Her bare feet slapped against the cold, wet stone beneath her as she ran through the pouring rain. The gates of her city were open, despite it being late into the night. Her soaked night dress and shawl clung to her skin, her lips almost blue from the winter chill. The Princess of Hyrule ran as fast as her numb legs would go, the soles of her feet stinging from the cold.

Many of her guards ran after her as she darted through the lowered drawbridge, meeting the line of weary soldiers filtering through. Link..where was he? Her soldiers gave her stoney looks as she pushed through them, stopping only when she saw the cart full of bodies. A tarp was thrown over them, hiding them from the citizens' sight. Zelda felt her throat clench as a soldier, still fully clad, finally finished the line and signaled for the gate to be closed. Link was nowhere to be seen.

Her personal guard finally came up behind her, wrapping a large cloak over her shivering form. "Princess. It's not safe. You'll get sick staying out here." She whispered, rubbing the shivering princess' arms.

"Link..where's Link?" Zelda whimpered, her eyes stinging with tears she refused to shed.

The still fully dressed soldier slowly shook his head. "He disappeared during the last attack. We couldn't find his body…" reaching to the saddle bag on his horse, he pulled off a small bundle, offering it to his Princess.

With trembling fingers she took the bundle, fearful of what hid behind the oiled cloth. Slowly unwrapping it, she let out a choked cry at the shimmering blue hidden there. The Ocarina of Time sat in her palm. Link was gone.

Alone in the forest he stood, his single red eye staring solemnly at the cloud filled sky. He should feel at peace; his grandson had defeated Ganondorf, and Hyrule was safe once again. But his chest ached, and there was a sadness coursing through his spirit. Slowly taking off his helmet, the Hero's Shade lowered his head as the rain began to fall. Slowly sinking onto a nearby rock, his shoulders sagged, a soft sigh escaping his ever shifting lips.

"Link…" a soft voice filled his ears, causing his head to twist.

His throat clenched as Zelda stood before him, her golden hair floating around her, as if she were submerged in water. Her blue eyes softened upon seeing him and she slowly moved forward to stand before him. Leaning down, she placed a gentle hand upon his shoulder, leaning down to kiss his forehead.

Standing to tower over his wife, he cupped her much smaller head in his hands, pressing his lips heatedly against hers, holding her against him. Warmth flooded through his body as he held her, her hands gripping his arms tenderly. How long had it been since he had seen her, held her? He didn't even get to tell her goodbye before he left…

"Link...Let's go home." she murmured against his skin, moving to grip his hand and look up at him.

Peace filled his soul as she took a step back, taking his hand and guiding him through the forest. As they walked, they were joined by others; soldiers that died with him in battle, friends that had struggled with him. A soft jingle filled his ears as a familiar blue fairy flew beside him, followed by two more, one purple, one a soft yellow. The Hero's Shade felt tears stream down his face as Navi fluttered against his cheek, and another hand touched his. Saria's blue eyes met his as she smiled, and the group slowly stepped towards the light. A soft giggle filled the air as Skull Kid watched from above. He was always a sucker for happy endings.