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Art by mmimmzel on Twitter

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Each sight we came across after descending from the Great Plateau impressed the young hero. He had no memory of the land or the wonders it held. Various flowers and foliage entranced him as we traveled further along the path to Kakariko village. He became particularly interested when we stumbled across a stable. Link's eyes widened as he stared at the Hylians working about the corrals. He gripped my shoulder tightly and pointed, first to the people, and then to the horses. "Can we go?" He asked excitedly. I chuckled at him. He was already acting as though I was his mother, like he needed permission to go certain places. I nodded. "I don't see why not."

He smiled brightly and continued on his way, with me following close behind. As we approached, I noticed a familiar merchant sitting outside the stables. I waved and smiled. I had hoped to come across Beedle. I had an assortment of monster horns I needed to sell. I turned to tell Link where I was going, only to find him missing. "Link? Link!" I scanned the area until I found him amongst the horses, smiling brightly as he ran his hand over the neck of a black and white horse. I breathed a sigh of relief and brushed the (h/c) hair from my eyes.

"Link?" He looked up, his clear blue eyes meeting my own. "O-Oh. Yes (y/n)?" I pressed my nose to that of the horse and smiled softly. I turned my head whilst keeping my forehead against the snout of the animal. My (e/c) eyes fluttered open. Link had been staring at me. "Do you have anything you'd like to sell? I'm going to go speak to Beedle, the merchant nearby." He shook his head slowly. "Oh. Alright then. I'll be back soon." I gave the horse a final scratch behind the ear as I turned on my heel, leaving the boy alone.

After a few trade deals, I'd made a bit of a profit. I smiled happily as I counted my rupees and waved goodbye to the enthusiastic merchant. I returned to Link to find him huddled by the fire. I glanced upwards to see a blanket of stars strung above my head. Night had fallen without me noticing. Link had his knees pressed against his chest as he prodded at the flames. He raised his head as he heard leaves crunching beneath my feet. "(Y/n)!" He sent me a smile. "How was it?" I shrugged. "Fine. I've made enough to cover two beds for the night, plus some." I reached into the confines of my pack and brought out a slab of meat that had been carefully wrapped for the journey. "Lucky for us, there's a surplus of rams around. Hungry?" He nodded as I tossed the meat into the fire along with a few mushrooms.

Soon enough, we'd eaten and rented out two beds at the inn within the stables. I removed my cloak and boots and seated myself at the end of my bed. I laid back and crossed my arms behind my head. Link followed suit in the bed beside mine. "(Y/n)?" I turned to face him, my (h/c) hair falling into my eyes as I did so. "Yeah?" I responded whilst brushing the hair from my eyes yet again. "Do you really think we'll be able to do this alone?" I scoffed and tossed one of my boots at his face. "You really need some sleep. You can't be worrying so much when we've got a long day of walking ahead of us." He pushed the shoe from his face and sent me a deadly glare which I ignored.

He took a deep breath and settled down beside me. "Besides, Link. You're not really alone." I had expected a verbal response, but I settled for his steady snores instead. 'Poor thing...' I thought as I examined his sleeping form. 'Must be exhausted.' Link remained fast asleep as I approached him. He'd fallen asleep whilst wearing his boots. I carefully removed them and lifted him up a bit, enabling me to drape the quilt over his body. Satisfied, I returned to my bed, drifting off into a deep sleep.

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I awoke in a state of confusion. I wasn't used to hearing the bustling commotion of the stables upon awakening. The soft pounding of horse hooves approached steadily. I clutched my head as I rose and looked to my side, expecting to see Link there still fast asleep. To my surprise, it appeared as though Link has gotten up before me. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and swung my feet over the side of the bed. With a final stretch, I pushed myself up off of the mattress. I left my stuff in the care of the innkeeper as I walked outside.

My senses were shocked as I lowered my bare feet into the soft, green grass of the flatland. The morning dew wet my toes as I stepped forward, raising my hand to shield my (e/c) eyes from the early morning sun. "Good morning." I heard a call from beside me. I turned, only to come face to snout with a towering steed. Atop the horse sat Link, a goofy smile plastered on his face. He held the reins to another horse in his hand.

