Chapter Three: Overcast Skies of Hyrule
A dark shadow was cast over the land of Hyrule the following day. The sky fell overcast with gray clouds and even less sun rays. Gradually, the tragic news struck every village. There was no telling where it started; when a Goddess begins to whisper, nothing is a secret anymore. The citizens were hesitant for the news to sink in and melt into their hearts, for death was never an easy subject in Hyrule. The royal family was sent the hardest blow in the wake of Princess Zelda's death. Her relatives remembered her as the fragile little girl in constant need of help and rescue. They were even more disappointed when her body was left unreported; the nobility couldn't bear to imagine what horrible pain she suffered and what kind of nightmarish place her corpse remained unrest. Now her corpse could not be laid to rest in the royal family vault with the rest of her ancestors.
Link rode across Hyrule Field on Epona, and he noticed the change of sky. He was heading to Kakariko Village. He dismounted himself from his horse, and left her behind near the stairs to the village. His first stop was the bazaar, which was originally settled in the marketplace. The bazaar made its permanent move to Kakariko Village after Ganondorf gained control of Hyrule several years ago. The shopkeeper didn't bother to move back even after Ganondorf was defeated, since he became accustomed to the quiet setting of Kakariko Village. Now, the marketplace was once again flooding with ReDeads and other vile creatures, waiting to swoop over anything that moved.
The shopkeeper leaned his head on the counter in a dazed state when Link entered the bazaar. He wasn't in the mood to greet the customers in a jolly voice like usual. Today he didn't feel like moving at all.
"Excuse me," Link tried to get the man's attention.
The shopkeeper glanced at Link. "Oh, hello, sir." His voice was monotone and depressing. When he realized who he was talking to, he looked away from Link instantly. "I'm very sorry."
"My dear old shopkeeper," Link patted the large man on his broad shoulders. "Why do you appear so glum today?"
"My deepest condolences to you, sir," the shopkeeper ignored Link's question, trying not display any sign of disrespect.
"Condolences? Excuse me?" Link didn't comprehend the man's apologies.
The shopkeeper placed his hands around Link's and begged for forgiveness. "Please, sir. I did not mean to exhibit a demonstration of disrespect for you or your dear princess."
Link looked down at the man with a wide-eyed expression. "Princess Zelda? Why, she's away fighting the evil spirits. How are you showing any disrespect toward me or the princess?"
"Sir, I suppose you do not know," the shopkeeper tried to piece together euphemisms in his mind. It was like solving a puzzle without a clue.
"I am not informed. Please, tell me," Link lent an ear and his heart open to whatever shocking indifference the shopkeeper could tell him.
"This is inappropriate to hear from me, for I am a humble merchant," the shopkeeper struggled to continue, finally tying his euphemisms together with a hefty, durable knot. "Your dear princess was involved in an altercation in the other world and…well, she sacrificed her soul to the vicious but ascended to the land of the righteous."
Link was reluctant to speak, and he stared into blank space for a few minutes. He completely blacked out within the moment emotionally, but remained at the shop counter in physical form. He gripped a hand to his chest and felt a chill from his body. Link saw his life flashing before his eyes, lastly ending with his romantic embrace with Zelda under the stars the night before she left. He felt a gentle brush from her lips and her hands cradling his neck in spirit, or possibly in realistic memory. He was not sure. As his vision came back into focus, her eyes became visible and were staring right back into his. He noticed the brilliant sparkle glinting in her irises, like the stars in the sky from that very night. He opened his eyes wide, trying to absorb the moment in exact duplication. He could not even dare to glance up at the stars twinkling around him, for he found all the shooting stars and moons directly in her eyes. This felt so real that Link reached his arms out to grasp her slender waist, but he was surprised to find his hands gripping the cold wood of the shop counter. The shopkeeper stared at Link strangely, but he understood his pain.
"Sir, it will be fine," the shopkeeper tried his hand at being a comfort. "There are many lovely young ladies out in Hyrule. There ought to be someone that will bring you the same joy you felt with the princess."
Link felt his stomach flip and his heart leap out in shock. "You do not understand. No one will ever give the equivalent of happiness that my princess brought to me. That type of love is once in a lifetime." Without saying another word, Link left the shop in a fury. He was outraged to even try to believe in loving again.
He decided to depart from Kakariko Village as quickly as possible. He leapt upon Epona's back, and directed her in the direction of Lake Hylia. Once they arrived at the lush lake, he dismounted from his horse again and walked solo across the bridge to an isolated piece of land in the middle of the lake. A tall tree sowed in the soil on the island, and he sat down, leaning back on the bark of the tree. He felt like practicing his archery skills, just to distract himself. Link almost wished he could send his heart via bow to Zelda in the heavens above, but he was well aware that his arrows would never reach the skies of divinity. He knew that his heart would be too heavy an item to carry to the heavens, for they were cumbersome with emotions and bleeding with catharsis. He sat down again, dreaming hopelessly of his true love. He took out his ocarina, and absentmindedly placed his fingers on the holes and blew threw the top. His fingers played his beloved's lullaby, which she taught him years ago when they first met. He repeatedly played the melody, hoping she would be able to hear him.
Link took off his green hat and placed it upon his heart. A calm wind rustled past him, messing his hair up. He stared down in silence, thinking of ways to bring Zelda back. Then he constantly reminded himself that nothing could bring her down to earth again. He prayed for the sensation of her kiss, and the gentle warmth generated from her fingertips smoothing his back. He closed his eyes until they were just little slits, and tried not to hold back his emotions any longer. A tear meekly released from his right eye and fell on his hat, plainly showing his heartbreaking despair.