The courage to find me - The fate of us: Part I

Chapter 22: What don't we do for love?

POV Zelda

The cold here is intense, and even with multiple layers of clothing, it penetrates my bones. The snow falls gently and melts as it lands on my nose. Link and I are at the top of Mount Lanayru, before the Spring of Wisdom. As we approached, I saw Naydra, the gigantic dragon that flies over this region of Hyrule, protecting it. There are two more, Dinraal and Farosh, each covering a different area of the land.

I watch her floating many meters above us, peaceful and graceful.

"The Zonai were right to worship them," I remark, enchanted. "Look how divine she is."

We admire Naydra as she follows her route and eventually disappears behind the gigantic ice columns that permeate the mountain.

"I wonder what it must be like to exist like that... so... free," I ponder, thoughtfully.

I shake my head to break the spell and focus on the task at hand. Link accompanies me to the elevated platform of the Spring. As with the others, between where I stand and the statue of Hylia, there is a small pool. I take a deep breath and step into the water.

The water is much colder than in the other springs — but not as cold as it should be, considering we are on an icy mountain. However, here it only reaches my ankles, so it's not too bothersome.

Three days ago, Link recovered his last memory. After disappearing for a few seconds upon playing the Ocarina, he reappeared in the same spot — pale, sweaty, and completely shaken.

"She killed him," he said, simply.

At first, I was happy. I imagined he was referring to Demise. But after a few minutes of recovery, he explained the whole story to me.

"Why would she do that?" I questioned, puzzled.

"I don't know... but we need to get to the Spring of Wisdom as soon as possible."

So we prepared for the journey. The Spring is not too far from Hateno, but the trip is difficult due to its location at the top of Mount Lanayru — which is always covered in snow and has a terrible altitude. We had to camp at several points along the way, and the closer we got to the summit, the more tension we felt.

Like the last times, I close my eyes and concentrate. Once again, I feel the water, now icy, rising over me.

"I am glad you made it here, Zelda," says the voice in my head. "I see you and Link have made some assumptions, but you still do not understand the whole story. I will clear your doubts today. Unlike the previous times, I will present the last memory to you now. But I need Link to receive this knowledge as well. Ask him to join us, please."

Confused, I comply with her order. Without hesitation, Link steps into the water and approaches until he is beside me.

"Hold his hand so I can transmit the memory to him as well," says the voice.

I interlace my fingers with his as we have done so many times, and I feel our hands freezing in a way that we cannot let go. I see the water covering me start to rise up his arm from the point where we touch and envelop him in a few seconds.

"Perfect," I hear, and when I look at him, I realize he also heard the voice. "We can begin then."

His head falls back, and blood starts pouring from his mouth, nose, ears, and, of course, the spot where the sword pierced his heart. Tears stream down my face, the first time in my existence that I experience the act of crying.

Unable to lose a second now, I concentrate on the next steps. By transforming the sword into a portal to the Sacred Realm, I believe I can transfer his soul there until I decide what to do next. This way, I can prevent him from dissolving back into the universe and maintain his individuality.