The sunset winds in with the rest of it all, so meaingless, so drab. A year or two ago, I would've watched in wonder at it, taking in all its beauty, but times have changed. Seven years, seven unexplained years that never even happened at all, at least not in my world. But my world has long since been anything on the side of brightness and love, far from it. Far from the giggling children and singing people. Far from the music of the doves and echoes of legends. My world is hidden inside your thoughts, inside the things that cna only be seen with eyes that can handle it. My world is the worl of the ones that can't be explains, the people destiny didn't care for, the discarded heroes.

I know that nothing lasts forever, but forever must not be long at all. At first, people reguarded me as what they thought I was; a hero. They'd wave and smile, introduce themselves, some of them would even bow. And it was what I wanted deep inside, the attention, the feeling that I was wanted, and needed somewhere, inside the hearts of everyone. I remember the awe-srtuck little boys, humbly silencing the noise around them, it was they dreamed for, they dreamed of being a hero. It's just too bad they didn't catch my destiny.

Hero. One word, no tricks, no riddles, just a word. Harmless enough, from the outside at least. Hero, say it, just say it. It sounds so...powerful, so important. So unlike the true meaning. And the true heroes only know that hidden definition, the few ones left alive that know it keep it secret and private, like me. It breaks my heart to see all those kids pretending to be the hero, the hero is the ultimate warrior, the hero is untouchable, strong and invincible, or so everyone seems to think. I've watched them so intently playing the game of 'Hero and Villain' so engrossed with it, amazed in splendor. They never tire, the little boys. Never tire of living their dream out in tiny pieces. I guess everone has a dream.

Dreams aren't reality though, and dreams create make-believe personels, trying to cheat fate, and as I've learned, it's impossible. Sometimes it's the impossible dreams that make us stronger, but just how strong can some one be before they burst and shatter? Stregnth is a weakness in the mysterious eyes of the outspoken hero.

When I was younger, I was afraid of death, afraid of everything about it. Maybe it was because of the way my mother died *, but I guess I'll never really know. Back to death, though. It freaked me out, just watching anything die, even if it was as small and insignificant as a beetle. There's just something about the strange and unknown ways of death, the part about never ever coming back. That was why becoming a hero, as they label me so frequently, was so hard.

On my first 'challenge' you could call it I guess, I almost fainted after killing the first Deku Baba. Brandishing a sword gave me the creeps, and even using it almost drove me off the wall. I'm not quite sure how I made it through the hollow Deku Tree. And when it was all over, the truth hurt more than the bites from the monsters and beasts. I was shocked to find out that my attempts to save the Deku Tree were in vain, and that he was damned from day one.

I was so angry, so angry for believing everything he told me, I felt used and gullable, I didn't want to continue with the rest of it. I felt so let down, and it broke my young spirits. Things never got easier, they got harder and harder, every day a new challenge, another death. The countless deaths shot through me like a Gerudo scimitar through my flesh. I'd met my match, and it seemed so ironic that destiny would bring me up as a killing machine, the out-runner of death. Almost invincible: a hero.

Almost is that key word, almost. My life is made up with the 'almosts' of today. Every 'almost' tells a different story, an untold legend, and even more death than I'd like to remember. I really wouldn't like to remember any of it. No amount of good can take back the bad things that have happened. Nothing, the strong and powerful nothing cna't fight against the invincible hero. No one really can fight against those who are already dead.

Perhaps I feared death so much because I knew that I too would one day mark another tally on the list of deaths. Another life taken, no big deal really. It was for me. It was a big deal in the eyes of a shivering little boy. A boy who never knew his parents. A boy that had no friends, real ones at least. A boy that was branded an outcast. A boy that became a man, and the man that became the hero.

A man that still can't understand the truths and lies of death and life. Can a person really live when they've killed so much? Will all the lives come back into one gigantic being of darkness? Is there really no end to the treachery and evil? Maybe I am dead though, maybe I'm just afraid of living. Living. What does that mean? If life meadured by the movement in a Hylian's body? Is life measured in the amount of love in a heart? If that's true, then I've been dead for quite some time.

I remember the graveyard in Kakariko Village. I was still very young, and death was still the same frightenind dark gleam of obsedian-like abyss. Looking at those grey gravestones was torture, and going into the graves was a task beyond description. Then again, maybe it was right where I belonged, maybe the graveyard is the real world and I am living in the realm of the dead. And if I'm living in the realm of the dead, then I'm not truly living, am I?

My own thoughts send shivers of confusion and misunderstanding down my spine, worsening my already-weak condition. The weak condition is only in my head, but isn't everything up there too? I remember my first love, and that was quickly followed by a vow never to love again, I think it was the right thing to do though. I'll never forgive Zelda for the way she treated me that day. She sent me back through time, and didn't have a care, her face remained straight and blank, showing no emotions but those of harshness and icy movement.

I really don't know what I saw in that ditz-of-a-princess. She's so vain, like the whole lot of them. She'd never understand my needs, my requests, she couldn't. It's far too complex for her tiny brain to process. Far too complex for even me, I sometimes don't understand anything. It's just a cycle, you live, you die, and it's over. When you die, another is born to take your place in the cycle of life. How disgusting it is to know that your life was taken away by a weak and powerless newborn. Times and thoughts like these make me wish that I was dead, or even alive.

But here I am, stuck in limbo, not quite dead, not quite alive. Alone and stranded on an island of deceit. Nothing bothers me here, I'm alone, the way I've always been. It's just me and my mind, just me and my thoughts, my and my patheric life.

And I hate it all! I'd die thousands of deaths just to live in a carefree body. Someone that will never once bleed, that will never once come into contact with harm. A person that has a life, a person that has friends, and lovers, a person that can live without dying. I long for a new fate, I wish every night on every falling star. Endlessly hoping and waiting for my turn to live again. It's always been out of reach, by just a tiny bit, by an amoutn so small you wouldn't even notice it until it comes up to slap you on the face.

I really honestly hate my life as a hero. I hate everything about it. The deaths and the blood mostly. Just an hour ago I fell on a rock and cut my hand. The blood flowed perfectly, gliding over the surface of once-smooth skin. It seep out from the gash, peacefully drifting and dropping into the forest green moss at my feet. I watced it for a long time, marveling at the sick beauty of it. How the crimson droplets held a ruby glow,how it grew frosty in the winter air. The air it so carelessly emoerged from it's case of skin.

