It was the question she wanted to ask for 100 years. Zelda was certain that she put enough contingencies in place for him to remember their time together. Right?

She tried to get a read on his face, hoping for a sign of some sort.

Curse that hood shielding his eyes!

A long pause went between them, the longevity only made Zelda worry more, "Link...?"

Link was optimistic that once he got a good look at her, that maybe the rest of his memories would come back, but...

Nothing... There's nothing that comes to mind. Why can't I remember?

Zelda was finally able to get a read on his thoughts when he lifted his head more, or so she thought.

I've never seen an expression like that before. Is he, upset?

It was a subtle frown, but she was certain that's what it was.

She stepped closer to him, "Link, I-"

"I... don't think I remember..." he mumbled.

Her heart felt like it had just seized, her worst fear presented itself.

Calm down, Zelda! This was something that we knew would likely happen. The question is, how much does he remember?

"You remember who I am, right?"

He nodded tersely.

Thank the goddess for that.

At least it was a start.

"What's the furthest back you can recall?"

"The ceremony where it was just us and the other Champions."

Her eyes grew wide, "You mean, you don't remember anything before that? Nothing?"

"Well, there was the ceremony where I was officially appointed a Champion, but I only remember bits and pieces of it. I gathered that those two ceremonies took place only a short time between each other."

"What about your latest memory?"

"I don't think it's actually mine, but the sword's. It was when you returned it to the pedestal to recover. You talked to the Great Deku Tree, asking it to relay a message to me."

Zelda's cheeks suddenly flushed, remembering exactly what she wanted to say to him in that message.

"R-Right, but the tree said that it would be better if I told you myself..."

100 years later, and Zelda couldn't kick the habit of fidgeting awkwardly when she became nervous.

"What else do you remember?" she asked, desperately wanting to avoid that subject.

"Everything?"

"In as much detail."

Link took a seat, and patted the grass beside him.

"It'll take a little while to explain, might as well get comfy."

Zelda took her spot beside him, and Link started to recall all of his memories. Telling her all that was said, and what happened as best he could.

After about an hour of back and forth, Link retold all that he remembered.

All Zelda could do, was look at the ground in complete dismay. Tears started to stream down her rosy cheeks, barely an hour together and she was already crying over him.

"What's wrong?"

"Everything! Everything is wrong! Things weren't supposed to be like this!" she snapped.

He let out a deep sigh, "I want to remember. It's just... I don't even know myself anymore. I can't recall anything about anyone. I don't remember anything about the Champions, anything from my past, or even how I met you. I just don't remember."

"Link, I didn't mean-"

"You don't have to say it, I know. I'm a shell of what I once was, I'm not the same person from 100 years ago. I'm sorry that I'm not what you hoped for."

She hugged him, held onto him for dear life. For it already felt like he was drifting away from her, "You're everything that I've hoped for! Just you even being here is a miracle, but there must be something we can do to get your memories back."

"There isn't."

"We won't know unless we try."

"I've already tried. Countless times... Impa and Purah tried to drill things about my past into me, and I couldn't recall a thing. I've gone to places where I was told that I might remember things, but I drew blanks. People who knew me from before asked numerous times to remember things about them, and all I got was frustration and disappointment when I couldn't."

I remember Link being constantly rejected in the past. People would see the Master Sword, and immediately glance the other way, or give him a dirty look. Something that bothered me to no end. Yet, I did the same thing at first... I immediately rejected you without even giving you a chance, because of my own fears. I almost made the same mistake again.

"I'm sorry. For being insensitive. I should've known that it wasn't for a lack of trying that you can't remember most of your past."

He patted her on the head, and the feeling of him touching her caused her heart to go a thousand miles a second. After all, she waited 100 years for him, she yearned for him in more ways than just seeing him again.

"It's almost night out. I'm sure you're exhausted, and want to clean yourself up. The castle would be the best place to turn in for the night."

Zelda giggled, which made Link raise an eyebrow in response.

Trying to playfully hide her smile, she said, "Oh, it's nothing."

