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I have a request.
Link had never been a pious man. Despite being raised among those people who devoted their lives to worshiping the goddesses and protecting the land they created, he had never been one to pray. Of course he was reverent when the occasion called for it, but didn’t intentionally seek out the need to bow his head and clasp his hands before one of the stone statues that decorated Hyrule. Until now.
I suppose it’s a request. Maybe… just some guidance. He felt ridiculous, standing knee deep in the Spring of Courage talking to a stone figure that would never talk back. How had Zelda done it for so many years? At least it was a hot humid day, particularly more so in the Faron region now that the summer months were upon them. Zelda didn’t know he was here. He had lied that morning, saying he was off on a scouting mission with Teba to investigate some unusual climate activity in Hebra. He had left her at home, fanning herself as the temperature rose in Hateno Village, wearing that new blouse that exposed her shoulders, pale and slender…
Stop it! He grabbed at his bangs, tugging at his scalp as if it would erase the image of the princess from his mind. Why did this keep happening? Why did he fixate on such things, like how Zelda dressed? Or did her hair? Or smiled? Or spoke in that lovely patient singsong voice of hers? I need this to stop. Because I…
His skin prickled pleasantly, recalling the sensation of her hand covering his, their heads together as they looked through the pictures he had taken on the Sheikah Slate. The sky would grow dark and she would drift off mid sentence to sleep on his shoulder. And when he was sure she would not wake, he would turn his head to lightly press his lips into her hair. Those moments were the ones he wanted to last forever.
Because I think I’m in love with my Princess.
And I need to… not be.
He remembered what Kass had told him, how his late teacher had known that Zelda harbored feelings for her escort. She reciprocated. That should have put him at ease. But that was a century ago, and Link was not the same man. He felt far more lighthearted, little things made him smile like a baby’s distant cry or a dog’s wagging tail, and above all he was more confident in conversing with others. Link was pleasantly surprised at how many people understood Hylian Sign now compared to a hundred years ago. Back then, Zelda had been one of very few who knew how or even wanted to make the effort to understand him. And he in turn would muster a whisper whenever he was able, to make their communication easier. Now there were times he barely needed to say or sign a word and she could comprehend through his face and body language. There wasn’t a single person he knew today who could relate to him on that level like Zelda did.
He wanted so badly to cling to that. To her. To pledge himself to her eternally. To hold onto that smile and warmth she radiated from her entire being and never let it go. He wanted to love this… goddess.
I’m just a man. Link shut his eyes, his head still downcast as if he wasn’t even worthy to look up at the ancient statue. A hero who’s already fulfilled his purpose. What do I do now? All the heroes who came before him, the young men and boys who donned green tunics and wielded the legendary blade, none of the history books went into much detail of what came after peace had returned to Hyrule. Should he leave this land behind and wander aimlessly as the Hero of Time had? Sail the seas like the Hero of Winds? No, he did not have the luxury of leaving, there was far too much to do here. And Zelda had earnestly stated that she needed his help.
But how could he stay beside her and not confront these overwhelming feelings? It was why they needed to stop. He needed to forget that he was anything other than her partner and travelling companion. Perhaps even her friend. But nothing more.
The wind around him began to pick up speed, blowing his straggled wheat-blond bangs back from his forehead and ruffling his outer tunic. A temporary relief from the heat, Link took a deep breath in, and it was then that he heard the voice.
“Hero of the Wild. I am Farore, the goddess of those who possess the hero’s courage passed down for many a millenia.”
A blinding beacon bathed the goddess statue from head to toe, so bright that Link had no choice but to shield his eyes, dropping to his knees at one of the golden goddesses' presence. No heavenly form appeared, but her low wispy voice rang out so clear that she may as well have been standing before him.
I sense that your courage wanes, and I have heard your pleas. You are not the first of those who bear the spirit of the hero to pray to me regarding these matters.
So you can help me?
I pledged long ago to leave the mortal world behind. All I can lend you is my strength. What you do with that strength is entirely your choice, Hero.
Link gritted his teeth. You’ll do nothing for me. In the same way you did nothing for her for seventeen years.
Hylia’s vessel…
Her name is Zelda.
...She found her strength the day you fell. Those who bear her blood and her chosen hero’s spirit often draw their strength in the other’s moments of weakness. You were always meant to share this most sacred bond.
