The Legend of Zelda: The Return
A Brief Interlude
Ganondorf laughed.
All around him lay the shattered remains of a broken kingdom's last hope.
Of the Seven Sages, the seven thorns in his side since day one, two were left standing and one could do nothing but watch from the sacred realm while everything he'd fought so hard for, everything he'd sacrificed himself for, everything he'd sacrificed so many others for . . . was destroyed.
Crushed under a boot heel greater than any they'd ever know, or so the saying went.
And the Seventh Sage? The Triforce Carrier? The Princess?
Well . . . what good was a princess without her knight?
What good was wisdom, without courage?
What good was a sage . . . without a Hero?
Nothing.
That's what good she was.
That's what good they all were.
They were nothing. Not without their Hero.
All divine power needs a channel to be used in the mortal realm.
Without the Hero to be that channel, the sages had nothing.
All great peoples require a leader. Someone they can believe in. Someone they can turn to. Someone who can see them through.
Without their Hero, the people of Hyrule had nothing.
All happy endings . . . require a Hero.
Without that . . . without him . . . there was no end but tragedy.
So Ganondorf laughed.
And the Sages slumped in defeat.
"There's got to be something we can do," Hunter hissed, scowling at the ex-King of the Desert. "We can't just give up!" He clutched the hilt of his father's sword so tightly he could feel its ridges digging painfully into his hand. "He'd kill us if we gave up now . . ."
"How does it feel?" Ganondorf demanded then, smiling at them all. "How does it feel when hope is gone? When your only hope is dead?" He turned his glare on Brayden. "How does it feel, Sheikah, to know that you killed the one thing you cared about most in the world?
"How does it feel, Princess," he asked at last, turning to Zelda, who was leaning heavily on Malon, "to know that your Hero has failed you?" He turned around slowly, glaring at them all.
"Bow down to me!" He shouted. "And acknowledge your defeat!"
"No," Neesha hissed. "I won't do it. I won't bow down to him . . . I won't!" She struggled to push herself to her feet. "I'd rather die old and asleep than bow down to him! Link is my King!" She staggered for a moment, then straightened, fists clenched at her sides. "You hear that?" She shrieked. "You are NOT MY KING!" Ganondorf raised a cold eyebrow at her.
"King?" He asked, his eyes narrowed and his lips pulled into an ugly grin, "No. No I think I am much more than that. Emperor sounds like a better word! This land is mine! Your people are mine! Submit to me, or die here, crushed like bugs."
He already knew their answer.
He knew it before their eyes gave it to him.
He knew it before they all started to push themselves to their feet, attempting to ignore their wounds, and their situation and the odds against them, and draw their weapons.
He knew it before Brayden finally turned away from the sapphire cocoon surrounding the body of the fallen Hero for the first time since it had appeared, his viridian eyes flashing with his not-so-silent answer.
"Never."
And once again Ganondorf laughed, the sound darker than before; colder, crueler. He only laughed harder as Hyrule's last defenders drew their weapons, the sound of his voice causing hands and hearts both to falter.
They knew it was hopeless.
They knew it as well as he did.
But there was nothing left for it but to try.
"Go ahead!" Ganondorf shouted through his laughter. "Try me! Take me! Fight me! Come at me and die like the rats you are!" But those facing him had ceased to listen to him.
They had picked up another sound.
Someone else was laughing . . .
But this laugh wasn't like Ganondorf's . . .
Uplifting and heartening.
Honest and contagious.
Encouraging . . . inspiring . . .
Achingly familiar . . .
Ganondorf's laughter cut off with a choke as he, and everyone else, whirled around to stare with wide eyes at the sapphire cocoon surrounding the altar which had begun to shift and pulse, coalescing into the shape of a person . . . .
"Impossible," Ganondorf hissed. "How . . ."
"You'd think after all that time you spent in the Dark World you'd have learned something, Ganon, but no," said the form. Its arm shot up suddenly and grabbed the hilt of the Master Sword. Instantly the blue light shattered, falling away in glittering shards that disappeared upon hitting the altar. "You're still just a stupid, ugly pig."
The Hero of Time stood on the altar, feet apart, hand on hip, sword pointed at Ganondorf's chest . . . and his teeth bared in the biggest grin any of them had ever seen painted across his face.
"What say we finish this, pig? Once and for all."
No agreement was necessary.
As one the Hero of Time and the King of Evil threw themselves at each other . . .
And Hyrule hung in the balance . . .
xxx
Chapter 39
I can't stop laughing.
