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Link laid back in an idyllic field, Zelda by his side, feeling wonderfully, perfectly at peace. “And then Tulin tried to boost me over the gap, but just ended up blasting everything right off the sky island instead! Oh, was he ever embarrassed…”
Zelda giggled lightly, leaning against Link’s shoulder. “That reminds me of the Rito sage I met! He always tried to fly faster and wound up crashing into everything…”
“Is overconfidence just a Rito thing? Revali, the sage, Teba…” Link chuckled.
“I think it might be!” Zelda’s giggles turned into a full-on laughing fit. “So, get this– Rauru would always sneak away from Sonia to go hunting, right? So one time, we’re looking for him, and he comes bursting out of the brush riding a BEAR, and he just gives Sonia this embarrassed look, and he just said ‘Hi, honey. I met a bear.’” She leaned forward, laughing even harder.
“Ahahaha!” Link chortled at the thought of Rauru sheepishly riding a bear. “There was this group of explorers who misunderstood what you said and were exploring in their underpants! And, well, I wasn’t about to be outdone…”
“Of COURSE you took the first chance you had to strip down!” Zelda giggled, leaning against Link’s shoulder. “That’s the least surprising part out of the whole story!”
“And then there was…” Link paused. The sun wasn’t out any more… Suddenly, it was night time… and the moon– it was red– wait, not just red, it was bleeding malice and gloom! “Zelda! We need to–” Link’s words died in his throat as he saw her.
Zelda’s laughter turned more and more monstrous, locking eyes with him. “WHAT’S WRONG, LINK?” Her voice suddenly turned more shrill, and her eyes… they were the dragon’s eyes, Link’s arm was rotting away, the sky was bleeding and gloom was bubbling up from beneath his feet and…
“ZELDA!” Link sat bolt upright, covered in sweat, heart racing, and tears running uncontrollably down his face. He frantically looked over to the other side of the bed, where Zelda was sitting up, summoning a ball of light.
“Link, what’s wrong? I’m here!” Zelda took him in her arms. In a moment of panic, he grabbed her face - as gently as he could in his panic - and checked her eyes. Shining green, as they should be. He fell into her chest as he clung to her, sobbing. She softly rubbed his back as he tried to stop hyperventilating. “It’s okay, Link. You’re safe. What’s wrong?”
“Zelda… you… your eyes…” Link stuttered out, clinging to Zelda. It had been two months since Link had defeated Demon King Ganondorf and Zelda had returned to herself after being transformed into an immortal dragon for thousands of years. While Link was happier than ever to have Zelda back with him, the nightmares still plagued him, and he found it so hard to talk about what they showed.
“Oh, Link, I’m so sorry…” Zelda leaned her face against his shoulder. “It’s over now. You saved me, and I’m back with you forever.”
“How can you be sure?” Link snapped. “Twice now our lives have been ruined! Twice I found myself naked and alone, only this time it was worse! This time I could REMEMBER that I failed you… this time I had to see you fall, all while knowing how much you meant to me…” Link clung to Zelda more tightly. “I lost you, all because of my own weakness…”
“Link…” Zelda frowned. “It was my weakness, Link. I basically chose to die because I couldn’t see any other method to repair the sword… but I realize now that… I barely tried. I saw the sword and immediately decided that becoming a monster was my only option.” She hugged him close. “I… don’t regret the outcome, but I’m so sorry I hurt you.”
“I can’t blame you, Zelda. It’s just… seeing it hurt me.” Link said, still unwilling to break the embrace. “Zelda… you still love me, right?”
Zelda was shocked by the question. “Wha– of COURSE I do! Link, that day at Lover’s Pond was the best day of my life! I love you much more than I love myself…” Zelda felt tears prick her eyelids. “You’re the best thing in my life…”
“And you’re the best thing in MY life, Zelda. That’s why it hurt me so bad that you’d just… throw yourself away like that!” Link mumbled, not wanting to accuse Zelda of anything.
Zelda gasped. “Link! I… I never thought you’d see what happened. I thought that… eventually you’d just accept that I was gone… I didn’t know it was possible to save me.” Zelda broke the embrace and curled up, pulling her knees up to her chest and dropping her face onto them. “But that doesn’t change what I did. I’m sorry, Link. I’ve been terrible to you. I can’t think of any other ways we could have reached this point, but…” She began crying softly. “It doesn’t change how I hurt you.”
