Hateno Beach

Zelda sniffed the salty sea air, and grinned with delight. Despite the blindfold on her head, she could clearly tell to what location Link was bringing her. The ocean winds whipped her white summer dress backwards, and pulled at small strands of her shortened hair. She heard the sounds of waves hitting the shoreline amidst the sound of her bare feet hitting the sandy path.

“I hear waves! Are we at the beach?” Zelda asked Link, looking towards the ocean. His hands suddenly tightened on her shoulders, and she heard a disappointed mumble from Link. Zelda couldn’t help but laugh, and felt the blindfold being slowly lifted off her head.

Zelda looked along the coastline, amazed at the beauty of the beach before her. She felt the sand between her toes, and the strong winds against her body. The beautiful silent gaze along the coast was interrupted by Link suddenly sprinting past, and motioning to Zelda to follow. He threw off his shirt mid-sprint, and Zelda’s heart fluttered at the sight of Link’s bare, battle-scarred chest. Clad in his trousers, he waded knee deep into the water and whistled towards Zelda to follow.

Zelda laughed and followed after him, her immediate cares thrown into the wind. She chased him down, ambitiously following him down the shoreline. Every time Zelda thought she’d come close enough to tackle him, Link would suddenly revive his speed and create a renewed gap. She pressed on, determined to catch up. After a few minutes of running after him, she finally caught up and tackled Link to the ground.

“G...Gotcha...” Zelda said between breathless pants, rolling onto her side in the sand. Link lightly laughed, and rolled on his back as well. He turned to face Zelda, and caught her staring at him intently.

Just as Zelda was getting ready to say something, she felt a sharp pain in her left leg. When she tried to turn to investigate, her vision faded into darkness. The last thing she could see was Link’s eyes shutting, and a blurred figure approaching in the distance.