To Pieces (LoZ - Link)

Short Steps, Deep Breaths

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He was waiting for me on the other side.

It wasn't so much surprising as it was nerve-wracking. He had given me time to think of what to say, and yet I still feel like there's nothing I could say. I can tell by his eyes that he's pleading, expecting an explanation that will not amount to what Zelda said being true.

But we also both know better; she'd never lie about something so serious.

"Please say something," His words are like knives just slowly grazing my insides, "Anything that makes me certain you aren't actually..."

"Do I look like I'm dying?" I ask. It isn't an answer, but I'm hoping it will suffice.

Link stares at me for a long time. I can tell he's searching for signs, but he wont find them. Not while he's here, keeping together most of my heart.

Part of me wonders if it's worth it to keep lying, but another part of me knows he will stop me if he knows the truth. I'm not sure if I'm strong enough to fight him on that.

"You don't look like you're Oriana," He answers, stepping a bit closer to me. "I feel like I'm losing you day by day." His gloved hand reaches up to grab some of the hair cradling my face. "Long hair? A gown? Fairy wings? Is this really the same girl who used to dive headfirst off her loftwing just to watch Zelda panic? The one who actually kicked and screamed like a rabid remlit when her best friend asked her to wear a dress to her birthday party? The Oria I knew, the one I love, she wouldn't be giving this much of herself up. Where did my firecracker best friend go? Because the girl in front of me may not look like she's dying, but she's certainly not living. Not like she used to."

My eyes stray from his, looking down to my hair, then along my arms and down the rest of my body. He wasn't wrong-- I don't even look like myself anymore. Sure, I may also be the great fairy-- but that isn't how I started, this wasn't who I was when I was born, or even up until a few weeks ago. Who was in control anymore?

I watch my hand glow, I watch the magic turn the gown to just soft orbs of light until it's replaced entirely by my knight uniform. The magic removes the fairy wings entirely, and removes the extra feet of hair that came with the original 'great fairy' package.

Everything vanished, until all that was left was me.

The me I almost forgot existed.

My eyes finally look back up to Link's, and I can feel my waterline saturate with tears. I may be a fairy queen-- but I'm also still very much a child. Pushing away problems hoping they'll resolve themselves, that's how I've always dealt with things. It seems like I was just trying to do the same thing over and over again.

Maybe I should just face this head on.

"Do you know that moment, just before rolling over for the first time in the morning, where everything in your mind is at an equilibrium-- everything just makes sense, and you're completely at peace?" I don't wait for his response, I simply grab his hands in mine. "There hasn't been a day in my life where you haven't entirely filled my mind in that moment."

And then suddenly it's like I'm afraid to meet his eyes again, like it's somehow embarrassing to admit to the guy that already knows I love him that I love him even more.

"I'm not perfect. I've been relentlessly angsty, incredibly petty, and more than a little immature, but... I don't want to be that person anymore. I don't want to be off pouting somewhere because I'm so scared of losing the people I love the most. In trying to be a better friend, I wound up being dishonest. In trying to let go, I wound up making everyone around me miserable. I don't want you to wake up every morning and think of that girl. I want to be better. I want to be the Skyloft Knight that was fearless, that couldn't wait to help her friends whenever they were in need-- but most importantly, I want to be the person who inspires people to do better. To try harder... to be honest."