A/N: First submitted March 7th 2013 on Reddit via /r/ZeldaFanon. This is my first 'true' written work outside of roleplaying with friends, and constructive criticism/advice is highly appreciated. Reviews of any sort are more than welcome!
Story tag made by runia at DeviantArt, who generously gave me permission to use it. Go look at all of her amazing artwork!
!ruina! . !deviantart! . !com! /art/TP-Lineage-463847789
(remove spaces and all !'s)
I still remember when I first saw her. Her little dress rustling in the breeze as she strained to get herself higher to see into the window. Navi had lead me through the maze of guards, all to see this one girl, the young Princess Zelda.
When she turned around and spotted me, it was as if time had stopped, and we were the only two people on earth. I was too young to understand those feelings at the time, but now I understand the stirrings of love. Though we only met a few times, and our meetings were short, I fell for her. She became the drive for me to move on with my quest, the reason why I kept going. I fought Ganondorf not to save Hyrule, but to save Zelda.
Then, when it was all over, she sent me back. Everything was so different, yet it was all the same. I could not handle it. I could not handle knowing that the princess would never love me. I could not handle the burden of being a hero of a world that no longer existed to me. I could not handle the loss of my best friend, the only one who knew of what happened.
When I went in search of my trusted fairy guide, my world got turned upside down once more. A whole new adventure. Three days to complete it. No matter what I did, I could never get everything done in three days. I could play the song and turn back time if I ran late, but then I would have to help everyone once more. So many people I helped, but none of them would ever know it. Another world saved, another adventure that lead to nothing.
I never saw my friend again. Navi was gone, and she would never come back. I still can not understand why she left. Did she forget what we went through when I put the Master Sword back? Did she think that her job was done? Did she just not care about me? I will never know what happened to her, or why she left me alone with the agony of being completely and utterly useless.
My hero work is done. I enrolled to be a knight, but it brought no relief to my pain. No one really cared too much when I was killed, but why would they? They would never know how much I suffered for them. My love, my friendships, everything was gone. I was nothing.
But now, now I see my new purpose. A new hero, one who needs help. I will train him, show him swordplay that he will need for his quest. I will be the Hero's Shade.