Author's note: Sorry I took so long! I was with my friend Inu-chan for a whole day... and then the next day we went to a water park and when I got back home I was soooooooo tired... But here's the next chapter! Get your tears ready, because this one is pretty sad... ...um... er... enjoy? IT HAS FLUFF, THOUGH!
The Hero that Holds my Hope: Tears of Broken Love
Link was aiming an arrow strait at the fierce molten dragon, Volvagia. He had been fighting the dragon for quite a while. He found it quite ironic to find some of his old enemies come back to him. Why were they out and about? He then remembered the man who had died saying something about the Dark Six, and that they were after him. He then figured that the two minions he had fought were most likely to be two of the "Dark Six."
He still held his arrow back, waiting for the right moment. Mido and Saria were screaming from behind him to shoot. He did so and the silence in the battle between them seized and after Link had discovered it hit it in the eye, he jumped for it, and Volvagia flew out of the way and blew fire at him. Link was nearly burnt however and he had managed to dodge the attack. He jumped over Volvagia and aimed for its neck, he drew his sword and cut it off.
When he found that the dragon's eyes were blank and it had dissolved, his vision slowly began to get blurry. His legs felt weak and his arms frail. Link's head was light and it seemed to be filled with a mist. He dropped his sword and collapsed on the ground.
All that was on his mind was Zelda once again as he saw a blackness and abyss before him. He then heard a voice, which was that of a whisper. It was so soothing to his heart, the pain all over his body seemed to have vanished. His tense muscles relaxed as he heard it again, and as it began to gain volume as well as familiarity. He then realized it was Zelda. Were they dreaming together in the same dream? Thoughts shot through Link's mind like arrows cast from a bow.
"Rest, Link..."
Link's eyes opened to a certain light and in the midst of that light, he saw Zelda looking down at him. He managed to raise his voice but a little.
"Zelda..."
"Shh..." she said rubbing his forehead, "you must rest... go to sleep."
Zelda gently touched his hand as Link briefly observed her. She wore a mahogany dress, that had a flowing fabric, and her hair was wavy and crimped. The dress went just below her knees and had a shawl that covered her back and her shoulders, which was of the same fabric. Link had never seen anything more beautiful before. She looked fair in that color. He raised his other hand to go on top of hers and felt that it started to ache when he did so.
"I have been dreaming of you... but I've never felt close to you in those dreams until now, Zelda..."
Zelda slightly smiled, her eyes seemed to get brighter in Link's view. He had never looked at her this way until now. Link slowly sat up still holding onto her hand and flinched because of the pain aching all over his body. How exhausted he was at that moment.
"How I have desired to be with you for these long days. Each day, lasting an eternity in my mind, and I have thought of you in those endless times. If I was to see you one last time, and if the consequence was death, I would do it, even if it was a brief glance."
Zelda lifted her hand to his chest, "Link..."
Link gently took hold of her other hand, letting go the previous one and drew nearer to her. Link gave Zelda a loving glance that she had never seen coming from him before. His heart was changing, it must have, or he wouldn't be acting like this.
"Slowly, my mind fades..." he said clenching her hand a little tighter.
Zelda touched his cheek, "Oh, Link... do you remember my words of hope?"
As if he was ignoring her, he drew nearer, Zelda then felt his lips touch hers and she was slightly pushed back when they did. She clenched her hand onto his tunic and closed her eyes. Link felt the side of Zelda's face with his free hand, and he felt that her skin was so soft and fair. He had never kissed a woman like this before, aside from the time when he had kissed her long ago at the end of his journey of the Ocarina of Time, except this moment was more special, despite the fact that it was a dream and nothing more. He at last lifted himself from her and leaned his head on her chest and listened to her heart beat and slow breathing. Link found that her heart was pounding underneath her chest.
Link then slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep to the sounds of her thumping heart despite it's hard beating. His vision went black again, but he was relieved to see Zelda, even for a brief moment like he said. He slowly opened his eyes to be awake, still remembering her touch.
He was on a thin mattress that was inside a tent. Where was he? He never recalled packing a tent. He sat up and found bandages on his shoulder, to stop the bleeding wound. He heard the stomps of horses outside and the murmuring of people. Link then heard his name cried aloud which were Saria and Mido. They rushed in the tent once they had seen he was sitting up.
"Link, bless you, you're awake!" Saria said.
"Thank the heavens!" Mido added.
Link placed his hand on his forehead and groaned, "Oh... what happened after I fought Volvagia?"
"You fell unconscious out of exhaustion, I believe." Saria said, "However, we were eventually found by the Hyrulian Army."
"Army?" Link said, still in deep confusion.
After he had put on his hat, slipped on his gauntlets and boots, he went outside and found himself amongst an army, settling for the night. Mido and Saria were at his sides as Epona approached Link.
"Epona!" Link said walking toward her.
She nuzzled him and made Link chuckle slightly. He then pet her forehead and rubbed the side of her cheek.
"If I worried you, I am most terribly sorry."
