once the power of the goddess hylia had left zelda, she felt more mortal than ever.
during the final moments of battle, it seemed as if an innate sense that had been borne deep within her had finally come to fruition. the magic and sheer, divine power that had flowed within her veins left as quickly as it arrived— the day was saved, and the dust was settling. there was no more need for such abilities once they had served their true purpose. she had officially reverted back into her original, physical state; a once-again powerless descendant of the goddess.
however, nothing else remained the same.
the world around her was nearly unrecognizable, and while she may have dressed the part of the girl she was so long ago, she felt nothing like the role.
while there was no physical mark, every single decade that had passed left an imprint on her. she felt,,, wizened, almost. the years of struggling against ganon, waiting for her chosen hero to awaken from his stasis, gave her more than enough time to mourn her fallen kingdom and reflect on the life she had lived up until then.
despite the century of solitude, she had never given up hope. she knew that link would come to her aid, and together they'd defeat ganon once and for all. she'd have her old friend at her side and together they'd rebuild her kingdom together.
in the end, she had been right.
...mostly.
her companion through time had suffered just as many, if not more, changes as she. zelda had been well aware of what the possible side effects were when she had put link into his life-saving slumber, yet, she had paid no heed to them. perhaps it was selfishness spurring her on, but as she faced the harrowing possibility of losing link, the only course of action that occurred to her in the moment was saving him— no matter the cost. she didn't take the time to think of the consequences when his life was hanging on a thread.
despite it all, she had a small, illogical belief that he'd remember her, and their friendship. after all, who would face evil's incarnate to save a stranger? surely he must've had a general idea of what they've been through together.
she kept her unrealistic hopes to herself as they traveled through central hyrule to hateno village. she, mostly patiently, waited until they both had rested thoroughly to even breach the topic. only two weeks since they had defeated ganon, yet they found themselves already falling into a domestic routine in his hateno home.
one afternoon, zelda had encouraged him to sit with her in the yard. summer was coming to a close, and zelda was all too happy to watch the many trees surrounding them slowly change their hue as the days went on. it was peaceful. while the heat of the summer still had a lingering presence, the combination of cool, incoming autumn breeze and the convenient shade of his large apple tree made it barely apparent.
zelda sat there, her knees to her chest as she peacefully listened to the harmony of nature around her. further down into town, she could almost hear the giggles of hateno's young children. that, alongside the distant wildlife and the nearby river— it was all so lovely. even the grass and soil felt downy soft beneath her feet. everything was perfect. if she didn't have a duty to her kingdom, she would've loved living out the rest of her days here, in another lifetime.
she had never felt so relaxed, or happy, in all of her years. even if they had both lost so much due to the calamity, they still had eachother, right?
"...link?"
her tone was soft, tentative— rupturing the calm atmosphere with her own voice felt almost like a sin. however, this was important; she had to know.
"may i ask,,,
do you truly remember me?"