"Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have."
~Eckhart Tolle~
Ancient Roots
Chapter 13: Equinox
After returning to the Academy and going our separate ways, I went back to my room so I could prepare for tonight's celebration. Since I didn't prepare my song in advance, I quickly found an old folk song in Father's office and decided to use that since it's pretty well known. I've been in my room for the rest of the afternoon and, now it's almost time to start getting ready, I'm suddenly much more nervous than I was before.
"At least, in the end, I told him how I feel."
"Curse you, Karane," I mutter under my breath as I think back to our conversation earlier—the cause of my nerves. "I was fine about all this until you called me out."
A knock suddenly sounds at my door and I call for them to enter, slightly surprised when Link slips inside. He quickly gestures for me to sit back down when I rise to greet him. As he closes the door behind him, I notice him place a basket down and nudge it out of sight with his boot, though I don't have a chance to ask him what it is before he speaks up.
"I thought I'd catch you before later," he says with a small smile. "Don't worry, I won't keep you."
I turn fully to him, "You can keep me for as long as you like." My heart skips a beat when I realise that he could take that in two different ways, one of them much more forward than the other. He, thankfully, seems oblivious and I quickly try to recover. "What did you want to talk to me about?"
In a burst of confidence that I rarely see from him, Link crosses the short gap between us and takes my hand, guiding me over to my bed and sitting next to me. Whatever courage he mustered seems to wilt a little as he takes the basket from the floor and places it in his lap. He stares down at it as he starts fumbling with his words.
"It's not much," he says. "But it's tradition for the winner of the Wing Ceremony to give a gift to whoever's playing the role of the Goddess. I'd been working on it for a while but I never got to paint it. Then again, I'm not great at painting details—I'm used to painting everything in one colour so I thought I'd ruin it, so I kept it like it is. I know you prefer these painted, but I—"
I reach out for his cheek and turn his face towards me, barely stifling a laugh as I cut in, "Link, you're rambling." He blinks, then laughs it off breathlessly and places the basket into my lap. I peer inside, surprised at the amount of pink and orange flowers covering whatever Link made for me.
"Where did you get all of these?" He rubs the back of his neck.
"I, uh, had to improvise; I used the flowers from the plant pots in the hallway." I shake my head and let it slide as I move the flowers aside to reveal his beautifully crafted gift inside. My lips part in awe.
"Link, this is…"
Beautiful doesn't even begin to describe it. He's crafted two wooden figures for me, just like so many he's made for me before except this one is so much more elaborate. The figures he's carved are attached to separate bases. One is a woman with long hair and a flowing dress, holding a harp in one hand and a sword in another. The other figure is a man, dressed very much like the knights of Skyloft, and holds a sword and shield of his own.
"I should have added more details," he says, taking my silence as a negative reaction. "I know you loved the stories of the Goddess and her chosen hero, so I wanted to try and replicate it. I suppose it's more special after everything that's happened… b-but if you don't like it…"
"I love it," I whisper, turning each one over in each hand so I can more closely inspect the craftsmanship. "This really is beautiful, Link."
"You're welcome," he says softly, and I can feel the smile in his voice without having to look up at him. I stand and make my way over to my desk, placing the two statuettes next to his other carving of my Loftwing.
"There," I say with a pleased smile. "It'll have pride of place on my desk." I turn back to him and realise he's looking at me strangely, as if he wants to tell me something. "What is it?"
He blinks, "I-I just…"
"Zelda, can you come here a minute? I need your help with something," Karane's voice sounds from outside, in time with her knuckles rapping against the door.
"One minute!"
But Link's already pushing his hands onto his knees so he can stand. "Never mind, I'll leave you to it. I've taken up enough of your time." He glances at his gift before meeting my gaze evenly, "I'm glad you like them, Zelda."
He takes his leave before I can get my voice working to ask him what he was thinking just, stepping out of Karane's way so she can shuffle into the open doorway and ask, "Is everything alright?"
"It's nothing," I wave her off. "What did you need me for?"
Instead of replying, the knight leads me into her room next door and orders me to sit down on her bed before sifting through her clothes in the nearby wardrobe. Her bedroom has always been the same ever since we she moved in here. All of the furniture is covered in lace (a hobby passed down from her mother), school books and equipment are neatly organised around her room and there are some family pictographs sitting on her desk. There's also a light green dress (an almost exact match to the hue of her tunic) draped over the back of her chair that isn't there normally.
