The wind whipping by stings, as he's diving faster than he'd ever dared to, but he pays it no mind. In fact, he does everything in his power to plummet faster, his arms pressed tightly to his sides.
He has to catch her. He has to.
He's been chasing her shadow for quite a while now. He'd followed whispers, rumors, sightings and impostors for far too long, but she was finally here, finally real.
He gets close enough to watch her dress ripple wildly in the wind.
He's not sure if he's breathing right now or not. It doesn't matter. All that matters in this moment is that he catches her.
He remembers how it all started, when she'd fallen, when she'd reached for him, and... he'd failed. Just moments before, she'd placed her trust in him with a small, yet confident smile, and he let her down.
Never again, he promises.
He's closer now, close enough to see how peaceful, how serene her face was, even now, as they fell.
Later, he would wonder how the Yiga ever hoped to trick him, disguising themselves as her. He was desperate, he supposed. Any mention of the missing princess was worth looking into.
But now, after all this time, he'd found her. She was here, finally within reach.
It takes some strength to stretch out his arm against the powerful breeze, but he manages it.
His hand inches towards hers.
As his fingers finally clasp around her wrist, and he finally feels her skin against his, everything becomes worth it.
He wants to scream, and let out the wild, relieved, exhausted emotions in his heart. Instead, he holds her tight, cradling her body against his.
He pulls her close, silently swearing that whenever she fell, he would be there to catch her.
Always.
No matter how long it took.
No matter how far away he was.
He would always catch her in the end.
Always.
He closes his eyes as they hit the water.
~~~
This is a little thing I wrote last year, based on the catching Zelda sequence from Tears of the Kingdom.
Hope you liked it.
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within reach
Fanfiction"I know I'll be okay with you, Link." It was one of the last things she'd said to him. It hurt to remember. He'd failed her then. But now, as they fell, he had his chance to finally make it right.