Just another cut to make another scar in my life. My life is nothing but a scar, a mark of existence, something that never really goes away, something that thrives on nothing at all. It's nothing really. Just a little but, no need to worry and ponder over it. No need to think of it as anything but nothing. It reminded me of my life, the life that killed my heat, the life that controlled the world and the enviornment of the fallen hero.

Over time, I've hardened quite a bit. No longer does death intimidate me, no longer do I have to cry at the mangled bodies. Maybe crying was better thought. Now I look at the same mangled bodies and see nothing at all; just another life, another death. Nothing more, and nothing less. It makes me scream inside, to look at them and feel nothing at all. It drives me crazy, but you can only care for so longer before caring becomes just another one of life's many hassles.

I feel torn and ripped, like a fragile ornament, ready to fall on the ground and shatter. Outside stregnth is nothing, it doesn't mean a thing. The inside is the part that matter, it's the part that hurts when you've been called a name. It's the part that conrtols every move you make, the part that decides your destiny.

Before Zelda sent me back, she did, however, give me one thing. She handed me a yellow rose, and in a few weeks, the rose faded into nothing but a wilting stem with withering petals. Over time, I've become that rose, fading with each day, each year, soon to fall away into nothing and end this cruel life. The rose lasted a healthy life for the first week or so, and after that, ever-so-slowly, signs of aging crept up on the youthful rose, sucking the life out of it. But every day after that, it became smaller and smaller, older and wiser, frail and brittle. One day, the weight of the dead flower made the stem break, and die. My time hasn't come yet.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I didn't ask to be a part of a legend. It wasn't my choice at all. I'd rather be a non-living rock than have to carry the burden of being a hero all through my life. That's why I didn't want to stay in Hyrule. The small reasons added up, and things were just too hard to live with. Zelda wasn't the same, wise girl she used to be. The part that I'd loved about her was gone, it disappeared the day she sent me back in time. She wasn't the same prophetic-dream-seeing intriguing person anymore, she'd changed into a...a giggling, blank-eyed nothing, and I couldn't stand it.

When she played the song of time, she knew things would never be the same, they couldn't ever be the same. I lost so many friendships and companions after that quest,there were too many losses to deal with. You never real know what you've had until it's gone. Nothing's like it used to be, Saria, Zelda, Malon, Ruto, the Kokiri, Darunia, everyone is different, they're not the same people I knew before. Something strange had happened when I went back in time, something wasn't right around Hyrule.

All of my friends weren't the same as they had been, and losing Navi almost threw me off that edge. I hadn't ever appreciated her, I'd even ignore her sometimes. But she...she was my one, true friend. The one that never judged me or made fun of me or anything. She respected me, and I didn't respect her at all. After the quest, she left without saying goodbye. I didn't really know what a true friend she's been until she had left. All I know is that she left and headed towards the forest, but the forest is vast, and some parts of it haven't even been seen by Hylians or Kokiri. She could be anywhere, and I'm left to find her.

"Where are you Navi?" I yelled up into the sky for an answer, as a way to heal my suffering.

"Where are you?! Why did you leave? Come back!...Please! come back..."

I collapsed onto the grass and wept. I couldn't stay like this forever, I couldn't live my life alone and look back and ask myself why I didn't search for Navi. No, I wouldn't live my life in shame because of having lost my best friend. I raced through the woods, eager to come back to the tree house and ready myself to search for the fairy I had lost. Placing all my weapons into the bad under my shield, I left the house in the dawn light.

I got onto Epona, and galloped into the heart of the lost woods. I took new tunnels, twisting paths and every way that hadn't before been tried. I neared yet another tunnel, this one had a greenish mist inside, and a dim light leading elsewhere. Figuring that there was nothing left to lose, I went through the passage. Something was different about this part of the forest, something didn't seem right. An unnatural ambiance seemed to capture the surroundings, and I tentatively looked around. The mist-like fog made it hard for me to see, so I relied on Epona to guide me. A soft giggle echoed in the desolate area, and I looked behind me, but nothing was seen, and I shrugged off the feeling that I was being watched. That was when he appeared. A masked Skull Kid advanced towards us.

The mask he was wearing...I could sense an evil so great that not even Ganondorf would come close to it. The strange mask was a sight indeed, with deep shades of purple and dark tones, the mask had an intricate pattern of random colors and shapes. Epona, obviously scared by the looks of this strange Skull Kid, reared up her legs, and in doing so, I was thrown off, and knocked unconscious. Everything that happened after was a blur of events and pain.

The ocarina was stolen, but to me, it didn't matter. It reminded me of Zelda, and at the time, I didn't want to remember anything. When I woke up, I was torn between two decisions. It was either to find my horse and follow the tracks or to go back on my search.

Who cares about a horse when you can have your best friend back?

It was decided, I'd stay and look around some more. Epona was never even my horse in the first place. Besides, I had two legs, and I would use them.

They say that curiosity killed the cat, but they didn't know that curiosity would kill the hero.

I followed a green path, thickets of forests cascading beside me. It was all the same. but then I came upon something different. Something strange. Something that intrigued me.

It was a small pool of water--but the water wasn't like any water I'd seen before. It was like a mix of clouds and shimmering light, and at first, I was reluctant to touch it. Figuring that I had nothing left to lose, I placed a finger into the swirling matter. It was cold, so cold. But it felt...like a relief. As I drew back from it, a picture appeared. A moving picture.

The picture was of Zelda, crying...
--


(The picture Link saw)

"I thought you wanted to see your dear-little-daddy again?"

"I do! B-b-but...is there no other way?"

"There is no other choice! Either you give me the soul, or the King is lost forever, along with your kingdom."

"Take mine instead, Link's done too much for Hyrule already."

Ganondorf mock pouted, pretending to be hurt.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Zelda. I could always take your soul as wel--"

"That's enough! Just go ahead and get it over with, I don't care anymore."

"Good girl, Zelda. I knew you'd understand. Besides, who needs a worthless hero when you can have a hero?"

She was silent, a quite angel of darkness.