“Zelda, I’m sorry I failed you that day under Hyrule Castle. If I’d been stronger, or faster… I was prepared to die for you that day.” Link sighed, putting his arm around her shoulders. “I expected to die after the Master Sword broke. But you repaired it, strengthened it, and returned it to me. You hurt me, I’ll admit… but doing so saved me.” Link gently embraced her. “So… Thank you, Zelda. Thank you, but please, never do that again.”
Zelda smiled gently at Link, resting her hand on his cheek lovingly. “I promise, Link. I dearly hope we never have need of the Master Sword again in our lifetime, but… I promise.” She rested her head against Link’s chest, wrapping her arms around him in a warm, loving embrace. “Link, I told you before that there was no reward I could offer you that would repay what you’ve done for Hyrule… and that goes double now. All I have to offer… all I’ve EVER had to offer… is myself.” She tried to meet his eyes, but his gaze dodged her, no matter what. “I’m yours, if you’ll take me.”
“No.” Link replied, pulling Zelda into a tight embrace, “No, Zelda, I’m YOURS. Now and forever, however you’ll have me.” He shut his eyes as they met in a deep kiss…
Making love with your soulmate, much less with a princess who is also the reincarnation of a goddess, should not feel perfunctory. Unfortunately, that’s how Link found it– and how he found himself, sitting on the side of the bed, his head in his hands, cursing himself.
I can’t sleep, because the nightmares always find me, and I can’t stay awake, because the memories weigh on me too… He sighed, glancing over at Zelda’s quietly sleeping form. The only thing I really have to live for is her… I love her with everything I am, so why… why is it so hard to talk to her now? He gently stroked her cheek, smiling lightly as she sleepily nuzzled against his hand. She’s so wonderful… I owe it to her to get over this, so I can make her happy again. He sighed deeply, turning away from her. I can’t let her know what I’m going through. This has to be my own burden. He laid down, pulling the covers up around their necks, and kissed Zelda softly. “Goodnight, Zelda… and sweet dreams.”
“Do you remember our time here?” Zelda asked, walking down the stairs, a sultry lilt in her voice. “Does it bring back memories?” She walked up to Link, gently stroking his face with a smirk on her own. “Does it… excite you?”
Link stood stoic and silent. He KNEW this wasn’t really Zelda. He KNEW where Zelda really was– that she was lost to him forever. This was a trick– an evil, hurtful plan to get him to lower his guard. He wouldn’t fall for it, and soon, this puppet would reveal herself.
“Are you expecting me to become a monster, made of Gloom?” Zelda asked, sashaying up to him and brushing a lock of hair out of his face. “I’m not going to. It’s me. It’s really me, Link.” She kissed him gently on the nose, in the same way Zelda always did. “I’m back, Link. I’m me again.”
“No. That’s impossible. I remember this– Ganondorf was using a puppet Zelda to trick me…” Link clenched his teeth, backing away slightly.
“If that’s what you think it is, draw the Master Sword. It glows when there’s danger, yes?” Zelda gestured to the sword on his back. “Draw it. Point it at me.” She threw her arms out to the side, pushing her chest forward. “I am at your mercy.”
Link slowly drew the sword, holding it out towards Zelda, but nothing happened. No shine, no cry of warning, nothing. The sword remained inert. “It… nothing…” he muttered.
“Yes. You’re safe.” Zelda wrapped her arms around him, that same smirk always on her face. “My brave, brave Link… So loyal… so gentle…” She dropped her dress to the floor as Link took her in his arms. “So FOOLISH.”
Link jerked back, feeling a burning pain in his right arm. He looked over, only to scream– his arm was one of those horrible Gloom hands, the Master Sword was rotting in his grasp, and Zelda’s eyes were the same as Ganondorf’s– cold and cruel, yellow and red… she reached out to seize his face when–
Link sat up, screaming, tears pouring from his eyes once again– and once again, Zelda sat up next to him, summoning a ball of warm light. “Link! Link, it’s okay! It’s me! Your Zelda! You’re safe!” She stayed back, knowing not to touch him when he was in this twilight stage– he’d learned that lesson from her many times after she’d been freed from the castle, when she’d thrashed about and struck him in her panic. Instead, she waited for him to calm down and recognize where he was before she embraced him. “Oh, Link… another nightmare?”
