Acceptance

                                    

                                          
As soon as the two of them finished at Hyrule Castle, Link and Zelda went North to the Great Hyrule Forest. She had one memory to show him before they headed down south to Faron. 
                          
The dynamic between the two of them was noticeably shifting; they felt much more comfortable with each other like it had been a century ago. When they met eyes they would both blush and smile instead of looking away. The princess also found herself absentmindedly intertwining her fingers with his, or resting her hand on his back. It all felt so natural and perfect that she didn't even think about it. And every time she did, the knight would grin a little and thank the goddesses that he finally let her in.
                          
When Link looked at her, he no longer saw a sad princess who was watching him die, or crying because she had failed. Her eyes didn't hold the haunting reflections of his departed friends. He would never forget any of them, but he had learned acceptance. He realized that he had nearly lost everything, even his own life. And his devotion to Zelda was not why he had failed. That was just what happened, and nobody could change that. No one had known that the Beasts would turn against them. 
                          
She was not a reminder of the bad things, she was a gift left to him. Without her, he would truly have had nothing. Yet, she cared for him enough to make sure he got a second chance at life and went through hell waiting for him. And she had suffered again when he could not realize what he had right in front of him. When he finally did, though, she still cared for him when he was in need, despite her own problems. He did not deserve her. 
                          
He learned to never take her for granted, and he swore to himself that he would show her how much she meant to him.
                          
~
                          
Zelda felt the cold of the misty forest biting at her face and she felt thankful for the tunic that she wore. She and Link stood at the entrance to the forest and she felt her memories of the place coming back. Last time she visited, she was all alone, broken down, and empty. That was one hundred years ago. 
                          
"This is where we first met." Link looked at her, cocking his head to the side in confusion. He had never really wondered exactly where it had been, but he hadn't expected this place.
                          
"I thought we knew each other through our families." He stated.
                          
"Well... yes, sort of. We had seen each other, but never properly met. I had been praying to the Great Deku Tree and I got lost on the way back. I was cold, alone, and terrified. Somehow, though, you were here. You had actually just pulled the legendary blade. You helped me back to the castle. Then, two years later, you became my knight."
                          
Link nodded, finally recalling the sight of the shivering, weeping princess. With every new moment he remembered, he felt a bit more like his old self. And he was ready to be back to normal. 
                          
~
                          
A few days later, they arrived in the Faron province. Their first stop was the Spring of Courage. The two of them trekked deep into the woods, surrounded by lush greenery. It was early in the morning when they reached the serpent's jaws and the world around them felt fresh and new and welcoming. She looked at the statue ahead, remembering what had happened here before.
                          
"Here I had my first, but not last, outburst around you," She chuckled, "I had not succeeded with my prayers and I was frustrated and jealous of you. I thought your life was so perfect, but I never took the time to try to get to know you. I was being selfish..."
                          
As she spoke, he heard the sad princess from a century ago, the one who was worn down and dejected because of a path she could not follow.
                          
Zelda turned back around. She looked at Link, then her eyes wandered to the sword on his back. All of the sudden, it began to cause her immense pain and stress to look at. She felt herself starting to lose control.