Link then offered her his arm, but Zelda shook her head, offering her hand instead, "I've been waiting 100 years for you. We're going to do things a little differently this time."

He didn't understand what she meant, but obliged with her request. Hand in hand, the pair headed for the castle...

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They headed to Zelda's room, where she could get a fresh set of clothes.

"Nearly everything is ruined in here," commented Zelda.

She headed over towards her old bookshelves.

All of the books are nearly gone now. I remember having only a few dozen; mostly my notes, but when Link came, he put hundreds of books on these shelves.

"Link?"

He hummed in acknowledgement.

"Do you like to read?"

"As much as I can."

Still the crazy bookworm like before.

Walking along the bookshelves, she bumped into her old desk in the corner of the room. Everything was either destroyed or gone in general, not surprising. There was a canvas of old research notes and diagrams spread out along the wall.

"You can't read any of these now, but I know exactly what these all are."

"Your time in the field?"

"Precisely! From shrines found across the land, to excavation sites, to decryptions of ancient Sheikah, you name it!"

"From what I recall, you were pretty big into stuff like that."

She gave him a sad smile, "Well, you were with me for nearly all of it... We'd spend days, and on some occasions a week or so at a specific site I wanted to research. You were always- you were always an encouraging presence."

"What did I do?"

"You'd make us something to eat, made sure that no one bothered us, always pried me away from my research when you became worried for my well-being," she chuckled. "I asked for your input a lot of times, but you never really gave me any. Despite being incredibly smart, perceptive, objective, and amazing you-"

"Zelda..."

She titled her head to the side in confusion, "Yes?"

He made his way over to her, "You're crying."

"What?"

However, when she wiped her hand across her cheek, it became wet with tears.

Wiping away her tears, she said, "S-Sorry... It's just..."

Link put his index finger over her lips, effectively silencing them.

"I understand, you don't have to explain yourself. We can leave if you want."

This man... How can I ever move on from the past if he's doing the same things he used to do?!

She tentatively shook her head, "I want to stay."

Turning back to the desk, she noticed a familiar book lying open.

"Could this be...?"

After further inspection...

"It's my old diary!"

She sifted through the pages, some of the stuff wasn't readable, but everything from the past few years was.

"What are the odds that something like this actually survived all this time? Though, why is the lock busted?"

Holding the book to her chest, she looked suspiciously at Link, who could only give her an ambiguous shrug.

"You read my diary?"

He nodded, "I didn't know what it was at first, cause there's no label, but I assumed it was something important if it had to be locked."

"And you read everything?"

He nodded once more.

"Why?" She understood where Link was coming from, but it also felt like an invasion of privacy. It was something pointless to be making a fuss about, but Zelda still wanted to know why he'd go to such an effort.

"I was on that plateau for around a week before I was finally able to get off it. The king told me that it wouldn't be a good idea to head for the castle right out of the gate, and instead advised me to seek out, Impa."

"Why didn't you listen? You know how dangerous-"

"I was well aware of the risks. It's just that... I didn't know who I was, or what I was. Having you speak to me telepathically, and finding out the old man was the spirit of your deceased father... I felt like I was going insane. I had no idea who either of you were," he scratched the back of his head. "He said your name like it was supposed to trigger something, and it didn't ring any bells at the time. I figured that if any answers in regards to who I was, or what was going on lied somewhere, then in the castle is where they would be."

"To summarize, knowing full well of the risks of coming to the castle that soon, you decided to anyways?"

He shrugged.

Zelda dropped the diary, and buried her head in his chest, "Stupid!" she hit his shoulder, "Stupid, stupid, stupid! I can't believe you would go to such lengths for something like that."

"It's true that everything I came across didn't bring back any memories, but I thought it necessary."

"Nothing? What did you look for?"

"Texts, weapons, statues, even just certain spots that could've potentially sparked something."

"And not even the slightest thing seemed familiar to you?"

"There were plenty of things that were familiar, it's just..."

"Just?"

