Title: There In the End
Series: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
Pairing: Link/Zelda
Rating: K+
Summary: (ZeldaLink)(One Shot) Link, viewing that his time with Zelda has ended, leaves to begin life anew. But what if Zelda doesn't feel the same way?

Disclaimer: Link, Zelda, Hyrule, and everything associated with the game is the property of Nintendo.

Cheers surrounded me as the crowd rose to their feet. Slowly rising I added my own applause, not wanting her to see me withholding praise.

Forcing a smile to my face, I watched as her eyes sought me out among the hundreds attending the ceremony. Luckily she was too far to read my eyes and the truth hidden there.

I watched as she smiled and turned her gaze back to the rest of the assembled.

Sighing in relief I silently left the hall where the coronation of Queen Zelda was being held. I was saddened by the fact that she now was Queen, yet overjoyed that she had finally taken her rightful place.

With a shaky breath I inhaled the crisp, cool air of the quickly approaching fall evening.

It had been a long road, getting here. After the defeat of Ganon, when I was sent back in time to when we were both children, I had gone to the castle and altered the future.

To be honest, I really didn't change anything, well much anyway. On my way to the castle, I helped Malon and Talon, again. I snuck in past the guards and made my way to the flower garden where the Princess was waiting for me, once again.

When I approached she turned to face me, a smile on her lips and a sparkle in her violet eyes. Sadly I learned that I was the only one to remember a thing from the battle with Ganon. But in a way that's probably for the better; she wouldn't have to live with the knowledge of the terrible place that the world had become following this very meeting.

Our first meeting was one to be remembered, no doubt about that. I remember standing before her, smiling in relief that she was fine. She was smiling back at me, for whatever reason I couldn't tell, but it was almost as if she were expecting me. But that couldn't have been, she obviously had no idea who I was when she first saw me.

Just as I was about to speak to her I was lifted off the ground and Impa's voice sounded behind me.

"What do we have here, a Kokiri?" she had said with a smirk in her voice, as if being a Kokiri was a crime. But to be honest, I'm not really a Kokiri, I'm not really sure what I am. The entire time I was dangling Navi was yelling at Impa to release me, she just ignored her.

I struggled in her iron grip before a voice like the tinkling of tiny bells broke through Impa's laughter.

"Impa," Zelda said as she slowly approached, her personal guard immediately turning to her. "Put him down, there is something special about him."

"But Highness, he snuck in here past the guards to do Goddesses know what to you," Impa replied as she gave me a rough shake, snapping my head back on my neck.

"Impa, put him down," Zelda said as she slowly approached. Slowly Impa lowered me until I was standing on the ground, her hand still wrapped around the back of my shirt, while her other hand removed my sword from its scabbard and was keeping it away from me.

"What is your name?" Zelda asked as she stopped a few feet before me, a thoughtful smile on her face as she regarded me.

"Link," I said as I tried to shrug Impa off.

"Link," she said as if testing the name against a memory. After a pause and several repetitions of my name, she asked me the question that would possibly change my life forever.

"Are you a warrior Link?" She asked as she took the sword from Impa and examined it.

I struggled not to laugh, remembering the warrior I had been when I was the Hero of Time. But that was a lifetime ago, I was no longer that person.

"Yes," was all I said as I watched her, wondering what she would do with me, after all this wasn't the same Zelda that I had known and loved during the battles with Ganon. That Zelda had known that I would be coming. That Zelda had known that I would become the Hero of Time and have to battle Ganon. This Zelda knew none of that, for none of it was going to happen.

Perhaps I had been wrong to come here. Perhaps she'll let Impa use me for target practice, a sport that would please the Shiekah to no end. Perhaps she'll merely have me thrown in the dungeon or banished from the kingdom. Either way, my fate did not look pleasant.

She could have any of these things and more done to me, after all she is the Princess and I'm just a commoner. Not even a citizen of Hyrule, but a Kokiri.

Her next actions shocked me to no end, and would give me much to think about for many years. In the span of three minutes, she had circled me as though she were buying a horse, my sword in her hands as she slowly twirled it.

Walking to stand before me, the blade of the sword resting on my shoulder before slowly and lazily being drawn down and across my chest, stopping above my heart. I closed my eyes when she stood before me, the blade now held straight as if to pierce my heart.

Opening my eyes when the blade was removed, I was astonished to see her smiling at me again. Not a smile as though she were going to take pleasure in having me killed. But a smile as though she took pleasure in the decision she was about to make and felt that I would feel the same way.

