Chapter Text
Link woke just before the sun.
For a moment, he lay still beneath the light sheets, staring at the carved wooden canopy above him, listening to the quiet morning.
Without hesitation, he reached, to the small table beside the bed and took hold of the Sheikah Slate. His hands always knew what to do, even when the rest of him did not.
The screen flickered to life, with note titled:
READ THIS FIRST
Link exhaled softly and sat up, drawing his knees slightly closer as he began.
Your name is Link, you are a knight of Hyrule.
He paused there, just briefly.
You were in coma for one hundred years, due to fatal wounds. While your body healed, your memory is damaged. It came back in parts, but not fully.
That, too, felt familiar, as something he had already accepted many times before.
Your condition is getting worse. You have trouble forming new memories.
Link’s grip on the slate tightened slightly.
You can remember skills, places and events. But new people will fade if you are away from them too long.
He swallowed.
If you forget someone, read notes or look for a name. Staying in one place and keeping routine helps.
Link lowered the slate for a moment and rubbed his eyes, then looked back down.
You are not in your own time.
Link remembered all that, but he always read everything just in case.
You were in the catacombs beneath Hyrule Castle with Princess Zelda, to investigate gloom. Then you found pinned body. Suddenly, the corpse woke up and a small, glowing, stone slipped free and hit the floor. Light exploded and you were sent to the distant past.
Link’s breath caught slightly. The memory itself was fragmented, light without shape, a feeling without context, and those terrifying eyes of a mummy, but the words anchored it enough that he believed them.
While Link could not trust himself, he had learned to trust the slate.
You are currently in Hyrule’s past. King Rauru and Queen Sonia have taken you in. They know you are from the future and that you have issue with memory. They are helping you.
A sense of warmth stirred at that. He remembered them!
Queen Sonia is working on a time ritual to send you back. You must return. Princess Zelda needs you.
Link read that line twice, his chest tightening, though the feeling slipped away before he could fully grasp it.
He forced himself to continue.
Important:
Write everything down, every day. Read your notes every morning. Do not trust your memory.
Link let out a quiet breath.
That, at least, he understood. That rule had never failed him. He scrolled further.
Newer entries appeared. They were shorter, and less structured, since Link made them during the previous days. Observations, names and small details mostly.
He skimmed quickly at first, then slowed, when he found description of people he met with photos attached if he could make them.
Rauru - King of Hyrule, Zonai, kind, patient, speaks carefully. Trust him.
Sonia - warm, perceptive, notices when you forget things. Trust her.
Link nodded faintly, committing the words again.
Carefully, he lowered the slate. The room remained still. Sunlight had begun to creep through the curtains now, soft and golden, brushing against the polished floor.
Another day. Link stood and moved toward the window. For a moment, he simply looked out over the beautiful landscape of the past Hyrule. At least he was remembering places.
Then, he turned back, picked up the slate again, and added a new line beneath the others.
Morning. I remembered everything after reading this.
He hesitated, then added:
I think.
Link stared at the words for a long moment.
Then, with a quiet exhale, he set the slate down.
And began his day.
The air in the catacombs was stale and unmoving, each step echoed loudly.
Link kept one hand on the hilt of the Master Sword, the other loose at his side, his senses stretched thin in the dark. Beside him, Zelda moved more slowly, her lantern casting a warm, flickering glow across the walls.
-Look! -she said softly, though there was an unmistakable excitement in her voice.
Link stepped closer.
The first mural emerged from shadow in pale gold and ochre tones. A tall figure stood beside a Hylian woman, their hands joined. Carved light spilled from them in sweeping lines that seemed to grow outward, branching into rivers, fields, and towers rising from the earth itself.
-The beggining of Hyrule! -Zelda said, her voice reverent. -The first king of Hyrule was a Zonai who married a Hylian priestess.
Link nodded faintly, but his attention had already shifted, since something further along the wall drew his eye.
The next mural was larger and darker.
And unlike the first, it did not radiate outward but pulled inward.
-The Demon King... -whispered Zelda looking at massive figure dominating the stone. Even worn by time, he was broad-shouldered and towering, carved darkness coiled around him and clunged to his form.
But that was not what held Link still.
In his arms was a small young Hylian.
The carving here was more detailed than anywhere else in the mural. The young man was draped in ceremonial robes, the fabric etched in soft, flowing lines that contrasted sharply with the rigid strength of the one holding him. The Demon King’s one arm was curved around Hylian's waist, second palm pressed against Hylian's palm.
