"Yesterday, I was awash in a pool of tears. I had nearly given up hope and resigned myself to being trapped here as a spirit for the rest of eternity."

- Mipha, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

"Mitchell, I'm sorry about Goose. Everybody liked him. ...I'm sorry."

- Revali, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

"Wait a minute, Joe. You can't go after Connor alone."

"I'm not going after Connor. Not yet, anyway. I've got to go find something first."

"What's that?"

"...Myself."

- Viper

The sun's morning rays reached over Hyrule Castle for the first time since the reconstruction fully began. The city was taking its first steps to recovery, but bringing back its old peaceful way of life seemed like an impossible task. The structures that hadn't been burned down or flattened by haywire Guardians were being used as relief shelters. The rest was a ghost town.

Zelda stood on the crumbling castle balcony surveying her kingdom. Link stood on her right leaning over a fragment of the broken balustrade, never moving and never saying a word. He was clad in the Zora Armor with only half of the straps haphazardly fastened under his arms. It was the only thing he wore these days. His eyes were sunken from countless sleepless nights. His features were gaunt and exhausted like he had been wandering lost in the desert for the better part of a year. As he stared blankly off into the distance, his eyes were fixed only on one thing: The rubble of a trampled mermaid fountain a mile away in the market square.

"They put out the last of the fires near the Temple of Time," Zelda said, turning her head toward him and trying to cheer him up. "The ranch outside town has started tending horses again. I'm sure you'll want to pay a visit. It's hard to believe all of this was nearly destroyed only weeks ago."

Link didn't make a sound. It was as if his empty body was standing beside her while his mind was off in some other forsaken realm.

"There are still so many more people who need help, though," Zelda said with concern. "Do you think we'll ever really bring the kingdom back to its splendor?"

"Who knows?" he barely bothered to reply. It drained Zelda of whatever optimism she still clung to.

The princess placed her hands on the railing and peered downward, becoming a mirror image beside Link. Her mind slowly drifted to the same lonely place as his. It was all he ever seemed to be thinking about now.

"I miss Mipha, too," She sighed. "She was my closest friend next to Urbosa. Someone I could relate anything to and she'd always listen. I can't even imagine how it must feel for you."

Her head tilted lower as her shoulders began to shake.

"Link…" she whispered with tears welling in her eyes. She cowered forward until her hair was dangling over the balcony, fists clenched against the stone balustrade. Then it all came flowing out.

"I'm sorry I got her killed. It's all my fault. I'd lose my father a hundred times over if it meant I could give her back to you." She shook her head in unbearable remorse. "She was too kind for all the expectations I put on her. She belonged on the battlefield with her Zora army protecting her, not fighting by herself as a pilot. I'm so stupid for not picking someone stronger for Vah Ruta."

Link's palm suddenly closed over her hand, making her gasp softly. His fingers squeezed hers not in anger or insult, but in support.

"It had to be Mipha. Don't fool yourself into thinking otherwise," he said in a low voice, his head still hanging down. "No one else would have pushed themselves like she did."

Zelda glanced toward her right. Link slowly turned toward his left. His face was chiseled with restless grief, but there was a new softness starting to emerge. The bitterness and the pain were starting to fade from his eyes, replaced by the beginnings of acceptance. Zelda's despair was slowly drawing him out of the dark.

"Do you forgive me?" she whispered.

"I never blamed you." Link smiled slightly, drawing back his own tears with a deep breath, realizing the truth for himself.

"This was what she wanted."

The two leaned into each other and hugged. Zelda thanked Link over and over again for freeing him from her guilt in joyful weeping. In his own silent way, Link thanked her for freeing his spirit.

They gently pulled away and looked into each other's eyes. Zelda timidly gathered her thoughts and spoke first.

"I still haven't found a royal guard to join me at the coronation ceremony. I know you've been saying you aren't interested, but I was wondering if you changed your mind. Have you considered it anymore?"

Yesterday, he would have answered her with a long stretch of silence and a half-murmured "No." Now he only needed a moment to overcome his own anxiety. He gave her a small nod to put her worries to rest.

"I'll be there, Zelda. You can't fix the entire kingdom by yourself."

A look of hope returned to her eyes. Giving her one last tender glance, Link straightened his scaled tunic and started to walk toward the stairs.

"Ah! Link, where are you going?" Zelda asked in surprise.

He peered over his shoulder and showed her a small bittersweet smile.

"Just taking a trip over to the Domain for the day," he answered. "I told her I'd check in on Sidon. I don't want him growing up only thinking of her as a statue at the palace."

"Maybe I could come with you one of these days?" Zelda asked warmly. "Once everything has been sorted out here? We've never gone there together."

"She'd like that," he said, quietly adding, "I would, too."

He nodded and went on his way.

Author's note: I hope you enjoyed Zelda's journey through Divine Beast Vah Motorcycle.