Chapter 2-Zelda
"How is he?"
Impa glanced up at me, her knowing eyes seeming to look into my very soul. She hesitated before finally speaking.
"He's alive."
"Thank the goddesses," I looked at the ground, greatly relieved by this news. Moments of silence passed between us before I dared to speak again. "Is he awake?"
"No. I doubt he will be for some time," Impa told me. I nodded and looked back up at her, wanting to see him. She smiled faintly and led me inside the small room.
My eyes immediately fell upon my unconscious brother. His face was deathly pale; goddesses, he had lost so much blood. A white bandage covered the majority of his right hand, and went up his forearm a ways. The rest of his body lay hidden beneath several layers of blankets.
His equipment and clothing had been set on a chair near the fireplace-even his hat and sword, which until now I had never seen him without. The normally emerald green tunic was streaked with mud. The sleeve of his white shirt was soaked in a coppery red...blood.
His blood.
It was hard enough to watch him suffer physically during the imprisoning war. He went from temple to temple, sustaining horrible wounds, which had nearly killed him on occasion. Now that Ganondorf was gone, I had thought I would never see him in that condition again...
I was wrong.
"Impa, I don't understand....why? How could he do this to himself?" I heard myself ask.
My attendant sighed. "I do not know princess...when he wakes, he will have to tell us."
I nodded, swallowing a lump in my throat. I had to stand strong, until Link came back to us. For his sake, and for the peoples'. Goddesses, I wish I knew what led him to this. Did he have a prophetic dream? Did he know something I did not?
Or was he simply...tired of life? Tired of being the hero...of feeling the weight of everyone's future on his shoulders?
How would I feel in his position?
Pushing the thought away, I gently grasped his hand. My questions would be answered once he awakened. Until then, I would have to move on.
"I suppose we should tell the sages..." I said with a sigh. Impa nodded.
"Let us go meet them." She said.
***
Once the sages had arrived, I stepped in front of them, into a patch of moonlight on the temple's floor.
"I am sorry for having summoned you all so late," I started apologetically, "but I am afraid I have grave news to share with you all."
"What has happened?" Darunia asked, his bulky form looking rather ferocious in the darkness.
"Did you all feel it? The ache in your heart?" Saria asked. Her bright green eyes turned to me, expecting the truth of the situation.
"Yes, I believe we all have." I told her with a sad smile. The expression quickly faded and I looked up at them, my gaze meeting there's. "The Hero- of-Time attempted to take his own life earlier this evening." My news sparked gasps from every mouth in the room, save Impa's.
"Din's Fire!" Darunia cried. "Is he all right?"
"Oh no!" Ruto exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock.
"What in the name of Hyrule did he do that for?" demanded Naburoo, her sharp gaze turning to me.
"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that, Naburoo. We shall see when he wakes up."
Rauru, who had, up until this point listened quietly, finally spoke. "How? And where?"
Impa answered the question for me. "We found him in the graveyard. He apparently slit his wrist with the Master Sword." Rauru nodded.
"I feared this day would come. Lately I've been feeling his presence fade, as though his soul was leaving us."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Ruto demanded. "We could have tried to help him before it came to this!"
"I've felt it from him before, Ruto. I was not sure if this was any different than the times before. Usually, when he grows aloof, he'll come back within a few days."
"How can you feel him, Rauru?" I asked quietly.
The oldest of the sages regarded me with somber eyes. "Through the Triforce's essence. Whenever one of its carriers feel a strong emotion, it reflects into the sacred realm. Link's has always been the strongest, whether it is because of all he's been through, or if it's just his personality, I'm not too sure." I nodded, and studied the others.
Naburoo appeared to be stubbornly denying that Link would do such a thing. Ruto was shocked; her mouth kept moving as though she were about to speak, but no sound escaped her lips. Darunia...heh, as usual he held that determined look in his eyes. I bet he is planning on how he will help Link once he wakes. The Kokiri girl, Saria...the look in her eyes wrenches my heart. Unfortunately, that is all I can read from them...I wonder how they all feel?
"Perhaps we should go back, Zelda," Impa suggested. I nod, my blonde hair wavering with the gesture.
We began to leave, but as an afterthought I paused and turned to them. "You may visit him whenever you like. It may help for him to know he does have friend's." They nodded at me, and with a swish of my dress I turned and left.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ok, I'll continue! ^^ Everyone seems to want me to, so here goes nothing. I also decided to take everyone's advice. Link lived AND the story will continue from the different characters' POV. Um.the only thing is, the timeline's gonna jump around a little in these first few chapters.
I'll try to make them longer, I promise. And hopefully I can manage to squeeze some humor in here so I don't kill everyone with the tension. ...I can't do humor.ugh.
Thanks so much for the reviews! They've been extremely helpful.
Until we meet under the stars' light again, farewell and good luck. ~LinkSage
"How is he?"
