XXXVII: Just Take Control

Before the Calamity

Warning: Suggestive Content

Zelda's POV:

Inside the cave, I threw my bag down and collapsed. The feeling of exhilaration left Link and I once we were far from the castle, and the realization of the danger we were in began to cloud our minds. I was terrified for Link–I had no idea what punishment awaited him if he got caught. He built a fire behind me, and I watched from the ground. I was stressed.

My clothes were still wet and cold, and I had nothing other than my ceremonial dress to wear. I nervously began to peel my shirt from my skin, and I lifted it over my head. Then, I stepped out of my sopping-wet pants and held them in my hand. I stood sheepishly in a bodice I made of a cloth band and my underwear while Link made the fire.

He glanced over and his cheeks immediately went red. He looked back at the fire, back at me to see if I was still looking, then quickly at the fire again.

"What?" I asked witlessly. I covered my waist and stood frailly.

Link didn't answer me. I saw him looking out of the corners of his eyes, trying to see if I was still watching.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked him. I figured he was overwhelmed after everything that happened, because he didn't say a word. I sat down and leaned against the wall of the cave. Luckily for us, someone left a blanket and a cot barely big enough for two in the cave, although Link of course would insist I have it to myself. They probably stayed in there often and left their things. I was cold, so I reached over for the blanket and covered myself with it.

"Feeling like a fugitive yet?" I asked, a small chuckle escaping my lips.

He didn't think it was funny. Bad timing.

"What's wrong?" I asked, trying again. "Won't you tell m-"

Out of nowhere, chaotic laughter filled the cave. It grew louder and louder as a gust of wind swirled around inside.

Yiga.

Link lunged for his master sword without a moment to think–it was never far from his reach. He jumped to his feet while I scooted back and cowered in the corner. The laughing made my stomach drop churn and the scraping of my feet against the dirt alerted Link that I was frightened and moving back. A determined look grew in his eyes.

"Begone, enemy of my master!" the Yiga spat in Link's face. Epona neighed outside the cave at the arrival of the intruder. Then, the Yiga appeared right in front of Link with a duplex bow ready to pierce his scarred skin. Time slowed while I watched Link fearlessly stare down the Yiga, ready to make his first attack.

Link dropped a rusty shield we had found on the ground and kicked it back towards me. I knew he wanted me to use it to shield myself. What is he doing? I thought. He's the one being shot at! 

The Yiga shot his first two arrows at Link, which he dodged with ease. As he jumped out of the way, one of the arrows hit the shield. Link gasped and whipped his head around. Seeing that I was safe, he turned back around to face the enemy. Link followed the Yiga's attack with one of his own; he sprinted toward the clansman with his sword held high and slashed down. The Yiga fell backwards, stunned, and disappeared. However, I knew he was still in the cave.

All of a sudden, three blue chuchus jumped out of the ground and surrounded me. I covered my mouth mid-shriek, trying to avoid distracting Link. I was cornered.

He heard me and turned around, his eyes widening with concern. He turned his back to where the Yiga had been and rushed over to me. He attacked two of the chuchus with ease while I pushed the other away from me with the shield. As I pushed, the shield pulled away from me and I lost my grip. The chuchu absorbed it. It made for a perfect opportunity... for the Yiga.

The Yiga reappeared as he flipped through the air, drawing back his bow and aiming... for me. I turned around and inhaled sharply as adrenaline shot through my body. I looked wide-eyed at the Yiga, fear pulsating through my every nerve. Time stopped. There was nothing I could do.

The Yiga released the string and the arrow came racing through the air for my throat. I shut my eyes, and heard the nauseating sound of the arrow piercing skin... but nothing hit me. I opened one eye slowly only to see that Link had jumped in front of me without hesitation. I could see his body shaking as he lost strength, but he proceeded to kneel, facing me, and put his hand up against the wall, completely shielding my body.

"Link, stop! You are going to get yourself killed!" I tried to shove him away so that he wouldn't take another shot for me, but he didn't budge. Slowly, he raised his head and made bone-chilling eye contact with me. He wouldn't leave me unprotected. Arrow after arrow struck him in the back, and every time he was hit his face winced in pain, but he refused to break. I could see the agony in his eyes as they slowly dulled from wounds. His panting slowed... and I realized he wasn't going to move.

