Falling Worlds; Zelink, Modern Magic AU (The Legend Of Zelda)

Lessons (31)

"Dead."

Zelda knelt in the dirt. Exhausted, but not ready to give up. She blew the hair out of her face and got back up to her feet.

When Link was taking her on at his full skill she stood no chance at all, even without the pain. But that was partly the point; she had to be able to defend herself against highly skilled knights, especially if someday she was no longer a tank.

She took one step forward and swung the stick at him.

He ducked around it and stepped behind her, raising his 'sword' to her throat while grabbing her wrist to stop her from retaliating with her stick.

"This is embarrassing," she said.

"I don't know how else to teach you. I don't want instruct you like how I was taught," he said, stepping back and lowering his stword (stick-sword.)

"I'll get it eventually, it'll just... take a lot of time... and effort."

"Your reaction time is excellent, but your control, footing, and timing need work."

Zelda laughed. "Know why my reaction time is so fast?" she asked.

"Why?"

"Video games."

He shook his head but was holding back a laugh. "Of course..." he said then raised the stword. "Ready?"

She sighed and fell into the stance awkwardly. He looked so good when he was fighting, so natural. Like he belonged with a weapon in his hand. She looked like a giraffe that had just learned how to walk.

Zelda waited for Link to make the first move. She deflected the slice and then stabbed at him, almost hitting him, but then he jumped into the air and spread his wings.

She almost yelled 'no fair!' but she knew what he would say. She stepped back and held the stword at the ready. He swooped and she anticipated where he would strike, but then he changed his attack and she had to dive to the ground to avoid it.

She rolled over quickly, trying to get back to her feet before he- too late. She felt the stword on her throat as Link landed on top of her, his wings splayed out behind him in the evening dusk.

Despite the fact that she'd just died again, she took in a moment of appreciation.

"Distracted by something?"

"Your wings," she replied. Then she realized that Link was sitting on top of her. Though she was embarrassed... she... didn't really mind. "Ah..." she started, "so how many times have I died now?"

"Too many," he replied as he removed the stick from her throat.

She sighed, "I'll get it," she repeated.

Link looked down at her, then he nodded and stood up.

The weight pressing her into the ground was gone... and missed as she got to her feet. She dropped her stick in the grass and moved to the swing on the porch for a break.

Link set his stword beside hers and then leaned against the railing. "You are getting better."

"You mean I'm no longer flailing about without a care in the world."

He chuckled. "Yeah."

She sighed, leaning against her hand. "How long has it been since then... weeks? Months? Back when I didn't have a care in the world apart from just living a normal life... I was so comfortable I never even questioned the fact that I'd never gotten hurt before... how stupid was I..."

Link shook his head as he moved to sit next to her on the swing. "You weren't stupid. You were happy."

Zelda shrugged, then she looked up at him. "Are you happy?"