"Impa, release him. He is obviously brave if he snuck past all the guards to get in here."

"Highness!" Impa began to protest only to be cut off by Zelda.

"Enough," she said with a frustrated sigh, silencing Impa with a wave of her hand, Impa released me instantly.

"Tell me Link," Zelda said as Impa took a step back. "Why did you risk sneaking into the castle and all the possible nasty things that my father would do to you if he discovered you roaming the grounds with a weapon."

"I wanted to see if all the rumors were true," I answered her, deciding to answer as best I could without giving anything that had previously happened away.

"What rumors?" she asked as she took a step forward, the sword dragging on the ground as she came within inches of me.

"The rumors that said that the Princess Zelda of Hyrule was the loveliest of all maidens in both Hyrule and the surrounding Kingdoms."

My answer appeared to take her by surprise for she was blushing. Quickly composing herself she dismissed Impa, who obviously argued with her, but in the end left.

"So tell me then," Zelda said as she circled me again, her mouth inches from my ear as she slid my sword back into the scabbard. "Are the rumors true?"

"No," I answered only to watch as her face fell as she took a step back. "No, the rumors were not true. The Princess Zelda is far more beautiful than any other maiden, both in this and any other kingdom. But she is also more beautiful than any of the Great Fairies in the world."

Now, I am happy to say that this answer was a one hundred percent, completely true answer. In my eyes there was no one more gorgeous or breathtakingly beautiful as Zelda. I guess that's part of why I love her so much, one of many reasons.

Following my statement Zelda gave me the most radiant smile I had ever seen in my life, and remember, I'm going off of two lifetimes here too.

"Hmm, it is too bad that rumor isn't true. Guess I will have to get Impa to circulate one that is more accurate. Don't you think so Link?"

I could only nod, watching as her smile grew bigger until it was shining as bright as the sun.

"Now, what are we going to do with you?" she asked after a moments silence. I remained silent, for all I know she could decide to turn me over to her father.

"You are obviously brave, and strong too," she added as she placed her hand on my arm, giving it a squeeze.

"You said you were warrior. Hmm, I have the perfect thing for you, IMPA!" she rose her voice as she clapped her hands together in joy.

"Highness?" Impa said as she reappeared, bowing to the Princess.

"Tell my father I would like to speak with him. I have a proposal for him."

"Yes Highness."

Zelda noticed my look of confusion and giggled into her hand.

"You'll see," she said to my unspoken question.

Things moved swiftly after that; I was taken before her father where she proposed her idea.

"Bodyguard?" he said, surprise written across his face when Zelda told him this.

"Yes father, my personal bodyguard," Zelda said as she inclined her head to her father.

"But you have Impa," he pointed out. Zelda knew this would be difficult, but she would prevail. Setting her jaw she replied.

"Yes Father, I know. But he will be in addition to her. I want him to be my bodyguard so that I am freer to roam amongst the people. Impa makes that difficult."

"Yes, I would imagine she would," the king said in a thoughtful tone.

"Very well," he said after some consideration. "However, that is based upon the tests that he will be required to take. If he passes he will be your bodyguard, if he fails he goes to the dungeon, he did after all break into the castle."

"Thank you father, I know that he will pass." She said as she once again clapped her hands together in joy.

Well, I took the tests the king ordered; riding, archery, sword fighting. I passed them all with flying colors. And as soon as I had completed them to his satisfaction I was installed as the Princess Zelda's personal bodyguard.

I was given an adjoining room to Zelda's, much as Impa had.

These were the events that led to the present, the coronation of Zelda as Queen. The King had died in his sleep from pneumonia two years ago. Since then Zelda and her advisors had been gearing up for this day when she would officially rule all of Hyrule. Once the coronation was finished, her advisors planned to announce a grand ball in which she would choose a suitor to rule with her as King.

While I am truly happy for her, this is after all what she was born to do, I can't but help feel a sadness. Even though I have now been knighted, one of the King's last acts before his death, I know that all the love I feel for Zelda can never be revealed. A Queen must wed one of royal blood, of which I am not.

When I became her bodyguard, I took an oath to give my life to protect her. I meant it then and I mean it now. But the option left for me isn't as easy as simply dying for her, dying gives a sense of closure. No, my option is going to be much harder on her.

You see, I have made my mind up to leave Hyrule, possibly forever. My time here is at an end. She no longer needs me to watch over her, she now has the entire Hylian Army for that. She no longer needs me, the one that was always there for her when she needed a shoulder to cry on.

