The Legend of Zelda: The Forsaken Knight

Chapter 11

A cold wind howled, branches rustling all around the two of them. It was even chillier within the fog, and Link and Zelda instinctively stepped closer together to try and warm up.

"Where do we go?" He asked, looking around worriedly.

"I believe that you listen... listen for an ancient song carried on the wind." She replied, teeth already chattering. "We have to be careful, though... anybody who gets lost in the mist could end up here forever."

The two of them listened for a moment.

"This way." She said, leading him off with only the wind to guide them.

Their wandering seemingly took them everywhere. That is, everywhere except to the sword. As the night grew darker, the air became colder.

Link wrapped his cloak around her, putting aside his shame and pulling the princess close to his side to warm her up.

They kept searching.

"I don't... understand." Zelda said, confused and worried. "We should be there..."

"We just have to keep looking." He assured her.

The frigid wind howled around them. Everything grew darker. The sky was cold and empty.

"I'm scared." She confessed. "Are you scared?"

"Yes."

They pressed on. They had to be getting close. The search had gone on forever. Soon, it would be over. They felt it.

Strange sounds echoed throughout the forest, perhaps the call of an animal or the sound of the wind.

"We've been here so long." She remarked, feeling defeated. A howl sounded through the air. Link stopped and looked at her, pausing their trek. "I can hardly see. I'm exhausted. I'm terrified." Her lip quivered, and Link finally saw the brave and strong princess in a moment of true weakness.

"It's okay." He said softly, hesitantly wrapping his arms around her.

"What if we're lost? What if we never get out?"

He hugged her tighter.

"We will find our way." He said. She took one deep, shaky breath, forcing herself to calm down. "I'm here."

~

As the two of them made their way to the sword, they grew more and more weary. They leaned on each other for support, wanting nothing more than to reach their destination.

The two were nearly ready to give up when something changed. The wind began to die down and the air around them warmed up.

"I think.." she started, "we've found it."

He cracked a smile as they approached a clearing. Suddenly, those woods were not so frightening anymore. It was calm and peaceful.

"Look." He said, gesturing up ahead.

There it stood. The Master Sword. Peacefully resting, waiting for the next hero to use it to bring peace to Hyrule. Link took a deep breath. Unless they were wrong, it was his destiny to wield this blade.

It was almost glowing with pure, white light. The sword reached out to him, beckoned him closer. Still, he was frightened to face it. What if they were mistaken?

He would be nothing.

If they were correct, thought, then this would be his life. Chosen for him; an obligation. Certainly better than what he had before, but a restriction on his freedom.

He stood still, barely breathing and unable to look anywhere else.

"Don't be afraid." She told him gently. "I'm here."

He took a deep breath, her words willing him to step forward. Now standing right in front of the sword, he reached out, grabbing onto the handle. His heart beat faster and faster and he felt a pit in his stomach.

Then, he cautiously pulled, his hands trembling as he did so.

The sword did not budge.

His heart sank-- he had received the chance to finally prove himself and it had all just been a mistake? He knew he should have never gotten his hopes up. Did he honestly ever expect to become anything important? He was kidding himself. Of course he could never be the hero.

Link turned back to face Zelda, shame consuming him as he felt tears well up in his eyes. However, she looked calm, as if she hadn't seen what he had failed to do.

"Try again," She instructed, "and this time, act like you want it."

He looked from her to the blade, a spark of hope igniting within him. She was right. He was tired of being someone who stuck to the shadows, who was weak and selfish. If he had his sights set on something, he would come after it with all of the fire and resolve he had in him.

And he was certain that he wanted that sword.

Once again, he grabbed onto the hilt, gritting his teeth. Gripping it so hard that he was sure his knuckles were white, he focused his entire being on that desire he was filled with. There was nothing in his entire life that had ever been as important as this moment.

With everything he had in him, he pulled.

And surely enough, the ancient sword slipped out of the pedestal.

Link stumbled backwards, in disbelief as he looked at the blade in his hands. Though it was so strange to be holding it, he knew that it felt right. There was this energy that connected him and the sword that made him sure what he just did was no mistake.

The corner's of Zelda's mouth turned upward as she watched him. It was difficult for her to explain, but she felt the connection as well. Strangely, she was somehow joined with the sword and its owner. For once, she just felt at peace with all of the world. Knowing that she was part of something greater than herself was calming.

Link took a moment to swallow all of what had just happened. He sheathed his sword and turned back to face the princess. She had this look in her eyes that said she was proud of him, a warm look that made him feel even better about everything. He rushed back to her and wrapped his arms around her in a congratulatory embrace.

"I knew you would do it." She told him softly, savoring the feeling of him.

"Thank you for having faith in me," He said, "Even though I thought I was nothing, you didn't. It's been so long since someone has believed in me..."

She did not know if she could say anything to him. She did not know how to find the words for that. Instead, she simply tightened her grasp and hoped that would be enough to tell him what she could not say.

They stayed there for a while, overcome with feelings that were too powerful for anything else.

"I feel the connection to you and the sword, too." She noted, stepping back.

"You do?"

She nodded. "I know it is not the same as what you must be feeling but it is something..." She paused. "It is all so much to take in." He nodded in agreement.

"I don't feel scared, though."

"Neither do I."

The two of them left soon after that, feeling calmer than they had felt in a very long time.

~

hi kids. sorry its been..... kinda long. i accidentally binge read a 75 chapter long fic that was very long but its fine im back.............

anyways if you like reylo and feeling pain i started a book of dumb little drabbles so if youre into that go check it out

i promise im not abandoning zelink though because i need these two pure children who are so happy in my life. reylo is very angsty and not pure. i need the zelink.

thanks for your time ..

i hope you enjoyed.