"So, what did you need?" I repeat, growing more suspicious by the second when she doesn't reply. "Karane?"
That's when she turns around with another dress in her hands, and one that I instantly recognise. The ankle-length garment has a white skirt that's adorned with lilac decorations along the hem, the high, sleeveless bodice the same purple hue. Karane smiles at me as she gently places it into my lap and explains, "You once tried this on and it really suited you. It doesn't fit me anymore so I want you to have it."
"Karane…" I murmur. "But this was your mother's—I can't take this from you."
"Then you can just borrow it, but I…" Karane hesitates, then, "She loved the dress and I'd like to see it being worn just one more time. Could you do that for me, Zelda?"
I nod, "It'd be my honour."
She embraces me tightly, then whispers into my ear, "Thank you."
She ushers me out to start getting ready and I let her with a laugh. Draping the dress over the chair in my room, I decide to quickly wash myself down one more time just to make sure that I'm properly cleaned up for tonight. Since I bathed earlier in the day, I quickly hop into the bath next door and scrub myself down before returning to my room and slipping on Karane's dress, glad to find that it fits perfectly fine.
Karane comes in once I'm ready, wearing her green dress with a traditional Skyloftian belt and her hair set in waves; it's nice to see her with her hair down. Her eyes immediately well up at the sight of her mother's old dress on me and she offers me a sad smile as she murmurs, "You look lovely, Zelda."
"So do you," I reply, letting her sit me down at my desk and start intricately plaiting my hair into a crown around my head and leaving the rest of it down. It's something she's always loved to do with my hair and I'm always too impatient to do my own hair so I happily let her get to work. I remember her asking for me to be her test subject for things like this when I was younger, and it happened so much that I'd simply grown used to it.
Once she finishes, I notice her pluck the flowers from the basket on my bed and start to weave them into the braided crown before stepping back to admire her work. Stepping into the shoes I got in the Chamber of the Sword, I rise and thank her, only to notice that her eyes are on the two newly added figures on my desk.
"Do you remember when his father would make this little statues for his mother?" she remarks. I hum, casting my mind back to Link's late parents with a sad smile. "He really does care about you, doesn't he?"
"He does," is all I say, because I know what she's implying.
"Come on," she says after a moment. "Let's go before they leave without us."
As she turns and heads for the door, I notice a little pouch tucked into her belt and, if I squint, I realise there's a small knife inside. As we leave my room and fall into step as we descend the steps, I can't help but feel comforted by the secret weapon. Since only the knights on patrol will be allowed to have weapons on them tonight, I feel incredibly vulnerable going to the celebration without the Goddess Sword—which is strange how much the sword feels like an extension of myself after not having a weapon to hand for my entire life.
She's taking every precaution, and for that I'm grateful.
A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth as we spot Link and Pipit waiting for us at the end of the hallway next to the kitchen. They're still in their uniforms, though they've cleaned up from this morning. Link and Pipit stare at me and Karane respectively as we walk up to them, and I can't help but feel flattered at how speechless they seem at our efforts to dress up. Karane grins as we stop in front of them.
"Are we ready?"
"I think we may just be," Pipit replies with a nod and Link silently agrees. I notice Pipit starting to offer Karane his hand, yet he quickly stops himself and he instead opens the door for her, leaving Link and I to follow behind them. I notice that the flower pots here are lacking their flowers and pass Link a knowing smile, to which he smiles at the ones now decorating my hair.
"You look beautiful," he says, his tone laced with quiet awe as he holds his hand out to me.
I rest my hand over his with a tiny smile, "Thank you."
We pass the flowerless plant pots and step outside into the evening air, surprised at the chill in the breeze despite it only being early autumn. Twilight fills the world around us, casting a warm glow across the island as the skies above are adorned with fiery skies and purple clouds. Despite there being no decorations up this morning, over the day lanterns have been added along the pathways and now light the island up beautifully. Pipit whistles an old island song as we chat amongst ourselves, all of us doing our best to keep distracted from thinking about the Surface and its dangers.