Over the Seven years that I have served her I have fallen deeper in love with her. While this seems impossible, it is true. The mere sight of her smile is enough to steal my breath away. Impa knows this, and while at first she didn't like me, she soon became one of my few friends. During one late night while Zelda, Impa, and myself had been traveling, Impa and I had stayed up late talking. Zelda was asleep in her room next door, while Impa and I shared the room beside hers. We had talked until the sun had come up, and during that time I had confessed my former adventure with Ganon to her, not to mention the fact that I was truly in love with the Princess.

That morning when Impa went in to wake Zelda, she was greeted by the warmest welcome that either one of us had received from the Princess in the morning. Not that Zelda is not a morning person, it's just that some times she had a little trouble waking up.

But that is all now part of the past, a past that I am leaving. Now as I quietly make my way to the stables, I begin to think about the new life that lies before me. A new life that sadly won't include the one I truly love, Zelda.

"Easy Epona," I say as she nickered and tossed her mane when she saw me. I gently ran my hand down her neck and back up again, stopping to scratch her ears. She nickered happily at the ministrations.

"You ready to go on one last big ride?" I asked as I stepped away from her to grab her saddle and reins. She tossed her head in a fair approximation of a 'yes' nod. Smiling I quickly put the reins over her head and settled the saddle across her back.

When we were both ready to go I called to the stable boy.

"Jonathan," I called. He appeared before me and bowed.

"Yes?" he asked as he returned his eyes to me.

"I need you to deliver a letter for me once I've gone. Can you do that?"

"Yes Link," he said proudly, pleased that I trusted him enough to give him this job.

"Good, once I leave I want you to deliver this message to Impa. She'll know what to do with it." I told him as I handed him a sealed message.

Once he had the message, I smiled once more before leading Epona out of the stables.

"Farewell, Jonathan, take care of yourself." I called as I rode toward the city gates, the guards saluting as I passed.

Once I was on the open plains of Hyrule Field I slowed Epona to a gallop. We still had a long ways to travel before we reached Lake Hylia.

True to his word, as soon as Link had left the city gates, Jonathan ran straight to the Coronation. After asking several Noblemen he was finally directed to Impa.

"Impa," he said slightly out of breath. She turned around and glanced at him. "I have a message for you from Link."

Handing her the message he awaited her response.

"Thank you," she said before sending him back to the stables with a turkey leg as payment.

Opening the letter her eyes grew wide as she read the words written there.

Impa,

I'm sending you this letter because I know you will be able to give Zelda the news better than I could.

The time has finally come, I'm leaving. By the time you read this I will be crossing Hyrule Field for Lake Hylia. From there I am not sure where I will go. But I do know this, I shall not be returning to Hyrule, there is nothing left for me there. The reasons for this you already know, I would appreciate it if you could break the news gently to Zelda. Since the death of her father she and I have slowly grown farther and farther apart. She may not even have been aware of this, but I was. I know now that she had to grow up and become what she was destined to be, Queen. I have enclosed a small item for you to give her to remember me by. It's not much, but it is still something.

Link

Impa took the small silver hoop that accompanied the letter and looked at it. It was one of the earrings that Link always wore.

Folding the letter, she placed it in the pouch attached to her hip. She would tell the Queen as soon as the ceremonies were over.

"HE WHAT?" Zelda screamed when Impa told her the news of Link's departure.

"He left your Majesty," she reiterated for the fifth time.

"W .. why?" Zelda asked in shock as the news finally sank in. Staggering, she managed to sit on her bed before she fell.

Impa let out a sigh, this was going to be the hard part.

"Your Majesty, Link sent me this message. Please read it, it may help explain some things." Impa handed her the folded message and the hoop earring.

Tears formed in her violet eyes as she read the letter, the earring clutched to her chest.

"What are these reasons that you know?" Zelda asked when she finished the letter, lowering it to the bed beside her.

When Impa was silent, Zelda rose and crossed to her.

"Please, I must know," she pleaded with her.

"He .. he left because .. he .. he loves you," she finally managed to say, her eyes never leaving Zelda's.

"Loves me?" she said as she slowly crumpled to the floor, tears falling from her eyes.

Impa could only nod as her charge cried.

"But why would he leave me if .." she cut herself off with a sniffle, "if he loved me?"

Kneeling before her, Impa answered the best she could.

