She leaned her delicate elbows against the windowpane, looking in the window, but not seeing anything. She let out a deep sigh, and gave into the feeling tugging at her heart. She turned around and looked at the courtyard in front of her. "This is where it all began." Tears began to well up in her eyes. As she remembered that fateful moment when she had first seen him, standing in front of her at the bottom of these stairs, a single tear made its way down her face. It made its path down her cheek and dripped off the edge of her chin. And as quickly as that, a river of tears flowed down her face. She reached up her hand to wipe them away. Her hand still tingled from the touch that had been shared between them. "I have to... get... him... off... of... me..." She wiped her hands on her dress in attempt to clean her hands of his essence. But the tingling was still there, and it was growing stronger. With a scream she flung herself to the ground and rubbed her hands in the dirt until they bled. Her strength gave out and she collapsed into a heap on the ground. And all she could do now was remember.
She remembered watching him, blow by blow as he fought his final battle. Relief filled her as he struck the final blow and Ganon was imprisoned. And the first thing he did was to turn and look at her. His eyes reflected everything she was feeling. Happiness that it was finally over. Weariness from the strain of the battle. And regret from all the lost years. But there had been something else, something that had caught her by surprise. But she willingly returned it; because it was what she was feeling most of all.
Love.
And then they had stood there alone, and they prepared to say good-bye. She explained to him what must happen. He nodded to all of this, but did not utter a word. She took a small step forward and apologized for bringing him into everything, and explained that she had to send him home again. She reached for the Ocarina of Time, and their fingers touched. She gently laid her hand on top of his, and felt a jolt flow from his body to hers. He looked up and locked eyes with her. Still gripping the Ocarina tightly, he asked, "Will I remember?"
She smiled sadly and whispered, "Only if you wish it so." Nodding slightly, he released his grip on the Ocarina, and she brought it to her lips. The thought crossed her mind that his lips had been the last thing to touch this before she did, but she brushed it aside. Once suspended inside of the gem, he pressed hard against the sides, as if trying to break free. He yelled something at her, but she couldn't hear him, he was already fading away. She reached a hand forward a moment to late, and it swung helplessly through the air. And he was gone.
And so here she was, a child, and alone. She was glad to have gained back the seven years that she had lost to hiding and training, but she knew that they would be tainted by his presence. She sat up and brushed off her dress, wincing from the scratches she had inflicted on her palms. She began to pace, thinking out loud. "He would not want to remember all the pain and suffering he had been through. And all the wrong I did him..." Her hand brushed against the Ocarina of Time, tucked in her belt. She grabbed it in one hand and held it up so that it was at eye level. "You!" She yelled at the inanimate object. "You have caused me all this pain. Never again shall I play you." She pulled her arm back as if to hurl the Ocarina at the wall.
Suddenly, a hand grasped her wrist, holding it back. Immediately she knew who it was just from the touch alone. She slowly turned, dropping the Ocarina carelessly into the grass.
The boy bowed at her feet. "Princess Zelda, please forgive..."
"Link? Is it really you?"
"Yes, your majesty."
"But why?" As she said this, Link stood and saw her dirty, torn dress and her bloody hands.
"Princess! Tell me what has happened to you!" She followed his gaze to her hands, and then looked back up at him.
"It is nothing," she lied.
He gently grabbed her wrists causing the tingling to return and he led her to a small pool at the edge of the courtyard. Zelda watched his face as he gently led her. It dawned on her then that she would follow him anywhere. She blushed and looked away, causing her to stumble slightly. Immediately, Link's arm went around her waist. Zelda was sure that she felt his heartbeat speed up. He sat down at the edge of the water and beckoned for her to follow. He pulled her hands so that they were stretched out of the water. He cupped some water in his hands and gently poured it over hers, cleaning out the scratches. He then leaned over, as if he were going to kiss her palms, and blew on them very gently. This very action caused shivers down her spine. Link saw her shiver, and immediately asked, "Are you cold Princess? Is there something I can get you?"
"No, No, I am well, thank you." And she blushed prettily, embarrassed that he had seen her shiver. They sat there for a long while, just looking at each other. Finally, Zelda broke the silence. "Why did you choose to remember?" She looked at her hands that he had just caressed with his breath. She flicked her eyes in his direction, then looked back at her hands again.
He looked at her as if he couldn't believe she had asked him that. "How could I not? All of those events brought us together, and if I had too, I would do it all again for you." The last two words were spoken so quietly that Zelda barely heard them. But she did, and she blushed again and turned away.