"And even if you miraculously escape from this place, he'll never be free of me until he's nothing more than a soulless corpse for my Master to feed upon. Do I make myself clear, Your Grace?"I chew at my lip as I glance over to Link, swallowing thickly as I consider the Demon Lord's threats. Sensing my unease, he gives my hand a comforting squeeze and I feel better for a moment.
Many of the islanders have already gathered in the plaza with their Loftwings standing in wait and some of the islanders are already flying over to the Lumpy Pumpkins with knights patrolling the route. We wave and greet people, the islanders still passing on their happiness for Link's safe return, and I'm glad to see that Groose is too busy chatting to Orielle to notice us.
As the stars begin to peek through and we head over to the large diving platform, I feel Link tense at my side. A sad smile creeps onto my face as we call for our Loftwings and I mutter to him, "Everything will be alright."
He nods but says nothing, and I know that there's nothing more I can do now. He's clearly nervous about the flight over to the pub after the black tornado and our escape from the Earth Temple, but it's up to him to convince himself that it'll be alright. Piercing squawks fill the air as our Loftwings circle beneath the platform and we know it's time to head out. The four of us leap off the platform and find our birds in moments, the creatures beating their wings and leading us towards the awaiting tavern.
The soft glow of the Lumpy Pumpkin beckons us from afar and, despite my nerves, I'm actually looking forward to tonight's celebrations. I do my best to ignore the lack of familiar weight of the Goddess Sword and Fi's voice in my mind as we fly, refusing to let my anxieties get the better of me but remaining cautiously on edge as we soar through the skies.
I cast my attention over to Link, frowning when I realise just how tightly he's holding onto Crimson's reins—his hands are almost shaking. But I can see him trying his hardest not to let his memories get him down because he flashes me a smile that makes my heart flutter and I let myself feel comforted by the small gesture.
Mercifully, thanks be to the Goddess, it doesn't take long to reach to the Lumpy Pumpkin. Most of the islanders have already landed on the small island when us four arrive, and the intense smell of pumpkins is already making me feel hungry. The pumpkin-shaped tavern is warm and welcoming as we dismount and I let the bubbling excitement envelop me as we release our Loftwings back into the skies.
The tavern is bursting with excitement and chatter as we enter, just as lively as it's always been. From the pumpkin patches outside to the soup brewing inside, the sweet scent of pumpkins fills the pub and wafts in through the open doors and windows—the cool breeze preventing the tavern from becoming overly hot and stuffy.
Pumm, the owner of the pub, is incredibly busy as he dashes around behind the counter, plating up food and pouring drinks for his daughter, Kina, to serve for everyone. The duo have always worked hard to make sure that their service is top notch, and tonight is no different. They'll be able to enjoy the celebrations more when everyone's fed and had a few drinks to mellow themselves out.
Islanders are already dancing in the centre of the room and chatting to old friends at the tables, and for a moment everything feels perfect.
And then I feel a cold shiver course down my spine and I remember that not everything is as it used to be.
A part of me wants to grab a drink or two to help numb my nerves, but what good would that do if there was an actual attack? I take a slow, deep breath and focus on how happy the islanders are and how we'll keep them this happy no matter what happens tonight—good or bad.
As one, we shuffle into the main part of the tavern, through the masses and upstairs to grab the first table we can find. Filled with students and friends from the island, the table's already littered with half empty glasses and merry folks. Most of the islanders will tend to stay downstairs where the heart of the festivities is, leaving upstairs open for students and younger people on the island. It's hard to hear myself think as everyone cheers at our arrival, Kina appearing with perfect timing as she sets down a round of drinks.
Within moments of getting seated, drinks have been placed into our hands and toasts for Link's return are being made. We're quickly swept up into the flow of conversation and the room grows louder over the coming hours as time is forgotten about. Over time, Cawlin and Stritch come and sit without Groose, who seems prefer sitting downstairs rather than being with his friends, and later Fledge sits next to Orielle and Parrow. Although I often catch my friends' eyes, we allow ourselves to relax a little.
That is, until we hear chanting from downstairs.
"Honorem! Honorem!"
