My negligence, I should be clear, was not my fault, nor was it purposeful, nor did I take any delight in having realized it.

As a matter of fact, it scared me half to death, because I didn't even realize Link was awake at first. While I'd gone off gathering our things, preparing a small snack for Epona, scrubbing down some of her equipment now that I had the time - I hadn't realized that Link was awake and watching me with doleful, desperate eyes, as though desperate for me to notice his gaze.

Only, I hadn't, and by the time I realized he was looking at me, he'd already looked away.

But as I'd soon learn, none of this was my doing - though it certainly felt like it, and I certainly still pinned the blame on myself anyway.

I'm pushing the point so hard, of course, because it truly was not my fault - but it's important to note that because Link himself would once we made it through all of this and he'd apologize profusely for making me believe as such, even inadvertently - but you, dear reader, won't get to see that until later.

I was happy at first upon waking up because as I mentioned, I was able to get a head start on those chores and those little extra things that I hadn't had the time to do earlier - things that I would've done had I not been napping.

What was jarring was that, when I called for Link to come share a snack with me, he did not come running as he normally would have, and as was expected of him. He did nothing of the sort. As a matter of fact, he terrified me with how completely, distinctly, unalive he seemed.

But after the emotionally-charged conversation we'd had earlier, I could find it in myself to nearly forgive how utterly defeated he looked, and chalk it up to him still being upset after all that reflection and rather depressing thinking. Nearly.

But what I just could not forgive, nor easily forget, was what he said, just as I could not ever truly forget the way my heart sank after an icy vice gripped it tight.

"(Y/n)," he said to me, "I'm tired of not knowing who I am."

I wanted to tell him that he did know who he was. I wanted to argue that the boy that loved sweets and naps and fighting for the thrill of it was Link, because for once he was not roped into duties, at least not with the royal family breathing down his neck like before. He had the freedom to choose, for the first time in his life - er, lives - and he did not have the king ready to lop his head off for any misdeeds or wasted time.

But I didn't say any of those things. I just let him talk.

"I'm tired of having everything chosen for me," he added and to that, I had to agree.

Everything was chosen for him. Before, anyway. A century ago, he was a damn good knight and was assigned to be the young monarch's personal swordsman - and now, he woke up in a strange but familiar Hyrule with nothing to his name and no one to greet him.

He'd had his duties forced upon him once again - though with the freedom to do what he wanted and when, but with the ultimate goal looming over him all the same. It was the semblance of freedom that allowed me to meet him, to know him, to understand him as the boy who loved sweets and naps and fighting for the thrill of it.

"I think I know why I was quiet back then," he said, "and it's probably because it was easiest. The pressure of everything else made sure I didn't have the time to talk even if I wanted to. Not that I would have any reason to speak - not when I had to focus."

"I think it's likely that it would've gone against your training as a knight to speak unless being spoken to," I had offered, but he shook his head. He'd convinced himself that he was right, and maybe he was. But that didn't make it any easier for me to digest.

"I failed, and my efforts weren't worth it," he said, looking towards the horizon, at the land bathed in late afternoon sun. "I didn't make any worthwhile memories with those I cared about for protocol or because I was too scared to - I didn't speak. All I did was my job - and I failed anyway. It wasn't worth it."

Those words in particular scared me.

"Link," I said, "what do you mean?"

He didn't respond. Not at that moment, nor in the next, nor in the next one of the one following that.

He did not speak, not even when he stood and saddled Epona. He did not speak, even when he pulled me up into the saddle behind him. He did not speak, not even when I spotted a streak of white, stark against the rolling green hills, in the distance and asked for him to stop for a moment. He did not speak, even when I beamed, delighted to find that it was a horse, and I excitedly told him to stay put while I tried to tame it.

I did not speak, as I drifted noiselessly - or as noiselessly as I could, anyway - through the tall grasses of the hills and made my way towards the creature. Upon getting closer, I stopped, observing it for a few moments as the wind changed directions.

Now I was downwind from her, which was good. But she still seemed alert, and she snorted, this I could hear even from so far away, and I stayed completely still as she lowered her head down to graze. It was good that I was downwind from her, but it was not good that she was facing me. I'd have to get around her if I had any hope of getting atop her back.

