Zelda nearly broke down weeping when she saw her knight before her once again. This moment was what she had been waiting for while she fought Ganon for a century. This very moment, and nothing else. She had stopped counting days, weeks, even years. The pain had been immense and the struggle nearly unbearable. Yet, somehow she came out alive. Against all odds.

She had been watching him on his journey. She had watched him grow, learn and remember.

But she knew something was off. How could someone sleep for one hundred years, lose bits and pieces of himself, and still be the same?

He remembered her, though. That was enough to send her pitiful heart into overdrive.

Seeing him in front of her nearly caused her to cry out. It had been so long; she hardly believed that he was real. This moment was too good to be true. Every day, her heart had ached from missing him and now he was here and she could collapse into his arms and never leave his side.

The princess threw her arms around him, embracing him tightly while letting tears run down her cheeks. He hesitantly placed his hands on the small of her back, the feeling unfamiliar to him. Zelda did not notice, though. Her heart was filled with joy.

She stepped back to look at his face. His beautiful blue eyes, shaggy hair, and attentive expression. It was just as she remembered. She laughed in disbelief and held his face in her hands. Then, she kissed him, just as she used to one hundred years prior. The feeling of his lips on hers once again was indescribable. The rapture and euphoria she felt had never been so great.

However, that moment of joy only lasted for about a second. Startled, Link jumped back. He panicked, wondering why the princess was being so forward.

The problem was that he didn't remember everything. Only the pictures on the Slate, and a few other brief moments sparked by specific people and landmarks. The knight had no idea that his past relationship with the princess ever existed. All of his memories were merely fragments, a few pieces of a much bigger puzzle. The people in his memories felt like distant characters in a story. He knew that he had once known all of them, but everything had changed.

He wasn't the same Link that he had been one hundred years ago.

Zelda looked at him, clear vulnerability and hurt in her eyes.

"W-what is it?" She asked him softly, her voice weak. He looked at the ground. He couldn't look at her. All he could see was a girl who had treated him unfairly, scolded him for doing his job. He had put his life on the line for her several times... he often forgot that she was the one who saved him. She did it to save her kingdom, not me, he told himself. He struggled to see her as anyone but the girl who failed everybody and let his friends die.

After all, who else could be blame? He'd already put enough on himself, and he held her accountable in his mind. Nobody else was around. She was the only remnant of a past he hardly remembered. She was just a reminder. How could he live with that?

"I just... I don't understand." He croaked out. The princess looked at him with her glassy doe eyes, sparkling a brilliant green. They were so sad, so full of dejection and hurt. He thought back to the song he heard from the traveling musician, Kass. The look she had on her face said it all, but he refused to believe it. She never loved me. It was all just a silly rumor. I would have known if she did.

"...I'm sorry." She merely said, turning away from him. Now was not the time to bring this up; she would just have to push her feelings down and try again later. She sensed that something was wrong, and deemed it best to leave him alone for a while. Yet, she could not shake the feeling of her heavy heart, weighed down with grief.

The two of them searched the castle for any items they were able to salvage. They found a few books, Zelda's old traveling clothes, and some other things here and there. The whole time, Link couldn't even look her in the eyes, much less speak to her. The princess remained strong, though. She reminded herself that she was with him at last, and that was all that mattered. He just needed some time.

"I have a house in Hateno now," he announced quietly. "We'll go there for a day or two." Zelda nodded, picturing an empty house with her knight in it, alone and troubled by his past coming back to haunt him, nobody to help him when he needed it most.

They began their journey east, neither of them daring to say a word.

~

That evening, the two of them arrived in Hateno. None of the Hylians seemed to recognize the princess, since they were too young to know of her. Zelda felt fatigued from her long fight, and all she wanted to do was rest. She was grateful that Link was kind enough to let her stay with him, despite his cold attitude.

She took in her surroundings as they entered his house. It was small yet comfortable, perfectly suiting the knight. It was odd for her to think that he had this life away from her, if only a brief period of time. They had been so close before the Calamity, and know he hardly knew her.

Link fixed the two of them something to eat as the princess marveled over the fact that he could now cook. She watched him curiously, but he didn't seem to notice she was even there.

He served them dinner, taking a seat across from her. The two of them ate wordlessly, the silence killing Zelda. It seemed that he had closed her off, and she would have to get him to open up to her a second time. It would be much harder this time around.

"Link... Tell me about the travels you've had recently." She said awkwardly, trying to rid them of this painful silence. Instead of speaking, however, the knight simply sighed and continued to eat. Zelda frowned. What had happened to him? The two of them used to be in love, they used to be inseparable. Now it seemed that he did not care for her at all.

After dinner, he showed her upstairs.

"You can have the bed." He said, seemingly speaking to the floor. Zelda would have argued, but she was far too exhausted. So, instead, she helplessly watched as Link trudged back down the stairs, not even giving her a glance. The princess climbed into his bed, a feeling of loneliness overwhelming her.

