Link gazed up at the shimmering stars that seemed to hover just above his head. He relished these quiet Hyrulian nights when the sky was clear and dark, the moon remained hidden below the horizon, and the starlight illuminated the rolling hills that seemed to stretch endlessly before him. He turned to his companion, about to give voice to the wonder that was seeking expression.

"How are we to understand these Divine Beasts??!" Zelda said abruptly. "I'm trying to determine the best way we can mount a carefully coordinated assault on Ganon's forces using what little we understand of this ancient Sheikah technology!" She sighed loudly. "If you applied yourself to this problem the same way I am, we might have a chance! And don't waste my time with your stupid bullshit."

Link had no answer to that so he just laid back down and continued gazing at the sky.

"This fucking bullshit!" Zelda muttered. "I'm not good enough. Oh it's just not fair. Why am I always the one who must do the thing that I must do??" She hammered the ground with a fist. "Tomorrow we set a course for the Spring of Wisdom! If I can't summon my power there, well, then, I just suppose that well, we will have to keep trying elsewhere! Don't you agree, Link? Yes, of course you do, you mute fuck."

Link tuned Zelda out and continued staring at the vast cosmos. He knew so little about the stars and the sky, but he knew he liked them. Every night was something different. Comets and shooting stars dotted the indigo heavens. Sometimes they landed, and Link was able to retrieve what little remained of the shards. They fetched a handsome price in some of the towns, but they also were precious gems that he enjoyed collecting. He wondered if he could make some kind of livelihood out of fashioning these gemstones into jewelry. Once this war was over, of course.

"You ought to pay more attention to the details, Link," Zelda chided. "My father would not be impressed to learn you spend your free time relaxing. We're at war, you lazy asshole. Now, pay attention. We've already established that the Spring of Power contains some spirits that could be of use to us in our initiative. Yes, I think that will do nicely. I'll have to learn how to harness this power but in the meantime, we have other things that need attending to. I'm not some child, do you understand? I'm perfectly capable of caring for myself, thank you very much. Why my fucking father insisted you accompany me is beyond my ability to understand. So I suppose I must obey him. And that means you must obey me. Sit up, Link. You're embarrassing me."

Link ignored her.

"We pray for your protection, O Sacred Goddess, and we beseech your protection as well, and hope that your protection will... will.. protect us in our journey as we endeavor to save this.... land... of ours." Zelda turned to Link sharply. "Are you LISTENING to me, you stupid boy? You are a living reminder of my own failures!! At least that's how I see you. The least you can do is contribute to the hourly prayer to Our Goddess, may She protect us." Zelda turned away from him again and continued murmuring in prayer.

Link just continued looking at the sky and pretended he didn't hate every second of Zelda's horrific presence encroaching on his peace of mind. His life was hard enough and he was dealing with a lot of anxiety and general dread, maybe related to Ganon, maybe not. He was at the age when many young men's latent mental disorders made a sudden explosion into the forefront. All Hyrulian men experienced this rite of passage, and maybe half made it to the other side. It was something that a village's elders traditionally guided the adolescent boys through, preparing them for the possibility of sudden onset disease. Those who succumbed to the illness were turned out of the villages, where they slowly became deranged Bokoblins. The bond of brotherhood was forged during this crucial period, when a growing boy learned to depend on the wisdom of the older generation and they took on a deeper dimension beyond that of simple authority, and the older generation in turn learned to connect with the youngsters, appreciating the world in a new light and keeping them engaged. Every Bokoblin Link slaughtered in his life's defense was a reminder of what he could become. Every fallen Bokoblin was once a scared boy, every swing of his sword a sorrowful act. Hyrulian women did not have to deal with this.

"We'll need to make some adjustments to the Divine Beast," she droned on in her shrill agonizing soprano. "Daruk can manage it easily enough but we mustn't count on it. He's, well, how shall I say, if I were to put it lightly, or, perhaps, gently, isn't the most exactly, let us say, skilled pilot, that is to say, insofar as such a term can be applied to one who is charged with, as we say, 'piloting' the mechanism itself. Are you LISTENING to me you IDIOT FUCK. We've learned how to control the machines but it is quite clear that we have much more to learn. To think they were actually built by people! That means we can learn how to control them."

A bright comet streaked across the sky above them and illuminated the mountains in the distance. Link took a deep, stabilizing breath and calmed his racing mind.