And she, by the way, was a stunning white horse with a pale, almost blonde sort of mane and tail. She was all alone here, which was just as well; I realized with a start that I didn't want any other horse. Because this one was gorgeous, and I was sure that she was good and fast and clever.

I went around her left side, easing my way in a wide arc around her until I found myself facing her left flank. I took a few deep breaths to steel my nerves and gather my courage. This was the easy part, and now it was over. The wind shifted, though only slightly, and I found myself in no more advantageous a position as I had been only moments ago.

It was about time I got myself a new charge, so I took one more deep breath in, exhaling it out immediately as I burst to my feet and in one surprisingly smooth motion, leapt atop her back and managed to secure two fistfuls of her mane.

"Easy there, girl," I said as she erupted into a flurry of kicks and leaps, quick bursts forward and sudden rears back. Even as she ran she tried nipping at my toes, which in fairness I would probably have done too if someone suddenly leapt onto my back like this. Still, I held firm. I wasn't letting this beauty go.

She put up a damn good fight, that was for sure. At some points I was nearly flung from her back and found my two feet on the ground and, undisturbed, she'd go on running again and I had to run faster than my feet were meant to ever go until I could get them under me enough to leap back onto her and in other moments I found myself sliding off with the force and speed of her quick turns, and I'd have to ride sideways until I could, of course, haul myself back up.

All in all... it was a nightmare. One I did not want to live through again.

But I was currently living it, so I had no choice.

"Hylia help me," I muttered as she took off at a sprint, charging forth with her head bowed and her panting labored. "You're making Sky look like a foal, you know that?!"

Once more, as though responding to my words, she slid to a stop, her hooves gouging out the grass beneath her feet as she did and then...

And then, nothing.

She stood there, panting, heaving for breath just as I was.

"Ok," I said gently, reaching down and leaning just slightly to one side to look at her face, "how's that? All tuckered out, now?" She did not respond. Not with words, obviously, and certainly not with any change of body language or sounds of her own other than her heavy breaths. "Attagirl," I said softly, patting her neck. "You put up a damn good fight. I'm impressed, really."

I knew that logically she didn't understand me, but she seemed to appreciate the sentiment anyway. I let her catch her breath, let her heart rate slow to normal levels, then kicked into her sides when she recovered.

"You're a very pretty girl, you know," I said when she started to walk, and with a tug to her mane I guided her towards where Epona and Link were waiting patiently. She'd taken us well away from the Sanadin Park, which was just as well. I needed someone to talk to, and Link certainly wasn't cutting it today. "Maybe I should name you something related to that? What do you think?"

She snorted distastefully.

"Ok, ok," I said, getting the point, then thought for a moment.

She nickered gently, as though to say I could figure it out.

"Maybe... Maybe something related to how clever you are," I amended. "Is that better? Because you are a really smart girl, but I'm sure you know that. That shouldn't be a surprise to you."

At that, I got an excitable bob of her head and I smiled.

"A girl after my own heart," I cooed. "Intelligence is better than beauty any day. So... got any ideas?"

Nothing. Should've expected that, honestly.

"How about if I name you after the Goddess of Wisdom, herself? Nayru, maybe?"

Ah, she seemed to like that very much.

"Nayru it is," I said happily. "Welcome to the family, sweetheart. Let's hope you don't run off with some other family like my last horse, huh?"

—

I managed a moment of reflection, today - we'd traveled back to the Outskirt Stable - and my, how we'd grown since we were here last. From Sanadin Park we'd continued south along Safula Hill, then at a crossroad found ourselves facing Dalite Forest to the west and the Manhala Bridge to the east. Opting for the bridge, we continued east over the Regencia River and then along it until we reached the stable.

Registering Nayru was easy enough, as was fitting her for gear. But I couldn't help but feel... lonely through the whole thing. Did I have my new mare with me? Yes.

Was I speaking to other Hylians - as in, the stable workers? Yes.

But last time, I had Link with me, butting in with silly little comments and offering to pay and all manner of other nonsense.

I was a big girl, I could pay for the registration fee for my own horse, absolutely. And I was certainly capable of doing things without Link. But what was the point in having a partner if he wasn't going to be... a partner?

It wasn't until dinner that I said something to him, as Epona and Nayru were tentatively greeting each other from nearby paddocks. As I stirred the soup I was making, I looked across the pot at him.