She thought she would have him back. That the one person left in her life would support her as she healed. Just as she was trying to do for him. Instead, he had shut her out of his world. All she wanted at that moment was for him to be next to her, to feel his arms wrap around her as he laid next to her. Instead, she felt a cold, empty space where he should have been.

The princess could not help but let a few tears run down her cheeks. She was trying her best to stifle her grief, but it was too vast to be contained. She cried to herself, wiping the tears off of her own face. She remembered how Link used to comfort her, gently speaking to her and wiping them away with his thumbs.

From downstairs, Link heard her quiet sobbing. He knew very well that it was because of him, but he couldn't bring himself to go comfort her. He was angry, and not even her pitiful anguish could change his mind. As he tried to tune out her cries, his self loathing increased. He was a failure and a coward. But everything was beyond fixing, now.

~

When Zelda woke up the next morning, she wasted no time staying in that house. Staying there with Link wasn't going to make her feel any happier, so she set out to distract herself.

The princess found a villager who offered to give her a tour. She explored the area, purchasing some new garments as she went. As she finished looking around, she noticed smoke coming from a building up on a hill.

"What's that?" The princess asked.

"That's the Ancient Tech Lab. I've heard that some odd things have taken place up there."

Zelda nodded.

"Thank you for the tour. I hope to see you around later." She thanked the villager, heading toward the lab. She marched up the hill, letting the peaceful sunshine soothe her. When she reached the top, she knocked on the door of the building.

"Come in!" A high pitched voice said. Zelda frowned, wondering what a child had to do with ancient technology. Maybe that was one of the "strange things". Hesitantly, the princess opened the door. Inside the lab, there were two Sheikah. She recognized Symin, the man, but was unfamiliar with the young girl.

"Symin?" Zelda asked, having completely forgotten about him. "I thought you were in Kakariko... and where's Purah?"

"Hey!" The little girl shouted, "I'm right here!" Zelda did a double take.

"No way."

"Uh-huh!" She responded, winking and striking a pose.

"How did you... what?" The princess was absolutely lost for words.

"Malfunction with her new anti-aging rune." Symin responded.

"Hokay, enough about us!" Purah interrupted before the princess could ask further questions. "You're finally back, Princess!" She furrowed her brows, looking around for a moment. "Where's Link?"

"He's at his house." Zelda said solemnly. She looked to the ground, trying to keep the thoughts of him at bay.

"That's odd! I thought you two would be all over each other the second he saved you!" Purah winked. The princess couldn't even fake a smile, though.

"No..." She said sadly, "I thought so too, but he's changed." The Sheikah girl realized the severity of the situation and immediately changed her attitude.

"Oh, Princess! Don't worry. He's hurting all over right now, just like you are. He needs some time to realize that you both need each other. Just hold on!" She took Zelda's hand, giving her an empathetic smile. She felt her eyes watering, but didn't let the tears fall down.

"Thank you, Purah." She took a deep breath, looking around. "So... I don't remember this tech lab. Tell me, what has happened while I was gone?"

~

Somehow, Zelda ended up spending the entire day with Purah and Symin. She heard the whole story of the changes they had gone through, starting with Link being put to sleep. It was fascinating to the princess; she hadn't seen very much of the outside world while imprisoned in the castle. Just enough to guide Link. However, her land had grown and changed as it continued to survive without a leader. She was eager to see how the other places had transformed over time.

Eventually, she saw the orange glow of the sunset and decided it was best to head back to Link's house. A knot formed in her stomach on the walk back, dreading the sorrow she would feel in there. Why won't he give me a chance?

When she arrived, he only turned as the door opened. Once he realized who it was, he looked away, pretending he didn't even notice her. A few minutes later, he put dinner on the table, sitting across from her once again.

"Does it even slightly bother you that I was missing all day?!" She asked, feeling heartbroken. Link merely stared down his food even harder, trying to forget she was there. Zelda sighed, resting her head on her hands. The two of them endured a few more moments of silence, but she was growing more frustrated. Her fork clattered loudly on her plate.

"Do you really remember me?" He barely nodded, but it was enough for her to keep the conversation going. "Then I don't understand.. Why don't you feel the same as you did then? I waited one hundred years for you, but I didn't think it would be like this. Why is it like this?"

"I only remember things from the first twelve pictures on the Slate. It's not even close to enough." He said solemnly, wishing he could just disappear.

"So... do you remember... what we had?" He frowned. Was she really that lonely? He had never heard about anything between them, or seen anything for that matter. He shook his head.

"Why should I believe you, Princess?" She felt sorrow wash over her, as a terrible pain took over her heart. His words pierced her like arrows, wounding her even further. She stood up abruptly, her chair scraping loudly against the wooden floor.

"Good night, Link." She said in a shaky voice.

Once upstairs, she changed into her new nightgown behind a dressing screen, then climbed into bed. She was weak with grief and heartache, yet she could not sleep. She kept thinking about his hurtful words, trying to read into them more. The first twelve pictures on the Slate...

