Link x Witch!Reader: Witch Hunt

This has been stuck in my head since I don't know. I have to make your hair long for this piece since it's a bit needed for the story. Here you go!
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"Come now, children. Gather around." All the children of Kakariko Village settle in the town square, where their main Elder, a man around the age of seventy, is standing, cane in hand.

"What's the matter, Elder?" a boy asks. The man scans the crowd of kids, who are between ten and fifteen, and says,

"I'm here to tell you a tale, from when I was a boy. It's about our hero, Link." The group gasps in awe and smile spread on their faces. The elder raised his hand. "It's not only a tale, but there is a lesson."

One of the older boys snorts. "What lesson can we get from an old coot?" The Elder grins.

"Here's one, Dampe." He smacks Dampe in the head with his cane.

"Ouch, hey!"

"Respect your Elders!" The surrounding children burst into fits of laughter as the boy, now identified as Dampe, pouts. "Now, do the lovely girls in the crowd have two handkerchiefs?" All the girls raise two handkerchiefs high in the air. "Good, hand one to the boy sitting next to you. They're going to need it."

The girls giggle as they hand their least favorite handkerchief to the nearest boys, who are now copying Dampe's pout from earlier.

"Why do we need these cloths, Elder?" one of the girls ask.

"I'm afraid the story I'm about to tell you, it isn't a happy one. It's one that's more...remorseful."

The children grow silent, and the Elder clears his throat.

"Once upon a time, in the days of my youth, our hero Link was in Hyrule Castle Town. Little did he know, there lived a young witch in the land."

A boy cries out, "You mean like the witches that served Ganondorf?" Another collective gasp went through the audience.

"No, witches were being manipulated by Ganon. They were actually kind, but everyone thought they were evil. Now then, on to the story."
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Link was walking through Hyrule Castle Town, greeting the people rushing by. This was one of the days he could relax, since nobody was asking any favors from him.

He paused, though, when he noticed a bonnet on the ground. Picking it up and examining it, he justified that no harm had came to it. He looked around, trying to see if anyone had dropped it. That's when he spotted her.

A girl, with long, (h/c) hair and sparkling (e/c) eyes was looking around frantically. Her gaze was on the ground, and she kept turning in different directions. What Link didn't know, was that she's the witch in this story.

Link approached the girl, and tapped her shoulder. The girl's eyes meet his, and he was instantly captivated by them. Clearing his throat, he asked,

"Excuse me, ma'am. I believe you dropped this." He presented the bonnet to the girl, and her eyes filled with relief.

"Yes, that's mine. Thank you so much..." she trailed off as she took the bonnet from his hands, her gaze never leaving his.

"Link, my name is Link. It's nice to meet you." The girl smiled.

"My name is (Y/n)." She shook his hand, adding, "You're the only person here who seems to give me a break today." Link frowned.

"You're new around here, aren't you?" (Y/n) smiled sheepishly at him.

"Yeah, I'm from one of the neighboring kingdoms." Link chuckled.

"I figured, since I haven't your face around here before." She nodded.

"Well, thank you for bringing this back to me. I'll see you around." (Y/n) tried to leave, but Link grabbed her hand.

"Now, what kind of person would I be if I let a girl run off and get lost here? Let me escort you." (Y/n) blushed.

"You don't have to do that, you've helped me more than you think." Link shook his head.

"Nonsense. So, where are you trying to go?" (Y/n) laughed, knowing she wouldn't be able to shake him off.

"I'm trying to buy herbs from one of the shops, but I don't know which store it is." Link grinned.

"I know the place you're talking about. Follow me."

With that, Link ended up spending the day with (Y/n), forming a friendship in minutes. From that point on, they continued to meet up with each other for a month. (Y/n) soon learned about Link being the legendary Hero of Time, but she didn't freak out about it like when others first found out, which Link really appreciated. Slowly, but surely, Link fell in love.