"I got a severe headache if I tried to focus on remembering, and there were a few occasions where I completely blacked out."

Zelda looked up at him mortified, "B-Blacked out?"

"Yeah, there were times that I felt like I was getting close to remembering, then... nothing. I'd wake up on the ground, with no idea of how much time had passed or recollection of what happened."

Her grip tightened on his sleeves.

All that suffering. All that disappointment. All that pain. And for what? Nothing.

"Why didn't you give up?"

"I seen it as, if I can remember at least something about who I am, what's going on, who you two were, something, then it would shed some light on the situation I was in.

"From the moment I woke, I had absolutely no idea who you two were, or what was going on. I knew that I was on the Great Plateau, but where's that? Why am I on the Great Plateau? Why and how are you speaking to me from essentially across half the country? Why is this old man I just met all of a sudden telling me these things like I'm supposed to understand? Is it even possible to talk to spirits of the dead? Am I losing my mind? What are these glowing these glowing shrines? Why is it only possible for me to access them? Who is Ganon? Who is Impa? Who is Zelda? Who am I?"

Zelda could only remain silent as Link continued to ramble on. She had never seen a side of him that was completely... she didn't how to describe it.

"You see, there was so many questions that I had, and so many things I needed to figure out before I could begin this 'quest.' If I really was the former appointed knight of the princess, then I must've spent a considerable amount of time at the castle."

"That's why you were so determined to come here first? Because you thought that your best chances at finding your answers would be here?"

Link nodded, "I looked everywhere, and there were only three things that were able to stick with me. One of which, was that diary."

"What about your memories?"

"While those are from my perspective. The diary, is from your perspective. Unfortunately, they coincide exactly with my memories. Meaning, that I wasn't able to obtain the missing gaps between them, but it did add context to the already existing ones. Something I'm grateful for."

"But I said some pretty nasty things about you in here. It's..." she hung her head, "humiliating."

"I guess, but that's all in the past now, right?"

"Eh?"

That wasn't the response she was expecting.

"You're... not mad?" she asked.

"Why would I be? Last I checked, no one forces you to like anyone in this world."

"But I said it in-"

"Your diary. Something that you're supposed to write the thoughts that you normally don't share with others. Therefore, you're not entitled to feel bad if someone else read it."

"I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I don't have any ill feelings towards you, in fact... In fact, they're quite the opposite."

"I know. Through the memories, talking with Impa, and reading your diary, I gathered that those feelings were more of us misunderstanding each other."

"They were! I-I never really gave you a chance in the beginning. I labeled you off as a person who never faced a day of hardship. It was frustrating, seeing you carry that sword on your back while I was lacking with my own duties. I took that frustration out on you. But once I got to know who you were, well... I'm just glad that we cleared that misunderstanding."

She couldn't tell him her feelings for him just yet. It was still too soon.

"I'm glad too, Zelda."

Her cheeks turned a deep shade of crimson at the smile he gave.

And the way he said my name... priceless.

Putting the diary back, Zelda then headed towards the bed.

"It wasn't easy to find a bed as comfy as this one. Now it's totally wrecked."

Though, Zelda knew that the comfiest thing she had ever slept on by far, was the man standing in the middle of the room.

This bed also carries wonderful memories. Those "cold" winter nights when I couldn't stay warm, he would come and snuggle with me to keep me warm.

However, the images that came to mind were more of her wrapping herself around him like a pretzel while he just laid there.

Okay, maybe it wasn't as romantic as I'd have liked, but I was still able to do that with, Link.

Speaking of doing "that" with, Link. Would there be more opportunities to do it in the future? She certainly hoped so.

Well... actually she was ready to fully offer herself to him, but a new question came to mind.

Where was Link staying? Was he staying in Kakariko, or camping out in the wild? Or did he just go from town to town to find an inn?

So she asked, "Link where have you been staying all this time?"

"For the first few months I was camping outside, but for the last two months I've had my own place."

"What?!"

That was a surprise!

