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

Chapter 23: I can't get a break!

POV Link

"So that's it, Purah" I finish, exasperated.

"Geez, Linky. And how long has it been? Two months?"

"63 days, exactly. Since we returned from the last spring."

When we finished receiving Hylia's memories, I was fascinated. The sacrifice of the nameless man, her love for him, and her refusal to let destiny separate them. Everything she did just so they could have a chance to meet in another life... the story moved me deeply. However, despite understanding that this is part of my own history, my past, it all feels very ethereal and distant—like I'm watching a tragic play with unknown characters.

Curious to know the outcome and how all this tied into our current problems, I suggested to Zelda that we head to Hebra as soon as possible. It's a long journey, a week on horseback, and I was eager to finish the quest.

She, however, didn't seem very anxious to proceed. As soon as our connection with Hylia was severed, I was in ecstasy. Zelda, on the other hand, was the opposite. Her face was blank, and she seemed to be in another world.

"Let's monitor the situation and see what happens from now on, if more Blood Moons appear. Depending on the severity, we'll head to Hebra soon," she said, simply.

Since we returned from that mission, she has remained strangely cold and distant with me. I can't understand what happened, and when I ask about it, she just changes the subject, saying she's just overwhelmed by the imminent problems. But I can't shake the feeling that the problem is me—although I have no idea what I could have done to cause this reaction.

After more than two months with no change in the atmosphere between us, desperate, I turned to Purah for advice. Maybe she could understand what's going on in Zelda's head, since she won't communicate with me.

"I have a theory about what might have happened, Linky. But I don't know if it's my place to tell you; I think it should come from Zelda. Let's wait a bit, maybe she's still processing the information," observes Purah diplomatically. "Give her time, I'm sure she will open up. After all, didn't she wait for many years until you could do the same?"

I nod, frustrated. If I had known it was this unpleasant to be left in the dark, I would have started talking much sooner. The feeling of helplessness was overwhelming.

"And about the mission, aren't you going to proceed? I know there haven't been other Blood Moons, and that, although it was terrible to look at and ominous, very few monsters were summoned that night," she continues. "I understand it's not the ideal time, given Zelda's emotional state, but we're all worried. That toxic smoke has started leaking all over Hyrule now, although most of it is concentrated in the Castle. We need to finish investigating what's happening."

I shake my head, tired. There's a lot to deal with, and I'm completely exhausted. With Zelda distant, it seems most of my brain is occupied trying to understand what happened between us, and there's no energy left to focus on anything else. But I know Purah is right, and our duties to the people of Hyrule are more important than our relationship problems.

At that moment, Zelda enters the lab, and Purah and I fall silent.

"Good afternoon, everyone," Zelda says. "What were you talking about?"

"The toxic smoke, Zel," I say. "Purah reported that several people have come into contact with it at different points in the kingdom. It seems it's also leaking from cracks in the ground now. The good news is that it seems to be less concentrated than the one that killed that volunteer a while ago, but it's still harmful. Those who come into contact are losing vitality and becoming bedridden. We need to do something."