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ICE

Link opened his eyes slowly, expecting to see skies over his head and feel cold stone at his back. The pale light of dawn filtered through his window to form a little square on his chest, which was covered in cozy blankets… Wait. I'm… home again?

He also felt strangely… clean. The bandages around his back had been replaced, and someone had… washed his face and his hair? What's going…?

With a wide yawn he pushed himself into a sitting position and looked around. Someone had placed a cheerful yellow flower like the ones favored by Koroks in a little vase on the nightstand, and instead of bare wood there were two small rugs on the floor, rugs that seemed somehow familiar.

Confused, Link got to his feet, wobbling slightly. The scent of warm food wafted up the stairs towards him… Someone's cooking?

But the scent was absolutely amazing. He realized as his stomach growled that it had been days since last he'd eaten anything.

Carefully he made his way down the staircase, which creaked beneath his weight; when he reached the bottom he smiled at the little Silent Princesses sitting in their pots, their green leaves the exact same shade as Zelda's eyes. One was close to blooming. He approached it slowly, gently stroking the silky-smooth petals tightly curled around themselves.

Zelda's flowers, he thought. It wasn't a memory, exactly, but a fact - something that he'd somehow retained through the Shrine of Resurrection. They were her favorite flowers - he was sure of it.

With a rusty creak his door swung open and Zelda entered, carefully holding a bowl full of steaming rice topped with mushrooms. She smiled at him. "Good morning," she said, setting the rice down on his table. "Do you have any smaller bowls?"

He blinked at her slowly, not sure what to think, before his senses returned to him and he nodded with a blush. "I - yeah, I think so." He walked to a box beneath the stairs full of little odds and ends that Bolson had thrown in with the rest of the house, silverware and dishes among them. He snatched a bowl; swallowing tightly, feeling his cheeks flushing red, he returned to the table. "H-here."

With a cheerful smile Zelda filled the bowl with rice and handed it back to him. "I thought perhaps you'd be hungry," she said, sitting down across for him with the half-empty larger bowl. "And, truth be told, I was a bit hungry as well. I… I did use your ingredients, though; I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Link assured her softly, looking at the meal. His stomach growled painfully and he looked at the rice for a moment, feeling slightly uncertain. She… made rice for - for us?

"There aren't any frogs - I promise," Zelda smirked, although he could see apprehension in her eyes. "I… I hope it tastes alright; I admit I don't always do much cooking, so I know I'm out of practice…"

Quickly Link took a bite. "It's great," he told her, offering a small smile in the hope that her gaze would brighten. "You did a fantastic job."

Instantly her eyes lit up. "Thank you!"

He ate the rest of it quickly, realizing only after he tasted the rice how utterly starving he was. When it was gone he leaned back with a contented sigh, the painful cramps in his stomach finally assuaged. Zelda finished only moments after he did, though he feared that it was because she'd given him a larger helping. "I'm… sorry," he began hesitantly. "But… what exactly's going on? What happened?"

Zelda's smile faded into a thoughtful frown. "Well… perhaps you'll be relieved to know that your friends still don't really believe that you're the century-old Hylian Champion," she admitted, clasping her hands together on the table. "But that one man - Garill, was it? - emphatically believes that you are a hero, given that you wore the Master Sword on your back. He and I were able to convince those other two." She scowled. "I wish I could have done something - she's the one that gave you the idea about the Master Sword being a hoax, wasn't she?"

Link lowered his gaze. "It's… easy to believe what people say about… back then… when I don't know exactly what happened myself," he murmured.

"If you need to trust anyone about that, trust me," Zelda invited him. "Because I was there, right by your side most of the time. She wasn't. In fact, most people weren't. A hundred years is certainly long enough for truth to fade in their minds, isn't it? So… please don't believe what others might say. Especially when they're as rich, conceited, pampered, blind, and - and -"

"She just wants to keep her daughter safe," Link defended. "And that's not what I was asking." He flinched slightly, ashamed; who was he to demand a straight answer from the Princess of Hyrule? Though she was no longer in line to inherit the throne of the kingdom, because said throne no longer existed, she was still a Princess in his eyes. "F-forgive me," he swallowed tightly, looking down at his empty bowl. "I… I'm just confused. Someone brought me inside after what happened yesterday morning, and then there's the flower by my bed, the rugs upstairs that came from the castle - from your study - and then… this breakfast." He glanced back at her, heart hammering hard inside. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but… why are you doing this?"

