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Link stared out over the edge of the Great Sky Island as the Light Dragon - as Zelda - flew away, seemingly uncaring of anything around her. She’d flown him back after he'd retrieved the Master Sword from her, wresting it from her mane after she had protected it for thousands of years, but now, whatever glimmer of the woman he loved seemed to have faded away from her.
That last message, shown to him once the sword was in his hands fully, had been her final goodbye to him. Zelda, the woman, was part of the past now. The Light Dragon was all that remained - a mindless serpent containing her power, where her soul would be trapped forevermore. Link fell forward, sobbing, the tears falling on the shining blade of the Master Sword as he began hiccuping and hyperventilating.
Part of the past. Nothing but a memory. Never to be seen again, except in his mind - however long that lasted. He’d already forgotten her once, who’s to say he wouldn’t forget her again? Would he wake up one day and forget what her smile looked like? How long before he forgot her perfume, her eagerness to study new discoveries, or the tiny little things, like the way her eyes crinkled when she laughed?
Link took a step forward, letting himself fall as he clung to the Master Sword like a teddy bear. He’d catch himself before he hit the ground, of course - he had to fulfill her last wish - but for the moment, he just needed to fall.
Link sat up with a strangled, choked gasp, nearly smashing his head into Sidon’s as he woke up, his eyes wild and unfocused.
“Woah there, my dear friend! It is alright - you’re safe.” Sidon said, flashing Link a reassuring smile. “Whatever threats or torments you saw were just dreams.”
Link didn’t reply with words - he merely curled in on himself with a sob. “Zelda, she’s… Sidon, she’s…”
“Zelda? She is fine, my friend! She is at home with your two beautiful children!” Sidon replied, rubbing Link’s back gently. “She is safe, and she has been safe for quite some time, remember?” Sidon could recognize that Link was currently trapped in the fading vestiges of a painful memory - he’d seen this before.
Link’s panicked breathing began to slow little by little as he remembered where - and when - he was. It was more than a decade from when he’d thought he’d lost Zelda. He’d saved her, against all odds, with the help of Rauru and Sonia’s spirits. They had their little girls back at home, and their daughter Sonia was practicing horse riding with Zelda right now. Everything had turned out okay…
“Yeah, sorry,” Link said, wiping his forehead and pushing his hair back with a sigh. “Just… a couple of bad memories.” He grabbed a canteen, drinking fully half of it in one go. “Remembering the Upheaval.”
“Ah, I understand,” Sidon nodded thoughtfully. “The darkest times of your life do not leave you as easily as you might wish to pretend, do they?” He patted Link’s back gently. “For all the cheerful faces you show us, there’s still pain that you mask.”
Link chuckled softly, shaking his head. “No, no they don’t, especially the parts I was remembering.” He managed a quiet grin, despite everything. “I was not in a good place during that whole situation, Si.”
“I remember.” Sidon nodded, sitting next to Link. “You punched the mural that showed Zelda’s tragic fate so hard it cracked. I needed to heal your bones afterwards.”
Link smiled sadly. “Yeah, sorry about that…” He said quietly. “Whenever I flash back to that time, it feels like I’ve lost her all over again, and I feel that horrible gnawing sense that she’s gone hitting me again…”
“Would you prefer to return?” Sidon asked, his sharp eyes wide with concern. “We can always have another hunting trip, of course.”
“No, no… we planned this for weeks!” Link said, shaking his head again. “It’s hard for you to get away for a day or two, much less for all our schedules to line up!” He gestured at the others, gathered around the campfire and enjoying breakfast. “I’ll be fine, Si, promise. Let’s just enjoy ourselves.”
“All right, but if you continue to have nightmares, I will be reaching out to Zelda on your behalf,” Sidon replied with a grin. “But let us have a good time! I bet that we will hunt a huge amount of game today!”
