To Pieces (LoZ - Link)

Better Off

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Despite playing a deeper role in the fate of my best friends, I still felt it was important to fulfill my knight duties at Skyloft. When I asked Navi to transport me back, after Link left, she took me to the island with the statue that depicted Aine. I stared at the newly flowing fountain for a long time, noticing a single flower laid at the base of the statue. It was purple, and rather oddly shaped. It looked ancient, but familiar. It was beautiful. I wonder how it got there.

A screech breaks through the air, and I turn around to see Cytel eagerly approaching me.

"Hey, buddy!" I laugh as the bird lands and nudges his head into mine. "I haven't even been gone very long, just one night! Jeez." I scratch under his chin and gaze out towards Skyloft.

Thoughts drifted through my mind-- like, I wonder what would happen to this beautiful island if I didn't fulfill my role? What would happen to Skyloft if Link couldn't defeat Demise? If the Triforce was here, would he destroy everything to get his hands on it?

I try to picture everything here being gone. Everything I love missing from it's place.

And it becomes very clear why Aine didn't want Hylia or the Hero to face this alone. Imagining a world with them missing is devastating.

They'd be fine as long as I followed through.

I couldn't let it scare me anymore.

"Navi," The small fairy pulls herself from staring at the statue of Aine to face me. "What do I need to do next?"

"I'll be frank with you... We need to pull out more pieces."

"What?" I clutch at my chest on instinct, "B-but there isn't fairies here to awaken--"

"That's not what you're doing this for, Oriana. The pieces are for the hero of time. He will make many journeys here, and who's to say what kind of state he'll be in. We must leave pieces here for him to collect, to heal him and aid him and give him the courage to continue." The small blue fairy places her small hand on top of mine, just over my heart. "It will only hurt a few more times. You will become numb to it soon."

I'm not sure whether or not that's a good thing. Numb to my heart being ripped apart and scattered? That's probably the edgiest thing I've ever heard-- straight out of 11 year old me's diary.

"Do it for him."

That's oddly... enough.

I look over at Cytel, who coos lightly, giving me a concerned look.

"Sorry buddy, I think you should go for a fly for a minute." I pat the bird once and he takes off into the skies. I approach the fountain, staring up at the statue of the great fairy again. Selflessly erasing herself from history to protect the ones she loved.

She won't be remembered. But maybe, that's what she wanted.

To let the two people she loved the most be happy together.

I sing for both of them. And it hurts. Its like having a panic attack, but your body can't place the pain. It should just be in your chest-- but instead, it rattles you down to your very core. It scares me. It's dark and makes me dizzy and start to sweat and I realize rather suddenly that every time I ever imagined myself to be in any kind of emotional pain could never compare to this. This was agony. Was it because this heart wasn't just mine? Was it because it was in too many one way romances? Or was it just the feeling of my own heart being torn?

Was it the fear of knowing what would happen when the last piece was given away?

Maybe it's selfish of me, but I never want them to know the truth.