After The Tears

Chapter 19: In Plain Sight

Over the coming days, everyone felt like someone was watching them, and to a degree it was true. Link was spreading his spirit across Lookout Landing feeling for any suspicious behavior. It took a while but eventually, Link's plan worked and revealed the mole. Link had spotted a researcher named Darius making contact with Yiga assassins. Summoning, Sky Link asked him to keep an eye on Darius while he followed the assassins to their hideout. It was late into the night when Link returned having successfully located a hideout. In the morning Link told Zelda about what he had discovered leaving Zelda a little disappointed it was one of her researchers.

Zelda: What should we do? I don't think confronting him now is a good idea.
Link: I agree it's not the right time to confront him, we could use him to bait a trap later.
Zelda: That sounds good. By the way, I received word that Riju and Tulin have discovered some of their hideouts.
Link: Good but there must be others, the surface is littered with natural caves and there's no telling how many hideouts are in the depths. If I could still make flying machines this would be easier.
Purah: I might be able to help with that.
Zelda: Oh, Purah, I didn't see you there. I take it your Zonai Tech Reversal project has had some success.
Purah: We have made a sizable breakthrough with being able to replicate Zonai devices and I have made a prototype gauntlet that simulates the ultrahand ability. I was going to present it to you, Link, since you have the most experience using it, I made it to fit your offhand so you can still use your sword. This might only work for Link, see when I was giving Link a physical examination after defeating the Demon King there was some kind of residual energy in his right hand. It wasn't there before the upheaval and it doesn't match the energy put off by the other sages.
Zelda: Meaning it has to be remnants of the Zonai powers Link got from the shrines. Impressive work, but how did you detect this energy?
Purah: With a device I used to detect gloom buildup in the body but when we were searching for the previous spirit sage, Mineru, I modified it to detect and identify other energies.
Zelda: INGENIOUS, BRILLIANT! But how did you get it to work in his left hand when the abilities were in his right?
Purah: It's rather simple really, the source of the abilities is in his right hand but the gauntlet will emit them from his left. I was unable to replicate ascend, but fuse, ultrahand, and auto build should work the same.
Link: I can't wait to try it out!
Purah: Judging by what I overheard that time will be soon. But please keep in mind this is a prototype, there are going to be some errors I'll have to work out. Do let me know if anything happens. Now I've heard nothing but trouble today, the next time I walk by here I want to hear wedding plans.
Zelda: Purah, you know we have other things we must attend to, we will have to
Purah: Put yourselves second? I'm sorry Your Highness, but you two only put yourselves second. It's high time to put yourselves first for once, it would do you both a world of good. I'll handle coordinating with Hudson Construction, the Yiga hunt, and the other kingdoms.
Zelda: (chuckles) Okay, on one condition, you don't refer to me as "Your Highness", always hated being called that especially by my friends.

With Purah taking on the majority of the responsibilities Link and Zelda took a moment to think about themselves, much to Purah's satisfaction. Zelda wanted to have the wedding at one of the goddess statues but their locations were in disarray. Link suggested Hateno but the distance from Gerudo Town and Rito Village made Link retract the idea. He knew their friends would travel any distance to be at the wedding but it would bother both Link and Zelda greatly.

Zelda: I didn't think a wedding location would be so hard to pick.
Link: I didn't think so either, but wherever you want is fine with me.
Zelda: Funny, I was going to say the same.
Hudson interrupts
Hudson: Excuse me, Princess, I thought I would let you know the statues of the first King and Queen have been erected. It's also worth mentioning that most of Castle Town has been rebuilt. Is there anything else while I'm here? If not I will start on the harbors Miss Purah mentioned.
Zelda: That's great, thank you, Hudson.
Link: Actually there is something else, another statue to place in Central Square.
Zelda: What statue...oh, I see what you are thinking.
Hudson: Sure thing, statues are my specialty. Who is the statue for and how tall?
Link: The goddess Hylia, taller than the statues of the King and Queen.
Hudson: A statue...of the goddess...it would be an honor, I'll get right on it. Oh, I couldn't help but overhear your wedding plans, congratulations. I won't say anything to anyone but you might want to find somewhere more private if you want to keep it a secret, the castle perhaps.

Link and Zelda blushed with embarrassment, they were trying to be discrete but were not as secretive as they first thought. They began to wonder if anyone else had overheard, they weren't ready to make any public announcement. Picking up their thing Link and Zelda walked up to the castle, something they hadn't done in a long time, since just before the upheaval. Zelda paused, remembering the last time she walked up this path. Link went to Zelda and taking her by the hand, gave her a look saying "Everything will be okay". With a deep breath, Zelda stepped forward hand in hand with Link ignoring the onlookers. Making it to the castle's sanctum Zelda was starting to feel shaky as the memories of what happened below them came to the front of her mind

Link: I don't think we will be disturbed here. You started trembling when we got to the sanctum, what's wrong?
Zelda: It's nothing, just some bad thoughts.
Link: No, it's not nothing. You don't have to put up a front for me.
Zelda: It's...memories I tried to push back...memories of the calamity, the demon king. They all lead to here, to this spot.
Link puts a hand on Zelda's shoulder
Link: When I first entered this sanctum after your disappearance it was all I could do to not fall on my hands and knees. The second time Ganondorf used a puppet with your appearance to mess with my mind. Standing here now I'm remembering it all, but I won't let the past haunt me again, not when the future is looking up. Do you remember what you told me when my memories, or the lack thereof, started to bother me?
Zelda: "We must move on from the scars but we don't have to do it alone", I remember. Okay, the pain is still there but it is more manageable, I should take my own advice more often.
Link: Your wisdom is one of your best qualities.
Zelda: And your courage is one of your best qualities, well that and being a great cook.

Using a piece of rubble as a table Link and Zelda sat down and picked up where they left off. Thanks to Hudson agreeing to the carving of a goddess statue, they both agreed that Central Square would make for a good spot. The date remained undecided but they knew it would be after things settled down with the Yiga as a wedding would be too large a target for them. Before they knew it night had fallen with only the flickering campfires lighting up the night. Link began to pack their thing up when Zelda stopped him. Zelda wanted to sleep in the castle, even if it was on the hard ground. Knowing how much it would mean for her Link set their things down and found some wood for a fire. With a fire going and weariness taking hold Link and Zelda fell asleep in each other's arms.