*So… THIS chapter has been bothering me. That scar on Sky's back comes into play and couldn't remember if Zelda had any idea about it. No matter how much I reread her part I couldn't find any mention of it. So if anyone proves me wrong I'll rewrite that part. And yes, it's REALLY been bugging me. ;_; And I'm not too sure how I like how it turned out. Please forgive my rustiness! At least I had fun writing this!*
Young Link used to talk about the seven-year gap he experienced. Things changed quite a bit according to him. But Sky couldn't relate to that at all until after he came home.
He was in quite a daze when he came back, though whether it was because of the dimension travel or the experience as a whole he didn't know. Zelda was in much better condition and was very happy to be home. Eventually they made their way to Skyloft to get some much needed rest. Everyone was excited to see the two back. He vividly recalled several children shouting, "Link's finally back!" to everyone.
Link. Not Sky. Just Link.
The familiar name left a bad taste in his mouth. It was just a way to remind the hero that Young Link and Wolf were no longer around. Why need to give nicknames to differentiate from people who weren't there? The residents of Skyloft were completely oblivious to his empty, tired eyes. Groose patting him roughly on the back, Pipit and his mother arguing among the celebration, Zelda and her father embracing each other… Link barely noticed any of it.
His brothers were gone. Cia was dead. Why was everyone so happy? Not that they knew what happened, of course. Still, Link somehow wished that they felt the grief as well. He was so alone in it. After a short time he shook the residents off of him as he trudged to his old dorm room. Luckily the party moved to Zelda so no one seemed to notice.
Link opened his cupboard and gazed inside of it wistfully. Inside there was everything from school pennants to knives and chisels for woodcarving. Nothing in that space was ever moved. It reminded Link of a simpler time, one before tornadoes and fighting demons.
He reached a hand to his lower back gently. The writing etched into the skin could be felt even through the thick cloth and chainmail. "Property of Demon Lord Ghirahim." In hindsight it could've been something much worse, but to Link this was downright humiliating. That was likely Ghirahim's intent in the first place, though.
Link had never seen the writing and he wasn't planning on it anytime soon. And if he couldn't see, then he'd make sure Zelda couldn't either…at least for now. He couldn't hide such a large, ugly scar forever.
Knock, knock.
His head snapped up. He barely had any alone time! Who was bothering him now? Link let out a sigh and quickly opened the door.
"Hello, Pipit," he sighed.
Pipit smiled at him kindly. "Link, what's the matter? You've been gone so long, everyone wants to see you!"
"I'm sure," Link replied flatly. "I don't mean to be ungrateful of anything. My time away was just really hard. Can you leave me be for a while?"
Pipit nodded without even thinking about it. "You're a busy guy, so you deserve it. I'll make sure no one comes around. Just don't stay holed up here forever, okay?"
"Yeah, okay." Link mustered up the most convincing smile he could and shut the door. Soon he'd have to go greet everyone, but that could wait. Like Pipit said, he deserved it.
Time seemed to fly by after that day. Life went back to normal for the others pretty quickly. But for Link the things he witnessed stayed burned in his mind. Especially Cia's death. No one should have to see something so awful. And he missed his brothers more than anyone. Was Young Link still hiding under a smile? Was Wolf still lonely in that small village of his? There was no one knowing. Even if they didn't exist yet in this era, the questions were still worth asking. And Link asked them for quite some time.
It was nearly five years since he'd returned. The temple on the surface had become a beautiful home. Any attempts to build a proper cottage were abandoned. They were just so comfortable there, so why move? Zelda and Karane had a fun time adorning the walls with photos and candles. Link preferred to spend his time in the courtyard they made. He distracted himself from his problems by planting flowers around the Statue of the Goddess. He initially started making it specifically for Zelda, but the silence of it all comforted him.
Despite the decision to stay inside the temple, more homes needed to be built. Several people on Skyloft decided to move down to the surface to make a new town. The hope was that everyone would come live with them eventually, but it was difficult to convince them all that it was safe. The main residents of this nameless town they made were the school's knights, including those in training, and a few children with their parents. The older ones felt they wanted to stay on their homeland and die with it. Even Zelda's father didn't want to leave, but he did make frequent visits to see her.
But today must've been busy. There were no visits from anyone. Even Groose didn't come over from his recently-finished home. Not that Link was complaining. He enjoyed the solidarity. Of course, company was nice every once in a while, but he couldn't bear it every single day.
"Link, where are you?"
