The Legend of Zelda: Blood and Spirit

Chapter 7: No Matter What

Chapter 7: No Matter What

A quiet, yet sudden screech was what woke Zelda up the following morning. With a drowsy yawn, she opened her eyes to see her Loftwing standing over her, peering its face into hers curiously. The bird skwaked again and Zelda smiled as she glanced over at the slumbering hero beside her. As the Loftwing followed her gaze, she put a hand on its beak and stroked it, taking in the warm morning breeze that blew over the small island the two of them had spent the night on.

"Shh..." she quieted her somewhat confused bird gently as it continued to make noise. "He's still asleep..." Once more, she looked over at Link and her smile widened. Last night had been glorious for both of them and in the aftermath of the declaration of their mutual love for one another, they didn't want to be a moment apart. And so, they had stayed on their little islet for quite some time, talking, taking in the beauty of the night and of course, kissing. Every time their lips met, it was as though their world began anew and each time was better than the last. They eventually fell asleep in each other's embrace on the soft green grass of the island, their dreams sweet and their rest fulfilling.

Zelda sat up as her bird took to the skies, joining Link's Loftwing as the two birds circled above the island that their riders were on. The girl watched them contentedly for a while before glancing over at the hero once more and sighing peacefully. She knew that things would certainly be different between them now, but after last night, she had a feeling that things would only get better.

"Hey," she said quietly to Link, nudging him gently and giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. "Wake up, sleepyhead."

With a small smile, the hero opened his eyes to look up at her. "Hey," he said warmly. "Good morning."

"Well, look who's in a good mood in the morning for once!" Zelda chuckled.

"How could I possibly be in a bad mood after last night?" Link asked, pulling her into an embrace as he sat up beside her.

"Good point," the girl said, giving him another kiss on the cheek. He returned it by drawing her into a full kiss, one filled with passion and love. And, it was as they clung onto each other, they both realized that they were more than they had intended to be. Instead of a couple, their relationship was much deeper and richer than they thought it could ever be. They were in love, and it was sheer bliss for both of them.

After a long minute, they broke apart and sat there for a while, staring up into the perfect blue skies above as their Loftwings lingered nearby. "So..." Zelda said with a wide smile as she leaned her head against Link's shoulder. "We're in love now..."

"Yeah," the hero said with a joking grin. "We already established that last night, remember?"

"Well of course I do!" she said, giving him a soft punch on the arm. "But I can't help but wonder... what now?"

Link was silent for a moment as he pondered her question. The previous night, he had been living in the moment when he told Zelda that he loved her, not thinking about how the future could affect anything. But the hero knew well what could happen in his future. There was a large chance that he could succumb to corruption, leaving Zelda alone and heartbroken. But now more than ever, he knew that he still couldn't tell her the truth yet. He remembered Terminus's warning well and her advice: to keep Zelda content and unknowing for as long as possible. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he told her and ended up breaking her heart. And even if the news didn't ruin her, she would try to put on a brave face and fake happiness for his sake. But what Link really wanted was for her joy to be genuine. Seeing an honestly cheerful smile on her face set his mind at ease and made him forget, however briefly, about the impending corruption that sought to steal his soul no matter what. And so, he decided that he was going to do everything he could to keep her in a state of bliss for as long as possible, so that when the corruption did start to overtake him completely, they'd both have the love that they had for each other to cling onto in the end.