Suddenly a blinding flash of light enveloped Link, and when he opened his eyes he gasped. He was no longer in the magical realm created by Demise. He was surrounded on all sides by rolling green fields, and above him a golden twilight sky shone.

The Sacred Realm, he thought to himself. And it's back to normal. Which means that Demise really is gone. Looking around, he saw that he was on a narrow spur of land, jutting out over a deep valley below. At the end of the spur was a stone structure, a semicircle of columns with a pedestal in the middle. Slowly, as if in a dream, Link walked towards the pedestal.

As soon as he reached it, there was another flash of golden light. Link gasped as two pieces of the Triforce appeared above him, floating down until they hovered in place over the pedestal. The symbol on Link's hand glowed brightly, then vanished, and the Triforce of Courage appeared in front of Link before joining the other two and forming the completed Triforce. Link reached out to touch it, but suddenly heard movement behind him. He spun round, his eyes widening as he saw who it was. He dropped to one knee, his head bowed. The three Golden Goddesses stood before him, but their expressions were ones of great sadness.

'Link,' Farore said, and Link looked up. 'You have defeated Demise and vanquished the evil that threatened this world. For this, we thank you. You have saved Hyrule, but at a terrible cost.' The three goddesses placed their hands together and vanished, but in their place was someone else. Link gasped and ran over, kneeling beside the golden-haired figure and holding her in his arms.

'Zelda!' he gasped. 'No… no, you can't be gone, you can't be…' He stopped suddenly as she stirred, turning her head towards him. Her eyes opened slightly, and she smiled weakly when she saw him.

'Link…' she murmured. 'Link, you… you did it. I knew you could…' Link shook his head, refusing to accept what was happening.

'No Zelda, we did it. I couldn't have done it without you. And we're going to have more adventures together. You're going to be okay, Zelda, I promise. This isn't the end.' Zelda smiled sadly.

'Link… I'm sorry. For everything.' Tears clouded Link's vision as he looked down at Zelda.

'I'm sorry too,' he whispered. Zelda raised an arm weakly, her fingertips brushing against Link's cheek.

'Link… I… I love you,' she said. Then her arm fell, and her eyes drifted shut. Link was still, unable to move.

'No!' he shouted. 'Zelda! No, you can't die, you have to stay with me! Zelda! You can't… you can't.' But as he watched, Zelda's body dissolved into golden light, which drifted away on the wind.

-o-

Link knelt there, tears running down his cheeks, his arms still clutched round the empty air where Zelda had been. He felt cold and hollow inside, as if something had been ripped from him. And he knew it had. Zelda was gone.

He heard a soft footfall behind him, but didn't bother to turn round. Friend or foe, he didn't care anymore. Nothing could make him feel better, nothing could hurt him more than he had just been hurt. A shining hand rested gently on his shoulder, and finally he looked up, into the glowing green eyes of Farore.

'Link. I am truly sorry,' she said, and Link knew she meant it. But her words couldn't penetrate the veil of darkness that had fallen over him. He rose to his feet and looked around, his searching eyes finding Din.

'You. You knew this would happen, didn't you? That's what you were warning me about.' The Goddess of Power nodded, her eyes downcast. Link spun round to face Nayru. 'You're the Goddess of Wisdom. There has to be some way to bring Zelda back, you have to know how to bring her back!' But Nayru shook her head sadly.

'Link, believe me, I have no greater wish than to restore Zelda to you. But I cannot. She was taken by dark magic, of a kind that our powers are useless against. We cannot revive her.' Link stood in silence, knowing that this couldn't be true, there had to be way. But after a few moments he sagged, looking down at the ground.

'Why is she gone?' he asked the world at large.

'Because she loved you,' Nayru replied. 'When the two of you were searching for the final piece of the Triforce, I showed her a vision of the future. She knew that if she did nothing, you would die. But if she sacrificed herself to save you, you would live and go on to destroy Demise. This is the path she chose.' Link looked up at the goddess, suddenly angry.

'Why did you do that? Why did you make her think she had to die to save me? If you hadn't shown her that vision, I would have died, not her. If it wasn't for you, Zelda would still be alive!'

'Yes, and she would live knowing that she could have, should have saved you,' Din said sharply from behind Link. 'She is gone, but she died knowing that you would live, and that you saved the world. Imagine if she had taken the other path. She would watch you die, then stand by, helpless, as Demise destroyed Hyrule and her along with it. She would feel the pain you feel now, but a thousand times worse. Would you really wish that on the girl you love?' Link looked at Din, hating the goddess but knowing that she was right, and hating himself for knowing it. He turned back to Nayru.