"Technically it was Garill who brought you back inside," she said with a slight grin. "And as for the flower and the rugs… the Silent Princesses are a lovely touch down here, but the loft it did seem a little… barren." She smiled quickly. "Which is perfectly alright, as you haven't been here often. I used the Sheikah Slate to get back to my old rooms and get those rugs; I seem to remember that you once enjoyed sitting on them in a patch of sunlight from the window while I compiled my research. And I already told you why I made breakfast."

Link inhaled deeply. "Why make the effort?" he asked, and he realized, remembering his thoughts before falling asleep, that it was a question he desperately wanted the answer to. "You didn't have to do any of this. I'm… I'm certainly not worth it. I mean - it seems you're happier, which is fantastic, but… I'm just… confused."

"You've spent so much of your life, before and now, in the service of others," Zelda told him solemnly. "I've realized that it's about time someone did a good turn for you as well. And as to whether or not you think you're worth it… as they're my actions, I think it ought to be up to me to decide whether or not you're worth it, don't you?" She offered him a gentle smile. "So what would you like to do now?"

Link frowned, shaking his head. "What… what would I…"

"Hylia knows you deserve a respite," Zelda chuckled grimly. "After you saved Hyrule I dragged you right back into helping with my research. I… I'm sorry for that; it was selfish of me."

"I didn't mind," Link protested, and he clamped his mouth shut before he could say the rest: Being with you gives my life purpose.

If he'd said that… well, it certainly didn't sound like something just a friend would say. It could ruin whatever friendship we might share.

"Needless to say, I think it's high time you do what you want to do for a change," she told him. "And… I'd like to do it with you, if you'd let me."

His brow furrowed. "But I - I don't know what I want to do," he realized, his voice barely audible. His heart felt encased in ice, and once again the black abyss of nothingness threatened him. He forgot to breathe; he couldn't remember his own interests. Those few glimpses into his past life, consumed with trying to fulfill his duty against Ganon, and his duty to protect the Princess… and now this past year, when he'd been utterly consumed by fighting his way back to her…

She was all he had. His only clue, his only connection, to who he really was.

"...Link?" Zelda murmured, reaching across the table to take his hand, sending a jolt through his body. "Are you… alright?"

No, he thought, closing his eyes tightly. No, I'm not alright. I haven't been alright; I don't know if I'll ever be alright… "I… don't know," he told her helplessly, quietly, half-hoping she didn't hear - he didn't want to cause her more pain, especially now that she'd seemed so much happier. "I… don't know who I am."

Almost imperceptibly, her grip tightened on his hand. "You're more than your memories," she told him. "I know you don't remember events, but the memory of your personality remains - I see it in you every day, with everything you do."

He blinked several times, studying the designs formed by the wood of his table. My personality… "So I'm… the same person now, that I was… then?"

Zelda nodded eagerly. "Just as strong, just as brave, just as kind and selfless…"

"I'm not any of that," Link protested, shrinking away.

"And just as humble," Zelda smiled ruefully.

He shook his head. "I'm not any of that," he repeated more forcefully. "I'm… I just do what anyone else would've done." Right?

He scanned the memories left in his possession. Yes, he'd done a few things for a few people, but it wasn't anything huge, was it? Playing with children, running errands, fighting off monsters…

"Do you remember that one woman, here in Hateno, whose sheep were taken by bokoblins?" Zelda asked him. "I saw it only from afar, of course; it'd greatly help my memory if you told me… What did you do?"

Link flushed, embarrassed. "I killed the bokoblins and herded the sheep back to her. It… wasn't much…"

"Think about it from her perspective," Zelda urged him. "She lived on a farm, right? If you hadn't rescued those sheep, they certainly would have suffered financially. And she was responsible for them; I'm sure she must have felt terrible about losing them. Imagine how grateful she was to you when you brought them back, safe and sound. To you it might not have seemed like a difficult or significant task, but to her…" She left the sentence hanging.

Link looked away from her. She was grateful… "But anyone would've done the same, right?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Zelda mused. "Certainly no one in her family had helped. No one in the village, either. And Hateno is a small, secluded village - not many travellers come through. You were the only one, Link."

He gave her a sideways glance. "Just how closely were you watching me after I woke up?"

Her emerald gaze was solemn. "As closely as I could," she murmured. "Being with you, at least in spirit, and observing your efforts to free this kingdom, and to free me… it gave me the strength and hope I needed to continue the fight against Ganon. I saw all of the good deeds you did to others, no matter how small the person or the task."