"Yeah, it was going to get taken down from being abandoned for so long, but I bought it and took it off their hands. It's nothing spectacular, but after putting some work into it... it's home... I guess. I was going to keep it a surprise, but I figured I'd tell you now since you asked."

Zelda just stared at him with wide eyes, bouncing on her feet.

"Do you want to see it?"

"I'd never thought you'd ask! Of course I want to!"

"We can head over there tomorrow before going to Kakariko if that's alright."

She nodded dumbly, shaking from the excitement.

One has to understand, Zelda 100 years ago thought a lot about life for both her and Link post-Calamity, or even in a setting where they didn't have to face Ganon. That time they spent in Link's village especially, only intensified those feelings. Fast-forward 100 years, and that dream that she wished for was close to becoming a reality. It was nerve wracking, but also exciting.

"Will these do?" he asked, holding out a pair of clothes for her.

Zelda immediately recognized the pair of clothes as her own Champions tunic with one of her usual pairs of pants.

"Where did you find those?"

He pointed over to the dresser that was falling apart.

"I also found some undergarments in there as well."

Her cheeks flushed. Having Link seeing, let alone holding a pair of her underwear was nothing short of embarrassing.

"I found a spot for you to bathe, too. It's a little hidden away, so you'll get some privacy. While you're doing that, I'll wash your clothes. It's been 100 years since these were last worn, don't know how dirty these are," he added.

"O-Okay," she replied sheepishly.

They had to take a few detours due to some parts of the castle caving in, but once they got past the hidden passage, Zelda knew exactly where they were heading. Turning the last bend and opening the door, she was met with her old bathing room.

"I found this place my second time coming here. Everything was in good condition for whatever reason. Water runs fine, there's no mold, even the hot water still works. It seem that even the monsters couldn't find this sanctuary."

Sanctuary... That's what this place was for me back then. A place to escape from everyone, and relax.

"I'm kind of surprised you found it. It's pretty out of the way you know."

"While I was scaling the cliffside I seen the window, and decided to investigate. It's impressive."

It was big for a bathing room; which isn't surprising considering where they were located. The tub was waist level, and made of a fine granite which covered a 20x20 foot portion of the room. The tub also had a dragon's head design for the faucet, where the water poured from the mouth mimicked fire. The room was surrounded by tall, 5x20 foot panes of glass, where each had intricate designs; all ranging from different parts of the land. If one were to look out one of the windows, they could see the peaks along Death Mountain. There was a shelf with all types of expensive shampoos and body wash to the right of the door; though they were all expired now, with a place to put fresh garments and towels on the opposite side.

"It was nice to be able to relieve some stress here. Felt like I was in my own world," he commented.

If Zelda wasn't embarrassed earlier, she certainly was now after that comment. She had done plenty of "stress relieving" before. As a matter of fact, all of her sexual fantasies revolving around a certain appointed knight came to life in this particular room. Zelda was not only too embarrassed to come out with her feelings of desire for him, but she also lacked the courage. Both of which, were due to her believing that she would be rejected in an instant. She knew that her feelings were out of love, but she didn't feel confident in trying to explain to those feelings to, Link.

I mean... we never were considered a couple, and we only kissed twice. How was I going to explain that I wanted to take that next step with him?

Even when they shared their first kiss, it took all that she had to muster up the courage to take the next leap in their relationship. Now, she had to start from scratch, and try to find that courage again. And, if she ever wanted to get to that next stage, she'd have to find even more courage than before, because if she was too embarrassed by the fact that she used to masturbate to him 100 years ago, then there was no way she would be able to take that next step in their relationship now.

But first, I need to get him back before I can worry about taking that next step.

"I'll get the water ready, then wash your clothes just outside. Take your time, as it'll be a little while before they dry," he said as he turned on the tap.

"Thank you."

"Also..." he placed some shampoo and body wash on the side of the bath. "It's not what you're likely used to, but it's what I use. I figure it's better than nothing."

"Well, if your hair is anything to go by, maybe I should make the switch," she giggled. "But, thank you."

