Because.

Prompt:

Link washed his face in the shallow water, squatting as the droplets sounded out an unorganized melody when they fell.

It was cold and damp in these underground caverns beneath the once noble standing castle that held so many memories to him. Memories that were like dreams now.

Then he heard a faint echo of humming, slowly rising into a song that lured his heightened hearing and stimulated his mind towards the musical piece. It was calming, something he hadn’t felt in a while.

Though his face looked poised with peace, he was rather worried about Zelda. She had just returned. He could tell she was distraught about confronting the true evil that lurked in every nightmare and plagued her all her life.

But now, he could recognize the sweet and perfect pitch of her singing. The low riding key to a heavenly high, rising with the tune.

He was curious. He tilted his head towards the large mammal that snored heavily with all their accompanying supplies, especially the particularly large clippers that frightened Link when he saw Zelda sneak off with them. He was still on edge as his instinct to follow her pressed him to her side. When he shuffled through the dense forest, he was surprised to see her cutting her hair. To him, it was a sign of her stress, but she assured it was a release for her.

He helped braid her hair back, turning and twisting the silk-thin, blonde hair back into a noble accessory to her already regal demeanor. Anything to help her with the stress.

He had thought their worries would finally leave them, but picking up the Master Sword again sent a chill of uneasiness back up his spine. He had held the steel against his nose in a warrior’s prayer, closing his eyes as he took a deep, brave breath.

At this moment, he had already rededicated himself to Zelda’s protection and aid, along with that of the land. When he got up and followed the music, he found Zelda with a wet stick, deep brown as she scribed song notes and music-script into the lower part of an already artistic decorated stone.

Link looked upon the drawings of legends told long ago before his eyes glazed back in longing to Zelda.

How could he possibly comfort her? What warmth could come from him in such a cold, dark place?

Above her was once her home, surrounded by familiar faces and friends she could rely on. At one time, he had heard from her own voice that she had begun to see him as one such friend. But what was it like now? Had nothing changed, to his relief, or had too much changed?

She stopped singing and extended her relaxed back up, turning around as though spooked before seeing him.

She smiled when she saw his face. “It’s something my mother would sing to me. When I was afraid of the dreams I kept having.” she crawled with her arms back to an upright position on the ground, staring lovingly at her creation upon the ancient stone. Dainty and lean, she seemed rather sincere in her suffering. “I couldn’t help but think of it now. If this is our history, I wanted to leave the world with something of her in it.”

Link gently, slowly approached. This was now a sacred stone, as far as he knew.

He was trying to carefully approach the musical score, kneeling beside it to take a closer look at how she had crafted the notes and arranged the accompaniment.

He lightly skimmed his fingerless glove over the song, admiring it.

She stayed silent a moment, staring at him with a wonder and awe. She hadn’t thought she would ever be in his presence again, it was so surreal. The cold may lick at her now but his face filled her spirit with a courageous flame.

She giggled, moving slightly away, “I know we haven’t any instruments... but would you mind singing the accompaniment?”

“Ah!” He was shocked to hear her request that, turning with a look of surprise and puzzlement on his face.

She smiled encouragingly, “You can read music, can’t you?”

Well... of course. But singing?

He blushed and looked away, seeming shy as Zelda decided to put him a bit to the test.

“I’ll be greatly disappointed if you don’t even try.” she gently mocked, trying to bring out his chivalrous, soft side.

He remained facing away, but it gave her a moment to notice his matured features, the dip in his chin line down his cheek...

She felt something tickle at her chest and immediately looked away as she placed her hand on the starting note.

“I’ll give you the key.”

She began to sing the song without any lyrics, the beginning was a solo anyway.

Suddenly, when Link’s part came up, she could hear a silent but strong vibrato. The perfect vibration rang through her ears as the silent but gentle man sang while her heart beat with the sensational depth it had.

She almost stumbled in the song she had memorized since she was a child, but quickly regained herself as she sang louder, trying to drown him out.

It confused him at first, he wondered why she was getting louder, but immediately remembered words and didn’t want to disappoint her. He matched her range, deciding the song would be better harmonized when the accompaniment ended and the solo began.

Memories flashed through Zelda’s mind of her father and mother singing to her at her bedside. Back when her father was... much more considerate of her dreams.

The beautiful singing caused her to stop and dip her head down, feeling the welling up of emotions begin to pound at her head, but Link’s singing brought that feeling back down to a calm.

He stopped when, after a few seconds, she didn’t pick the melody back up, and turned to now fully address her.

“Zelda?”

What a relief.

His voice was still as caring and kind as the day she met him.

“I was so taken aback by your talent, Link.” She masked her true emotions, not wanting to worry him.

But worry gripped at his heart.

He watched her patiently, waiting for an explanation to her obvious emotion sketched upon her countenance, but she remained beautiful and aloof.

“Is there anything you can’t do?”

There was a double-edged sword in her words, and it stung Link to his core.

She had done so much. Was she still not feeling enough?

Learning that the ancient evil that had stolen her previous life, all her friends and all her family, was still somewhat alive... lasting to torment their lives further... her very pride must have been ripped from her being in grief.

Link, shaking in his inability to know what to do, rose a pleasant hand to her shoulder.

She lifted her head up and nodded, wiping some sweat off her brow and looking fondly to him. “I’m alright, Link. Just... ready to do what must be done.” she nodded, thinking about getting up when Link came closer, startling her.

“Link..!?”

He gave her a firm stare, furrowing his eyebrows a little more.

His eye was trained to lies, she couldn’t fool him.

After all...

He knew her.