"Tell me what happens to him again? I've been forgetful lately."

"Oh, nothing too bad. He feels pain for a moment and then--"

"No, the part that concerns our memory."

"Ah, yes. We will have no recollection of him. It will be as though he never existed. He will remember, and he will suffer. He is no matter."

"Yes, now go and be done with it, before I change my mind."

"Of course, my highness."


--


After it had returned to the same glimmering water, I was shocked: full of confusion. I knew there was something more to Ganondorf's plan, but as long as it put Zelda in danger, it was just fine by me. I began to hate Zelda with a greater passion than before. She had destroyed me, she had taken my soul.

But of what use is a soul when no one even cares?

I was still quite curious about the pool of water, but I waited a night before trying anything again. I was reluctant once more, but once again, there was nothing left to lose.


--


"I just..I just don't know if I can take this any more...I thought you promised you wouldn't do this. You said that you changed."

"It's not that different, Nabooru, the whole world can still be our--"

"I've changed, Ganondorf! I don't care about silly dreams of domination!"

"But you said that--"

"Listen to me--I want you out of the fortress by tonight. If Zelda or any of the other sages find out that you've been here in secret, they'll really let me have it. Already they don't trust me. Just leave and we can forget this whole things ever happened."

"Oh don't worry. I'm already leaving, but rest assured knowing that dreams can never die."

--


The image ended abruptly, and I knew that it was recent. I could tell by the way Ganondorf's hair was flocked with patches of silver. I didn't know what would become of Hyrule, but I wanted to know more. And I learned so much more than I needed to know...


--


"You didn't bother to tell me what else it would do?"

"Why, princess, you never asked."

"That's no excuse! Couldn't you have simply told me the other consequences?"

"I could have, you're very right."

"I can't take this anymore! You've ruined it all!"

"I didn't tell you because I knew you'd say no! When I stole his soul, everyone forgot the legend. And when so many people forget something ever happened, pieces get erased, Zelda. I'm surprised you didn't realize it earlier."

"I don't care anymore, it didn't even work--Daddy's still dead, Hyrule is in a sleeping chaos, what else could make things worse?"

"The parallel world."

"Termina?"

"Yes."

"What about it? No one has even been able to go there in the first place, if we can't get in, they can't get out."

A beat.

"Right, Ganondorf?"

"No, I'm afraid not. The mask salesman got through--with Majora's Mask. The void is open and people will be able to freely travel. I wouldn't worry too much, princess. The portal's in Kokiri Forest, and no one even knows about that forest. The lost woods will keep them out."

"Don't think I'm stupid. The portal is open and the mask is gone. I know what this is leading to. I'm not as naive as you think I am."

"I didn't doubt it, I just didn't believe it. Besides, it would only be the first Hyrule that'd be destroyed if anything did manage to happen."

"You don't understand do you? Do you not know what that would mean?"

"Humor me, Zelda."

"In the first Hyrule, the Triforce still resides. If any harm came to the Triforce...well, you know what would happen then."

"The fourth dimension would be open."

"Yes."

"I'll try my best to seal the gate, but don't expect much luck."


--


But I had to know more...two Hyrules? It made sense to me, it made perfect sense. I was living in the first Hyrule, the second was a living Hell under Ganondorf's reign. Mine was a Hell of it's own, or so I'd later realize.


--


"Sages! You have been called here on account of the Moonikilma. It's happening, and I'm afraid there's not much we can do. The hero of time--"

Saria spoke up, "Hero of Time?"

Laughs erupt within the room.

"The only thing he ever did was ensure another year of empowerment. Besides, he's dead isn't he?"

"No, Nabooru, he's alive, but he can no longer be of any use to us. We have what matters, though. We have his soul."

"But Rauru, that doesn't mean a thing. Times have changed, it no longer matters."

"Zelda, you are wrong, I am sorry to say. When you have a pur--"

"His soul is not pure!"

"In the eyes of the tainted, it will do."

"I see."

"The soul will not do anything, as Zelda stated. It will, however, pose as a surrounding protector of the heavens."

"I'm not so sure I understand this..."

"It will be able to pause the worldly opening...for a while. It should be enough time."

"Enough time for what?"

"To devise the Legend."

'"That's just a fairy tale, Rauru. It's a children's story..."

"Didn't you ever wonder where they got the ideas for those stories?"

"Oh."

"The opening of the fourth dimension will be soon, I can sense it. Each sage must begin to write their books of light, it'll help to destroy Termina."

"Destroy Termina?!"

"The mask salesman...there is no other way."


--


It was a novel, slowly beginning to unravel. I was enthused, I didn't sleep, didn't eat, didn't drink. There was no need for any of that. I grew...hollow, or that was how I felt. As I learned the truth, I began to grow weak in body, but strong in the mind. The combination of the two can be a disastrous happening.


--


"I knew that you'd come back."

"Skull Kid?"

"The only one left."

"But I thought that in the 7th--"

"Already destroyed."

"Oh. I'm sorry, I knew you loved that girl."

"Some things are inevitable."

"Yes."

"What brings you to Sacred Forest Meadow?"

"It's been so long, I needed to remember something of the past. THe good times. Of--"

"Of Link."

"Yes."

"You loved him, didn't you?"

"He never knew."

"He is still alive."

"How?"

"He is in the forest, in the second Hyrule."


--


Saria loved me? I never knew--she was right about that. I could never love her. Or any of them. My existence was a fraud, a charade of fates. There was no need for that legend. There was no threat to Hyrule. The threat came later, but it was so dark...I don't know what happened.


--


"Working with Garuni?"

"Garuni? Who is he?"

"The old Mask Salesman!"

"Yes, of course."

"You didn't answer me, Ganondorf. Link is working with the Dark Side?"

"Of course! You fools, did you not see it coming? He is on the loose, he will kill all first born, he will burn them. He will hang your parents, there will be no end to the suffering."

"Is this another one of your lies?"

"How could you think that, Nabooru?"

"Easily."

"This is no scheme, domination is of no use. We must find the killer, the one we called Hero of Time. We must find him and destroy him."

"Here, here!"

"Aye!"

"We will find him."

