The Legend of Zelda: Blood and Spirit

Chapter 34: Mortal Goddess

Chapter 34: Mortal Goddess

When they were young, the world had been a different place. Years ago, before they knew anything of war, of death, of sorrow, or of destiny, they had only known each other. They knew, even in the innocence of youth, what they were to each other and how much their friendship was worth to both of them. They had been safe from harm, from grief, from the terrors they had been forced to face when they were older. They were young, innocent, full of life and happiness abundant.

And in those long-gone days, when the world below their safe-haven in the sky was nothing more than a clouded myth, when their world was one of the bright, sunny skies, of colorful Loftwings gliding overhead and of warm breezes filling the air, they never could have dreamed that they would ever know any differently. In the slow-passing days of childhood, they had lived their lives in the only way they knew how: in playful friendship and peaceful bliss. But even as the years passed, as they abandoned innocence for responsibility and happiness for destiny, one fact had always rung certain, never changing, even though the darkest hours.

They had always been together.

The very first thing she had ever noticed about him had been his eyes. Even in her very early childhood, she had seen something special in them, in him. They were a kind of blue that she had never seen anywhere else before, so bright, like the endless clear skies above, so full of life, so full of hope. And yet, there had always been something else in them too; insistence, determination, strength, courage.

Perhaps a flame that burned that bright was not meant to last.

His handsome eyes had always been able to define his impeccable character, a character that she grew to love more and more as she explored it each and every day. He had always tried to tell her that her eyes were beautiful, but she had always ignored him. In her eyes, there was nothing more extraordinary than him. Even as they had moved on from early childhood to the start of adolescence, she had not stopped noticing him for a moment. As he became bolder and stronger, she began to take even more notice, to the point that she soon found herself attracted to him as if by some natural, unseen force. His kindness and gentle manner lured her in, and his optimism and selfishness made her stay.

Somehow, she had always known that they would end up together, and in her dreams, she had fantasied about their perfect, untouchable future together, in which they would raise a family and live long and happy lives, completely encompassed in each other's love. And for quite some time, it seemed as though it would be a future that they would actually get to see.

Since they had always been together.

A thousand years was a long time, but every moment had seemed even longer away from him. Sealed into a protective sleep to keep the world safe from untold evil, she had parted ways with him, though she had assured him that it would not be forever. But even she did not know that for sure; worry had crept into her seemingly endless dreams of what would happen if he failed in his mission. Not only would it mean that her own mission would never end, but it also meant that she would never awaken to see him again, a thought that she simply could not bear. It was in those dreams, or nightmares rather, that she was forced to witness his demise in so many different ways that she knew a life without him would not be worth waking up to in the first place. Density had pushed and pulled them in many different ways, tearing them apart rather than bringing them together, but they had both persisted and withstood it all. She knew that he was strong, strong enough to endure all of the trials laid out for him and come back to her. And sure enough, he did.

His return had been like the bright, renewing sun rising after a dark, seemingly endless night. He had, through all of the struggles he had endured, come back and had been there as she awakened for the first time in a thousand years. He had caught her when she fell, held her in his strong arms and whispered sweet words of welcome and reassurance to her. And suddenly, a thousand years didn't feel so long anymore.