When some people think of a hero, they think of someone who they see as perfect. They see their hero as altruistic and brave above all else, unafraid of anything. Some don't see their hero as a person, but rather, they see him as a machine. Someone who has no need for rest. He's not allowed to be selfish, for that would tarnish his title as hero. He's not allowed to have emotions, or be afraid, for then, he wouldn't be perfect. He wouldn't be the same as the image everyone had created in their minds.
People don't realize that even heroes can't be perfect.
Over time, legends become altered and facts are lost. The tales only relay censored versions; versions the people want to hear. They don't tell of the blood that is spilled on the hero's hands, the thousands of innocent lives lost because the hero was too late, or how some heroes were cursed, turned into beasts, or eventually lost to the darkness.
They don't tell of friends killed when they still should have had a long life ahead of them, or of loved ones lost, or of the sacrifices we have to make.
I would have given up my title as "Hero of Hyrule" in a heartbeat if it meant seeing her again.
They will never know the struggles I went through. They will never know how it felt to have my body torn apart and reconstructed in the form of a beast. They will never know how exhausting it was to fight until my body ached and burned, only to be pushed harder still. And they most certainly will never know about how I loved someone who always had my back, who I thought would always be by my side… How she left me without even a reason…
My time as hero is ending though, and I know one thing is certain. Sometime in the future, a new hero will have to rise to save this beautiful land. I have learned many things, but if there is only one thing I want that hero to know, it's this:
If you cling to your past, you will not be happy. Forgive and apologize to your friends, for they may not be around soon. Forget how some will doubt your ability, and prove to them that you are stronger and more courageous than they think. Most importantly of all though, tell the person you love how you feel and never let them go. If you don't, you may end up regretting it for the rest of your life.
Go forth, and do not falter.
-Memoirs of the Hero of Twilight