--


I wasn't sure what to think after viewing that particular picture. I didn't like the feeling of being hunted for. I knew that only Ganondorf and the sages knew of the forest, and if Ganondorf was the one telling the lies, I knew my life was in danger. But I still had plenty of time, that I knew for a fact. So I waited and watched as every new truth made my life more of a lie.


--


"The second Hyrule? But--"

"What? Is the Moonikilma already..."

"I'm afraid so, there isn't much time."

"I see."

"And the second Hyrule is the first in line to be erased. "

"How can the Gods be so greedy?"

"They need all eight worlds."

"Is there no other way?"

"It's too late--Termina...the mask..it's all been done, Termina is almost gone."

"Tatl and Tael!"

"Who are talking about, Skull Kid?"

"My friends from the third world, Termina. Is it too late?"

"There might be a hope."

"I have to go, Saria. Don't give up your faith, no matter what, believe."

"Don't worry, I have all along."


--


With each new image, another intricate story began. They all would be linked to my doings. I felt as if it was all my fault. If I hadn't been so angry--so mad at Zelda. I would have followed the tracks and gotten the horse. It would have led me to Termina. I didn't, and in doing so, I altered fate. If there's one piece of advice never to leave home without, it would be to always leave things as they were. Curiosity killed the cat.


--


"November is approaching, Princess."

"There's still time. A week, perhaps two."

"Yes, two."

"Is Termina still holding out?"

"That's what I came to tell you about."

"What is it, Ganondorf?"

"Termina is gone."


--


Time didn't matter, I knew that destruction would be coming. I didn't care. It was all so...sudden. So confusing...so new. Just one more but and I'd fall apart...


--


"Tatl!"

"Skull Kid! You're here!"

"You have to leave, now."

"Is it the moon?"

"Yes. Where's Tael?"

"He..."

"What?"

"He died."

"But when? How?"

The fairy started to sob uncontrollably.

"It was Garuni...the Mask...he couldn't get away in time..."

Silence.

"I'm, sorry, Tatl."

"It's okay, there was nothing anyone could've done."

"We have to go Tatl, there's not much time left."

"Oh Gods, it's happening. It's too late Skull Kid, the moon is falling."

"No! There's still time! Follow me!"

"Tael..."

"Come on! You have to escape! Forget about Tael!"

"It's too late."

"It's never too la--"


--


Termina was gone, and there wasn't anything for anybody to do but sit and wait. And I sat and I waited, I waited for my time to be killed.


--


"Saria?"

"Zelda? Is that you!" Oh Farore, is it really you?"

"Yes..it's been three years."

"But...why are you here, anyway? Is something wrong?"

"I'm afraid so. I don't know how to tell you this."

"What is it, Zelda?"

"Termina has been destroyed."

"Already?"

"Yes."

"Is Skull Kid alri--"

"He is dead."


--


Time was ticking, oh so slowly.


--


"But why Termina first?"

"Rauru--the order has been changed."

"You are telling me this now, Ganondorf?"

"We've just found out."

"Which is going next?"

"The Gods have decided on first Hyrule."


--


It was a strange addiction, indeed it was. I couldn't stop watching the images, they gave me so much...they took so much away. It was all so soon, perhaps it would never have happen if I'd--no, there was no stopping it.


--


"The first Hyrule?"

"Yes, Zelda."

"How much time to we have left?!"

"Two days?"

"Ganondorf! You bastard! You knew along--it was no secret, was it?"

"Does it matter anymore princess?"

"Don't you understand?"

"Do you yourself?"

"That's it! Get out!"

"Where shall I go, princess? Everything has been destroyed except for the second Hyrule and the land we are standing on. What kind of an order is that?"

"I don't care where you go. Just get out. The third time--I should've known by the first! I should've know when Termina was destroyed!"

"Not quite as clever anymore, right Zelda?"

"I said get out!"


--


I was doomed from the start of it.


--


"Rauru, it's all been a lie."

"What do you mean?"

"The order of Destruction--the Mask, they were all doings of Ganondorf."

"But he swore his allegiance to the Light!"

"It doesn't mean a thing."

"Oh but it does, Zelda, it does."

"What are you talking about?"

"When a promise against Innocence is broken, the first Hyrule is broken, too."

"That's what I've come to tell you about."

"The first Hyrule?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"We have two days left."

"But the order--"

"He lied."

"We must find Link."

"What good will he do?"

"He has discovered the truth?"

"That's impossible! Nayru's Water is hidden away, he couldn't have...could he?"

"I don't know how, or why. But he did, and that is what matters. We must find him."

"How are we to do that when Skull Kid is the only one that knows where Nayru's Water is?"

"There is another one who knows."

"Who? Do you know?"

"No, it is not me. It is Link's fairy."

"Navi?"

"Aye."

"How?"

"There isn't enough time, we must find her."

"Yes, it'll get the sages to begin their search immediately."

--


We were all doomed, weren't we?


--


"Is Navi here?"

"Navi...Navi...hmm, the name doesn't sound too familiar! I'll ask Lila! She's head fairy now, she'll know!"

"Take me to her, it's important."

"Are you sure you should be here? Does the Deku Sprout know about this, he won't like it one b--"

"If I don't find her, there will be no tomorrow."

"I don't understand..."

"Just take me to her!"


--


All of the day's hours were spent looking into Nayru's Water. Every ripple created new images, and every image led to something new.


--


"Zelda? Is it really you?"

"Yes, but there's no time for that."

"Oh, I'm not sure I--"

"You're the only one that can take me to Nayru's Water. It's urgent, if I don't get there by the end of today, we will be destroyed. Everything will be. All eight worlds."

"Alright, follow me."


--


That was the last image I had a chance to see. Soon, everyone had found me. And the Moonikilma began.


--


"Link!"

"Navi? Is that you?"

"I'm so sorry about leaving--I was just...I just wanted to get away and forget about it. I--"

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but there's no time for this at all." Zelda's voice rang clear, echoing throughout the land.

"Link, I think you're our last hope."

"I've been watching all along. I understand most of it, but I'm not quite sure how I'll help."

"Let me explain it to you. There are eight worlds, they are the keys to fourth dimension. Each world was supposed to be different. But something happened to three of them--two Hyrules were created, and their parallel form, Termina. It altered fate. It created something we still aren't sure about.