The rest of the conversations die out until only "Honorem" can be heard, and all I can think to myself is, it's time…
Everyone on the table turns to me and cheers as I slowly rise to my feet. Although I'm a little nervous for my performance tonight, Link manages to sneak in a gentle squeeze of my hand and I let the gesture ground me as I make my way towards the stairs. The crowd's chanting only gets louder as I reach the small stage on the bottom floor of the tavern, the band now off to one side and taking a break whilst I perform.
Clenching my hands into fists for a moment, I take my place onto the stage and scan the sea of eyes staring back at me. I spot Link, Karane and Pipit on the balcony straight away and smile at their presence, noticing my father standing on the edges of the room and offering me his usual kind smile as the crowd slowly calms itself, some people hushing those who are still chatting away so they can all hear me.
I kneel down on the stage and bring the short prayer to mind as I lower my head, "Great Goddess, guiding light and protector of our people, please grant me your blessing as I continue to act in your stead on this night. We pray for another year of your kindness as we honour you with your gift of music to us."
The crowd remains silent as they bow their heads in respect and I rise. Turning away from them all for a moment, I raise my head to the ceiling and add a silent prayer of my own, And please protect us from the wrath of those who seek to steal my friends and harm anyone that stands in their way. I beg of you to listen to the voice of the one you chose for this task of protecting your lands…
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath before turning back to the crowd of islanders and begin my song, "Tell me why… the reason I am here. Just only you I see from far away; I've come for you. I don't know why I searched all night and day. But when I'm here, darkness came… no lights to show the way. Dark despair… still I seek for you. All I longed to see was your smile."
I can hear people tapping their fingers against the table and their feet against the floor to the rhythm of the beat, all of them instantly recognising the old folk song. The fact they know the song only makes more butterflies swarm in my stomach and send me a little dizzy—there's extra pressure now. I keep my eyes on all of my friends who are standing on the balcony, their smiles encouraging me to sing my heart out.
"I know I won't look behind; I see no regrets." I find Link in the crowd and pray that he realises partly why I chose to sing this song. "No guiding lights… so dark, are you my light? But now I am here, and you're close to me. My heart is with you forever and ever…" I breathe deeply, then continue, "See this place, the end of world she fears. No shining lights anywhere… this emptiness in tears. I didn't know it was you all along; you were chasing after my shadows."
The story behind this song is one that filled me with wonder as a child. In Skyloftian legend, there was a young boy whose home island was savagely attacked by monsters—most of his friends and fellow islanders were killed in the invasion. But, most importantly, he lost his best friend and took up a sacred blade to find her and take revenge on those he had lost.
All along, however, his friend was alive—she had been gravely injured but taken by the monsters. After a long and perilous journey, the boy found her and pursued her right into the enemy's hands, fighting without hesitation to act his revenge upon all that he had lost. And yet, before he could lose himself to his anger, his best friend appeared and begged him not to be consumed by his emotions; he spared the great monster and peace was restored.
And maybe I'll become like that boy in the future. Maybe I'll become so overwhelmed with emotion, more specifically anger and revenge, that I'll need my friends to bring me back to myself. I, like the boy, will do anything to shield those that I care for dearly and, despite the dangers, I'll do my best to protect them. I'll fight for them; I'll do anything for them.
"I know I won't look behind; I see no regrets. No guiding lights… so dark, are you my light? But now I am here, and you're close to me. My heart is with you forever and ever… No, I won't let you go, I will hold it in my arms. Oh, this light was you!"
For the final part of the song, the part everyone knows for sure, the crowd gets to their feet and joins in with me to honour the Goddess. I grin as I carry on singing, pride swelling in my heart for the people I'll one day look after. The last part of the song is supposed to be where the boy and girl have been reunited, and I can only pray that Link and I will feel this same joy when our journey finally comes to an end.
"I know it now, beyond the sky… there's a new place you'll see," we sing together. "I came to you to share our dream together. I won't let us part, there's no place to be. My heart is with you forever and ever…" The last few words of the song echo around the tavern before it's engulfed by cheers.
That's when suddenly, without any warning whatsoever, I blink and the tavern is replaced by a large banquet hall made of stone—it's certainly not a part of Skyloft, that's for sure. A soft glow from all the candles lining the chamber casts long shadows across the hundreds of knights staring back at me. They clap and cheer as I descend the stage, some reaching out to shake my hand as I walk amongst them.