"Link," I said, "I've been trying to get you to talk all day. Why haven't you been saying anything? You haven't asked for a nap, for a break, anything. You didn't even ask to taste-test dinner. What's wrong?"

I was, unsurprisingly, met with more silence and... when he looked me in the eyes, when I saw that look in his eyes, the one of trepidation, of regret, of disappointment, and just a little bit of longing...

"Are you..." I began, unsure, then furrowed my brow and just got on with it: "Are you trying to go back to the 'strong but silent' hero thing?" He still said nothing, and with that, I knew I was right. "Please, Link. This isn't like you. Please say something."

Still nothing.

"Link, I'm worried," I admitted. "You were silent back then because of the strain of your duties, the pressure placed on your shoulders... the burden you bore alone, whether by choice or otherwise. But now... I can help hold it, if you just let me. You don't have to do this alone. We talked about this when I joined you, right? I'm here for you. In any and all ways that I can be."

Link remained quiet, though now he lowered his gaze to the bubbling soup, and I huffed a little, unable to keep from doing so. Well, if he wouldn't talk to me, I wouldn't talk to him. He maybe, probably, hopefully just needed some time. Some space.

To that end I got up, heading beneath the stable's tent to where we'd put our belongings for the night. As I was rummaging through my bags for a book, I couldn't help but overhear a conversation going on between two elderly women nearby: "That's this week, you say," inquired the first voice.

"In three days' time," a second voice answered.

"What kind of festival is it? I do love festivals."

So do I.

"It's an annual thing down on the Grave Cliffs. The town there, Rabant, a cute little place now, got almost completely destroyed during the Calamity a century ago. They hold a festival honoring the champions and fallen knight and of course princess too, thanking them for their efforts despite what happened." The woman sighed ruefully. "My family goes there every year, but with my schedule, I can't make it this time."

"That's unfortunate," the first woman said.

"Indeed," she affirmed. "Growing up, a lot of the kids in my village hated the champions and the knight for their failure to destroy Ganon, but my sisters and I were different. The festival brings to light that they did all that they could. I loved going to the festival each year, because I knew the truth while the other kids scolded the ancient heroes and scorned them for their supposed failures."

"I'll have to make it one year," the first woman said determinedly. "My son is a historical scholar and would love to go, I'm sure."

I smiled. Honestly, the timing couldn't be any better. This would be how I would get Link out of his funk. I would make him go to that festival, come hell or high water, even if it killed me. He needed to know that people still held hope for him, and he needed to believe that he could do what he set out to do a century and some change ago.

I mentally thanked the old ladies for the information and headed back outside, my book in hand.

—

This, beloved reader, is how the conversation went for me to convince Link to take a detour:

"Link," I'd said, drawing his attention to me. We were waiting for the stable workers to bring us our horses and saddle them up for us, and while we were waiting in silence (because yes, he still wasn't talking at all), I decided that this would be a good time to tell him about the detour that I had planned

I took out my map and pointed to Rabant, the village along a series of clifftops, and its winding roads and surely rocky soils - and the waterfall it resided beside, an offshoot of the Regencia River lovingly dubbed the Rabant Reservoir. Showing it to him, I said, "We're heading here today. We can make it tomorrow by sunset if we ride quickly."

He looked confused, but didn't say a word.

"I know I said that we have to get going to the desert," I said, "but we need to make a stop there. It's important. After this, we'll head right for the desert, alright? I promise."

He just looked at me, nodded, and then turned back to where the workers were readying the horses. When they were set, I mounted Nayru and Link got up on Epona. I took the lead, and Link followed behind me without a word.

As I planned, we stayed on the well-paved, well-traveled road and went rather quickly (being sure not to push the horses too much, of course) and we made it right when I said we would. As the sun disappeared behind the far-off horizon of the village, we entered the small town.

It was a bonafide hub of activity, and there was a pleasant, excited buzz in the air. People were bustling around, carrying boxes and chatting happily with each other. There was music playing somewhere, and a melody of voices intermingling as people chatted and went about their work.

Lanterns were being strung up of thin blue paper wrappings and large storytelling tapestries were hung in the spaces between houses and along pathways - detailed accounts of the calamity passed along by the village's elders, I guessed - and long wooden tables were being built along with equally-long benches and nearby, women were working together sewing a large bit of fabric likely meant to be a tablecloth, their hands working skillfully as they worked.

