Foundations

foundations

gift exchange with @deuynndoodles !!

on ao3

word count: 2k

zelda is sent to the era of the sky instead of to rauru and sonia; totk!zelda meets sksw!zelda

“Link!”

The ground cracks beneath Zelda’s feet, and she gasps. Looking up at Link, her mouth opens to call his name once more, but she is suddenly falling - down, down, down.

He turns, his eyes widening at her yell. Before Zelda knows it, he’s jumped, and they are both falling. Desperate, Zelda throws out her hand. Link reaches back for her. They’re so close, their fingers almost touching-

And then, he is out of reach.

Zelda is helpless as she watches Link fall further away. A warm glow trickles up her body, enveloping her. Because everything is in slow motion, she thinks to herself, This must be my end.

However, Zelda’s end does not come to be. She blinks, and she is drifting softly to the ground, unharmed. A stone ceiling stares down at her, vines growing over it. Sunlight beams through large cracks up ahead.

Zelda sits up, scratching her head. Where is she? She moves her head around, noticing that this place looks similar to the Forgotten Temple. She moves to her feet and brushes dust off her outfit. She hopes that Link’s safe, too…

Something (or rather, someone) catches Zelda’s eye as she ascends the stairs. A pillar had blocked her view when she landed, but this person is now in full sight. It’s a girl, golden hair trailing down her back, wearing pants and a layered shirt. She’s looking out around the temple, so she spots Zelda soon after Zelda spots her.

“Oh!” The girl says. “Who are you?”

“I’m,” Zelda sputters. “My name is Zelda, I’m the daughter of King Rhoam of Hyrule.”

The girl gapes at her, eyes wide. “You’re?”

Zelda’s eyebrows furrow. “Is there a problem?”

“No, well, yes, but…” The girl bites her lip. “My name is also Zelda. I’m…” she stops for a moment, puzzling over how to introduce herself. “...the Spirit Maiden, some call me.”

Also-Zelda’s face falls to a gentle smile, one so familiar it almost feels like a gick in the gut. “You’re the Spirit Maiden,” Zelda gets out. “And your name is… Zelda… so you must have powers of the Goddess…!”

This makes Also-Zelda nervously chuckle. “Yeah, I do… well, really, I’m Goddess Hylia incarnate.”

Zelda’s heart stops. “What?”

“Um, are you okay?” Also-Zelda’s eyebrows furrow.

“You’re Hylia,” Zelda breathes.

“Technically, yes… but  we should worry more about getting you home safely. Zelda, I think you’re-”

Zelda’s body moves on her own. She grabs the girl’s hands, holding them at the wrists. She’s not physically strong, but the weird stone now sitting in her pocket makes her feel powerful enough. Hylia gasps and jumps back, trying to tug herself out of Zelda’s grip.

This is all happening so fast. But if she and Link have been suddenly taken away from each other again, if Hylia’s swooped in to “save the day” by snatching Zelda after that mummified figure destroyed everything… Zelda will take this opportunity to yell at the pathetic Goddess.

“What have you done to Link!?” Zelda exclaims. She squeezes until her knuckles turn white. Hylia’s eyes are wide with panic.

“You know Link?” Hylia’s voice is somewhat steady, but her expression gives her away. Good. Let her be afraid.

“Do I know him? You, of all people, should know how much he means to me!” Zelda hisses. “Where is he! Where did you put him!?”

“I-I don’t know if we’re talking about the same person!” Hylia cries.

Zelda huffs, her anger growing. “My knight, who laid down his life to protect me!? Who I desperately waited for for a hundred years!? Who, despite everything, still came back to help me!?”

“Oh,” Hylia breathes. Her face is suddenly stone-still. “Oh.”

“Do you remember now!? How you let him die, because you chose to be late!”

“Oh, Zelda,” Hylia’s lip is wobbling. “I’m so sorry.”