Whatever they say to me is muffled as I glide through the hall, smiling to the knights despite the strange feeling coursing through me as the band starts up again and the celebrations continue on without me. I stagger towards the steps and spot the face of a familiar man, although he's familiar not from my memories, but from those flashbacks I've been seeing at the springs.
It's the first Bearer.
Keeping away from the main din of the celebrations, I reach my hand out to the first Bearer and feel a smile creep onto my face as I tell him, "On this eve of battle, you must allow yourself to feel the same merriment that your comrades feel." I can feel my lips moving, yet it's not my voice that I hear—it's the voice of the Goddess. The first Bearer, so much like my Link, smiles but says nothing. "You have endured so much, my knight… you must allow yourself this brief moment of peace, surely?"
"Zelda?"
I blink, and for a moment the first Bearer is gone and has been replaced by his descendant. But then I blink again and the banquet hall returns. The first Bearer scans the chamber before turning his attention back to me, "Until the enemy has been defeated, there shall be no peace."
I feel a breeze rustle my hair, though I'm too lost in the moment to think too much on it. I reach out and gently cup his cheek, "We shall achieve this land's peace together. You, however, can only bring yourself inner peace." I can feel myself grinning at him as I take his hand, "And that shall start with some merriment of our own. Would you do me the honour of teaching me how you humans dance?"
He immediately goes to protest, then spots something in my face because his lips turn up into a smile and he holds his hand out to me, "It would be my honour, Your Grace."
"Zelda? Zelda, talk to me."
I tear free from the flashback with a gasp and tumble into the arms holding me tightly. The person supporting me, feeling my legs give out from under me, kneels down and takes me with them. I turn my gaze up to find Link's worry stricken face looking back at me, his hand supporting my shoulders as I continue waver a little. Around us, the last of the twilight skies have been washed away by the darkness of night—I didn't realise we were outside the pub until just now.
But I can't say anything to him; I'm too scared. This is the first time that I've seen glimpses from the Great War without praying in the springs. I saw those things without any warning and, from what I can remember, I was still able to walk through the tavern before Link found me. I'm suddenly acutely aware of how much I'm shaking.
I don't like this. I don't like this one bit.
"What happened?" I croak.
"I don't know," he murmurs. "I came down to congratulate you, but when I saw you, your eyes were glazed over. You were mumbling things but I couldn't make anything out. I brought you outside and you collapsed. Do you remember anything?"
"I saw the Great War again," I whisper. "I saw the Goddess and the first Bearer…"
He blinks, surprised, "But you weren't praying to the statue." I lower my head.
"I know…"
"Is everything alright?" We both look up to find Karane standing in the entryway to the Lumpy Pumpkin, eyes shining with concern. Her hand is reaching back for her hidden knife.
"We're fine," I lie. "I just needed some space for a minute."
She sighs with relief, "Oh, good. Well, I wanted to let you know that they're about to play your favourite song."
I smile, "Thank you. I'll be there in a second." She nods and excuses herself, leaving me to turn back to Link, who doesn't seem to be any less worried about me. I squeeze his arm comfortingly, "Thank you for taking care of me. I'm alright now. See?" I stand and step away from him to prove my point.
He sighs and rises to his feet also, nodding and silently letting me go back inside. I understand his concerns—after all, I'm just as scared as he looks—but if I can keep up this front that everything's fine then we can properly talk about it later. As I wander back into the loud tavern, the band is playing some lighter music in the background as those who want to dance quickly find their places around the edge of the room and those who are drinking head upstairs.
The aptly named song they're about to play roughly translates to the Kingdom Dance and derives from ancient times; some even say it came from a time before the Great War. The folk song involves a large group of dancers who constantly switch between dancing with partners and as a whole group. I quickly spot Karane coming over to pull me into the circle. I turn back to Link to see if he wants to join, but Karane reaches me first and promptly pulls me away with a laugh. I pass him a playful yet apologetic glance as he hovers on the side lines.
As the last few islanders complete the circle around the room or shuffle around on the balcony above so they can watch, the band counts each other in before beginning the song with gusto, the violinist creating the main melody while the guitars and drums add a beautiful harmony. Karane and I grin at one another as we partner up and dance together, the music sweeping up my previous worries and pushing them aside as we dance.
