Disclaimer: Haven't owned Zelda for the whole story, still don't. Nintendo do, and they're making way too much money to bother suing little old me.
Epilogue
By the following morning all of the snow had melted, leaving the ground boggy and smelling of earth. Link stood in the outer courtyard of Hyrule Castle with Epona by his side, waiting for Zelda to come and wave him off. She appeared finally, looking a little sad and dressed in the same thing she had worn the day they first met. Link blushed at the memory of his first attempt at a kiss the night before, but was pleased to see that Zelda didn't look ready to murder him.
"You're already leaving this land of Hyrule, aren't you?" She began sadly.
Link nodded.
"If I have to."
She smiled and looked him straight in the eye.
"Even though it was only a short time, I feel like I've known you forever. I'll never forget the days we spent together in Hyrule and I believe in my heart that a day will come when I shall meet you again."
Link laughed a little.
"Of course we'll see each other again Zelda, how could we not?"
Zelda looked at him fondly and delved into her pocket.
"Until that day comes, please... take this."
She handed the Ocarina of Time to him and suppressed a giggle as she saw his eyes widen in surprise.
"Man, I feel bad now. I didn't get you anything."
She smiled.
"What you gave me last night was enough."
He smiled back and gave her a little hug, which she reciprocated.
"I am praying... I am praying that your journey be a safe one." She said earnestly. "If something should happen to you, remember this song. This song reminds me of us..."
She took the Ocarina back briefly and played the Song of Time before handing it to him again.
"How could I forget that song?" Link laughed. "That got us into a whole heap of trouble."
Zelda laughed.
"Not just that one, there was the Song of Storms that got you in trouble with a certain scary windmill guy."
Link rolled his eyes.
"Don't remind me."
They laughed again before Zelda touched his shoulder.
"We've had some good times, haven't we?" She said, sounding nostalgic.
"Yeah, and we'll have some even better ones once I come home."
"I hope that's sooner rather than later." She said in a mock commanding voice.
"Me too. I just... need to get my head round things and then once I'm done I'll be home. I promise."
They hugged each other again, only this time a little tighter and a little longer than the last.
"I'm really going to miss you." Zelda whispered, feeling tears spring to her eyes.
"I'll miss you too." Link replied, giving her a squeeze.
He got onto Epona and took one last look at Hyrule Castle, bathed in the morning sun.
"Zel, can you do me a favour while I'm gone?"
"Anything." She replied, looking up at him with a pretty smile.
"Can you keep an eye on my family for me?"
Zelda was at first surprised by his request and then nodded.
"Of course I will, just as long as you keep an eye on yourself."
Link laughed and touched her cheek.
"You know I will. Take care of yourself OK?"
"And you. Have a good journey."
As he rode off on his new adventure, Zelda stood staring after him.
"The Goddess of Time is protecting you. The Song of Time will aid you." She said to him, although he was too far away to hear. "Someday you'll come back to Hyrule and then we shall see whether or not what I am starting to feel for you is love."
A.N: C'est fini! That's it! Thanks very much for all your reviews, I've loved reading every one of them with the exception of one... *coughcoughcoughKoalakillercough* and I'm really happy that so many people enjoyed it. Unless none of you got that, Link was off on his travels to Termina at the end. I thought that would be a nice little thing to put at the end of a fic that I've loved writing, and also giving him a slightly better motive for leaving than looking for Navi cause let's face it, who'd want to look for Navi?
Now to the business of who'd like a sequel or a prequel. I can do both, but not at the same time, and it's really a matter of who'd like what. To help matters, here are snippets of the fics. First the sequel:
Olaran's blade was swift and merciful, putting an end to the lives of his enemies before they even had time to realise what was happening. Atop his iron-grey stallion, he was a sight that not many men would forget. Many of the men would return home and later tell their sons and grandsons that they had fought with the undefeated General and tell of his splendour in that battle with his red cloak billowing in the wind and his armour gleaming golden in the light of the dying sun. Even his own son, fighting with all his strength on the ground, looked upon his father in awe as the depleted enemy number began to retreat. This was a man that anyone in Hyrule would be proud to call father.
With the exception of one man, who couldn't bear to face the fact that he was Olaran's son.
And now the prequel:
The rain was falling heavily in sheets and the Gerudo man's sharp eyes caught sight of a figure walking slowly along the field path. Ganondorf shuddered with an unexpected coldness that was not caused by the rain. It was caused the second he heard the cries of a bawling infant.
Kotake and Koume looked at each other nervously.
"The Hero of Time." Kotake hissed.
Ganondorf turned around to face the fire witch.
"What? Are you telling me that the woman there is the Hero of Time?"
Koume looked at the Gerudo King.
"It could well be sire, but the prophecy said that it would be a male, it must be the babe."
Ganondorf frowned.
"It will not live. Nothing is going to stop me from reaching my ultimate goal."
He charged up an orb of fire and held it above his head.
"Not even that child."
Right, e-mails or reviews with requests and I'll see what I can do. Thanks very much and goodnight!