Link stepped closer without realizing it.
The angle of their bodies spoke of closeness. The Hylian leaned into him, one hand rested lightly against the Demon King’s chest, fingers spread as if feeling the heartbeat beneath. His head tilted upward, expression soft and trusting.
Zelda’s light trembled slightly as she lifted it higher.
-Hyrule sought to avert war. They came to him with terms, but the records suggest Demon King refused them and named his own price: a royal ward as a spouse. According to the oldest texts Demon King was not content with the bond, -Zelda said softly. -but became consumed by it
Link’s gaze did not leave the mural. Demon King's face had been worn by time, but not enough to erase his the expression.
His features were still, but eyes burned with hunger. Like his entire world, in that moment, had been reduced to the person in his arms.
The next mural broke the stillness.
The Hylian was gone. The Demon King remained but altered. His body twisted forward, arms outstretched into empty space, fingers carved mid-grasp, reaching.
His face was carved deeper, harder. His mouth was open in silent scream. Flames consumed the edges of the mural, licking upward toward the carved sky.
-Then the Hylian disappeared, -Zelda said, her voice quieter now. -No one knows how.
Link did not move.
-Demon King believed his husband had been stolen from him.
The next carving showed violence. The Demon King loomed over a fallen queen, one hand outstretched toward something that glowed faintly even in the worn stone.
-He took the secret stone, -Zelda continued. And declared war.
But Link’s attention had already drifted back to the first image. The way the Hylian and the Demon King had looked at each other. As if nothing else in the world had ever mattered.
-That’s… -Link’s voice faltered slightly.
He cleared his throat.
-That’s a very sad story... -he whispered.
The final murals showed battle and sealing. The Demon King was bound beneath the earth, his body restrained, his power contained.
But even in chains his eyes were carved open and mouth curled in despair.
The corridors grew quieter the deeper they went. Stone replaced polished floors, light softened from gold to a cooler, steadier glow. The air carried a faint hum.
Link walked between Rauru and Sonia, his gaze moving over unfamiliar details: etched symbols along the walls, faint lines of light embedded in the stone, devices he could not name.
They stopped before a wide doorway carved with intricate geometric patterns. The hum in the air deepened.
Rauru stepped forward.
-She is within, -he said, his tone calm but carrying a quiet weight. -My sister has studied matters… beyond most understanding. If there is anything to be done, she will see it.
Link nodded, though the reassurance did not fully settle in his chest. Sonia glanced at him, her expression gentle.
-It will be all right, -she said softly. -Just answer her questions honestly.
Inside, the chamber opened into a space unlike anything Link had seen. The walls curved subtly inward, lined with unfamiliar instruments: crystalline structures, suspended rings of metal and light, surfaces that glowed faintly. At the center stood a raised platform, surrounded by devices.
Beside it a figure turned to face them.
Link stilled and for a moment, something in his mind tried to place her, but wasn't able to.
She was composed, tall Zonai, there was an intelligence in her gaze and the way she held herself.
Confusion flickered across Link's face.
Sonia noticed immediately.
-You have not met her before, -she said gently, stepping a little closer to him. -It’s all right.
The tension in Link’s shoulders eased slightly. The Zonai inclined her head.
-I am Mineru. -she said.
Link reached for the Sheikah Slate almost immediately.
-Mineru, -he repeated under his breath as he typed quickly.
He paused, glanced up at her, studying.
-Zonai, Rauru’s sister, scientist, -he added.
He hesitated, then looked back at her, more directly this time.
-May I… take a picture? -he asked without embarrassment. -If I don’t, I’ll forget you by tomorrow.
Mineru regarded him for a moment, then she nodded.
-You may.
Link lifted the slate, steadying it for a brief moment before capturing the image. The device gave a sofy chime. Link lowered it, exhaling quietly.
-Thank you. -he said.
Mineru gestured toward the central platform.
-Lie down.
Link obeyed without hesitation. The surface was smooth beneath him, cool through the fabric of his clothes. He rested his head where indicated, his gaze drifting upward toward the ceiling, where faint lines of light traced regular patterns.
Mineru moved beside him, activating one of the devices. A soft glow gathered above, coalescing into a ring of pale light that hovered just above his head.
-Remain still. -she said.
Link nodded.
The light descended slowly. It did not touch him, but he felt strange pressure in his head. Like Link was observed from the inside.
The chamber fell silent. Sonia watched from the side, her hands loosely clasped, her expression composed but focused. Rauru stood beside her, still as stone, his gaze fixed on the process.
