Thanks so much to Siderae12 (Thank you so much, that means a lot!), pokedawnheart (Coincidentally enough, that's explained in this chapter!), Luine Mercury LWG (True! Though something tells me that Link and Zelda wouldn't be too keen on that plan XD), Sw-0608, and MexicAmerichick6 for reviewing! I hope you guys continue to enjoy! Also, happy Skyward Sword HD release day!
And with that, on with the longest chapter yet! Hope you enjoy :)
~ Chapter 11 ~
That night, Zelda lay in bed with Link once again, curled up at his side. Though her knight appeared to already be asleep, the princess' heart pounded and her mind raced, keeping her frustratingly conscious, no matter how long she kept her eyes shut.
How had she not seen it before? Now that she concentrated on Link's still form, she could clearly sense the Malice that now poisoned his blood. It wasn't strong enough to drive her away, but the mere thought of it nearly closed her throat and caused a burn behind her eyes.
It should have been her.
Over the past week or so, she'd replayed the moment he'd been taken in her head countless times, always searching for a way she could have stopped it. She could hear his voice in her mind as clear as day, could see the determination in his eyes and the shake of his hands as he stepped in front of her and spoke to the surrounding Yiga Clan.
"You only have to get rid of one of us. Take me."
Zelda was fairly certain she had screamed.
The Yiga had been wary of approaching the Hylian Champion, but luckily for them, they had caught him at a time during which he hadn't been carrying a weapon, and even his unnatural strength wouldn't be enough to combat their sheer numbers.
That had also been Zelda's fault. She had convinced him to leave his sword and bow at home for once. After all, they were only going down to Hateno Beach, and Link had already cleared out the monsters there weeks ago.
What was the worst that could happen?
She silently cursed her own naiveté. She should have known that the remainder of the Yiga Clan would still have its sights on them. She should have trusted that Link's wariness was more than baseless paranoia.
She shouldn't have let him sacrifice himself for her.
Then again, it wasn't the first time something like that had happened. Her knight was always throwing himself face-first into danger for her sake, never once hesitating or complaining. One hundred years ago, that behavior had very nearly cost him his life, and yet he still hadn't bothered to change his ways.
Zelda was starting to think that Link was born without a sense of self-preservation.
The princess sighed, resting her forehead lightly on Link's shoulder. "What am I going to do with you…?" she whispered, not intending for him to hear.
However, to her surprise, the young man shifted slightly in his sleep and mumbled in return, "What's that supposed to mean…?"
Zelda blinked and lifted her head to see Link's crystal blue eyes staring back at her. A long moment passed, then she pulled back with a huff.
"...you were never actually asleep, were you?" she grumbled, though her heart wasn't entirely in it.
Link looked at her sheepishly. "...no," he admitted. "Sorry. Couldn't sleep."
"Well...I suppose that makes two of us," she sighed. "So in that case...how about we talk for a bit instead?"
Though he tilted his head to the side a bit, as though confused, Link eventually nodded. "Okay. Um...about what?"
"About you," Zelda told him, squeezing his arm lightly. "We've been talking over you all day, and you've barely gotten a word in edgewise. Link...I want to know how you're doing. How you're really doing. You can 'I'm fine' the others all you want, but that's not going to work with me. Please...talk to me."
For a long moment, he stared at her, as if he didn't quite comprehend her words. His eyes flicked around the room, and she could practically see the gears turning in his head as he attempted to gather his thoughts. She waited patiently for him to speak his mind.
"...I don't know how much I can say that you won't have already guessed," Link said carefully.
Zelda shook her head. "That doesn't matter. Tell me everything anyway." She forced a small smile onto her face. "I ramble on to you all the time, don't I? It's only fair that I give you a turn as well."
Another few seconds passed before Link finally heaved a defeated sigh.
"...okay," he mumbled, averting his eyes. "I...I don't feel good. It's better with you here, I mean...I can think, speak, and move. Before, I couldn't. But even now, I still feel...wrong. On-edge. Anxious. Or...something." He winced, the tips of his ears lowering in embarrassment. "...sorry. I'm not good at this."
"It's okay," Zelda gently assured him. "Don't worry about that. Just...tell me what you're thinking."
