Free to Love - A Zelda x Link Fanfiction

XXVIII: Vah Ruta

Zelda's Perspective:

I woke on the floor. It was baffling at first, but then the memories came floating back. As anxious as I was last night, I was glad I had that talk with Link. I didn't know what it meant for the future or what it even meant now, but I knew, for the first time in a while, I felt sincerely happy.

Link's cold towel was gone, thankfully, and I had a sneaking suspicion Mipha had something to do with it. I didn't mind, I knew Mipha would keep our secret both as a friend and out of respect for us. I had to thank her later.

I managed to crawl to my feet, my joints popping stiffly as I stretched my arms overhead. Unsurprisingly, sleeping on the floor was not good, at least according to the harsh cracks my knees and ankles made when I flexed them. Link, however, seemed to not be in any discomfort, spread across the ground with his limbs splayed in bizarre directions. His hair had slipped out of the ponytail, the loose blonde locks now hanging around his face. I took pity on him, picking up a throw blanket and pillow from the bed. I managed to toss the blanket over his large frame, granted, he was so spread out that there was no possible way the blanket could totally cover all of him. I pressed the pillow near his head, figuring he might eventually adjust himself while sleeping.

I dug through my belongings to find more clothes to wear, settling on a pair of simple riding pants, boots, and a top. I rushed to the bathroom to change, managing to comb my hair into something resembling decent-looking. If my assumptions were correct, I only had to check Vah Ruta and Mipha's progress with the ancient Sheikah machine before Link and I could travel off again.

I didn't bother with breakfast, deciding to take a short stroll on the walkways and enjoy the luxury of shelter and bedding before we were forced to return to the forest beyond. Not that I minded, I was eager to see new places.

I walked outside to the palace's open courtyard and was greeted by the blindingly-bright sun being hidden behind some massive being. I shielded my eyes, allowing my eyes to focus on the beast that was surrounded by a halo of the sun's light. I was surprised to see how smoothly the Divine Beast was moving. The ground lurched as the lumbering machine stepped through the shallow pool surrounding Zora's Domain.

I hadn't seen the Divine Beasts in what felt like a while and it was embarrassing to admit that I sort of forgot what they looked like. Vah Ruta wasn't the largest, but it still towered above the walkways by at least sixty feet. The Beast's trunk waved back and forth gently with each lumbering step. The gears near the back of the animal churned and the power fueling the machine flowed pink. I didn't understand how Mipha could control something so large with such smooth precision.

While the beast was terrifying, it moved with a fluid gentleness that only Mipha could've achieved. I watched in awe as the machine churned forward, the water splashing over the ridges of the pool and up the pillars holding the Domain above. The trunk lifted upwards and, as the gears moved faster, a spray of water flew up into the air. Vah Ruta held a surprising amount of water, as it all sprayed in separate directions and fell on the walkways with loud splashes. My clothes clung to my body and my hair swung and stuck to my face. The beast settled against a dock built into the Domain, where Mipha could climb out of the machine.

Mipha grinned as she stepped out of Vah Ruta's belly, practically glowing with excitement. The walkways were relatively clear so she wasted no time in finding me. She grabbed her dress with one hand, yanking it up so she could jog over and, before I could even say a word, wrapped her arms and held me tightly. I was a fair amount taller than her, the embrace forcing the poor Zora to stand on her tip toes to reach my chest.

"That was amazing, Mipha!" I exclaimed as I stared at the beast just over her shoulder. She smiled, pulling away and rubbing her fingertips along the fins of her hair bashfully.

"You flatter me," she laughed, a flush as red as her scales staining her cheeks. "Don't feel obligated to over-exaggerate like that."

"I'm not," I swore, as she linked her elbow with mine and began to walk down the pathways. "You move it with such elegance and precision, incredibly impressive considering that the machine is as large as it is." I marveled at the weapon for a moment, stealing amazed glances at it over the Mipha's head. "How often to you practice using it?"

"Oh, not often," Mipha responded. "I suppose a few times a week. I try to whenever I have free time but we've been busy preparing for Ganon." Her gaze turned to her feet, her soft smile disappearing. A darkness washed over her face.

"Oh," I said, awkwardly, fighting the urge to run away from the awkward turn of conversation. Sometimes I forgot that Armageddon would be upon us and it still shocked me every time I heard it. "Busy with what?" I asked.

"Well," she paused, "the Domain is much more vulnerable than the other regions. Our entire city is build onto pillars that suspend us over the water. We have more room to use the waters below and we have more room above than if we built our city directly on the water. Because of this, my father and I suspect that the structural integrity of our kingdom could, in theory, put us in more danger than we initially thought."

"Yes, that makes sense," I agreed, rubbing the goosebumps from my skin. She nodded, attempting a half-smile.

"On the other hand, how is our savior's power resonating?" she asked. "Have you found the key to unlocking it?"

"No," I sighed. "Link claimed that he saw a surge of power emanating from my eyes a few nights ago, but I haven't noticed anything particularly peculiar. I haven't felt any surges of power."

She quirked her brow at me before a thoughtful expression moved across her face. "Ah," she said, slowly. She stole a glance at the bedroom, hoping I wouldn't see it, before smiling at me. "So, what happened last night?" she asked.

Immediately, my face flushed and Mipha stood straighter, smiling brightly. "Oh, did you..." She paused, a sly smirk pulling at her lips. It too me a moment to understand what she meant and when I did, I hid my face in my hands.

"Oh, goodness, no!" I exclaimed, peeking through my fingers and pushing Mipha slightly. "Get your mind out of the gutter!" She grinned widely, her cheeks flushing pink from how much she was smiling. "Nothing happened, I swear!"

She grinned, linking her arm with mine again. "Alright, alright," she conceded, still smirking. "Tell me what happened, then." She pulled me away from the castle and, if could've been my imagination, but I swore she stole another glance at my window.