CHAPTER 13
My Friend
Back at the Kingdom of Hyrule, the sky is grey. Zelda and Sheikah scientists take the mechanical octopus like Guardians to the front gates and study them. Zelda holds up her Sheikah slate looking at the blueprints of the Guardians as Purah and Impa walk up to her. "You were right, Princess! After we said the Sheikah chant they followed our every word!" Purah yelped. "That's great news! Now, we'll be able to control them to help our fight against Ganon." Zelda replied. Purah jumps in joy. Impa smiles then looks out to the valley and notices figures walking towards them, "Hmm?" she utters. As she focuses on the figures she see's Link, Komali, Medli, and Malon. She audibly gasps upon seeing their wounds. "What is it?" Zelda asks as she looks towards the group. Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped upon seeing Link covered in scratches and his tunic ripped and red. He walks next to Makars horse that carries a makeshift cart made out of wood while Komali and Medli ride his horse. Zelda, Purah, and Impa run towards them. Link, barely able to stand, stops walking upon seeing the princess. Zelda runs up to him and holds his body up looking at his tunic. "Link!" she panics, "What?! What happened to you?!" Link falls to his knees and Zelda falls with him. His head feels weightless and drops but Zelda holds his chin up and looks into his eyes as he struggles, "Link! What-" she stops. Realizing this is the first time she's ever looked into his blue eyes. Staring into his eyes she sees a man who's lost everything. "Link…" she uttered. Impa goes up to the cart Makar's horse is pulling and sees something folded in fabric. "A body…?" she thinks. Impa slowly picks up the folds of the fabric to reveal a brown haired Hylian, it's Makar. His skin is pale and there's a deep cut going from his right shoulder to the left of his waist and a hole through his chest where his heart would be. Impa covers her mouth in shock. Purah gasps and looks away as her eyes start to tear up. She runs to a Royal guard and tells him to bring the king. "Link?" Zelda uttered while still holding his face. "Your highness…" Impa stutters. Zelda looks up and sees Impa in distraught, slowly she lets go of Links head and stands up. Her eyebrows start to narrow as she walks up to the cart. She sees Makar and instantly turns away. She tries to catch her breath as her eyes widen and tears start to fall down her cheeks. "Oh...Makar...Sweet Makar." she uttered as her tears started to flow. Malon starts to cry. Komali puts his head down. Medli gets off the horse and walks up to the cart to see Makar as tears stream down her face. The valley is filled with the sound of crying. Zelda looks at Link as he has his head down and remembers the everlasting friendship he and Makar shared. She realizes, Makar was the only family he had after his parent's death. Zelda walks up to Link, kneels down, and embraces him in her arms. "I'm sorry, Link… I'm so so sorry." her voice cracks as she continues to cry. As tears run down her face, Link remains silent. He struggles but stands back up. Zelda stands up with him as Malon and Komali step down from their horses. Link starts to walk inside the kingdom and Zelda wipes her tears from her face. "Where are you going? Link, you need to rest! You're injured!" Zelda exclaimed. Link continues to walk and the others follow behind him already knowing what he's about to do. "As the princess of Hyrule, I command you to stop!" Zelda shouted as tears start to form again. Link doesn't bat an eye and continues. Zelda, Impa, and Purah follow the group.
Today, the kingdom is silent as Link walks through it. The others trail behind him with their heads down as he walks up to the front door of a house. "Is this his home?" Zelda asks Malon. "No. It's Makars…" she replied as her lips quivered. Zelda's brows pinch as more tears started to form. Purah holds Impa's hand for comfort. Link, with his head down, knocks on the door. Makar's mother, Zunia, opens it. She smiles greeting Link but her smile breaks as she sees him wounded and bloody. "Link, honey! Come in, come in!" Zunia commands, "The children are asleep in their room." As Link enters, the door is left slightly open. Medli thrusts herself onto Komali trying to find comfort. Malon covers her mouth trying to hold back her tears. Zelda gets closer to the door. "Are you all right, boy?" Makar's father, Mawku, asks. Link's face becomes pale as he struggles to nod. "Are you sure? You seem injured yet you still stand in front of us!" Zunia exclaims. Link's shoulders start to shake and tears start to fall down his cheeks. Outside, they can hear Link's soft whimpers. Komali and Medli embrace Malon to comfort her. "What's wrong, Link?" Zunia asks as she grabs his hands. "I-I...I couldn't save him." Link stutters. Zelda's eyes widen as she instantly starts to cry upon hearing Link's voice for the first time. Purah and Impa walk up to her and comfort her. Unable to hold it in, Malon starts to cry in Komali and Medli's arms. Zunia and Mawku's smiles break. Tears start to slowly run down Zunia's face as she let's go of Links hands. Makars father and mother begin to cry while Link continues to cry silently. "No, no, no…" Zunia cries out, "Not my precious boy… Not my precious boy." As Link's head is down, tears start to fall on the carpet. Mawku grabs Link and embraces him, "I'm very sure son...that you tried the best you could. And for that, I thank you." he cries as he hugs Link. Zunia joins and hugs him as she stutters, "Thank you. For always being there for him when he needed it most. And for-" her voice cracks, "For being his friend." Link's lower lip starts to quiver. Zelda starts to cry harder and falls into Impa's arms. Malon, Medli, and Komali put their heads down as tears filled their eyes. As Makar's parents pull themselves together Zunia asks Link, "Where is my boy now?" "He rests with Irbosh at the gates of Hyrule." Link replies. Makar's parents exit their home and see the princess at their doorstep. "Your Highness!" Mawku shouts. She wipes her tears away and bows to them, "I'm terribly sorry for you loss." she says softly. "Thank you," Mawku utters as he and his wife make their way to the entrance of Hyrule. Link walks out and not a word passes his lips. Malon, Komali, and Medli walk up to Link and embrace him, telling him that their there for him if he were to ever need them. His eyes look dead as he makes his way up the path back to Hyrule castle. Everybody watches him leave as Malon, Komali, and Medli decide to give him some space. The three leave returning to Komali's home, letting Link grieve on his own. "Go back to the entrance." Zelda commanded Impa and Purah, "Help the parents in any way you can." They nod and walk down the path. Zelda turns and runs after Link trailing behind him. The king and five Royal Guards come running down the path and notice Link. "Link!" King Rhoam shouts as he runs. Link kneels. The king pulls him back up holding his shoulders and looks into his eyes. He realizes Link's pain and sees that he's holding it in, trying to bear the burden of his friends death. As the king lets go he softly commands, "Go into the nursery. Your wounds will be aided there. You must rest now, Link." Link nods his head as the king and his Guards continue running down the path. Zelda follows behind Link, not saying a word. They enter the castle and go into the nursery room. There, doctors and nurses ready to aid Link. He takes off his shirt revealing very deep cuts on his chest and back along with a burn on his right shoulder. Zelda covers her mouth with her hands as tears fill her eyes. She sees that Link has been in so much pain throughout his journey back to Hyrule. "He endured all that...and yet he is still able to stand and stay silent. He bears more burdens that I thought." Zelda whispered to herself. After being aided, Link wears white wrappings around his body to let his scars heal. Zelda walks behind him and picks up his ripped and bloody tunic. She looks at him wanting to say something. Link walks up to one of the big glass windows and stares out into the kingdom of Hyrule. Zelda's brows lower as she stands behind him and starts to reach out her hand. She stops halfway and closes her fist. She places her hand down at her side and remains silent just as Link has all those times he's watched over her. She promises herself to always stay by his side just like he has. So if he ever needed her, she will always be there, ready to help him.