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Once again in a dream. Once again she is feeling the air around her body…the light and time magic trailing through her hair…the tingling sensation of having a body once more.
All at once she was in the depths of the earth, falling into the darkness.
All at once she was in the soft late summer sky, falling after the end of the calamity.
All at once she was falling through the blue cold spring skies.
All at once reaching an arm out to someone. As she opened her eyes, it all blurred together. Centuries of time flooding through her fractured mind. Her eyes clouded by the various moments of triumph, rebirth, and despair.
Was she still dreaming? She must have been.
She could faintly hear the wind in each happenstance of time. She must be dreaming. Because each time she falls, her vision darkens. Back into the darkness of time. Waiting once more for the hands of fate to be done with her. Her awareness falls back into a dreamless slumber. Until her faint quiet ember of a consciousness is snuffed out yet again by time.
But now…she doesn't fade completely. Her eyes hurt. Her joints and muscles strained in atrophy. Like they hadn’t had life in them for years. The soft wind that was only faint before…grew in volume. The softness turned to a slow growing roar. Her skin began to feel as goosebumps dotted it. The low burning ember buried within times ashes began to grow. It began to burn bright. And slowly, the darkness she saw was slowly replaced by a blinding source of light. As she struggled to open eyelids that had at this moment never been used for centuries, she saw the faint figure from the ball of light.
All she knew next was the feeling of warmth wrapping around her…before hitting water.
Was she dreaming?
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The water fell around them in a man made rain fall. The impact from the stratosphere caused the water of the pond to fly upwards into the open morning air. As she floated like a corpse in the water, she felt strong arms wrap around her, pulling her to the muddy shore line. Lily pads and flower petals, leaves and cats tails, reeds and grass clippings brushing past her body as she was dragged from the cold waters out into the midsummer morning sun.
She could feel it. She could smell. And as her heavy eyelids once more began to open, she could see.
Sitting above her, kneeling down and pressing her lips to her own to blow in any air she could was Marin.
Coughing, her aching ancient body stirred as residual water coughed from her slightly filled lungs. As she felt the warm air enter into her, her weak muscles looked up at the tear full eyes of her knight. Her champion placed a warm hand on her back. Her love barely contained her muscles from latching onto the princess.
With a single arm, one that once again was flesh and blood began to sign shakily.
“Zelda…”
Before Marin could continue, the princess herself forced the atrophy down as she lent up to plant a silent, grateful, kiss to her knights lips. Both of them holding onto one another, as the flakes of light and time magic began to float up past them. No longer caring for whatever mystical happenings lay around them. No longer caring as the once restored flesh and blood arm of Marin began to fade away, leaving behind the tattoo like markings on her amputated upper arm and shoulder blade.
Neither of them cared.
All that mattered, was holding on to one another. Allowing the tired and worn heroes of Hyrule the moment of peace they each have given centuries for.
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As Marin entered into the destroyed wooden building, she scanned the room around her. What was once Zelda’s living room was now torn with large boulders crushing various pieces of furniture, cupboards, and vases, the smoldering embers of the final battle with Ganandorfs flaming stones and scales having fallen to the village of Hateno like meteors from above.
It was currently dusk on the hillside. She had made sure to teleport to the outskirts and arrive unnoticed. She had no desire for any fan fare or scandal in her long since former home town. As she rummaged through the remains of the building, lifting and moving aside what she could with only a single arm. The sound of the Purah Pad teleporter ringing softly outside as Zelda arrived. Taking a melancholic look at her former home. When the Calamity ended she wished to live amongst her people. To learn the differences the century away had wrought. To connect with her people and provide them assurance that her return meant a time of prosperity and rebirth. It was why she had built the school house in Hateno, to truly make a difference and an impact for the good of her people. While this building had once been Marin’s long before the Calamity…it was gifted to her when she returned to Hyrule the first time. Marin had established a new home in Gerudo while she was…away. Hateno had been a sanctuary for her. A place where she once thought she could live in normalcy. Marin had stayed with her. Making her trips to Gerudo once a month or so.
But now she simply wished to live quietly. She wished to be free from duty and responsibility.
Despite the larger remains of her former home like heavy trees without the aid of Rauru’s arm. Marin found what she was looking for. While lightly splintered and burnt, a remnant from before the uprising remained. A single small painting, framed in a white birch. Depicting the soft hillside of Hateno, with the back of a blonde haired woman sitting and gazing out over the land. The autumn colors in the distance of trees and grass awaiting winter. The frame wasn’t too damaged, thankfully. There remained a small cut though on the horizon. A dark wound that almost in a sense of ironic fate, left a burnt edged hole on the horizon line where the setting or rising sun would be.
Almost like the painting itself knew what had transpired since it was made.
“It’s still your best, my love…” The soft, hoarse voice of her partner spoke as she placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
Marin rested her cheek against the warm hand on her shoulder. Her eyelids heavy as she stood up and offered the princess the piece to free her arm. Signing as best she can with one arm “I’m…sorry that I didn’t keep it safe for you…” Her tired and battle worn face turning to the remnants of Zelda’s former home. “If you’d like it rebuilt…I’m sure we can get help from Purah and the oth-”
“N-No…” Zelda hoarsely stated. Her fingers gripping the burnt frame of the painting.
“N-no…I w-want to…not let them know I-I'm alive.” She cracked out as soft, overwhelmed tears began to fall. “M-Marin…I want to…be with you…away from Hyrule…”
Understanding what Zelda’s ancient cracked voice was trying to say. Marin placed her hand on her tear stained cheek, brushing against it with her thumb as Zelda’s puffed red eyes looked up at her protector.
“...I understand. Let's get you home, my princess.” She signed, placing a gentle kiss to Zelda’s forehead as she took her in her arms.