"You're all set, I'll be outside if you need anything."

Once he left, Zelda stripped out of the white dress she'd essentially been wearing for 100 years straight, and hopped into the water. She was in desperate need of a proper cleaning.

She allowed herself to wallow in the water up to her nose. The body wash Link used wasn't the lavender scented one she normally used, but it smelt like him, the smell of outside before it pours. This was bliss, she could feel all the aches and pains from being in a state of stasis slowly disappearing, her mind clearing. She let out a relaxed sigh as she thought about today's events...

Things haven't gone as planned, but I'm glad to have Link back regardless. He only has bits and pieces of his memories, but he's still the same man at heart. The road ahead will be tough, but Link is worth any hardship. He's everything to me.

20 minutes passed before a soft knock on the door would catch Zelda's attention.

"Ready to come out?" he asked.

"Yes!" she yelled back.

"I found a towel in the room over, so I'm coming in to put your clothes and the towel on the side."

She covered herself as best she could, hiding behind the tub's frame to ensure Link couldn't get a sneak peek, though she never suspected he would do such a thing.

"You can come in."

Tentatively opening the door, Link awkwardly made his way inside, looking anywhere but in Zelda's direction. She laughed at the way he was trying to protect her modesty.

Another ten minutes, and Zelda was out and ready to go.

I would've liked to do my hair, but I can live a little while longer keeping it like this.

"How do I look?"

"Just how I remember."

She couldn't help but smile at that.

"There's a spot in the library we can stay for the night. I'll whip us up something when we get there."

Zelda had a tough time keeping herself from drooling at the prospect of tasting Link's cooking for the first time in 100 years. She knew that his cooking was one thing he could never forget.

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Once inside the library, it was time for Link to surprise Zelda once again, as he moved a massive metal shelf with ease to reveal a hidden room.

"How did you do that?!" she asked, her eyes lighting up in astonishment.

"You mean... you didn't see it?"

"See what?"

"I used the magnesis rune on the Sheikah Slate."

"There's a new feature on the slate?"

Link then showed her the slate, and where there was a small red icon to signify the magnesis rune was located.

"And..." he started moving the bookcase around to prove a point. "It allows me to move anything metal, regardless of size, with ease."

"Incredible! I had no idea the slate could even do that!"

"Turned out there were more runes to be discovered. Purah spent a lot of time decrypting over the years."

Link began to set up camp inside the hidden room. It was a decent size, definitely big enough to accommodate the both of them. There was a desk on one end, and an old book resting on a pedestal on the other. Whatever texts lied within were long gone, and the desk was completely empty. There wasn't much to it, but Zelda didn't care the story behind it, as she busied herself by looking at Link in profile.

His hair is longer than what it used to be, and he's even got a slight goatee; it's subtle, but I guess he's never had much time to worry about appearances. He still wears the Champions tunic I gave him, but his pants and sleeves are black now. I thought they were always a cream colour? And I can't forget about that cursed hood that he likes to hide behind. How I wish he'd just keep it off! I miss looking into those eyes of his...

"Link, why do you wear a hood?" she asked, noticing that he finished setting everything up.

Still quick as ever.

"Protects against the weather, and hides my face pretty well."

"Why would you want to hide your face?"

She had no idea why, however, when he removed the hood, everything became clear. Her hands flew to her mouth to try and stifle her gasp, her tears were on the verge of falling once again.

About an inch up from the middle of his left jaw, all the way down his neck, perhaps further, was a quarter inch thick scar. There were was also a small one on his left cheek bone, but the one on the right was a cause for concern. Zelda began to feel nauseous. Turning towards the first thing she could find, she emptied her stomach in the pot that Link was about to cook in.

"You alright, Zelda?"

Hearing those words only made things worse as she emptied another round into the pot, then another, and another... All Link could do was hold back her hair, and try to soothe her.