"You're making it sound much bigger than it is," Link protested, blushing. "I'm not some hero. I'm… I'm just a boy. One of hundreds across the kingdom. Just a face in the crowd. Take me away and the world carries on, perhaps even a little better off…"

Nayru's love, he'd done it again. Wincing, he lowered his head, guilt burning in his heart as he saw the pain on Zelda's face. No. Don't say things like that; we're friends - of course saying that would hurt her.

"Alright," Zelda murmured, breathing deeply. "You really think death would have been a better fate for you? Well… you don't remember the lives you saved before the Calamity, but I know you'll remember that man at the Gerudo Canyon Stable." She raised her eyebrows at him. "His four friends were about to be driven to their deaths by bokoblins. Link, they would have died! But because of you, they had the chance to live and experience all of the blessings of life the Goddesses bestow upon their children. And that's not to mention all of those other people getting attacked by bokoblins on roadside throughout your travels - you saved them, too."

Link swallowed tightly. He couldn't say that it wasn't a big deal this time; that would be like saying the lives of those people weren't a big deal either. "N-no one else was… doing anything…"

"That's it exactly!" Zelda smiled. "You alone had the courage to do what needed to be done. Everyone's life touches countless others' lives, Link. If I had let you die after the Calamity fell, just imagine how many would now be dead, or sad, or alone. A kind word, a kind deed here and there… it's impossible to know just how deeply such actions affected those around you for the better." She finally paused to take a breath, and continued with a tear slipping down her cheek. "Everyone you've offered assistance to is grateful for you. And… that includes me, more than I can say." She placed her other hand over his and leaned towards him, urging him silently to meet her gaze. "Do you remember what happened that night, when you nearly died?"

Link's heart began to pound; he wasn't entirely certain why. "You unlocked your sealing power, and… and you saved us all. And you saved me."

"Why did it manifest then, and only then, of all times?" she asked him, the barest hint of a smile playing at her lips. "After everything we'd been through, all of my efforts to find that power… why then?"

He stared at her, baffled. I thought it was because of my presence… because I was almost dead, and I'd been inhibiting her powers…

Link suppressed a chuckle. Looking back, it was clear that such a notion was absurd, but then… hypothermia was known to cut off rational thinking. The Goddesses wouldn't punish Zelda for something I did, or something her father did in having me draw the Master Sword.

And then there was that - the Master Sword. Ruli had suspected it wasn't a magical blade at all, and that anyone could draw it, but hadn't the Great Deku Tree told him otherwise? And hadn't he felt his strength, his life, dimming even as he drew it? It was only the second before he lost consciousness that the blade finally freed itself - that certainly wasn't normal. So… it must have chosen me; it must have seen something worthwhile within me.

He frowned, angry at himself for giving Ruli's words so much thought. But then again… it was far easier to trust the words of a friend than it was to believe a mysterious giant tree, backwards though it seemed, especially when he truly couldn't remember drawing the Master Sword once before…

"Link?" Zelda prompted him, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. Goddesses above… she's still holding my hand!

Holding. My. Hand.

He blinked rapidly, his cheeks quickly heating up. "R-right. Sorry. I, uh… I don't know why." He risked a glance at her face, hoping she wouldn't be offended by how easily he'd gotten distracted.

But her eyes betrayed only warmth, and… and…

"It was because I couldn't lose you, Link," she told him. "I'd seen you put yourself in front of others, fighting for them, risking everything for them, and for… for me…" She sucked in a deep breath, all at once looking incredibly nervous. "I… fell in love with you. With your selfless heart, with your gentle smile, with your unwavering courage in the face of darkness and adversity. It was love that finally allowed me to unlock my powers to save you, the way you'd saved me so many times before. And it was love and the promise of one day seeing you again that gave me the courage to face Ganon, to wait for you to return."

Link gaped at her, his heart fluttering a mile a minute. Pinch me; I'm dreaming, he wanted to say. For… for only in a dream could this be actually happening. He could feel his eyes burning with the promise of tears; his soul ached with longing, and the hope that he'd kept bottled up inside for so long threatened to overflow. "You're… telling the truth?" he asked her breathlessly.

She nodded, looking at him anxiously. "I've never said anything more honest." Then she winced slightly. "Purah will be delighted, I'm sure…"

Link inhaled deeply and pinched his arm as hard as he could. Pain. Good. He looked at Zelda again, eyes wide. "This isn't a dream?"