“You should be! The people of Hyrule… the Champions… my father…” Zelda begins to sniff. “You… they believed in you, and you let them all die…”

Both Zelda and Hylia fall into tears. Zelda’s grip subconsciously releases, and Hylia’s hands wrap around her own face. An overwhelming wave of sadness crashes over Zelda. All those people. All those people the woman in front of her refused to save. But Zelda can’t will up any more anger.

“The curse,” Hylia sobs. “No…”

Zelda’s not paying attention. Her tears drip onto the floor; she can taste the salt on her lips. Everyone. Everyone is dead. And she’s been trying her best to get used to this new reality, but without Link by her side… Without the two supporting each other, she doesn’t know if she can handle this.

She lost him so quickly. Again.

When Zelda finally notices the other girl’s hand touching her shoulder, it had already been there for a few minutes. She looks up, pausing for a second. And suddenly, this girl’s face is not Hylia’s. No, she’s just another hylian, no different than Zelda herself.

“I’m sorry,” Zelda says, ashamed. “I don’t know what… I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” the girl murmurs. “It’s not your fault. The Goddess’ blood… it can be a curse, too.”

“Are you really Hylia incarnate?” She can’t help but ask.

“Yes, but…” a slight pause, “I’m not her. I’m Zelda.”

Zelda nods. “I understand.” She feels horrible. 

Also-Zelda holds her arms out, “Hug?”

Zelda accepts. The other smells like… feathers. Feathers, and the very essence of the sun. This sun-kissed girl is just as much of a victim of Hylia as Zelda herself is. Maybe she’s even a reincarnation. And Zelda just screamed at her like she was dirt.

Opening her mouth, Zelda’s about to apologize again, but she’s interrupted.

“By the way…” Also-Zelda’s saying. “I think you might have traveled through time to your distant past.”

The hug is shoved apart so that Zelda can give Also-Zelda a bug-eyed stare. “What!?”

“It’s only a theory!” Also-Zelda confirms. “Look, you said you’re princess of Hyrule, right?”

Zelda nods, “I guess I am. Hyrule isn’t much of a monarchy anymore, though.”

“In my time, right now, Hyrule doesn’t exist,” Also-Zelda explains. Zelda blinks.

“You mean,” she says, “You mean it hasn’t been founded yet!?”

“Yes…?” Also-Zelda makes a nervous chuckle. “But we’re settling on the surface right now, and if that’s what the future holds, then… Goddesses, you might be my descendant! You have light powers too, right!”

“You’re the first Queen of Hyrule!?” And here Zelda’s gone again; she’s managed to spew nonsensical insults at not only her ancestor, but her ancestor who is also the founder of her kingdom! Incredible!

“Maybe? Not yet? I don’t know!” Also-Zelda laughs. “Oh, I need to take you to Skyloft! Then we’ll figure out how to get you back home… and where your Link is… I promise!”

“Thank you,” Zelda smiles. “But, um, Skyloft?”

“It’s where I live, half of the time! I was just down at the surface to see what we should do with these grounds,” Also-Zelda replies. “Wait - are you afraid of heights?”

“Um, not really?”

“Perfect, come on!”

And that is how Zelda ends up in the middle of the sky, clutching onto a large blue bird for dear life. If she wasn’t scared of heights before, she definitely is now. The Loftwing, as First Zelda (easier to say than Also-Zelda) calls it, is apparently being slower than usual, but Zelda is already feeling a bit of motion sickness. First Zelda tells her that they aren’t too far from Skyloft, and that she can rest soon.

Zelda is grateful when her ancestor is right. Before long, they jump off and land on a deck. First Zelda rolls into it while Zelda slumps over. She wonders how Link could possibly enjoy paragliding so much.

“Are you alright?” First Zelda laughs, offering Zelda a hand. She takes it.

“Dizzy,” Zelda answers.

“You get used to it after a while. It took me a few years,” First Zelda shrugs.

“Great,” Zelda rolls her eyes. They both giggle.