Mineru’s eyes moved across the shifting patterns of light as they reflected against the device’s surface. Data, unseen to Link unfolded in intricate layers.
Time stretched then the light dimmed. Mineru stepped back.
-You may sit up.
Link pushed himself upright slowly, his hand instinctively finding the edge of the platform for balance and looked at her.
Mineru did not speak immediately.
She turned slightly, adjusting one of the devices, her expression thoughtful.
Then she faced them again.
-The structures responsible for facial recognition are impaired. -she said with even tone.
Link’s fingers tightened slightly against the edge of the platform.
-You are able to perceive faces, -she continued, -but your mind does not retain them correctly. It fails to anchor identity to image.
Link swallowed.
-That is why people become unfamiliar, -she added. -Even when you have seen them before.
He nodded once. He had known that already, just had not known the words for it.
Mineru continued.
-Your memory systems are also… unstable. They do not encode new information in a consistent manner.
Sonia’s expression tightened slightly.
-You can learn skills, Mineru said, glancing briefly at Link. -You can navigate space. These functions are preserved. But personal memory, likes faces, names, relationships, degrades rapidly.
Silence followed. Link looked down at his hands, then, slowly, he reached for the slate again. He began to write.
Mineru watched him, then spoke again.
-There is no method available to restore these functions.
The fingers stilled.
For a moment, Link did not move at all.
-No cure? -Sonia asked quietly.
Mineru shook her head once.
-Not here. Not now.
The words settled heavily in the room.
Mineru’s gaze shifted slightly, her tone sharpening.
-There is another concern.
Link looked up.
-You do not belong to this time.
He stilled.
-For a stable mind, the creation of new memories in a displaced temporal context is… disorienting.
She paused, choosing her words carefully.
-For you, it is destructive.
Sonia inhaled sharply.
-The longer you remain, -Mineru continued, -the greater the strain. Your memory degradation will accelerate.
The room seemed to tilt slightly. Link’s grip tightened around the slate.
-I… -he started, then stopped. He looked down again.
Sonia stepped forward, her voice soft but firm.
-We will not let that happen.
Link looked up at her.
-I will find a way to send you back, -she said. -As soon as possible.
Certainty in her tone steadied Link.
He nodded.
-Thank you... -he said quietly, but the words felt distant.
After a moment, he slid off the platform.
-I think… -he hesitated slightly. -I would like to go for a walk.
Sonia studied him with concern.
-To the forest, -Link added. -I remember the paths. I won’t get lost.
That part, at least, he trusted.
-And we have the banquet this evening, -he continued, as if reciting something important. -I’ll be back before then.
-That is acceptable. -Rauru inclined his head.
Sonia hesitated only a moment longer, then she nodded.
-Do not go too far.
-I won’t. -Link gave a small, reassuring smile.
He turned, the slate already in his hand again, fingers tightening around it as if it might slip away if he did not hold on firmly enough. He thanked Mineru and left.
The deeper Ganondorf walked into the forest, the quieter the world became.
The sounds of armored footsteps of his warriors faded and at last there was only wind moving through leaves and the distant cry of birds somewhere above the canopy.
It was peaceful.
He disliked how much he needed that word lately.
Ganondorf exhaled slowly and loosened the clasp at his throat. The Hylian court would expect diplomacy and carefully measured respect tonight.
A tedious game... yet not entirely pointless.
The proposed treaty had surprised him. It was suspiciously good: fair borders, established trade routes. Shared access to water reservoirs during drought seasons. Even military cooperation against monsters in the eastern regions.
Rauru was either sincere or very good at pretending to be.
Neither possibility sat comfortably with him.
Take the stone.
The voice slid through his thoughts like hot oil.
Take the queen’s stone. Crush the king. Take the kingdom.
Ganondorf’s jaw tightened from annoyance.
The voice had accompanied him for as long as he remembered. Sometimes he thought it was just his own instinct. But sometimes it felt like an alien presence.
And it wanted endlessly.
More land, more power, more submission.
It never stopped hungering.
Usually, Ganondorf agreed with it.
Why should he not?
He was strong enough to conquer, clever enough to rule. The Gerudo deserved more than surviving between sand and stone while Hyrule flourished beside rivers and forests. War and blood did not frighten him. If Hyrule resisted, he would burn its gates down himself.
Yet lately the voice’s hunger irritated him. Because it was never satisfied. Even victory only birthed new demands. Take more, break more, conquer more.
