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Despite going through all of these things together, Link must admit. Zelda is right, they never really knew each other don't they? Years of time spent away from each other, fulfilling an inevitable destiny compared to measly minutes in each other's presence.
He only ever saw Zelda as a child. A child who spoke to him with a mission, eyes filled with distress and fear of what's to come. A child who can only introduce her name and her position, too hurried for anything else. After suddenly waking up in a foreign yet somehow similar body. He didn't see her—not even a glimpse of her— not until the very end of his adventure. And just as when he thought they would finally have all the time in world, she swept the rug off his feet and sent him away, away to a place she can never reach him.
As he was floating away, body covered in magic, ever so slowly pulling him away. He was looking at her. Straight at her and nothing else. Nevermind the wreck of what she called home nor the bright blue sky surrounding them like a breath of fresh air. Nevermind his beat body, barely moving now that the adrenaline of survival had worn off. Nevermind her messed up hair and dirty dress. He was only looking at those tired blue eyes, worn and wet.
He can see through her eyes the way she fight an inner battle. And how she came to a determined decision of doing it anyway.
"Link."
"I hope. That one day, we get to meet each other again."
She sniffed, forcing back tears and succeeding somehow.
"Let's get to know each other sometime." Light had covered Link's eyes before she can even finish her words. Then he was at the temple of time again, feeling comfort and strangeness from his young body.
At that time, Link didn't understand her words. What does he know? He was already a messy mind back then, her words did not register to him as much as it should've been. After all, he was sure he'll meet her again, as a child. They would still meet and finally have more than all the time they would ever need.
Now Link sit up in one of the boxes in the farm. Looking up the nightsky, feeling regret for the millionth time again.
Oh Hylia, he would never see her again. He would never get the chance to know all the things she liked and disliked. He would never sit with her in the royal garden, talking about just everything. He would never see her in casual clothes, in her formal dress, in her adventure clothes. He would never get to witness her eyes crinkle in glee, her eyes burrowed as she focus on something. He would never see those eyes in peace, would never hear her voice taking in that carefree tune. He would never meet her again.
His mind went on and on, just like every night he have to finish work with the twilight long past him. Just like last night and the million nights before that as well as the nights that will come. Link regretfully admits. He never got to know the one he should know the most.