Zelda, princess in name and queen in job description of Hyrule, sighed deeply as she watched the children of Hateno run outside to play. She missed her husband. She knew she had to give him some space - she couldn’t very well demand that he stay by her side at every moment of every day - but she still missed him. Waking up to an empty bed reminded her of those six months she spent in the past…
The past… something she thought she was going to be forever stuck as a part of. Zelda idly pulled her sleeve back, smiling at her unity bracelet and her fidelity ring. She was lucky beyond all measure to get this chance to live a normal life with Link, to get to meet their children with him… but she knew that both she and Link had dark lingering memories that still haunted them. In all likelihood, they would for the rest of their lives.
She’d seen Queen Sonia die in front of her, had seen Rauru sacrifice his life to buy them the time to properly defeat Ganondorf far in the future… and, in a way, she’d given her own life, too - she’d just been lucky enough to have her own sacrifice undone.
And throughout it all, the worst part had been not knowing if Link was alright. Until the Master Sword had appeared, she didn’t know if Link had even survived their encounter with Ganondorf - and all her plans had relied on him. He’d been her single, blind hope - one that had been rewarded in the end, but it had still been a blind hope.
If anything had gone wrong, she would have been a dragon forever, and she herself would have been part of the past for all time. It was a sobering thought, to say the least.
“Zelda?” Serena, the woman who had once been Zelda’s doppelganger, asked, lightly knocking on the open door, her usual basket of herbs held in the crook of her arm as she did. “Are you alright? You look a little pale.”
Zelda jumped slightly. “Oh! Serena! Yes, I’m… I’m fine. I was just…”
Serena frowned slightly, leaning in a bit closer. “You were remembering the past. I’ve seen that same haunted expression on Link before as well.”
Zelda sighed softly. “Yes, I was,” she admitted. “I’m sure he’s having a good time with Liam, Sidon, and Teba, but I miss him. Waking up to an empty bed brings up bad memories…”
“Hm,” Serena nodded, taking a seat across from Zelda and offering her a small bag of tea. “Care to join me in a cup? I… believe I can commiserate with you.”
Zelda nodded with a smile, pulling out a teapot and bringing it to a boil with a flash of magic. “Of course, Serena.” She said, adding the teabag to a cup before pouring hot water over it. “You haven’t been away from Liam for very long either, have you?”
Serena shook her head as she waited for the tea to steep. “I have not, and while I… trust him, there is still some irrational part of me that fears that he will realize his mistake and never come home.” She stared at the tea cup with a frown. “And… it is… disconcertingly quiet in the morning without him snoring in my ears. It has made it all too easy to get lost in my own thoughts.”
Zelda nodded with a small chuckle. “Yes, I understand,” She replied, watching as the tea continued steeping. “I know we should be our own people and have our own interests and lives, but…” She sighed deeply. “Link hasn’t been away from home by himself for more than a few hours at a time since the Upheaval. It’s only been two days, but it’s…” She leaned back, staring at the ceiling. “When I was in the past, I used to lay back in bed and just stare up like this, wondering if we’d waited too long. If we’d missed our chance… and I’d fall asleep thinking ‘If only I’d married him…’ and then, when it became clear what I’d have to do, those thoughts just got louder.”
Serena frowned softly, not meeting Zelda’s eyes. “I… I’m sorry.” She said quietly. “I know I didn’t make things easier for either of you, back then…”
Zelda smiled gently, reaching over and patting Serena’s hand. “That wasn’t you, Serena,” She said with a smile. “You only became yourself many years later, and I want you to remember that.”
Serena shook her head. “I may not have had my own will, but it was me,” She said firmly. “These are my sins to bear, Zelda, and I will bear them.”
Zelda frowned deeply, but she didn’t press the argument, instead choosing to add a small bit of milk to her tea. “Still… I find that I miss Link so much that it’s almost unbearable. I almost want to ask him to come home early, but I know that would be unreasonable - I can’t be a clingy wife who refuses to let her husband go out on a hunting trip, for Hylia’s sake!” She sighed again, sipping at her tea. “He hasn’t had a chance to get away from me for ten whole years. He deserves this.”
“Hm. Do you really think Link is so desperate to get away from you?” Serena asked, a twinkle in her light eye. “This hunting trip was Teba’s idea, you know.”
