From the Ashes of Hyrule

Chapter 1

Link rode through the forest, his loyal horse galloping proudly past all the trees and undergrowth. Princess Zelda sat behind him, her hands tight around his waist.
Link remembered. Link remembered everything. The Champions, Mipha, Daruk, Urbosa and Rivali, once trapped inside the four divine beasts, but now free. He also remembered Zeldas struggles with her father and her responsibilities, but also, Calamity Ganon, the evil that had arose once again, on Zelda's 17th Birthday.
It had been one hundred years since that awful event, but both Princess and Champion remember it very clearly. Despite his memory loss, the vision of Calamity Ganon haunts Link every night, rendering him sleepless. The skull like face of the monster inside Hyrule Castle, coming closer... and closer...

"While we're on our way to Zoras Domain, we need to discuss the future of the kingdom." Zeldas soothing voice broke Link away from his thoughts.
"Y- Yes, my princess. But where would we start?"

Zelda scowled. She hated how formal Link would be with her. As she watched over him, she witnessed him befriending many people, and sharing joyful times with them. Now, it was like they'd been thrown back one hundred years, but this time, the foundations of Links emotional wall had been toughened.

Shaking it off, she replied, "Well, we need to rebuild Castle Town. From there, we can even out the economy, but..."

"What is it, princess?"

Slightly angered by his stale response, Zelda clenched one of her fists that was holding onto Link. Doing so unbalanced her, but she grabbed onto Link at the last moment before she could fall off the horse.

"It- it's nothing! Forget about it."

Link gripped the reins of Epona, "As you wish."

A couple of hours had passed, and the two had decided to take shelter at Kakariko Village for the time being. A couple of Yiga had interrupted them on their way to Zoras Domain and they thought it wise to stop,

"The Yiga Clan may still be a threat to us. Now that Ganon has been sealed away, they'll be angry. We'll be their main targets, and I don't want to end up as something for the Yiga to take their anger out on." Zelda tightened her grip on Link as they rode through the gateway to Kakariko Village, "Will they accept us? A lot of suffering has been put upon these people. It's my fault..."

Link glanced over his shoulder, "It's not your fault. I- It's mine. I should have protected you at Fort Hateno, princess," he slowed the horse  to a trot as they neared the entrance, "Beside, Impa will be glad to see you."

Impa! How Zelda longed to see her old friend. It had been so long, and frankly, Zelda was overcome with joy knowing that she, along with Purah, Robbie, Kakariko and Hateno Villages had survived the Calamity. Only just, though. It had almost been too late. If she was only able to access her sacred powers before, the Champions would still be her. She knows what they would say, that she needs to stop carrying blame on her back constantly, but she can't help it. Whenever she thinks of her dear friends, she can't help but feel saddened. So many lives hurt by their deaths, Something which could have been prevented...

At that moment, a tear she had not known was sitting on her cheek, fell onto Links neck, making the Hero jump, stopping Epona all together. Turning around, he stared blankly at the mess of a princess in front of him, "My princess, are you-"

"It's all my fault!" Zelda burst out crying, burying her head in Links shoulder, soaking the neck of the Champions Tunic, "I could have saved them. Mipha, Daruk, Revali and Urbosa... All of them! And my father... He's right! I am a failure, and that failure caused his death and my friends as well... It should have been me, not them... They had friends, family that they talked to, shared memories with. I'm a nobody. All I was, was something used for rumours. Even at my supposed 'death', did anyone care? No!"

Link was speechless. Is this what she had been bottling up? He started to think about the whole situation. In hindsight, the Champions deaths could have been halted, if he had kept on fighting, and not fallen. Even that last ounce of energy as he fell to the ground at Fort Hateno... He himself felt as if he had some blame in this.

"No. It's not your fault. I shouldn't have given up. I fell, and Robbie and Purah risked their life to save me. You, most of all risked your life to save me. Had you not awoken your powers, I would be dead. We both would be. You had no idea they they would awaken, you were willing to sacrifice yourself, for what? I was on the brink of death, yet you did anyway. I almost got you killed. I got my friends killed." And with that, a single tear fell from Links eye. He was crying. He was actually crying.

Zelda looked up at him, her face wet from the first tears in a hundred years. She wanted to comfort him in anyway she could, but it was hard with his emotional barrier. She could see it weakening but, still he kept trying to build it up, trying to reinforce it. Anything to protect it, he would try.

By now it was nightfall, and that only meant danger, "C- Can we go to Impas house? We can talk there."
Link nodded, taking a shaky breath, then leading Epona to Impas house, "Y- Yes, Princess."