22. The End

I dropped to the ground, leaving the sword in Ganon. He just stood there, stunned if not dead, certainly not moving.

"Six Sages, now!" Zelda shouted. I didn't know what she was talking about, but it seemed momentous from her tone of voice. "Oh sealed door opened by the Sages... Close forever with the Evil Incarnation of Darkness within!"

The Sages appeared at six points around Ganon, making a heptagon with Zelda. They all did something with their arms, and light poured from each of them, hitting Ganon. His head was thrown back even more than it had been, but then the light blinded me and I could see no more.

zzz

I heard a voice, though I could not see.

"YOU... CURSE YOU…ZELDA! CURSE YOU…SAGES! CURSE YOU…LINK! Someday... When this when this seal is broken... That is when I will exterminate your descendants! As long as the Triforce of Power is on my hand…"

zzz

When I opened my eyes I was in a place I had never seen before, with Zelda. We didn't seem to be standing on anything, just clouds, but whatever was beneath my feet was plenty solid. "Where is this place?" I asked.

"Somewhere we can be alone." Zelda looked at me, seemed to be drinking in my features. "Link…you did it. You defeated Ganondorf, you saved Hyrule, I don't think anyone will ever forget you, I…I know I won't."

"What do you mean?" I asked sharply.

"You…don't belong here Link. This isn't your world." She bit her lip and looked away. "I wish it didn't have to be like this, I swear I do, but…but I want what's best for you, and you deserve to live the part of your life that was taken from you. You have to close the Door of Time. Close to road between the times. Go home. Home...where you are supposed to be...the way you are supposed to be..."

"You're sending me back?" My heart sank. "But Zel-"

"Please don't make this any harder than it already is," Zel snapped. "Just…just give me the Ocarina of Time and you can get back to your life." I tried to say something, but she cut me off. "I will work here, to rebuild Hyrule. I'll miss you, more than you can imagine, but it'll be all right."

"No it won't," I said softly.

"What?" Zelda looked at me, surprised.

"It won't be all right," I repeated. "I know you Zel, it'll be awful for you, but I know you're strong, and eventually it'll be okay. Not all right, but okay."

"So…you agree?"

"That I have to go back?" She nodded. "I guess. If you say that's how it has too be, I'll go along with it. I won't lie to you, part of me really wants to go back, to go home. But most of me… Dammit Zel!"

She blinked in surprise.

"Before I go, I have to say one thing."

"Link-"

I started digging in my pack for the Ocarina. "Don't try and stop me okay? I have to get this out before I lose my nerve." I took a deep breath. "I love you Zel, with all my heart and soul."

Zelda inhaled sharply and her eyes widened.

"I think I've loved you since the moment I met you, but it took me longer than it should have to realize it. I loved Sheik too, and I don't have to tell you how much that messed me up." I smiled wryly. "The moment I saw who you really were, this incredible weight dropped off me, but then an even bigger one dropped on, because I knew I loved you, and I knew it was doomed." I reached out and pressed the Ocarina into her hand. "Now send me back before I do something I'll regret."

Zelda was looking at me with wide eyes, shining with tears. "Damn you," she whispered. "Why do you have to do this now?"

"Was I supposed to do it some other time?"

She shook her head, and the tears spilled down her cheeks. "No, but it's so hard now…"

I looked at her seriously. "Zel, right now I want to do something that I know I shouldn't do. And unless you send me back fast, I'll do it."

Zelda looked at me. Then she smiled. "Don't tempt me."

"I'm trying not to."

"I love you."

I blinked.

"Goodbye Link."

She put the Ocarina to her lips and played, and I lost sight of her. White filled my vision, I could see nothing else, but I kept thinking of Zelda, and the way she'd looked at me.

I'd just given up something most men would give their left nut to get.

Damn.

When my vision cleared I stood in the Temple of Time, my younger self once again. I started to leave, but Navi stopped me.

"Link," she said simply.

I stopped and turned.

"I've got to go."

"What?" I exclaimed. "Where?"

"Away. I'm sorry Link, I should have told you before."

"Told me what? What's going on?"

"I'm leaving, for good."

"What! No way Navi, you can't-"

"I said I was sorry, okay? Look," she bobbed angrily, "I had a life before I met you, before the Great Deku Tree charged me with your care. You've saved the world and fulfilled your destiny, you don't need me anymore."

"But…I like you," I said lamely.

"I know Link," she sighed. "I like you too. But it's like I said, I had a life of my own, and it's time I went back to it. You should go back to yours too."

For a moment I didn't say anything. "Bye Navi."

"Bye Link." Then she spiraled up and away, out the window.

I was losing everyone lately, everyone I cared about. I started to walk out of the Temple, but in mid-step something hit me.

I hadn't lost everyone.

zzz

I ran, quickly and soundlessly. When I got to places where I had to stop and wait, I stopped and waited, but whenever I could I ran. Following that familiar path and running as fast as I could, soon I came to the garden.

I slowed to a walk when I saw what was at the other end of the garden, stopping at the foot of the stairs and waiting until she turned.

"Hi," I said, at a loss for words.

"Hi," Zelda replied, equally lost.

For a moment we stared at each other, then…

"Link!" Zelda cried, flying towards me.

"Zel!" I cried right back.

Suddenly our arms were around each other and we were laughing, crying, jumping up and down, spinning around, babbling incoherently, acting like, well, children. Someone was crying "Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!" over and over again. I realized eventually that it was me.

After an eternity of hyperactive joy at our reunion, Zelda and I pulled apart, looked at each other, and laughed. "Okay," I said, wiping my eyes, "that was fun."

Zel nodded, still laughing. "I was afraid I'd never see you again."

"So was I." I took Zelda's hand and held it up between us. "But neither of us ever have to be afraid of that again."

And, for almost two months, we weren't.