'So Zelda knew she was going to die. That's why she pretended not to love me, isn't it?' Nayru nodded solemnly.

'Yes. When Zelda knew that you would lose her, she tried to distance herself from you, because she thought it would make her loss easier for you to bear. But it hurt her terribly to do that to you. Throughout all your adventures, she loved you more than you realise. From the first moment you met, she loved you. As you loved her.' Link swallowed his tears, fixing his eyes on the ground. He thought back to their arguments. All that time, Zelda had truly loved him. How much had he hurt her, acting as though he hated her? Another memory boiled up in his mind, and Link closed his eyes, self-loathing rising in him.

'And when I kissed Hyra, Zelda thought I really had moved on.'

'Yes. Zelda tried to be happy, thinking this meant that you would grieve less for her, but she could only feel pain.' Link shook his head slowly, unable to bear it.

'I put her through so much,' he whispered. 'How could I do that to her?' Again, Farore tried to comfort him.

'You did not know what she felt, or what burden she had to bear.'

'I should have known,' Link said morosely. 'If I'd listened, if I'd paid attention rather than being so self-absorbed, I would have realised.'

'She would still be gone,' Farore said gently, and a single burning tear slipped down Link's face, knowing she spoke the truth. No matter what he had said or done, there was no way he could have prevented Zelda's death.

-o-

A soft golden light shone on the side of Link's face and he looked up, remembering where he was. The Triforce glowed serenely, oblivious to the struggles and the pain it had caused. Link stepped up to it, reaching out.

'I can use this to make a wish, can't I?' he asked, keeping his voice perfectly level.

'Yes,' Din replied. 'None can deny that you have earned the right to use the ultimate power. You may have one wish, and whatever that wish is, it will be done.' Link's heart began to pound.

The Triforce. The ultimate power. I could use this to-

'When someone dies an honourable death at the end of their time, they cannot be brought back. Resurrection of a mortal being is the one thing the sacred power of the Triforce cannot accomplish.' Lanayru's voice sounded in Link's head, and suddenly he remembered the Thunder Dragon's solemn words. The Triforce could not have been used to resurrect Queen Lula of the Zoras, and Link knew it could not be used to resurrect Zelda now. He turned back to the goddesses, searching for confirmation, and the look on their faces told him that they knew exactly what had been going through Link's mind.

'I am sorry, Link,' Farore told him. 'The ultimate power has but one limit. And that limit is that it cannot bring a mortal being back to life, once they are gone.' Link looked at the Triforce, suddenly hating the golden power he had worked so hard to claim.

'What's the point of being granted one wish, if the one wish I want to make can't be accomplished?' he said angrily.

'You can still use your wish for other means,' Nayru said. 'To restore Hyrule, to alleviate some of the suffering caused by Demise.' Another memory stirred in Link's mind.

'Promise me that you'll remember that you're not the only one in this world who's suffering. I know it feels like that. When you get hurt, when you lose someone, it feels like you're the only person who's ever suffered anything like that, but you're not.' Zelda's words to him after he had failed to save Latiro's mother. He looked down at the ground, wondering what Zelda would say to him now. In his heart of hearts, he already knew. Even if there were a way to bring her back to life, Zelda wouldn't want him to waste his wish on her. She would tell him to help the other people of Hyrule, all those who had suffered.

But what if there's still a way…? he wondered. What if I can help the people of Hyrule, and get Zelda back? There must be a loophole somewhere in this! Inspiration suddenly struck him, and in a clear voice he said,

'I wish that my ancestor had defeated Demise completely, instead of sealing him in the Master Sword. I wish that none of this had ever happened.' He reached out to touch the Triforce, but just before his fingertips could brush the surface, Farore spoke.

'Link, wait. Are you sure this is what you want?' Suddenly the three Goddesses dissolved into orbs of light, green, blue and red, and swirled around Link. He tried to keep his bearings, but it was impossible, and as he became increasingly dizzy his world faded into blackness.

-o-

He opened his eyes, shaking his head to dispel the spots, and gasped. He was standing in the badlands pit, facing Demise. The Demon King raised his sword, preparing to kill Link, but suddenly froze. He burst into golden light, vanishing. While Link was still trying to understand what had happened, he heard Farore's voice in his head.

