There will be a day in which every man will reconcile for his deeds, whether good or bad.
A young man appeared from the darkness in chains. He was dragged to the center of the large room and thrown to the ground. All about him he could hear the sounds of people shouting and the cries of non-humanly creatures. One voice echoed above all others.
"You dare to defy me, little girl. The punishment for such action is known to you, death."
The man was thrown down before two figures face-first. He looked up to see a tall and Dark man grinning devilishly at him. Next to him stood a young woman, also in chains. Her demeanor was that of panic and despair.
"Yes," the man said to her, "I know who you are and I know what you have done for this boy."
"Please," she gasped.
"Yours is a life I do not wish to take at this moment, his, on the other hand, I do not care for."
The boy stared in shock and horror as the man drew his blade and raised it over his head. Just as he began to swing his sword the girl screamed.
"NO!" she dove to the boy's side and stared head-long into the blade, "Do not touch this boy."
The man began to laugh evilly at the girl, who only inched closer to the frightened and confused boy.
After a moment of laughter, which echoed about the room along with the laughter from everyone at the festivities, the man asked a question.
"Why do you want to save this boy's life? After what you did to him I thought you wouldn't care."
The girl looked to her knees, groping for an answer.
"Well, Princess Zelda," he hissed, "what answer can you give me? After taking this boy's memories and sending him away to live a life separate from what he knows, you must not truly care for him."
"Shut up!" she screamed, "You have no idea what I have done for him."
"For him? I recall you saying how much you hate him."
"I don't hate him," she whispered, "As much as I hate to say it, no matter how much it hurts me… I cannot deny the truth… the truth I have suppressed for two years… I care more for him than anyone else in this world… I love him. I love Link with all my heart."
Link stared at the girl in shock; he had never even seen this woman before. How could she say that she loved him? He did not even know her name.
"Then why did you remove yourself from his memories?"
The girl remained silent.
"WHY?" he bellowed raising the sword once more.
"Because he did not love me," she whispered once more.
Link saw a tear roll down her pale face.
The man put the sword down and watched as the girl collapsed on her hands and knees in silent tears. Link watched a girl he never met weep for him bitterly. As she cried he saw blood begin to run down her forearms and neck.
"Another relapse? I thought you had gotten over such disturbances."
Link continued to watch as the blood dripped from her tiny body onto the dirt floor.
"And you," the man said turning his attention to Link, "You have no idea what is going on, do you?"
Link could only stare.
"One would think that after what you did she would want you dead."
Link's eyes shot open wide, "What did I do?"
"It doesn't matter, you will die soon enough."
"That's enough!" the girl cried standing on her knees weakly and spreading her arms out to cover Link, "You will never touch this boy."
Link watched as more tears and blood-drops fell to the ground, "I care for him more than you can ever know. You will have to kill me first before you lay a finger on him!"
The man smiled, "Very well."
"Wai—" was all Link could say before he saw the sword descend upon its victim.
Instantly he was engulfed in darkness.
"You are not worth the blood on my blade," the man's voice echoed through the darkness.
"Who are you? What is happening?"
"I will show you the results of your selfishness."
A bright light appeared below Link's body and exploded around him. He looked up to see the girl frowning down on him.
"You are such an idiot, you know that?"
"Huh?"
"I mean, really? Trying to retrieve a little necklace from the nest of a phoenix? It's not worth the trouble, and I told you not to!"
"But…"
"Link," she said wrapping his arm in a part of her torn dress, "I love that necklace, and you know that. But I value your life more than anything else in the whole world."
"She was telling you that she loved you."
"How was I supposed to know?"
The colors began to blur into a new image, all the while memories of his childhood and adventures with the Princess returned.
He was watching a group of farmers unload barrels of goat milk.
"Isn't the sunset lovely?"
Link looked up to see the Princess staring up toward the sunset. He then looked down back at the farmers; he paid close attention to the girl helping to unload the barrels.
"You like her, don't you, Link?"