Ganondorf's sword flies just over my head coming dangerously close to the tip of my hat.
And I laugh at him.
He strikes my shield with his sword and my arm goes numb.
And I laugh at him.
He grazes my arm with a cheap shot of black lightning . . .
And still I laugh.
Why? Because there's nothing quite so perfect as coming back from the afterlife right in the middle of your arch-nemesis' gloating over your cold, dead body. Nothing quite so beautiful as ruining the most important moment in the world for the person you hate the most.
And there's nothing quite so sweet as a second chance when you thought your nine lives were finally up.
So I laugh.
You'd laugh too.
"You thought I was dead didn't you?" I demand of Ganondorf, sidestepping a swing of his blade and turning my motion into a smooth slash at his side. "You thought you were rid of me." He twists much faster than a man that big should be able to and blocks, countering with his free fist, black lightning sparkling around it. I raise my shield and accept the blow there. For a half instant we stay that way and I laugh up at his furious face. "Your victory must have tasted so sweet when you had it. I bet you gloated, didn't you?" He roars in anger and rips his hand and sword from my sword and shield and I jump backwards before he can recover, pushing myself far enough back that I can be sure I'll see any move he wants to make before he does.
"Well now it's my turn to gloat." I throw my arms wide to encompass the whole room and everyone in it. "Look around you, you great, greedy, pig! Look at where we are! Look at who we're with! You should have stayed in the Dark World, Ganon." The use of the name is not unintended. He may look like a man, but I know what he is. I know what his soul looks like. I saw it, up close and personal, on this same day before I changed time. Funny how things work sometimes. "You owe me seven years Ganon." I narrow my eyes and level my sword at him.
"Pay up."
xxx
A Brief Interlude
This is impossible, Hunter thought to himself as he watched Link and Ganondorf lunge at each other again, though whether he was referring to the fact that Link was alive and well or the fact that Link was fighting an unwinable battle was beyond even him. It was like his brain had gone into shock.
Every inch of him stung or ached or burned with pain . . .
But at the moment he didn't feel any of it. It was all dulled by the ecstatic hope and excitement that dominated his emotions.
Link was alive.
He was alive!
And he was fighting an impossible fight with a man four times his size who had basted in the black arts for more than his fair share of a lifetime.
Hunter's brain kicked back into gear.
"He's going to get himself killed!" Navi cried from her position on his shoulder, her tear-strained face horrified. She shook her head, forcing herself past the shock at seeing Link alive again in an instant with that single thought. "LINK!" She threw herself off his shoulder and into the fray, zipping skilfully around Ganondorf, sparking with a bright, yellow light. Link offered her a huge smile and immediately began following her lead.
Hunter knew she was right. Link was holding his own for now – his constant taunting was starting to get to Ganondorf, driving him into a rage, but the would-be Emperor of Hyrule wasn't fool enough to let his emotions completely rule his fighting – he was, after all, a Gerudo – and Hunter was seeing a lot more dodging on Link's part than he liked. In the sparse few minutes that the Hero had been alive each of the combatants had managed to give each other wounds, but they were superficial. Their blades grazed each other at most, but he had a feeling it was going to get a lot more serious, very soon – and Ganondorf had the overwhelming advantage. It was only the fact that Link wielded the Master Sword that even gave him the one in a million chance of winning the fight.
One in a million . . .
There was no way . . .
"Sometimes Hunter," Acqul said, a gentle smile splitting his bluish face, "if you've got the right company, one in a million happens nine times out of ten. And I, for one, have never been in better company than what we've got now."
He blinked at the memory, then his face hardened. He had learnt a lot of things, from a lot of people since he had made the decision to follow Link out of the Sheikah Caverns and into the world, and not the least of which was that no situation was impossible. The solution was always there, all you had to do was find it. It was time to put those teachings to use.
He cast a glance around the Temple, taking stock of their situation. The first thing his eyes fell on was the portal that Ganondorf had come through. It wasn't closed. Within the darkness he could see vague shapes hovering around the portal as though waiting to step through.
He's holding it open, Hunter realized with a start. He wants to bring himself a Dark World army . . .
He could feel his face grow paler at the thought. He couldn't let that happen. They had to close the portal somehow. He scanned the faces in the room, all watching the fight in the center with a burning intensity, until he found Zelda and then immediately moved as fast as he could over to her without attracting attention. Not that it was hard. Ganondorf was more or less busy with Link.
He grabbed her arm and she jumped, whirling around to face him.