He turned his head, not wanting to get up from the bench. Zelda strode towards him with a gentle smile. She was wearing a new purple dress today. Link assumed she made it herself with supplies her dad brought from Skyloft. Her long, golden hair was adorned with lilac string braided into the left side. She really did grow up into a beautiful young woman.
Zelda laughed at his staring. "Do you like my new dress? I didn't think you were one to appreciate fashion."
Link quickly turned his head, acting as if he didn't see her. "Yeah, it's nice." He awkwardly paused. "Did you need something?"
"I just wanted to sit with you is all." Zelda quickly sat next to Link before he could reject her. "The town is coming along really nice. If you left this garden every once in a while you'd notice all the hard work everyone's doing."
"Hey, I help sometimes," Link argued. "It's just…those kids are so loud sometimes."
Zelda leaned against him affectionately. "But what if we have kids someday? Will you not like them?"
The hero could feel the blood rush to his cheeks. He and Zelda had an odd relationship. They loved each other, both knew that. But they never said it. It was an unspoken thing they understood. Still, sometimes he felt Zelda didn't understand what she was implying…
"Of course I'll like them," Link chuckled nervously. The idea of having children was a bit daunting… But a part of him was afraid Young Link and Wolf would cease to exist if he didn't. "I even picked out names, remember?"
"I do," Zelda replied. "Layla and Lae. But what if we have two girls or two boys? We should really think about other names too."
"Let's cross that bridge when we come to it," Link frowned. He'd leave that job to Zelda. "But about having kids… You, uh, do know what that entails, right?"
Zelda blinked stupidly. "Of course. We're old enough for that, aren't we? You don't have to be so immature about the whole thing."
Link hung his head miserably. She really did become more adult in these past few years. Were women just like that? Plus if they did that she might see the scar on his back. And he certainly didn't want her to find out that way.
"Link… Do you not want children?" Zelda asked sadly. "I respect that and all, but I would at least want one."
"N-No, that's not it!" Link stuttered in a panic. "I do want kids! It's just…making them is the hard part for me." He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed by what he was saying. "Once you do it, there's no going back, you know?"
Zelda smirked at him with half-lidded eyes. "I thought it was easier for men. Well, I can wait for as long as you need me too. Just not too long, okay?"
The hero offered her a meek smile. "Yeah… Okay."
Another year passed. By this point Zelda was becoming a bit impatient. Link could see it in her eyes. Perhaps it was female instinct that drove her. She just had that biological need to be a mother. She never complained, but she often stared wistfully at children playing together. Her wanting was obvious and Link couldn't keep her waiting any longer. Still, he'd have to address…that first.
"Zelda?" He peeked into her room nervously to see her carefully arranging her bed, as she did every morning. She smiled at him brightly, neatly tucking the last blanket into the mattress.
"Good morning, Link," she greeted. Her smile quickly faded when she noticed his troubled expression. "…What's the matter?"
Link took a deep breath and scratched his neck. "Um, I kind of made a decision. I want to try for a baby soon."
Zelda couldn't help but let a grin come over her face. "That's great! How soon? I hope really soon! And I want a boy and a girl, so whichever you prefer is fine-"
"Zelda!"
She winced at Link's stern voice. "Sorry… I got a little excited there, didn't I? It's just… I've been waiting so long."
"I know," Link sighed. "And I'm the one whose been keeping you waiting for so long."
Zelda regained her relaxed composure and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright. I know it must be a difficult thing for you."
"No, that's not it," Link said, shaking his head. "It's from my time with Cia. I got a…scar on my back. Ghirahim gave it to me."
"You've got plenty of scars," Zelda said, knitting her brows. "What's so bad about this one?"
Link stared at his feet nervously. "It's, uh, not from fighting. And it's a little embarrassing…"
Zelda gave him a long stare, curious about what he meant. "And what if it is? I'm not going to run away because of it."
She sat on the bed and folded her arms, looking at Link expectantly. Obviously she was a bit offended her partner would even consider the idea of her being that unfaithful.
Link undid his belt with shaking hands and tossed it to the side. His fingers now trembling even more, he faced away from Zelda and gripped the bottom of his tunic. "Um, don't say anything yet, okay?" he requested in a timid voice. He slowly raised the cloth over his head and wrapped it over his hands.
A few seconds of tense silence passed before Zelda flatly said, "I see it. You can put your clothes back on.
Link threw the tunic over his head without a second thought. "It's not that bad, is it? I haven't looked at it lately, so…"
"It's fine." He felt Zelda's hand on his back, resting over the coarse skin. "Honestly, I don't know if there's much I can say to make you feel better, but… It doesn't scare me. And I certainly won't abandon you over it."
