Work Text:
Link sat in front of the Rebella Wetlands Tower, waiting for Zelda to make her rounds.
She passed by this spot at the same time every week, and for the past few months, he always met her here.
Warming his hands by a campfire, the swordsman stared blankly at the sky, seeing her form move closer and closer. She would be here within the hour, but each second felt like a decade. Part of him was scared that it was
Letting out a sigh, Link sat and leaned back onto the concrete that the tower sat on. Silently he wished he could move time forward, instead of reverse. As useful as the ability to rewind was, he disliked it sometimes. But it was Zelda’s, so he could never bring himself to hate it, no matter how uncomfortable being frozen in time was.
Eventually, after a restless nap (one that Link didn’t even realize happened), the low rumble of a dragon woke him up.
Groggily sitting up, the hero of the wild saw the Light Dragon above him. With a small smile, he quickly sat up, making sure his paraglider was ready to be used.
Putting out the campfire, Link stepped into the tower, standing on the glowing blue platform. With a deep breath, and the hissing sound of a balloon being inflated, Link was launched into the sky.
As he soared upwards, Link looked at the world around him. The Kingdom of Hyrule was vast, and he always felt like there was something new to discover. Whether it was in the dark Depths below, or the bright Sky’s above, the call of adventure always sounded out.
As he began to free fall, the swordsman enjoyed the feeling for a brief second, letting the wind sift through his arm, spreading his arms and legs out to slow his fall. It was such a unique feeling to plummet to the surface below, and a part of him felt so naturally inclined to this feeling. It was made for him, and he was made for the sky. And time, and twilight, and the wind, and-
After he slipped far enough, he reared closer to the Light Dragon’s back, approaching at an alarming rate. With practiced precision, Link engaged his paraglider, tensing his core and arms to keep himself from being slung at the force of its opening. Gently gliding down, he touched down on rough scales and soft fur.
‘Hey, Zelda. Hope I didn’t keep you waiting'
—
The two casually drifted around Hyrule for hours. They had passed by the jungles of Faron and were beginning to cruise over the Gerudo Highlands, on course for Central Hyrule.
In another few hours, they would come close to the west side of Hyrule Castle, where Link always makes his departure. For now, though, Link was enjoying his time with the princess.
He was stretched out upon the golden locks right above her wild eyes, the warmth of her fur betraying her rough appearance. For a dragon, she was rather comfortable.
Link had a soft smile on his face, looking at the land around them. Zelda’s path was close enough to see the surface in good detail, while also giving him a view of the sky islands above. It was perfect.
Except nothing actually was.
His visits to Zelda were nice at first, and he tried to hide his sorrow behind a smile and a relaxed state of body, but he could never find real happiness with her. Not like this.
Not when his left hand, which once hummed in contentment and love and joy, echoed silence.
Their connection had been severed. When they reawakened the monster beneath the castle, and Zelda fell into the chasm, a part of him fell with her. A part he’s scared he’ll never get back
He lost everything that day. His arm, his blade, his princess, his kingdom .
It was all ripped away from him in a matter of seconds. And then he awoke in a mysterious cave (again), and he had an arm again. He had the master sword again, though she was decayed beyond his belief.
A horrifying side of him was glad that the master sword had attracted the wave of gloom that decimated his right arm. He couldn’t bear the idea of permanently losing his left arm.
So much had happened since he found himself saved from the cusp of death on that island. Ancient Zonai ruins and technology had reappeared. Massive holes were ripped into the ground from the gloom. The four regions had been suffering in mysterious ways. The Divine Beasts and the Guardians disappeared overnight.
None of it made sense, but as before, Link endured. He restored Rauru’s right arm, granting him many new powers. He aided the four regions in stopping what plagued them. He’s explored the Depths, slowly working his way to map all of it. He found the sword that seals the darkness, which Zelda had revitalized for him.
And now here he was, riding on the back of the dragon, that was once his closest friend. The Light Dragon had once been human, but she sacrificed herself to give Link a chance.
That’s why he was here. To thank her for giving him a fighting chance. When he returned to his full strength and purged himself of this gloom, Ganon didn’t stand a chance.
But until then, he would keep her from being lonely. He would give her the company she deserved, even if Zelda didn’t realize it.
After another hour of smooth sailing, Link decided to have some company during his visiting hours. Stretching his right hand, the hero summoned the power of the sages, the four rings on his hand glowing with their strength.
Four glowing blue figures appeared around him, all sitting with him. Though they weren’t physically here, they still shared thoughts and memories with their holders.
Sidon sat behind him, his long torso making him seem much taller when Link was laying down. Riju and Yunobo flanked his sides, their blank white eyes looking at the world around them. Tulin sat in front of him, the youngest sage nuzzling against Link’s legs.
Even if Zelda was now a dragon, and the world was quite literally falling apart around him, Link was still alive. (And when he closed his eyes, he could pretend the others were too. Tulin was soft grey feathers and a cocky sneer. Sidon was a warm, kind smile, with soothing hands. Yunobo was strong arms and protective heat. Riju was a hearty laugh and a pleasant static hum in his ears.)
As Hyrule Castle began to loom closer, and his time left with Zelda waned, Link didn’t fear what was to come. He would face the world above and below with courage. Even though he had every right to be scared and angry and ready to give up, he would carry on.
Because he had a promise to keep.
'I will find you, Zelda'