I picked the Master Sword up off the ground and stabbed the remaining chuchu with it, causing it to evaporate along with the shield. After killing it, I forced the sword into Link's hand. My vision was fogged by the glossy tears welling in my eyes, and I looked at him, silently pleading for him to do something. For his sake.

I heard the Yiga plant his feet on the ground. He slowly walked towards us, cackling under his breath.

"So, this is where it finally comes to an end! Here is where the Hero and the princess will lie," the Yiga declared. Link's face winced in anger at those words. "In a cave, of all places! And the worst part–nobody will know where you are or be able to find you." The Yiga gritted his teeth. "You will rot in here."

Link clenched the sword and flipped it around.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Hero, you are too slow. Far, far too slow. And–also, Princess, pardon me asking, what are you wearing?" I gulped, then became less focused on the disgusted sarcasm in the Yiga's voice when he raised a vicious sickle above Link's head and laughed, knowing that he was about to end the only thing that could stop the Calamity.

"Link, no!" I shrieked as I clutched his tunic.

Still looking into my eyes, Link thrust the sword into the belly of the Yiga. The Yiga gagged and fell to the ground in shock, his weapon clanking as it hit the ground next to him. Link's breathing slowed even more as he looked at me, trying to distract me from the violence that just occurred. He dropped the sword and put his right hand on the wall while maintaining eye contact.

"This isn't where it ends," the Yiga gasped behind him. "This is only the beginning..."

Slowly, the Yiga dissipated into the air and the cave became silent. Link collapsed on top of me with no strength left to hold himself up.

My breathing escalated as I began to panic. I rose my shaky arms to move Link so that I could see how many arrows had hit him. Three. He took three arrows for me.

"Link!" I cried as I looked at him lying helplessly on the ground. I began to cry once I realized what I had to do. "W-we have to get these out of you," I said, my vision blurred by tears. I knew better than to just rip out an arrow, but my options were limited. I picked up his sword and gulped. "Are you- are you r-ready?" I asked him, trembling. His eyes told me he was terrified, but he slowly nodded his head, not saying a word. I didn't want to do it, but I knew he would die if I didn't. A tear rolled down my cheek as I opened the wound on his back with his own sword, the sword he used to protect me. He cried out as his body writhed in pain. I noticed his nails digging into the dirt and his breathing was shaky–I hated watching this. I hated seeing him in pain.

"It's- It's okay," I tried to comfort him as I made a big enough opening to pull out the arrow. "You're going to be just fine," I whispered, my voice cracking. Then, I pulled out the arrow. Link fisted his hand and beat the ground with it. I turned my head away and cried, raising my forearm to wipe the tears spilling onto my cheeks. My body shook as my cries uttered no sound, trying not to worry him with what I was seeing. "Only two more," I whispered. One by one I got the last two arrows out of his back as his blood pooled around the wounds.

"Oh, Hylia," I said under my breath. 

I scurried around and dug through a saddle pack, finding a wrap and some gauze. I returned to Link who was facedown in the dirt and I pressed three gauzes into his wounds. His body winced upon the pressure I applied, so I stroked the back of his head, hoping to relieve him in some way. I wrapped three bandages over the gauze and around his torso. It wasn't perfect, but it would do.

I gently flipped Link over on his side so I could see his face.

"Are you okay?" I whispered, my eyes swollen and red. I cupped his face in my hands and tried not to break down. Emotions flooded my mind as the scene replayed over and over, watching Link nearly throw away his life to protect me. He endured so much physical pain in the last few days for me... it made me want to scream! I couldn't bear the idea of losing him. 

"You," Link gasped while looking at me with his gorgeous blue eyes.

"Wh-What?" I stammered, visibly confused by his response that didn't answer my question.

"You asked me what I was thinking about wh-when we were sitting by the fire... It was you," he said weakly.

Chills ran down my spine. 

"You were... you were thinking about me?" I whispered. I couldn't stop looking at him. Our unbreakable gaze... it was as if I could feel it inside of me, like I physically felt connected to him.