Link looked over his shoulder at her hesitantly. There really wasn't anything she could say to comfort him, but that loving gaze she gave him was enough. She stood on her toes to kiss his cheek gently.
"Also, um…" Link's face went red at what he was about to say. "Could you not tell anyone else about this? I kind of want to keep this to myself."
Zelda smiled warmly at the request. "Wouldn't dream of it."
XX
Link sat on the steps to the Master Sword, listening to the village children play outside. He didn't have the energy to go play with them anymore, but he would still be a referee of sorts to their ball games every so often. But on rainy days like this he would much rather keep Fi company. He turned to look at the blade, noticing his reflection staring back in the steel.
The former hero expected to see a teenager with innocent eyes. Instead the gaze he met was that of an aging and tired man. The fact that this was him never ceased to give Link a jolt of reality. Those days of adventuring and fighting weathered him more than he could know, yet he often yearned for that time.
He turned away from his reflection to watch the rain pour down. A rumble of thunder or two accompanied the dripping noise from outside. Even after all this time he still wondered if his brothers minded the rain. Link certainly didn't, but that was because it was something never seen when he was in Skyloft.
His wistful thoughts were interrupted by the sound of splashing outside the temple door. Screaming, both playful and genuine, quickly followed. Link grimaced at the cracking in his bones as he stood up. That was a sound he would never get used to.
"Layla!" Link pushed the heavy door open as all the haste he could muster. "What are you doing to your brother now?"
The young woman outside froze where she was, the stick she was holding raised high in the air. "Uh, nothing, Daddy," she smiled innocently. The stick quickly disappeared behind her back.
Link held out his hand with an expectant glare. "Hand it over." Layla huffed childishly and reluctantly gave up her make-shift weapon. "I swear, I will never understand why you torment your brother like this."
"Is his fault!" Layla jabbed a finger at the cowering boy below. "He ruined my favorite dress! Seriously, that idiot got mud all over it."
Link turned his gaze to his frightened son. "Is that true, Lae?"
"Yeah, but I was just doing laundry!" the boy protested, his expression suddenly turning angry. "It just dropped out of the basket on my way back from the lake, that's all."
Link pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. "You know, you two should be lucky you even have each other. Your mother and I were only children."
"I wish I was an only child," Layla muttered, though she was instantly quieted by a sharp glare from her father. "But Daddy, Lae is always ruining stuff. Don't you remember when he broke that carving Ma game you?"
"Alright, enough." Link grabbed the two of them by the backs of their clothes. "You are both staying in your room until you learn how to get along."
Lae stared up at him with furrowed brows. "Then we'll be in there forever!"
"Good," Link smiled. "It'll give your mother and I a break."
"I wish I could sleep through this, Fi."
Link stared up at the Master Sword with empty eyes. He was trying to remove himself from the incessant shouting that came from the next room. The swear words echoed throughout the temple's main room. Hopefully Zelda wouldn't realize the kids learned those from him…
"What on earth is going on in here?"
Link tensed up at the sound of his wife's voice. Like any sane man, he feared his wife's fury a healthy amount. "The kids are fighting again," Link replied meekly, sitting up to meet her eyes.
Zelda strode into the room with a displeased look on her face. She stared down her husband as he shrunk down where he sat.
"Those kids are constantly arguing," she sighed. Link suppressed the relieved expression that threatened to show. Luckily Zelda's bad side wasn't being aimed at him. "How are they going to take care of this land after we're gone?"
"Easy," Link smirked. "We'll just have to eternally haunt them."
His wife finally showed a small smile. "I wish. Just knowing they'll be out on their own makes me nervous…"
"That's just part of being a parent." Link reached out to grab her hand reassuringly. "I should know. I still worry about the kids I used to know."
His younger counterparts came to mind, specifically Young Link. Imagining such a reckless child all alone saving the world was an odd thought. If his previous life had such a difficult time with it at seventeen, how could a nine-year-old do it? Though, right now his biggest fear was that his fate would be passed onto his children…
XX
Link gazed at the distant floor tiredly. Nowadays just getting out of bed was a huge task. But he had to do it. His poor wife was laying awake next to him, and she could barely stand without his help.
"Zelda," he whispered, gingerly giving her arm a shake. "Are you ready to get up?"
The reply didn't come. She continued to stare blankly at the ceiling. But that was to be expecting. The strong, vocal girl from all those years ago was gone. A word hadn't left her lips in some time. But even so, Link stayed by her side. His only regret about it all was that his aged body could no longer protect her.
