Didn't Know Till then

Chapter 8.

The End.

Link sat up and gasped for air.

That was strange. Looking around he saw all of the sages and Zelda crouched over a body.

"What is it?" his throat was dry so the words didn't come out. He spoke again and non of the responded.

He stood on shaky legs and attempted to walk over to them.

He didn't like the way they looked at him with pity and sympathy. He didn't like the way that Saria was trying to cover they face of the person. He couldn't tell if the person was male or female because of all the blood flowing out of the wound on the person's chest.

Malon will tell me who this person is.

"Malon, who is this?" He looked around for her. She wasn't there.

"Link, I'm sorry but before we worry about this, there is something else we need to discuss."

Link was about to argue, but then saw that Zelda did seem worried about this other thing than the death of a Sage. Too shocked by the new of Malon's death he took her outstretched hand and waited for the teleportation.

(A/N I couldn't get the dialogue, I had it written down somewhere but it's been lost so just bear with me for this chapter, when I find it I'll fix this up!!)

"Link, I am truly sorry for making you lose seven years of your life. Now that the battle is over you can choose whether you want to stay or go back and relive those seven years."

Link could not think, I can go back and see Malon, and she'll be alive! And then I can tell her that I love - Link stopped. Was it true? Did he really? He looked at Zelda who was watching him, waiting for an answer. What about Zelda? Don't I love her?

"No you don't, Link, you love Malon. Don't deny it any longer! I was there, I saw her wish on a piece of skystone for you to live. And the sacrifice? Do you know that she sacrificed herself for you! Just for you!"

Link looked at Zelda. "I choose to stay."

He didn't need the seven years he missed. Plus, what about Talon? He had lost his wife and it was Link's fault that Malon was dead, he could at least stay back to help him.

"Okay then hand me the master sword so I can seal the Realm of Time."

Link shrugged off the sheathed sword and handed it to her.

-Scene Change-

Malon looked around, she was somewhere strange, a large round room, made of different types of marble.

There were three blazing fires before her. One was a dark red, another dark green and the last a navy blue. She stared at them in awe. When she looked at them they looked like more than fire and she felt small and somewhat insignificant standing before them.

Suddenly a loud voice spoke in her head.

You are Malon, Daughter of Tamako and Talon, Sage of the Sky. You have sacrificed yourself to a wish on skystone. In doing so you caused a great sage to die. Is this true?

The voice was harsh and rough yet sweet and musical at the same time. Malon looked for the speaker.

"Yes th-that is true...but who are you?"

Malon almost fainted when the flames transformed into three women.

We are what you and your people call the three great goddesses. I am Nayru.

"The great goddesses? But what would could you want with me? Well... apart from the fact that I'm a sage."

We arehere to send you back to life. Your death was an accident and was not meant to happen we are sorry for what we have done.

"I don't understand. Why are you sorry? And my death was not an accident, it was meant to happen. I sacrificed myself to save Link."

But none of the bearers the Triforce were supposed to die.

"And why not?"

We three goddesses give our powers to three selected people to help our world to evolve and become better, so we will be able to show all the other gods how great we are so that we will be given other world, greater worlds and such to rule so that we three can be well known.

"So, to you Hyrule is like a game in which you need to win in order to become popular?"

If that is how you want to put it then yes, But Din, she gave her power to a man who was not light-hearted he was a dark hearted man and therefore we abused our position and that means we have to fix up all the errors. Link would not have died if he had not fought Ganon. He wouldn't have had to fight Ganon if he was light-hearted. If that had been the case, you would not have had to sacrifice yourself.

"But Ganon didn't die, we sealed him in the realm of darkness. So there's no need to worry about fixing anything up."

But Link died.

"Oh yeah... right."

So now we must return you back to life so that you can continue to be a sage.

"Well, what about my mother? She was a sage and she died, she didn't come back to life."

She had a different reason. Her death was by natural causes. And besides you mother was a different story. She was a sage who died of an incurable disease she also died to save Hyrule. Once a sage dies, the next Sage becomes more powerful. He death was not a sacrifice, it was a choice –

"So was mine!"

Either she died to save Hyrule or destroy the only hope Hyrule had left and make the world unsafe for her young daughter. She knew the consequences she had seen the future. Did you not know? The Sage of the Sky can see the future, your mother saw both the good and bad possibilities and decided which one was best. This is a completely different thing. We are truly sorry for our mistake so therefore we will send you back, but before we do we will grant you on last wish before you go. (Don't blame me... I was watching Aladdin... I LOVE that movie!)

There was only one thing Malon wanted. "Please let Link be happy throughout his life, let him be with the person he loves most." Let him be happy with Zelda.

Is that all?

Malon nodded, My father will get over my death like he did my mother's so he will be happy in time; I don't need to worry about him.

