To Pieces (LoZ - Link)

Love Over Fear

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When Link's blade got blessed with the final flame, our journey continued to the sealed grounds once more.

Link knew nothing of my visit to Zelda, I intended to keep it that way.

He wont have to know about the kiss if I die first.

"With the Master Sword blessed by the three goddesses, it only need the final blessing-- Hylia's. Once you deliver a skyward strike to that structure in the middle of the room, you will be able to enter through the Gate of Time." The Sheikah instructs Link again, and he follows with an unusual enthusiasm.

The final blessing, and then the triforce... and then it's time.

I keep hoping for just a short while longer. I know it's pointless, but I keep feeling like there must be something I'll miss, something I wont appreciate as much because I wont feel like I'm losing it in the next life.

I really just needed to go. I'd never be ready.

"The gates have opened, but it seems the seal upon the grounds has as well. If you do not defeat him once more, The Imprisoned will destroy this realm, and no doubt go after Zelda as well."

Then the enthusiasm is suddenly gone.

"Unbelievable," I hear Link mutter. "Can't we just make a better seal?"

"He means, 'yes'." I reply, shoving Link out the door.

"Yes." Link groans, swiftly walking over to the edge of the pit as we watch The Imprisoned crawl out of the earth once more. Thought this time it had... arms?

"Ew," I shiver, my mind comparing the arms to noodles. "I've got your back this time." Link grins at these words, unsheathing his master sword and giving a confident nod.

"Give me that sweet fairy healing!" He stops himself, "Wait, not if it hurts you, though!"

"It's alright, I have better control now."

"Promise?"

Of course not.

"Promise."

With my response, he takes off into the pit to fight the beast. The old Sheikah takes a place standing beside me, not casting a glance in my direction, but making aware of her presence none the less.

"It isn't now," She says, I'm assuming to encourage me and make me less afraid.

"I know." I reply.

"But it is soon."

".. I know."

"It's okay to be scared," The old woman gives me a small smile. "Even I was afraid of my duties at one point. The important part is that you love more than you fear."

The corner of my mouth twitches, a sad smile threatening to grace my features. I could answer, but I decide the best answer I could give was to summon my courage.

Summon my fairies...

And sing.

"I'm wasted, losing time. I'm a foolish, fragile spine. I want all that is not mine. I want him but we're not right. In the darkness I will meet my creators, and they will all agree, that I'm a suffocator."

The fairies scattered about the sealed grounds and the surrounding lands find their way to me, find their way to him, and begin the healing-- and begin the sacrifice. Aine is with me now, now that she knows the hero is here. She wont let him see the pain, because that would mean he'd make us stop. She tries to take over, but her heart is the only thing we share. Without most of her heart, it's my soul that is keeping my body running.

"I should go now quietly, for my bones have found a place to lie down and sleep, where all my layers can become reeds. All my limbs can become trees. All my children can become me. What a mess I leave to follow. In the darkness I will meet my creators. They will all agree, I'm a suffocator. I'm sorry if I smothered you. I sometimes wish I'd stayed inside my mother, never to come out."

She can cover the pain, but she can't take this from me. I want to witness every last moment of him that I can. I wanted to etch him so hard into my mind that even in the next life I'll be thinking of him. Surely, he couldn't be this perfect in every life. Even if there were infinite Links, even if he was reborn again and again, they wouldn't be this one. They wouldn't be mine.

I needed to breathe in every ounce of his presence that I could. I needed to love more than I feared.

So when the piece of heart came out this time, I didn't even flinch. I didn't move a muscle. I just watched, eyes wide and transfixed.

It was worth it to watch his warm emotions every time.

This was all worth it.

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