A/N: I recommend watching Memory #13: Slumbering Power before reading for the best experience.

"Curse you… I've spent every day of my life dedicated to praying! I've pleaded to the spirits tied to the ancient gods… And still the holy powers have proven deaf to my devotion. Please just tell me… What is it? WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?!"

Link rode behind her in silence, dreading the moment they returned to the castle and disappointment filled the king's eyes for the umpteenth time. He knew his foreboding was nothing compared to the crushing frustration and hopelessness she felt, and he wished desperately that he could bear the pain for her.

"Princess," he called out softly, and she turned her head, golden locks glinting in the moonlight and lifeless emerald eyes swollen and red-rimmed from the strain of holding back tears she was too proud to shed. His heart broke for her, and at that moment he longed for nothing more than to pull his Zelda into his arms-

She isn't yours and never will be-

And let her weep away her sorrows in his embrace-

You are nothing to her but a convenient tool-

Be the sturdy wall she so desperately needed to lean on-

She has never spared you a second glance-

Whisk her away with him to a perfect, impossible world-

YOU. ARE. NOTHING-

"Would you like to rest a while before we continue to Hyrule Castle?" Be serene and emotionless, like a still lake. Never let your true thoughts and burdens show in your face or your voice. You exist to serve.

"Ah…" she croaked dully. "Yes, I would like that, Sir Link. Thank you."

Watching her dismount her steed absentmindedly, Link clenched his fists in frustration.

If only there was something I could do for her… anything, if it means I can see her smile like the sun again...

"You know, when you said you wanted to take me somewhere, I didn't expect it to be the castle courtyard, Link," Zelda said.

"Well, I can't exactly take you outside the castle these days without His Majesty's express permission," he replied.

It was the evening of the day after their depressingly unsuccessful journey to the Spring of Power, and Link and Zelda were currently walking along the path to the courtyard of the castle. He led her beyond the last corner of the castle walls and into open air, where a picnic basket with every manner of food and drink lay waiting for them. Zelda gasped in surprise.

"Link… did you do all this?"

"Well…" He rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. "I did have help." He glanced right and grinned, and Zelda followed his gaze curiously. She gasped once again.

"Y- you all are here, too?"

"Well, we're standing right in front of you, Princess," Urbosa replied with a smirk.

"When Link asked us to come, we just couldn't refuse," added Mipha softly with a shy smile.

"We figured our little princess could use some cheering up," Daruk chimed in with his signature gruff yet fond voice.

"Consider it a private early birthday celebration among… friends, a week before that horrendously sophisticated banquet, Your Highness," Revali preened, puffing out his chest pompously. Thus far, he was the only one of the four who had completely ignored Link, refusing to even glance at him. Horrendously sophisticated? That's really saying something, coming from Revalioli himself, he thought with an inward chuckle.

"You remembered my birthday!" Zelda exclaimed happily.

"Oh, come now, little bird. The whole kingdom celebrates the day of your birth. Does it seem like something we'd even dare to forget?" Urbosa teased.

"Still, there was no need for all of this…" she murmured, glancing around.

"You can thank the little guy. 'S all his idea," responded Daruk.

Zelda turned to Link with a warm smile. "Was it really? Well then, I'm very grateful to you, Link. It's been too long since anyone has done something like this for me."

He hoped desperately that the others couldn't hear his heart starting to pound. You don't know what it does to me when you look at me like that-

You exist to serve. Nothing else.

"Consider it an early birthday present from me, Princess."

"And speaking of presents…" Mipha stepped forward. "All of us chipped in to get you this." She held out a stack of enormous textbooks.

"Of course, I contributed the most out of my somewhat inferior peers," Revali stated smugly- but his boast went unheard as Zelda inhaled sharply, eyes sparkling.

"The Complete Encyclopedia of Guardian Anatomy and Function! Do you have any idea how rare this is? It isn't even in the castle library-Oh, thank you, thank you!" She rushed forward and hugged Mipha tightly, then did the same to the others. Flustered, Revali cleared his throat after his turn, feathers rumpled. Then she turned to Link- and hesitated, face turning a bit pink. She moved forward, then stopped. He suddenly felt strangely warm, and bit the inside of his cheek discreetly, expectant but afraid of what might happen next-

"Thank you, again, Sir Link," she said with an odd jerk of her head. His heart sank. Don't let it show, don't let it show-

"Truly, it was my pleasure, Princess. I exist to serve." That's right. Just a servant. What right do you have to even entertain the possibility that she could feel anything at all for you?

"Well, enough talk." Urbosa broke the tense silence. "Just so you know, little bird, the five of us do have formal presents to present to you at the official banquet next week, as is customary. We just thought we'd give you something you'd appreciate more than jewelry or dresses. And, of course, we wanted to avoid your father's disapproving eye. But-" she winked- "you didn't hear any of this from me."

Zelda nodded gratefully. "Of course, Urbosa. Thank you."

Daruk pumped his fists together eagerly. "Well, come on, friends! This food won't eat itself!"

When most of the food was gone, the six of them sighed contentedly. Daruk gave a hearty burp, and Revali glared at him disgustedly.

"Daruk, my Goron friend, I do believe it would behoove you to learn some tact. Especially when you are in the company of our fair princess."