After an hour or so of twisting and turning, she finally got out of bed. The moonlight illuminated the planks on the floor, giving her just enough light to see somewhat decently. Carefully, she made her way downstairs, cringing every time one of the wooden stairs creaked under her weight. When she got down, she quickly made for the Slate, grabbing it then slipping outside.

Link was not asleep as she thought he was, though. He was just as perturbed as she was, but couldn't bear to go to her. However, he had noticed her sneaking downstairs, grabbing the Sheikah Slate, and going outside. Confused by this, he got up as well, walking to the window to look. The princess sat in his yard right next to the small pond. She was wearing a soft blue nightgown, bathed in pale moonlight. It was hard to make out, but he could tell that she was examining the Slate, looking at pictures. He noticed that she kept wiping at her face. She was crying again. He felt sorry for her in that moment. But he couldn't bring himself to go out there. She reminded him of so much pain, pain he couldn't bear to deal with. Instead, he watched the sorrowful princess, lamenting alone in the middle of the night.

Zelda examined the pictures, replaying each moment that surrounded them. She remembered taking them, and the events that had transpired in those areas. Nothing could have ever given him the idea of their relationship. She cursed herself for not taking more. She wished that somehow, she would have known to. But how? There was no way. She hadn't seen this coming, ever. It was too late, though. The princess did not even fight the tears as she sat there, by herself. He didn't even believe her... Why would she lie to him? Why did he despise her so? She tossed the Slate aside, hugging her knees. Just hold on, she heard Purah say. But, she didn't know how much longer she could hold on. She had been such a fool, thinking their struggles would just magically melt away when they were reunited. It wasn't the truth, though, no matter how badly she longed for it to be.

~

The next day, she left Link's house immediately after she woke up. When she went outside, she got caught in a conversation with a man named Bolson. When she learned that he was head of a construction agency, she grew excited. She thought back to her old home, now in ruins.

"I know you have no reason to believe me, but I... Well.. I'm Princess Zelda of Hyrule. And I would like you to help reconstruct the castle." Bolson laughed.

"Mm-hmmm. And I'm the Hylian Champion." He responded, still chuckling. Zelda frowned, taking offense to his ridiculing.

"It's true!" She stammered, "I can prove it to you!" A few minutes later, she brought back Purah and Symin, who confirmed it.

"How do I know you're not just telling them to say that?" He raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I know that Hyrule Castle is liberated, but what makes you think I should believe you're Princess Zelda?" She pointed to the crest on her hand, verifying the fact that she was indeed a descendant of the Goddess. Then, she raised her hand, feeling her power pulsate through her as she began to glow.

"Fine! I believe you!" He exclaimed, the slightest bit of fear in his eyes.

"Excellent." She said, satisfied. "Here's what I want you to do: gather a team and head to the Castle. I will pay you once the government is centralized again. But just think, you will be able to have the honor of working for the royal family." He nodded.

"I'll need you to pay me 1,000 Rupees to start off with, though." Zelda's face fell. She had nothing, that including money. How was she supposed to come up with 1,000 Rupees?

Nevertheless, she was determined to win.

"Deal." She said, shaking his hand. As she walked Purah and Symin back to the tech lab, they spoke up.

"Princess.. we can offer you 500 Rupees. But I'm afraid you'll have to come up with the rest on your own." Symin said sympathetically.

"Really?" They nodded. "Thank you so much!" Zelda exclaimed.

~

The princess spent the next three days frantically gathering Rupees. She went out and collected everything she saw, selling whatever she could to various merchants. She also offered to help out when she could at all the local shops. They paid her to work shifts here and there. She was exhausted from all of the work, but it was exciting. She had a purpose, and something to keep her mind off of Link.

And once she delivered the Rupees to Bolson, she felt like she'd accomplished something. Even he looked surprised.

"Well that was fast. Good work, Princess." She nodded, proud of herself. "We'll start next week."

"Thank you!" She chirped, waving as she walked away. And I didn't even have to ask for help.

~

On the fourth day, Zelda stayed cooped up in the tech lab, reading books on ancient technology, specifically the Sheikah Slate. In the afternoon, Purah arrived with an announcement after a brief outing.

"Princess! I have some exciting news for you! Check it!" She handed Zelda a letter, winking.

The letter was from a Zora diplomat, and it stated that Vah Ruta had mysteriously stopped working. They requested help, as none of them were well equipped to board the Divine Beast. Zelda finally cracked a smile, ready to investigate the technology. She hopped up and hugged Purah.

"Thank you for everything! I'll be leaving tomorrow, but you and Symin have been so kind!"

"Come back and visit soon!" The princess nodded, heading out of the door.

When she entered Link's house, her excitement died down quite a bit. She told him that they would be leaving for Zora's Domain the next day, to which he merely nodded.

Zelda was unsure, but she hoped traveling with him would help return things to the way they had been. She had to try, at the very least.

~

So yes new story. Sorry if I ruined everything I hope you enjoy the writing tho