To Pieces (LoZ - Link)

Worthwhile

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He worries me when he's gone for a long time. Sure, at any given moment, I could just pop into the dungeon and see if he's alright-- but there's no purpose for me there. Link is off, last I heard retrieving some sacred water for a dragon-- I learn not to question anything anymore-- and he'd stop back in before he would head over to the Isle of Songs again.

That was nearly a week ago.

"I'm actually going insane, Karane," I huff, putting my head in my hands. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

"So let me get this straight," Karane waves her hands, trying to grasp the situation. "He takes you out for dinner, drops some slick pick up lines, forces you to sing, then gets super drunk and spends the rest of the night pouting only to disappear the very next day? -- And that was a WEEK ago?!"

"I wouldn't call them pick up lines..." I mutter, but Karane has no patience for me today.

"You're so oblivious I'm not entirely sure you even have a brain."

"It's not like he made a move or anything! It's just... words. It's all just words." I sigh, pulling my braid into my hands and nervously wringing it in my palms.

"Really romantic words!" Karane brings her hands up to her temples. "He was clearly trying to say something about how you avoiding him hurt him, like-- EMOTIONALLY. As in, you're hurting his love sick heart! And you didn't even respond."

"I sang--"

"Just words," Karane shoots me a dangerous look, and I retreat my gaze back to the floor.

She should know better than anyone, even if he did mean anything by it...

"I can't, Karane. You know that." I still feel relatively empty inside. It's so different when he isn't around. Death feels so imminent. "I'll only hurt him more in the end."

"You'll only hurt yourself more if you don't learn to embrace what you have left," The softness in her eyes as she says this stirs something in me, and I find myself wrapping my arms around her shoulders.

"Thank you for letting me get that off my chest."

It takes her a moment to respond to the gesture, but her arms wrap around my torso as well.

"Just consider it, Oria. I think you deserve one moment of happiness." She pats me on the back before we release each other and I rise up from her bed. "Where will you go now?"

"Just out to the watch tower to wait, same as every other day." I give her a small smile, and Karane shakes her head.

"You're all hopeless, you know that? So romantic it makes me want to puke."

"Says the girl whom I had to literally pull from Pipit's arms," I tease, and watch as her cheeks glow.

"He makes me happy..." She whispers, and I can tell by the look in her eyes she's caught up in some moment I don't need to know about. I shake my head with a smile before retreating to the door, only to be paused by her voice again. "You could be happy too, if you let him help you, you know."

I glance over my shoulder for only a moment before opening the door, unable to find any words in me.

"He loves you, Oriana."

Her words stop me in my tracks, the door barely closing behind me as I respond.

"Then why isn't he here?"

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The colors of the sky seem to only cause me pain now. I can't look at any shade or color without thinking of how that color reflects in his eyes. I can't think about him without feeling guilty for all the ways I'd be hurting Zelda if she knew how I felt inside. I can't think about her without analyzing her words too much, without trying to find any deeper meaning in the way she kissed my hand.