My hands found my hips as I swayed to the side. "What's all this about?" He rolled his eyes. "Surprise!"

"Link where did you get these?" I spoke carefully as I stroked the mane of the second horse. I had now noticed the various cuts and bruises that dotted his skin. "There was a herd of wild horses roaming nearby and well... I figured I'd try out a trick I'd learned from one of the ranchers while you were busy selling off monster parts." I was a bit upset that he had done something so risky without warning me first, but I couldn't hide the smile that appeared on my face as I grabbed the reins of my own mare. With a tug, I was sitting comfortably in the saddle. I leaned down and pressed my cheek to the beautiful creature. "I guess I'll call you... (H/n)." I decided quickly. Her mane tickled my nose as she let out a whiny.

Link was watching the scene with a warm smile. "I think she likes that name." I nodded in agreement and turned to face him. I leaned over to him from where I was seated and hugged him closely. "Thank you." He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close. "My pleasure. Besides, it's a long ways to Kakariko, and I don't intend to walk all the way there." I chuckled and stepped down from (h/n) to gather our stuff once more. Link and I split a breakfast of fresh fruit, ensuring that our horses shared in the meal as well. We secured our objects within the horses' packs and waved farewell to the stable workers.

"Set a course for Kakariko!" I announced cheerfully with a pat to (H/n)'s neck. Link shook his head. "I'm afraid horses don't work that way." His comment was quickly waved off as we ventured on, eventually reaching Kakariko. We trekked through a lit ravine as we entered the village. About a dozen quaint buildings came into focus, each built with curved roofs and lit with lanterns and strings of dangling lights. Link and stepped down from our horses and left them near the entrance of the town.

I glanced around once more, taking in the marvelous sight. It was really quite incredible to witness. Mist hung low throughout the village, obscuring many of the beautiful structures. I gasped in awe at the dazzling lily ponds surrounding a statue of the Goddess. The scene was quite lovely, as the entire view was framed by a waterfall. A painter stood nearby, attempting to capture the beauty that was Kakariko Village.

"So, we have to find a woman named Impa, right?" Link asked. I nodded and pointed towards an important looking structure that centered the town. "Something tells me she's in there." Link gave me a look. "What makes you say that?" I truly wasn't sure. I just expected such an important woman to be in the most important building. I stepped forward and noticed two guards standing in front of the staircase. "Excuse me sirs, but we need to see someone by the name of Impa?" The men took up a fighting stance, as though I would rush them if they told me I couldn't go any further. "Sorry, but we can't allow you to--" The man stopped himself when he caught sight of Link. "Is... Is that a Sheikah Slate?! It can't be..." The other man spoke over his partner. "Please, forgive our rudeness, we have heard the legends from Lady Impa! Please friend, go right ahead." I shrugged and began my ascent with Link following close behind.

Atop the stairs, there was a woman diligently scrubbing away at the wooden floorboards. Link and I stopped, not knowing exactly why. She noticed our presence and shot up. Her eyes scanned over Link and she jumped backwards, hiding her face in her hands. "A-A man!" she exclaimed, as though she'd never seen one before. "And you have a... A Sheikah Slate?! You must be that man that my grandmother told me stories about... Li- Lin- Lin... Oh forgive me. I'm not good with speaking. My name is P-Pa-Paya!" She sighed to herself, as if relieved to have finally spoken her name. "Oh I'm sorry... Anyway, my grandmother has been awaiting your return! P-please hurry inside!" Link and I exchanged a glance as we bid her farewell and opened the doors to the temple-like building.

The room was medium-sized, not too big nor too small, and seemed to only contain various Sheikah books and paintings, as well as a mysterious glowing orb and a set of stairs leading to the second floor. Atop a stack of pillows sat a small woman. A large, straw hat rested on her head and drooped downwards, obscuring her eyes with the red symbol of the Sheikah that was painted on the accessory. Despite her limited sight, she greeted us as old friends as soon as we entered. "So... You're finally awake." She said cryptically as she rose her head. Link shifted awkwardly and avoided the peering gaze the woman was giving him. "And you, (y/n), have you been taking good care of him?" I gulped and nodded.