The atmosphere instantly lifts my mood and I suddenly feel freer than ever before. A laugh bubbles free from my throat as the flautist undertakes the melody and the violist retreats to the harmony. As we dance past different partners, I can't help but smile at who I see. I spot Bertie and Luv—the potion sellers at the Bazaar—with their new born child asleep on the former's back, seemingly uncaring for the music or movement. Then there's Jakamar and Wryna—parents to Kukiel, who dances with Gully.
After that there's Rusta just about keeping up with his wife Henya, Peatrice and Rupin—two of the younger vendors at the Bazaar—and even Groose who's desperately trying to dance with Orielle, even though she's happily dancing with her older brother, Parrow.
For a brief moment, I'm suddenly back in that banquet hall again. Then I blink and I'm back in the real world.
Not now…
As some of the islanders return to creating a circle around the edge of the room, the rest of us stay and continue the dance. The instruments crescendo and we leap into the air at its climax, leaving our original partners to start dancing with others. The circle around us starts to clap along to the beat and, for a brief moment, I close my eyes and allow myself to be swept up in the music until I find my next dancing partner.
Then a pair of hands tightly grasp mine and my heart sinks.
"You look beautiful tonight, Zelda," Groose dotes as we spin. I swallow thickly and mutter my thanks as I smile at Keet and Kina as they pass by. I search around for another partner, but it's fruitless as the melody whisks any potential partner away. He notices me looking around and frowns, "Are you really so desperate to get away?"
My expression softens at the genuine hurt in his voice and I do my best to remain calm as I say, "I'm sorry, Groose. My mind's been a little preoccupied tonight."
"I'll say," he agrees. "But who can blame you? With Link waltzing back onto the island and pretending as if nothing happened, watching him beg for attention from the islanders has me pretty riled up too."
My heart drops, "W-What?"
"Well, that's what he's doing." Groose throws a glare over to the person in question and I take a shaky breath to calm my rising anger. "All of the islanders are practically doting on him as if he didn't put them all into mourning a few days ago. After all he's done to hurt them—to hurt you—I can't believe he's just—"
"You know nothing of what he's been through," I snap, but Groose shakes his head.
"All I know is that he needs to take a real hard look at himself in the mirror."
"You—" It's time to change partners and I practically throw myself away from Groose before I can cause a scene. I quickly find someone that I instantly feel safer around. "Parrow," I greet with a smile. "How are you enjoying the celebration?"
He shrugs, "I was never a fan of it—this is more Ori's thing—but we definitely needed it this year." I nod in agreement. "Oh, and good choice on the song. Nothing like the classics to get everyone singing."
My smile grows and I move to reply, but then it happens again. I blink and the Lumpy Pumpkin falls away, replaced by that hall illuminated by candlelight. A man I don't recognise stands where Parrow once was, flustered but trying his hardest to dance his very best. Someone bumps into us and I tear back into the present with a gasp, my heart beating faster as I try to ground myself.
What's happening…?
"Are you alright?"
"F-Fine," I wave him off. "I think I need—"
I have no time to finish before Greba appears and steals my dancing partner and we're off again. I zone out as I partner up with another islanders, unsure of who I'm dancing with as my vision starts to flicker between past and present more now. The floor between my feet shifts between cobbles and wooden boards, and I stumble once or twice as I dance between the two periods.
I dance between a few more people before there's a large gap in the crowd of dancers and I notice Link on the side lines again. My heart soars as I spot him—my rock, my salvation—and I catch his eye and gesture for him to join me, hopping on the spot in time with the music as I give him the most desperate look I can. I want to leave the dance and go to him myself, but my mind's spiralling so much that I don't trust myself to move far without being flung back into the past and falling over in the process.
He seems to catch on and immediately steps forward to come after me, only for Pipit—unaware of the panic searing through me—to watch on with a mischievous glint in his eye as he shoves his fellow knight into the crowd. I watch on as Link glares as Pipit as he's pulled away by Luv and another hand takes mine.
"Fledge," I breathe, glad for the slower pace he's dancing at. "How are you?"
He hesitates, then, "I-I'm fine. You were on your own so I thought you'd want someone to dance with." I force the kindest smile I have and hope that he doesn't see my disappointment. "H-Hopefully, I can say more than just hello to Orielle tonight. She's really nice but… I always panic whenever I see her. There's so much I want to say but I'm just not sure how to say it…"
"There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about. I'm just not sure how to say it."