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"Wait a second," Dampe interjected. "Is this a romance story? Is there going to be kissing?" He makes a disgusted face...which is wiped off in seconds by the Elder's cane. "Ow!"

"Don't interrupt me unless I give you permission!" The Elder continues to grumble about disrespectful kids until one of the girls raises their hand. "Yes, child?"

"Can you please continue, Elder? I want to know if (Y/n) returns Link's feelings." Dampe gags in the background as the Elder smiles.

"Now there's a respectful woman. Yes, now where were we?"

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One day, a couple months after meeting, Link gained the courage to tell (Y/n). He spotted her at the place they usually meet up, which was in the field outside Kakariko itself. At the sound of his footsteps, she looked up, her hair shining slightly in the warm sun. She smiled brightly, making her (e/c) eyes sparkle like they did when he first saw her.

"Good afternoon, Link. How has your day been?" Link had fought the urge to blush as he replied,

"It's been good. (Y/n), there's something I have to tell you." (Y/n) frowned, asking,

"What's the matter?" Link took a deep breath, and said,

"(Y/n), over the past couple of months, I've grown to love your company. It's been wonderful talking and laughing with you. But, I don't feel the same way about you anymore." When her expression turned worried, he quickly added, "It's grown into something more."

"Link, are you okay?" Link cursed silently under his breath.

"What I'm trying to say is...I think I love you." (Y/n)'s features formed a look of surprise, then it turned into a look of happiness as she stood and embraced him.

"I feel the same way, Link." He tensed up for a moment, then returned the hug.

"That's a relief. I thought you were going to reject me." (Y/n) laughed, pulling away from him.

"Why would I?" Link shrugged, letting a small blush adorn his cheeks.

"I don't know, to be honest. I guess I thought you didn't like me in that way."

"There was no need for a magic to stop time, no spell could ever achieve what I feel. I think I loved you when I first met you, Link." The blush disappears as Link smiled.

There was so much love and joy between those two, that I'm sad to say that there was an evil brewing against them. What they didn't notice was Princess Zelda, witnessing their confessions from the steps leading to Kakariko, with a warning poster about a witch with (Y/n)'s face on it.

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"Wait a minute," one of the girls exclaimed, around the age of thirteen. "Princess Zelda was the evil you told us about?" The Elder sighs.

"Yes. She, in my opinion, was the real witch." The children grow silent once more, except this time, it's the deadly silence.

"I'm afraid this is where the story goes downhill. You see, she came to trick Link."

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Zelda turned away from them. She found the witch, but she was too late. Link had fallen in love with her. She looked at the poster again, knowing that (Y/n) was a good person from the times she met her, and she wouldn't harm a fly.

But Zelda also wanted (Y/n) dead, for Zelda was in love with Link as well. And she knew that the decision she was about to make had the worst consequences imaginable.

Zelda fell to her knees, hands clasped together in prayer, and whispered, "Din, Nayru, and Farore...please forgive me."

She waited until the two parted before she approached Link. Link looked up at her, a goofy grin on his face.

"Zelda, today was amazing! I confessed to (Y/n) that I loved her, and she loves me back!" Zeda's face remained solemn as she stated,

"Link, you cannot love (Y/n)." Link frowned, asking,

"Why not?"

"Because," Zelda held up the poster for Link to see. "(Y/n) is a witch."

Link's heart instantly shattered into pieces. His expression was so heartbreaking, even Ganondorf would've teared up. All he could manage was whisper, "What?"

"She kept all the magic out of sight. How else were you able to achieve what you feel? She cast a spell on you to fall in love with her. (Y/n)'s going to destroy our town, but not if we take care of her first."

Link's gaze fell to the floor, his shoulders shaking as he struggled to hold back tears. "I understand," he forced through his throat. "(Y/n) will be waiting for me in Castle Town tomorrow. Set up the stake and the people before the afternoon, and I'll arrest her then."