“Yes, but Link was so excited! He’s been talking about it for weeks…” Zelda said with a frown. “Do you think I’m smothering him?”
“Do you think I’m smothering her?” Link whispered, pulling his bowstring taut as he took aim at a distant deer. “I haven’t given her a Link-free week in ten whole years, and I know how much she treasures her private time - that’s why she has her well.” He released the arrow, nodding to himself as the deer fell over with barely even a groan.
“Hardly,” Sidon chuckled as he pulled his net out of the river, depositing a supply of fish into a small container of water before storing them in his Purah Pad. “Has she ever asked you to leave her alone?”
“A few times, yeah, but she always just went to her well for a few hours until she cooled down,” Link replied as he dragged the deer over and began dressing it. “I mean, we have squabbles and fights like any couple do. We just make a point not to go to bed angry.”
“So she has told you to leave her alone for a time, but not to leave her entirely?” Sidon asked with a chuckle. “There’s a fairly major difference, my dear friend.”
“I suppose…” Link frowned. “I still worry that I’m too clingy sometimes - Zelda likes to be independent.”
“As does Yona, which is why I let her do what she wishes, so long as she remains faithful to me,” Sidon replied with a smile. “And I know you do the same for Zelda - you typically run your food stand while she teaches, and you only ask that she stays with you, yes?”
“Technically, I stay with her - I legally gave her the house,” Link chuckled as he began storing the cuts of meat. “Marriage aside, she’s the homeowner.”
“My friend, you are focusing on the wrong part of this,” Sidon said, rolling his eyes and squirting a little water at Link. “It’s not like you are forever three steps behind her wherever she goes - that is the point I am making.”
“No. I know that would drive her mad,” Link said with a soft laugh. “It did a hundred years ago, after all.”
“So then, why are you worrying about this? You are no clingier than any loving spouse I have ever seen.” Sidon replied as he cast his net again. “You and she have extraordinary circumstances, and that has led you to want to keep her close - that is not a fault of yours, that is a reaction to what has happened to you.”
“Are you sure?” Link asked, as he began working on tanning the deer’s hide.
“My friend, when I and the other champions went to the past, I barely wanted to leave my sister’s side,” Sidon replied with a laugh. “Eventually, she had to take me aside and, in her soft, loving and gentle way, explain to me that I needed to give her some space. She wanted to spend time with her husband, and I was interfering with that.” He tilted his head at Link with a grin. “I expect that Zelda has not said anything like that to you?”
“No, and…” Link scratched the back of his head idly. “Yeah, she’d tell me if I was getting on her nerves. She always does…”
“Then do not worry about staying too close to your beloved wife, my friend.” Sidon replied with a grin. “It looks like you’re right where you need to be.”
Zelda leaned forward, staring at her Purah Pad glumly. Link and the others had been away for almost a full week at this point, and they were due back tomorrow… and she was currently fighting the urge to ride out to meet them on the road.
“Staring at the Pad won’t change it, you know,” Serena said as she sipped her tea. “If you want to send Link a message, just do it. I send Liam one in the morning, one at lunch, and one at nighttime.”
“I send Link a text every day too, but I want to give him his space,” Zelda sighed, still staring at the pad, which displayed a picture of Link, Liam, Sidon, and Teba all crowded around, smiling widely. “It looks like he’s having a lot of fun…”
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid that he doesn’t miss you,” Serena replied, rolling her eyes. “Liam says he’s barely managed to talk about anything but you.”
Zelda managed a tiny smile. “I’m sure he misses me. I’m a bit worried that I’ve made it so he doesn’t think he can do anything without me.”
Serena reached over, snatching Zelda’s Purah Pad from her hands and began paging through her texts. “I don’t see anything in here where you dictate his actions,” She said, yanking the Pad away as Zelda lunged for it. “Though that picture you sent him certainly is enticing. Good lighting, breasts in focus, nice facial expression…”
“Serena!” Zelda yelled, resorting to her time powers to retrieve her Purah Pad. “Show a sense of boundaries, for goodness’ sake!”
