(AN: I know I know, I promised to finish this story this Summer you guys and here we are at the end of August with school just starting again but here it is. I really hope you enjoy. Thanks to everyone who read this story and reviewed it or even just enjoyed it. Epilogue coming soon, well... "soon" in a way you guys might have gotten used to from me. I really love you guys for putting up with my drawn out updates.)
There was no mistaking it, the girl trying to hold the Master Sword between them had to be his daughter. How long had he been gone? To him, it had only seemed like a few weeks. His hair fell over his shoulder when he leaned forward, had it always been that long? He reached out and the girl raised the sword. He dropped his hand and smirked as the sword dipped. He had hoped to come home and hold an infant in his arm. How could he have been gone so long?
"Marin..." The boy behind her whined. The girl turned her eyes away.
"Marin." The Shadow repeated. She looked back at him, raising the sword again. "How old are you Marin?" He asked.
"Seven." The girl answered. She took a slight step back and fixed her grip on the sword.
This time The Shadow stumbled back. A pained noise had escaped from the back of his throat. Seven years he'd been gone! It wasn't fair.
Across the room, a loud scream interrupted the group. The scribe that had caught the children in the chamber in the first place had apparently reclaimed his composure and was ready to sound the alarm. "Somebody! Come quickly! It's Ganandorf! The farm girl summoned Ganondorf!" The Shadow groaned. It was bad enough being away from home for so long, but to come back and be mistaken for his creator was too much. He didn't know how he was going to get out of this one.
The little boy behind Marin squealed in fear. Marin took a step forward with the Master Sword. "Run, Daphnes!" She yelled, "I'll hold him off."
The Shadow couldn't help but feel a little bit of pride at her bravery. She probably had to grow up strong. The guards started running into the room, crossbows drawn. The Shadow had no more time to think. He moved around the sword which was far to heavy for Marin to swing and grabbed onto her, holding her close to his chest and curling around her.
"Marin!" The boy cried. "Don't shoot! Let her go!" He felt the tiny fists as the boy pounded on his back.
Marin squirmed to get out of his grip, she even bit him, but he held fast to her. "I'm sorry." He whispered to her. A tear slipped out of his eye and landed on her cheek and she stopped struggling and looked up at him. "I wish this could have been different... I'm sorry."
"Are you...crying?" She asked.
"Lower your weapons! For the love of the Goddesses my son is up there!" The queen's commanding voice boomed through the chamber. He heard the uncomfortable shuffle of armor and the even footsteps of a confident Zelda.
The Shadow looked up and heaved a sigh of relief. "Hello again, Zelda." He smiled up at her.
"You!" She was still marching towards them, behind her, he heard a sharp, stifled cry. Malon was standing in the center of the chamber, her hands clasped over her mouth, he could see the tears rolling down her cheeks already. His heart skipped a beat. "Do you know how long you've been gone? And here you come back and sound a great big alarm! Don't you know how to do anything without making trouble for me in the process?" She stood over him now, arms crossed. The boy, Daphnes, had fled behind her skirts. He could see how the years had weighed heavy on her. Her countenance was harder, her eyes were more tired. Her mouth was turned down in a stern frown as she stood over him
He leaned back and released Marin from his grip, she retreated with Daphnes behind Zelda. "I don't know Your Highness, I suppose it's my just in me to still be your monster." He smiled, somewhat bitterly, though it wasn't entirely Zelda's fault. For a moment they just stared at each other and Marin peeked from around Zelda's skirts.
"Leave us." Zelda ordered to the guards. They quietly marched out of the room. When they had some privacy she smiled for the first time. "I can't believe I'm saying this but it's good to see you again." She said. "I never meant for you to get locked away with Ganon. I'm sorry."
Malon's heart fluttered in her chest as Zelda and Link stared each other down. When Zelda dismissed the guards she couldn't take it anymore. She flew up the steps, barely feeling the stone floor beneath her feet with each step, and flung herself on Link, her Link. He fell backwards, unable to support himself.
He wrapped his arm around her and she sobbed into his chest. They were sorrowful, relieved, joyful tears. The last seven years she had been so lonely. "Is it real this time?" She asked him as she held him closer. "I dreamed this so many nights. Is it really you?" She was trembling with excitement and a kind of nervousness. She didn't want to let go of him. "Please, please be real." Her grip became tighter.
"I'm here. I'm not leaving anymore, I promise." He stroked her hair and she noticed his arm for the first time. It was gone, just a smooth, pale grey scar in its place.
"Mama?" Marin pulled her focus away from the arm. Malon and Link both sat up to look at their confused little girl.
"Marin, come say hello to your father." Malon was still wiping the tears from her eyes.
Marin looked between the two of them. She looked confused and skeptical at first and then she threw herself into his chest, causing him to fall over again.
Zelda took Daphnes hand and walked him out of the room. "Who is he momma?" The shadow heard the boy ask.
"I'll tell you later." Zelda answered, She leaned over and picked up the Ocarina of Time. "I need you to tell me how you got this." They walked out of the Temple before the shadow could hear anymore. It wasn't important to him at the time. He wanted to focus on his family.
"What happened to your arm?" Marin asked. Before he could answer a soft breeze blew around them.
"One more wish." A hushed chorus of three voices echoed through the chamber. "As a reward for your service, we will grant you one more wish." He could think of a hundred things to wish for. His right arm back. More importantly, his seven years back to watch his daughter grow up. He looked at her, Marin, and regretted that she didn't look more like her mother. He thought of the ranch where he'd first met Malon, and the vision of sunlight his opposite had accidentally given him when they fought. He knew what he wanted.
"Alright Goddesses, grant me this then. I want to walk in sunlight with my daughter. I want us to be free from Ganondorf's stain." He didn't quite know what he was expecting from such a wish but again, a bright light surrounded him and Marin as a form of response. He looked at his left hand as the darkness was lifted from his fingertips. He was pale, as though he'd never been out in the sun, and really he never had been. Marin's face lightened and became tan. A large collection of freckles gathered across her face and shoulders. Her braid turned a dark brown color and her eyes were blue like Malon's.
Malon gasped as the light faded and started to cry again. The shadow picked up the Master Sword and tried inspecting his reflection in the blade. He met a brown eye in his reflection. Dark brown hair hung around his pale shoulders. No longer was he a shadow but he also didn't look quite like his double either, which was a relief to him. Marin looked at her own hands and her face broke into a large smile.
The shadow, no, he would need a new name of his own, he was no longer a shadow and he couldn't take Link's name anymore. First, he wanted to run outside and feel the sun on his face without pain for the first time.
Malon took his hand in hers and smiled. "Let's go home." She said.
Home, it was a good word. He dropped the Master Sword back into the pedestal took Marin's hand. Malon wrapped an arm around his waist and he rested what he had of his right arm over her shoulder as a kind of embrace. They walked out of the Temple as a family into the afternoon sun.