Is this how it ends? Am I just going to die here in the middle of Hyrule field? Will my body be buried in the snow only to be found when spring comes? Will anyone even care? I can't imagine the princess shedding any tears, at least not anymore. Saria might… wait that's right, Saria doesn't know where I went. She never awakened as a Sage after I was sent back in time. So I never went to the village to see her again. I guess that means the rest of the Kokiri will just go wondering what happened to me as well…
I wonder if Zelda will be kind enough to bury me? Maybe she'll put me in Kakariko with the rest of the royal shiekah. That would be nice I guess… I mean I've saved the world twice and nobody knows my name. It would be nice to be buried as a hero, even if no one ever knows while I'm alive.
Normally, that wouldn't be so bad. I wouldn't really care if no one knows I'm a hero. But when you're all alone and no one knows your name, you at least would like to go down in history with your most major accomplishments being acknowledged. But that's not going to happen.
I lost my friends from kokiri because I'm actually a Hylian, I lost Zelda because peasants and royalty can't intermingle, Navi completely abandoned me without a word, and I can't eat rocks so I can't live with the gorons. Ruto invited me to live with the Zora's, when I said no she even offered to drop the whole marriage thing, all she wanted was for me to stop constantly wandering across Hyrule anymore. She was afraid for my well-being, or something like that.
It's not like I was trying to be rude or anything, and I certainly didn't want to be alone anymore, I just can't live with the Zora's. I don't fit in there and it wouldn't be right. Besides, what can I offer them? We're in a time of peace and the only skills I know involve fighting. I'm a warrior, a hero, but no one needs saving anywhere. There are no dungeons to explore, no prophecies to fulfill or legends to create.
I'm useless now.
And what happens to useless things?
They get thrown away.
That's what's happening to me now as I lie here in the snow. It's getting harder to breathe. I can't even feel anything anymore. I'm tired I know that much, but it's not the kind of tired you wake up from. This isn't some nap, it's the big sleep. I close my eyes and it's all over for me.
But hey, at least I won't be alone anymore. I'll die right here, in this icy wasteland. Goodbye Hyrule…
Ugh… Where am I? Are those… clucking noises? Are there cucoos in heaven? I wonder if they're angry at me. I never was much of a friend to their kind. I have to open my eyes… argh! That's bright!
I took a good look around the room I was in, evidently I was on someone's couch and in the corner was a pile of hay covered in cucoo's. They sent a shiver down my spine. Not very surprising given our history though. We're natural enemies, like cats and dogs.
It looked like a simple wood house. Candle light doused its shadows and old oak furniture was set about nicely. It was a little too simple though. It gave off an empty feeling, like not only I, but the whole house, was alone.
I guess that's when it hit me that I shouldn't be here. I was lying in the snow about to die. Somebody must have found me and carried me all the way here. I looked down to find my tunic had been removed, though my tights were still on. A metal tub filled with freshly warmed water was on the ground with a rag sitting out the top. Even though there was a fire crackling just a few feet away I was still rather cold. I guess the house just wasn't very well built, or at least not well maintained.
"Oh! You're awake!" said a high pitched voice. I strained my head as best I could to see over the top of the couch. I was welcomed to a surprising sight. Someone I hadn't seen in several years was there.
"You... Malon?" Yeah, it was Malon. And if she was here then that meant I had to be at Lon Lon Ranch. Lon Lon, that wasn't a name I thought I'd be hearing again. Though I guess last night I didn't think I'd ever hear anything again.
I strained myself trying to get up. My muscles were sore and every little movement made my body feel like it had been covered in oil and set ablaze. Of course I'd been near death plenty of times so this was nothing. Evidently though I must have looked worse than I felt because Malon dropped the rag she was holding and put her hands to her face in pure horror.
"Link!" she yelled. "Doesn't that hurt?! Look at you, you're bleeding everywhere!"
I looked down at my chest, sure enough she was right. I was covered in deep gashes that gushed out blood like water faucets. She had bandaged me up but it seems me moving had reopened all of my wounds. The sheer amount of blood was causing the gauze wrappings to become sticky and drenched with blood. Most people would probably pass out in this condition.
Me? I was used to it.
"D-Don't worry Link! I'll get some more rags and bandages! Just sit there a moment!" I watched her rush upstairs to get the medical supplies as I lied back down. I turned my head to check out my surroundings as best as I could. I couldn't see much but what I could was terrible. The house was in complete disrepair. Gaps in the building were everywhere, it was freezing, mouse droppings could be seen near several holes in the walls. If I hadn't seen Malon, I'd think a blind old lady who couldn't take care of herself lived here, rather than a young red haired woman who helped run one of the most prestigious ranches in all of Hyrule.
I heard footsteps coming and decided to close my eyes to make it look like I was resting. I didn't want to worry her. I figured if it looked like I was calm about it, maybe that might calm her down. Evidently though I was wrong. Rather than thinking I was resting she instead thought I was dead and began to panic, ripping off the bandages and hurriedly trying to put fresh one's on. She was so frantic to help me and I felt a little sad watching her panic. I placed my hand on her head and she snapped it up to look at me. I smiled and took the bandages from her hand showing her how to do it properly. She stood completely still watching me with a look that was part grotesque and amazed, probably because my wounds were so bad and the fact that I was still able to move. It was good to see her calm down once I was properly patched up. Seeing the relief on her face caused me to smile. It was strange, smiling. I hadn't done that since I saved Termina.
Of course, this was nothing but a brief glimmer in my otherwise endless depression. Time would pass and my wounds would heal and when they did I'd be leaving soon enough.
I always did.
With a sigh I laid my body back down on the couch. "Link," she asked. "Are you sure you're okay?" I nodded my head to assure her I was alright. I was a bit curios as to where I got the wounds. As I recall I was dying in the snow, but as of then I hadn't been wounded at all, just literally freezing to death. As if on cue though she answered my question just as I was about to ask.
"I... found you a few hours ago, lying in the snow. There was a pack of Wolfos clawing at you. I drove them away with Epona's help, but you were already badly hurt and..."
I put my finger to her lips. She didn't need to say anymore. Obviously the experience was traumatizing for her. Being an adventurer, I tend to forget that normal people haven't seen much so little things like that are big events to them. I patted her on the head and laid my head back down for the last time. I was exhausted and needed to sleep. Just as I was passing to the dream world I heard words I was never expecting to hear.
"Oh Link! Before you go to sleep I thought I should let you know. About two weeks ago a fairy named Navi came here looking for you. I told her you said you'd come back one day so I'm sure you'll see her again soon."
My mind tried to jolt me awake but my body wouldn't listen. I wanted to scream, to dance, to sing, but all I could do was fall asleep. As I drifted into dreams, a single happy tear rolled down my eye. I snuggled down into the couch as best as I could. For the first time in seven years my nightmares faded, replaced with the sweetest of dreams.
