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It was a beautiful day in Hyrule. The birds were chirping, the sun was out, and a few puffy clouds drifted lazily across the sky. However, the Princess, her knight and her advisor weren't enjoying the weather.
Princess Zelda had decided it was time to start searching for buried reserves of relics like guardians. They had learned so much from digging already, why not try to learn more?
It was also an escape from her father's close scrutiny, which Zelda had been under ever since Link pulled the Master Sword out of the pedestal. He was watching her like a hawk, and every single time she came home from praying there was obvious disappointment in his gaze. It was really bothering her. She liked Link. Honestly. It was just... how did he achieve success so much more easily than her? But now wasn't the time to be jealous. The trio was paragliding to the specific tunnel entrance, and they were only about 30 feet from the ground. She dropped to the ground first, closely followed by her two best friends, Link and Impa.
Well, at least she hoped they were her best friends. They still acted very formally around her. But there were always those rare moments where they'd forget all of the rules and formalities and just be themselves.
She adored those moments.
Focus, Zelda, she told herself. Don't zone out now.
"This is the right entrance, I believe," She commented to her two friends. Link and Impa nodded.
We'll follow your lead, princess, Link signed. Impa nodded in agreement. "Tell us if you see anything suspicious."
"Understood," She said. She started to walk into the tunnel entrance, but a grunt from Link stopped her advance.
"Yes?" She asked, turning his way.
He and Impa had spotted a sign near the entrance of the passage. As she stepped closer, the text came into view.
CAUTION: UNSTABLE PASSAGE. ROCKSLIDES AND CAVE-INS ARE KNOWN TO OCCUR. MONSTERS SIGHTED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. PROCEED WITH CARE!!!!
"I'm sure it'll be fine," She said, dismissing the warning with a wave of her hand. "Come on, you two-father doesn't know what I'm up to and I'd rather him find out after we found something worthwhile. He might not yell at me then."
Without further ado she stepped into the tunnel, holding a lit torch aloft to light the way.
Link and Impa shared an incredulous look before following Zelda into the passage, both unsheathing their weapons to prepare for any monsters. They had gotten used to having the worst of luck on occasions where anything could go wrong.
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It had been a half hour, and nothing had happened. Zelda was growing impatient, and the other two more tense. The tunnel sloped here and there, curved a little, and that was about it. It was incredibly boring, to say the least.
Zelda was about to suggest they turn back when she spotted something that wasn't quite right. She darted ahead to a small patch of tan stone showing through the dusty dirt walls, and upon closer inspection, confirmed that it was indeed part of something from the ancient Sheikah.
But before she could do anything, Impa shouted, "MONSTERS!"
She turned and saw a moblin leading a gang of bokoblins toward them. Of course this would happen. Why couldn't they have come earlier, when there was no relics to be unearthed??
Impa and Link got into their battle stances and planted themselves firmly in front of Zelda. When the moblin swung its club at Link, he instinctively held up his shield to block it, only to find that the blow never came.
The club had smacked a large rock firmly embedded in the ceiling, but it obviously hadn't been very firm, because it fell, and many other boulders followed. Impa and Link darted around the monsters right as the horrid beasts were crushed by the oncoming entourage of rocks, which quickly formed a wall, separating Zelda from her friends.
After the rocks had stopped falling, Zelda rushed to a small peephole in the barrier. "Link, Impa! Are you all right?"
"Well, Link's fine, highness, and I'll be too once I get this stupid goddess-damned boulder off my leg!" Impa yelled back.
After a few seconds there was a grinding sound, a large thud, and a loud crack. Impa cried out, as if she was in pain.
"Everything okay?" Zelda asked worriedly, trying and failing to see anything useful through the crack.
"Sure-except-what the fuck Link-what were you thinking?!" Impa shouted, annoyance and pain evident in her voice.
There was a long silence, only momentarily broken by a few soft grunts from Link. He must be signing.
"Well, your punishment is that you have to carry me out of here," Impa growled, and she was met by an assertive grunt from Link.
"I still don't get it-what's going on?" Zelda questioned, though from what she'd heard she had a sinking feeling she knew.
"Link just randomly pushed this boulder off me-ungracefully-and broke my leg in the process!"
"Oh my-are you o-"
"I'm perfectly fine, princess," Impa interjected. "Let's just find a way to get you out of there."
"Alright then," The blonde said, already taking in their surroundings. The exit was, of course, on the side of the tunnel that she wasn't on. Wonderful.
She studied the rocks blocking the path. She had just spotted what could be a weak spot when she heard an all-too-familiar grunt behind her.
Bokoblins.
Well... with Impa injured and Link inaccessible... she would have to fight. Luckily she had actually brought a weapon, and one she could use well enough for that matter. Two Gerudo Scimitars. Urbosa had gifted them to her recently, because after the weapon training she'd given Zelda whenever there was time, she determined that Zelda was most fluent at daggers.
The bokoblins closed in, and she gripped the hilts of her daggers, trying to recall all of the training sessions with Urbosa or Impa. Quick and direct, aim well, don't miss. Fair enough.
Time to show the world that I'm not a complete failure at everything.
There were about six bokoblins, and the first one stepped forward to test the waters, waving its crude bat like a maniac and shrieking like one, too. Zelda easily doged its clumsy strike and, in one smooth movement, rolled between its legs, came up behind it, and stabbed it squarely in the back. It let out a horrific, high-pitched screech and disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.
Zelda smiled at her success. This wasn't so hard. If father saw her fight like this, would he be proud?
Or would he tell her to crush her silly dreams and focus on the primary task at hand?
Most likely the latter, unfortunately. She frowned as she moved in quick succession to defeat the other bokoblins. She loved her father, but why was he always so... controlling?? It drove her off the deep end sometimes.
But right here, right now, he wasn't here to criticize her. He wasn't here at all.
Her two best friends' lives were on the line, and if she fell they would be in trouble.
Screw you, father, she thought, and smiled. It felt good, not having to care about what she said. Being just a little more than a silly princess who had no power.
Maybe...
Maybe this freedom could last if she went undercover. She grinned as she stabbed the last bokoblin easily in the neck, leaving its parts and some rupees.
She'd ask Impa, Link, and Urbosa for suggestions.
(Hey, my HC for how a sheik could of started in hwaoc??? Just brainstorming. Also Zelda screwing her shitty father. Can I just say I loved that :). Enjoy reading @ArcheonZ if you see this. For you.)