But I can't. It isn't possible for me to live a normal life. But I want to, more than anything.

"There is no normal life, Link. Even in small villages like where I grew up, there is no normal life. A farmer's normal is different than a shop keep's normal. But even then, if you roped all of them into the same group... Even then, and almost especially then, there isn't a normal. Most people want their normal to be getting married, raising a family, and living out their days happily at home and in work. But it doesn't work out that way – some folks get divorced, some can't have kids, others just find that they cannot feel content in that kind of life."

"But I can't even get a chance to try and find my normal."

"That isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"But it isn't a good thing, either! I was destined at birth to be this hero, chosen by goddesses that didn't tell me why I was picked or what I even must do, or even what would happen if I didn't do it! I wasn't consulted, it was bestowed upon me. And even worse, this task bestowed upon me? No less than saving the entire damn world! Hyrule has been in grave danger for over a century because I went and screwed it up the first time around!" He was left almost breathless after this outburst and took a few deep breaths to calm himself. "I just want to live a life of my own choosing. One like the life you led – carefree, kind of lazy, surrounded by friends and family. And I want..." He mumbled the last part, so much so that you couldn't hear what he said. Confused, but curious to know what he said, you tucked some loose hair behind your ear and leaned closer to hear him better.

"Come again? I'm sorry, I couldn't quite catch that last-"

He locked eyes with you. "I want you to be there for it." You sat back up, surprised. It was a bold declaration, to be sure. His cheeks burned and he looked down again. "I'm not suggesting anything serious; I'm just saying I want you to stay in my life after this. Because I dunno, I feel kind of normal when I'm around you."

"Link, I didn't know you... That you felt like it was hopeless for you to live your own life. I think... in a way, you have been. The goddesses started you on this journey, but you've picked how to go about it. You fought as hard as you could with what you were given. And now you're here, after a long, roundabout journey. The goddesses couldn't have foreseen that, could they? If they wanted the storybook hero, you'd be on a straight path, doing only what was necessary, never doing anything frivolous. And yet, here you are, buying cakes whenever possible and bringing along a partner. We've played with village kids and swam in rivers and ponds, and so much more."

"Why would the goddesses even pick me in the first place if they knew I would fail?"

"Maybe it was because that 100 years ago, you really were the only person Hyrule could depend on."

"And the other Champions, then?"

"They couldn't use the Master Sword, could they? And they fell before your final battle – you will never truly know if they could have helped you in your final moments, if they could have protected Zelda anymore than you could have, or if they could have killed Ganon in your stead. What Is important is that the goddesses saw something in you that no one else at the time had and they knew that eventually, you would get the job done. And I think..."

You pulled gently on Nayru's reins and she stopped. Epona stopped as well and nickered softly. Link looked at you, still sad and with a furrow in his brow but his eyes were... brighter, if only slightly.

"I think that once this is all over, you'll finally be free. You'll be able to live the kind of life you want to. You can stay up as late as you want and sleep in to make up for the lost hours. You can have sweets for breakfast and beef stew, made the same way every day, for dinner. You can jump in puddles, play with all the dogs you come across and... I'd think I'd like to be there for it."

Finally, finally, he smiled. It was small, a far cry from the boyish grin he usually wore on his face. But still, it was a smile. And you smiled right back at him. Seeing his smile grow in response to yours warmed your heart, and with that, you set off again down the road.

---

The sky was dark. It was mid-afternoon, so the golden sun should have been bathing you in the last of its light and warmth. But it wasn't. The sky was gray, blanketed in heavy clouds for as far as the eye could see.

It was plain to you and Link both that the Domain was drawing near.

The cold settled over you but it wasn't constant, like when you were in the Snow Fields. No, it came in waves as the wind carried bitter cold on it and chilled you to the core. But the wind would die down and your body would regain some heat, only for the wind to pick up again.

And soon, the wind also carried with it stinging rain. It was light at first, just a few fat droplets you felt first on your nose, then your hand. But then the drizzle so light it was barely there was replaced by cold, biting rain that stung your cheeks. You and Link both had donned your heavy cloaks for warmth and to keep dry but they were rendered worthless in only a few minutes. You were drenched through all of your layers but from there it only got worse.

There were monsters in the distance. You could see them, tucked farther into the foothills. Some sparked, and the danger of the situation struck you. It would be your luck that monsters conducting electricity would find themselves gathering in the rain. Where you were soaking wet. And a great conductor for electricity.

Well, this was going to be a fun evening.

But you looked over at Link and realized, well, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

LOL IT'S SHORT I'M SORRY BUT TAKE SOME QUESTIONS AND SOME ANSWERS

Q and A Answers:

@ Jelly710: Do you like Pokemon? If yes, which is your favorite and why?

I LOVE Pokemon. I grew up watching the show and the first game I played was Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team. From there I started playing the mainline games and fell in love. My favorite Pokemon of all time is probably Shinx, though right behind it is Buizel. Since Diamond was the first mainline game I played, the Sinnoh generation has a huge hold on my heart and I love them all. In each run I did in Diamond, Buizel and Shinx always came along with me (even when my starter was Piplup, like on my first run, rendering Buizel relatively useless). My favorite legendary is a toss-up between Dialga and the pseudo-legendary Shaymin.

@ quackson5ever: Are you thinking of getting Link's Awakening for the switch?

I am. I never got to play the original so I'm really looking forward to eventually being able to play it on the Switch. I need to save up some money before I can, though.

@ LeOtakuGang: Ok, what is college really like? ...But what's it like? And what do you suggest I do when I enter college?

OOH get ready for a long response!!