"Hunter!" She gasped.
"Zelda! Quick!" He said urgently, ignoring her gasp. "The portal! How do we close it!" She blinked in surprise and immediately swivelled her head around to stare at the portal.
"Why is it still . . ." Her eyes fell on the shapes within it as Hunter's had and her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh! Dammit!"
"Can you close it?" He demanded, then frowned. Her eyes had drifted back to Link again. "Zelda!" She blinked, then frowned.
"Yes, I think so," she answered, "but . . . it will take all seven of us . . . and with Ganondorf still there holding it open . . ." Her frown deepened. "He's gotten stronger, Hunter. I can sense it. I don't know how Link's doing as well as he is, he's not going to last for much longer. Unless something can be done about Ganondorf we're going to have trouble shutting that portal. And once the things in there sense what we're doing . . ."
"That part's easy," said a tight voice from behind them. They blinked and turned, meeting Neesha's burning gaze. "Link will kill him." She glared at them, daring them to argue with her.
"Kill him . . ." Hunter repeated, turning to watch as Link and Ganondorf continued their conflict. Link finally managed to get in a solid hit on Ganondorf's arm, but at the cost of a hit to his own. Each of the combatants staggered away from each other for a moment and then threw themselves back at each other. "He can't kill him. He's too strong . . ." He blinked and his head swivelled back around to the portal. He stared at it for a long moment then his eyes widened in excitement. "That's it!" He whirled around. "All right," he said hurriedly, "we haven't much time. Here's what we have to do . . ."
xxx
Chapter 39 (cont.)
Of all the enemies I've made in my life . . .
Of all the enemies I've made in any life, assuming what I just experienced was more than just a feverish dream brought on by blood loss . . .
Of all the monsters, villains and foes I've faced, ever . . .
Only one can really be considered an arch-enemy.
An enemy from whom there will be no quarter. No forgiveness. No mercy.
An enemy who can expect none from me either.
And that enemy is Ganondorf. I hate him with every inch of me and I know the feeling is mutual. Feelings that strong more often than not bind enemies tighter than any friends could ever hope to be.
This isn't the first time I've fought Ganondorf. And I know somewhere deep down inside (I'm going to take a wild guess and say in my heart of hearts) that it won't be the last. He and I are eternal. This fight, is eternal. Our swords meet and our eyes follow suite – steel on steel, black on blue – and, as per usual in this type of situation, I have it. All of it. Everything I've ever wanted.
This is what I was meant to do.
This is where I belong.
This is who I am.
And he, I can't help but add to myself as the moment ends and Time once against resumes it's normal speed, is a lot bigger than I remember him.
Before I can pursue that though to its rather depressing conclusion, however, I am unexpectedly ripped from the fight and Nabooru fills the spot I leave in the battle, her face a mask of uncontrolled fury. All I manage to glimpse of her backup, however, is a Sheikan uniform that isn't Impa's before whatever's dragging me from the fight is turning me around and pulling at my pouch and something else is ripping my bow off my back.
"Hey!" I cry. "What the Hell –"
"Shut up," Hunter snaps, rooting around in my quiver, "Plan. No time. Which one's the light arrow?"
"The gold –"
"Got it!" Neesha cries triumphantly, holding up my hookshot.
"Me too!" Hunter says, then shoves me back towards the battle. "Go," he says. "Replace Nabooru!" Feeling slightly violated at the abrupt theft of my things, not to mention left out in general, I do as he says. As much fun as I was having with tall, dark, and ugly over there, I'm not going to be able to keep up this pace much longer.
I throw myself back into the fray, immediately getting back into the groove of following Navi's leads into openings in Ganondorf's defence (not that there are any), and Nabooru, surprisingly, immediately falls back when I do so, despite the look on her face which clearly says she'd much rather be fighting. Don't have time to think about it though, because the next thing I know black lightning is ripping at me at ninety miles an hour and Nabooru's retreat is driven from my mind.
"Pay attention!" Navi shrieks.
"You pay attention!" I cry caustically back as I frantically block the attack with the Master Sword and it flies harmlessly into the wall at the side, leaving a long scorch mark along it.
"You little fool," Ganondorf hisses, bringing his sword down in a vicious arc that has me twisting like a cat to avoid it before I'm even finished my original swing. "I don't know how you managed to survive, but if you think it will change the course of fate now . . ." I laugh in his face as I duck under another furious swipe (the little voice in the back of brain that tells me when I'm being stupid screaming at me to just shut the Hell up and stop provoking him) and counter by trying to stab through his unprotected stomach.
