The ending is here
Our story comes to a close
And begins anew
This moment.
It's what they'd been waiting for.
The two stood, face-to-face in the ethereal void, blue eyes, so familiar, locked together, yet lacking innocence after the great ordeal they endured.
It was finally the end of it all. Ganondorf was sealed, Hyrule saved.
It should be a happy time, right? Yet the Princess of Destiny couldn't shake the feeling of dread at what she must do.
A boy, no, a young man stood before her, half a head taller than she. Looking at him fondly, a smile crossed her face in an attempt to hide the truth, as she did not want to cause him more suffering in addition to what he already had to undergo.
He caught her face betray the true emotions underneath, a look of worry reflecting in his blue eyes.
She couldn't bear to see that expression, the sadness in him.
"Link," she whispered as she closed her eyes, standing in silence with him for a moment that she wished would last eternity. "The Ocarina," she continued, raising her lids to meet his deep blue irises once more as she extended her delicate hand.
He looked to it, sensing what would come. Unable to disobey his Princess, he slowly lifted the pale blue instrument, staring at it as he gently set the item in her palm, the cool ceramic against her skin reminded her how warm he was as she placed her own hands over his. She didn't want his company to end, but she knew it must.
The struggles they went through, the anguish they suffered, and the presence of one another.
Like the reign of the Demon King, it was fated to draw to a close.
"I…" she couldn't find the words. There were none as she tried to keep her eyes from watering, obscuring her vision of the one who stood before her. His expression of sadness mirrored her own as she gently pulled her hands from his, bringing the Ocarina to her chest and hugging it against her collarbone, eyes closed as a single tear slid down her cheek. The drop landed on the back of her hand, the mark of the goddesses gently glowing in response to its touch as she opened her eyes once more, meeting his face. She couldn't tolerate the sadness it showed, but the pain of not witnessing him in their final moments together was just as unbearable.
He reached his hand out, cupping it to her cheek. She leaned her head into it; eyes sadly watching as his thumb softly brushed the trail of her tear.
She didn't want to do it, but she had to. It was something she promised the other Sages, to return Link to his childhood. To not be selfish and let him live out the life that was meant for him; and for herself, to grow up as a strong woman leading her country into an age of prosperity. She had to end this path for the people of Hyrule, undoing everything that had been done, even if it meant severing the ties to her single happiness.
Caught in her own thoughts she didn't notice Link's thumb as it stopped stroking her cheek. Quietly, he leaned in close, his eyes hidden by the golden bangs as he pressed his lips to hers. Zelda's own eyes widened, her pulse quickened with the touch of his mouth as a muffled gasp escaped her, snapping her back to the instant at hand. Link immediately pulled away, his face displaying shock at his own actions as his cheeks flushed. Zelda's expression mirrored his, down to the rosy glow of the skin on her face.
She knew they were drawn by destiny, the mark of the goddesses adorning them, but something more was there as well. Now she could see he felt it too.
She smiled, this time not hiding her true feelings, but embracing them. He returned the look, his face, although cut and tired from the battle still captivated her gaze, especially so now that it radiated happiness.
They'd been together, closer than one another had thought, though they didn't realize it. They wondered how they could have been so blind to the affections of the other, but the thought left like a leaf in the wind as they wrapped their arms around each other, noses brushing at the close proximity in which they stood. The two of them didn't need words at this point; they knew what they wanted.
For years Zelda had been waiting for this, although she had never truly known it was what she craved. The tender touch of his skin on hers, the warmth of it was so euphoric. He was bruised and bloodied, but she didn't care. Beneath the sweat she could smell the forest, the greenery that his tunic symbolized and the innocence of his childhood before she corrupted him, drawing them together and letting Hyrule crumble from her failed foresight.
It was all her fault that he had to suffer what he did.
Again, he pressed his lips to hers. This time a little more aggressively than the last, almost as if he knew her thoughts and was trying to smother them with his affection. She returned the tenderness, letting the notion fall from her consciousness as she slid her hand under his green cap, her fingers tangling in his hair that had been pulled back into a short ponytail and hidden beneath the hat. It was something she hadn't expected, his hair to grow over the years he waited in the Sacred Realm. It was a pleasant surprise and she wondered what other secrets of his she had yet to find, but her reverie was broken at his touch as he caressed her.
His hands, callused from battle and adventure, gently slid over her skin. One playfully weaving through her loose hair at the base of the neck, letting the locks tumble through his fingers as his other rested on the small of her back, lightly pulling her closer. He drew his mouth away from hers to catch a breath, but only for a moment as she planted her lips on his after they had filled their lungs with air.
Something about it just felt so good, so right. She didn't want it to stop. She never wanted to live another moment without his touch after the two of them had come this far to be together once more, but she knew she must bring it to a close.
Zelda gripped the Ocarina with her left hand as her arm holding the instrument hung over his shoulder loosely. Her right hand slid from his hair down his neck, feeling every vertebra beneath the skin. She wished she could drop the instrument and bury herself in the embrace of the handsome hero before her, but the polished surface of the ceramic kept her grounded to the reality she must accept.