"I know this hard, Link. But you have to remember that you never really loved her," Zelda reasoned, pulling Link in a hug, but he didn't move a muscle. Zelda sighed and pulled away. "I'll see you tomorrow." She walked away, heading towards Castle Town.

Only then, did Link let out a couple stray tears.

The next day, Link walked over to the fountain he was supposed to meet (Y/n) with a couple of guards. He spotted her there already, looking at the water. She looked up at him, a smile gracing her features.

"Hi Link, it's great to see you again." Noticing the guards, (Y/n) asks, "Oh, why are there guards with you? Are we going to see Zelda-" she dropped her sentence when she noticed that Link's eyes housed a cold and hostile glare. "Link?"

"(Y/n), you are hereby arrested for accusations and evidence of witchcraft." (Y/n)'s eyes widen.

"Link, you honestly believe-"

"I know you're a witch and I know you put a spell on me to make me love you." She stopped talking, and her eyes harbored a shocked look as the guards came up from behind and grabbed (Y/n)'s arms roughly. They began pulling her out of Castle Town, Link at their heels.

When they got out to the field, there was a raised platform made of wood a short distance away from Castle Town. A crowd had already gathered around it, and Link could see Zelda and a certified Mage already standing on the platform, the Mage covered head to toe in white to separate themselves from witches. The Mage was murmuring spells on a stake, which was settled on the left corner on the platform, to make sure that only the stake burned, and not anything else.

The King had decided to have the witch be subjected to a Trial by Fire. If she survived, she's a witch. If not...

The guards shoved (Y/n) up the steps onto the platform and forced her to her knees. Link walked up behind her, and pulled her long hair up harshly. She winced a bit, but no emotion was showing on her face.

Link, tears running down his cheeks again, drew his sword. He saw her tense, probably assuming the worst. Shutting his eyes, he heard a small gasp emit from her lips as he cut off her hair. The crowd went into an uproar as the guards grabbed a hold of (Y/n) again and dragged her to the stake.

The Mage began to tie her to the stake, but (Y/n) didn't seem to take notice. Her gaze was fixated onto the sky, where the sun began it's descent. The surrounding crowd began to do their part in the ceremony of the Trial by Fire when Zelda gave the signal, joining them on the ground. Link followed her.

"Penitence for your crime! Penitence and your life!"

"Do you have any last prayers to send to the Goddesses?" one of the guards asked. (Y/n) looked down at him, and over the cheers and chants of the viewing Hylians, Link heard her reply,

"Even if I do pray, I doubt They'll hear me. The cheers of the people will drown out my words."

"Devotion turned to dusty tombs."

"Any last words, then?" the guard prodded. (Y/n)'s eyes spilled tears as they locked with Link's, and he flinched at the utter betrayal the held. A wave of shame washed through him as she said,

"If my love was just a curse, then I have only tears to shed." Link had to keep reminding himself that is was just the spell making him feel like he was doing something horribly wrong, that half of his heart was about to be destroyed.

"Penitence for your crime! Penitence and your life!"

"Also," (Y/n) continued, closing her eyes, "if I must be in flames, then let the fire you created burn as bright as you want it. I hope it burns all the spite you keep so close to your hearts."

Link's eyes widen. What kind of person would even think of something like that? Especially when they're about to actually be burned on a stake. Doubt began to cloud his mind, was this really the right thing to do?

"Feel now the weight of death and soon..."

(Y/n) reopened her eyes, and refocused her attention to the sky again as the Mage set the very bottom of the stake on fire. It wasn't close to her feet, only just a couple inches away, and it matched the color the dying sun had turned the rest of the sky.

"Remember, good people," the Mage called to the crowd. "The embers are the final judge. We shall see if (Y/n) really is a witch or not."

(Y/n) cried out loudly as the ropes finished tying themselves around her, applying pressure on the bruises that were surely blooming from the guards' iron grips. They came to a stop underneath her chin, allowing her to breath, but Link knew that if they could, they would've tied the ropes up to her eyes.