The breeze ceased instantly, and Link’s eyes shot open. There was nothing but blackness, the water beneath him glasslike and rippling. “Where are you?!” He gasped, clutching his throat. His voice. He had a voice. But that wasn’t possible. This only ever happened within his most vivid dreams, only to awaken silent once morning dawned. Slowly he swallowed before parting his lips again, feeling the foreign sensation of air tickling his vocal chords. “Where am I?”
“In your mind.”
This voice was very different. It was male, warm, approachable, rather than the cold distant tones of Farore. Link turned to see a man a bit older than himself standing casually with his arms folded. He wore a green tunic and cap, just like the many illustrations the old books had depicted.
He sucked in a breath, “You-- you’re one of my predecessors.”
The man nodded, his lips spreading into a wide smile. “Care to guess which one?” As if giving a hint, he reached behind his ear and tucked a crimson red feather into his thick brunette sideburns.
“The Hero of the Skies.”
“Nice job. You did your homework.”
“I didn’t have much of a choice growing up,” Link frowned, a bit annoyed at the humored nature of the legend standing before him. “I know about you and all the ones that came between us. What I don’t know is why you’re here.” He snorted, “‘In my mind’, as you said.”
“You summoned me,” the Hero shrugged.
Link raised his eyebrows, “I’ve never summoned one of my predecessors before.”
“You’ve never prayed diligently at our spring before.” The Hero looked around as if he could see his surroundings through the opaque curtain of darkness. “Though this did look a lot… cleaner in my era.”
“Well in case you didn’t hear, we had a cataclysmic disaster a hundred years ago,” Link remarked dryly.
“I know. You nearly came to rest with me and the other heroes permanently. They all faced their own trials, but yours was possibly the hardest of all.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Link sighed, biting his lip as he chose his next words carefully. Of everything he remembered about this man, there was one thing that ancient Hylian teachings would never let him forget. “This King of Evil -- Ganon -- appearing over and over again. Hylia being reborn as a princess. Hyrule falling into chaos in cycles. It’s all because of you.”
The Hero’s smile vanished. “I did what I had to. To ensure this land would thrive, because I care for it as much as you do.” His jaw tightened, “I had no idea of the consequences it would mean for our descendants.”
“Would you have done things differently if you did know?” Link challenged. His eyes locked onto the Hero of the Skies, sets of blue narrowing at each other until the silence was broken.
“No.”
“Well at least we have that in common.” Link stepped back, surveying his only companion in this vast emptiness with a new surge of respect. “‘Our descendants’? What do you mean by that?”
“Mine and my wife’s.”
Link furrowed his brow in thought. “Hylia’s first reincarnation? You married her?”
“Her name was Zelda. Just like your Princess.” The Hero’s smile had returned, as if just saying her name filled him with an indescribable happiness. “We had a long and amazing life together. All of the pain and hardship we faced, it was worth it in the end.” He paused pensively, “Even the curse we left behind was worth it.”
“Because you’d be dead long before its repercussions would show,” Link bit out. “I have the burden of a hundred lifetimes on my shoulders. I wasn’t allowed to have a normal life from the moment I touched the hilt of the Master Sword. Neither was Zelda.” His eyes started to prickle, and he looked away. “My Zelda.”
“That’s why I’m here, Hero of the Wild,” the green-clad spector said softly. “Your prayer brought me to your subconscious from a plane of limbo. You and I have a lot more in common than you think.”
“How?!” Link burst out in agitation. “Why you of all people?!”
“Because we both know that in the end, it isn’t about saving this land. It’s about saving her.”
Link faced the ground, unwillingly to let a past chosen hero see the tears in his eyes. Which was why he flinched at the very corporeal hand that touched his shoulder, but didn’t push him away. What he said was true, he knew it in the depths of his heart. He had left Hyrule burning behind him as he rushed Zelda away from the destruction to protect her. It was more than mere duty, and had been for a long time before. She needed to live. He could not face a world without her living in it.
“You love her. As much as I loved my own.” The Hero squeezed Link’s shoulder as it began to tremble. “And now that the dust has settled, you’ve been given the same chance I was. The chance to rebuild the land you’ll call home together.”
“But she’s--”
“A goddess. I’m nothing compared to her. She’ll never accept me.” The Hero shook his head, “I said those same things to myself. But what I didn’t know was just how much we needed each other. Not just to make this land inhabitable, but to help get through the hardest of days, and share the happiness the rest of our lives had to offer. You deserve that as well.”
