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Art by mmimmzel

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As soon as I'd left the Fairy Fountain, I scouted out my next route. My first concern was how I'd be getting to Rito Village. I sincerely doubted that I could run the entire way, even with the magic of the fairies still coursing through my veins. I'd have to find a stable first. I climbed the nearby hill and peeked over, searching for any sign of a stable. All I could see was a strange, circular formation of land that rose above the surrounding lake. The area was quite mysterious, and there didn't appear to be any pieces of architecture in it, but lakes typically meant civilization. Where there is water, life typically thrives.

I jumped forward, glider in hand, and sailed down to the peculiar location. It was rather barren apart from a few trees and a tiny pond. Upon closer inspection, I saw that there was a statue of the goddess within the shallow water. I took a second to send a prayer to Hylia. I would probably need it. Sunlight seemed to drift down just to illuminate the statue as I spoke. I prayed for the safety of myself and Link, and continued onwards.

A spotty forest lay on the other side of the lake. Trees seem to stick up at random, revealing the flat, grassy land below. Strange objects that were seemingly manmade were scattered about. I squinted, trying to recognize their shape, but remembered nothing. Though I couldn't recognize the structures, I noticed a stable just beyond the red-leaved trees. I leapt forward and drifted down to the lakeside, hoping to get a better look.

My boots touched down in the mud on the edge of the water. Typically, they would be soaked through and my feet would become drenched. Now that they'd been upgraded by the Great Fairy, my feet remained dry. I continued on my way, happy with the improvements.

I tucked away my spear as I grew closer to the object. It appeared to be some sort of Sheikah technology, much like the shrines, Divine Beasts, and even Link's Sheikah slate. The one nearest to me was becoming overgrown with mossy foliage. I searched the machine, finding a few bits of ancient technology. I heard footsteps behind me and turned. A man was approaching from the road beside the forest. He seemed normal enough, so I loosened my grip on my spear.

He leaned against the machinery with a grin. "Hello there. What're you up to?" I adjusted the weapon on my back and stepped away, tucking an ancient gear into my bag. "Just traveling I suppose... Is there something you need?" He shook his head, tapping his fingers against the mossy Sheikah technology. "Nothing in particular.... You just look rather familiar." I was becoming a bit uncomfortable. He didn't seem like he was up to any good. I walked to the next abandoned machine, hoping to excuse myself from the situation. He followed me and called out. "Hey, wait! You mean you don't remember me?"

"Look I don't know what you want, but I'm warning you to back off. I don't remember you." He laughed, his voice, which was deep at first, raised a few octaves to that of a teenager's. He sent me a sly smirk. "Then perhaps I'll give you a reminder." He waved his hand in front of himself, shielding his body in a cloud of smoke and strips of paper, shimmering red as they drifted down. I jumped back in shock as the man from before disappeared and was replaced by a lithe young man in a red and black body suit. My memories flashed before my eyes as I saw the mask obscuring his eyes. The symbol of the Sheikah was inscribed on his mask in red, though it was flipped upside down. It was exactly the same as the one I'd seen in my memory.

The boy laughed hysterically as he pulled a vicious looking sickle out from behind his back. I thought back to my recovered memories. I'd seen that sickle before. It'd been raised above my face as I lay helpless to defend myself. He did a backflip and landed gracefully on his feet, laughing playfully as he did so. Anger and curiosity filled me as he drew his clan's symbol in red fire and teleported away from me.

He came rushing at me faster than I had anticipated. I caught his weapon with my own and attempted to throw him off. He was stronger than I'd expected and pushed back with a force greater than my own. I fell to the ground and he pinned me there. "Now, where's that hero friend of yours?" He hissed. "I'd hate to harm such a pretty face." The sharp edge of the sickle pressed into my neck. "Why do you want to know? Who are you?" He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I shouldn't be surprised you don't remember. I hit you pretty hard all those years ago." I turned my head away to avoid the blade pressed into my neck. "Tell me where the Hero is, (y/n)."

"You know my name?" He adjusted his grip with a nod. "Of course. You're quite famous amongst the Yiga clan. I'm afraid you aren't our first target, though. Where is Link?" I struggled against his grip as the sickle left a shallow scratch in my skin. He was about to continue questioning me when the machine nearby began to stir. We looked over as a Guardian aimed its laser in our direction. He yelped and pushed himself off of me. We both ducked behind separate tree trunks as the machine fired. The laser struck my tree and sent its remains tumbling down. The scent of burnt wood filled the air as I sidestepped the falling timber. I ran from the scene, happy that the Guardian was still firmly rooted in the ground. The Yiga boy took notice and teleported in front of me as soon as I was out of the Guardian's range. He tried to hit me once more, hoping to force a bit more information out of me.