We will send you back, but not right now, we will send you back after one year; one year since Ganon's defeat and your death. But before we do that we think we need to tell you something.

You know Link cares for someone, you so not know who it is. We all know you are not stupid. You are very smart and yo do know who Link cares for the most., you are not blind. We do now want to tell you, but we will not let you leave until you know. And the longer you take the longer it will take for you to see Link.

"Can't you just tell me?" Malon was unsure, she had a vague idea of who Link could care for but she was too afraid to admit it in case it wasn't true.

Link told me once that all of his closest friends were females. But I think the goddesses are right, I do know but why can't I say it? Maybe because I'm afraid that this is all a dream, maybe because I'm afraid I'll end up like my mother or because I'm just too afraid that it's not true despite what everyone has been telling me.

"I-I think... I mean that I have a feeling it may be me. But I also don't think it's true because... well I just don't think I've done anything special to make him feel that way."

And what has he done to make you have such strong feelings for him.

"Nothing, he just visited me and talked to me."

Exactly, you just fell in love with him, not because he tried to make you. The same thing happened to him.

"I don't understand why you feel you need to help me to know this."

We owe a favour to a very kind and thoughtful friend.

Before Malon could say anymore she felt as though she was being sucked through a whirlpool or something similar.

-Scene Change-

Link looked around. It had been one year since Malon's death.

People still held large parties over the defeat of Ganon. And since it was the first anniversary people had made this party bigger than the last few.

He, the Hero of Time, was sitting under a tree in the shadows holding a tankard of beer in his hands. He chose a dark space so no one would bother him. No girls looking for a husband and no men who suddenly wanted to be his best friend after hearing that he was the Hero of Time.

He only liked helping the people who truly needed help, not the pretenders. He looked at the dark sky, the moon glowed bright and it made him think of Malon and her role as the Sage of the Sky. He raised his drink to the moon in a silent toast and gulped it down.

"Still upset?" He turned to see Saria and Ruto standing next to him.

"Mmm," he didn't feel like talking. They both knew the answer.

After Malon's death, Link disappeared for a month, no one knew where he was and had been unable to find him.

When he returned he found out that the King had erected a giant statue of him over the Temple of Time.

He settled in the castle but he didn't like all of the attention he was receiving.

He then went to the Ranch only to find it a mess. Talon had lost his wife and then his daughter and after he death alcohol was the only thing that could console. He didn't get into drunken rages, he just cried each night.

Link had felt bad because it was his fault that Malon had died. He decided to stay with Talon. He delivered milk for Talon and they fixed up the ranch. He and Ingo built more stables and a large barn. He occasionally visited Zelda, Ruto, Saria and all the other sages. But they all knew that deep down inside he was suffering.

He missed Malon more than anything and would gladly trade anything he owned just to see her again.

"Well, maybe if you look around and see all the people around you, you won't have to be so sad."

Link looked at them confused. They just smiled and left him to sit by himself under the tree.

Suddenly he felt as though someone was watching him. He turned to his right, only to see a shadowed figure of a girl. He couldn't see her properly but all he could see were her eyes which were a bright blue.

"So, you're the great Hero of Time? I heard you don't like attention."

"That is true, I'm actually not really happy enough to appreciate the attention I receive."

"So you're sad? Who's the girl?"

"Her name's ... Wait a second, I didn't tell you it was because of a girl!"

Her body shook with silent laughter and Link saw a lock of red-brown hair fall over her eyes.

"MALON!?" he jumped up to his feet hugging her.

She grinned and hugged him tight, "I missed you."

He heard her take in a deep shaky breath. "I wanted to tell you that I lo- "

"Me too," he replied before she could say anything. She just laughed, "I want to show you something," she took his hand and placed it over her eyes.

"Shut your eyes." He did and he saw a vision.

A little boy, he looked about four years old was being terrorized by a couple of twin girls. He ran upstairs with them close behind. A woman with a large belly, she must've been pregnant tripped over him. But as she was about to fall over a pair of strong arms caught her.

Link looked at the people, the woman was undeniably Malon, and one of the hands wrapped around her waist had a tattoo with the Triforce of Courage on it.

The vision disappeared.

"Is that the future?" Malon nodded.

"That is what I had seen when I was coming back here, it may not happen but it is a possibility."

Link smiled. "I think it will happen, we'll make it happen."

FINISH!!

It's over, that's it.....the end of the story. I had another ending somewhere but because I got a new computer and I moved house I can't find it. If I do I'll add it on!!

Please tell me if you hated the ending...

I hate writing fluffy stuff... there was more to this but I seriously could not write it without going crazy....

I definetly did, I'm one of the people who like those endings that leave you in suspense or where it's sad. Happy endings tick me off....