After finally finishing regurgitating whatever was in her stomach, Zelda lied in the fetal position, crying, praying that this was some sort of sick nightmare. That was the worst thing she could've done, and she did it. Link put another pot beside her as he stepped outside to empty and clean out the other one. When he returned, he began to cook Creamy Heart Soup in attempt to help Zelda's sudden wave of sickness.

With a deft touch, Link managed to lay Zelda across his lap without making her puke further.

"L-Link..." she said weakly. "You d-don't have to-"

He interrupted her with a spoonful of soup.

"This will help."

She wasn't doubting the soups capabilities, rather the embarrassment of being spoon fed in his lap. Unfortunately, she knew that she wouldn't be able to talk Link out of it; not that she was going to anyways...

"I'm sorry," she said in between spoonfuls.

He shook his head, "Don't worry about it."

After a few more spoonfuls, she was starting to feel better.

"No, I need to apologize. It looks bad."

"Like I said, it's okay. I understand."

"It's just... seeing that scar reminded me-"

"We don't have to talk about that."

"But I just want to-"

The snapping of the spoon caused Zelda to flinch, and in doing so, she knocked over the bowl of soup.

"Sorry, I-"

"It's fine. I'll clean it up."

He moved her over to her original spot before cleaning up the mess.

Zelda could only shiver in fear.

Why am I scared?

For the first time since she's known him, Link snapped. It may not have been overly dramatic, but she knew... Link lost his temper.

He's always been cool and collected, even in battles. He's never lost control like that.

When he turned back her way, she squinted her eyes ever so slightly expecting Link to snap again. He didn't, but he noticed her subtle flinch.

Does she really think I'd do that to her?

"Here," he offered her a half bowl of the Creamy Heart Soup. "You didn't get a chance to finish the last bowl."

"Thank you for the food," she said before digging in.

As Zelda was eating, Link busied himself with maintaining the fire. She wanted to get a read on him, but that annoying hood was blocking her view again! One thing was for sure, she didn't like this silence between them.

After giving Link her cleaned out bowl, she began to fidget nervously.

I want to talk about what just happened, but how do I approach it? I feel like anything I say will set him off, and he doesn't want to talk about it.

Please, Link, bare your soul to me, let me help you with your burdens. You're not alone anymore. You never were... I've- I've always been willing to share your burdens.

"Hey, Link?"

He looked over towards her.

With a hand held against her heart she asked, "Can I... touch it?"

"Why?"

"Because I want to remember. I was there too, I seen your wounds firsthand."

"No."

"Why?!" she surprised herself when she raised her voice, but there was no turning back now. "Why won't you let me?!"

"Maybe you want to remember, but I don't. I'm tired of remembering..."

"What do you mean?"

"Why would I ever want to remember that moment? Can you give me a reason why?"

Zelda bit her lip, "Because... it's part of your memories, your past. It's important-"

"I'm reminded every time I look at myself! I can't forget!" Link was now yelling; annoyed with her persistence on the topic, another first for Zelda.

He took off his tunic and undershirt, and what was revealed to her was her greatest fear.

That one scar that went from his jaw, down his neck? Continued even further down to his chest, before curling off at the hip. He had several similar thick ones on both arms, and abdomen, that were at least a foot long each. But the one that really caught her eye, was the one that went from his left shoulder to his stomach. It was two inches thick, and likely the one that was the fatal blow. She didn't need to see his legs to know that were ones just as frightening...

Zelda recalled how blood stained and torn his tunic was when she held his lifeless body. She knew it was bad, but this was... BAD. It was scary thinking that he managed to push himself as long as he did dealing with injuries that severe. Reaching up tentatively, she traced the two inch one with her fingers.

The skin feels... soft. The edges where he was singed are tough, but it's not at all how I imagined.

Pulling her hand away, she knelt in front of him with her head hung.

"Every time..." he let out a deep sigh. "Every time I was reminded of my scars, whether it be by looking at my reflection in the water, or having someone comment on it, etc. It would bring me back to that point in time where I died. Where I- I failed everyone..."

Trying her best to hold back her tears, she looked up at Link in confusion.

