XXIX: The Spring of Power

Before the Calamity

Disclaimer: Some events + Dialogue from this chapter belong to Nintendo

Link's POV:

"Just tell me... what's wrong with me?"

Zelda and I woke up early that morning so that we could make it to Akkala in a days time. We arrived at the Spring of Power, where I was watching her nearly break down from another failed attempt. I stood silently, listening to her plead to Hylia. I was really hoping she would get it that time.

I broke my post, turning to see her. She didn't look back, but rather sank slowly into the water. I watched her as her body nearly became completely submerged. Only her face was above water. 

She sighed, allowing her face to go under the surface. I kept my eye on her, but she didn't come back up.

Right then, I sheathed my sword and ran into the water. I reached her quickly and wrenched her out of the water.

"Zelda?" I gasped, panicked.

"What, Link?" she said, teary-eyed.

I stammered. "I, Um- nothing, I just thought-"

"You thought what?"

"Nothing. It was nothing."

Zelda looked up at me, her bottom lip quivering. Then, she broke out into tears.

"What's wrong with me?" she cried, gripping onto my wet shirt. "Every time... I try, and I fail!"

She buried her face in my shirt, weeping. I put my hand on her back and tried to soothe her. Gently, I lifted her into a more comfortable position and just held her there. She cried for a while. Neither of us hid our emotions in front of one another anymore.

I slowly traced circles on her back, whispering "It's okay" in her ear. I wasn't sure what to say, because it wasn't lack of work that was failing her- we didn't know what it was.

"You're going to get it," I said. "I know you will."

"But what if-" Zelda said with a trembling voice, "What if I don't? There's no telling how much time I have left to find my power... I don't know how much time we have left together..."

I moved my hand up to her face and brushed wet strands of hair from her eyes. She grabbed my shirt, clutching onto me like I would disappear from her. I wanted to tell her that everything was going to be okay, but I wasn't so sure that was true...

Suddenly, the ground violently rumbled beneath us. Zelda gasped and I held her head into my shirt until the rumbling stopped. After the ground became still, she looked up, panicked. 

"Wh- What was that?" she asked with a terror glossing her eyes. "Could it- could it be-" Zelda's voice trailed off.

It must have been Ganon... we both knew it. Maybe he was coming sooner than we had expected, so time was becoming more and more precious.

"That time we spent by the side of the castle, when I tried to feed you the frog-" Zelda let go of my shirt and threw her hands in the water. "Wasted! What was I thinking, spending my time doing that rather than praying?"

"It's okay," I said. "You have more chances." I pulled her back into my chest. "I'm not giving up on you."

Zelda sniffled and wiped her eyes, and I helped her up. We slowly started walking out of the Spring, completely soaked. She turned slightly and looked at the goddess statue. Her eyes glistened as she stared, then she turned back around and dropped her head.