I'm still alive!

I'm having a bit of trouble. While I am kind of going through a dry spell, it's not just that I don't want to write. I'm having a hard time writing the current part of the story. I'm having no trouble at all writing for Year Two. But the buildup to the final battle is turning out to be harder to write than I thought it would be.

80 Days Left...

When Flayn had learned the Spring of Wisdom was near the peak of Mount Lanayru, she had been dreading the difficult climb. None of the Rising Sun Company were experienced mountaineers, least of all Flayn herself.

She hadn't forgotten Vah Medoh so much as she had simply failed to consider it. When Cyril had suggested that Revali fly her to the Spring in Vah Medoh, she had been caught completely off guard, and questioned if that was an option. But it made more sense than climbing, so she agreed.

Now she was at the Spring of Wisdom. According to Revali, Cyril wouldn't be allowed there because he had yet to turn seventeen. They had left him to practice his axe skills with Hilda, Ashe, and Edelgard. Instead, Dedue had volunteered to accompany her to the Spring.

He was watching at the edge of the spring as she offered Naydra's scale. Nervously, she prayed to Nayru, asking for her divine blessing. She wasn't sure she was going to receive said blessing; Princess Zelda hadn't...

"No, she didn't, but your circumstances aren't exactly the same," a voice spoke in her mind.

"Nayru?" Flayn asked.

"Yes, child," Nayru responded. "Zelda was a wonderful girl then, and without a doubt we did approve of her, but she fundamentally did not understand the nature of her powers. Had we unlocked them then, before she was ready, she would have fallen to the Calamity, and Hyrule would have followed, then the rest of the world. Harsh as it might have been, we had no choice but to withhold her blessing until she was ready for it."

"Why didn't you counsel her directly?" Flayn asked.

"Understand that our current situation is unusual," Nayru told Flayn. "The Calamity has blurred the line between our realm and yours in its attempt to fulfill its purpose. Before the Calamity, we could not communicate as clearly and directly with the denizens of your plane of existence as we can now. After the Calamity, we again will not be able to. But even if we could have, there was a significant chance we would not have been able to make her understand well enough. We could only attempt to guide her into a position where she would understand for herself.

"Regardless, this is not a problem that you face. You have held the power you seek before. You understand it on a very deep and fundamental level," Nayru said. "We are both able and willing to heal your other form. While it would ordinarily take centuries, with the Calamity having weakened the borders between our plane of existence and yours, we can imbue you with enough power to restore it in a matter of weeks."

"That's better than centuries," Flayn said.

"There is a risk, however," Nayru admitted. "While we would like to steadily grant you the power you need in a constant stream to mitigate the risk, we cannot without opening ourselves to attack by Ganon. We will have no choice but to give it to you all at once."

Flayn's eyes widened. While she had thankfully never witnessed it in person, she knew what could happen if a manakete tried to hold more power than they could control. It didn't end well, neither for the manakete nor the country they were residing in.

"The amount of power we would grant you would be contained by you entering dragonsleep until it had run its course, but that is assuming you don't lose control of it in the moment of acceptance," Nayru warned her. "I know you fear your dragonsleep, and I can assure you that if you succeed in entering that state, you will awaken before the Hero does battle with Calamity Ganon. But I cannot guarantee that you will not lose control of it before you get that chance."

Flayn said nothing for several seconds. "And if I refuse?"

"There is still a possibility that the Hero prevails if you do refuse," Nayru said. "But the possibility is far slighter than if you accept the power we can grant you, regardless of whether you keep control of it or not."

How both possibilities would benefit her friends would be obvious. Her draconic form would be a powerful weapon to bring to bear in the battle against Ganon if she did keep control. And if she lost control, she would undoubtedly attack Ganon head-on, leaving it significantly weakened for the great battle. Maybe Zelda would even be able to finish it off herself. Both possibilities were of great benefit to everyone else.

But one was significantly more pleasant for her than the other.

Still, faced with the possibility of everyone she had ever known dying to the Calamity, she knew she had no choice.

"I should warn Dedue and Revali of the possible results first," Flayn said. "I don't want them to panic because I've fallen asleep and they can't awaken me. And if I do lose control...better that they know what could happen."

"A wise decision," Nayru said.