Decades had turned to a century in the time that Zelda had spent fighting against Calamity Ganon in the darkness. Keeping that evil blight on her kingdom just barely at bay had drained much of her power. Even the Triforce of Wisdom she bore proved to not be enough. Though her battle raged on in the emptiness of the castle, Zelda could still feel herself being diminished throughout it. Every minute of every day she fought as she felt more and more of herself fade away.
Then, one day, it all changed. The hero champion, Link, had reawakened and Zelda guided him to her. His journey was long, but nothing compared to what Zelda had already endured. Eventually, he was prepared for a final confrontation with the evil beast. An arduous battle ensued that ended with Link as the victor. With Ganon defeated, Princess Zelda was finally free of her 100-year long prison. Her body returned to her at long last, and she appeared before Link for the first time in over a century.
However, her return to the world of light was not without its problems. For one, Zelda immediately realized that she had not returned entirely to normal. Sure, her body was back to its usually shapely form... but her size had reduced dramatically! Princess Zelda was fearful at first. She'd shrunken to just a few inches tall. She wondered how it was possible, but then recalled the sensations she'd felt during her time in the darkness fighting to keep the Calamity Ganon sealed away. She realized that in doing so, she had lost so much size over that long period of time that she'd ended up shrinking to the size of a mouse without even noticing!
Link, who had seen the princess's tiny form materialize in front of him, gently bent down to her level. He picked her up slowly (so as not to scare the tiny blonde). Zelda shook in his hand, understanding that she would have to get used to being held by others. Link assured her that he would take care of her at her new size. The hero remained positive that a cure could be found and that they'd somehow find a way to restore her to her normal size someday. Zelda remained solemn throughout Link's speech, but she cracked a smile at the end of it as he brought her to his lips and planted a small kiss on her smaller body. She nuzzled into his cheeks, unable to help herself from taking the kindness and caring of her big hero.
Truth be told, Princess Zelda was not sure if they'd ever figure out how to grow her back to her previous size. She would steadily come to accept life at only a few inches tall. She figured that if this was to be her permanent punishment for her failure all those years ago, then she would gladly accept it. Zelda's small sacrifice had brought the people some hope and peace of mind at long last. Plus, she now had a truly larger-than-life hero to always be by her side. She remained hopeful for a return to her full height, but decided to become a better ruler then ever in the meantime and worked to rebuild her nation. No matter how small she was, she was still the Princess!
Tags: shrinking, shrunken woman, slow shrinking, handheld, magic
Story by Kooplan |
Artwork by Mad Max Duarte |
High resolution (3508x2466)