Chapter Text
I look up at the Light Dragon - Zelda. She's weaving through the clouds, as she has been doing for (quite possibly) years. Perhaps no one thought to look so far up for a dragon, and that's why no one knew about her. I can't imagine how long she's been up there, all alone, just moving slowly across the sky.
When I discovered who she was, I felt the world collapse around me. The girl who held me while I lost consciousness, the girl who guided me when I had forgotten everything, the girl who helped me bring normalcy back into my life, the girl who I had fallen for, she had done the only thing she knew how to do just to see me and help me again. And now she most likely will never be the same.
THUMP, a choked cry escaping her as she slowly begins crying. I can't say my response was much different. When I had found out, I had stayed up with Zelda, in her mane of golden hair, clutching at it anything I could just to feel like she wouldn't slip from my grasp again.
"This whole time we've been looking for her...," Purah mutters, eyes closed and words muffled by her hand, "...she's been up here... How long..? How did we not notice..?"
I'm only hearing her words, not listening. My mind is focused on Zelda, who has noticed us and is getting closer to where we stand. Her bright eyes are fixed on me, it feels.
Purah collects herself and stands. "I... I have to go. I'll be at Lookout Landing if you need me," she tells me. Then, without looking up, she makes her way to the edge of the sky island, pulls out the Purah Pad, and teleports away.
I understand her haste to leave. It's a natural response, and not a bad one. She'll process the information with time. I'm not sure I'll ever fully process it.
I step toward the edge where Zelda will meet me at. She seems to be trying to move as fast as she can. Dragons aren't always the fastest. Watching her, I'm taken aback.
The floor broke out from underneath her. I, engulfed in pain, felt my breath catch in my throat. I jumped to catch her. I felt our fingers just narrowly miss each other. I watched her fall into the darkness and disappear in faint golden light. I went into shock and barely felt when King Rauru had grabbed me and pulled me back. When I woke up and stepped into the sunlight for the first time since Zelda and I had gone under the castle, I saw her. I just didn't recognize her. She recognized me. But I didn't know yet. I...didn't know...
I'm brought back to reality by a soft puff of air that ruffles my hair. Zelda looks at me with her big, multicolor eyes, and very gently nudges me with her nose. I try to smile as I place a hand on her soft face, but I can't. It's like my face has forgotten how. She notices my mood. She never liked seeing me upset. So she moves forward, forcing me to lean on her nose and lift my feet so I don't get toppled over. I gently crawl up her snout and sit on top of her head. She flies over the island I was on and dips down. I don't know where she'll take me, but I grab a lock of her mane and begin braiding it.
The breeze brings a chill, but as long as I'm here with Zelda, it's fine. I open my pouch and take out flowers, braiding them into her mane slowly. This is how we spend time together now. Before, we would explore together, snuggle together, cook together, study together, sleep together. But now we can only fly together. More specifically, she flies and I try to pretend this is okay. I sleep in her mane. Braid her mane. Polish her horns. Brush her mane. Clean her scales. So we aren't doing anything together. We're just with each other. And maybe I'm selfish to want more. Maybe I'm selfish to hate this. Maybe I'm selfish to wish it could be different.
Maybe I'm selfish.