She nodded. "Good. It's been quite a long time since I've seen the two of you, as you can see... But, you still remember me, don't you....?" She asked, an amused yet sad smile stretching across her aged face. Link and I both shook our heads sorrowfully, having no memories of the woman. She sighed and began to explain. "I see... I am the courageous one, Impa. Don't either of you remember that name?" Link and I shared yet another confused glance as the woman stared back at us, surprised. "So you truly have lost your memories..." The blonde boy at my side lowered his head a bit. I caught his movement from the corner of my eye and instinctively reached out, lacing his fingers through my own reassuringly.

"Yes, I'm afraid we have..." I began. Impa cut me off. "It matters not, (y/n). In fact, this may be good." I wasn't sure how our lost memories could possibly be good for us, but I continued listening politely. She seemed to notice my doubt, as she gave me a knowing glance, but no explanation was offered. She gestured to us, beckoning for us to approach. Link stepped forward first and I ensured that I was following closely behind. Impa returned her hand to her knee as she began to tell her story. "One hundred years ago, the Kingdom of Hyrule was destroyed. All our hopes were left in the three of you." Link tilted his head. "Three?" She nodded. "You, (y/n), and the Princess." She explained. Surely, this story was interesting, but I couldn't help but think that we'd heard this before.

Impa's story took a turn when she told us that the Princess had entrusted her with words to pass onto us. "I've been waiting quite a long time to deliver this message... But, you must understand. Each and every passing day, the Princess risks life and limb to hold Ganon back. If you truly wish to hear her words, you must be willing to do the same. I'm afraid in your current state, you've lost the dedication you once had. I leave you with this choice. If you truly feel you are ready... Come return to me. I will tell you what you wish to know."

I thought briefly and turned to face Link. I frowned as I studied the curve of his face and the soft golden locks that rested on his head and eclipsed his cerulean eyes from my view. I knew that the Princess was a valiant heroine, and I respected her every sacrifice... But I wouldn't be doing this for her. Whatever Link chose... I would follow along. I didn't know where these thoughts had emerged from. It's as though looking at him resurfaced memories I'd thought to be long forgotten. I must've been gawking, seeing as Link turned to me with a concerned look on his face.

He nodded to Impa and thanked her, telling her that we would need a moment to think over our decisions. He smiled at me warmly whilst guiding me out of the building. The world seemed to be hazy as we walked and I couldn't concentrate on much of anything. We stopped at a nearby cooking pot and sat down. My lips remained firmly sealed until I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to meet Link's curious blue eyes. "Are you alright?" I composed myself and adjusted the spear on my back so I could sit comfortably. "Stellar. This is just a lot to take in all at once." He laughed. "That hasn't bothered you until now."

"I haven't thought about it until now." He shrugged and turned to the fire, tossing in a few ingredients. I watched him stir the meal carefully and bit my thumb, hoping he would mention about Impa's proposition first so I wouldn't have to. My prayers were answered as he returned to my side and offered me a buttered apple. I took it graciously and he began to speak. "So... Do you believe we should go back? I mean, Impa didn't seem to trust our dedication." I nodded and wiped my mouth on the edge of my sleeve. "I... I don't know. Is this what you want?" Link exhaled thoughtfully inbetween bites and stared up at the darkening clouds that littered the sky. "I don't see any other choice. I mean, if the Princess' power truly is the only thing that's keeping this world from facing Calamity Ganon once again, then we should do what we can to help her." I nodded. "It's decided then? We help the Princess?" I felt far more comfortable with this quest, knowing that Link would genuinely like to help. "Yeah, I guess it is." He rose to his feet and adjusted his tunic before extending a hand to me. I scoffed and pushed it away, sending him a confident smirk. "Remember that I'm here to take care of YOU. Not the other way around." He smiled and raised his hands up in defeat. "Alright, alright. Shall we then?" I stood up happily and led the way back to Impa. "We shall."

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