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The first time I see him is in the Temple of Time, or what’s left of it. He looks exhausted, shaky, barely able to stand on his own feet. I suppose that’s to be expected, given what happened before the Shrine and his 100 year long coma. It still breaks my heart. The Goddess gives him a heart container, he must have asked for one, and I can hear the hum of Her power through the statue for the first time. I want to cry. She never did this for me.
He must be stronger now, but he doesn’t show it. As usual he doesn’t say anything. I try to call out to him, to say something, to congratulate him, but I can’t. Not through the eyes of the statue. He leaves. I would crumple to my knees if I had a physical body here.
____
The next time I see him is in Kakariko, what feels like years later, but must have only been a week at most. He limps over to the statue, wounded. I hope he asks for another heart container, he needs to be healed. He needs to be stronger. I can’t stand seeing him like this. He doesn’t, he must have asked for stamina, but the Goddess heals him anyway. Why wasn’t She this lenient with me? I can still see the exhaustion in his eyes, still see how tired and weak he looks. This isn’t him. This isn’t my Link. This time I look away first.
___
I look through every statue I can, hoping he’ll come back. He doesn’t for what must have been two weeks this time. This time he’s in Hateno. I recognize the architecture. He’s injured again. I wonder if his wounds had even healed. It doesn’t look like he’s taking care of himself. He’s covered in dirt, mud, and what must be blood. I can’t tell if it’s from a monster or his own. This time I make a monumental effort to reach him, but I can’t. I know this before I try, but I try anyway. I don’t know what I expected. Thankfully he asks for another heart container. The look of relief on his face as he’s healed hurts my soul. I don’t want to know how much pain he was in.
He’s walking more confidently now, but something is still wrong. I can tell I was right in that the Shrine would erase his memories. He looks at each thing he encounters with wonder, and I can tell that each day must be a new experience for him. I’m wondering if he’ll ever remember me, if I left him enough. I’m so caught up in my own thoughts and hopes that I don’t notice him leave. When I notice he’s gone, it feels like part of me went with him.
___
Each statue I can meet him at, every time I can sneak a precious glimpse of his face, I do. It’s my one happiness here, locked away fighting the Calamity alone. I never question my choice to do so. It was mine to make. This is, in one way or another, my destiny.
Link slowly is getting stronger, and that’s enough for me. What’s more, he seems to be remembering more, or at least learning more about the world around him. I hope the former. If only statues could hold people in their arms. If only I could feel his embrace, at least once.
These days he’s injured less, but when he is, it’s severe. Every gash the Goddess heals, each bruise that fades, I would happily wear for him. Maybe it’s for the best that the Goddess doesn’t make me.
When he reaches Zora’s Domain I can tell he won’t stay long. He’s determined, rushing through his task of getting another heart container, despite many injuries. I wonder if he intends to reclaim one of the Divine Beasts.
A few days later I can tell he’s successful. I can feel something shift in Ganon’s hold. One down, three to go. I hope he can make it. I need to see him in person.
___
Two beasts down and he returns to Rito Village. I only caught a glimpse of him the first time he walked past. Did he forget to visit? He must have wanted to get stronger, right? He had looked fine that time, and I had hoped he would stop, but he hadn’t.
Now he’s here, and that’s what matters. He’s brought something, flowers for the statue, neatly tied up in some sort of ribbon. I can’t get a proper view. He leaves them at the statue’s feet, and while I know they’re intended for the Goddess, I pretend selfishly they’re for me.
Something is still missing from his gaze, and after he asks for multiple heart containers I can tell that yes, he did forget. I wonder if more than his body was damaged in the battle. He still looks tired, and whether from fighting whatever took the Beasts or something deeper, I don’t know. I don’t want to know. I can see a prayer on his lips, but while statues have eyes, they don’t have ears. Sometimes I wish they did.
___
___
It’s been months now, the visits short and hurried. They’ve become few and far between ever since he freed the last Beast. I wonder why he’s stalling. I wonder if it even is stalling, or if he’s decided he’s not strong enough yet. He’s had the Master Sword for a while now, I know he will emerge victorious, but still he doesn’t come to the castle.
He’s nervous. I can tell that now. We’re in Kakariko, or at least he is. It had felt like a blessing to see real emotion on his face, until now. Now I almost wish his face would be as stony as “mine”. It hurts to see him so nervous, even scared. I wonder if that means he’ll arrive soon. I hope so.
When I see him in person, after almost a year, I pray with all my being that he will remember me. I pray he will accept the apology I can already feel forming on my nonexistent lips. I pray he will still love me.