Nightmares - Skyward Sword {ZeLink}

Chapter 1 - Goodbye

Zelda’s POV

I was terrified. I never signed up for this! Who would ever want to be concealed inside a giant crystal? I was scared, and that’s all I knew at that moment. I didn’t know if Link was still coming for me. I didn’t know whether this was going to keep the seal, well… sealed. I didn’t know if I was ever going to wake up again!

 I felt my cheeks become wet as tears were streaming down my face. I turned around to look at Impa as I was walking into the room where I would be sleeping for thousands of years. She was just staring at me, but her expression showed that she too, was sad. She knew what was going through my head. My facial expression must’ve looked very downhearted, because she began making her way to my side. Tears were coming down like rivers now. I wanted to be anywhere BUT here.

 Impa was at my side now. I looked to the ground as she put her hand on my shoulder. “Your Grace, I understand you must be scared. But in order to save your time, this is what you must do.” I knew that this is what I had to do, I just didn’t want to. “Y-yes, of course.” I was quivering with fear. This was like in all those fairy tales I read back in Skyloft, the ones about the prince waking up his true love with a kiss. But no kiss would get me out of my current situation.

 I turned back around, facing the room I had been dreading, and continued walking towards my destiny. Impa returned to her position at the Gate of Time. I was out of her sight. I could only get as far as my legs would allow me to go, at the bottom of the stairs. I could not walk any further. There, I fell to my knees, crying out my little heart. Why me? Why was I the Goddess reborn? “Why! Why did you have to choose me, Goddess?” I exclaimed, though it wasn’t like it was going to be much of help anyway. I put my hands to my face, covering up my miserable appearance, sobbing.

Then, I heard it. The voice of my friend, my hero. “Zelda!” I looked up, my eyes showing me that Link, my friend, was standing in front of me. His expression showed that he was exhausted, but his beautiful, blue eyes never failed anyone. “Oh Link! You did come!” I picked myself up off cold, hard ground, and ran into his arms. His strong arms comforted me like a blanket. I felt safe... for now.

Link’s P.O.V

I found her, at last. I was so happy to see her again. But that moment she revealed her overflowing eyes, red and puffy, my soul felt like it had been thrown into Eldin Volcano, shrivelled. I never liked seeing Zelda looking sad, let alone drowning in her own tears. Of course I came for her! I would never know what had made her think otherwise. I never wanted to leave this position, ever again. Never again would I let Zelda out of my sight. But she was here, in my arms, and that’s all that mattered.

I didn’t know how to calm her down. All I could do was reassure that I was here for her. “Shhh, it’s alright Zelda. I’m right here.” I began petting her long, beautiful blonde hair, dancing in the silent wind. “I’m t-terrified Link. P-please don’t l-leave me!” Zelda sobbed uncontrollably into my shoulder. “Never. I will never let you out of my sight again.” I gently lowered us onto the ground, so we didn’t have to stand. My heart was breaking, like it had been smashed by the guardians of the silent realm. I hugged her tighter as she did the same. I couldn’t understand why she was so broken-hearted. Her cries did not sound like cries of joy, not at all. I had to ask her.

“Zelda, what’s wrong?” I looked down to her, waiting for her response. At first she gave me no answer, only more sobbing and tears. But then I heard her sobs soften slightly, so she was able to at least get some words out. “I-I’m being f-forced to do something I…I don’t want to do!” She totally broke down, her misery showing her no mercy, her depression showing no dignity, her sadness showing none of her sunny spirit. She was hugging me tighter now, trying to bury her innocent cries into my tunic. My eyes were threatening tears to come pouring out. I wasn’t holding them back. It hurt me to see Zelda like this.

What she had just said had come to my mind. Being forced to do something? That she doesn’t want to do? I was not happy about this. No one forces Zelda to do anything, not my Zelda. “Who is doing this Zelda? I will protect you no matter what!” Then, I heard footsteps approaching from behind us. I turned my head around, only to see Impa, Zelda’s guardian, standing behind us. 

“I guess you could say, young hero, that I am that person. But this is wha-“ “What are you doing to Zelda? Why are you doing this!?” I was Furious. “Chosen hero, you must understand that as you have your own role to play in all of this, as does Zelda. You cannot interfere with her fate.” Zelda’s sobbing died down, but she held onto me tighter. “No, please! Don’t make me do this, Impa!” Zelda’s begging made suspense grow only bigger within me. What could be so horrible that Zelda must do? What did she have to do? “Zelda, what are you talking about?” Zelda refused to respond. Impa spoke for her. “In order to keep the seal strong and for you to save your own time, Zelda must be concealed away and shall sleep for thousands of years.”

I froze, and so did time. Zelda, sleeping? For thousands of years? Impa’s words repeated over and over again in my mind. I hugged Zelda tighter around her shoulders, refusing to ever let her go. “No! You cannot do that to her! She has her own life to live!” “Link, if you really care about Zelda, you would allow her to do what needs to be done, so you can save your time, and her too.” My mind came to realisation and that Impa was speaking the truth. But yet, my arms were glued to Zelda. Zelda has calmed down a bit, and looked up at me.

“W-well, a must is a m-must” she said between sobs. Zelda let go of me and she stood up with me assisting her. She rubbed her wet eyes, trying to clear any sort of indication that showed misery. Zelda took a couple of big, deep breaths. “Ok, I’m ready Impa.” I looked back at Impa. She gave Zelda a nod of understanding. I looked back to Zelda. She began walking away from me, and started walking up these steps. I followed closely behind her, afraid of how soon her fate would take action. She reached a platform at the top of the steps. Impa began leaving the room, while I stood still, not taking my eyes off of Zelda.

"As much as I hate to say this, this is my fate, my purpose." Zelda had then began explaining to me what her fate actually was. It was all so much to take in. By the end of her expalantion, I was gobsmacked, flabbergasted, speachless. I was surprised at how quickly she had to take this in, in the first place! The Triforce, The Goddess' plan, Demise, it felt like the entire world's future depended on me. Actually... it did. Zelda finally turned around to face me, her face didn't look as broken and saddened as before, but she looked like she was just holding in all her feelings inside her.

“As afraid as I am Link, I know that you will come and wake me up again…” A golden aura started surrounding Zelda, and I knew what was happening. I ran up the stairs trying to get Zelda out of the way. But before I could touch her at all, a shell had formed around her, separating us from eachother. “No! Please Zelda! Don’t leave me alone!!” Tears were falling down my cheeks like waterfalls. I could never survive knowing Zelda would be in this state. I looked through the shell, seeing Zelda’s terrified expression. She looked trapped.  

“Link, will you promise me you will wake me up?” “Don’t leave me!! Please! We can start again Zelda! Forget that this ever happened!!” I was not willing for this to happen. “Promise me, Link! Please promise you will come and wake me up, to save me!” I realised that there was no use in trying to set Zelda free. I had to accept what was going to happen, the hard way. “I promise, Zelda. I promise I will come wake you up!” Nothing more was said between us. She put her hand up against the amber-coloured crystal. I did the same, our hands looking like they were touching. If only they were. It happened all too quickly. The shell had formed completely, closing Zelda off from me entirely. Our hands still remained in place, but she was frozen, as if she was turned to stone. 

I lost it. I lost her. I couldn’t believe it. She was gone. I fell to my knees directly in front of the shell, not daring to take my hand away from its position. I sobbed, not trying to hide anything. It felt like Zelda had just died. My sobs became louder, the noises filling the entire room. Zelda, my Zelda, would sleep for thousands of years, without me by her side, and without her by mine.

This was Goodbye...