New Horizons - A Skyward Sword Aftermath Story

4 - Discovery

Zelda had a new skip in her step their conversation last night. It felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders; she felt oddly happier than she ever had done for quite some time. With the support of her kind friend, she mustered up the courage to finally talk to everyone about the situation.

Upon returning to the campsite, she called for everyone to gather round by the fire. Eyes wide and legs like jelly, she stood in front of them, hoping that the poor lighting would conceal her extreme nervousness.

She told them everything: recalling what her father said, Hylia's message to her, and so on. Everyone stared at her in surprise.

Once she was finished, she played with her fingers anxiously. "So...yeah. I'm really sorry that I've been a bit of a downer recently. I was just stressed and anxious and had no idea what to do, or how to tell anyone."
Pipit looked at her apologetically, and spoke up. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"I'm really sorry... For what I said, Zelda. I didn't know you had so much on your plate."
The girl smiled. "It's okay."
"Why didja worry about that?" Groose piped up. Everyone turned to him. "Ya most likely would have, er, I don't know, important Goddess-y... Leader-y... stuff to do. I mean, haven't ya been tellin' us what to do since fourth grade anyway?"
The boy's last comment earned a laugh from the other.

"Groose is right, to be honest." Said Karane. "But you shouldn't worry about having to go through this alone! We're your friends, and just, now, you're our group leader! We'll always support you with whatever it is you need to do."
The crowd all vocally agreed with the red-head's statement.
Zelda smiled even brighter.
"Thank you. That's really kind of you."

Everyone began to wrap up the little meeting. Standing near the back was Link, who gave his friend a nod and a proud smile. Catching eyes with him, her lips tugged into a grin.

Soon, everyone went off to bed. Once in her tent, the Goddess rolled over onto her side and closed her eyes. She trapped herself in a cocoon made from her warm, thick blankets. For the first time, in a long time, it felt like she could finally breathe.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The morning's warm breeze brushed against Zelda's skin as she stirred from her slumber. Despite only just waking up, she sprung to her feet, and was ready to start the new day. She peeked through the gaps in her tent's door, and admired how the golden sun's glow beautifully blended with the clear blue sky. Tiny little birds swooped over the clearing, their sweet chirps filling the air. Today, she had decided that everyone would go foraging for food and supplies, and that her and Link would begin to plan for their long journey ahead. Speaking of the boy, she went over to his tent. Although their lives were much more different now, but that clearly didn't mean she would stop being his personal alarm clock.

"Rise and shine sleepy-" Zelda grabbed onto his tent door, and over-excitedly ripped it open.
"Head...?"

It was a shocking sight for the girl: Link was already awake, again! It was strange to find him sitting up, examining his possessions so early in the morning. Link looked up at her with a smile and greeted her. Despite his positive expression, the girl noticed that he seemed...off. She noticed how pale he looked, and how the dark circles and bags under his eyes had grown even more prominent.

Zelda furrowed her eyebrows.
"What?" Link asked.
A concerned look resided in the girls' eyes.
"Link... You don't look too good."
"What do you mean?"
The girl got in the tent and moved in closer, earning a flustered reaction from the other. Why did she just invite herself into his tent like that? What if someone else saw them together, so early in the morning? What if they got the wrong idea!