In a minute or so, he'd taken control of the situation again. He'd pushed me against one of the crumbling pillars that were littered around the forest. "Where is he?!" He questioned, with more ferocity than before. I was about to tell him off again when a mechanical arm reached over the top of the wall, implanting itself in the stone bricks. A guardian poked what I assumed to be its head over the top of the pillar and stared down at us, readying its attack. Apparently, some of these things could still walk. The Yiga boy wrapped an arm around my waist and we disappeared, only to reappear far away from the creature. The machine fired and missed, leaving a scorch mark where we'd been standing only seconds before.

He set me down and I took this opportunity to punch him right in the nose. "Agh!" He raised his hands to his face and dropped to his knees. I kicked his sickle away from him and took off, running at full speed to find a hiding spot. I made my way back to the road and climbed the nearest tree, hiding myself amongst the dense leaves. I heard footsteps jogging towards me steadily. I peered down through the branches to see where he was. He stopped and glanced about, searching for me, before slowly removing his mask and pulling back his hood.

He had tan skin and shining green eyes, which sharply contrasted with the dull disguise he'd approached me in. His hair was an odd, almost synthetic shade of black. It was rather long, much like Link's, with bits of it pulled into a ponytail that came out from the back of his hood. 'Not bad.' I mused, marveling at the situation I'd been put in. He reached up to his face and wiped away a bit of blood. I'd punched him hard enough to force his mask back into his face, causing a rather nasty bloody nose. The boy growled in annoyance and reattached his mask, disappearing in a cloud of red smoke. I sighed in relief and collapsed against the tree branches. I had a feeling I'd be seeing that boy again. 'The Yiga Clan, huh?' I thought to myself as I stared off at the stable in the distance.

I shook my head and climbed down from my perch in a hurry. The introduction of the Yiga Clan only worried me further. Now that I knew there was a group of trained assassins hunting him down, I had no time to waste. I picked up the pace as I jogged towards the stables.

I stepped inside, exhausted. I hadn't slept for quite a while. I had sincerely hoped that I wouldn't need to rest, but I knew I was overwhelming myself. Sooner or later, I would have to take a break. I grudgingly purchased a bed for the night from Dmitri, the man who I assumed owned the stable. I took a seat on the edge of my bed. A man sat nearby, staring at the wooden table in frustration. I called out to him casually. "What's the matter?"

He instantly adopted a "cool" and "relaxed" attitude as he fixed his hair. "Ah, nothing. Just thinking about how I'm going to discover the sword of legend!" He spoke, somewhat pompously. "The sword of legend?" I questioned, my eyebrow raising of its own accord. "You haven't heard?" He laughed condescendingly. "Legend has it that an ancient, all-powerful sword is hidden in a forest somewhere in Hyrule! Only problem is, no one whose looked for it has ever returned. Not a problem, though! I'll just have to be the first!" I shook my head. Clearly, this hothead wouldn't be finding the sword anytime soon. He had piqued my interest, though. I wondered if Link and I would come across that legendary weapon someday... I held onto that thought as I drifted off into sleep.

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I awoke early in the morning and took (h/n) out from boarding. I smiled as I ran my hand through her beautiful mane. It'd been a while since I'd last seen her. I waved at Dmitri and lifted myself up onto my horse. With a flick of her reins, we were off.

We traveled up a bit of a hill for a while, encountering many sights along the way. Guardians still dotted the path here and there, and I cringed at the thought of them moving. (H/n) passed them by without an issue and crossed a decaying bridge, her hooves sounding quite loud as they collided with the mossy stone. There were a couple new enemies along the way, none of which I stopped to fight. A strange, fairy-like creature followed me for a bit, waving a wand of ice in the air. I thought briefly about stopping to battle it, but I decided to press on. Link and I were still worlds away.

We soon reached a vast river. Rain poured down on my mare and I as I calmed her down. Eventually, (h/n) began to struggle. The ground had become soft under her hooves and she sank a bit with each step. I guided her away from the damp riverside in hopes to make her journey easier. We passed another stable in the process and stopped for a bit to wait out the storm. I casually chatted with the stable workers and fed (h/n). We departed as soon as the rain had stopped.

The road to Rito Village eventually came to a halt. We were going to have to cut through the grassy mountainsides to reach the town. I glanced upwards to scout out a path and cocked my head. An eerie forest grew atop the mountain peak, shrouded in mist and formations of rock. I'd never seen such a place before. It almost seemed supernatural.... I thought briefly to the conversation I'd held at the stable. Apparently, a forest in Hyrule held the sword of legend. I wondered if this could be the place... I shook my head. I had no time to stop to investigate a hunch. I urged (h/n) onwards and up the scenic hillside.

The land eventually sloped off into plains. A lone figure paced along the horizon line. For a moment, I worried that I would run into that boy again, but the figure seemed far too large for it to be the young man from before. I guided my mare down the hill cautiously. I squinted to see what the thing was, and immediately regretted my approach. My heart seemed to stop in my chest as we neared yet another Lynel.

