***WARNING: GORE ****
Consult a Dear Friend

!Link Lanayru Wetlands

I took my leave at midnight.

The Blood Moon flared with anger, its rays pounding like fists of fire against the castle's windows.

Y/N slept cuddled to my side in the medic's office. Hylia, forgive me, but I had to do it. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself should something happen to her, and so I snuck away with nothing more than a loving peck on her forehead. I held my breath as I roamed the castle's sullen corridors, not wanting to arouse anyone's attention. As soon as I made it outside, the coolness of night drifted against my skin, instantly making me lament leaving Y/N's warm body.

I filled Epona's saddlebags with enough supplies to make it to Zora's domain. As I glanced up at the window where the medic's office lies, I saw Zelda's eyes peering down at me. She simply nodded in my direction.

Her green eyes narrowed into slits of warning, reminding me I could only disobey her so many times.

The feirce deity mask must be used. It was not up for debate.

I mounted Epona and made my way forward through the Lanayru Wetlands.

The mask constantly reminding me of my duty.

And through its harassment of reminders, sometimes it would laugh.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

"No!" Kilton wailed.

In his bare hands, Kilton had pinned down a fawn. Its eyes were emboldened by panic as it flitted its scrawny limbs back and forth.

"How dare you fight against me, you pathetic fool. You are nothing more than a marionette. Know your place when you answer me."

Kilton fell to his knees. "A Marionette. But you and I- we are friends, aren't we?"

The acute and taunting voice of Majora was gnawing in his mind. Slowly chewing away at the remainder of his thoughts. The remainder of his sanity. Kilton took this mask in hopes of making a friend. Something told Kilton that even though he never had a friend, this wasn't how they behave.

"Of course, we are friends. As long as you do what I say."

Behind the mask, Kilton's eyeballs were peeled backward into the back of his skull. "Kill!"

Kilton's fists reached around the neck of the fawn, his hands clasping shut, choking it. The panicked eyes that searched for its mother searched in vain. The struggling limbs slowly came to a halt, the body going slack as a single, final breath from the fawn drifted into the atmosphere.

Kilton felt tears burn his face as they trailed down his chin and slipped away from the mask. They plopped on the lifeless body of the fawn. The fawn who did nothing wrong, like many of the people who would die in Hyrule because of Kilton's own insatiable lust for revenge.

His insatiable lust to say he had a friend.

It was too late now.

He couldn't save Hyrule, and he would never know what it was like to call someone a friend.

The mental torment of Majora continued. "You're not much fun anymore. Perhaps I should play with the moon instead."

Kilton knew what would happen if he tried to fight back. He would kill more innocent creatures. And so, he remained silent, the only weapon in his arsenal right now.

"Do you want to play with the moon, Kilton?"

His body jerked forward as he hobbled into the darkness of night to continue his assault of terror. Behind him, gnats began to flock around the dead body of the fawn.

Its eyes remained open. As if it had finally spotted its mother.

❤️❤️❤️

The back of Link's hand was drenched from the sweat he swiped off his forehead. An electric Lizalfos jumped around him, scoffing him as it pranced around and squawked.

Then it hurled a blast of ice his way.

Link threw his shield up, the ice shattering against it. The shield's metal became so frigid, he could almost feel the frostbite through his armor.

"This is ridiculous!" Link grunted. Not only had the sheer number of monsters tripled since he left the castle, but they had mutated. Now they were wielders of multi-elemental magic. Something unprecedented in Hyrule's monster compendium, at least to Link's knowledge.

If Y/N were here, I'd ask her. Link felt a pang of guilt in his chest for sneaking away. But he had made the right call. It would have been treacherous to bring her along.

Link pulled an arrow from his quiver and shot the Lizalfos straight in between its eyes.

Y/N's anger is also treacherous. Link shuddered to himself.

Link hopped on Epona and continued onward. He had traveled for about two days straight, sparingly taking breaks in between. In the past forty-eight hours, Link had slept a grand total of four. His eyelids were swollen with the desire to close.

But he pressed on. Ignoring the needs of his body.

Well, not all the needs of his body. He thought of the warmth that radiated from Y/N as he cuddled against her. The audacious way she dared him to make a move on her.

Did she have any idea what she was asking?

Link shook his head to himself. At Y/N's core, she was gullible. Innocent. He grinned to himself as he reminisced about the adorable way in which she would look away from his half-dressed body.