I knew that we still had all of the next day to wait for the festival to start (I'd overheard that it began at night) so I was just beginning to formulate the question in my mind of, well, what we could do to kill time for now, when I seemed to get my answer without needing to internally voice the question.

I saw the inn, and started to lead Link towards it, but I heard a call of your name from a voice that sounded strange to me but sounded vaguely familiar all the same. That was strange enough. Then, there was a call from the same voice of my childhood nickname. Only the kids raised in Hateno knew that name, my friends...

I looked around and finally found the source of the voice, and it was exactly who I thought it was. An old childhood friend of mine, Celedor, waved to me where he stood, helping unload boxes from a cart. I dismounted and, grabbing Nayru's reins, walked towards him happily with a smile. Link did the same and followed a few paces behind me, though slowly.

Celedor unloaded the last box and handed it to another man and he grinned at me. "Long time, no see, (Y/n)," he said happily. Overcome with joy, I threw my arms around him and he indulged me with a grin. When we pulled away, he asked what I was doing in the village.

"We're here for the festival," I whispered to him, making sure that Link, who was eyeing the man curiously, wouldn't hear. "But my partner here doesn't know that, so it's a surprise."

"Oh, I see. I'm Celedor," he said, loudly now and letting Link in on the conversation, holding his hand out for Link to shake. Link put Epona's reins in his left hand and held his right one out, shaking hands with him.

"This is Link, my partner," I said. "He agreed to take me on an adventure with him, so here we are."

"An adventure? (Y/n), I didn't know that you had it in you," he joked.

"Neither did I," I admitted, "until Link visited home and some things happened and... basically, I made the decision right before he left."

"Spur of the moment, huh?" Celedor said with a smile. "How about that... I'd have never guessed, (Y/n). It's a surprise, but a good one. A great one, actually. I knew you weren't meant to be there. You always seemed restless, to me. I just didn't think you'd ever get the chance to leave."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Well, it took the right things happening, and it took the right person," I said, smiling at Link. "Monsters appeared on the beach and, maybe stupidly, I thought I could fight them off."

"And alone, if I had to guess?"

"Alone," I affirmed, looking at Celedor. "But Link saved me."

"And now you're traveling Hyrule together," he said, whistling lowly. "And weighed down with all sorts of weaponry, huh? What's he turned you into?"

"I can take care of myself now," I said with a laugh. "I don't go into fights unprepared anymore."

"That's an understatement," Celedor said, chuckling. "Say, why don't the two of you join my family for dinner? I'm sure my wife won't mind."

I nodded, and looked back at Link. "Is this alright with you, Link?"

Looking at me, he nodded after a contemplative moment. I turned back to Celedor after giving Link a smile, saying, "As long as food is involved, Link's excited. You know, I'm surprised you actually settled down. I figured that you'd be traveling until you died, with how you acted back home," I said as Celedor began to lead you towards his house.

"That was before I met Lilly, my wife," Celedor told me. "She managed to... rein me in, I guess." His words and his tone were reverent and loving, and my heart fluttered at the thought of someone being so in love. Taking a side road, we passed by several nice, near-identical homes before coming up to one that he stopped at and gestured to proudly.

"This one here is my humble abode," he said, then opened the gate to the small yard, and out came three children from the house. They were all young and they hugged Celedor, all three of them trying to talk to him at the same time. His wife, Lilly, exited the house next, smiling at him before looking curiously at us, her surprise guests.

After all the introductions were done, Lilly brought you inside where dinner was already waiting. She made more than enough originally, so Link and I were hardly intruding; we were able to eat without having to make portions for the family smaller, thankfully. The moon was high in the sky when Celedor and I were caught up, and after a wonderful evening Link and I left the house to go to the inn.

Link, though he had been asked several questions throughout dinner, still did not say a word, even when I said goodnight to him in the inn from my bed across the small room.

And I... pretended that it did not hurt me.

—

For the next day, I'd had the plan to spend it at the little pocket of water that sat well away from the village and its waterfall for a quiet respite for the two of us, but when I found that all Link was going to do was either stand ankle-deep in the water and stare out past the horizon or sit on the bank all day, I gave up and just brought him back to the inn to wait for the evening.