"Lae," Link called in a hoarse voice. This was one of the days that he just couldn't motivate himself to rise. And those days came quite often.
"Dad, I was busy…" Lae peeked his head into the bedroom, his cheeks flushed red. He was no doubt adjusting his pants outside.
Link gave him a long, hard stare. "Son, it's a bit early for that. Help your mother get up, will you?"
Lae finally made his way to the bed, his garments still disheveled. Now a young man, he was recently married, and it showed. He and his wife were constantly in bed together. Link thought it was shameful for a hero's son, but he didn't say anything. He hated sounding self-righteous.
"Alright, Ma," Lae sighed. He slid his hand under Zelda's back and slowly brought her to a sitting position. "By the way, Myla brought you some food and stuff. Mostly bread. It's always bread. What's their fetish with that stuff?"
"At least pretend to be grateful," Link huffed. Myla often came around with homemade food baskets for her neighbors. She learned to make bread from her grandfather, Pipit. Like most of his classmates, Pipit had since passed away. Link and Zelda were the only ones left.
Groose's passing hurt the most. It was sudden…too sudden. He was perfectly fine the day before and he just didn't wake the next morning. Link often traveled to his grave just to talk. It made him feel a bit silly sometimes, but there weren't many people who understood his difficult younger years. And the one who did wouldn't respond.
"Hey, Dad." Link's thoughts were interrupted by his son. "I'm gonna take Ma to the courtyard today. She hasn't been out there in a while."
"Do what you want." Link took one last fleeting glance at his wife as she was carried out of the room. To him she was still as beautiful as she was during those hard times long ago, but her eyes had lost that youthful spark. Just watching her trembling hands try to grip something was painful to see. As much as he hated to admit it, Link just wanted her suffering to end. She'd suffered much too long.
Link wasn't faring much better. He avoiding looking at his reflection, too frightened to see the sad old man that gazed back. Somehow it made him think of Cia. Would she still have loved him, even like this? She didn't enter his mind too often these days, but when she did find a way to creep in Link's chest tightened with pain. Her needless death, though not his fault, was one of his biggest regrets. That and not protecting his brothers like he should have…
"Hey, Dad!"
The former hero sharply inhaled in annoyance. Why couldn't he get any peace in his old age?
"Daddy, you up?" Layla peeked her head in with a wide smile. "I made you breakfast today. And I totally didn't burn it this time!"
Link raised his eyebrows suspiciously. This was new. Usually his little girl didn't have time for him anymore. Then he noticed her stomach and quickly remembered: hormones.
"You should be resting," he sighed. "Moving around so close to birth isn't good for you."
"But I spent so much time on this!" Layla huffed dramatically. "Look, I'll just leave it next to you here, okay? Eat it soon before it gets cold."
"Only if you go rest. Keep your mother company in the courtyard."
Layla pouted, probably hoping to use her "Daddy's little girl" charm, but it wasn't working today. "Oh, fine," she sighed in defeat. "That tray had better be empty when I come back though!"
She marched out of the room quickly, or at least as quickly as a heavily pregnant woman could. Sometimes Link worried for that baby. Layla married fairly late in life and her husband died soon after. Link admittedly never cared for him, knowing all the disgusting things he must have been doing with his baby girl in the bedroom, but his death was a meaningless one. A short-lived plague ran through the small village, taking a few lives in the process. The death toll could be counted on one hand, but it still hit everyone hard.
Link gazed over at the tray his daughter set on the nightstand. It was something he could only assume was grits poured messily into a bowl. It looked disgusting, but that didn't matter. As many poor decisions as she made, Layla was still his little girl. And Lae would always be that cowardly boy, hiding behind his father's leg.
Link managed a smile at the memories. His life really wasn't too bad. Sure, he had those occasional nightmares, but when he woke up everything would be alright.
A grimace suddenly came over his face. Speaking of which, he was getting pretty tired. Maybe it was his old age or the comfort of his bed. Perhaps it was the quiet now that everyone had left. An extra hour or two wouldn't hurt. He rolled over with a strained groan and stared at the wall. As his eyelids drooped, he somehow felt like he could truly rest for the first time since he was young. Just for an hour…
Link sat up and stretched his back, happy with his nap. He hadn't felt that refreshed in ages! With a satisfied smile he reached to throw off the covers-
"Good morning, sunshine!"
His eyes darted to the feminine voice behind him. It was a girl he'd never seen before. And he was quite sure of it. Her vibrant green hair would've given her away.
"My, you really do sleep like a rock!" she giggled. "How are you feeling? A lot younger, I'd bet. It's a wonder the girls weren't clamoring all over you."