Link frowned. "It'll probably sound stupid…"
She lifted her hand to lightly brush her fingertips against his cheek, smiling slightly. "It won't," she promised. "It's not good to bottle everything up, you know...you can talk to me. I promise I won't laugh, or make fun of you, or anything." Her eyebrows lifted. "You can trust me, okay…?"
Her knight swallowed thickly and tilted his head to the side, leaning into her touch. "...I trust you," he whispered. "I trust you more than anyone else. I'm just...scared."
"Scared of what?" Zelda prompted softly. "Of me?"
Link shook his head. "No...I...I know it sounds ridiculous. But...I guess I'm scared that if I say what I'm thinking, then...it'll become more real. It'll be too much. I'll...break down. And I...I can't do that, Zelda...I can't…"
The princess' eyebrows furrowed in worry. "Well...maybe it's okay to break down sometimes. It's okay to cry, or curse, or scream...none of us are invincible, Link, not even you."
"...I can't let you down," Link murmured, his voice cracking slightly.
"I don't think you're even capable of that." She managed an encouraging smile. "Think about it...if speaking your mind was going to 'let me down,' why would I be asking you to do it?"
Link fell silent.
Zelda nodded in return. "Exactly. Link...you've been strong for me for so long. You've held onto me while I've cried my heart out, you've brought me back from the worst of my nightmares. Does all that make you think any less of me? Have I 'let you down?'"
"No!" the young knight quickly exclaimed, eyes wide.
"So then why can't you offer that same kindness to yourself?"
He opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated several seconds before finally closing it again. Zelda once again waited patiently as he mulled over her words.
"...it feels strange," he said finally, placing one bandaged hand on his chest. "It feels strange, knowing there's something evil inside me. When you're here, it's not so bad. I can almost forget that it's there. But...if I concentrate, I can still feel it. And...then it's bad. Really bad. It's waiting for you to leave...waiting until it can get strong enough to spread throughout me and maybe even kill me. It...it almost killed me. I can still taste it, I can still feel it burning my throat...sometimes when I close my eyes, all I see is red, just...pulsing there. Waiting. Biding its time. And...and I'm scared of it, Zel…"
Zelda's heart shattered in her chest.
Never mind the fact that she had rarely ever heard Link say so much at one time, it was even rarer for the young man to admit that he was afraid of something. Normally, no amount of danger seemed to faze him. He'd fought Lynels, Moldugas, Guardians, and even Calamity Ganon itself, but this was assuredly the most frightened she'd ever seen him.
"I'm scared…" Link repeated slowly, as though coming to a realization. "Because...I can't control this. I can't fight it. I can't swing a sword at it and make it go away. I'm scared because I don't know what to do...because there's really nothing I can do. I feel...helpless. Useless, even."
"You're not useless," Zelda quickly cut in, her voice firm. "I know you'd rather be on your feet and fighting, but that's not possible right now...and it's not your fault. You didn't ask for this. You don't deserve this…"
"The Yiga Clan might disagree with you," Link muttered.
"The Yiga Clan can go suck a cactus," Zelda snapped back, surprising her knight with her venom. "And whoever is left of them will pay for what they've done to you. I guarantee you that all of Hyrule will see to it."
In spite of everything, a small smile came to Link's face. "And I take it you'll be at the head of the angry mob chasing after them?" he asked fondly.
"You know I will be," Zelda confirmed with a grin of her own. "Pitchforks and torches...the whole package."
The young man chuckled. "That'll be a sight. Those Yiga won't know what hit them."
After the two shared a quiet laugh, Link fell silent for a moment, his cerulean eyes locked on Zelda's face, studying her. Then, finally, he sighed heavily. "...thank you, Zel. For...well...everything."
Her eyebrows lifted slightly, but she didn't question him, remaining quiet while he spoke.
"I've never been all that great at relying on other people…" he admitted, eyes averted. "I've always tried to handle everything on my own. But now, I can't do that...and maybe that's okay?" Link shook his head, frowning. "Er, what I mean to say is...I'm scared and kind of helpless right now. And I'm not used to that. But...I'm not alone either. You're here. And...I trust you to help me." He paused, then winced, his face reddening in embarrassment. "...that was awkward, wasn't it?"
"A little," Zelda agreed. Then, she smiled. "But I don't mind. It's...cute."
Link's eyebrows shot up, though Zelda quickly looked away, her own cheeks growing warm.
