The Hero's Rest
His work was done. All his skills and techniques, learnt from a lifetime of searching and fighting, passed on to the successor of his title. There was nothing left for him anymore. He sighed, a deep and wearied exhalation. He had never felt so tired and alone.
On the brink of his fractured and blurred vision he could make out a soft blue light. It was warm and familiar and if he were still mortal tears would have come to his eyes.
"It's time to go home, Link," the light had a soft but high and melodic voice, like a clear glass bell. Recognition dawned in old eyes.
"Navi…" he reached out, daring not to believe it. For too long he had searched. For too long he had hurt. "Navi, can it be true?"
"I'm here, Link. Come with me. Come home. We're all waiting for you," the ball of light jingled, now clear in his vision as the tiny blue fairy he had lost so very long ago. He staggered toward her, reaching out his palm so she could land upon it. Around him the cold ghostly world began to fade into beautiful, familiar forest. His tiredness drained away and his desecrated body began to resemble the Hylian physique of his youth. He could feel the sun on his face again.
"I'm coming Navi. Please wait for me. Don't go. Not again," his voice was as frail and desperate as a child's and to his relief, his fairy stayed close, gently guiding him through the ethereal forest. Soft, childlike laughter rang through the trees, echoing around him. He caught glimpses of green clad figures through the leaves, fairies dancing around their shoulders.
"We're all here, Link. We've waited for you for so long. You were so very lost, but we found you," she chimed softly, as the trees broke onto a meadow, a vast sea of green. To his delight, a small girl with bright green hair sat on the stump in its centre, playing an ocarina. She was soon joined by the figures in the treetops, the Kokiri running through the meadow with glee. Their laughter grew louder and more joyous as, surrounded by the people and the home he'd lost and now again found, the last forest child finally returned home.
Originally published on my tumblr (Vivelagiygas) but expanded here. Set immediately after the Hero of Twilight learns the final hidden skill, and the Hero's Shade/Hero of Time is left to die.