This was a request by Zelda_Story_Teller for a Zelda horror one shot.

Tw: Gore, death.

Link opened his eyes, struggling to do so. He slowly sat up, the water surrounding him draining away.

Where was he?

He got to his feet and stepped out of the... whatever it was, leaving wet footsteps behind as he walked to a glowing orange pedestal in the corner of the room. As he approached, part of it stuck up and he grabbed it.

"That's the Sheikah Slate."

Link looked up to see who spoke, making eye contact with the blue eyes of a blonde woman leaning against the wall, her flowing hair cascading down her back. She wore a white dress with a golden necklace upon her chest.

Link frowned, trying to figure out if he knew her or not.

"You don't remember me, do you?" She asked, stepping forward, a calculating expression on her face. "The Hero of Hyrule has fallen so far."

Link shook his head as an answer to her question, confusion swirling in him.

"I am Zelda, princess of Hyrule. You are Link, the chosen saviour of Hyrule." The woman explained, tilting Link's chin up so he looked her in the eyes. "You were badly injured a long time ago, and were placed here to heal."

Link looked down at his mostly naked body, then his eyes flicked to her clothes form.

"Ah, you want some clothes, don't you?" Zelda handed him brown fabric, and he quickly pulled it on. "Come, let's see if we can fix your memory."

Link followed her out of the room, the Sheikah Slate hanging from his belt. The doors opened and sunlight flooded the small room, and Link could see grass swaying in the wind, and birds soaring in the sky.

Zelda watched him in amusement as he stepped onto the grass, slowly walking out onto a ledge, overlooking the landscape.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Zelda murmured, standing by his side.

Link nodded, in awe of the beautiful view.

A gruff cough came from behind them, and they both turned.

An old man stood there, a cloak covering his eyes and a beard sticking out from beneath it. He leaned heavily against a stick, and Zelda glared at him.

"Link, can you go along the path further for me?" Zelda asked, a melodious lilt to her voice. "I need to speak to him alone."

Link hesitantly nodded before wandering down the path, casting an unsure look over his shoulder. A couple minutes went by before Zelda rejoined him, beaming happily.

"He gave us a paraglider to get off the Plateau!" Zelda happily said, holding it up. "We can go to Impa now!"

Link tilted his head questioningly.

"Impa is a wise old woman in Kakariko Village. We need to go visit her," Zelda said, examining the glider. "We'll see if she has any advice on how to help your memory."

"Link, I see you have finally awoken," the old lady drawled, peering up at him. 

Link nodded.

"It's about damn time."

Zelda snorted in amusement.

"I thought I would die before you got here," Impa said, staring at Zelda. "And you, I thought we had to send sleeping beauty over there to save you."

"No, I managed to save myself," Zelda said, lifting her chin proudly.

Impa hummed in approval. "Good for you."

Link stared at a painting that was hung on the wall. It depicted a field that was somehow... familiar.

"That was where you were gravely injured," Impa told him, peering over his shoulder at it. "I suppose you know that already though."

"No, he doesn't," Zelda chimes in. "He lost his memory."

Impa pursed her lips. "I'm sure it will return. Time will help."

"No!" Zelda sharply said before straightening and pasting a smile on her face. "I mean- Link shouldn't have to wait. Is there anything we can do to speed it up?"

"Princess, we shouldn't rush healing." Impa shook her head. "These things take time."

Zelda sighed in disappointment. "Of course. I just need Link's memory to return since there's an artifact only he knows the location of. Even though Calamity Ganan has been vanquished, we don't want it falling into the wrong hands."

"In that case... perhaps there is something we can do," Impa reluctantly said. "Visit Purah. See if she has something that could assist in this."

"That's a brilliant idea!" Zelda exclaimed, pushing Link out the door. "Thank you, Impa!"

She shoved Link outside, saying she needed to talk with Impa about something, before shutting the doors behind her.

They visited Purah, where she told them there was nothing she could do for Link. Zelda seemed disappointed, telling Purah why they needed Link's memory back.

Purah gasped, grabbing the Sheikah Slate from Link's hands, and showed them the album on it. "Maybe there's a photo here with the location in the background? What is it you're looking for anyway?"

"A crown. The Goddess Hylia formed a crown that could control the minds of everyone around whoever donned it," Zelda explained. 

"Do you mean the crown that's in my attic? I always wondered what it was!" Purah laughed.

Zelda bolted upstairs.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Purah called after her.

Link and Purah exchanged bewildered looks.

"Here it is!" Zelda breathed out, holding a golden crown above her head. "This is what I've searched for all these years!"

Purah frowned. "Haven't you only been free for a year?"

Zelda cackled. "You ignorant fool!"

Purah stepped behind Link, afraid for some reason. "What are you talking about?"

Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule Looked over the scene, blue flames rippling off him as he stared at his daughter in sorrow.

"The hero of Hyrule will finally fall!" Zelda cried out.

Impa shook her head, murmuring good luck to Link, her form blue as well.

Zelda's hair turned a vibrant shade of red, her pupils thinning into slits. "I can finally kill this stupid knight!"

Link pulled his traveller's sword from the sheath at his back. He raised it threateningly at Zelda.

Zelda's nails lengthened into giant claws. She lunged at Purah, slashing her face. Purah screamed as her eyes were gouged out of her skull.

Zelda turned to Link as Purah fell limp to the floor. "Your turn."

Link's eyes widened at her action.

"I am Calamity Ganon!" Zelda roared, darkness swirling in the air around her. "The scourge of Hyrule itself!"

Link lifted the sword so it was level with her chest. Zelda snarled and jumped at him, her teeth stretching into fangs as she sank them into Link's arm.

Link yelped, swinging at her in return.

Zelda's head landed in the corner of the room, a puddle of blood forming under it.

Link fell to his knees, his memory returning at the sight of the tear leaking from Zelda's eye.

"Zelda," Link whispered, softly touching her hair as her body returned to normal, Gabon's spirit leaving her. "I love you."

The skies darkened as Calamity Ganon celebrated the death of the princess and the death of the hero that was soon to come. He would wear the crown and kill Link, or perhaps use the crown to order the people he tried to save to tear him apart.

~One year prior~

Zelda brushed her long blonde hair over her shoulder, wishing she had a hair band to tie it back with.

Sweat dripped down her forehead, and she squeezed her eyes shut, her body trembling. She let out a groan as Calamity Ganon increased the intensity of his attack against her, and she released and other ray of light in return.

But it wasn't enough.

The darkness rushed into her vision, and Calamity Ganon won, after they fought for ninety-nine years.

"You will be my perfect little puppet..."