"What are you-" Link's hand clutched his throat as his eyes grew wide. His voice no longer sounded like a hoarse old man. It sounded like when he was younger.
The girl's amused expression was replaced with panic. "Ah, don't freak out! I know it's weird but…" She exhaled dramatically. "I mean, you're handsome again. There's a bright side to it."
Much to her surprise Link didn't have the reaction she thought he would. In fact, he was expecting this. "This is Heaven, isn't it?" he asked calmly. "Or something like that."
"Oh, uh, there is no Heaven here," the girl explained, biting her lip. "Not for you, anyway." A long pause followed. "That sounded rude, didn't it? Um, it's not like we're kicking you out or-"
"I didn't think so." Link stared blankly into the distance. "I don't know if you know this but I already know I'll be reborn. I've met them, in fact."
The girl scratched the back of her neck. "Yeah, I figured. I always have my eye on you. That's kind of my job. Don't worry, though! I look away during the 'adult' parts." She flashed a grin, holding up a thumbs-up. Link honestly wasn't sure how to respond to that. "Anyhow, what's gonna happen is you'll take a super long nap. And when we know evil will come back to the land, you'll come back too. With Zelda, of course."
Link rested his chin in his hand. "I don't care too much. As long as I don't remember any of this. It's weird, though. I spent so much time with that weird little kid and now I'm going to wake up as him. It's strange…"
Somehow the thought of Young Link made him smile for the first time in a while. It was kind of exciting to be back with such an eccentric child. And soon Wolf would follow.
"You know how I think about it?" the girl added. "Even as Young Link there will still be a bit of 'Sky' hidden in his heard. The same goes for Zelda. That's why your love will live on through lifetimes. Isn't that cute?" She clasped her hands with a wistful expression.
"Cute, huh?" Link couldn't help but chuckle at the idea. "Will I be able to say goodbye to Zelda as me? Before I go to sleep, that is."
The girl fell silent, awkwardly swaying where she stood. "Well, uh… See, I don't know how you're gonna react to this, but Zelda's going to die soon. Like, today. Once she finds out you died. But I don't think you'll last until then. If your soul stays around too long it'll naturally fall asleep anyway."
"…That's alright." Link sighed deeply, repressing the sorrow of not being able to see his wife again. "She'll come with me and we'll have another life together. How many couples can say that?"
"Yeah." The girl slumped her shoulders, her smile fading. "I'm sorry all this happened to you. It's not fair to you guys."
"No, it's alright," Link replied, not exactly meaning what he said. He could already feel his mind fading. "Like I said, I'll see my little brothers again. That alone makes he happy."
He fell backwards onto the ground, just as he would on his bed. What a shame that he wouldn't be able to enjoy the freedom of his young body again…
The girl bent down and swept a hand through his bangs. "Sleep well, okay? It'll be a long trip for you next time."
Link gave her one last smile before closing his eyes. His consciousness was quickly drifting off. One by one the memories of his friends faded until there was nothing left. Such a thing would have normally frightened him, but this felt like a heavy burdened being lifted off his shoulders. Names and faces he knew all his life left him so quickly. That strong-willed pigtailed girl, her doting boyfriend, the poor bullied classmate… And finally a tall boy with bright red hair. The last one to go put a pain in Link's chest, but by that point he didn't know why.
But Zelda stayed with him. Not as an old woman, but as that determined young woman he fell in love with. She'd always stay with him, it seemed. Not that he minded.
And just before he drifted off entirely a young boy stood over him confidently. Link couldn't grasp his name, but that wild boy was someone he just couldn't forget. The child playfully ruffled Link's hair before taking off his hat and placing it on his own head.
"Sleep well, brother," he grinned. "I'll take it from here!"
*Crawls out of ditch panting* OH GOD, DID I DO IT?!
Young Link: God, how long did that take you?!
Sky: She doesn't care about me, obviously. ;_;
Okay, so over these past few years these Links became REALLY important to me. You can't just write about someone for so long and not care. I wanted to give Sky a nice ending, kind of bittersweet. But because I struggled for so long on this I'm going to reread my ENTIRE story over again. Just to avoid inconsistency. And I'm not sure if any of you know, but I HATE going over my writing.
Wolf: At least you got one epilogue done.
Young Link: Yeah… ONE. =_=
Oh, shut it. Or you're not getting one at all! Anywho, I gotta ask… What was your favorite chapter? I'd love to hear from you guys! :3 Also this week is my twentieth birthday! And my exams!
Sky: This story is never getting done! D:
I SAID SHUT IT!
K bye.*