"He knew that no matter how much he loved you, even if he confessed it to you it would all be for naught. Link knew that only one of royal blood could marry a princess, and he knew that he wasn't and could never be of royal blood."

Impa paused to plan her next words.

"After the King's death, Link knew that he had to leave, his love for you was too strong. You began to plan all that needed to be done for your coronation. Link realized that his services as your bodyguard were no longer needed, not when you had all the palace guards and the army to look after you. He felt that if he left, it would be easier on the both of you, he would disappear and allow you to be Queen and marry a King as you should."

This last revelation brought new tears to Zelda's eyes, he left because he loved her and didn't want to hurt her. Yet didn't he realize by leaving he was hurting her?

After crying for a few minutes, Zelda wiped the tears from her eyes while clutching the earring tighter to her with the other.

"Impa," Zelda spoke with determination.

"Yes, Majesty?" the Sheikah warrior asked, anticipating the order her Queen was about to give.

"Gather 5 men and prepare my horse. We're going after him, we're going to get Link back."

It had been a few days since I arrived at Lake Hylia. It had taken me four days to arrive and I was in no real hurry to leave, not having a destination after this.

I had been standing on the beach, watching the sunset when a thought struck me.

What if I just walked into the water and let myself drown, would any one miss me?

I was silent as I contemplated that thought.

So deep in my contemplation was I that I didn't even hear the soft footfalls of the person approaching me. Which, now that I think about it, I should have, considering how it was autumn and hardly anyone was at the lake for it was far too cold for swimming.

"What if I just threw myself in and drowned, would anyone care?" I quietly asked myself as I watched the sun dip into the horizon, casting a golden glow on the water. It reminded me of Zelda's hair when it was spread across her back, beautiful and free.

Shaking my head I dismissed the thought of Zelda and my own consideration on drowning. With a small snort I threw a pebble into the lake, destroying the golden illusion as the sun vanished behind the mountains.

I was beginning to turn when a tiny voice spoke out.

"I would miss you, even if no one else did," Navi said as she landed softly on my shoulder.

"I know you would Navi," I told her, gently stroking her cheek with my thumb.

"Besides, what would I do without you to watch over? I wouldn't have a purpose anymore!" she sounded enraged, but I could tell she was worried about me.

"Don't worry Navi, I don't plan on tossing myself into the lake any time soon. You know, you really don't have to stay with me. You're free to return to Kokiri Forest and the Lost Woods at any time."

"I know, but my place is here with you Link."

"Thanks Navi, I appreciate it," I said with a sigh as I watched the final red glow of the sun disappear.

"She's not the only one whose place is by your side," a soft voice spoke up from behind me. I stiffened in surprise as I recognized the owner of the voice.

Turning slowly, I came face to face with the very person I had been thinking about not a moment before.

"You may not realize this Link, but quite a few people would care if you drowned in the lake."

I cringed when she said this, but glancing at her eyes I saw not the anger that I thought would be there due to my departure. But instead I saw a worry and longing, overshadowed by the strongest emotion present, love.

"Zelda," I began but she only cut me off.

"How could you?" she asked, taking a step forward so that only a few feet separated us. "How could you just leave like that? Didn't you know that I would follow."

"I knew that you would, but I had hoped you wouldn't," I turned my back on her and faced the placid lake once again. "Knowing that you would probably follow, I wasn't going to stay long. In fact I had meant to disappear into the wild before now. That way you wouldn't be able to find me."

"What stopped you from leaving?"

"Epona," I said simply.

I stared into the water until I felt a soft hand grip my shoulder and gently turn me to face its owner.

"What about Epona?" Zelda asked, her face mere inches from mine.

"I had planned to set her free and travel on foot. But on the way here we were attacked and she was injured. I couldn't let her loose on her own like that, she would have died. So I stayed to make sure the wound healed."

Silence prevailed between us, I not daring to say what I really felt. As for Zelda, I could not even begin to imagine what was going through her head.

"Link," she said softly as he put a hand to my face. "I remember everything."

I stared at her in shock, I had hoped that she wouldn't remember a thing, but sadly she did.

"I'm sorry," was all I could say.

I was sorry for so many reasons; for loving her when I shouldn't have, for hurting her when I left, I was sorry for the sole fact that she remembered what the world was like when Ganon controlled it.

"For what?" she asked as she cocked her head to the side, her hand gently running down the side of my face.

"Everything," I began, "for the fact that you remembered, for loving you, for hurting you with that love, for everything."