"Don't you understand, Ganon?" I demand. "This is the course of Fate!" He twists around just before I can hit him and my blade strikes nothing but his cape, tearing through it, instead of him.
Bugger's too big to be that fast!
I'm starting to doubt the wisdom of calling him a pig. Maybe I should have been a little nicer.
He doesn't stop, but continues turning until he's once again facing me, his sword aimed directly at my head, I grit my teeth and bring up my shield, taking the blow there with a grunt and a sudden dead feeling in my arm, immediately followed by painful tingling. I lower the shield so I can swing my sword, but my eyes widen and I try and twist out of the way instead when I spot the black lightning coalescing in his palm.
Cheap bastard!
As I twist I catch Zelda's gaze.
Time slows down.
She shakes her head surreptitiously, she wants me to take the hit, her eyes begging me to trust her.
Please Link, I can hear her whisper. Trust me . . . just this once . . . I hesitate, despite the urgency of the moment.
Trust.
Trust is a fragile thing. Easily broken. Nearly impossible to repair.
Please . . .
She's broken my trust so many times . . . despite whatever feelings I may have for her, that hurts. Nobody puts their hand back into the fire once they've been burned . . .
Please Link . . . please trust me . . .
Goddesses help me . . .
I do.
I trust her.
What else can I do, with her looking at me like that?
Into the fire I go.
Time speeds back up.
I force myself to reverse my turn and take the hit. The black lightning takes me point blank in the stomach and sends me flying backwards and into the altar with a cry. My vision swims and my whole body is screaming with pain. It takes me a moment to regain my senses, and when my vision finally returns I find myself staring what's visible of the door to the Temple of Time behind the portal that Ganondorf came through. I blink blearily at it.
The portal . . .
Why is it still . . .
Several things click into place in my brain at once.
Hunter took my Light Arrow – the only one in my whole damn quiver that Ganondorf's affected by in any significant way.
The Sages have arranged themselves in a circle around the room and I can feel them calling their power to them.
The man in the Sheikah uniform – my heart clenches suddenly when I realize who it is – throws himself in between Ganon and I, sword flashing furiously, but recklessly. Behind Ganon, Malon creeps silently forwards, Hunter's sword clutched in her hands.
I understand suddenly what they're trying to do.
Ganon strikes my father's sword and sends it flying from his grip, then lashes out with his fist and smashes it into Brayden's chest, knocking him down. Images of the last time this happened flash through my brain, accompanied by a burst of adrenaline that instantly clears my vision and dulls the pain. I went through Hell and back trying to get him back! I won't lose him now!
"You fool!" Ganon cries, shifting his grip on his sword so that he can stab downwards with it. My heart stops as I push myself to my feet. I'm not going to make it. "Did you honestly think you could beat me?" He's going to kill him! He's going to take him from me again! I raise my sword, but before I can throw myself between them I spot the wide grin on Brayden's face as he laughs up at Ganondorf from his position on the ground. I suddenly realize what he was trying to do.
"Nope," he says brightly, "just distract you."
"Now!"
Time slows down again as several things happen at once.
I turn instinctively and leap up onto the altar as Malon raises the sword and drives it forward with all of her strength, plunging it into Ganondorf's exposed back. Ganondorf's eyes widen as he stumbles forward, surprised, maybe even injured, but not dead.
Doesn't matter. It's enough.
Before he can recover I leap off the altar, as high as I can, mimicking the way he'd been holding his sword when he'd intended to run my father through. The Master Sword reacts instantly, flaring brilliantly with it's sapphire fire. His eyes follow me up and they harden. He just manages to recover from Malon's unexpected attack, and he raises his sword high to block me.
Hunter leaps to his feet, springing up from behind the altar, light exploding from the tip of the golden arrow. Ganondorf's eyes widen when he realizes what's going on and he hastily tries to reverse his block, but it's too late.
The golden arrow is a blur of light as it streaks through the air and strikes Ganondorf square in his chest. His eyes go wide and he stumbles backwards.
The Sages open their eyes as one and immediately begin to glow; incandescent with their power.
Ganon opens his mouth to scream some kind of denial, but I get to him before he can, ending my jump by burying the Master Sword in his forehead, right where I did it last time, shattering the amber jewel he wears there.
I sparkles prettily as it falls to the ground with a light, tinkling sound.
