Remember When...(Link x Reader)

|| Chapter 12 || They Become Stars

Edited 03.05.23

After regaining control of Divine Beast Vah Ruta which saved Zora's Domain from the threat of severe flooding, Link and you chose Death Mountain as your next destination. There, Vah Rudania undoubtedly awaits, in need of similar 'repairs'.

You left the Domain before sunrise, reaching the mouth of the Zora River sometime around two in the afternoon (due to many delays caused by lizalfos) where you were able to call your horses and travel by horseback for the rest of the day. By the time the sun fell behind the mountains, you had already set up camp near Ternio Trail.

Since this morning and in between the numerous monster interruptions, Link has explained to you the challenges he had faced inside Vah Ruta, making sure not to miss a single detail regarding the complex puzzles and aggressive enemies he had encountered.

"There were these little Guardians in there - real short ones compared to the Decayed Guardians we've seen so far, but they weren't difficult to defeat, in fact they were kinda slow to react to any of my attacks," he goes on even now, feeding Celeste and Epona a few apples which each take gratefully, "I had more fun fighting them than doing the water puzzles, not that those were difficult either, I've just been burned out on water lately will all the rain, you know?"

His joke doesn't invoke much of a response from you, merely a hum as you poke at the newly made fire burning brightly in front of you. It blankets the entire camp in a blinking orange hue and does its job of keeping you warm so long as you don't stray too far from it.

Done feeding the two mares, Link heads back to the fire, sitting down on the opposite side as you with his legs crossed, "The hardest part by far was at the end when I tried to activate Ruta only for this giant boss monster to appear. It had this big spear, too, that it would throw across the room at me. Eventually it flooded the ground level, so I had to swim in between platforms just to find a spot I could shoot at it from. The good thing was, once I realized how it fought, I was able to form a strategy and I got the hang of things better. Killing it was what freed the Divine Beast in the end."

With glittering eyes, he waits for a possible response from you, secretly hoping you'd ask more about the details of his lone endeavors, yet you just nod, "Nice work."

Not too fazed by your lack of interest, Link fidgets with his fingers while thinking aloud, "...That beast was called 'Waterblight Ganon' as in 'Calamity Ganon'...Why do you think that was?"

Now you're paying a little more attention, curling your knees to your chest and resting your chin on top, "...I don't know."

"Maybe the sorcerer made it with his magic? Like a curse-thingy?"

You shake your head at Link's suggestion, snorting quietly, "Curse-thingy? Really?"

"I don't know magical terms!" He pouts, staring down at his fingers for a bit longer before his expression goes more serious, "...I saw Mipha, too - and not just a memory of her either. I actually saw her. We got to talk and everything."

You lift your head from your knees, eyes focused on the boy who glazes deeply into the fire ahead with a soft yet sorrowful smile tugging at his lips, "...She said she could be at peace now and thanked me. I avenged her by killing Waterblight Ganon and freeing her spirit which will allow her to use Vah Ruta to help weaken the sorcerer's attacks...but..."

"'But' what?"

Link bites his lip, shaking his head, "...I don't...I don't feel like I deserve her thanks. I don't really feel like I deserved it from her or anyone else back there."

You frown, shifting your position to have your knees under yourself, "Why not? You saved Zora's Domain and fixed Vah Ruta. If that's not heroic, then I don't know what is."