"You can do it," I say to Fledge—or am I trying to convince myself? Karane's encouragement rings at the back of my mind as the world around me shifts back to the Great War and I suddenly pine for Link's presence more than ever before. As Fledge is taken away by Piper, I find Link's figure in the crowd and my heart squeezes.
I love you.
And I do, with all my heart and then some. He's always been there for me and I've done my best to always be there for him. He's been a part of all the best and worst times of my life. He was there for me when my mother passed on, he was there for me every time I've been ill, every time I needed company, every time I wanted some to laugh or cry with; he's always been there.
Even now as these flashbacks plague my mind, the thought of him brings me back to the present—keeps me centred.
Although I've feared his rejection if I ever told him how I felt, all those barriers have been torn away—ever since the black tornado, I realise. When I watched him as he was swept up by the storm, I should have known that I would never be able to accept his death. A part of me died when he fell that day—a part of me that I reclaimed when we found him alive—and I now I know that I can't keep living my life without telling him how much of my heart belongs to him.
I see him again as we change partners, and for a brief moment I realise we could finally dance together. He realises the same thing because we reach out for one another and I mouth his name, darting between the spinning dancers as I desperately try to reach him. Our fingers almost meet, but again it's not enough. I watch as Goselle grabs Link's hand and Rusta takes mine.
Goddess dammit…
As the song reaches its climax, the instruments grow louder and with it the flashbacks become more constant. I let my body act on its own as the partners break apart and we create a circle held together by linked arms. The floorboards—or are they cobbles again, I can't tell—shake beneath my feet as the music pounds in my ears. I feel myself swaying and wavering around all these people, yet I force myself to endure, jumping high into the air in time with one of the notes before spinning back into the fray to find our last partner of the song.
The final beat sounds and we all jump into a halt. My eyes—I didn't realise they were shut until now—flutter open and I realise whose hands clasp mine. The first Bearer looks down at me, his cheeks flushed and a broad grin gracing his features; I don't think I've ever seen him so happy. As the crowd cheers for the band and we step apart, he finally speaks.
"Zelda?"
I blink and the banquet hall and all its beauty fades away and the Lumpy Pumpkin returns. The world seems to move by in slow motion as the people around us continue to clap and shout their praises for the band, but I'm breathing so heavily that I can't even acknowledge it. The first Bearer has gone too, replaced by the one who's made my life so much better just by being in it.
Just with the simple sound of his voice, the flashbacks are gone now. He's brought me back to myself, as he's always done.
I love you. I love you. I love you.
I refuse to remain silent any longer.
"Link, I—"
And yet, I speak just as he says, "Zelda, I—"
We both laugh breathlessly, but then I know what I must do and my laughter fades away. Link regards me with a worried expression, assuming the worst, yet I ignore him as I inhale deeply and steel myself for what I'm about to say.
"I love you."
For a moment, he doesn't react. He doesn't move or speak; he simply stares back at me in disbelief. My heart flutters as I start to panic a little inside and I'm suddenly questioning my decision to tell him. If he felt the same, then surely he would have reacted straight away? Maybe that's just the naïve child in me that's read too many fairy tales, but I pray that I haven't messed this up.
"W-What?"
My heart sinks and shame burns through my entire being—I made the wrong choice.
"I-I…" I try to look away, but he cups my cheek and forces me to meet his gaze. Even though I'm looking right at him, I can't tell what he's thinking.
"You love me?" Unable to back out now, I nod numbly. There's a pause, then he breaks out with the biggest, most genuine smile I think I've ever seen from him. "That's all I've ever wanted to hear."
"W-What?"
He laughs and there's nothing but affection glowing in his eyes. How didn't I notice it before?
"I love you, Zelda," he says softly. "I'm just glad you were the one to give me the courage to finally say it." My eyes well up and I laugh as I lean into his touch, noticing what he wants to do but his shyness holds him back. I seize the moment with everything I have.
I lean forward and kiss him, just as I've wanted to for so many years now.
And the crowd cheers louder.
*Honorem is Latin for "Honour".
**The song that Zelda sings is called Beyond the Sky and is used in the ending credits for Xenoblade Chronicles.