'Demise was defeated properly the first time, so you never fought him in this time.' Link's perspective suddenly moved, shooting across the pit to where Zelda lay, struck down by Demise's magic. The golden light enveloped her, and she stood up, looking around in confusion. 'Because you never fought Demise, Zelda never died,' Farore continued. Link's face split into a smile as he saw his friend revived.

Why are you showing me this? he questioned Farore. I know this is what I want! Suddenly Link's view changed again, and it took him a moment to realise where he was. He was standing in the back room of the Sealed Temple, where the Master Sword rested in its pedestal. As he watched, a young blonde-haired girl entered the room, looking all around her. Link gasped as he realised that this must be a younger version of Zelda.

So this must be when she touched the Master Sword and released Casineb, Link thought. As he predicted, Zelda ran forward and touched the hilt of the sword. Immediately a cloud of darkness poured off it, and Zelda fell back. But just as abruptly as it had appeared, the cloud vanished in a spray of golden light.

'Your ancestor defeated Demise completely, instead of sealing him in the Master Sword, so the Demon King was unable to release Casineb, even when Zelda touched the blade,' Farore told him.

Even better! Link thought. If Casineb was never released, none of the suffering would ever have happened. The dragons wouldn't have been cursed, Fallhollow Village would never have been destroyed, Queen Lula would never have died… I want to make this wish! Link's vision changed, and now he was standing in the throne room of Hyrule Castle. He involuntarily took a step back as he saw Hyra sitting on the throne, addressing a crowd of people.

'Casineb was never released, so the Princess was never cursed,' Farore said. 'Moreover, you never came to Hyrule Castle, so you never met her.' Link frowned slightly. Even after everything that had happened with Hyra, he was still glad to have met her. But he supposed not meeting the Princess was a small price to pay compared to all the suffering that would be prevented. But Farore wasn't done.

'Since Hyra never met you and Zelda, she never received the guidance and experience she needed to become a better ruler. Over time, she struggled more and more with the pressures of her role, and eventually she ruined her kingdom.' Link bit his lip, conflicted.

I'm sure she won't do that bad a job, he thought. After all, she's got Impa to help her out. And so what if the kingdom does suffer a little? It would still be better than what Casineb and Demise did. But at the back of his mind, a little voice reminded him of how hard Hyra found being Princess, how disgruntled her people were with her rule even before she became cursed. The damage would be great, he knew.

Link's perspective changed again, and this time he was standing in the clearing in Faron Woods where he had first met and fought Zelda. He turned round, and gasped as he saw himself, frozen in mid-battle as his sword clashed with his friend's. As he watched, both figures burst into golden light.

'Without the growing evil of Casineb, you had no reason to go on your quest,' Farore informed him. 'So you never met Zelda.' Link's heart skipped a beat at her words.

I'll never meet Zelda? I don't want that! But at least she's still alive, even if I never know about her… He tried to convince himself, but it was a struggle. The scene before his eyes shifted again, and he found himself standing in Fallhollow Village. Across the clearing he saw himself again, this time battling Quin while Faru watched.

'In fact, without the threat of Casineb, you never left Fallhollow Village at all,' Farore said. Link's vision zoomed in on his hand, which Link saw was still covered with the dark mark he had had for the first seventeen years of his life. 'You never realised your true destiny,' Farore told him. 'You stayed here, alone, until the day you died.'

I… do? Link thought, shocked. But I must leave at some point… But he thought back to his time spent in the village, before the Elder had revealed his destiny to him. At the time, he would have been quite content to spend the rest of his days living in the village, never setting foot beyond the forest. And that means I never meet Mara, or the Gorons or the Zoras, or the Gerudo either, Link thought sadly. And Faru never meets Mara, and Quin never meets Cariad and Shalina. I guess we'll all still be alive, and safe, but is it worth it? Is a dull, safe life really better than one of adventure? Would I really be happy living in this tiny village for the rest of my life, never seeing all the wonders of Hyrule? It was a difficult choice, and for the first time Link's resolve was shaken. Do I really want to make this wish? he wondered.

Suddenly his vision blurred, and Link had a sense of being taken far away, both in time and space. When his vision cleared he saw that he was again standing in the magical realm Demise had created for their fight. But the Demon King was locked in battle with another green-clad figure, who Link recognised as the Hero of the Skies, his ancestor. The Hero knocked Demise onto his back and leapt up into the air, landing with his sword through Demise's chest. The Hero straightened up, holding his sword aloft, and Demise dissolved into a cloud of darkness, which was sucked into the Hero's sword. But the image froze before all the darkness was absorbed, and the cloud dissolved into golden light.

