Guilt. Pure, unadulterated guilt.
Link could barely look at Hylia. The moment he did he would remember the blood pouring from her hand. It had looked natural at first, he had felt it natural, how much blood had Link seen in his life? Enough to make logical decisions in the face of it, enough to just shrug off the incident.
But then that night, it clicked for Link. These feelings that made him freeze, the realization that it had been his fault this had happened, that maybe if he hadn't been the way he had been Hylia could still be the ethereal perfect entity she was supposed to be and Link had destroyed. This urge, desperate and fiery, that he ought to disappear, to be gone. It ate at him.
Link even entertained the thought of leaving. Of leaving Her.
'It's us. We're leaving her,' Âme had said. 'You're the last of our kind and it's not her fault,' Link remembered. And it hurt.
It was guilt over guilt and there was no way Link could handle it on his own.
How was one supposed to atone for destroying a Goddess?
⁂⁂⁂
It was a cold night, right before they went to bed, in between Hylia's low singing and Link checking on the fire.
"Hylia?"
They were too comfortable with each other. How come it only took Hylia three steps to reach him?
"Yes?"
Link focused on the fire in front of him. He didn't want to let go, not now that he knew how it felt to live with her. He didn't want to force her to stay and live the sad life of a mortal. He just...
"Are you no longer a Goddess?" Link could feel his chest tightening, blame and fear all in one.
Hylia walked to him and grabbed his hand, a gesture they found comfort in, "That's right."
Link had known, so why did it hurt so much? "Is it my fault?" Did you do it for me? Am I really that important to you?
Hylia kept quiet for a couple of seconds and Link had to fight the urge to hyperventilate.
"I," Hylia started, "I could no longer bear the burden of being a Goddess." Hylia rested her head on Link's chest, "I saw so much and I did so little." Link couldn't lift his arms, he was stiff and he was starting to tremble. "And then you came along and I..."
Link let out a shudder and Hylia looked up to him, "Link," she breathed, "It is not your fault, all right?"
Link breathed in, half-trembling, half-terrified, and tried to nod.
Hylia caressed his back, and Link could feel the trembling of her hands. Maybe it only was the cold. Maybe she worried because he was a child.
Link felt like crying like one.
"Hylia," Link whispered.
Hylia looked up.
"I'm sorry."
⁂⁂⁂
Seeing Link like a lost lamb hurt. It had been her words, always her words.
That night, after Link left to his bed, Hylia followed.
He was alone.
She was alone.
He deserved to know what had happened, and she deserved to let it all out.
So that night, under the wide eyed gaze of Link, Hylia sat by his side. And started.
Being born a Goddess was no different than being born a hylian. One moment you just weren't, and the next you were.