He remembered everything. All the times they’ve been together.

They would never leave his side again.

She saw the itched glances of a mighty hero in the wrinkles of his concerned face, and gave in to them.

She sighed, “Very well. But who could blame me? I’m upset Calamity Ganon wasn’t completely destroyed. And now, I’m forced to rely on you once again, when you should be enjoying peace with the others.” She turned away, as though somehow placing the shame on herself again. “If only I had awakened my ancestorial power sooner... if I had know-!”

He embraced her.

It was swift, strong, and absolutely necessary.

‘I mustn’t crumble... I have to remain strong, like him. I have to... I...’ Tears rained from her eyes down her cheeks.

All over his shirt, her tears were smeared as she cried silent sobs into his welcoming hold.

He lifted his hand to her head, as though granting her permission to move deeper into his arms.

After a moment, she did so, gripping his back and pulling herself to him.

It was much needed, but she had refused to yield until this moment.

Her touch was like acid to Link, because he didn’t know what else to do to heal her. So much pain... the trauma from her youth, a hundred years ago, could not be beaten in a day.

He had fought with all his strength, done everything he thought he was supposed to do, called to do. And yet... the very being he had sworn to serve was still wallowing in anguish.

Every cell in his body wanted to sing for her, bring back that one moment of joy he had briefly heard in her voice as she sang louder and louder. That moment will never be forgotten either. No matter how many times he may have to sleep, he would never forget her gentle climb to that triumphant, melodic climax.

But now, he held a fallen angel in his hands, and he refused to leave her till he stroked her wings back to a mighty, upright position; returned her noble halo, a heavenly crown, back to its radiant destination above her head, and placed clouds beneath her feet that would raise her up with that saintly smile.

“You’re always so strong, Link. I doubted so many times if any of us could be strong, but you’ve proved me wrong time and time again.” she wept, summoning a deeper desire from Link to crush the inferiority out of her, to slay Calamity Ganon and all other cares that haunted her even now. “How could I compete? How can I help now? I’m only as useless as my magic allows me to be. I can summon it, but what can I actually do with it? It wasn’t enough to destroy him, Link. What if we’re not enough?”

He dipped his head into her neck, gritting his teeth as hold never wavered.

It was his declaration that it would be enough, that they would both make it through this again.

“No more death, Link... I cannot fathom another lost friend. I can’t... I can’t lose you, Link...” she grew weaker and weaker in his grasp, and he quickly caught her without a second’s hesitation and kept her up on his chest.

Taking a quick glance up, he noticed her hazy eyes, vacant of life and hope again.

Drained from her tears, she barely breathed. “It’s so cold,” she complained, making him melt into her charming ways again. “It’s so cold... and wet.” she leaned up and rubbed her eyes. “If I’m no longer a reigning princess,... then am I a common girl?”

The question was strange to Link. What brought it out of her?

She turned back to Link, “You needn’t answer that, but I truly feel its sound to say that I now am.”

Link pulled back, shaking his head as he released her, seeing that a deeper problem had surfaced now.

She would always be Princess Zelda to him. She was born to be a light, and that would never change.

She smiled, seeing how serious his face became and poked at it. “You’re only saying what I think your eyes are saying because you consider yourself a common boy. But you’re not, are you, Link? You’re the hero we’ve desperately counted on, and you’ve never failed us. Time and again, you’ll be what this land deserves.”

He leaned forward.

He would be anything she wanted him to be.

His never shifting eyes communicated that to her, and she felt some breath strain itself as though her wild heart beckoned the reunion of the warm embrace again.

Her breath seemed to agree, shaking and causing her chest to rise in unnatural motions.

She moved away and shifted from him, growing strangely timid and nervous all of a sudden.

She placed a hand delicately to her chest and then removed it, not wanting to acknowledge the strange occurrence.

“You act as though me being common is repulsive.” She wondered why. “But if I was common... you’d treat me differently... wouldn’t you?” She turned back, fearing the red on her face would be misinterpreted. Clearly, she was just cold... although her body felt very, very warm at the moment.

He saw her move away and worried he was being too direct with his distaste of her words, and sat back to a normal position, running his hand through his hair, awkwardly embarrassed at his rash behavior.

How else could he explain how precious she was? Her kingdom needed her. He... his regards didn’t matter compared to them.

“If I were common...” she saw him withdraw, and taking some faint courage, she leaned closer towards him again. “Would I not... be someone you could look upon... without such high admiration?”

‘Link... wouldn’t you be able to feel something for me... more than friendship if I was-’

Before she could finish her thought, he slowly let his eyes rest upon her face again.

The two stared at one another, a moment of confession, before Link looked away and got up.

He fiddled with his clothes a moment before moving over to their large friend, patting his back down and pretending to look over their supplies.

She withdrew the topic as well, though it frustrated her quite a bit. Was he really saying that it didn’t matter to him? That he would still protect her? Common girl or not?

In her heart, she knew he must feel something, but she blamed her noble birth that he kept it back.

But in Link’s heart... was a nervous, shy little man who quaked at having such a beautiful girl call herself common and rank her divine spirit as part of his own kind.

She would always be Zelda, someone he must protect, and he didn’t care what other details companioned those facts.

He offered her her hand with a blush he tried to mask with his hand, and she took it and let him hoist her up onto the beast, who gave a moan and let Link lead it along the stony path down the corridor of leaky tunnels.

He had to flex his hand a few times, feeling a residual sensation of ‘touch’ on his fingertips at feeling her smooth skin of her hand as he lightly held it, the curves in her sides as he lifted her upon the creature...