The Falling of the Shade on the Hero
By Richie S.
Faded red mixed with silver and ran down Malon's shoulder. She of course was leaning over Link who had seen better days. Of course if you were pushing 80 years of age like Link was your body would have seen better days to. In fact Link was not doing well at all as Malon placed a cool hand towel on her husband's forehead and was both shocked and dismayed to feel the warmth of his skin through the wet cloth. This was the third day of the fever and it was getting worse. Given Link's she realized with horror that this could be it for him. Fighting back tears Malon began half-mumbling and half-crying a prayer to Nayru to have mercy on her husband.
Unbeknownst to Malon, Link was seeing and hearing her pray. His spirit was already outside of his body, preparing itself for its final departure from this world. Seeing the woman he loved deflated and begging left Link feeling equally helpless. To think that he had fought as a young man to save the world and the people in it like Malon. As he stumbled out of the Temple of Time for the first time in seven years he doubted himself. After all he was just a kid how could he do all that Rauru had said? He wandered around in a daze until he realized that he had a friend at Lon Lon Ranch, which was not that far away. Needing the comfort of friendship more than anything he went there seeking his friend and found so much more. Laying eyes on Malon as a woman Link found himself instantly falling in love. His face at first was as red as Malon's hair and from that moment on his heart beat only for her.
From that moment on he fought ceaselessly and courageously, his love for her having ignited the Triforce of Courage within him. He fought to keep Malon safe and protected. And so he went on and on until he had struck the final blow to the beast that Ganondorf had become and the Sages sealed him away. Even after this Link stayed vigilant to safeguard the life of his beloved Malon. And so he had and their life together had been joyous. Malon bore him two sons and a daughter and they in turn had been fruitful and given him nine grandchildren. Why the oldest grandchild, Illia (a name from the other side of the family that had been past down for generations) had just conceived a great grandchild! And Link realized to his horror that he would not be there to watch that child come into the world and live life.
This could not be! He could not leave Malon alone sobbing like this! Never! But it was already too late, his body had just expired. So had Malon's prayers, she now collapsed sobbing unto her husband's body. Link stretched out his hand to comfort her but it already passed through her. He was now dead. Yet Link was so consumed with concern for Malon that he not at first noticed the blue tint that had covered the room. Eventually Link noticed that it was emanating from a glowing blue orb behind Link, or Link's ghost would be more accurate. Malon's prayers had been heard and Nayru was not present.
"You will remain here… for a time" a trio of voices announced to him. They all at once were a choir of a little girl, an elderly woman and the powerful voice of a trained singer. They continued with "As the shade of the hero that you were you will remain here to watch what you began as a man." With that the blowing blue orb was replaced with a brilliant and sudden gold flash revealing a skeletal form that reminded Link of a Stalfos. Yet instead of being threatening Link recognized its battle stance as being familiar. Then he realized it wielded its sword and shield in the same in the same manner that he did all those years ago. The gold then yielded a slight red glowing in the skeleton's left eye socket that suddenly expanded and replaced gold with crimson. As Link's eyes adjusted the golden skeleton was replaced by a golden wolf whose only connection to the previous Stalfos-like being was the gold tint and the glowing red in its left eye.
The gold faded to green and then a cool blue and Link was greeted by the odd trio of voices for a final time "You must go now, as a spirit you are not as bound to the physical as a man. But for the sake of your beloved you will be here to watch over her and your descendants when the time is right." With that Link felt unbelievingly exhausted and staggered as if both drunk and half-asleep. But that could not be, he was lucid a few moments ago listening to Malon pray and being consumed with concern for her. As the darkness went to claim him and Link got closer to unconsciousness his last waking moment was that he was now dead and the forms he was shown would be how he would interact with his descendants.