We waited out the hours, either napping or reading the books in the inn. Link spent a lot of his time looking out of the window from his bed.

I closed the curtains in the room once I noticed the final preparations being made and the sun began to set, not wanting to spoil even a thing for him. He looked confused when I did, but kept quiet. Of course.

And finally, the sun fell. The world turned dark. As I peeked out of the curtains, I saw the blue paper lanterns being lit and hung from fences, homes, and even the trees. I smiled as people started leaving their homes gathered onto the sides of the street, talking excitedly.

"Link," I said, running over to Link's bed to grab his hand in both of my own, "it's starting!"

He looked at me, still confused out of his mind if not more so now, but let me drag him out of bed, to his feet, and out the door all the same. Once outside, I watched as he looked around, taking in the lights and the sounds and the smells.

There was music approaching from down the road, and people were crowding on the sides of the street - evidently suggesting the gradual approach of a parade of some kind. I picked out a spot where we'd fit, then led the way over, not letting go of his hand for anything, not even when we were standing by the edge of the road with a perfect view.

Leaning forward, I could see the incoming procession and smiled. The music was getting louder- fast paced music that was perky and happy with a few notes of reflection - and more and more people began to cheer, like a wave getting to us. Finally, we could see the first few performers. Link didn't seem interested, but I could only grin and let my eyes widen upon seeing the approaching performers.

There were adults dancing down the street - six of them. As they neared, I could point out the finer details: one was dressed as the Gerudo champion, Urbosa, carrying a scimitar and elegant looking shield, who was followed closely by the Rito champion Revali, decked out in feathers and carrying a bow; following him came the champion of the Zora, Mipha, with a trident proudly in her hand; and bringing up the rear was a jolly-looking man dressed as Daruk, the Goron champion with chains crossing his chest.

Link's eyes, I could see from the corner of my own, were beginning to get glassy as he realized what was happening and his brain registered who the performers were dressed as. He blinked the tears away before they could fall, trying to remain stony faced and I wondered, for a moment, if this was all maybe too much for him, to see his old friends like this.

But I didn't have much time to think about it because walking side by side were the final two champions: Princess Zelda, with flowing blonde hair and a blue tunic similar to Link's; and a performer dressed as Link himself, who had slightly darker blonde hair than the real one and adorned with a tunic that featured an almost-perfect recreation of the patterning of the real one, but the same proud blue, at least. They waved as they passed everybody, and children laughed and pointed at them as each champion passed, calling out to them.

I glanced at Link. His eyes were fixed on the final pair - which I expected. His lip wavered and my smile fell. I grasped his arm with my free hand and squeezed his hand, hoping to silently reassure him. Using his own free hand, he wiped his eyes even as rebellious tears began to trickle down his cheeks.

He looked at me when his eyes were clearer. I didn't say anything, I didn't know the words to say, but I squeezed his hand gently once more in reassurance. I could only hope that seeing all of this would help him in the end.

I... admittedly didn't want this quiet Link that held all of his thoughts to himself. I didn't like this mannequin of a person. I wanted to see the Link that I had met months ago in Hateno, who started off shy but then turned into a bright, laughing boy with a knack for getting into trouble and who always spoke his mind. The one who loved to have fun and didn't take himself so seriously, despite his grave past - I wanted that one back.

I wanted the funny, clever, playful, wonderful Link back.

I wanted him to return to me. The Link I had grown to love.

And he watched, with thinly-veiled amazement, as horses pulled carriages by with the story of what had happened 100 years ago knit into quilts. Children ran alongside them, tossing out beads and candies.

One of them, who looked to be a young teenager or close to it, walked past us but did a double take upon seeing Link. The boy looked at Link's tunic, then his boots and tights and belts and weapons, until finally seeing his face- complete with pointed ears and single earring.

"Wow," the boy said. "You look just like the hero! That's rad! Take some beads."

Even if he hadn't taken an impromptu vow of silence, I'm sure Link wouldn't have had words to speak as he accepted the beads. The boy moved on, and Link's eyes followed him along until he blinked and glanced down at me, meeting my gaze surely - his eyes conveying a million different things all at once and I giggled when I realized the more prominent than them all was confusion at what just happened.

"That's rad, Link," I said teasingly, nudging his shoulder with my own.

Yes... I love him. And I'd do anything to get him back.