"About... how beautiful you are."

My heart skipped a beat and time slowed around us. All there was was me and Link, looking in each other's eyes. It felt like he was calling me towards him, and I leaned down close enough that my mouth was teasingly hovering over his. Our breath combined into one, and I let the passion take me over.

I leaned down just enough and kissed him.

A warm sensation filled my body as his lips pressed back against mine. I wanted to explore him, feel every scar along his body knowing they all were a result of him protecting me. I couldn't describe the infatuation that engulfed me, but in that moment, I knew I wanted all of him. Was I moving too fast? I didn't know, but I sure as hell didn't care.

It felt like we were weightless, as if we were floating in the endless abyss of the night sky. I drug my fingers tenderly down his chest, feeling wounds that scarred him and the blood-stained bandages I wrapped around his body... I slid my hand up to his face, feeling overwhelmed with bliss. I felt so close to him, like I was his. I felt completely and utterly exposed to him, and as we kissed, I could barely believe that he was feeling the same way I did. It was about time that we just gave in. Everything about him intoxicated me. He toyed with my every weakness, sending heat rushes through my body, making me feel numb–and he didn't even know it. Every emotion I ever had towards him, every time I was plagued by the thought my love was unrequited, it all led up to this moment. Link wasn't one to make moves, so I decided that I couldn't be tortured anymore and I started unwrapping my bodice.

Link pulled away, looking at me with concern in his eyes. I looked at him softly. "It's okay," I said. I nodded at him like he always does to me, hoping that would give him enough reassurance to continue.

"You're the Princess," he whispered, not judging me but still treading cautiously.

"Shut up I don't care!" I said, nearly shouting. I caught Link off guard. "Sorry," I said softly.

At those words, the crease between his eyebrows slowly relaxed. He gently reached behind my neck and pulled me in again. I tossed my bandage-bodice across the cave and leaned into him.

As time progressed, the barrier between our bare skin became less and less. I was enveloped in passion. In that moment, there was nothing in all of Hyrule except Link and I, enveloped in the daring passion we felt for each other. My lips fit perfectly in his; our mouths moved together in unison. I knew in that moment that our bodies were made for each other–I fit perfectly wrapped up in his arms. I felt completely protected up against him, and I felt his muscles writhing under his skin with every slight movement. Tension arose in our bodies and I asked him to move to the cot.

He stood up, picking me up and placing me on the cot. I yearned for the warmth of his body in the seconds that we were apart. He squeezed next to me, reuniting our bare skin.

As I ran my hands down his back, I felt the wounds where the arrows struck him. "Does this hurt?" I mumbled between a kiss. "No," he breathed. I knew it hurt. He just wouldn't tell me.

I was overflowing with intense emotion. The boy who protected my life from painful ends time and time again was shielding me from the outside world once again. Just like before, when he blocked my body from the Yiga's arrows, he blocked my body from being with anything that wasn't him. In that moment, nothing else mattered but Link.

His calloused hand ran slowly up the inside of my thigh, causing me to gasp. Pleasure erupted in my lower stomach and my legs quivered. He broke away and rested his head on my shoulder. Both of us breathed heavily, and I could feel his heartbeat against my chest. I ran my fingers through his hair while he rested his head. After some time of regaining his strength, he raised his head slightly and looked at me with a gentle smile crossing his face.

I blushed and looked away. A soft giggle escaped my lips before I turned back to him.

"What?" I asked, feeling overwhelmed by his gaze.

"Just let me look at you," he said. A violent smile grew on my face–there was nothing I could hide from him anymore.

I slowly moved my head over to tell him something. Link and I had been through so much. There was no telling when Ganon would come–he could return tomorrow. I didn't know how much time we had left... so I knew I had to say it then. I never meant anything more in my whole life. I never wanted anything more in my whole life. This... this was enough. I realized then, that there wasn't anyone in all of Hyrule that I trusted more than him–more than Link. I loved him.

"Just take control," I whispered in his ear as I exhaled fully. He raised his head over me and looked in my eyes.

He didn't say anything. He didn't have to.