New Horizons - A Skyward Sword Aftermath Story

Chapter 25 - Snow

Later that day, the sun slipped from the sky and an eerie darkness fell upon the village, the still night air rapidly grew colder, chilling the pair to their bones. Link and Zelda spent what felt like forever scavenging for food sources in the village, being extra careful to not wander too far and back into the woods they came from. To their surprise, they could only find a few berries and mushrooms, despite the village thriving with vegetation.

In a damp corner of one of the homes that suffered the least damage, the two laid out their sleeping bags and blankets. Though, that didn't stop the icy cold draught that from seeped in through the empty windows and door frames.

Fortunately, they were able to make a small campfire, in the room, offering them that tiny bit of warmth. Using the flames, they put together fried mushrooms in rice, and some sort of depressing, unsweetened, berry oatmeal. It was far from the best of tastes, but to them, the food tasted like heaven. The pair hungrily shoveled the food into their mouths in an instant.

After changing into her sleeping gown and putting the rest of her things back in her bag, she curled up in her sleeping bag, cocooned by her blanket. Although the amber glow of the fire appeared to be soothing, she still couldn't get to sleep, even after countless times of fidgeting to get comfortable. Her guilty conscience distracted her, a voice in her head wouldn't stop screaming at her.

Rolling over to her other side, she saw Link sat up, his dull eyes staring at the moon through the window frame.
"Link?" The girl called out softly. She shuffled over to beside him, and gently draped his blanket over his shoulders. The air was freezing, and the last thing they needed was for him to catch a cold.
"You really should get some rest."
The boy's expression remained unchanged. He continued to stare up into the night sky.
"I can't sleep." He mumbled.

Zelda's heart sank. She knew that he didn't mean that he felt obliged to stay awake anymore, but rather that he couldn't even if he tried. She observed how, although his fashion style had always favoured comfort, his clothes were even more loose than before. They hung from his rather frail body. Dark circles sat under his lidded eyes, and his skin had lost its warm, rosy glow. The girl exhaled deeply, and dug her nails into the folds of her blanket. She turned back to stare into the fire beside her.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled weakly.
The hero turned to her, confused.
"What? Why?"

Her throat clenched painfully as she struggled to hold in her emotions.
"Because this isn't the 'happy ever after' we wanted."

She heard sounds of shuffling from behind her. It was obvious Link was about to argue, but she spoke up again before he got the chance to.
"I stupidly thought that after everything we've been through, we could go back to the way things were. But instead, I selfishly dragged you into all this mess."
She felt a hand land on her shoulder.
"Stop that, you didn't drag me into anything.  There's no place I'd rather be than with you."

"But how can you say that?!" Zelda cried, spinning round to look at him. Her eyes were reddened, glassy with tears.
"Take a look at yourself!"
"Honestly, I'm fine-"
"You're not fine!" She screamed.
"You don't eat, you don't sleep... You're not the person you used to be at all!"
Link looked away from her.
"This task isn't a burden that's your responsibility to carry." Zelda continued. "I'm clearly never going to be an ordinary girl that you could just live a simple life with."
"But none of that matters to me."
"But..."
The girl looked down at his weaker, sickly self. She drowned in a wave of emotions that suddenly washed over her. A choked sob escaped her quivering lips.
"I feel like I'm slowly killing you."
With slightly widened eyes and parted lips, the other stared at her, unable to find the words to even respond to that. A dreadful silence hung in the air. Tears rolled down Zelda's cheeks.