'As you wished, your ancestor defeated Demise properly, and the Demon King's residual consciousness was never sealed away in the Master Sword,' Farore said, and Link nodded.

At least one part of my wish seems to be going according to plan, he thought. His view shifted, and now he was standing in the Sealed Temple, with the huge Gate of Time in the centre. But this time it was active, glowing with strange symbols and turning as he watched. In front of the gate stood a tall, blonde woman, facing a figure Link recognised as Zelda's ancestor, the goddess Hylia in mortal form. The two were arguing about something, but their voices sounded very distant to Link's ears.

'Originally, Impa stayed in the Sealed Temple to watch over the Master Sword and ensure that Demise did not break free again,' Farore said. Link nodded to himself, deciding that the tall woman must be Impa. 'But as a result of your wish, Impa had no reason to stay and guard the sword,' the goddess continued, as the tall figure vanished into golden light. The scene changed again; Link was still standing in the Sealed Temple along with Zelda, but now in the place where Impa had been there was a much older woman, who Link realised must be the older version of Impa, at the end of her vigil.

'Before, Zelda met Impa again in her own time,' Farore said, 'but now, because of your wish, Impa was not here, so Zelda did not meet her again,' she told Link as the older Impa faded away. He felt bad for Zelda, knowing that she would have liked to meet her friend and companion a final time, but reasoned that it was for the best.

After all, this way she and Link don't have to worry about Demise anymore, he told himself. Maybe they'll finally end up together, without the relics of Demise's power getting in the way. His view shifted; now he was standing in the hands of the Statue of the Goddess, where the Link and Zelda of the past were talking. To his surprise, he recognised this from one of his dreams: this was the moment when Zelda decided to stay on the Surface, and Link decided to stay with her. But as Link watched, both figures vanished into golden light, which floated up to the heavens.

'With Demise truly gone, there was no threat to the Triforce, so Zelda had no reason to stay on the Surface to protect it. She returned to Skyloft, and Link along with her.' Link's eyes widened.

But… if they never stayed down here… then that must mean… His vision changed into one of Skyloft's central plaza. It was full of people, bursting with life and colour, but Link somehow felt melancholy despite all the joy.

'Without Link and Zelda to lead them, the other people of Skyloft never went down to the Surface. The civilisation that sprung up there, the civilisation that led to you and Zelda, never existed.' Link gasped.

Wait, does that mean Zelda and I were never born? That can't happen, surely! He turned around, searching for familiar faces. He saw who he was looking for: Link and Zelda stood on opposite sides of the plaza. They looked up briefly, catching each other's eye, but quickly looked away. At least tell me that those two ended up together, Link silently prayed. But Farore's words dashed his hopes.

'Link and Zelda never confessed their feelings to each other. They both spent their remaining days on Skyloft, alone and miserable.' The scene faded, and Link was once more surrounded by darkness.

'Wait, no! This isn't what I want!' he yelled. Suddenly the golden figure of Farore appeared in front of him.

'You made a wish, Link,' she said gravely. 'Wishes do not give you what you want. They simply give you what you ask for. There is a difference.'

'Then I don't want to ask for this,' Link said. Farore looked him in the eye.

'When one pure of heart touches the Triforce, they get one wish. Do not waste it.' The blackness around Link faded, and he found himself standing back in the Sacred Realm. His outstretched arm was a hair's width away from the Triforce, but he let it fall.

'I don't want to wish for all of this to never have happened,' he said slowly. 'Even if that means some of the wounds will be healed, even if it means Zelda comes back to life, I can't make that wish. It isn't fair on anyone.' The three Golden Goddesses stood behind him, waiting. Link sighed, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. 'I'm sorry, Zelda,' he whispered, reaching out towards the Triforce once more. Raising his head, he made his wish.

'I wish for the land of Hyrule to be healed,' he said. 'I wish for it to prosper. And… and I wish for a long, happy future, free of fear and pain, for all those who live in it.' Farore, Nayru and Din stepped forward, raising their hands towards the Triforce. It shone with a bright golden light, blinding Link. He felt its warm glow surround him, lifting him into the air, before everything around him became dark. The last thing he heard was Farore's voice in his mind.

'Thank you, Link.'