Forgive me | Legend of Zelda FF | ENG

6 ~ Link

Link slowly opened his eyes again when I already burst into tears. I could hardly believe that we had both survived, that we were now standing here and really still had a chance.

"Link, we-", I continued, when all I heard from Link was a groan of pain as he fell to the ground.
Immediately, I threw myself down on my knees next to him and carefully turned him onto his back as he looked me straight in the face.
"I'm so proud of you..." he brought out powerlessly in a very low voice as he frowned in pain.

I gently put my hand to his cheek and stroked his wispy blond hair with the other as he lightly gripped my wrist with his hand.
"Zelda..." he continued, but I just put a finger to his lips.
"Link, it's going to be okay, I promise," I brought out through tears as he began to cough weakly.

I tried to elevate his head a bit by placing his upper body on my knees and supporting his head with my hand. I had rested my free hand on his chest, where his hand still gripped my wrist.

Link gave me one last loving look as I saw him slowly close his eyes.
"Link?", I called his name, but he stopped responding; I felt his body lose its tension and his head was now resting with its full weight in my hand.

"LINK?", I yelled at him now, trying to get him to answer me somehow.
But then I felt his hand slip from my wrist as he took one last, but relieved breath and then fell completely silent.

"NO!", I screamed and threw my head back into my neck as I began to cry and scream.
"NO, YOU CAN'T DIE NOW!", I screamed even louder, clenching both hands into fists as I gently placed them on his chest and rested my head on them as well.

"This can't be...", I whimpered and lifted his head up with both hands, taking one last look at his beautiful face.
It looked as if he was asleep; as if all stress and worry had fallen away from him at the very moment he had closed his eyes.

I wiped the tears from my face as I gently ran a hand along his cheek, once again removing his hair from his face and running it through.

My tears dripped onto his lifeless body as I carefully traced his lips with my fingers and then kissed him gently.

My lips met his still warm ones and even though it was a one-sided kiss, I needed it; I couldn't realize that I had now lost him forever.

I lifted his upper body and pressed him tightly against me as I lost all sense of time; I couldn't leave him here now, I couldn't bring myself to leave him behind. I wanted to stand by him as long as I still could, but I knew that I would have to let him go at some point; that he could not lie in my arms forever.

But slowly I had to realize that he would never come back; that I could never tell him how I felt about him. I could never tell Link that I had fallen in love with him.... That I had become what I am today because of him....

I owed so much to Link.
He gave me the courage I needed whenever I felt like giving up; he built me up and told me to keep trying.
He taught me not to lose hope; always told me that my strength would still shine even when I no longer believed in it.
When I had done with my life, he told me about the infinity of our world and made me realize how beautiful it actually is to exist at all; how precious life is.

Every time I was in despair, he was by my side; every time he told me anew that everything would be alright, that I would make it and that my life was valuable, even if I could not fulfill my destiny at that time.

But now I was sitting here, I had gained my strength, I was ready to finally face the Calamity with him, but he died in my arms after protecting me the entire time.

"I would give anything to hear it from you again," I sobbed, swallowing down the lump in my throat that had formed. "I would give anything to hear you give me the courage to go on again."

I buried my face in Link's tunic and continued to hold him in a tight embrace, when suddenly I heard a sound I had never heard before, but at the same time it was quite familiar.

My eyes were still filled with tears, so I couldn't really see anything, but it was enough to notice that the Master Sword had begun to glow in a purple glow. I heard the familiar sound again; exactly from the direction of the sword.

I gently placed Link's body on the ground and crawled a little closer to the Master Sword as it lit up again and I heard the sound of the sword again.
"What-," it escaped me as a faint voice suddenly formed from the sounds I was hearing.

" Master Link, he can still be saved..."
My eyes widened as I heard the brittle voice of a woman.
"So... Link can still be saved?", I brought out with difficulty in a shaky voice as I heard the sword's voice again.

"Take my master to the Shrine of Resurrection."

What, the Shrine of Resurrection? But it was so unexplored, it might be far too dangerous for him-

I shook my head briefly, trying to structure my thoughts.
It didn't matter how dangerous and unexplored the Shrine of Resurrection might be, it was our last chance to ever bring Link back to life.

"Forgive me, Link," I whispered to him, even though he probably couldn't hear me anymore. "But we have to try."
No matter what would happen, we had to try; we had to do it at any cost, even if-.

Before I could think about it any further, two Sheikah came running toward me, drawing my attention immediately.
"Princess!" one of them shouted as the other was already crouching down next to me.
"Princess! Are you all right?" asked the Sheikah who had just squatted down next to me as he glanced at Link.

I looked at him resolutely, and as the second Sheikah now joined us, I let them in on my plan.

"I have an important mission for you...", I informed them as I glanced again at Link.

"Take Link to the Shrine of Resurrection as soon as possible," I ordered firmly. "Hurry before his life light is extinguished for all time!"