"We've all been searching endlessly ever since we found out about the Moonikilma. The Moonikilma is a bit like Armageddon, but worse, a thousand times darker. We aren't sure what it will bring, but it will cause the destruction of the eight worlds. There are only two left. Both worlds of Hyrule. Termina was destroyed, and something happened after that.

"It was the Moonikilma. The fourth dimension is opening, and the if the first Hyrule is destroyed, the Realm of the Triforce, or the fourth dimension, will be destroyed.

"It's worse than you think, the Tricforce is so much more than we've told you it was. We lied to you, Link. We lied to keep everyone from the truth, but now, there's no time to hide. The Triforce is composed of three parts, but you already know that. What you don't know, is that the three worlds, Termina, and both worlds of Hyrule, are condensed each into a segment of the Triforce.

"I don't know how to explain--it's like there are doubles of everything--so there are six worlds--well, six important worlds. If the first ones are destroyed, it weakens the real ones, but no destruction comes. But if the realm is penetrated--well, that's what we don't know.

"And we don't want to know. We have only hour--"

"No, Zelda, you're wrong."

"Ganondorf? Garuni? I thought you--"

"Won't you ever learn, Zelda? Won't you ever see? You're wrong again! You always lose the battles, always lead me to the answers. You have no idea."

"There's no time for personal wars, Ganondorf. It's happening."

"What?"

"The Moonikilma?"

"When?"

"Any moment!"

"Then what are we to do?"

"Only Link knows the truth."

I stood there, listening intently, and when my name was spoken, I was immediately alerted.

"But what can I do? There's no time."

"You can believe."

"What are you talking about, Zelda?"

"You have it in you."

"Have what?"

"It's so clear now, Link."

"What's clear?"

"You are the answer. You are the fourth dimension."

"That's impossible!"

"You are, Link, and you know it."

"I don't understand this--not one bit!"

"It's always been you."

"What?"

"You've always had the power. You'll always have the Triforce. I was wrong all along...we all were...it's so simple--"

"Zelda, are you okay, you're rambling on and--"

"No, Link. For once, I'm sure about this."

"But--"

"Don't speak, believe."

A great rumbling clashed with the terrain of Hyrule, and there was barely time to think. Only time to listen.

"You have it in you, Link. Dare to dream."


--


It was a sunny day, very bright. A fairy entered the outcast of the forest's house.

"Link! Wake up! I swear, how can Hyrule's future depend on such a lazy boy?"




THE END


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------







"It's time for me to send you back to your own time, home, where you are supposed to be, the way you are supposed to be." Her words echo over and over, no meaning or heart coming from them. I can't let her do this, I can't let her send me back...back to those times...

"No." It comes out thick and wavering, weak and without boldness. At this rate, a simple 'No' won't change her mind, she's always been one to stick to her ideas.

"No?" Brows furrowed, she looks at me, as if not believing what I've just said.

"Yes--I mean no--I mean, no I'm not going back. I'm staying here, in the present day. I can't go back in time anymore, it's already hurt me enough, it's hard to explain. Besides Zelda, I-I..." My voice is still shaky, and words are at a loss. How can I explain to her the way I feel about her?

"I see...I guess I don't really understand the way you feel, or rather I can't understand, I don't know how it feels to be a hero or--"

I cut her off, wanting to tell her what it really is to be a hero, it's not at all like she thinks it is. "You're right about that, Princess. You don't know what it's like to be a hero. And quite frankly, I don't think it's worth all of the honor or anything. A hero is no different from a cold-blooded killer, Zelda. But somehow, it's different, somehow, a hero is respected for slaying, while murderers are punished and shunned. I can't really see the difference. The hero is a killer, because in most cases, and in my case, a hero kills to protect, basically put, a hero is a killer.

"It just makes me so angry sometimes, that heroes are so respected, and it just doesn't make sense to me. It doesn't make sense to have prophetic dreams and believe in magic and evil, but there are some things I'll never fully understand, and likewise with you. You will never know how it feels to sleep at night, knowing that you've killed, I mean, really killed. Killed lives, Zelda, living, breathing creatures. It feels horrible, and my conscience is never clear; never.

"I didn't want my destiny, and when it was finally revealed to me, I never thought I would make it past my first encounter with evil. My sheltered life in the forest hadn't taught me anything about killing or blood or pain, nothing at all like that. It was new to me, and this quest took a chunk out of my life, it changed me. Imagine living your entire life as an outcast, and having only one friend, then, in a heartbeat, you have to leave your home and fight for a country you've barely heard of. And all of this happened when I was ten-years-old. I couldn't and didn't want to comprehend the hardships that would come with the future.

"Sometime, I wonder if I'm crazy, I wonder why it seems as though I'm the only one in this place that has killed and isn't just some pure and innocent soul. I wonder if I'm the only one around with countless scars, countless scares that burn with a passionate fury. I wonder if in the end, none of this will ever matter, and I started on that whole quest in vain, just because I was an obedient boy.

"Times like this make me wonder if I've just saved an entire country for nothing, and turning back time would destroy me all over. Being a hero isn't at all what it's cracked up to be, Zelda, it isn't worth it at all."

The words spilled out like molten honey, flowing without a cause and just becoming raw emotion. I couldn't., and never will be able to put the way I feel into words.

Zelda's eyes begin to sparkle with blank understanding, but I know inside that she can never truly understand the ways of a hero.

"I don't know what to say, Link. I apologize, though. I apologize for putting you through all of this, but in the end I think it will be worth it." The last part of her sentence seems strange, and I don't really understand what she's talking about.

"It's okay, I guess. I mean, I've met lots of people since then and I've made a lot of good friends...very good friends." Shyly, my eyes meet with hers, and I try to subtly tell her with looks that I love her.

"Yes, I've made good friends too..."

Her violet pools become warm and seem to shimmer with the evening sunset. Leaning closer to her, I awkwardly place a kiss on her cheek, feeling the color come to my face in embarrassment. But there's no one around, no need to be embarrassed, I tell myself.

She returns the innocent kiss, and it slowly becomes meaningful, not just a simple peck on the cheek. She smells of flowers, crisp and sweet, and summer freshness. It's a scent I want to hang on to forever...

