Left to the Past

Hi, this is my first story. Please feel free to review, even if it's to give criticism (at least that way I'll know someone's reading it -_-).

Nintendo owns the Legend of Zelda

"(text)" denotes someone's thoughts

Part One

Link stood with one foot planted firmly on Ganondorf's chest, the other resting on his shoulder. There was an almost surprised look on both Link's and Ganondorf's faces, at how the green-clad child had somehow managing to evade the frenzied attack and defence that the King of Evil had set up. The Master Sword was now deeply buried in Ganondorf's forehead, but Link continued to push his weight down upon it, as if worried that his final blow was insufficient.

Ganondorf let out a weak moan, before painfully gasping out his last words, "heh heh... The wind... It is blowing..." the demented grin that remained plastered to his face almost gave the impression that he was glad to have been defeated, to have been released after so long. It could even be true.

Link leapt lightly off Ganondorf, leaving the Master Sword in place. He then watched in amazement as Ganondorf's body slowly turned to stone, rising up from the ground until his entire body assumed the form of a statue. Link continued to gaze at the petrified body of his foe, before closing his eyes and letting out a relieved sigh, putting an arm over one of the more serious wounds that he received over the long and difficult battle.

King Daphnes Nohanson Hyrule watched as Zelda rushed over to Link as he started to collapse, succumbing to his exhaustion and his wounds, with an anxious expression on her face. She caught and attempted to steady Link, struggling under his weight. He could see the care that they had for each other.

"(Just like the previous Hero and Princess,) he thought to himself, smiling internally, whilst maintaining the stern and regal expression on his face.

He slowly walked over to them. Zelda looked up to face him and managed to hold Link up long enough for him to see too.

The former king paused. What he was about to say was not going to be easy, and he knew the objections that they would have, but it was necessary in order to protect them and give them a future. He knew this, because he had made the mistake of not accepting it when the same opportunity was offered to him...

"My children... listen to me."

They were looking up to him curiously and excitedly. The innocence of their faces nearly made him smile, but he forced himself to keep his face straight.

"I have lived regretting the past. And I have faced those regrets. If only I could do things over again... Not a day of my life has gone by without my thoughts turning to my kingdom of old."

Not a day went by without him cursing himself for not doing what he should have been able to do. If he had succeeded, they would have been able to finish Ganondorf and protect Hyrule forever...

"I have lived bound to Hyrule," he stated. "(In more ways than they would know,)" he thought to himself. "In that sense, I was the same as Ganondorf."

"But you... I want you to live for the future. There may be nothing left for you... but despite that, you must look forward and walk a path of hope, trusting that it will sustain you when darkness comes."

They both nodded slightly. It was obvious to him that they did not truly understand what he was implying by his words, but now he was going to make his intentions obvious.

"Farewell... this is the only world that your ancestors were able to leave you. Please... forgive us."

Both Link and Zelda looked down, now saddened by the idea of leaving him behind. Suddenly, Zelda looked up, a hopeful expression on her face.

"W-Wait! You could... you could come with us! Yes, of course... we have a ship! We can find it. We WILL find it! The land that will be the next Hyrule."

He continued to look expressionlessly down on her.

"So..." she continued nervously, frowning at his lack of answer.

He smiled at her and closed his eyes, "Ah, but child... that land will not be Hyrule. "(That land is already gone.)"

"It will be YOUR land!" He finished, waiting for the inevitable.

The waters, held back from the platform by the Goddesses' magic, finally started to fall down. In seconds, the entire platform was submerged. Link and Zelda were bracing themselves for the impact of the crushing depth, but opened their eyes to find themselves encased in bubbles. Zelda was quickly carried away by the bubble towards the surface.

Daphnes watched as Link, his friend and companion for so long, attempted to struggle his way back down to the where he was standing. He reached out, but their fingers were unable to close the distance, before Link was carried away by his protective bubble, to be sent to the safety of his life above the waves. The former King of Hyrule smiled slightly, and exhaled, breathing the few seconds of life away from him. As he watched the bubbles spiral up towards where Link had departed to, he closed his eyes and smiled to himself again.

"I have scattered the seeds of the future..."

"(That boy... so much like I was once. Now, with him to protect Zelda... maybe I can finally rest... the world no longer has any need for me. Ganondorf has been defeated, and my granddaughter is safe. If only I had been able to do this myself: Hyrule would not have been destroyed...)"

He ignored the pain in his lungs as they cried out for air. It was no worse than much of the pain that he had experienced many times before in his life. He would not be alive today if he couldn't withstand pain like this. Instead, his thoughts drifted away with the bubbles, drifting back to the past: memories of Hyrule and its failed Hero...