And suddenly, as I meet his gaze and he meets mine, it seems as though Time doesn't just slow down, but stops completely, and he and I are frozen that way. Caught in an eternal, inescapable moment. Drawn together by the inexorable pull of destiny. Or maybe of the Goddesses.
The Triforce mark on my hand burns.
"This isn't over," Ganon hisses, the hatred in his eyes burning with a malevolent hunger around the edges of my sword. "This isn't over by a long shot. You can't destroy me. I will return, and when I do –"
"When you do," I interrupt him, "I'll be there. Waiting for you. Like always."
We start our fall backwards.
Time speeds back up.
Ganondorf and I fall towards the portal and the things waiting hungrily within. The Sages hold out their hands. Just as I'm about to fall completely within the portal something thuds heavily into my back, catching my quiver. That would be Neesha, with my hookshot. I catch Ganon's eyes once more as his form is warped by the world he created and he begins his change back into the pig that he really is.
"Remember," I tell him, "I'll be here." I'm suddenly ripped violently out of the portal and back into the real world, slamming hard into the tiled floor of the Temple of Time as the Sages' power suddenly bursts forth and strikes the portal.
The last thing I hear before it closes is Ganon's inhuman scream of frustration.
Then it's over.
The Sages' power fades and the portal disappears from existence. The only sound in the room is the calm chanting of the unseen choir, and the ragged breathing of the people in the temple. I stare up at the roof with wide eyes and let out a long, shuddering breath.
I did it.
We did it.
He's gone. Hyrule's all right. Everyone's all right.
I did it.
Everyone else has apparently arrived at the same conclusion because a ragged cheer suddenly erupts from the group and I'm being dragged to my feet by about fifty people, crying and laughing and banging me on the back and hugging me and each other and it's suddenly a big party. Navi hugs my nose fiercely and bursts into tears, calling me all sorts of names until she's too hoarse to talk anymore. Darunia and Nabooru both pound roughly on my back, Saria hugs my knee fiercely, Ruto, in a desperate bid to maintain her dignity despite the current behaviour of her compatriots, holds out her hand to me. I'm in an exceptionally good mood so I take it and kiss it and she smiles quite happily at me. I don't humour her often and she enjoys it immensely when I do. Impa stands at the back of the group and watching the proceedings with a bigger smile than I thought she was capable of. Towards the back Hunter is trying to hug Malon, who's crying, but Neesha's making it difficult by leaping onto his back with an excited whoop. Hunter rolls his eyes, but catches my glance and shoots me a grin that clearly says I'd-Freak-Out-At-You-For-Everything-But-I'm-Just-Too-Darn-Happy. He shoots me a wink and nods his head at something to my left.
I disentangle myself from the group and turn to look at where Zelda's standing just to the left of Impa and staring at me. I catch her eye before she can look away and she briefly looks as though she's considering running the other way. She turns to Impa for support (or a hiding place) but Impa's abandoned her in favour of trying to fend off Darunia's violent hugging fit. I quickly work my way back through the Sages before she can bolt, and I can see her visibly steel her courage and walk towards me – apparently coming to the conclusion there's no point in running. I meet her halfway and for an awkward moment we just stand there, unaffected by the excitement going on around us.
"I don't know whether to hug you or hit you," she says after a moment. I offer her a crooked grin.
"Please no hitting. I've gotten enough of that today. Between Neesha and Ganondorf I'm surprised I'm still in one piece."
"We all are," she says. "I could have sworn you had died . . ." I smirk.
"I did," I answer. "But it's a very complicated, very long story, that's going to make me sound crazy, so let's just focus on the fact that I'm currently alive and leave it at that." She lowers her head and shakes it, but the gesture's not directed at me.
"When he ran you through . . . I was . . . I couldn't . . ."
"Hey," I say, moving closer and touching her cheek gently in an attempt to ward off the tears I can hear in her voice. "Come on. I'm all right, now. It'll take more than a crazy shade or an ex-Gerudo king to finish me off. Besides," I add, "I couldn't leave without saying goodbye to you, now could I?" She stares at me for a long moment, then suddenly bursts into tears and throws her arms around my neck violently enough to make me stumble back a step.
"Oh, Link!" She cries in a voice that's part frustrated, part angry, and part happy. "I'm so sorry!" I gape at her in surprise, unable to react for a moment.
"Hug her back you dink," Navi hisses from under my hat. "This is what you've been waiting for!" I blink and immediately comply, wrapping my arms tightly around her in response.
"For what?" I demand. "Zelda, what's going on? Farore! I'm sorry! What did I do?"
