CONTAINS SKYWARD SWORD SPOILERS! Don't read this if you haven't beaten the game.
Obviously this is from Link's POV, and Zelda is the friend mentioned at the beginning. I was tempted to give her a bigger part in this, or make them more than friends, but ultimately decided not to. For one, this is about Fi, not Zelda. And for another, even if they did like each other at the beginning of the game, I don't think they would be able to look at each other the same way after all that they both went through.
He found it difficult to sleep most nights. The air was drier on the surface, the wind more gentle and not quite as constant as he was used to. But most distracting of all was the permanent feeling of loneliness.
They were staying together for now. He had built a small home in the forest, which he found to be very peaceful and comfortable. His friend would leave someday and live on her own, or so she said. But she had shown no indication that it would be anytime soon. For now, the two friends were content to live together, the first of many to return to life on the surface.
But he was troubled. The things he had seen, the lives he had taken... they haunted him most of all during the night, while he lay alone in bed and stared at the ceiling. He dared not talk to her about them lest she think of him as a coward. After all he had endured to secure her safety, he should be strong enough to handle a few simple memories.
But there was more than the lingering remnants of the past. He had not been entirely alone on his quest. His sacred blade was home to a spirit, a beautiful apparition of turquoise and violet, a young woman in appearance but in truth a vast collection of knowledge designed for him by the Goddess herself as a guide. She had been there for him for almost every step of the way, always ready to give advice. She had provided support as well; on several occasions he had felt that he could go no further and had confided in her. She listened without judging and reassured him in her own way that he was capable of succeeding. To others she may have seemed emotionless or robotic, but she had grown to become one of the closest friends he had ever had.
And yet...
He rolled onto his side in bed. Resting on the floor nearby was a sword in a plain brown scabbard. On several occasions he had caught himself talking to it, only to remember that it was nothing more than a weapon. His sacred sword was gone, and with it his companion. He had unwillingly laid them to rest once his task was complete. He had known that they would never meet again, but he had never anticipated how badly it would pain him afterward.
This very forest was the place where they had first gotten to know each other. He had almost given up out of fear of the monster-infested Skyview Temple. Never before had he encountered hostile beasts in such large numbers, nor -he shuddered, remembering the Skulltulas which were almost as big as him- such large size. Having fled the temple, he had taken a seat on a stump outside and expressed his fears to his companion. When met with silence, he was afraid that she was judging him – but when she spoke, her voice held the slightest hint of sympathy. With her encouragement, he had found the strength to return to the depths of the temple and face his fears.
As his quest progressed, he began to realize that he only felt true fear when his friend was in danger or when his companion could not be with him. The Silent Realm – another shiver wracked his body at the thought. Four times he had braved that disturbing place, leaving both his physical body and his companion behind to strengthen his spirit. He had come to hate Eldin Volcano, not only because his spirit was almost broken there several times, but because it had erupted once as he entered its airspace. He had feared that he was going to die, especially when he woke with all of his weapons gone. Finally reuniting with his sword after such a nerve-wracking experience was the sweetest victory of all.
The sword on the floor was such an ugly thing. So plain and bland. Nothing could compare to the beauty that his sacred blade had earned after many harsh trials. He turned away, his mind dwelling once more on the one being who had shared his experiences on the surface.
"Fi," he whispered, "I..." He paused for a moment, remembering her final words to him. "May we meet again... in another life."