But no kiss can last forever, and we break a way, a giggle escaping Zelda's petite mouth. An uncomfortable silence greets us, and seems to cast a spell of quiet. My mind goes blank, and I can't think of anything to say, I hope that she'll be the one to resume conversation.

She clears her throat strangely, as if to get my attention. "Well..."

The simple word means nothing, and I can't help but look at her beauty and indescribable grace.

"So..." Without realizing it, the word falls from my mouth, breaking my trance.

"Why don't we go over to the lake and get to know each other a little better?" Inside, a sigh of relief floats through my heart, and I quickly oblige.

"I can use to ocarina to warp there, so I guess we can go by that way." The sentence, in my mind, seems clumsy and bulky, but at least I can once again talk in full phrases instead of the one-word "So"s.

"Sure, I'd like that." She flashes a cheerful smile, making my confidence and ego soar.

Taking out the ocarina, my fingers fumble to find the right notes. After the first try, which seemed to last an eternity, we arrived on the half-island, and the sunset was just beginning to reach its peak.

Zelda took the opportunity to grab my hand and pull me along with her to the ground and sit. "Tell me about your early life, we never really got to speak about it much, what with so little time."

I pause, racking my brain and trying to think of a short and reasonable answer, but unfortunately, none come to mind, so I take my time in speaking.

"I don't remember much before the age of three, really. And after that, sometimes I wonder what really went on, it all seems so dim now..."

"If you don't want to talk about it, I understand." She seems to have pried into my body and is no able to understand my once-hard-to-explain experiences and events.

"No, it's okay."

"All right, go ahead then." She smiles, signaling that it's time for me to pick up where I left off.

"Well, unlike the rest of the children in the village, I was known as an outcast. I didn't have a fairy, and they looked down upon me because of that, well, all of them except for Saria."

"Is this Saria the same Saria that's a sage for the Forest Temple?"

"Yes, that's the one, I don't think there are any other people named Saria...Anyway, the Kokiri would often play tricks on me, and call me names. They hated me, and they never took the chance to get to know me. I never understood why one of them hated me so much until during my time before the forest temple.

"Apparently, since I was best friends with Saria, Mido, the one that hated me, was jealous. I guess that because of his tough and bully-like reputation, Saria resented that, and the two never became friends. But he was the one that tuned the Kokiri against me, and they'd play cruel tricks. Sometimes even lock me up for days at a time."

"That's terrible, Link. I never knew." Her eyes began to become a bit too sensitive and caring, but I decide to forget about them, and go on with my story.

"Yeah, it wasn't my idea of fun. Things were like that until one day in spring. It was foggy, I clearly remember that. I woke up to the buzzing of a fairy in my ear, and finally, I felt like one of the Kokiri. But there was no time to tell everyone about my new discovery. That day marked the beginning of my quest. And you already know everything that happened later."

A gentle breeze whips through the warm air, tossing her hair in the wind, making her look all the more beautiful. The sunset has begun to fade, and suddenly, I realize how tired I am.

"I'm sorry to cut this short Zelda, but I'm pretty sleepy, you understand how tiring fighting a King of Evil can be, right?" I hope she notices the hint of sarcasm in my voice that I purposely used to make her laugh.

Giggling, she speaks up, "No, I understand completely."

"Good." A thought crosses my mind--the castle is gone, she has no place to sleep. I decide to offer her to stay with me in the forest.

"Zelda, where will you sleep? The castle is gone, and surely you have no other place t--" She cuts me off, smiling.

"It's all right, Link. I'll sleep in the Temple of Time. I'll be fine, trust me."

"Are you sure? You can come to stay with me if you'd like..." The sentence trails off, not needing an ending.

"I'm fine, Link, really." The tone of her answer is sharp, and I wonder if I've said anything wrong.

"All right then. Goodnight Zelda..."

"Goodnight Link." She walks over to me and plants a kiss on my forehead, grinning sweetly and walking off into the night.

"G'night..." The words are silent as she glide across the bridge, becoming but a faint image in the eerie moonlight.

Without any thought, I play my ocarina and warp to the forest, hurrying as I reach the village finally. The wooden ladder shows no signs of wear, though it has been here as long as I can remember. I take my time climbing it, inhaling the air of the night. A cricket sings in the star-filled velvet ebony sky, creating a friendly companion to the night.

I walk over to the small bed, and even though my feet hang over it, the same feeling of comfort rises in me. The smalls sheet envelopes me, and I fall into a deep and seemingly peaceful sleep.
--


Footsteps are heard, and my heavy lids open uncertainly. The haziness of first waking up slowly wears off, and I look around the room. Panic flows through my body as I realize that I'm no longer in my home. This place seems so familiar, but in my sleep-like world, it's hard to remember anything. The Temple of Time. But why, I think as I look around for an explanation.

The footsteps are still coming down the hall; light, yet powerful. A figure comes into the dark room, holding a candle. The flame dances and leaps in its limited space on the wick, and the figure is clear to me now--it's Zelda. She's dressed in a black evening gown, but I can't see why she would be up at this time in the morning, I know it's not yet sunrise.

Her eyes are no longer warm and peaceful, but a crazed look is painted across her face, a frightening sort of ambience circling the room.

"You're awake, hero-boy." Her voice is cold and harsh, very changed from what it had sounded like only hours ago.

"Yes. But why Zelda, is this some sort of a game?" A smile crosses her face, a smile that sends shocks and shivers to my spine.

"Yes, you could call this a game I suppose. But in this game, the hero always loses."

"What do you mean Zelda, you're starting to scare me."

"Don't tell me that the big, strong hero is turning weak on me."

"I don't what you're talking about, and I demand an explanation." I can no longer make my voice sound nice, and it becomes like hers; sharp and crisp.

She laughs, strangely, a laugh that resembled the laugh of Ganondorf...

"But you wouldn't understand, Link. A hero can't understand a princess, now can he?" The line seems familiar, and I know that something good won't come of this conversation.

"I guess not, Zelda, but the least you can do is try and tell me." It comes out strong and hero-like, without a faltering word.

"It's all gone, everything! Everything! It's all gone! Don't you understand?" Her voice is raised into a yell, and her face yields an angry and spoiled face only a crazy princess can make.

