See the stone set in your eyes

Like steel. She had made up her mind. I could see that now. I lowered my eyes to the slate blue ocarina in my hand, and then met my eyes with hers. As she reached forward for the sacred artefact, I saw the pain in her eyes. Did she feel something too?

See the thorn twist in your side

I wait for you

It was in her hands now. Her expression was as morose as my own soul felt. She turned the ocarina in her hands, as if contemplating something. She raised the instrument to her lips, raising her eyes with it, before they finally met my own. This was it. She was sending me back.

Sleight of hand and twist of fate

The serene sky fell away as I felt my body lift and float to the heavens. The melodious tune left my ears only to be replaced by the rushing of time going by. Or was that past?

Back. In my own time. In my old life. Nothing changed but merely fate itself. There was doubt to what my first action would be. To return to her. To Zelda. Sweet and innocent, as she had been. As she always had been.

My return to the castle flew by in a blur, I dodged the guards with nimble feet, and hid in the shadows like a silent assassin. That courtyard, the place where I had first seen her…she was still there. In the same place, her back to me. But my tentative step towards her were as silent as they had been, yet she turned. Almost as if she had been expecting me…

On a bed of nails she makes me wait

"Link!"

So she knew my name. She knew me. She had not forgotten. I rushed forward, up those short steps, but she held out her hand.

"No Link. Please."

And I wait without you

With or without you

With or without you

"Zelda?" My voice was higher than I had remembered it. I looked down at myself. I was a child. Just a child. With the thoughts of a man. Now I knew what it was to be a true Kokiri. I was confused. Why did she caution me? Me? Her friend? Who had sacrificed everything but his life to do a duty she herself had assigned to me.

"Link please. No further. I…I can't see you. We have to say our goodbyes."

"Goodbyes?" I was crushed. Of course. How naïve of me. She and I had no link any longer. No common cause. I was nothing. She, however, was the next ruler of Hyrule. I nodded my head.

"Oh. I understand…" I murmured, the words wrong for the voice. I backed away. Were those tears shining in the eyes of the Princess.

"No Link. I don't think you do…" She stood forward as she spoke, and held out her hand. I stopped.

"You said this was it."

"I'm a Sage Link. I'm sorry." As was Saria. Ruto. Impa. Darunia. Where they going to meet me with the same excuses?

"You're here. What about your duty to the throne?" Words pouring from a mouth so young.

"Link. It's complicated…" Her eyes were lowered. She could not meet my own.

"And I'm just another complication." I turned, fully intending to leave. But then her hand was on my shoulder and I turned. We came face to face and her eyes burned into my.

"No…I just don't want to…" Words failed her at last.

Through the storm we reach the shore

My hand found hers, and I reached forward, touching her face. Still just a child. Trails of silver tears stained her ivory pale cheeks, and I simply smiled. She met my gaze once more, dropping my hand.

"I'll never forget you Link." Parting words.

You give it all but I want more

And I'm waiting for you

My eyes searched the ground, I could not thing of a thing to say. A long silence had begun.

With or without you

With or without you

I can't live

With or without you

"It's my duty Link. I'm…I never asked for it."

"Like I never asked for my duty."

"Link. Don't say that." Our eyes never met.

"I'm still I child. I shouldn't even know about duty. I shouldn't even care. Nor should you."

"But you aren't a child anymore Link." I looked at her.

"But my body is."

And you give yourself away

And you give yourself away

And you give

And you give

And you give yourself away

"No, Link in time you will forget."

"I don't want to forget." I held up my hands, fingers outstretched. "I never want to forget. I've had more experiences than most people will have in two, maybe three lifetimes. I never want to forget that. Not any of that. And I never want to forget you." I closed my hand and made a fist, before it dropped limply back to my side. I looked at her, my eyes filled with anger, but none of it was at her. It never could be, even though…even though somewhere it was true I could have held her responsible for all that had happened. But I knew I couldn't. She had wanted this I much as I had. My eyes fell to the ground, and I closed them, wanting so much to take her hand. Take her hand and show her I didn't blame her.

My hands are tied

But I couldn't move. I couldn't touch her. Hold her. But it was what I wanted. So much.

My body bruised,

Every bruise I had taken so willingly for her. For Hyrule. Yet none of it would ever be remembered. None of it had happened. I looked at my hands, the skin still soft…but the cuts and the grazes and the pain in my bones. That was all real. Her hand found mine, and our eyes met once more.

She's got me with

Nothing to win and

Nothing left to lose

"Link. I'm so sorry." I looked to her hand, it was perfect, so much like the rest of her. Soft and true and noble. Slender and graceful. But now I was so young. The feelings I felt, they were never meant to be. I dropped her hand.

"Don't be Zelda. Don't ever be sorry for what happened. None of this could have been prevented. None of it."

And you give yourself away

And you give yourself away

And you give

And you give

And you give yourself away

And with those words, I turned and left that place. I left it and never returned. I never wanted to, because I knew I would never be able to bear the pain of knowing I world remain forever without her. And she knew it too.

With or without you

With or without you

I can't live

With or without you

With or without you

With or without you

I can't live

With or without you

With or without You

 

Author's notes:

This, if you didn't guess, is a song fic, based on the beautiful With or Without you by U2. I've wanted to write a song fic for a long time, so go easy, this is my first one. Probably not deserving of the song, but I tried all the same. Hope you enjoy. Also, it has to be said, the premise was slightly inspired by Saria's Sprite's wonderful 'Moment Eternal' so if you liked this even an iota, you'll probably like hers a heck of a lot more.

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