જ⁀➴ ᴄʜ. 13 (ᵖᵗ. 2), ʟɪɴᴋ'ꜱ ᴀᴅᴠᴇɴᴛᴜʀᴇꜱ ✧

Instructions

✰ Part 2 of Ch. 13: Read pt. 1 first if you haven't ^-^ ⋘ ʟᴏᴀᴅɪɴɢ… ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴇ ᴡᴀɪᴛ... ⋙ ↻ | ✩‧₊˚ [ʀᴇꜰʀᴇꜱʜ?] ────── ⋆⋅ ⚛︎ ⋅⋆ ─────────── ⋘ ʟᴏᴀᴅɪɴɢ ꜱᴜᴄᴄᴇꜱꜱ! ᴘᴜʟʟɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ ɪɴꜰᴏ... ⋙ ╭──────────.♯..─╮ ╰─..♯.──────────╯ ↷✦; welcome viewer! ❞ ✰ Tʜɪs ɪs Cʜ. 13 (ᵖᵗ. 1) ᴏғ ᴍʏ ғᴀɴғɪᴄ "Lɪɴᴋ's Aᴅᴠᴇɴᴛᴜʀᴇs." Eɴᴊᴏʏ! :D ✰ ⟪1,537/3,024 ᴡᴏʀᴅs, 8,369/16,266 ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs⟫ press the flag before reading, thanks ꉂ(˵˃ ᗜ ˂˵) ———————— -ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ- ———————— My head jerked back without warning, falling as I slumped onto a nearby sleeping guardian. For a moment, my breathing came in jagged, sharp breaths. I could still hear the guardians and their beams. I could still hear her voice. Her desperate cries for me. Her heartbreak when I died in her arms. “Zelda, I… I’m okay—” What was I doing? I knew where I was. The present. Nothing could harm me here. Except that wasn’t the truth. It felt like I was dying again. I could feel myself bleeding into the dirt—no. That was a long time ago. I was only staring at rust and moss instead of fresh ash. “Breathe,” I said to myself, trying to keep myself composed. “It’s okay, it’s okay…” It wasn’t okay. I knew that was a lie. I didn’t want to accept it. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking, and every breath leaving my lungs dragged like I was still choking on my own blood. I could feel the holes in my body again. My cracks. The pain. I could silently hear myself coming back. The one who died a century ago. My friends. The Champions. They had believed in us. Zelda’s laughter, her beautiful voice ringing in my ears. Her silent pleas. Her joy alongside me in her world. The Silent Princess flowers blooming alongside her. Her smile. Her desperate calls for me. Almost all of it was gone. I had thought that the version of myself that lived a century ago was gone forever. But I had just seen myself die in her arms. I could feel the pain, the hopelessness… everything. I knew who I was again. And knowing that scared me more than anything. My body finally gave up. Without warning, the Sheikah Slate silently fell out of my fingers. They felt weak. My knees buckled, and I allowed myself to collapse onto the ground, hitting my head on a rock. My head felt fuzzy and banged up. I could no longer keep myself composed. I could do nothing but accept the tears flowing freely down my face. In this moment, I understood. I knew I loved her. No. I still do. Her voice, her smile… And that truth hurt more than anything. Because I had failed her. I left her all alone by herself, when I mattered most to her. “Zelda, I’m so sorry… Zelda… I don’t deserve you. I don’t deserve any of this.” I sobbed quietly in my own arms. It didn’t feel okay. I’m not supposed to be weak like this. I didn’t feel like the hero everyone would always praise. I felt weak, vulnerable. Maybe the people of Zora’s Domain were right. I was never a true hero. “I’m not your hero, Zelda. I never was… I failed when it mattered the most… and you paid the price for me…” … “Link.” I could hear her voice ringing in the distance. I was certain I was imagining things. My body felt broken and brittle; how could she even be here, seeing how weak and vulnerable I was? “Link.” Yet, while I thought I was hearing things again, I could feel her warmth. I couldn’t just ignore that feeling; this was real. With hesitation, I looked up across the battlefield of guardians. I saw her. Her beautiful form gazing upon my broken self. “Link. I can’t be here for long. But none of this is your fault, my hero,” she whispered, sympathizing with me. “Zelda… how are you…” I wanted to feel her touch again, her warmth even more. But my hand slipped past her spiritual form, making me feel even more helpless. “No… no, no, no…” I couldn’t help but let the tears flow freely once more. “Zelda… Zelda…” “Oh, my hero… please, it’s okay,” she said as she tried hugging me close to her. “It’s not okay,” I lashed out, letting out a fierce, burning sensation in my throat. The words tore out before I could stop them. “All those years ago, I left you all alone to face Ganon without me… you don’t deserve to be trapped alongside that… beast, for this long. I could’ve stopped that… and I couldn’t.” “And I failed you, too, Link. I could’ve prevented this in the first place, either, but I was just too late.” Tears were also falling from her spiritual form. “Link, don’t beat yourself down this hard. Please.” I looked up at her beautiful, puffy green eyes with mine, finally courageous enough to do so despite the tears on my face. “Do you remember, Link?” Her voice was trembling. “At Sanidin Park… you told me we didn’t have to hide our burdens from each other. I meant it then. I still mean it now.” “Thank you, my Zelda,” I whispered, my lips finally forcing a small smile for her. “I’ve believed in you for so long, Link. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” “I… I appreciate that.” · · ─ ·☁︎· ─ · · ☆⌒(ゝ。∂) ʰᵉʸᵒᵎ ᶜᵒⁿᵗᶦⁿᵘᵉᵈ ᵇᵉˡᵒʷᵎᵎ