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Defeating a giant gloom dragon-demon-thing, watching Sonia and Rauru awaken Zelda, getting his arm back, and then proceeding to fall from the sky while holding onto the princess for dear life was, well, a lot. To say the very least. He wasn’t even done processing what had happened before all of that!
Fighting the army of the Demon King, battling the Demon King himself, and then going toe-to-toe with him again but really fucking angry, glowing red like he was bathed in the light of the blood moon. Pure evil.
He doesn’t know where the sages are, but he assumes they’re alright. Hopes. Zelda isn’t a dragon anymore.
Zelda is safe. She has her life back in her own hands, no longer aimlessly floating through the sky. He’d scold her for sacrificing herself like that, but he doesn’t have the strength (or the right) to. He isn’t even sure he can feel his arms. Both of which are his, free and clear of corruption.
This is all so surreal. He’s fought a Calamity and a demonic king in his lifetime. He feels a bit hysterical, as Zelda would put it.
The sky is clearer than it’s been in days, and Link feels as though he can finally breathe easily.
There’s one problem, though. He might pass out on the spot if he relaxes any of his muscles even the slightest bit. He’s in so much pain. He rocked the Demon King’s shit, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t also get his shit rocked in return.
Zelda is speaking, and Link is trying his hardest to listen. To respond when necessary.
He is failing spectacularly.
Thank Hylia that the princess is experienced in one-sided conversation. It’s a miracle he’s still standing. He knows the only reason he’s alive is because the Goddess needed him to do his whole… destiny thing or whatever. His sleep schedule since this whole thing has begun could rival that of his after he awoke in the Shrine of Resurrection.
“Link?”
Zelda is looking at him, and isn’t that a blessing? She has the prettiest eyes in all of Hyrule. Link has to look up to meet her gaze - wait, when did she stand up?
“Hmm?” he hums in response.
The princess pulls a face. It’s funny, and Link can’t stop himself from laughing.
“How close are you to passing out?” she asks.
“Excuse you,” says Link. “I’m perfectly fine, princess.”
Zelda looks unamused, crossing her arms. She’s wearing that expression she has whenever she thinks Link is being foolish. However, foolishness is subjective, and the princess is extraordinarily intelligent.
The swordsman stands up, ignoring Zelda’s abundant protests. If she can stand up after having dragon legs(?) for as long as she did, he can stand up too! He can pay no mind to every part of his body complaining about movement, he’s a knight, Hylia’s chosen hero!
So he stands, grinning smugly.
“See?” Link says, “I’m alright.”
Then his knees buckle, and he’s going down before he even realizes it.
“Link!” Zelda shouts.
The princess catches him, lowering him safely to the ground. She catches him, because she’s wonderful and perfect and Hylian and here he is, making her worry. She’s finally back, he finally found her, and he’s inconveniencing her already.
“Are you crying?!”
“I’m just glad you’re here,” He says, sniffling. “Are you hurt at all?”
Zelda smiles at him, and Link is convinced the sunlight grows brighter as she does. He can’t believe he gets to see her smile again. Those days he spent lying on her back, swirling through the sky and desperately trying to feel connected to her - he thought that was it. He thought so many things would be left unsaid, so many things undone.
“I’m glad you’re here, too,” She responds, “and no, I’m not injured.”
Then their conversation stops, because breathing suddenly becomes a monumental effort. Zelda moves them to sit against a tree, letting Link rest his head on her thigh.
His brain is on fire. All he can think of is Zelda. That, and the fact that she isn’t a dragon anymore. He spots a few Silent Princesses woven into her hair, and feels embarrassed. Does she know Link put them there? Does she remember anything from being the Light Dragon?
“You were a dragon,” Link says aloud.
Zelda nods. “That I was.”
“Did being a dragon hurt?” he asks, growing worried, “Was it uncomfortable?”
“I’m alright, truly,” Zelda insists. “It only felt like a nap; like I had fallen asleep at my desk again.”
He feels relieved at first, but then apprehension steals his peace away. A good thing, depending on how you look at it. Peace means relaxing, and relaxing means passing out.
Waking up after a hundred years was disorienting enough. Link can only imagine what it feels like to be a dragon for thousands of years, and then suddenly regain consciousness.
“You aren’t just saying that?” he asks.
“May the Goddess strike me down if I betray your trust.”
“No!”
Zelda looks pained. Link realizes that he could’ve said that a lot quieter than he did. He could have reacted less… dramatically.
“Please, no,” Says Link, quieter this time. “I just - you’re here. I don’t want you to go anywhere.”
“Okay,” Zelda says. “Okay. We’ll stay here.”
She clicks a few buttons on the Purah Pad, and then a few more, so Link decides that she’s probably messaging someone. He watches her expression, her movements, for anything concerning.
“..You really are okay?”
Zelda rolls her eyes. “I’m perfectly fine, Link, I promise; I swear it, even. You can relax now.”
“I can’t,” Link huffs.
“Why is that?” Zelda asks, humoring him.
“I might pass out,” he (finally) admits. “Who’s gonna protect you?”
“...We are out in the middle of Hyrule Field.”
Link nods quickly in response. “Exactly,” He says. “It’s very unpredictable, princess.”
“I’m not entertaining this, dear.”
Zelda sighs while Link pouts. She works through the knots in his hair to try and soothe him, mentally scolding him for how untidy it is. He truly is an afterthought to himself.
“I’m sorry about Sonia and Rauru; they seemed really nice.”
The princess smiles, a bittersweet, reminiscent expression this time.
“They were really nice.”
Link yawns. “Wanna talk about them?”
Then Zelda’s talking again, and Link makes an attempt to listen, because it’s lovely to hear her voice again. He hears something about Mineru, then maybe Sonia. It’s hard to tell because his brain feels like a hard-boiled egg left in the sun.
In the end, he’s asleep within minutes.
Zelda worries over the swordsman. He doesn’t have any life-threatening wounds, but he’s got cuts and bruises absolutely everywhere. The princess knows Mipha is probably inconsolable right now, being talked down by an equally hysterical Urbosa.
Maybe the princess herself should be in hysterics. She instead feels strangely accomplished. Link isn’t gravely injured, Sonia and Rauru are finally at peace, and the Demon King has finally been defeated.
Zelda decides that the time for panic comes later. For now, she simply wishes to enjoy Hyrule’s gloom-free skies.
“PRINCESS,” someone yells, “ZELDA!”
Link stirs, eyebrows furrowing at the sudden change in atmosphere. Zelda shakes her head, shooting a dirty glare in Purah’s direction. Not that she can see it - because she’s halfway across the field - but it’s the intention that counts.
So much for peace. She can almost hear the onslaught of questions Purah has ready to rapid-fire shoot at her. Zelda smiles.
It’s nice to be home.