[ Link kneels before her and suddenly Zelda feels herself transported back in time to that clear, sunny day when she was sixteen years old and reluctantly sanctifying him as a Champion of Hyrule. How miserable she felt, extending her hand toward him and reciting meaningless words to the crown of his head. Back then, Zelda wanted nothing more than to finish the ceremony so she could escape to her room and forget about the entire wretched affair. Now, she would give anything to be back there again.
Her right hand flinches as she almost beckons him to rise—he is no longer her knight, he need not prostrate himself before her—but he stands and spares her the need. Instead, Link extends his hand and Zelda holds out hers in turn, allowing him to place the baubles in her palm. They feel so much heavier than they did before, as though they turned to lead while they were on the ground.
Zelda's eyes flick from the baubles back up to Link's face, just in time to meet his gaze as he speaks.
"I won't give up on you."
Fresh tears (how does she still have any left to cry?) well up in her eyes and she nods once in affirmation. There's that fire in his eyes, the flame that has sustained him through battle after battle, calamity after calamity, the resolution that sparked in Zelda's heart on her seventeenth birthday and has burned brightly ever since. Her lips twist into something of a smile, on the edge of a pained grimace. ]
I know.
[ There is not a shadow of doubt in her mind. No matter where (or when) she goes, Link will find her. Link will find the sword. Link will save Hyrule.
Slowly, Zelda steps up beside Link, who has been blocking her way to the wishing well. She lifts the hand holding the leadened baubles and tosses them into the well. The deep dark void of the well begins to swirl, churning like a molten midnight sky. She's going to have to jump into that...
Instead of climbing up, Zelda sits down on the edge of the well and swings her legs over the side. The void swirls far beneath her dangling legs, enough to make a person motion sick. Thank goodness the princess isn't afraid of heights.
She turns back to Link. ] I'll be waiting for you.
[ Zelda braces her hands on the edge of the well to push herself in, but hesitates. One final thought refuses to go unsaid. ]
I... I love you.
[ Tears spill down already tear-streaked cheeks as Zelda smiles, a smile with all the warmth and radiance of sunlight. ]
Goodbye, Link.
[ And then she pushes herself into the well, slipping into the churning void and vanishing from Link's life forever. ]
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Her right hand flinches as she almost beckons him to rise—he is no longer her knight, he need not prostrate himself before her—but he stands and spares her the need. Instead, Link extends his hand and Zelda holds out hers in turn, allowing him to place the baubles in her palm. They feel so much heavier than they did before, as though they turned to lead while they were on the ground.
Zelda's eyes flick from the baubles back up to Link's face, just in time to meet his gaze as he speaks.
"I won't give up on you."
Fresh tears (how does she still have any left to cry?) well up in her eyes and she nods once in affirmation. There's that fire in his eyes, the flame that has sustained him through battle after battle, calamity after calamity, the resolution that sparked in Zelda's heart on her seventeenth birthday and has burned brightly ever since. Her lips twist into something of a smile, on the edge of a pained grimace. ]
I know.
[ There is not a shadow of doubt in her mind. No matter where (or when) she goes, Link will find her. Link will find the sword. Link will save Hyrule.
Slowly, Zelda steps up beside Link, who has been blocking her way to the wishing well. She lifts the hand holding the leadened baubles and tosses them into the well. The deep dark void of the well begins to swirl, churning like a molten midnight sky. She's going to have to jump into that...
Instead of climbing up, Zelda sits down on the edge of the well and swings her legs over the side. The void swirls far beneath her dangling legs, enough to make a person motion sick. Thank goodness the princess isn't afraid of heights.
She turns back to Link. ] I'll be waiting for you.
[ Zelda braces her hands on the edge of the well to push herself in, but hesitates. One final thought refuses to go unsaid. ]
I... I love you.
[ Tears spill down already tear-streaked cheeks as Zelda smiles, a smile with all the warmth and radiance of sunlight. ]
Goodbye, Link.
[ And then she pushes herself into the well, slipping into the churning void and vanishing from Link's life forever. ]