Serena cocked her head at Zelda, looking mildly confused. “What? Do you want to see the pictures I’ve sent Liam? Perhaps it’s indicative of who we are, but by random chance I sent virtually the same picture as you - though I did mine in the nude, rather than merely lifting my shirt.”
Zelda flushed bright red as she locked her Pad, half-glaring at Serena. “Those were private communications between my husband and I,” She huffed softly. “But you don’t think I’m keeping him from doing what he wants to do?”
“Absolutely not,” Serena replied. “Link lives for you, yes, but he does so by choice.” She closed her eyes, letting out a soft breath. “Before I was… truly free… I gave him a choice to be with me, saying that you were a thing of the past.” She managed a tiny smile. “We both know how that ended - the Master Sword wound up in my chest for the first time.”
“I was a thing of the past,” Zelda said quietly, staring at the table. “I was just lucky…”
Serena shook her head. “You were, but you forget - it was how well loved you are that helped to bring you back. Had Link not loved you so much more than anyone else, that grand recall would not have worked. It needed someone who held you so dear in his heart that he knew every inch of you, and that was him.” She gave Zelda a tiny smirk. “I must admit, I was jealous of you for quite some time.”
“I’m so happy you found Liam,” Zelda chuckled, taking Serena’s hands. “You deserve to be happy, too.” Serena began to reply, but Zelda merely held up a finger. “Ah ah ah! No arguments! You deserve to be happy - this is a royal decree.”
“Very well,” Serena replied, sitting back. “I suppose I cannot argue with a royal decree.” She sipped her tea with a tiny smile. “I am quite eager for them to get home, too, you know. Living in our home is much less pleasant when he is not there…” She frowned softly. “I believe I may have grown a bit accustomed to him.”
“Love tends to do that,” Zelda giggled quietly as she got to her feet as she heard Sonia and Aryll yelling happily from outside. “One moment - I have to check on the kids.”
“I’m sure they merely found an exciting frog,” Serena replied, sipping her tea. “Tell me if it’s something useful.”
Zelda stepped outside, only getting a few feet before she found herself pulled off her feet and wrapped in a tight hug. “Mama! Papa’s home early!” Sonia yelled as she clung to her parents next to her sister.
“Link! I thought you were going to take another day…” Zelda mumbled, burying her face in Link’s shoulder. “Oh, I missed you so much…”
“We all missed our families, so we cut the trip a little short,” Link replied, barely willing to let go of Zelda. “I’m sorry, I’m sure you wanted your private time, but I couldn’t bear to be away any longer…”
“Screw my ‘private time’, I want my husband with me!” Zelda laughed happily. “It’s been so lonely without you!” Without another word, she pulled Link into a deep kiss, grabbing hold of his hair to make sure he didn’t pull back too soon. “I started remembering my time in the past,” She whispered to him after she was satisfied. “And I don’t want to make you feel like you can’t go anywhere, but…”
“I was remembering the Upheaval too,” Link cut in, resting his forehead against hers as best he could. “I started having nightmares again, but I didn’t want to make you worry and…”
“Oh for crying out loud, you’re both so used to each other you can barely stand to be apart,” Serena said, having come outside and already in Liam’s arms. “That’s not a bad thing - it just means that you truly belong together.” She turned to Liam with a smile. “Take me home, Liam.”
“With pleasure!” Liam grinned. “I have some ideas after seeing that picture you sent me…”
Zelda giggled, embracing Link and breathing in his scent for a while as Serena and Liam headed down the path. “Maybe it’s okay that we like to be near each other,” She mumbled, nuzzling his neck. “I think I need you…”
“I know I need you too,” Link hummed as he held her. “I’m sorry if I don’t give you enough space…”
“You give me plenty. I’m as happy as I’ve ever been, Link.” Zelda smiled brightly as her family held each other. “I’m the happiest, luckiest woman in the world.”
“And I’m right where I want to be,” Link agreed. “This is where I belong.”
Zelda pulled Link into another kiss. She wasn’t part of the past anymore, she wasn’t a memory pushing Link forward to do what she had failed to complete. She was alive, she was happy, and she had everything she needed. In Link’s warm, loving embrace, she was truly home.