Free to Love - A Zelda x Link Fanfiction

XLIII: Contemplation

Zelda's Perspective:

The rest of the day passed quickly after Impa's, or maybe it whirled by because I was so lost in thought.

The road to victory is paved with self-sacrifice.

What does that mean? Who will I lose? Or, maybe, I'll have to die or sacrifice myself to ensure our victory over Calamity Ganon? Will I have to give myself up to save the ones that I love?

I could sense Link's worry from a distance. After a while of riding alone, he brought me on Epona, so I could cling to him as we rode. I didn't eat much that day, maybe eating some dry bread and water at most, before returning to clinging to Link like he'd disappear.

Or maybe I'm the one that will disappear...

Before I knew it, by the time I had banished all the thoughts from my head, the sky was already dark again. Link held me close to his torso, letting me lie my head on his chest.

He didn't say anything for a long moment. For the first time in miles, I looked around.

We were on the edge of a cliff on a dry dusty road. I didn't recognize much, but I could tell we weren't in the Gerudo desert. The way to Rito Village got awfully cold and dry, with the village being much higher than sea level.

"What's been on your mind?" link asked, hugging my shoulders. I blinked and looked up at him. I wanted to memorize every curve of his face.

"Nothing," I said slowly, glancing around again. Something in the air felt weird, like the magic was tingling. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand straight. "Do you feel that?"

"What?" Link blinked in confusion. "Are you trying to change the topic?" I shook my head again and stood up. I didn't know what I was looking for but my senses were all heightened.

I slowly walked to the edge of the rift, like my magic was pulling me there when I saw him. I gasped and covered my mouth. I heard Link's footsteps behind me. A moment of awes silence.

"Is that...?" He asked.

"Yeah..."

The dragon was magnificent. It's body was long and sleek, red flames sparking at the end of each scale and illuminating the edges of the ravine. I was sensing it's magic.

I don't know why but I lifted out my hand. It was almost a relief to find some magic being out here. His great head lifted up, bright blue eyes piercing into me before he began to rise up. Link's arms grabbed my waist and tried to move me.

"Come on, it might be dangerous!" Link hissed. I shook my head.

"He doesn't wanna hurt us, I think..." I heard the horses neigh in fear, their hooves stamping against the ground. It was understandable.

People fear what they don't understand. And dragons... they were so rare that we didn't have much information about them, nothing besides unproven Sheikah claims and myths.

When he got closer, I could see better. His scales were black and obsidian-like, like he had come from Death Mountain. The scales were close together except for gaps where orange veins flowed and threaded between them. The spines along his back protruded and glowed orange. His entire body emanated heat.

I held out my hand. I didn't know how but I knew this creature didn't intend on hurting me. His large blue-orange eyes glanced over me, then turned to look over my shoulder at Link and the horses. He opened his large orange mouth, but I wasn't scared. Instead, he growled softly, like a purr and the orange veins crawling across his head went still and dark, so he could push his head against my hand.

"Dinraal..."

"Zelda?" Link voice was worried.

"His name is... Dinraal," I responded, slightly louder. "He wants to help us..."

Link's footsteps approached me so he was standing right behind me. The scales on his snout were rough, but sleek.

"What?"

"He can... being us to Rito Village..." I said slowly. I could hardly believe it. Dinraal huffed hot air into my hand, turning his large eye to Link.

"Is that safe?" Link asked tentatively. Dinraal growled again, slightly softer. The flames that flickered in his scales went out, one by one, and he turned to the side offering his back. Using the spine as a handhold, I pulled myself in, clutching to it.

Link sighed. He knew there was no way to change my mind now. He turned to Epona, making a few gestures and nodding her off. Both horses seemed more than relieved to run away from the towering gliding serpent.

Link struggled to climb on, clutching to Dinraal's horn for dear life. I couldn't help, being lost in thoughts, whispering a quiet "Thank you" to Dinraal as he began to glide.

It didn't feel like wr were moving forward, maybe it was his head shielding us from most of the wind, but it didn't feel like we would fall off.

I drifted off to sleep with Link holding me and pressing me against the spine. The movement of the dragon soothed me to sleep.

My thoughts and worries were quiet again.

~~~

There's a fucking big in my room and it's quiet right now and I'm terrified. It buzzes really loud and it's really big and it's Probably my paranoia, but I think it might be one of those killer wasps. Send help. Just fucking kill me at this point, burn the house down, kill me before the big fuckin gets me.