"Everyone looked up to me. Seen me as the one to defeat Ganon. The Chosen Hero, The Hero of Time, The Hero of Hyrule, whatever title you want to give, it doesn't matter. Everyone put their burdens on me, their hopes, their dreams, and their doubts. And you know what? I took on all those burdens without saying a word, not one complaint. I understood the duty I was supposed to fulfill, and the weight it carried.

"And you want to know what happened?"

Zelda just continued to stare at him, now unable to hold back her tears as Link opened up to her.

"I crumbled under that weight. I wasn't able to live up to anyones expectations, not even my own. I wasn't, and am still not, the hero you, or anyone else believes me to be. These scars are proof of that. Proof that I was too weak to stop the chaos that endured for 100 years. Proof that I wasn't ready to keep the promises I made back then. I put everyone; you most of all, through 100 years of hardship, because I failed to fulfill my duty. I don't need to be reminded that I'm a failure, I already know."

Zelda vehemently shook her head, "No, this is all wrong! You're not a failure, you defeated Ganon and fulfilled your duty. You brought peace to the land, you saved everyone. Sure it wasn't how we planned, but it worked out, right? You can't keep torturing yourself like this."

"How many hundreds of thousands die, because of me? How long did the remaining survivors live in fear of being annihilated? How much suffering did you go through, because of me?"

"You weren't the only one that failed too! Who was the one who couldn't unlock her sealing power in time, and put everyone in this mess?! Me! I did everything, everything I could to try and awaken it, but I couldn't... No matter what I did, I just couldn't do it! Not before it was too late and I lost you... So, don't think for a second, that you're the only one that carries blame! Yes, the scars are a painful reminder of the past, and I can see where you think that you failed, but in the end, you succeeded! That's all that matters! Yes, we suffered great losses in every facet, but you prevented us from losing everything!"

It was Link's turn to be taken aback by Zelda's retort.

She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, "You once told me... that it was naive to think that things would go so smoothly against Ganon. That we weren't ready. You were right. We were ill prepared, and we only have ourselves to blame for that. That's on everyone, not just me, or you. We underestimated him, and paid a heavy price for it, but we managed to pull through in the end."

Link took a seat in front of her with his legs crossed, "I remember doing everything I could to get back to you, but for whatever reason my body just wouldn't listen... Seeing your face... was the last thing I remember seeing, and it was something I never wanted to see again. I didn't know who you were for a time after I woke, but once I remembered, and remembered what happened to me. That image of you came back to me. I'm able to see it so clearly... How your face was a little dirty from falling in the mud earlier, how your tears pooled at your chin before hitting my face, how your lip quivered from crying for so long, and how those eyes... how those eyes looked knowing that I left this world. Knowing I put you through that, and for 100 years no less... It gave, and still does, give me nightmares."

She tried wiping away her tears, but they only continued to fall, "L-Link..."

"I failed you. I wasn't there for you when you needed me most, and that's something I can never forgive myself for. I may not remember a lot about what happened between us, but I do know that what happened that night, was the worst thing I could've done. All that weight I crumbled under, you had to take on yourself because of me."

"And I'd do it again, and again, if it meant that I got to be with you, just even once more. You were the strength behind my decision to keep pushing on, instead of giving up. And I'm happy, I'm so happy that I did what I did, because you're here, and alive. I never want to go through that experience again, so promise me... promise me that you'll never leave me alone again."

"Promise?" Link's eyes suddenly became unfocused. "Promise..."

Zelda grew concerned at Link's sudden divergence from the topic at hand.

"Promise... promise..."

"Link, Link!" Zelda shook him to try and get his attention.

Once his eyes regained focus, she tried speaking with him again.

"You zoned out there. What happened?"

"I feel like I should be remembering something, but I just can't. No matter how hard I try, I can't remember."

"Maybe it's just not time for you to remember, yet."

Though, the only reason why Zelda was able to say that with confidence, was that she knew what promise he was referring to. She desperately wanted to tell him of his promise to her, but it just wasn't the best time to do so. She'd have to wait, even though it was tearing her apart.