Then he thought of her in Gerudo Town. The lines and contours in that skimpy outfit made her body a map with only one direction for him to travel.

South.

To Link's left, he recognized Ruto Lake. The Great Zora Bridge lay just ahead.

Link felt his breathing grow heavy as his thoughts quickly began to snowball. The image of the buttons flying off of her as she was pinned against that tree.

The curve of her backside strapped against him during the aerial challenge.

Link slowed Epona to a stop. He got down and fed Epona an apple from her saddlebag.

"Just give me a moment girl...there's something I must take care of."

He could ignore eating, sleeping, and drinking.

But there was one need he just couldn't seem to ignore anymore.

❤️❤️❤️

Link had finally arrived in Zora's domain. His cheeks still kissed with red from the impromptu moment of passion he had selfishly allotted himself.

But the release was fleeting. It did little to alleviate the need that had overcome him.

This frightened Link.

A voice called out to him, tearing him away from his trance. "Link? My friend, you've made it safely! I would never doubt that you wouldn't!"

There stood Prince Sidon, champion Mipha's brother, and his loyal friend. Sidon glided toward him, causing Link's eyes to cast up toward the statue of Mipha that staggered among the center of Zora's domain. Her tranquil gaze was as healing as it was when she was alive.

Now it looked patronizing. As if she were looking down on him. As if she were saying, "I know what you just did, Link."

A hefty, fin hit his back, jostling him forward. "Say Link, everything alright? You look a little off." Sidon threw Link one of his usual dazzling smiles. In the background, a few Zora girls were swooning.

"Everything is fine. How are you, Sidon? I suppose you know why I've made a pilgrimage here."

He gave Link a hefty laugh. Everything he did was amusing to Sidon. "Well, friend, we do have a bit of a problem on our hands, don't we? I suppose you will need to commission the aid of Vah Ruta. No doubt, I will lend it to you, Link."

Link nodded up at Sidon, whose mighty stature loomed over him. Link opened his mouth, but Sidon intervened. "And Kilton- yes, I have our guards keeping a lookout for him. You can count on me, Link. Always!"

"How did you know about Kilton?"

Sidon laughed, "A young Hylian visitor beat you here!"

Link froze. "A... young... Hylian..."

"Hello Link." You appeared from behind Sidon.

"Y/N?!" Link stumbled forward in shock. He began to flail his arms. "Are you mad? How in Hylia's name did you get here?"

Sidon put a fin around your shoulder. "Actually, she was spotted by some of my guards off of Mercay Island. She mentioned being a friend of yours, and, of course, I had her escorted back to the domain. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine!"

"Sidon and I were just having some tea. Come sit, Link. You look terrible."

Link growled. "Well, four hours of sleep in two days does that to a person. What about your ankle?"

You rolled your eyes at Link. "Relax doctor, I managed to elevate it while I was on Reisz, and I took breaks! Unlike some people, goddesses, Link, when is the last time you've eaten?"

"I can have the cook fire you up some Sanke carp, Link! Say the word!"

Your mouth fell open at Sidon's suggestion. "Wait, Zora eat fish?"

Sidon nodded. "Yes, we Zora abide by the food chain of Hyrule's many seas. Bigger fish eat the little fish, as they say."

You gave Sidon a starry-eyed look. "Everything about the Zora is so fascinating!"

"Well, after we eat, I can finish showing you Ruto's tablets! They're a must-see as a historian!"

"You two are awfully chummy." Link snapped.

"Come, let us have a supper to celebrate Link's arrival, and then I can let you two have some rest." Sidon wrapped an arm around you and an arm around Link, hoisting you both up and carrying you.

"Link, he's so cool! No wonder you hung out with him the majority of the coronation ball."

Like the mighty waterfalls that surrounded the domain, Sidon's laughter was quick to spill from his lips. "You're mighty cool too Link's friend!"

"Please, call me Y/N."

Sidon continued to greet his fellow Zora as he carried you and Link into King Dorephan's grand hall. Your banter was silly and lighthearted with the Zora Prince.

Unbeknownst to you was a not-so-silly and lighthearted knight. He ate dinner silently. Quietly scoping out the newest possible competitor for your heart.

Link almost preferred that you ramble on about the Hero of Time.

At least he was dead.

Edited:11/05/2023