Link choked back a sob as half his instincts cried out to embrace Zelda and half cried out to push her away. “Y-Yeah… A bad one.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Zelda asked, smiling lovingly at him, his old champion’s tunic draped around her. “I know that helped me when I had my troubles, and you’re clearly hurting so much...”
“I…” Link sighed, turning away. “I’m fine. Really.”
“Link…” Zelda said, resting her head on his back and wrapping her arms around his waist, “Please don’t shut me out. I know you’re hurting, so please– let me know WHAT’S hurting you!” She pressed her face against him, starting to cry. “Please, Link… please, let me help you…”
Link fell silent, dropping his head to his chest. “It’s hard to say, Zelda… because… a lot of it is you.”
Zelda’s head snapped up, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Wh-what?”
Link shook his head, still not meeting her gaze. “So much of my trauma was wearing your face. There were Yiga disguised as you… Ganondorf used a puppet that had your face… and worst of all… I saw you sacrifice yourself. Seeing your eyes change after you ate that stone… it’s going to haunt me forever.”
“Link, I… I had no idea.” Zelda sniffed quietly. “You haven’t said anything about it…” She hugged him a bit tighter, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Would you… tell me about them now?”
“It’s late at night…” Link muttered, still not looking at her.
“Well then…” Zelda said, pulling back a little. “Can you at least look me in the eyes? I need to know– I need to SEE that you still love me.”
Link winced. “I… I DO still love you, Zelda, so… I’ll try.” He turned, forcing himself not to look away as he met her eyes.
Green. Boundless, emerald green. Link drank her eyes in– peaceful, beautiful green– not multicolored, like the eyes of a beast, and not red and yellow, like the eyes of a demon. Her eyes were as soft and as green as they ever were. He gently raised his hands, cupping her cheeks. “You’re as beautiful as the day I lost you.”
“You never lost me, Link. I was with you… in here.” Zelda tapped his chest, pulling him into a passionate kiss. “And you were with me.”
“Even separated by thousands of years…” Link mumbled, their foreheads pressed together.
“Even when I’d all but lost myself…” Zelda replied, smiling happily, unwilling to look away.
“I couldn’t help but love you more every day.” They both said as one, gently embracing each other. “And that’s still true.” Link said, chuckling to himself. “Because you’re patient enough to put up with me…”
“You were patient enough to put up with me, first.” Zelda replied, her arms around Link’s neck. “But… let me do something for you.”
“Mm? What’s that?” Link asked, unwilling to let Zelda go just yet.
“This.” Zelda replied, glowing softly golden. “Can you feel my light? Let it wash over you. Let it soothe your aches and pains… you know it’s really me this way…”
Link groaned slightly, before feeling a sharp pain in his arm ooze out and boil away. “There was still some gloom left in me…” He said quietly. “I was still…”
“Shh…” Zelda shushed him. “You’re not tainted. You’re hurt… and I’ll burn it all away. It will never trouble you again.” She carefully leaned to one side, pulling Link down to the pillow with her. “Just hold me close, all night, and we’ll keep each other safe from our nightmares, okay?”
“Mm… okay…” Link mumbled, feeling warm and safe in a way he hadn’t for so long as he pulled her closer to him. “G’night, Zelda…”
Zelda smiled in relief, kissing him on his forehead as he drifted off. “Goodnight, Link… and may all your dreams be peaceful and sweet.”
Link leaned against an apple tree, happily chewing on the fruit as he watched Zelda walk up from her day at the school. “Hey there! How was everything?” He called.
“Everything was perfect.” Zelda replied, grabbing an apple from the branches and sitting down next to him. “No troubles at all.”
“Good.” Link replied, taking another bite of the apple before looking over towards Zelda. “This is a dream again, isn’t it?”
“It is.” Zelda replied, leaning against his shoulder as she put his hand on her stomach– which he noticed was a bit larger than normal. “But… I think that this is a dream we’re both sharing with each other.” She smiled over at Link. “It’s a really nice dream, isn’t it?”
“A happy, quiet life, just the three of us…” Link chuckled, gently rubbing Zelda’s stomach. “Yeah, you’re right. This is the dream I’ve wanted the most.”
“And it’s one that we’ll make sure comes true.” Zelda replied.
“Yeah. And that makes everything worthwhile.” Link smiled, leaning back against the tree, Zelda cuddling up with him as he did. With his Zelda by his side, his nightmares were gone– and he could finally rest peacefully.