"Zelda, what are you talking about? Are you okay? What's all gone, what happened?"

"No use in explaining any longer. Take a bow, famous hero, because it'll be the last one you ever take." Her words cut through me like hard granite, and I know now that something is very, very wrong.

"I don't understand, Zelda. Just hours ago, you were so sweet, so gentle, so understanding..."

"Times have changed, don't they Link? I would've thought you'd know that best, but maybe I've always been wrong about you."

"Please, Zelda, I don't understand this, not at all. Just tell me what's wrong."

"No!" Her voice once again returns to a yell. "You'll never understand Link! You never ever will! You're nothing--nothing! Don't you understand that? But I guess this is all more than you can begin to understand, it's much to hard for your tragically-sensitive mind to process.

"But I'll tell you something, tonight's the last night you will ever speak again, it'll all be over soon." The maniacal girl laughs wildly, still holding the candle in her hand, clutching it with all her might.

The light flickers in just the right way, and makes the now-visible dagger that she's armed with clear, and there's no way to escape. The thin passageway is blocked by her frame, and as far as I can tell, we're locked inside.

She speaks again, hauntingly repeating a phrase from earlier in the day. "But in the end, Link, I think I'll all be worth it..." Her smile is wide and evil, so familiar...

In one swift motion, I see her reach for the dagger. The candle falls, igniting the burgundy curtain. I see the dagger swiftly coming toward me, and in my last thoughts, I wonder why. Why she's doing this. What made her like this, and many, many other things like that. The silvery metal blade comes closer, and everything is in slow-motion.

I should've guessed this was coming, or at least been suspicious of the way she was acting, but there's no time to think anymore. The instrument sinks into my heart, swiftly calling death. Crimson leaks from the wound, falling everywhere, but to my surprise, I feel no pain. Zelda smiles, grinning and laughing hysterically.

The curtain has now erupted into a flaming curtain of pain, slowly engulfing the temple. I wonder why she hasn't tried to escape yet, but now I can't even begin to think of what is going through her head. Still, no sign of pain is showing, and white light floods through my eyes, a blinding and white light....

-

I hear footsteps coming down the hall of the temple. They must've have awakened me. I stretch, sitting up and looking around the room of the Temple of Time--wait...the Temple of Time? Strange and frightening thoughts creep through my head, weaving in and out. Intense deja vu passes through me, it all seems so familiar...

I look behind me, and as I do, I feel a sharp pain the my back--a dagger. A woman's voice hisses in the background, and the voice becomes clear. She speaks, "In the end, it'll all be worth it..."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------



It's over, finally over. It doesn't feel right though, it doesn't feel like it should. I mean, I spent my entire life, my childhood, my memories, my life, wasted on this...this quest. Wasted...were they really wasted? Quite frankly, I don't give a damn about Zelda's bloody kingdom. Why should I? In my mind, I am a Kokiri boy, ten years old, unaware of the world around me. But I have seen more. I have seen too much.

One retelling of my visits would bring eternal nightmares to any child, yet I am still here. Why? How am I different from the rest of them--the rest of the children so much like me in many aspects? Was it written on my head at birth: hero? Written in the stars, Zelda told me that our destiny was written in the stars. You can't change the stars. That's what has been said. That's what has been proven, but perhaps--

"It's over, Link." She interrupts my train of thought, jolting me back to reality.

~*~*~*~*~


You can be right and I'll be real
Honesty won't be a thing that you will have to feel
'Cause I don't need your approval to find my worth
Trapped inside of my own mind
Afraid to open eyes 'cause of what I'd find
And I don't want to live like this anymore


~*~*~*~*~


"Yes, Zelda, it is." I say in a dismal tone. She seems almost sad as well, yet she has not seen the things I have. She has not felt what I have. She does not know a thing.

"I didn't expect this to work out." She looks at me, her eyes locking into mine. She may be beautiful, but it was her own fault that her land was destroyed.

But what did she mean by working out? "I don't quite understand, Zelda."

"Well, Link, you weren't supposed to be The One." The princess's eyes are almost red, as though she is about to cry, but at a time like this I see no point in tears. Then again, I never have.

"The One?"


~*~*~*~*~


There goes my pain
There goes my chains
Did you see them falling?
Because there's feeling
That has no meaning


~*~*~*~*~


What exactly does she mean by 'The One'? Surely, she can't mean--

"The real boy who was chosen..." She breaks the eye contact and looks toward the ground, not knowing what next to do.

"Zelda, you're not saying that. Tell me you're making this up. Dammit, Zelda, you lost seven years of my life to this quest. Seven years. You took them away with your visions of the Sacred Realm and that Triforce."

Although she hasn't fully spoken of what she is trying to, it is clear to me. But is this a joke? A ploy? Why would she ever admit this to me, and why now? Rages fills me, tears through me soul, rips me inside.


~*~*~*~*~


There goes the world
Off of my shoulders
There goes the world
Off of my back
There it goes


~*~*~*~*~


I look at my hands. I look at my arms. Scars, everywhere. Cuts, everywhere, scrapes in ever spot. And for what? Someone else's destiny? Particularly, I notice a long, pinkish scar. I got from a battle with my very first Dungeon Master, Ghoma. It was the first sign that told me how real this was, that there was no going back. It told me that I had the chance to be something, to be someone.

But who is that really? Who was the other boy, the other one? Second-choice for a hero...and yet I prevailed after all? But not without mementos of my sufferings. These scars, they will always be here.

Reminding me of my destiny.

Reminding me that it wasn't my destiny at all.


~*~*~*~*~


Does it scare you that I
Can't be something different than you
And would it make you feel more comfortable
If I wasn't?
You can't control me
And you can't take away from me
Who I am


~*~*~*~*~


"Link, I'm sorry for telling you this now, but--"


I break her off, my words coming from my soul and not my mind. The instincts of a fighter. Of a hero. "What, Zelda? You didn't think I'd want to continue with this little quest? Really, now. It's not like I ever wanted to do this, it's not like I volunteered. I was young, I was hated by my village, they wanted me to leave, they made me leave. I lost my best friend to this, Zelda. And you think that I can't handle the truth?"