Link sensed her unease, gradually pulling away. His eyes meeting hers, concerned. Through the stillness they could feel the powerful beating of the other's heart.
"Link, I…" Zelda said, allowing the truth of what must be done come rushing back to her, pushing the happiness aside and letting reality sink its sharp teeth deep. Link slowly pulled her close once more, wrapping his arms around her figure protectively and rubbing his cheek to hers.
"I don't want to go," he breathed in her ear, "I only want you." The words enveloped them as their warm bodies pressed against one another while they embraced.
"I know. As do I, you," she replied through the water that she was unable to stop as it ran from her eyes. "But I…" she drifted. He gently pulled away, hands holding her shoulders tenderly as he did so, drawing just far enough back so he could see her whole face, alluring although wet with tears. Link proceeded to lean his forehead against hers, their blue eyes meeting as he began to speak,
"I understand," he said, smiling sadly. "We can't put our wants over the needs of others."
"I wish I didn't –" but she was cut off as he tenderly laid his lips to hers.
"Say nothing," he spoke, pulling reluctantly away as she tried to hold on, leaning forward against him in attempt to reach his sweet mouth. "Everything was destined to happen as it has. We couldn't do a thing to change it, and we still can't," his voice just barely shaking as he struggled to display the courage the goddesses granted him. For he had no trouble with it when it came to fighting, but with her, when the two of them were together like this, knowing they would be separated caused agony more unbearable than anything he had to withstand on his journey.
Neither of them wanted this to end, the long awaited moment in which they could finally reunite in peace, letting their struggles melt away in the arms of the other. Link took a few deep breaths, closing his eyes.
"I know I need to go now… I… See you later," he said hollowly, releasing her shoulders where he had gripped them kindly and refusing to make eye contact, face downcast. She could tell he was trying his best to not to make it harder for her, becoming distant so that their separation wouldn't leave behind a deep scar. But it was too late. She had been cut, the blade smooth as it slid across her skin, the sensation pleasant at the time. Now the wound was already bleeding, with no end in sight to the pain that gushed from the laceration.
She spoke, to console not only him, but also herself,
"We can build new memories atop our old… We can grow to love each other, all over again, side by side. This time, without fear, without hatred… Just…" Her voice began to tremble. Link looked up to her, sad eyes meeting once more as Zelda took a deep breath. "Link, find me," she said confidently. "Find me in the past so we can have this future, our future."
He nodded, eyes watering though he tried not to show weakness in front of the girl he loved as she lifted the Ocarina, soft lips pressing against the wind instrument just as they did to his mouth. Her eyes closed as she began to play a melody from long ago. She couldn't bear to see the one she yearned for go, leaving her behind. Alone.
The light enveloped Link. She opened her eyes once it had faded, looking to the Ocarina he had so gently handed her, memories of his touch still warm on her skin.
Footsteps.
The castle courtyard was supposed to be empty. Only she, standing alone and waiting, was meant to be present when he arrived.
Who was she expecting again? The thought tugged at the corner of her mind, for she was unable to remember why she waited.
The sound of feet stopped, a quiet panting of someone who had come running a long way, almost as if they had tried to outrun time itself, echoed behind her in the otherwise silent garden. A few seconds passed, then the breathing slowed as the stranger caught their breath.
The girl turned from the window to face a young boy.
Something deep within her sparked as her eyes settled on him. A feeling of familiarity she wasn't able to place, just out of her grasp. She couldn't tell where it was coming from, but she knew something.
He's whom she'd been waiting for.
The child stood, dressed in the green of the forest and looking at the girl. She was half a head taller than he, yet so familiar, so innocent.
"Zelda," he said, causing a smile to cross the boy's pure face.
That one word, that name, her name, brought everything back.
They stood face-to-face, blue eyes locked in the courtyard as the memories they shared returned. Weaving together the details of the struggles they had to brave, each other's thoughts filling in the blanks and stitching closed the holes in the tapestry of memory.
They smiled, faces beaming as they giggled innocently.
Each other.
Together.
That's what we've been waiting for.
A/N: (Update as of June 10th, 2015): Minor edits including fixes to grammar, punctuation, and tense contradictions. Also run on sentences. I fixed some of those. If you spot any typos or such, please let me know! The longer something goes unnoticed by me, the more embarrassing it is once I do come across it.
Thanks so much to all who read this, and especially those of you who reviewed! I'm in shock that it got over 100 views in less than twelve hours after I published it. ZeLink isn't dead! (Make it happen Nintendo. You know the fans want it. Skyward Sword got really dang close, but close not enough.)
I'm glad to know it wasn't too fluffy. I've never written anything like this, and didn't exactly know if it turned out good. I'm really grateful for all the encouragement and kind words, as well as a total of 1,000+ views on all my stories! I guess I gotta write more ZeLink! ^_^
On a side note, I'm wondering something… did anyone catch the Twilight Princess line I threw in there?