Ok, so, college is many things – overwhelming, amazing, exhausting, fulfilling, and much more. And, get this, it's very similar to high school. College can seem intimidating because everyone makes it out to be this huge decision that you must make. People make it seem like what you choose now, as a teenager, never expected to make big decisions for themselves before now, will impact you for the rest of your life. But the truth is, it isn't as bad as people make it seem.

College is by no means permanent. For some people, college isn't the right decision for them. For others, college might seem like the only choice. Regardless, college is an amazing experience if that's the road you choose. It's a lot of work to get there, but once there, you'll have the time of your life so long as you're willing to meet it halfway.

The school I go to, for example, is aviation based. Everyone here is dedicated to studying the sky and beyond. We have pilots, airline managers, homeland security officers, and even as far as space physicists and astronomers. It's a welcoming community because we are all so dedicated to designing and building what goes into the sky and into space, operating those machines, and protecting people as they utilize those services. Compared to most of the schools in the US, my school is rather small. But the student body is united in its love of the sky and space. Believe it or not, that's how it is at most any school you decide to go to, no matter its size, because you have all independently decided to go to that school. And that's something truly special.

Now, I grew up in Massachusetts. One of the smallest states in the country, yet also the college capital of the US. And somehow, I ended up going to school in Florida. Like you, I had a routine and stuck to it: I went to school, home, to some stores, family homes, friends' houses, and to dance. And that was pretty much it during the school year. But now I'm getting an education 1100+ miles away. But it is so worth it.

Once you know where you want to study, distance doesn't seem like all that much. Trust me. Once you get into the thick of your studies it won't matter if you go to school two minutes or twenty hours away from home.

I think the toughest part of my college decision was choosing what to study. I was good at writing, so if I went to school for it, I'd be safe. It was a good thing to bet on. But it wasn't what I wanted to study. And that's important. High school is full of classes you must take but think of the classes you like taking. Think of your electives, perhaps... Unless you took electives you knew were an Easy A. Think of what jobs you'd like to explore, things that you generally love learning about. Because if you're in school for something you're not completely dedicated to, it'll feel like high school again and you'll be miserable.

As I said before, college is like high school, but in my opinion is so much better. It's scary at first, especially if you don't know anyone (but that is easily fixed by social media). The professors are genuinely dedicated to your success. There are so many resources available to you as a university student. A huge library, free tutoring services, office hours, and being around people dedicated to the same things you are.

When you get to college, just be brave and put yourself out there. It's hard, especially for shy, introverted people, but you must. Very few people will pick up on your awkward social cues and come up to you. You need to put yourself out there. The easiest way to do that is just to go to events. During orientation week, go to the planned events. Don't be afraid to ask people to go with you, or to tag along with others. And try new things. Like, I'm a lifelong dancer, but never in ballroom. And the night before my audition for the jazz dance team, a few of the girls were rehearsing with me and we ended up joining in on a ballroom dance club's class. And we've gone every week since. And I'm also involved in a gaming club, anime club, amateur astronomer's club, I volunteer to help the observatory open houses and guide people from off campus around to a presentation and to the actual observatory, and much more. It just requires some bravery. If you just pretend that you're confident, it'll work.

And, a secret from me to you: no one is ever ready for college. It's all a front. Everyone is scared. If they say they're not, they're lying. And that's a fact. I'm sorry this was so long, but I hope it was helpful. I'm by no means an expert, but I've experienced the same fear you are. It's normal.

@ Silent_Lilac_: What do you think of the new botw sequel that is in development?

I think it looks interesting. I obviously love Breath of the Wild and when I saw that a sequel was in development, I got excited. I'm not a harsh critic of games, so I'm not worried about them "ruining" it like some fans are. If I end up not enjoying the story, well, I still have the original to play. But I love the style of BotW and I'm sure that the folks at Nintendo have big plans in store for it, especially considering the number of awards the original received. I'm certain they would only go through with a sequel if they knew it had a chance of living up to the original.

@ Tealtea550: What do you think about the botw sequel? Also have you played the new fire emblem three houses game?

As mentioned before, I'm very excited for the sequel. And yes, I have played the new Fire Emblem game. And I love it. It's all I've been playing since its release. I like Claude, but I'm a Blue Lions kind of girl, so Dimitri's my boy. I am actually in the beginning stages of planning a Dimitri x Byleth story, which of course will include Claude because I love his character and design. I have about 150 hours clocked right now (I'd have more if not for college), and I'm not planning on stopping anytime soon.

@ Elimentil: Applesauce

I love applesauce. I love apples. Massachusetts has a lot of apple orchards – this will be the first year in a long time that I won't be able to go apple picking which is kind of sad.

@ Tealtea550:

Your question was basically answered above. But I missed you and all the other readers too. :)

@ Inari13: If you could be Link in any of the Zelda games, which one would you be?

Well, I love my iteration of BotW Link, so maybe him. But TP Link is gorgeous. But then again, Spirit Tracks Link was my first Link. And getting to drive trains around all day sounds pretty fun, so I'll probably go with him.

@ Alayna_le_Snek: What was your favorite part to write about this book so far?

To be honest I really love the cheesy parts where they just have fun and enjoy each other's company. I really enjoyed writing the parts where they were apart, though. It was fun to write it, because they're just two idiots in love and I love that.

So thank you to everyone who submitted questions! I enjoyed answering them and if you want, just keep questions coming and I might reply in later chapters as they come. Who knows?

Ok, so sorry (I apologize a lot) about the super duper late update. I'd say I could get another out, but homecoming is this weekend and I'm so ready. The theme is based on the anniversary of the lunar landings of 1969, and being an aviation and space school, well it's kind of a big deal. Also, the band AJR who I LOVE is playing the concert. So there's that.

But I love you all and this story dearly. I will be completing it eventually. Trust me on that. I will see you all in the next chapter!!