Zelda giggled. "Oh, don't be such a stuck-up rooster, Revali," she said, ignoring the Rito's indignant squawk. "This is the first time the six of us have gotten a chance to relax like this. And the food was so delicious, too…"

"Well, there's still the matter of dessert," Link began, pulling out a covered platter from inside one of the baskets. He removed the top to reveal a beautifully decorated fruitcake.

She gasped. "Fruitcake! My favorite…" She turned to Link, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "How many of the castle chefs did you have to charm to persuade them to make this?"

Link blinked. "Uh, none, actually. I baked it myself."

Her eyes widened in shock. "...You'll forgive me for not realizing before that you can cook, Sir Link."

"My mother taught me to cook at around the same time my father started teaching me how to use a sword. It's quite a useful skill when one is constantly traveling through Hyrule's wilderness."

She hummed thoughtfully. "Well, let's see if it tastes as good as it looks. I'm quite picky about my cakes, you see." He watched with an expectant grin as she cut a slice for herself and slowly took a bite.

" ...Well? Does it meet your standards, O High and Mighty Goddess of Cake?"

She scowled playfully. "Oh, shut up. Honestly, though… are you sure you made this?"

"Er, yes?" he answered, confused. "Why would I lie to you? Does it taste bad?"

She shook her head in wonder. "Quite the contrary. To put it simply, never in my life have I tasted a fruitcake so moist and flavorful. It was, and don't you dare call me that aggravating nickname again, heavenly." She smiled at him, a smidge of frosting on her lower lip. He had to suppress the urge to wipe it off. So adorable-

Stop. You have no right to harbor such thoughts.

"Your compliments flatter me, Princess."

She frowned. "You did it again."

"Pardon, Your Highness?"

"One moment, you're happy and relaxed, and the next, your face goes blank and you start talking to me as if I'm my father. I didn't say anything to offend you, did I?

His eyes widened. "No, of course not, Princess." There you go again, letting your foolish emotions get the better of you. Why do you waste her time, knowing she'll never see you as anything but a living reminder of her own failures? Now she's begun to take notice when your mask of silence and serenity falls off. How long before she finds out the way you feel about her? Imagine how she'll look at you then- imagine the disgust in her eyes! She'll see you as nothing more than a dog- panting and whining for her attention. Disgusting, worthless, dirty MUTT-

stop it stop it stop it-

uselessdisgustingdirtyfoolishpatheticweakworthlessFAILURE-

stop it stop it STOP IT STOP STOP STOP-

Daruk stepped forward. "Well, if the little guy's cake is that good, then I definitely have to try it!" Chattering amongst themselves, the other Champions started dividing the cake and piling slices onto their plates.

Zelda kept gazing at Link, nothing but concern in her vivid green orbs. "You're sure nothing's bothering you?"

"I'm fine, Princess. You don't need to worry about me."

As Zelda and the Champions chatted contentedly, Link saw Urbosa stand up and walk a ways away from the group, facing the castle wall in the direction of the throne room. He stood up and joined her from his seat beside Mipha, not hearing the Zora's disappointed sigh.

He stood next to her in silence, waiting for her to speak. Without looking at him, she murmured, "Do you feel it, too?"

He nodded grimly. "The Master Sword… these days, whenever I'm in the castle, she glows and vibrates underneath my fingers. I think she's… trying to tell me that something terrible is coming, and soon."

Urbosa narrowed her eyes. "Yes… there is a great darkness on the horizon." She turned toward him. "I am a lady of the desert, Link. Whenever there is a sandstorm coming, I can feel it on the wind. And I certainly feel something here. But this is no mere sandstorm. Whatever it is… it's something the likes of which we've never faced before. I assume you have a very good idea of what I'm talking about." He nodded again, silently. "Calamity looms before us, Link. And it is waiting for the right time to strike. We can only pray that we'll be ready when it does."

He scoffed. "And what good are prayers when the goddesses never see fit to answer them?" Urbosa glanced at him sadly, but all he could see was a defeated angel kneeling in a sacred fountain before a statue with an empty smile and blank eyes, cursing Hylia's very name because she's been waiting and praying for sixteen years and is it really so much to ask?

He sighs. "If only-" He stops. Because he knows- they both do- that if the world they lived in was kind enough for if onlys, then things would be very, very different.

He turns around and looks at the most precious people in his life happy together for the first time in so long.

Oh, Goddess Hylia- this is the first time I am asking you for anything. If you have any kindness left in your heart for your children, then please- grant me this one wish. And I know it's selfish of me, but I beg you- when the time comes, take whatever you wish of me. But please, please- do not take away these memories that I have made. Memories of my friends, of my brothers and sisters, of her- because these memories will be the only thing I'll have left soon. So, please- do not destroy this fragile peace that we've worked so hard to keep from shattering. I'll do anything- just don't steal these happy memories from me.

~One week later~

"It's here."

"This is it, then."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"It's awake… Ganon!"

"Link, save yourself! Go! I'll be fine! Don't worry about me. Run!"

"..."

"No… no! Link! Get up! …You're going to be just fine…*sob*"

"May I ask… Do you really remember me?"

fin