I managed to break away from her embrace and move up the beach a little ways. I didn't stop when she called my name, I wanted to but knew I couldn't. It wasn't until she physically blocked my path with her body that I stopped.

"When did you remember?" I said to break the silence between us. We had been staring at each other for several minutes after she stopped me.

"What?" she asked startled by the question.

"When did you remember what happened?" I repeated, my eyes dull and lifeless from having hurt her.

"The time when you and Impa had stayed up all night talking. I was awake and I heard your entire story, that's when all my memories returned. Ganon, the Sages, the Spiritual Stones, everything. Even this," she said as she grabbed my hand and pulled my gauntlet off, revealing the mark of the tri-force.

"I knew that when I first met you there was something special about you. Something in the back of my mind told me to trust you. I was drawn to you, now I know why. You are the keeper of the tri-force of Courage and I of Wisdom. But there's more to it than just the tri-force. I remembered emotions and feelings washing over me, the most overwhelming being love. I realized then that I loved you."

"Why did you draw away from me?" I asked quietly, absorbing all that she had remembered.

"Oh Link," she said as she moved forwards to me, hugging me. "I never meant to do that, I didn't even realize that I had until Impa showed me your letter. You must realize that I had to prepare both my coronation and my father's funeral. Link you must know that I truly do love you."

"I do, I understand better than you know. You may love me Zelda, and those are words that I've been longing to hear for a long time. But you must realize that I can never love you, I am not of noble blood and can therefore not be with you, no matter how much we don't want it."

Zelda only smiled at me when I said this, her smile catching me off guard. She took the opportunity to lean in and kiss me.

It was a gentle kiss, yet it carried all the feelings, and emotions that we had both kept pent up for years. Zelda was first to pull away and as I opened my eyes I saw her smiling at me as her finger traced my lips.

"Link, what am I?" she cryptically asked.

"You are Zelda, Queen of all Hyrule," I replied, unsure of what she wanted to hear.

"Correct, and who are you?"

"I am Link of the Kokiri," I replied.

Zelda only shook her head.

"Nope, try again. WHAT are you?"

"I am a Knight of the Hylian Army, and your personal guard."

"Yes," she said with another smile. "You are a Knight. Why were you knighted by my father?"

"I do not know," I replied

"He knighted you at my insistence. I wanted you to be a knight for many reasons, but one above the others." She said as she leaned against my chest.

"I do not understand, why was I knighted?" I asked confused.

"Link, who may marry a Queen?" she asked, I stiffened at the question. Knowing the answer I quietly replied.

"A prince, or one born of royal blood. If a suitable suitor can not be found the Queen may then marry from members of her Royal court." I recited, her smile growing even bigger.

"Right," she said as her finger tapped my nose. "Link as a knight what are you now?"

"I am now a member of the Royal court." I said, not realizing what I had just said.

"Yes you are," she said as she looked into my eyes, waiting for the realization to sink in.

My eyes widened as her implications finally set in. She had her father knight me knowing that my becoming a knight would make me a member of the Royal court. As a member of the court, I could marry the Queen if a suitable candidate was not found among the princes. Then it finally hit ne, she had remembered all that had happened on the night I confessed to Impa. A few months after that I was knighted, and several months after that, the king died. I finally realized that this moment had more or less been planned since that day in the Inn.

She smiled even bigger as she saw my realization. I hugged her tighter to me as I pulled her head to mine for a kiss.

After being forced by nature to break the kiss, we were both grinning like idiots.

"So," she began in a husky voice. "you want to go back to the castle or what?"

I could only nod as all words escaped me.

"Good," she said as she took my hand and led me towards Impa and the royal guards that had accompanied her.

"What about Epona?" I asked, suddenly remembering my friend and the injury she had.

"Impa will take care of her, don't worry." Zelda assured me as she pulled me to her horse and waited as I helped her to mount. I took the place behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist as I grabbed the reins. Impa just nodded to confirm that she would take care of Epona.

"I love you," I whispered into her ear as I kissed her cheek, unimaginable joy welling up in me.

"I love you too," she replied as my heart melted at those words.

Directing her horse back towards Hyrule Field we rode off with the guards behind us, Navi enjoying the wind as it blew through her hair. Both Zelda and myself wrapped in the knowledge that we could and would be able to love the other for the rest of our days.

Hmm, well, that actually turned out to be rather long. 12 pages actually. Much longer than I wanted it, but I really had to include a lot of that backstory. shrug. Oh Well, I hope you all like it. Remember, feedback and comments are always welcomed.