The Legend of Zelda
Daughter of Time
Epilogue Part 1 - Death of a Hero
The forest seemed very different to Link that morning. Quite how, he was not sure, but he had the feeling he would not need his hut in the clearing anymore. Nor his Biggoron's Sword, or any of the items he had gathered so long ago. Sitting in the small hut he looked to the wall opposite his bed. Every inch of the wood panels were covered in old pictographs and photographs. In every one of them was Fare, smiling and laughing. In some she was heavily pregnant, in others she was cradling one of their children in her arms, or playing with her daughters. In the middle was a single portrait of Link, Fare, Nexus, Fado and Aria. The only one. They all seemed happy. Even Nexus. All faded memories trapped in pictures, all Link had of his past.
As he looked over them, his left hand began to hurt, making Link flinch. And then came a stabbing pain in his chest before he could look down at his hand. He cried out in pain, getting off his bed and stumbling outside into the sunlight. He glanced down at his hand and saw the mark rapidly fading, but had little time to think over this as the pain spread, making him fall to the ground and cry out in agony again. He could barely breathe, his breath ragged as he gasped for air, feeling like his lungs were on fire. The Hero writhed on the ground as the stabbing pain spread to his arms and legs, hundreds of invisible daggers ripping at his skin. His head throbbed and he could no longer speak coherently or see clearly. And just as it felt like his whole body would burn up, the pain faded. His wearied blue eyes, tightly shut in pain, fluttered open.
Above him, shimmering translucent, was Fare. Her eyes were sad and her hair fluttered behind her as she knelt down. Link's breath caught in his throat as he looked into those beautiful bi-colour eyes once more. This had to be a dream. She couldn't really be here. In all this time she had never once appeared to him.
"Even with all that you have done, I could not let the Goddesses give you such a painful death." She spoke. Link never thought he'd hear her soft, melodic voice again.
"Death?" He echoed, as if the word had been lost to him.
"Yes," Fare reached out her hand and Link grabbed it, Fare becoming less translucent. "The Heroine has awakened her Triforce. The Goddesses have no need for you anymore. Come with me Link. The Kokiri are waiting for us, my love," Link decided he would not be needing his body anymore, and so left it lying in the clearing as he rose up to join Fare. She embraced him for the first time in a hundred and thirty years, and Link kissed her, beyond happy he had his wife again. He was finally with her after so long.
With a final glance at his body and the clearing, Link gave a sad smile. Even though he had struggled for death so long, he would miss this place, in a way. With a silent prayer to the Goddesses asking for Niamh to be kept safe, he turned and Fare led him away into the forest, laughter echoing through the trees around them as the boy without a fairy was greeted by the children of the forest once more.