She is about to cry. She is not strong, under pressure, she will break like the bones in a Stalfos. She could never be me. "No, Link, it's not that."

"Then what. The hell. Is it?"


~*~*~*~*~


There goes my pain
There goes my chains
Did you see them falling?
Because there's feeling
That has no meaning


~*~*~*~*~


Zelda wrings her hands together, afraid of my presence. Am I really that intimidating? Then again, with blood covered hands and tunics, even I would be afraid of looking at my own reflection. Still silent, I speak for the princess. "Speechless, Zelda? Unable to find words to explain why you would do this to me?

"Please, Link, just let me explain. Maybe that will let you see things my way."

Her way?

She must be joking.

"I've been looking through your eyes this entire time, I've been fighting to save your kingdom, fighting to save you. How could I not possibly see things your way?"


~*~*~*~*~



There goes the world
Off of my shoulders
There goes the world
Off of my back
There it goes


~*~*~*~*~


"This is hard for me too, Link. But...you were our second choice."

"Our? Who do you mean?" I wrinkle my brow in frustration, trying to understand this complicated matter.

"He--he was a Sheikah, Link. Named Sheik and--"

"So that explains your alias. I knew you couldn't be so clever as to actually think something up yourself."

Apparently, she did not see harm in my words. Obviously I was too quick for her, she has no wit. "Like I was saying, his name was Sheik. He was very strong, Link, very strong. He had everything, all the skills necessary to complete the quest. But..."

I roll my eyes, knowing that she'll say he lacked something like the heart of true hero. Like that is something I myself have? She is such a foolish girl, and although she knows to admit her mistakes, she always does so at the exactly wrong times. The times when it will only make things worse.


~*~*~*~*~


Have you ever felt
Like your only comfort was your cage?
You're not alone,
I've felt the same, as you


~*~*~*~*~


"But what, Zelda? Speak in full sentences, I can't understand you."

She nods, trying to suit my needs. "He died Link."

Well that was something I hadn't guessed. "Yes, Zelda, I assumed that. But how and when and why?"

Now Zelda's eyes are once again filled with tears, and I am getting annoyed at her sheer ignorance. "There was a fire in the village. Kakariko village, and that was where the Sheikah lived," she pauses, taking a deep breath. "But he died trying to save his family. And only one survived this tragedy."

I yawn, not really caring about this, only wanting her to explain why this all was never told to me. "Yes, yes, that's all good and sad, but what does this have to do with me?"

"Because, Link," Zelda looks into my eyes once more. "The Deku Tree informed Rauru that there was a boy, abandoned by his mother, who he thought would one day be strong. And so began your quest, Link. As a hero."

"But what if I was weak, what if I could not handle the challenge, the pressure?"

Zelda smiles, acting so sweet, so pure, so innocent. Really, though, she is not.

"It must have been written in the stars."


~*~*~*~*~


Have you ever felt
Like your secrets give you away?
You're not alone,
I've been there too


~*~*~*~*~


An unknown anger seeps through my veins, my adrenaline pumping and ready to fight. "Why, Zelda? Why didn't you tell me this before?"

She is taken aback at my question. Does she even know the answer? Seventh Sage or not, she will always be weak. "B-because we d-d-didn't think you would want to continue."

Zelda is stuttering, another sign of weakness. "Did want to continue, eh? Do you think I ever wanted to continue? Do you think it was my dream to become a hero?"

Another sickly smile. "Why, of course, Link. It's every boy's dream."


~*~*~*~*~


Everyone is looking and
Everyone is laughing but I think
Everyone feels the same
Everybody wants to feel okay
Everybody wants to
Everybody wants to feel


~*~*~*~*~


Everyone's dream? Hah. I look at her straight in the eye, and she sees no fault in her choice of words. Is she really this thick-headed? Is she toying with me now? How can she possibly believe such utter nonsense? "Is that what you believe, Zelda?"

Nodding, she looks off in to the distance of the ravaged land.

"Why would you think that, Zelda?" Now I am the one who feels like crying. I never wanted this life. I never wanted be be a hero, I never wanted to fight. It wasn't my choice...It wasn't what I wanted. Yet here I am. And perhaps it was written in the stars after all.

"Isn't it obvious, Link?" That sing-song voice. Those vacant eyes. The same, vapantly shallow smile.

"Isn't what obvious?"

"Think about it, Link. The fame, it's the fame that everyone wants." She looks at me and sees how I am not amused. "Oh come on, Link, tell me you never dreamed of having your name chanted and being in a great parade?"

"Honestly, Zelda, that was the last thing I wanted."


~*~*~*~*~


There goes my pain
There goes my chains
Did you see them falling?
Because there's feeling
That has no meaning


~*~*~*~*~


And I am trying my best to contain myself. Trying my best to ignore this sudden urge to lash out at her. Instincts are kicking in, the instincts of a warrior. When one feels threatened, one attacks.

There is not escaping instinct.


~*~*~*~*~

There goes the world
Off of my shoulders
There goes the world
Off of my back


~*~*~*~*~


"Then tell me, Zelda," I say, coming closer to her, breathing on her neck. "What is this boy's dream?"

She spins around, a brow raised. And I can take it no more.

An end to the ignorance.

An end to the disbelief.

An end to the lack of intelligence.

An end to the princess.


~*~*~*~*~


'Cause I don't want it
I don't want it
You can't change me
You can't break me


~*~*~*~*~


I look at the master sword, the blood freshly dripping off, unable to be soaked up, for there is already the blood of the great Ganondorf clogging the soil. Grinning, I look at my hands, the scars not visible, covered by a mask of blood. I run my hand down the blade, a hot, sharp feeling. The blood mixes with Zelda's sealing my fate.

But I am not yet satisfied. The beast is dead, the beast's unknown minion has been destroyed, but what of the hero?

With a deep breath, I raise the Master Sword and look into the view. Though everything is rotten, destroyed, terrible, the sunset is quite lovely. It's red. Blood red.

I plunge the sword into my chest and laugh.


~*~*~*~*~


There goes the world
Off of my shoulders
There goes the world
Off of my back
There it goes


~*~*~*~*~


They say you cannot change the stars.


But they have not lived my life.


~*~*~*~*~

-end-