“I guess I’ll just bring us to my dorm, since Link and I’s house is on the surface,” First Zelda ponders. “It’s this way.”

Zelda follows the other. Her scholar brain immediately latches onto her surroundings, visually checking every nook and cranny. Weird green fruits. Hearts growing on plants. Colorful buildings, and imagery of those Loftwing things everywhere.

First Zelda leads her through a gate, and then into a large building. They walk up the stairs and into her room. There’s a large picture of First Zelda and a tall man behind her, which Zelda assumes is her father. Zelda notices some wooden figurines on the counter. She picks one up.

“Oh, Link made that for me,” First Zelda grins. A blush rises on her face. “He’s really good at woodcarving.”

“It’s pretty,” Zelda comments. “Is it your Loftwing?”

“Yes!” First Zelda smiles. “I didn’t think you’d notice!”

Zelda shrugs and places the bird back.

A knock sounds on the door, and First Zelda yells, “Come in!”

The door opens to reveal a boy with light brown hair, holding two bottles with something orange inside. He’s wearing a green tunic and hat on top of some chainmail.

“Link!” First Zelda lights up. Wait, that boy is Link?

“Hi,” Link (First Link?) says. “I brought you soup.”

“Oh, you are the best,” First Zelda gives him a hug. He smiles.

First Link turns to Zelda. “Who’s this?”

“Princess Zelda of Hyrule,” Zelda knows it’s overboard, but she bows her head. Sure, maybe it’s just to see the look on this guy’s face when she does. “...But now, I’m really just a scholar.”

“She’s traveled back in time to us,” First Zelda says.

First Link blinks. Then he blinks again.

Then, he offers one of the flasks to Zelda, asking, “Would you like some soup?”

Zelda considers it for a moment. “Yes, thank you.”

First Link gives Zelda the soup. It tastes almost like Kakariko pumpkins, and the warmth of home almost overwhelms her. She barely overhears First Link telling First Zelda, “I’m going to go back and get myself a bottle, too.”

“Can I talk to you outside, before you go?” First Zelda says to him.

Zelda can feel eyes turning to her and back. “Yes, of course.”

The pair tell Zelda they’ll be just a moment, then shut the door behind them. Slowly, Zelda places her cup on the desk. She creeps over to the door, and listens out. She’s not much of an eavesdropper, but intuition tells her there’s something suspicious about this.

“...here because of Demise, Link. You and I both know it.” First Zelda’s voice is in a hushed whisper. Zelda can barely make it out.

Silence. 

“When she heard I was Hylia reincarnated, she started yelling a bunch of things… and I, it made me worried about the future…”

More silence. Oh, Zelda realizes. He’s signing.

“I don’t know, either. Or how to get her back there. But her Link… she said he died.”

A pang hits Zelda in the chest.

“...Yeah. I think it was the curse that brought him back. At the very least, a new Link.”

Curse?

“It’s not. It’s not fair, not at all. I’m… I’m so sorry.”

Zelda’s eyebrows furrow.

“Shh, I know it’s not my fault… It’s just, that’s your spirit dying in battle…”

There’s a curse, a spirit, and something about Link being immortal. And First Zelda told her nothing about this.

“Link, don’t say that…! It’s not your fault, either… it’s all Demise’s.”

What else doesn’t she know? Things that might help her know where Link is? How to get home?

“It’ll be okay. We’ll figure this out. I promise.”

Zelda pulls back from the door. She sits on the bed, pondering. First Zelda also promised to her that she’ll find a way to find Link and go home. But there’s all these things she’s not telling her… granted, they haven’t officially done any searching yet, but judging by the whisper-sign combination, Zelda wasn’t supposed to hear about this at all.

Who are these people? Zelda thinks to herself. How is this girl so like and unlike Hylia at the same time?

But most of all, Zelda wants to understand one thing.

What is the curse?

☆

"yeah sorry, it hasn't met her daily quota for violence yet, and you look very stabbable."

save me loz fairies save me....