"...I-I don't know why I said that," she laughed nervously. "Not that I didn't mean it, of course! I-I just, well, we were talking about such a serious topic, so I probably should have just stayed serious, and not - mmph!"
The princess' thought process ground to an immediate halt as she suddenly found her mouth obstructed by...by…
By Link's mouth.
Which had to have been the absolute worst description of a kiss that anyone had ever come up with, but then again, how could she be expected to think properly when Link was suddenly kissing her?
Not that she was complaining, obviously, but it was rather unexpected. They'd both been dancing around the subject of mutual affection for a long while, admittedly. In public, Link was just as easy to fluster as she was, but in private, he tended to be the bolder of the two, occasionally lightly kissing her head or her cheek and laughing as her face went red. But even then, he hadn't yet dared to press his lips directly to hers - until now, of course.
And it was about damn time.
Just as Link began to pull away, she leaned forward to follow him. Her eyes slid closed as she draped her arm over him, placing her hand on the back of his head to let him know that she wanted him to stay right where he was.
Link, it seemed, was in no hurry to disagree with her.
As their kiss deepened, Zelda could sense the Malice inside Link recoiling angrily at the proximity of her sacred power. The evil seemed to bubble and hiss, but it could not possibly advance any further in her presence.
And good riddance, Zelda thought. Calamity Ganon had already ruined the vast majority of her life as it was - she was not about to let it ruin this moment.
Finally, the princess and her knight pulled their heads back from one another, catching their breath, but they still cuddled closer than they had before. For several moments, they were silent, until Link, uncharacteristically enough, was the first to find his voice.
"That...wasn't very knightly of me, was it…?" he murmured with a sheepish grin.
"Maybe not," Zelda admitted, giggling slightly. "But...you know what? To hell with Hyrule's old 'etiquette' and 'propriety.' What incentive is there for us to conform to the social norms of a long-dead kingdom?"
"Maybe the fact that we'll face Impa's wrath if we don't?" Link pointed out, though his tone was humorous.
"Well then," Zelda replied in an exaggeratedly prim voice. "If she's so concerned with all of us adhering to our old titles, then I'll have to remind her which of us is the princess and which of us is the advisor." She couldn't help but giggle a second time. "Perhaps then she'll be more willing to accept that we're all equals now!"
"Perhaps," the young man echoed, chuckling. "She may have mellowed a bit with age anyway - maybe she'll just settle for the occasional disapproving glance instead of chasing after me with a broom."
The princess stifled a laugh. "Ah, so you remember that?"
She certainly did. One hundred years back, once her and Link had started getting along, she would sometimes call him into her study to either help her with or be the subject of one of her experiments. Though nothing untoward had ever actually occurred, the princess and her knight alone, behind a closed door, was generally frowned upon by both the king and certain castle staff - as such, the first time Impa had discovered them, she had grabbed the nearest object that could potentially be used as a weapon and immediately chased Link out of the room. It had taken quite a bit of talking her down in order to convince her that their only purpose had been testing out elixirs.
And luckily for Link, they had been Hasty Elixirs.
Link nodded. "Had a flashback the first time I saw Paya sweeping," he recalled with a sheepish smile. That much made sense - Paya looked almost exactly as her grandmother had when she was young. "Needless to say, she was...concerned to see me suddenly staring at her in fear." He chuckled slightly. "When I explained, Impa overheard and just started cackling. Seems she remembers that just as vividly as I do now."
"Apparently so," Zelda replied, smiling. She then exhaled heavily, leaning into Link's side, careful not to touch the scars that were surely still sore, at least. "Alright...we should probably get some rest," she admitted, however reluctantly. "Goddess knows we both need it."
"You're right," her knight agreed softly. "Thanks for this, though...I do feel a little better."
"Good…"
Before she could shut her eyes, Link tilted his head and kissed her one last time, pulling back after a few seconds. He smiled, and Zelda felt her heart skip a few beats. "Night, Zel."
Trying to ignore the intense blush that surely covered her cheeks, Zelda returned the smile. "Goodnight, Link."
Soon, she felt the young man's breathing even out as he sank into sleep, finally at peace after a long day of pain. Curled up beside him, her head pressed against his shoulder, Zelda let her eyes slowly close. She too began to drift off, warm, content, and idly wondering how many rupees Purah had just won from Robbie.