Chapter Text
The creature beneath him gave a long and deep rumble of passivity.
Not submission. Never submission.
But acceptance.
Link ran his gloved hand down its neck, scratching gently when he felt it start to reluctantly purr. Its fur glowed ethereally, circles and swirls gleamed iridescently.
The geometric pattern made his eyes cross as they flipped between pink and green. One of its frond antlers flicked as it turned its head, one of its two faces eyeing him carefully. He let the spirit study him with a glowing gaze as he continued to scratch drowsily.
Taming Satori had taken a lot out of him, even after taking an energizing elixir.
Letting his hand fall, he slumped forward against the creature with a sigh. It wouldn’t buck him off now; it accepted him.
It recognized him as one it protected, for he was just as untamed and wild as the forests, after all. Sticks and dirt clung to his hair and clothes; his eyes were sharp and his wits clever; energy spurred him forward with leaps and bounds; animals nuzzled him like kin. The wild had left its mark on him. No longer did nature against him; it welcomed him.
Satori made circles around the pond as blupees unhid themselves. It let out a confused huff which had Link looking up.
The creature was still staring at him.
Its eyes seemed to glow brighter, then, as did the world around them. It craned its neck to be face-to-face with him, twisting unnaturally. He leaned forward as it nudged his nose.
A strong breath from the beast sent his hair back and a shiver wracked his body, cold and sudden. He gasped as the ice was sent running through his veins. His hands froze and his limbs locked. It felt like he’d chugged four bottles of a chilly and energizing elixir each.
His fingers curled around Satori’s mane until the feeling passed.
Suddenly more tired than before, he rested his body against it.
Hopefully, it wouldn’t mind if he took a small nap.
The windy air of the Tabantha region swayed the trees and grass like the tides of a great ocean. Flora covered every inch of land as far as the eye could see. Sunlight beat down on the small pond and reflected off the water like gemstones, the fish inside bathing in the warmth as deer took sips from the surface. Flowers bloomed in abundance around the edge, splashing the scene with violets and reds.
Not a cloud covered the vast blue sky above, so wide that he could see every airborne bird.
Link sat with his back to a tree, a safe distance away to watch the wildlife around him. He’d never known a greater peace than the one he felt out here, running his fingers through the earth and breathing in the scents of life.
There was no threat now.
It was something he’d taken to chanting in his head like a mantra.
There was no threat now.
He was free.
The champions were free. Zelda was free. Hyrule was free.
Link was free.
There was no threat now.
Of course, some things remained to be dealt with. The Yiga Clan, for example, was still active. Their bloodthirst only increased after the death of Master Kohga and the defeat of Calamity Ganon.
Zelda’s sudden appearance meant that a country that had stayed mostly self-sustaining would go back to a Monarchy. They still needed to travel to the remaining settlements to talk about Coronations or possible revolts.
The economy would no doubt shift soon. It had become a pure market-based economy in the absence of The Crown, and they weren’t quite sure how much they could change without it collapsing.
The rebuilding of Castle Town and Hyrule Castle itself was being sorted out, a project that would take a few years, but The Bolson Construction Company had already offered to lend their hands in the efforts now that the monsters and Guardians were dealt with.
Although she hadn’t explicitly said it, he knew that Zelda was expecting and hoping that he would help gather recruits for the army and Royal Guard and that he would train them as the new Commander-in-Chief.
Which was a whole thing owned to itself: being the new Commander.
He wasn’t sure he was up for it, or even capable enough for it. But he would do anything for Zelda, he knew that.
But that still left… another issue.
His chest ached.
Link breathed in the breeze once more, feeling the land blossom around him as he closed his eyes. A fish in the pond turned course. A sparrow landed on a tree branch twenty yards away. A bear sniffed at the ground down the hill, looking for roots.
The Swift Violet at his feet needed more sun.
One of the deer had spotted him, standing stock-still as it studied him.
Link opened his eyes to meet the buck’s gaze.
There was no threat now.
It looked away.
The idea of being confined to the castle once more scared him, to be honest. Though he had practically no memory of Before, emotions lingered. The body remembers when the mind doesn’t. Link wasn’t a fan of what his body remembered.
He doesn’t want to be trapped anymore.
Not by rules, laws, oaths, blood, Kings, blades, or Shrines.
He was free out here. Where the Earth knew him and he knew the Earth, he was free.
Link gave one more deep breath and stretched his arms and back, feeling the joints pop satisfyingly before pulling to his feet and walking down to the pond.
The Swift Violet bloomed.
Zelda was going to throw a fit when she saw him again, his nice outfit smudged with dirt and twigs embedded in the nice braid she had done that morning. He huffed a laugh. The stag raised its head at his approach, ear flicking, and pushed its cold nose into his raised hand. Something that used to startle him, but was now so natural he didn’t think twice about it.
Flank brushing against his side, he and the deer walked down the length of the frontier in peaceful silence. The only noise was the sounds of their breathing and the nature around them. The stag’s cloven hooves stomped on the grass in beat with his quiet steps.
It looked at him with a tilted head. What are you planning next, it was asking.
I’m not sure yet, was his response.
You are a strange creature. Your body isn’t right.
Link didn’t humor it with a response. It was right, of course, but a blessing could be a curse at times. He eventually had to tell Zelda of what happened on Satori Mountain, and of the creature’s gift. It wasn’t as if he could hide it from her; she watched him do it from the castle. She still seemed shocked when he shifted, but the shock was soon replaced with the familiar gleam of a scientist.
Thankfully, she seemed to realize that making a lab rat of him would most likely scare him off, so she settled with just listening to the crazy stories regarding him and his new form.
Another step. His feet felt wrong.
We have time before I must return, He glanced at the stag.
It took a few steps further and turned towards him with a stomp to the ground. Then get on with it.
The world could never feel more right when on four legs.