After awhile, Link began to talk. "Princess Zelda, I don't have a home to go home to. I can't go back to Kokiri Forest, because the Kokiri kids will begin to see that I am growing. And that is the only home that I have ever known." A tear slipped down his cheek. "I don't know what to do..."
"Link," Zelda began, trying to look into his eyes, "My father has a big castle. There is a room for you to stay in for as long as you need to." She reached her hand up and brushed away his tear.
"Are you sure Princess?"
"Most certainly. However, there is one thing I need in return."
"Anything."
"Please just call me Zelda. I want us to greet like friends do, using our first names. Unless you are uncomfortable with this."
"Not at all. It is actually a relief. Princess Zelda of Hyrule can become a mouthful." He gave her a genuine smile, and she returned it whole-heartedly.
"ZELDA!" A voice echoed through the courtyard.
Link looked towards the doorway in alarm. He turned back to Zelda quickly, before getting into battle position. "Where's Impa?"
Zelda put a hand on his arm to relax him. "She's a sage, remember? She couldn't come back right away. So this is one of my mother's servants. I'll have to introduce you." She stood up and walked towards the door. Link sheathed his sword, but he stayed on his guard.
An old woman of about 40 came to the entrance. She was almost panting. "Princess Zelda.... I've... been.... looking everywhere.. for" Suddenly she snapped up and grabbed the Princess. "Who are you? GUARDS!"
Zelda wiggled loose from the woman and said plainly, "Teria, this is Link. He's my friend, and he will be staying at the castle. Please go see to it that he is made a room." Teria looked at the Princess strangely, then curtsied with a "Yes, your majesty," and quickly scuttled away.
Link looked at Zelda in awe. She turned towards him and saw his stare. "What?" She looked at him confused.
"You do remember that your only 9 and not 16, right?"
"Oh my gosh! No wonder she gave me a weird look! I never would have ordered one of the servants around when I was 9!"
Link tenderly laid a hand on her back. "Don't worry Zelda. She will forget it. It will be taken as a sign that you are growing up."
Zelda looked up into his eyes. "I hope so."
"Uhhm." Zelda and Link looked towards the door again, and there was Impa.
"IMPA!" Zelda ran to her and Impa's outwardly appearance of being tough was shattered. Her face broke out in a smile, and she swung the Princess into a hug. Only then did she see Link. Impa put Zelda down and walked towards him. Link put his hand forward, as if to shake. Impa shook her head then picked him up in a hug as well. Only Zelda saw the look of pure joy cross his face. When Impa put Link back down, he still had a silly grin on his face. Impa could only laugh, and Zelda and Link couldn't help but join in.
After awhile, Impa walked toward the door. "Follow me. I shall take you to your room, Link." Link nodded, and he and Zelda stood to follow Impa.
She remembered watching him, blow by blow as he fought his final battle. Relief filled her as he struck the final blow and Ganon was imprisoned. And the first thing he did was to turn and look at her. His eyes reflected everything she was feeling. Happiness that it was finally over. Weariness from the strain of the battle. And regret from all the lost years. But there had been something else, something that had caught her by surprise. But she willingly returned it; because it was what she was feeling most of all.
Love.
And then they had stood there alone, and they prepared to say good-bye. She explained to him what must happen. He nodded to all of this, but did not utter a word. She took a small step forward and apologized for bringing him into everything, and explained that she had to send him home again. She reached for the Ocarina of Time, and their fingers touched. She gently laid her hand on top of his, and felt a jolt flow from his body to hers. He looked up and locked eyes with her. Still gripping the Ocarina tightly, he asked, "Will I remember?"
She smiled sadly and whispered, "Only if you wish it so." Nodding slightly, he released his grip on the Ocarina, and she brought it to her lips. The thought crossed her mind that his lips had been the last thing to touch this before she did, but she brushed it aside. Once suspended inside of the gem, he pressed hard against the sides, as if trying to break free. He yelled something at her, but she couldn't hear him, he was already fading away. She reached a hand forward a moment to late, and it swung helplessly through the air. And he was gone.
And so here she was, a child, and alone. She was glad to have gained back the seven years that she had lost to hiding and training, but she knew that they would be tainted by his presence. She sat up and brushed off her dress, wincing from the scratches she had inflicted on her palms. She began to pace, thinking out loud. "He would not want to remember all the pain and suffering he had been through. And all the wrong I did him..." Her hand brushed against the Ocarina of Time, tucked in her belt. She grabbed it in one hand and held it up so that it was at eye level. "You!" She yelled at the inanimate object. "You have caused me all this pain. Never again shall I play you." She pulled her arm back as if to hurl the Ocarina at the wall.