She gave a short, nervous laugh. "No; it's real. I… I can't believe it, actually; I've waited so long to tell you, but I was… afraid." And suddenly her smile faded, and she looked at him fearfully. "Was… was I wrong…?"

Link swallowed thickly - a task that seemed monumentally more difficult with the lump of emotion that had formed in his throat. "I love you, too," he blurted, his heart pounding faster - if that was possible. He was trembling from an interesting combination of excitement and nervousness. "Z-Zelda, when I woke up, everything… everything was gone. B-but I heard your voice, and I… I could almost remember. Th-there were glimpses - flashes - I could almost see you in my mind, and I knew… I knew what it was that I felt for you." His shoulders sagged slightly, and he shook his head. "I just… never could have dreamed that you'd return those feelings…"

"Funny," she smiled. "I… I worried about the same thing." Her features softened into solemnity. "You might not think of yourself as a hero, but… that's exactly what you are. To me, at least." There were tears in her eyes again. "I believe you remember this, at least. I felt like such a failure, for being unable to harness the sealing power. I did everything - I prayed, I performed the ancient rituals, I did everything the priests said, and yet… nothing. People mocked me, some openly, while others tried to keep their feelings secret. I never could escape the glances that others sent my way. And… my father's judgements were the worst of all. I… I hated myself.

"But… you, Link…" She inhaled deeply, offering him a watery smile. "I ran away from you once… I thought I was so clever. But the Yiga found me, and I realized I'd made a mistake. At the last second I thought… would it be so bad if I died? Clearly I couldn't do what everyone expected me to do, so perhaps we'd be better off without me." With a soft gaze she regarded him. "You found me. You saved me. I asked you why, after how I treated you, after all of my failures, and you told me… you told me that I was worth saving."

You were, he thought. You are.

I'm not so sure I am, though.

She took a deep, shaking breath before going on. "It wasn't just then, either. After every unanswered prayer, after every fruitless visit to the sacred springs, you listened to my worry and my anger and my fear; you let me speak without inhibition, and when I finished, you helped me to realize that not everything I'd done had failed. You were a true friend, and you helped me cling to hope. There were still moments of misery, of course, but just having you by my side, always there to catch me and lift me when I fell…" She smiled at him tenderly. "Thank you, Link. Thank you. I… I only hope that you'll let me return the favor."

He blinked rapidly, looking away as his eyes burned. "I… I'm not worth it," he protested, for what felt like the umpteenth time. "Zelda, look at me. L-look at what I've done. I'm… ashamed of it, but I… but the desire's still there. I'm…" He closed his eyes, biting his lip hard. "I'm broken."

"Once again, it's not up to you to decide who I give my heart to," she reminded him, gently stroking his hand. "I love you. I wouldn't let you die then, and I won't let you die now, either. I… I understand that we can't fix anything with a few words, powerful though they are, and everything will be alright with the next dawn. But there is hope, Link." She tugged his hands upwards, getting to her feet; as he opened his eyes and stood, she quickly closed the distance between them, her green eyes suddenly closer than he'd ever seen them before.

"Z-Zelda…"

"Let me be your hope, as you were always mine," she whispered. "I will be with you every step of the way, if you'll let me. I'll help you get through this, no matter how difficult or how long this journey may be."

The ice around his heart melted at her words. His breath caught in his lungs as he saw a tear dripping down her cheek; this time he didn't hesitate to gently wipe it away with his thumb. "Thank you," he told her quietly, feeling overcome with love.

Zelda smiled at him, her eyes half-closed; then she leaned in closer and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her lips against his. Link held her close, breathing in the sweet scent of her, enjoying his first kiss as an unfamiliar feeling descended upon his soul.

For the entirety of his memory, he'd always been the one fighting to protect others, to protect her. Now, it suddenly occurred to him that he was the protected one.

He was surprised to find that the realization didn't bother him as much as he thought it would. In fact… it actually felt comforting. We'll both be watching out for each other…

I will never be alone again.

It's easier to die for something than to live for it. So please... find something, anything, that you want to LIVE for.

Death is a tempting escape from the misery life throws at us, but I encourage you to hold on to hope. Hope for a better future. Hope for finding love. Hope for feeling joy. Hope for yourself. There may be times when you lose sight of that hope, but you'll be able to find it again - I know it.

Best of luck to all of you, and thank you for reading ICE!