Forgive me | Legend of Zelda FF | ENG

4 ~ Tireless fight

Link had firmly grasped my hand and continued to run with me across the plain. We had long passed the stable and were now slowly arriving at the center of the Blatchery Plain, when I already heard the Guardian's behind us again.

"Link, they're catching up!", I yelled at him through my tears, whereupon he just took a deep breath and then resolutely began to run a little faster.

I had a hard time keeping up with him, he was just way too fast. I noticed how I had not yet fallen to the ground merely because of his firm grip, because every time I threatened to stumble or fall, Link was able to support me without us losing much speed.

We were now crossing the middle of the Blatchery Plain when Link very suddenly fell to the ground in front of me.

"Link!", I screamed as I also dropped to my knees next to him and tugged on his arm in a state of panic.
He in turn pushed me away from him and held his ankle through his boot with his free hand. I risked a glance at his pained face.

"What happened?", I asked him gasping for breath, all winded from all the running and panicking for his well-being.
"I stepped in the middle of a pothole," he hissed as he tried to move his ankle.
"Something's wrong," he added, then stood up; leaning his weight on his other foot. "But we have to keep going."

He carefully set the injured foot down and winced violently as he supported only the most minimal weight on it. I could see him gritting his teeth as he grabbed my hand again, just as a Guardian's energy beam shot a hair's breadth past my head.
"That was close," he huffed, and then looked in the direction from which the beam had come.

I followed his gaze as I froze; two Guardian's were standing on the plain just inches away from us.

This couldn't be true, how many more were there going to be? How much more would they be demanding of Link? Could he take on two Guardian's? No way...

"Zelda, get to safety!" was all I heard Link yell as another energy beam flew in our direction.
Unable to move, I only felt Link push me to the side, whereupon I then watched him intercept the Guardian's beam with his own body.

A heartbreaking scream echoed across the plain when Link was hit by the beam. It threw him to the ground, but he immediately picked himself up, even though his legs were shaking and he couldn't quite walk straight.
Even from a distance, I could see his blood soaking his ripped clothes as he staggered a few steps toward the Guardian's.

I just held a hand in front of my mouth in fright as the tears just flowed. Why is it always me who was the reason someone was so miserable? Just because I couldn't take care of myself, I put Link's life in danger; he was fortunate to be still alive at all.

Breathlessly, I watched Link's fight against the two Guardian's; while he dodged one, he attacked the other with his sword. Again and again he staggered back, whereupon he shook his head in clarification just before launching the next attack.

You could see it, he was in such bad shape, normally he would have been pulled out of the fight after the first wound from the one Guardian on his back; but Link fought on bravely, even though he must be in excruciating pain.

I watched him, not taking my eyes off him for a second. Slowly I seemed to understand what his plan was, because bit by bit he cut off one more arm of the Guardian's with the Master Sword, until they couldn't move from the spot anymore.

When he was done, he used a nearby rock to jump off and rammed his sword right into the first Guardian's eye as a bluish-white light emanated from his sword blade.

He then turned his attention to the second Guardian, this time simply jumping off the already incapacitated Guardian and killing him, just like the first, with a stab to the eye.

Now I was catching my breath as well and just ran back towards him, when I could already see that he was weakly leaning on his sword as he then fell to his knees.

I ran a little faster still, I didn't know where I suddenly got the energy from, but it was there. I had to get to him, I had to get to Link, he couldn't die now, not after what he had just accomplished; not after he had saved me.

When I got to him, I put my hands on his shoulders and realized how tears were already starting to come again, alone when I saw all his wounds.

"Enough," I whimpered, bending down to him. "It's no use."
He looked at me with big empty eyes as he tried to get up, but I held him back.
"There's always going to be more," I sighed, then gently rubbed Link's arm. "It's useless to keep fighting here."

Now Link just looked at me, defeated, and I could see a tear running down his cheek as he squeezed his eyes shut in pain. I quickly took the heel of my hand and gently wiped the tear from his face, whereupon he looked into my eyes in agony.
"I'm begging you...", I brought out shakily, as Link already closed his eyes a little again.
"You can't die too!", I yelled at him now, to which he looked at me wistfully. "Too many have died today already, Link."
I looked him straight in the eye now, as the tears came again.

"I-", I put in now, but I was at a loss for words.
"You are so important to me, you can't leave me alone," I brought out in a broken voice. "I just care about you too much for that..."

I carefully took my hand and brushed a wet strand from his face as he gave me a forced smile.

"Link," I put in, looking deep into his eyes. "Please... Please run away and save yourself."

I could see him shake his head cautiously, then wipe his wet forehead briefly with his free arm.
After that he picked himself up; I tried to stop him at first, but he just pushed me aside powerlessly and then staggered backwards a few steps.

"Link, you don't have any strength left!", I brought out crying, as he looked at me again with a blank expression and took one deep inhale and exhale with a rattling breath.

"I know."