"She and I were friends when we were little, before I came here. I always knew I loved her. But since I am a soldier, I have no time to live as a farmer with her."
Link was suddenly pulled from his body to see the Princess. Her face was downcast.
"She felt responsible for your unhappiness and unfulfilled longing toward that girl. She only wanted you to be happy."
He was in a dark room lit by only a select few candles in an instant. The air about him was like that of the dead.
"And when I cast the spell?" a familiar voice whispered in the darkness.
"You will slowly fade," a haunting voice responded, "Is that what you desire."
"I only want him to be happy; the best way to do that is to make it as if he was never a knight. That way he may live free from the burden of duty. So, yes, this is my wish."
"You have agreed to the price, I grant you your wish, child."
"She gave up so much for you…"
Link found himself in the courtyard, standing across from the Princess.
"Are you sure you want to do this for me?" he asked.
"Will it make you happy?" she responded softly.
"It will," he whispered.
"Then, yes, I do want to do this for you."
"Thank you."
The Princess never responded, she only held her hands in front of her and recited the incantation. Darkness engulfed Link once more. He was in one of the many dark passageways of the castle. The Princess stood looking out toward the fields, it was very late at night.
"What news have you brought me?"
"The lady broke off the engagement. It has hurt Master Link very deeply."
The Princess held her heart and looked down as if she were gasping for air.
"You're Highness?"
The Princess collapsed in the arms of the messenger, her body began to bleed profusely.
"You're bleeding, someone help! The Princess is dying!"
"Her payment for your happiness was her life. She was rotting from the inside-out."
"No more, I beg of you!"
"There is little more to show. But you must know."
Link was taken to the throne room. The Princess stood before the man who threatened her life and his own, not more than a few minutes before.
"I will not be in power much longer, and I need someone to take my place when I die. I trust you with the power of regent until the day of my death, then the throne."
"The honor is mine, Princess Zelda."
"I must go to rest," she said softly as she was led from the room.
"She handed power to a new ruler for she was too weak to take the burden upon herself alone, for what little time she had left. A grave mistake."
Images flashed before Link's eyes.
Soon the power of Hyrule fell into this man's hands. He brought ill will for Hyrule. Alas, the goddesses had hoped for a hero to arise and free the land, but he never came. And so the Princess and all those who opposed this new evil power where taken prisoner. And you, being an old connection, a 'loose end,' you might say, had to be removed before his rule could be made final. So he had you brought before the grieving Princess.
Link watched as the girl he grew up with defended him even though he had taken so much from her. He saw the tears in her eyes and the blood stains on her arms and legs. He saw himself staring helplessly as she offered her life in his place. As the sword was raised, she finally gave up her spirit.
She felt no pain in the end. She was never struck with the sword. But her life and the lives of countless others have been lost due to your selfishness. You must answer for these deaths.
Hence, from this day forth you must wander the worlds and tell your story. You must live as a warning to others of the illusion of "Falling in Love" and the dangers that follow it.
"Am I to wander the last days of my life in such a way?"
Simply living a short life will not be enough for the sin you have committed. Nay, you will never die. You will bear the burden of this tale and the sorrow of what you could have had for eternity.
To show your fate to others, you will bear the mark of the living dead. Upon your forehead will reside the image of the precious bird whom you forsook in your own selfishness.
"How might I relieve the pain and sorrow of my soul?"
You must tell your tale.
The old man stood up with the help of his cane.
"And that is the Tale of the Cursed Soldier," he said in a scruffy voice, "Thank you for your time."
The demeanor on the man's face was far different from when he first came into the pub. He was no longer as downcast. He seemed almost god-like in his solemn silence. He nodded to the men who listened from a distance and left the pub.
I could not help but notice the faded mark on his forehead. It was faint, almost like that of a birthmark. It resembled that of a bird. Some of the other men began to talk amongst themselves as to what the old man was trying to tell us that evening, I know what he meant.
I left the pub as quickly as I could and returned home. What the Soldier could not protect, I still had a chance to revive. Never again will I stray from the ones I love and the ones who love me.