New Horizons - A Skyward Sword Aftermath Story

7 - Confession

The melodies of little birds chirping their hearts out slowly drew Link from his slumber. Reaching his ears was the sounds of scribbling charcoal from behind him. Turning over, he saw his friend etching into her notebook, but not calmly as if she was doodling, but instead focused intently while making notes.

Hearing shuffling from beside her, Zelda glanced over to the other.
"Oh, Good Morning."
Link rubbed his eyes and replied groggily.
"Hey."
The girl turned back to her leather book.
"What are you doing?" Asked the boy.
"Just... Well, if we're going to seek out all these new people, we'll need a strategy."
Suddenly, memories of last night flooded Link's mind. His heart stopped.

He sat up and moved closer.
"Zelda, I'm so sorry-"
"Don't be." The girl interrupted. "I'm glad you told me."

The hero continued to watch his friend jot down notes, partly admiring her beautiful handwriting.
"...I don't think there's any planning we can do for something like this. I think all we can really do is see how it goes."
His friend laid the charcoal down on the paper.
"I know, but for some reason, writing or drawing things just... help."
"Well, I'm ready to go whenever you are."
"...You're right." She spoke. "There's no use wasting time worrying about it happening. Let's actually do it."

After chowing down on some bread, juice, and mushroom omelettes, the two got dressed, packed, and ready for the day.

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In contrast to the day before, the atmosphere much more comfortable. The pair hiked their way through the mountainous forest, rambling about silly little things, and occasionally trying to nudge each other into muddy puddles while laughing. Zelda noticed that her friend's eyes shone a bit brighter today, and that he smiled more. She felt like she had finally caught a glimpse of the boy she knew from back home.

"You know, Link. You've been...different today."
The hero raised his eyebrows.
"What do you mean?"
"Well... you seem more like yourself." She said. Her eyes were round and sparkly as they looked at him.
"Oh?"
The girl smiled brightly.
"You look happier. It's nice to see."

Not really knowing how to respond, the other just gave her a smile. With the way his large, gentle eyes twinkled at her, and the way his soft lips curled upwards, he just looked so handsome.

She didn't know why, but eventually she felt comfortable enough to link arms with her friend. She stepped closer, and looped her arm through his. He was taken by surprise, but obviously didn't reject the gesture. He didn't quite realise it, but he gently pulled her even closer.

By the afternoon, the scenery around them had transitioned from the forest to a large, lush green valley as far as the eye could see The empty land made it easy to spot a peculiar shape that stood in the distance. Zelda suddenly stopped walking.
"Hey, what is THAT?!"
"What's what?"

The girl pointed in front of her. Far ahead of them, an unfamiliar looking creature that appeared to be black and white in colour, wading through the overgrown grass.
Link tilted his head, very confused. He hadn't seen anything like this on his travels before.
"Let's check it out!" She announced excitedly.
Link had to hold her back from darting off.
"Let's be cautious, this could be a new kind of monster for all we know."

As they came closer to the unknown thing, they were able to see the creature in more detail. The bulky, four-legged creature had patches of black all over it's otherwise-white body. It had two shining black eyes, a snout, horns, and a tail that gently swayed from side to side. Until the pair got close enough, the beast happily grazed on the grass. It lifted its head to face the pair, which relieved them once they saw its large round eyes showed no signs of malice.