He ended in a whisper, the last word drifting away into the abyss as the two men stood together in silence. Finally, Link raised his head to search his predecessor’s eyes. Underneath their wide jovial sparkle, he could see flecks of deep scarring pain, similar to the pain he always found staring back at him from the mirror. The first hero may not have been born with this burden, but he had carried it throughout the rest of his life just the same. And because of that, Link knew it wasn’t fair to judge his actions. Perhaps a descendant of his would one day curse his name for doing nothing to stop the initial Calamity.
It was just anger. Words spat out of pure rage at the injustice of this neverending curse. None of the heroes were to blame. Only the evil that would take shape all over again in a matter of time.
“I’m sorry,” Link finally sighed.
“Don’t be. You have every right to be upset with the hand fate dealt you. And you’re hardly the first hero to lay all the blame at my feet.” The Hero jerked his head at the sword resting against Link’s back, “That blade takes a piece of you with it, and for a while you feel like you might never be whole again. But the truth is, you can fill that gap in your soul again.” His gaze remained on the blade, “Have you heard the voice in the sword?”
“I don’t remember if I did a hundred years ago. But I did hear it once, when I pulled it from the forest. It said ‘Welcome back, Master.’ ”
The Hero shut his eyes, pressing a palm to them as if forcing back emotions of his own. “So she’s still there. Albeit much quieter, it seems. When I wielded it, sometimes I didn’t think she would ever stop talking.” His soft chuckle became strangled, swallowing hard before going on. “You’ve been so much more than a worthy successor. You beat death itself to eradicate hatred and malice. Now it’s time for you to really live. However you want to.”
Link’s heartbeat quickened. “So… I shouldn’t fight it. What I feel for Zelda.”
“What’s your gut telling you?”
The younger man exhaled, letting the weight leave his shoulders, relieving the pressure around his chest. “That I love her. That she is my absolute favorite person in the whole world. And I want to be with her forever.”
Link felt a hand gently tousle his hair, and he narrowed his eyes at the Hero before giving him a half smirk. “Was that the answer you wanted?”
“I’m pretty sure that’s the answer you wanted.”
“What if she rejects me?”
“Then at the very least, you will have made your feelings known.”
Link’s smirk spread into a genuine smile. “Thanks. I don’t think history gives you enough credit.”
“I didn’t do anything, Link. We’re in your mind. This is all you…”
Link’s entire body jolted, as if shocked awake by the horn of an electric lizalfos, his eyes shooting open. He was surrounded by greenery once more, clear water, humid mist, and a silent goddess statue bearing down upon him. Standing from the spring, his pants soaked with welcoming chilled water, he noticed something bright and red at the feet of the statue. Bending down, Link picked up a single crimson feather and examined it.
No. There was no way. It was all in his mind, like the Hero had said. It had to have been dropped by a passing bird, nothing more.
“Link!”
He had barely registered his hands taking the Sheikah Slate from his belt, nor activating the warp point back to Hateno Village. The trek back to his home was a complete haze, and the only thing pulling him out of it was the beautiful voice that greeted him from the front door. Zelda stood waving to him, her skirt fluttering in the breeze and her short hair mussed from what he assumed was a plethora of housework.
“Ah,” she sighed out, smiling up at the sky. “The heat is finally breaking. Perhaps we could spend some time down on the beach tomorrow.” The princess looked down to find a pair of weary sapphire eyes gazing back at her, and her brow furrowed in concern. “What’s wrong?”
“Can I talk to you?” His hands gently held hers after he finished signing his question, causing patches of pink to appear on Zelda’s cheeks.
“Of… of course.” She led him towards the couch and sat him down, making sure the door was closed and shoving a pile of leather bound books aside so he could have her undivided attention. “Are you alright? Did something happen?”
“I’m alright. I think.” He swallowed. “I went to the Spring of Courage today and--” He stopped, suddenly realizing it was not the best idea to let her know the Goddess Farore had spoken directly to him. Not when Zelda had begged for guidance her entire life and received none. “I needed to pray. I’ve been feeling so… lost, I guess.”