My breathing became fast and shallow and I forced (h/n) to speed up. I knew I was pushing her too hard, but I was too terrified to think straight. Luckily, the beast hadn't seen me yet, but I didn't want to take any chances. I flicked (h/n) reins yet again. "Go, go!" I yelled, urging her to speed up. (H/n) whinnied in distress and reared up, tossing me to the ground. I cried out as I fell and scrambled to my feet, hurriedly chasing after my mount. I finally reached her and flung myself up and onto her back. She was spooked by my sudden action and ran forward, full speed ahead, as I clutched her reins tightly. When we were finally out of the Lynel's range I went limp in the saddle, clutching (h/n)'s neck desperately. My fingers shook as I recollected myself. I had a blonde to find.

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It'd been a few days since I'd left (y/n) behind. It had taken all my strength to abandon her. I couldn't imagine the anger she must've felt when she found out. I thought about her, wasting away in Zora's Domain. She didn't seem to be one for a quiet life, but at least I knew she was safe. When I saw her collapse during the battle with Lynel, I'd never felt so distressed. I knew I would never forgive myself if she didn't survive. 'She must hate me right now...' I thought dejectedly as I trekked through the Herba mountains near Rito Village. A wave of sadness passed through me as I thought of her gentle face staring back at me with pure hatred. 'I just wanted her to be safe.' I reassured myself, shaking the thoughts from my head.

The wind blew wildly around me, stinging my exposed face and ears. I was feeling rather sick while up here. I hadn't eaten or slept properly without (y/n). I just never thought to take care of myself without her reminding me and paying for nights at the various inns around Hyrule. Once again, her face passed through my mind. Thoughts of her smooth skin, (h/c) hair, and shining (e/c) eyes just wouldn't leave my head. I scoffed, unsure of why I was thinking about her so often, when I heard a loud howling pierce the silence.

I turned and reached for my remaining weapon. I had broken countless swords and spears along my journey. Only one remained. I raised the traveler's sword cautiously as three wolves approached from each side, crouched and ready to kill. The first one ran forward and was taken out easily. The second posed more of a challenge as it nearly bit my side. I swung around and struck the beast, sending it sprawling. I leapt forward to deal the finishing blow and gasped as the sword shattered in my hand. One wolf remained. I glanced around me for anything I could use for a weapon. The beast launched forward, coming close to biting my neck. I cried out in alarm and ran for a bit. Unfortunately, my speed was no match for the wolf's. I turned around, fists raised, and prayed to Hylia that my journey would not be ended here. I heard another pair of footsteps approach rapidly from behind as the wolf charged forward. The newcomer let out a cry as they leapt from the snow bank behind me and impaled the beast with the end of their spear. I breathed a sigh of relief as they rose up. I cocked my head as I examined their outfit... It was quite similar to (y/n)'s, yet far more intricate than hers was. I shook my head. No, it was impossible for her to be here. I was instantly proven wrong as the traveler turned to greet me.

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I pulled my spear from the animal's side and turned to face Link, flipping my hair over my shoulder as I did so. "How many times do I have to come to your rescue?" He stood there for a bit, gaping as I raised an eyebrow. "(Y-Y/n)?! How did you get here? What happened to your clothes? A-and your wounds?" He pointed to where I had been struck by Lynel. I instinctively pulled my cloak over my shoulder, uncomfortable with his staring. He gulped and began apologizing. "(Y/n) I am so, so sorry - I-I never meant to leave you behind but you were just in no shape to come with me and I didn't want to let you get hurt again!!" He exclaimed hurriedly. I ignored his little speech as I stepped forward angrily, back-handing him sharply. "Don't you ever do that again! You could've been killed, Link. What the hell would I have done then?" I asked desperately. My voice cracked despite my efforts to keep calm.

Link didn't face me for a moment. His head remained turned to the side I'd slapped it to. When he finally did look at me, he didn't speak. He wrapped his arms around me securely and held me close to his chest, running his fingers through my hair as though I'd disappear if he were to let go. He buried his head in the crook of my neck and sighed. I could feel tears pooling on my shoulder as we stood there. I heard him apologize once more, quietly, as though his voice would shatter this moment. I softened as I felt him cling to me, distraught. My hand trailed along his back soothingly as he refused to let go. Eventually he pulled away. "Ouch..."

"What?" I asked curiously. He rubbed at the corner of his eyes and I gasped. Little trails of ice had formed on his cheeks. I couldn't help but laugh as I pressed my gloved palm to his cheek, hoping to warm him up a bit. "Let's get out of here. We're almost to Rito Village." He nodded. "This time, we're going to do this together. I promise." I held his hand in mine as we approached the strange town. "I know."

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