Oneshot, out of the blue! Not as deep as the last one, but I do enjoy these. Enjoy!
They all pity me, and I hate it.
They all pity me as I lay weakly on my bed, my muscles too fatigued to get up. They used to honor me. They used to treat me like one of their own. Now I'm a discarded material, I've outlived my uses, but they clutch to me like hoarders.
They pity me, knowing that I have a fatal wound in my side, but even so, why do they ignore the gaping hole in my heart? The one she filled when she journeyed with me, made condescending gestures at me, joked with me, and eventually her love towards me. She never told me completely. She disappeared, never to be seen again. How come no one has the intelligence to realize that she was the one I wanted? The one I want?
Midna…
"Link I…see you later…"
Her tear, filled with the sorrows of a dying love, destroyed the last connection between us. Obliterated any chances…she was going to say the three words I longed to hear most, the three words she'll never be able to say. The three words I'll never be able to hear. I can only imagine how she feels now, with her duty as princess of the Twilight realm. Or is she queen now? Her tears have destroyed, but they haven't rebuilt anything.
Not only did she shatter the mirror, she also shattered my heart. I thought we could be together. I thought we could spend the rest of our days with each other, whether under the mysterious yet beautiful Twilight particles of her realm or the haunting and mystifying night of mine.
And now, it only took a simple arrow to fell me. I am barely aware of them trying desperately to heal me, to make me wake up, but I no longer have the will. They shed tears while at my bedside, they hold my hand, make empty promises that everything will be okay, that I will heal.
Nothing can heal me. Not anymore.
Not even Midna, with her vibrant, strange laugh and her tinkling voice, chiming like bells in my ears…not even that can heal me…right? Doubt plagues me, but I ignore it. I always have. Until this point.
I can feel death approaching quickly, a never-ending tide of darkness. The great Hero of Twilight is going to die…like this…reduced to only a shell of my former self. I shudder at the thought, but on the inside.
I am now withdrawn from my body, but I'm not dead yet. I float in a blissfully silent realm, oblivious to anything around me. It's nice. I haven't felt peaceful in a while, too torn apart by raging emotions.
Suddenly I hear the faint echoes of a song. The song's notes flow over me in a mystical melody, consuming any other parts of the void. It sounds vaguely familiar…perhaps one time in wolf form I howled it. I feel myself returning, if only for a short period of time. The song continues, and suddenly I can feel my fingers, the toes in my boots. Everything that's insignificant. I don't want to be back. Why can't they just let death take me so I can rest? I don't want to be Hero anymore. I don't want to play a role set up for me and thrust upon me. Can they not tell that I don't care anymore? Have they become that ignorant of my feelings?
"My son…"
I blink open my eyes at the words, startled. The shock runs up my spine and through my body, revitalizing it. I breathe in a great gulp of fresh, clear air. It's crisp, with a sweet tint to it. I realize I'm no longer on a bed. I'm in a green field, a river snaking its way through it, disrupting the peaceful rolling hills. Flowers of all colors and shapes dot the grass, which bends in the unruly wind. The river rounds a bend behind me, where it bubbles softly over pebbles. A lone willow tree's leaves sway above me, and from within it I see a man in a green tunic. Is that…me?
But it can't be me. The man's right eye is obscured by an eyepatch, although he appear to be in no pain. He is so similar to me, only with blond hair and brighter blue eyes. He is taller, and he smiles. Within that smile is understanding, hardship…yet no pity.
"My son…"
The Hero's Shade opens his arms, and I get to my feet quickly, swiftly plunging into the depths. He smells like the forest after a rainy day, the scents strong. His embrace is warm, welcoming. But then I hear another voice, one I have ached for…for so long. I gasp as another's arms wrap around me, again.
"Link…I…"
Midna's glowing orange hair cascades into my face, and I breathe in her soft, sweet scent of lemongrass. Her hair is cool, and I breathe it in and out, never wanting to let go. As I do so, the large rift in my heart heals before my eyes, becoming smaller with each passing second.
"Am I…dead?" I ask them, my voice emerging not hoarse, but smooth and full of life.
The Hero's Shade laughs, a jubilant sound that fills the gap in between us as he slowly takes his arms away. "No, Hero of Twilight. You are not dead. You are most certainly not dead."
I laugh with him, a bark of pure joy. Midna turns to me, her dark eyes glimmering with that of missed opportunity. "The Hero of Time has brought us here for one last moment together, so we may live the rest of our lives in peace."
"But…I'm on my deathbed," I say somewhat reluctantly, pulling away from her. From her fresh scent. From the glint of adventure in her eyes. "I won't be able to live the rest of my life in peace…"
The Hero's Shade turns to me, one eyebrow raised. He pulls his mouth into a small smirk. "And if you do die, Hero of Twilight, you will come here, where together we shall watch over both the Twilight realm and our own."
"I don't want some creepy old guy watching over me," Midna teases with the laugh I wished to hear for so long. She nudges me with her elbow. "But you're not just any creepy old guy, so I guess it's okay."
"I'm not old!" I exclaim, accompanied by more laughter. If this is what death is, I'm okay with it. I'd be glad to stay this way forever.
"You cannot stay here forever," the Hero's Shade says, almost as if reading my thoughts. "I must send you back to the world of the living. Remember, Hero of Twilight, Twilight Princess…you will both meet again one day, and until that day comes, enjoy all life has to offer beforehand. As much as I enjoy your company, I don't want to see you here anytime soon!"
With that, the Hero's Shade takes out a small blue instrument riddled with holes. The symbol of the Triforce is depicted on the mouthpiece, standing out against the gentle blue. He plays three notes upon it, which eventually fade into a song. I close my eyes and listen, until the song fades.
I realize I lay back on a bed, and I open my eyes, accompanied by gasps of surprise and delight. Everyone is a blur, the room is a blur. I can't make out any of the people within it, but maybe that's a good thing.
I let a small smile crawl slowly onto my face as laughter and noises of celebration fill any spaces left within my heart. I am whole again. I am complete.
I think of Midna briefly, her soft smile and beautiful gaze. I'll meet her again someday.
I'll meet her again.
The Hero of Time leans against a certain willow tree and watches both the Hero of Twilight and the Twilight Princess being welcomed by their people. Two completely different beings, yet both meant for each other. A small smile creeps up the Hero's face, and suddenly he feels a small nudge behind him. He turns, and there she is.
"It's time to go home," Saria says. The Hero of Time nods slowly, unable to contain his small smile, and together they walk into the setting sun. Into the twilight.