"Please, don't leave me again. I waited 100 years for you to return, and I want to spend the rest of that lost time with you."

The two stared at each other.

"Please..." she muttered out again after a long silence.

"I promise... I'll always stay by your side."

Closing the gap between them, Zelda buried her face into his chest.

"And I promise to always stay by yours."

It was a start.

Patting her on the head, he said, "It's late, you should probably get some sleep after such a long day."

"Same can be said for you."

"I'll be fine, I'll keep-"

Zelda shook her head, and waggled her finger at him, "Ohhh, no! We're not doing this again."

Link raised an eyebrow in confusion, which only made her laugh.

"You always stood by and watched, while I slept. Instead of watching, join me. I'd feel much better if you did."

"I only have one blanket."

"We'll make it work. Now, blanket?" she held out her hand expectingly.

Link thought he must've had a dumb look on his face the way Zelda continued giggling after he gave her the blanket.

"Turn around."

"Why?"

"Just do it!"

After turning away, he asked, "What are you-" After hearing some shuffling, Link knew exactly what she was doing.

"No peeking until I say so."

"...Yup," was the dumb response he gave back.

A few moments passed, "O-Okay... you can turn back now."

When he seen her, he could've mistaken Zelda for the Goddess Hylia herself she was that ethereal. Zelda was lying on the mat, with an elbow propping her head. The blanket was just above her breasts, down a little past her toes.

"S-Stop staring. Now hurry, and come in here!"

"You want me to join you?"

"I told you before, you're not staying up for weeks, or even days on end anymore. There isn't any need to do so. It's lonely without you here, and you just promised to always stay by my side," she said, giving him a sultry smile.

Link knew that there was no point in arguing. While they both knew that she wasn't literally referring to never leaving her side, he also knew that this was something that she wasn't going to budge on, regardless. They had just fought, and he didn't want to start another one over something elementary.

"Was that something I did a lot back then?" he asked as he took off his tunic.

Zelda watched him carefully, "Always. Though, in the winter you came to bed more often, because of the cold."

He was stripped down to his shorts, "Came to bed?"

She fidgeted, partly for seeing Link in just his shorts, and another for having to recall a touchy topic, "Well... it was really cold out, and I had trouble keeping warm, so..."

"I see..."

Zelda held her arms out, "I'm starting to get cold, Link. Hurry."

Link shook his head, but obliged as he tentatively joined her under the covers.

"Are you wearing anything?" he asked, when he accidentally grazed her bare chest.

"I'm wearing something, yes! I just didn't want to wear my clothes to bed."

"Well, I'm sure we can find something back-"

"This is perfect."

After she was certain he got comfortable, Zelda wrapped herself around him like a pretzel. Head on his shoulder, arm across his chest, leg tangled with his.

"This seems... familiar."

Zelda was certain that her heart skipped a beat, "This is how I would keep warm against the cold."

"Are you cold now?"

She cleared her throat, "No, n-not particularly. I just- just like doing it."

"I see..."

"Do you want me to get off?"

Though it would be disappointing, she'd understand if it was too much from him.

"It's okay. I mean... there's only one bed at the house anyways. Might as well get used to it, now."

Zelda giggled, "Are you sure you won't get tired of me doing this to you every night?"

He shook his head, "Do I have a choice?"

"Nope."

"Then, I'm okay with it."

She smiled.

"Hey, Link?"

He hummed in acknowledgement.

"I'm really happy that you're back. Things... may not have had the ideal start we wanted, but together, we can do anything."

"You're why I'm back. Without you, I couldn't have made it this far."

"I can say the same."

Link was now her entire reason for existing, and though he didn't realize it yet, it was the same as she was for him.

"Link?"

He yawned, and made a sort of grunt in response.

"Let's keep having nights like this."

There wasn't any response as Link fell asleep.

Snuggling herself deeper into her favourite blanket, Zelda quickly followed suit, and the two; while it may have started rough, ended the day on a high note...