"He's still alive," Link said as they strolled home, his arm around his wife. Her head leaned against his shoulder. "In this moment, everything is okay."
Zelda didn't reply, Link rubbing her arm. He looked to her profile, his blue eyes dancing with concern before they returned to a forward gaze.
"They stopped," Link said, "by the way."
"What stopped?"
"My nightmares," he explained. Zelda's eyes went from a great dullness to something a bit brighter, even if it was just a small raise of her eyelids. "The ones I used to get about you being taken away. You asked this morning if they ever stopped, before we were interrupted."
"Really?" Zelda asked as she looked to him.
Link nodded, moving his arm to instead take her hand.
"And they'll stop for you too," he continued. "I promise. And I'll soothe you through each and every one until then. We will work through all this loss. I promise you."
"I know," she said. Her head turned forward. "But that doesn't make this any easier."
Link nodded, kissing the top of her head for a prolonged second as they continued to walk.
"I'm proud of you," Link said, "for your strength. Everything you've been through…you're my hero."
"Link," Zelda said with a downward gaze, a smile, and a blush.
"It's true," insisted Link. "After everything, you still have hope, not to mention the capacity for love. I know your parents are a big part of that but you've taken their lessons to mind and to heart all on your own. You may think that's not a big deal, but you've come a long way, even if you can't tell the difference. When I first woke up from the Sacred Realm and heard how depressed you were, I was worried you were going to adapt your mother's illness, that you already had."
"You were?" Zelda asked, stopping and turning to face him. "You never mentioned anything."
"Because I watched you get better," Link said, taking her hands. "Right before my eyes. Every time I worried about it, you proved me wrong by showing me the life in your smile, the love in your words. I knew you were going to be okay. It's sounds strange, but…I just knew."
Zelda searched his eyes.
"You've always looked out for me," she said. "Even if I didn't know. You…you were worried I would…"
Link nodded. Zelda let out a sharp exhale.
Her next breaths breached a smile, Zelda's hands went to his cheeks and she brought her lips to his.
"I appreciate the concern," Zelda said out of the chaste kiss, her hands slid around to the back of his neck, "but I never lost faith in you, Link. I never considered…that. I never descended so far that I couldn't see the light. No matter what I've been through, I've never had the sickness my mother did, at least not to that extent. I have your love to thank for that, my parents too. I learned a lot from my father because of what my mother did before I got to chance to truly meet her…"
Zelda's eyes changed, her gaze turning away from Link as she thought upon her last words.
"What?" Link asked with concern. "What is it?"
"My father," she said, her voice quiet and contemplative. "The only thing he ever told me about my mother was that she took her own life and that she loved me. Before today, that's all I ever knew…"
Link listened patiently as he waited for her point.
"I never asked about her afterwards because I didn't want press the matter, but," she looked up to Link. "Maybe if I asked him now."
"He just went back to sleep," Link said. "The moon is already high…I don't know if we should disturb him."
"No, not tonight," Zelda said, now determined. "Tomorrow…first thing…I want to visit him again, really talk to him about the woman my mother was before she was sick. I want to know my parents before I become an orphan."
Link smiled and brought a hand to the back of her neck.
"Then I will be with you."
Zelda's expression melted.
"Thank you."
"I don't sense any magic from them," Zelda said with a shake of her head as she stared at the green gem, clearly emerald. Tiny gold lines spiraled inwards and outlined the green circle. Technically, it would fetch a high price, but that was the last thing on their minds.
"Then what was the point of leaving them behind?" Link asked.
"Maybe there was no point," Zelda guessed. "Maybe it was an accident."
Link peered at the one he held, a ruby set in patterned gold with sharp edges.
"They knew about everything that happened with our people," Link said quietly as he did. "They must have known that we have to do something to prevent it all happening again."
"Sealing the back room," she said matter-of-factly. It was something they both knew was ahead of them.
"And this is how," Link mumbled.
"What?" Zelda asked.
"What if you could infuse magic into them?" Link suggested as he tilted his head, his eyes meeting hers. "Using your magic. Use the gems as locks, the only way to open the door to the Master Sword. Then we split them up and hide them."
"You're saying that they left them as empty vessels on purpose?" Zelda asked.
Link nodded.
"And even they didn't," he said. "It isn't a bad idea."
"No," Zelda agreed as Link placed the ruby down, picking the sapphire up instead. "No, it isn't."
"Link?" She asked with a tip of her head, noticing his changed expression. "What is it?"
"The sapphire," he said. "I've…seen it before."
"In a dream?" Zelda guessed, but Link shook his head.
"No, I mean the symbol," Link explained. "The three circles. I saw it when I accessed the Triforce of Wisdom. In the Sky Keep."
"That makes sense," Zelda said. "These are the symbols of the golden goddesses, who created the Triforce in the first place. I've just never seen them in a physical form like this…"
Zelda studied nothing in particular as the thought occurred to her, that perhaps the golden goddesses themselves had a part in this.
But, she shook off the thought, reminding herself what Farore told Link.