Impa glanced up at me, her knowing eyes seeming to look into my very soul. She hesitated before finally speaking.
"He's alive."
"Thank the goddesses," I looked at the ground, greatly relieved by this news. Moments of silence passed between us before I dared to speak again. "Is he awake?"
"No. I doubt he will be for some time," Impa told me. I nodded and looked back up at her, wanting to see him. She smiled faintly and led me inside the small room.
My eyes immediately fell upon my unconscious brother. His face was deathly pale; goddesses, he had lost so much blood. A white bandage covered the majority of his right hand, and went up his forearm a ways. The rest of his body lay hidden beneath several layers of blankets.
His equipment and clothing had been set on a chair near the fireplace-even his hat and sword, which until now I had never seen him without. The normally emerald green tunic was streaked with mud. The sleeve of his white shirt was soaked in a coppery red...blood.
His blood.
It was hard enough to watch him suffer physically during the imprisoning war. He went from temple to temple, sustaining horrible wounds, which had nearly killed him on occasion. Now that Ganondorf was gone, I had thought I would never see him in that condition again...
I was wrong.
"Impa, I don't understand....why? How could he do this to himself?" I heard myself ask.
My attendant sighed. "I do not know princess...when he wakes, he will have to tell us."
I nodded, swallowing a lump in my throat. I had to stand strong, until Link came back to us. For his sake, and for the peoples'. Goddesses, I wish I knew what led him to this. Did he have a prophetic dream? Did he know something I did not?
Or was he simply...tired of life? Tired of being the hero...of feeling the weight of everyone's future on his shoulders?
How would I feel in his position?
Pushing the thought away, I gently grasped his hand. My questions would be answered once he awakened. Until then, I would have to move on.
"I suppose we should tell the sages..." I said with a sigh. Impa nodded.
"Let us go meet them." She said.
***
Once the sages had arrived, I stepped in front of them, into a patch of moonlight on the temple's floor.
"I am sorry for having summoned you all so late," I started apologetically, "but I am afraid I have grave news to share with you all."
"What has happened?" Darunia asked, his bulky form looking rather ferocious in the darkness.
"Did you all feel it? The ache in your heart?" Saria asked. Her bright green eyes turned to me, expecting the truth of the situation.
"Yes, I believe we all have." I told her with a sad smile. The expression quickly faded and I looked up at them, my gaze meeting there's. "The Hero- of-Time attempted to take his own life earlier this evening." My news sparked gasps from every mouth in the room, save Impa's.
"Din's Fire!" Darunia cried. "Is he all right?"
"Oh no!" Ruto exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock.
"What in the name of Hyrule did he do that for?" demanded Naburoo, her sharp gaze turning to me.
"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that, Naburoo. We shall see when he wakes up."
Rauru, who had, up until this point listened quietly, finally spoke. "How? And where?"
Impa answered the question for me. "We found him in the graveyard. He apparently slit his wrist with the Master Sword." Rauru nodded.
"I feared this day would come. Lately I've been feeling his presence fade, as though his soul was leaving us."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Ruto demanded. "We could have tried to help him before it came to this!"
"I've felt it from him before, Ruto. I was not sure if this was any different than the times before. Usually, when he grows aloof, he'll come back within a few days."
"How can you feel him, Rauru?" I asked quietly.
The oldest of the sages regarded me with somber eyes. "Through the Triforce's essence. Whenever one of its carriers feel a strong emotion, it reflects into the sacred realm. Link's has always been the strongest, whether it is because of all he's been through, or if it's just his personality, I'm not too sure." I nodded, and studied the others.
Naburoo appeared to be stubbornly denying that Link would do such a thing. Ruto was shocked; her mouth kept moving as though she were about to speak, but no sound escaped her lips. Darunia...heh, as usual he held that determined look in his eyes. I bet he is planning on how he will help Link once he wakes. The Kokiri girl, Saria...the look in her eyes wrenches my heart. Unfortunately, that is all I can read from them...I wonder how they all feel?
"Perhaps we should go back, Zelda," Impa suggested. I nod, my blonde hair wavering with the gesture.
We began to leave, but as an afterthought I paused and turned to them. "You may visit him whenever you like. It may help for him to know he does have friend's." They nodded at me, and with a swish of my dress I turned and left.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ok, I'll continue! ^^ Everyone seems to want me to, so here goes nothing. I also decided to take everyone's advice. Link lived AND the story will continue from the different characters' POV. Um.the only thing is, the timeline's gonna jump around a little in these first few chapters.
I'll try to make them longer, I promise. And hopefully I can manage to squeeze some humor in here so I don't kill everyone with the tension. ...I can't do humor.ugh.
Thanks so much for the reviews! They've been extremely helpful.
Until we meet under the stars' light again, farewell and good luck. ~LinkSage