Until ambition became directionless consumption.
As a Gerudo, Ganondorf disliked waste. And the proposed peace would secure his people for generations. A rational ruler would consider that carefully.
Take everything, the voice murmured.
Ganondorf stopped walking.
Sunlight filtered through branches above him, breaking across dark tunic and red hair.
His hand rested loosely on the hilt at his side.
Why was he hesitating?
Perhaps because true kings chose war when it profited them, not because they were slaves to appetite. Perhaps because part of him resented the thing inside his own skull whispering commands as though Ganondorf were merely another puppet to steer.
He had spent his entire life mastering others.
He had no desire to discover he himself was mastered.
Ganondorf closed his eyes briefly and breathed once, trying to outrun the voice for a few moments of silence. Then a soft sound broke the stillness. Ganondorf’s eyes opened immediately. The voice went still, like a predator lifting its head.
Ganondorf turned toward the disturbance and then he saw saw sunlight moving through blond hair. Young Hylian, was slipping between roots and shadows, light on his feet, as though he belonged to the forest.
Ganondorf’s gaze sharpened.
The boy was a contradiction.
Small, and delicate at first glance with his fine feature and hair falling to his shoulders catching stray light.
But there was a sword at his side and a bow across his back. He got the posture of someone who knew exactly how to use both.
Ganondorf’s eyes lingered on his face.
The boy’s gaze drifted over the forest, appreciating it and yet... there was distance in it.
And he voice which always accompanied in him... it purred.
Ganondorf’s lips curved slightly.
-Well, -he murmured under his breath. -What are you?
He quietly moved closer. The forest should have warned the boy.
It didn’t.
Ganondorf was almost upon him when the Hylian stilled. He didn't turned, but something in him shifted. Then he turned and blue eyes met his. Boy immediately recognized the danger and without hesitation he drawn sword in one smooth motion. And he lunged.
Ganondorf laughed, delighted and drawn his own sword.
Steel met steel.
The boy was faster than he had any right to be. He wasted no motion, he did not strike wildly, each movement was calculated and controlled. Ganondorf matched him easily. He could end this and overpower Hylian, but he played instead.
Turned aside a strike, stepped back, let the blade pass just close enough to feel its intent. The boy pressed forward.
Ganondorf’s grin widened.
-Yes, -he said softly. -That’s it.
He stepped into the rhythm and matched the boy’s movement. At some point it became a dance. The boy pivoted, Ganondorf followed.
A spin, and then Ganondorf caught him from behind. He blocked boy's sword with his own. And put arm around his middle, pulling him back against his chest.
Ganondorf leaned down, breath brushing golden hair.
-Got you. -he whispered.
He could feel Hylian's warmth and heart beating so fast that it could break free from boy's ribcage.
For a second the boy stilled. Then he twisted, breaking the hold with surprising strength. He slipped free and leapt back, blade raised, breathing hard.
Ganondorf did not pursue.
He could have. He wanted too. But instead he let him go.
The boy hesitated only a moment then turned and vanished into the forest. Gone as quietly as he had come.
Ganondorf stood still for a long moment after.
Then laughed under his breath. The voice in him purred again, deeper now. Ganondorf’s gaze lingered on the place where the boy had disappeared.
-…Interesting.
That evening, the forest felt very far away. Stone replaced trees, torches replaced sunlight.
Voices replaced silence.
Rauru and Sonia stood at the center of the hall, welcoming, their court arranged around them.
Ganondorf entered as a king and proudly stood before royal couple.
And then he saw him, standing at Sonia’s side.
The boy from the forest.
Boy was completely transformed. Gone was the wildness of the forest. His hair had been brushed, falling neatly over his shoulders.
Fine robes draped his frame, light and elegant, marking him as something precious within this court. He stood composed with hands politely folded before him.
But he had the same eyes.
They met Ganondorf’s.
...but there was no recognition. There was caution and distance for sure but no recognition. The boy studied him like one studies a stranger.
There was no shift of familiarity in those eyes. Nothing.
Ganondorf’s smile returned.
Ah. So that was the game. Pretending you don't know me. Interesting, very interesting.
His gaze lingered just a moment longer than courtesy allowed. The boy did not react. Ganondorf felt something shift in his chest.
Curiosity and something darker.
The voice in him purred again.
Ganondorf inclined his head politely to the court.
But his eyes did not leave the Hylian for long.
You hide it well, he thought.
His smile deepened.
But you will not slip away for the second time.