Suddenly, a hand grasped her wrist, holding it back. Immediately she knew who it was just from the touch alone. She slowly turned, dropping the Ocarina carelessly into the grass.
The boy bowed at her feet. "Princess Zelda, please forgive..."
"Link? Is it really you?"
"Yes, your majesty."
"But why?" As she said this, Link stood and saw her dirty, torn dress and her bloody hands.
"Princess! Tell me what has happened to you!" She followed his gaze to her hands, and then looked back up at him.
"It is nothing," she lied.
He gently grabbed her wrists causing the tingling to return and he led her to a small pool at the edge of the courtyard. Zelda watched his face as he gently led her. It dawned on her then that she would follow him anywhere. She blushed and looked away, causing her to stumble slightly. Immediately, Link's arm went around her waist. Zelda was sure that she felt his heartbeat speed up. He sat down at the edge of the water and beckoned for her to follow. He pulled her hands so that they were stretched out of the water. He cupped some water in his hands and gently poured it over hers, cleaning out the scratches. He then leaned over, as if he were going to kiss her palms, and blew on them very gently. This very action caused shivers down her spine. Link saw her shiver, and immediately asked, "Are you cold Princess? Is there something I can get you?"
"No, No, I am well, thank you." And she blushed prettily, embarrassed that he had seen her shiver. They sat there for a long while, just looking at each other. Finally, Zelda broke the silence. "Why did you choose to remember?" She looked at her hands that he had just caressed with his breath. She flicked her eyes in his direction, then looked back at her hands again.
He looked at her as if he couldn't believe she had asked him that. "How could I not? All of those events brought us together, and if I had too, I would do it all again for you." The last two words were spoken so quietly that Zelda barely heard them. But she did, and she blushed again and turned away.
After awhile, Link began to talk. "Princess Zelda, I don't have a home to go home to. I can't go back to Kokiri Forest, because the Kokiri kids will begin to see that I am growing. And that is the only home that I have ever known." A tear slipped down his cheek. "I don't know what to do..."
"Link," Zelda began, trying to look into his eyes, "My father has a big castle. There is a room for you to stay in for as long as you need to." She reached her hand up and brushed away his tear.
"Are you sure Princess?"
"Most certainly. However, there is one thing I need in return."
"Anything."
"Please just call me Zelda. I want us to greet like friends do, using our first names. Unless you are uncomfortable with this."
"Not at all. It is actually a relief. Princess Zelda of Hyrule can become a mouthful." He gave her a genuine smile, and she returned it whole-heartedly.
"ZELDA!" A voice echoed through the courtyard.
Link looked towards the doorway in alarm. He turned back to Zelda quickly, before getting into battle position. "Where's Impa?"
Zelda put a hand on his arm to relax him. "She's a sage, remember? She couldn't come back right away. So this is one of my mother's servants. I'll have to introduce you." She stood up and walked towards the door. Link sheathed his sword, but he stayed on his guard.
An old woman of about 40 came to the entrance. She was almost panting. "Princess Zelda.... I've... been.... looking everywhere.. for" Suddenly she snapped up and grabbed the Princess. "Who are you? GUARDS!"
Zelda wiggled loose from the woman and said plainly, "Teria, this is Link. He's my friend, and he will be staying at the castle. Please go see to it that he is made a room." Teria looked at the Princess strangely, then curtsied with a "Yes, your majesty," and quickly scuttled away.
Link looked at Zelda in awe. She turned towards him and saw his stare. "What?" She looked at him confused.
"You do remember that your only 9 and not 16, right?"
"Oh my gosh! No wonder she gave me a weird look! I never would have ordered one of the servants around when I was 9!"
Link tenderly laid a hand on her back. "Don't worry Zelda. She will forget it. It will be taken as a sign that you are growing up."
Zelda looked up into his eyes. "I hope so."
"Uhhm." Zelda and Link looked towards the door again, and there was Impa.
"IMPA!" Zelda ran to her and Impa's outwardly appearance of being tough was shattered. Her face broke out in a smile, and she swung the Princess into a hug. Only then did she see Link. Impa put Zelda down and walked towards him. Link put his hand forward, as if to shake. Impa shook her head then picked him up in a hug as well. Only Zelda saw the look of pure joy cross his face. When Impa put Link back down, he still had a silly grin on his face. Impa could only laugh, and Zelda and Link couldn't help but join in.
After awhile, Impa walked toward the door. "Follow me. I shall take you to your room, Link." Link nodded, and he and Zelda stood to follow Impa.