"It's not you," she sniffles. "It's me. I was . . . I was wrong. About everything. Link . . . I . . . I care about you . . . a . . . a lot." She meets my gaze uncertainly. "I'm really sorry I wouldn't . . . I'm sorry I didn't . . ." I stare down at her uncomprehendingly for a moment, afraid to so much as breathe in case I wake up and this is all just a dream.
"Zelda . . ." I whisper in a choked voice. "What are you saying?"
"I'm . . . I'm saying . . ." She bites her lip, then shakes her head and her expression hardens. She wraps her hands behind my head and pulls me down and into the single most intense kiss I have ever experienced in my entire life – over and above the one Malon gave me at Lon Lon Ranch what seems like forever ago now. I suddenly feel light-headed as I let her melt into me and return the kiss.
It takes a long, long time before I realize that everyone is looking at us and cheering (except for Neesha. She's making gagging noises and the associated motions – despite the grin on her face).
Zelda pulls away suddenly, blushing furiously, but looking no less determined.
"That's what I'm saying," she says. "I love you, Link. I have for a long, long time. And I'm sorry I didn't let you know it sooner." I stare down at her and feel my lips twitch up into my patented, crooked grin. This can't be happening. I have be dreaming.
"Even though you're a princess?" I ask, afraid to believe this is real. "Even though I'm not a noble? Even though . . . whatever other random reasons you had in that psychotic little brain of yours?" I could make this easier on her . . . but I want to hear her say it.
If this is real . . . if this is really happening . . . then I need to hear her say it.
She looks up at me, and tries to consider it, but there's nothing to consider. She laughs helplessly and leans her forehead against my chest.
"Yes, Link. Even though all of that, and anything else. Even though you're not royalty." I grin foolishly at her.
"I should die more often," I say jokingly. "If it'll let me get my way like this." She jabs me in the stomach with a frown.
"Don't joke about that." I kiss the top of her head.
"You know this means we can't ever get married," I tell her. "It means we'll always be just . . . just like this. There won't ever be a next step. We can't. You're a princess and I'm a commoner."
"I know, Link," she says. "I know. But I can't . . . you're what I want, Link. If it means . . . well, whatever it means, it changes nothing."
"Well good," I say brightly. "Because I lied." I flash her my best grin. "Have I told you yet that I'm the King of the Gerudo?" She blinks at me, then shakes her head and laughs ruefully.
"Nice try, Link," she says, smoothing out my tunic where her forehead wrinkled it. "But I –" Her eyes fall on something behind me and she blinks in surprise. Slowly a small smile pulls at her lips and she shakes her head. "You and I will talk," she says, looking back up at me and kissing me lightly again. "I promise. There are . . . I realized some things. But . . . not now. Later." I cock my head and frown at her.
"Why not now?" I demand petulantly, unwilling to let her go. It's taken me so long to get her in my arms, why the hell would I want to let her out of them? "What's wrong with now?" She laughs and shoves me, breaking out of my grip.
"You have no sense of place, do you?" She demands. "Besides, there's someone waiting for you back there and I think I'll let him have you for a bit." I frown.
"What are you . . ." My eyes widen suddenly when I realize what she must be talking about, and I whirl around on my heel, meeting the green-eyed gaze that has occupied so much of my attention since my Quisros. "Dad . . ."
Zelda squeezes my arm encouragingly and slips away from me, leaving me alone on one side of the room as my father crosses over to me. For a moment we just stand and look at each other, taking each other in, sizing each other up. Nothing's changed. Not really. He's a bit older. Hair's a little greyer, but not much. Not much . . .
"Well," he says, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "I guess . . . thanks are in order." I shake my head disbelievingly.
"Dad . . ." I whisper. "Are . . . are you all right?" I stare at him, all other thoughts driven from my mind except the fact that he's actually standing right there in front of me – not that I can get myself to believe it. "Are you . . . are you . . . really . . ."
"I'm really here, son," he answers, looking as shocked by it as I am. "I'm really here." We stare at each other for a long moment. It's amazing when you think about it.
You wait so long for something . . .
You dream of it every night . . .
And when you finally achieve it, all you can do is sit there and stare at it.
A rough cough jars us out of our stunned silence.
"I think," says an amused voice to our side, "it is customary among the Sheikah, at moment's like these, to . . . what's the word you use, Impa? Hug, isn't it?" We blink and look over at Nabooru who's grinning widely at us.
As Dad smiles and we oblige her, I can't help myself . . .
I laugh . . .
. . . and then I cry.