"Penitence for your crime! Penitence and your life!"

She started shouting curses as the ropes squeezed her harder, and one of the villagers yelped, "Those curses might be the cause of many deaths! We must dispose of her soon!"

Link frowned. She was just shouting out normal, everyday curses. He said one under his breath when he was...confessing. His gaze lingered on the ground. The doubt in his mind grew stronger by the passing second. He once again reminded himself that the feelings were just a spell.

"Virtue you couldn't keep turned to vice."

"If that love was just a curse, than I have only tears to shed," Link and (Y/n) mumbled together, both shedding silent tears. Nobody seemed to take notice.

"We will do what we must! Let it all turn to dust!"

"Let the fire burn brighter than any other before it. We only do this because it's the right thing to do," Zelda reassured the people, who had sad, doubtful looks. Link realized that they knew (Y/n) in some form or another, and they knew what a kind person she was. They didn't want her to die.

"No hand to help her find her way."

Link looked over to the people, his expression one of shocked. Were they concerned for her? Were they pitying her? If they were, he wasn't shocked no one was stepping up, for no one wanted to help a witch, no matter how good a friend. His head snapped back to (Y/n) as she shouted,

"I can't believe all of you Hylians. Fools! I admit, I am a witch." A collective gasp rang throughout the crowd. "But, you know that I would never do anything that would cause harm to someone, much less put a spell on them and force them to do something or feel a certain way. I see that Zelda has fed you all lies about me, and I'm not the least bit surprised. Princess Zelda is committing this crime because she believes it will ensure your safety, but she knows me better. I'm disappointed in her, because she believed something that she knows isn't true." She looked at Link, saying, "Same goes for you, Link. I never forced you to love me, and I never will."

Link's eyes housed astonishment.  He knew for a fact a witch with evil intentions would never give a speech like that, much less say that she was disappointed in Zelda in front of her subjects. The onlookers, not knowing what else to do, continued chanting.

"Penitence for your crime! Penitence and your life!"

"Enough!" the Mage yelled. They snapped their fingers, causing the flames to leap higher until they stopped a couple centimeters below her feet. (Y/n)'s attention shifted to the fire, the sunset causing her tears to be visible, (e/c) eyes shining.

"Feel now the weight of death and soon..."

Memories of the last couple of months flashed through Link's head. He remembered how kind (Y/n) had been to him, and how much he grew to care for her. They met each other's eyes once more, and they both began to whisper the words (Y/n) said to Link the day before.

"No need for a magic to stop time, no spell can achieve what we feel." But, they continued the sentence, what they didn't say last time. "Love bounding through every hour, joy lights a new day."

Link then realized that those words (Y/n) spoke were true, Zelda did lie to him. And now she was about to be executed for false crimes.

"Stop!" Link cried out. "Stop, she's innocent!" Yet, everyone seemed deaf to his words. Zelda glared at him, but he refused to hold his tongue.

"Penitence for your crime! Penitence and your life!"

"No! She didn't commit anything! She didn't do anything wrong!" Link's words were drowned out as he rushed to the platform, the Mage approaching the stake slowly. The crowd began chanting louder, the cheers following in suit.

"Devotion turned to dusty tombs."

"No, the devotion is still there!" Link's throat was growing hoarse fast from how loud he was shouting. He stumbled up the platform steps and rushed over to the stake, but guards caught him by the arms and held him back. Their fingers dug into his skin as he struggled against them.

(Y/n) gave him a look of disbelief, but then gave him a grave look and shook her head, mouthing, "Don't".

"(Y/n)...if your love to Link was true...then it was only a curse," Zelda growled. Link's eyes shifted to her, bewildered. What was going on with her?

"Penitence for your crime! Penitence and your life!"

"Light the fire, Mage!" (Y/n) yelled at the top of her lungs. "Let it burn bright! I hope you all choke on the spite you've kept hidden inside of you until now!" The Mage smirked under their hood.