“Link,” Zelda breathed out, taking one of his animated hands in hers. “I’m sorry. I’ll never forgive myself for my decision to deprive you of your memories. Whatever you need to know, I can--”
“It wasn’t my memories this time. It was you.”
She let out a light gasp. “Have I done something? Please tell me if I have.”
“You haven’t done anything, Zelda, you’re perfect.” Link stopped, realizing what his fingers had just signed, his cheeks flushing red. They were sitting so close now that their knees rubbed up against each other, and he held his breath before taking the most risky plunge of his life. “I know you were in love with me a hundred years ago.”
Zelda’s eyes widened, her own cheeks flaming. “You do.” It was a statement, like she knew he would have found out sooner or later. “How do you know?”
“Kass. His teacher, the court poet, knew. He could tell by the way you looked at me. I guess I was so absorbed in my duty I didn’t notice.”
“So…” She bit her lip, shutting her eyes. “You needed to pray because you don’t feel the same.”
“No!” Link shot forward, propelled by an aggressive primal instinct as he grabbed her upper arms, shaking his head fervently. “It’s because I’m not the same person I was back then, and that was the man you loved. I’m a hero who already saved his land, and his princess.” He tried to slow his silent lip movements so she could follow him, her eyes starting to water as they darted back and forth. “I love you, Zelda. But I have nothing left to offer you.”
He loves me. It was all she could focus on, her heart fluttering like a lovestruck child. I can’t believe it, he loves me. He loves me and he has nothing left to-- That snapped her back to reality. “Link! How can you say that? Do you really believe the only thing you were ever good for was playing the role of the hero?”
“I did. But… I can cook now.”
“You sure can,” Zelda smiled. “You make the best fruitcake I’ve ever tasted in my life.”
“And I’m good at taming horses.”
“The best.”
“I watch out for the kids in the village.”
“They love you.” She cupped his face in her hands. “See Link? You’re still you. You laugh, you smile, you enjoy the world around you. You have changed from the knight I knew, but… I think you’ve become the person that you always were deep down.” Zelda dared to slide even closer, the heat rising in both of their faces. “And I love that person. He is my favorite person in the whole world.”
Link’s heart stopped when she repeated the exact words he had said to the Hero of the Skies. What had he done to deserve this? To deserve her? Her face, her voice, her eyes, everything about her was too good to be true. And when he finally couldn’t take it anymore, he leaned forward and nearly slammed his lips into hers.
Zelda let out a little squeak at the initial discomfort, but it wasn’t long before their awkward fumbling settled into sweet bliss. Kissing him was not like she had imagined, it was better than anything she could dream of. There was nothing like it, and no way to describe how amazing it made her feel.
Link pulled back from her slowly, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off his heart. He hated to admit that his predecessor had been right and taking the plunge had been worth it. But as a result, he never needed to worry about navigating this strange new Hyrule on his own again. Zelda was beside him now, in all her radiance, warmth, and passion to soothe the loneliness in his heart and the pain in his soul.
“Zelda,” he mouthed. “Would you… like to spend an evening on the beach with me tomorrow?”
“You mean, like a date?” Zelda asked in uncharacteristic shyness.
“I’ll bring the food.”
“Then I would love to,” she whispered, letting out a little giggle in spite of herself.
Reluctant to let her go, Link reached down into his pouch and pulled out the red feather from the spring as if to seal the deal.
“Oh my,” Zelda inhaled when he pressed it into her palm. “It’s beautiful. Where did it come from?”
Link lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “I found it at the spring.”
“I’ll have to investigate in my library, see if I can identify the gorgeous bird that may have lost it.” Her eyes lit up at her new project and the research it would entail, leaning over and kissing Link’s cheek. “Thank you.”
Link only smiled as she rushed off to her bookshelf, muttering to herself as she pulled down a few thick tomes. She would be at this for the next several hours, but he didn’t care. He loved seeing her get excited about her scholarly work, the way she talked to herself and tucked her hair behind her pointed ear in thought. And amongst his utterly smitten thoughts, he wondered how long it would take her before she figured out the feather had once belonged to a crimson Loftwing, long extinct from this world.
Thank you . For everything. You gave that feather to your Zelda long ago, didn’t you?
There was no response. Link was not even sure anymore if their meeting had been born of his mind, or if he had actually been visited by the spirit of his past life. Perhaps he would never know. Sighing, he nodded silently.
I promise that mine will take good care of it.