"Fairy Boy!"
Link turned his head to see Malon running toward him, "Malon!"
"I heard you were bedridden, are you sure you're all right now?"
Link nodded and looked around, "Why are you here?"
"I accompanied the men in riding to battle. Talon and Ingo are here too."
At that moment coincidentally, Talon had called for Link. His scratchy, deep voice was so familiar, it seemed so unique to Link's ears. He rushed over to him and squeezed him tight. Link's back popped and he began to tap Talon on the shoulder to put him down.
"Oh, sorry." Talon said, "How have you been lately? I mean I heard what happened to you."
Link bent over, holding onto his back. He then looked up and gave a half smile and held up his thumb then lowered his head again, groaning. So the night he had spent with the army, however, being saddened to have realized Zelda was not there. He had expected that she would ride with them as well.
So the next morning, they continued on. They were passing an icy river on a field of yellow grass and spiked bushes. The sky was a solid blue, with no speck of white anywhere, and the faint sound of wind was heard. Link rode on Epona with Saria and Mido walking beside him as well as Malon. Link was awkwardly quiet to Malon. She observed him with his strait face. She then noticed the Triforce broach at the base of his color.
"Who gave you that brooch?"
Link paused for a while then at last spoke after sighing, "Princess Zelda. She gave it to me before I departed."
"Oh..." Malon said solemnly.
That got Zelda back on Link's mind again. She was so fair, so beautiful. Her eyes were the only ones that of a woman's that would make Link get tense in his stomach. Link then remembered her kiss; he had never looked at a kiss like a gift from her before until then.
At the same time, back in Hyrule Castle, Zelda was thinking of Link. She lay on her bed looking to the side with her hair scattered around her head. He then heard her father call her name. She sat up on the bed as he continued to speak.
"It's time to leave..."
"I will not leave." Zelda said.
The king slowly approached her, "He won't return, Zelda."
"I still have hope, father, and I will not abandon him..."
"Even if he does come back, and you are together with him once more, you will have to embrace a fate that cannot be escaped."
Zelda looked forward as a gust of wind blew. Her father continued to speak.
"He is the Hero of Time, Zelda, and he is destined to travel amongst the different lands. He will leave you and return, however, he will come back to you dead someday." He said, "No happiness shall come upon you then, there would never be any comfort left. You will die, slowly and terribly of sadness until you have at last fallen into deep despair and have spent the long years of your life."
Tears were falling from Zelda's eyes. Terrible thoughts shot through her mind, Link, returning to her covered in blood and the thought of him being scathed in such a way nearly stopped her heart. There he was, coming to her covered in blood from head to toe and collapsing in her arms dead.
"Zelda..."
Zelda exhaled deeply and her voice broke as a stream of water continued to run down her cheek.
"If you stay here... even you will fall under Ganondorf's evil and die... so you are only destined to death if you stay..."
Zelda wiped her tears and looked down. Her father sat down beside her on the bed and touched the bottom of her chin and turned her head toward him.
"Continue the blood of the Hyrulian Royal Family."
Zelda found herself slightly nodding and sooner or later, she found herself walking amongst other crowds heading toward the mountain tops. She looked up at her father, who would be staying until later and turned away quickly. Link was on her mind at that moment and she held both hands to her chest, thinking of his embrace. That was the most mournful night in her life.
As Zelda's father watched her leave, he heard a voice from behind him.
"Change is in the air..."
The king turned around and saw Rauru standing there, "Rauru."
"Link has met two of the six Dark Sages... The others shall wait for him to come, once the Hero of Time is brought to a halt, the Evil King will be unleashed." Rauru said, "Ganondorf has yet to reveal the deadliest of his servants, the captain of his armies. Dark Link, the shadow of the Hero of Time. We must be careful in times as these."
"But what can we do?"
Rauru sighed, "All we can do is fight and wait..."
Author's note: ...Are you angry at me? Wait... there's a whole volley of arrows being pointed at me... I guess that is proof enough... Okay, look, the story is not over yet okay? (Volley fires) AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! See you later, and read the next chapter when it comes! Um... R-review...?
Special thanks:
Brownblade: Thanks for the thanks for the thanks... forget it... you get the point! Thanks!
Katana Midori: LOTR IS COOL! But I like LOZ more... Yes, when I was writing this, I was in a big LOTR mood... well I guess your question was answered when reading this chapter, was it not? Thanks for the review!
BluSakura: Shh... I'll tell you a secret... (I already have the story finished... I'm just taking my sweet time... heh, heh...) Thanks for the review! Soda and Nerds rule! But maybe you should try to calm down a little before you might hyperventilate or something...
LadyofDemons45: I guess the inhuman thing, well... part of it, is because it's summer break for me. (I dread the approaching August 9th...) Also... the secret... shhhhh... (Well I guess everyone knows because I told BluSakura in the open... OH WELL!) Thanks for the review!
Janus Kamaren: Whoops! I missed that suffix... sorry... I meant to take those out. But I'm glad you like the story! Thanks for the review!