"With pleasure."

"No!" Link cried out, now struggling even harder. This can't be happening, not to her.

"No God can help her find her way."

The Mage snapped his fingers for the last time that day, and the stake was set ablaze.

Link shouted as loud as he could, but it was too late. The flames jumped higher than anyone anticipated, tearing into the sky and tinging it red. (Y/n)'s screams seemed to echo throughout Hyrule, but the crowd didn't seem to take any notice. They just kept chanting.

"Penitence for your crime! Penitence and your life!"

Link stopped trying to resist against the guards grip and began sobbing. He was too ignorant, too easily manipulated. He didn't notice the guards let go of his arms, or the fact that they stepped down from the platform.

He could feel Zelda's eyes on him, but he didn't look up to meet them. He feared that if he did, he'd lash out at her and probably harm her. Even though that's what he wanted to do, he knew he'd cause a huge commotion, and he didn't want to receive any attention at the moment.

"Feel now the weight of death and lies."

His head snapped towards the crowd as they chanted that last sentence. Of course, it made sense now. Link had now realized the weight of the lies Zelda told him and how heavy the guilt he now carried on his conscience was. And now it's too late.

Zelda walked up to Link and stood beside him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Link."

"You knew..." he muttered. Zelda looked away from him.

"She was a witch. I had to do this to keep Hyrule safe." Link laughed humorlessly.

"Keep Hyrule SAFE? She wasn't doing anything that would've indicated any harm towards ANYONE."

"I don't expect you to understand, Link. It was protect Hyrule from itself, so they wouldn't wreck havoc when they found out she was a witch on their own. I regret my decision, Link. But it had to be done." With that, Zelda left as the crowd dispersed. The fire died, leaving nothing but ashes. Link was left alone on the platform, grieving for the love he betrayed.

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The children are in tears as the Elder let the last sentence leave his lips. Even the boys are using the frilly handkerchiefs the girls had given them, not caring who saw.

"Why in the name of Din would you tell us such a sad story?!" Dampe bawls, blowing his nose in the handkerchief. He holds it out to the girl next to him, who mumbles through her tears, 'Keep it'.

"I told you this story because I wanted you to remember it. The tears you shed, tell the story of why you shed them. Pass on the story, show people that witches are not evil. If they still don't believe you, then they're mental." One of the boys looks at the Elder curiously.

"You're pretty passionate about this, Elder." The Elder sighs.

"...I don't want you youngsters to make the same mistake I made." A girl from the crowd stands, then says slowly,

"Elder...you are the legendary hero Link...aren't you?" Gasps are heard throughout the group as the Elder's eyes fall to the floor.

"Yes, dear girl. I am Link, and I regret deeply the mistake I made those years ago." He looks back up, his eyes cloudy. "Don't judge people based on what others say, especially those you love. That's the lesson of this story. I hope you all become Elders of your own villages, and that you'll retell this story to other children, so they may pass it on."

The group is dismissed shortly after. Dampe wanders into Hyrule Field, lost in his thoughts. He's jerked from them when he accidentally bumps into someone.

"Gah!" a cry breaks the silence. Dampe turns to the sound and sees a girl around fourteen, a year younger than him, with long, (curly/wavy/straight), (h/c) hair and sparkling (e/c) eyes.

"Who are you?" Dampe asks. The girl gasps and backs away. "What?"

"Stay away. I am Cecile the Witch, the great niece to the extraordinary (Y/n), and I am not afraid to use my powers on you!" Dampe pauses, not believing his ears, and asks,

"Wait a minute, did you say (Y/n)?" Cecile eyes him suspiciously, but nods.

"Yes, why?" Dampe grins, grabs Cecile's wrist, and starts dragging her back to Kakariko. Another cry of surprise escapes her lips as Dampe shouts,

"Elder, Elder!"