Dear Diary,

I awoke this morning to some terrible news! Link seems to have disappeared somehow. Whatever's happened to Link, I pray that he makes it back in one piece. I know I have the support of my people and my family. I just...want him back. My seventeenth birthday is coming up next week. I'm just not sure if I can celebrate with Link missing. Please, Link, wherever you are, be careful.

Dear Diary,

It's been 4 years since Link has passed on. I know I should let go, but I can't. Father and the others are worried about me, I can understand why. I've been quiet and closed up since that day. I'm not sure what happened to Link but so long as a body hasn't been found, I'll pray that he's safe...wherever he may be. I can't lie and say that I'm not losing hope, but I swear that I will never let go of that dream when Link comes back and sweeps me off my feet once more.

I pray everyday to the goddesses, and I try my best to be my normal self, but it's hard...I'm not sure why I'm even caring...no, I can't think like that. I'm a grown woman, I'm twenty now! I've got to be strong for my friends and family. The people of Hyrule look up to me, and I can't be seen as a weak heir.

Dear Diary,

I'm slowly losing myself, everything is crumbling around me. I feel sick, I can't think this way anymore. Thinking about Link is slowly killing me on the inside, I can't seem to let go. Damn you, Link! Why can't I forget you! I feel sick to my stomach at the thought of you stranded somewhere...maybe you really are dead. No, I can't think like that, I have to keep hoping that you come back, Link please don't leave me alone!

This feeling won't go away...it's like my heart is crying. I cry everyday now. Father is forcing me to forget Link now. He says its killing me on the inside. What does he know? Doesn't he know how hard I've tried to forget him? I just can't...how can I?

Dear Diary.

This will be my last entry. I've decided to run away. Father has gone too far. He's threatened to use force if I don't obey him. What kind of monster is he! I refuse to love another man. I don't know where I would go, but I'll just have to wing it. Maybe this is my chance to find out what exactly happened to Link. I would do and give anything to have him back. Anything.

As I write this, the wedding guests have assembled. I'm sorry that I won't be able to write anymore entries. So many thoughts and good memories are in this diary. But, along with those memories are the ones I'd rather forget. If I take this diary with me, I fear that maybe it would hold me back. I can't hold back, I'll go to any length to find the people responsible for taking my hero away from me.

And so, I end this entry with the word running through my head at this very moment. This word, I believe, will keep me going. It will forever be my only motivation. I will find the truth. I won't hold back. I won't give up. I won't lose sight of the one thing that Link has taught me to never lose...

Hope.

(Diary of Zelda)

Chapter Twelve
"Wisdom versus Courage"

Link places his hand over Saria's eyes and closes them as he sets her fragile body down. He leans in and kisses her on the forehead. He stood up and looked away from the body, he felt sick all over. He clenched his fists and struggled not to break down and cry right there. He knew he had something to finish. He was going to see this through to the end.

Link limped over to his sword and kneeled to pick it up slowly, the wind was blowing softly, rustling up some forest leaves. The leaves swirled around him. He stood back up, replacing his sword back into his scabbard.

Link sees a tunnel of broken walls. Saria had blown Zelda through those walls and created this trail of broken brick and debris. This tunnel was his path to Zelda.

He caught his breath and rushed into the makeshift tunnel. After a few minutes of running, he found the end of the tunnel. The last wall was cracked and Link noticed a trail of blood. It looked like Zelda was injured, and had dragged herself away from the wreckage. Link slowly followed the trail of blood and eventually it stopped. Either she had disappeared, or she had managed to stop the bleeding.

Link looked around. He knew exactly where to find her.

Link walked into the small garden, Zelda's private courtyard. This place was where he and Zelda had first met, sure enough, he saw Zelda with her back turned to him. She was standing at the exact same spot as when they first met. She had a fabric wrapped around her arm. Her wound was a large dark red stain on the cloth. Link guessed that the cloth was from her shirt, since she was missing a sleeve.

Link walked over the green, fertile grass, and stopped in front of a garden of flowers. This place hadn't changed a bit, it seemed like this was a completely different place than the ruin on the outside.

Zelda, without turning around, spoke with a soft, sad voice. It was as if she had been crying, "...Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Link remembered this conversation as if it were yesterday, he spoke, softly, "...I'm here because the Great Deku Tree sent me, are you Princess Zelda?"

Zelda turned slowly, pure sadness reflected in her eyes, "It...It really is you..." She said as if she didn't believe what she was hearing.

Link stepped towards her.

Zelda stood and didn't make any effort to avoid him, when Link neared her, he drew his sword and Zelda spoke once again, "...It's strange, after all these years, I had prayed everyday for your safe return. I never thought that...if you were to come back, you'd kill me." Zelda let a tear drop, "After you disappeared, I tried my best to stay hopeful, but eventually, it faded away. After a few years, my father tried to force me into a marriage with some jerk from another land."

"Zelda, you and I know that it was going to happen anyways." He said.

She shook her head, "I know...but, I just couldn't do it. All those years ago, the thought of me marrying someone other than you seemed so far away. I knew it would happen one day. Part of me just kept hoping for a miracle." Zelda held herself and shivered as a cold wind blew into the courtyard, "I just couldn't marry someone else, I felt as if I were betraying you. I felt like I was stepping all over those moments we shared together. I lost myself. My father threatened to use force. I refused and he locked me in my room until the wedding. That was when I ran away."

Zelda glances at Link's sword and continued, "That was when I decided to find out the truth on what happened to you. I asked around and someone told me they last saw you heading for the Temple of Sages." Link caught something wrong with what Zelda was telling him, he wasn't headed for the Temple of Sages at all. He simply disappeared in front of the gate. Link decided to stay quiet as Zelda spoke, "I headed there, happy and worried at the same time after I found my first lead in such a short amount of time. As I went into the temple, I found that I was alone and by myself, I decided to check all the past entries. I thumbed through the logbook and came upon one that was written on the night you disappeared. It said you went somewhere to try to save Hyrule. It sounded confusing and I couldn't quite understand all of it, but I figured that the sages had sent you there. It said that it was a place where no normal person could go to."

She glanced down at the ground, "I never got to finish, because two of my father's guards had found me. They wanted to escort me back. I refused. We had a little struggle and I ended up killing one of them. I ran." She looked Link in the eye, "I was so scared. I had become a criminal. I didn't mean to do it and the thought of killing made me sick."

She explained, "Father then began to send some more guards after me, and I was forced to kill them. I slowly grew used to it. Then, father sent mercenaries and bounty hunters. They were the same. I decided to go to the source and find out once and for all what had happened to you. I went after the sages."

Link spoke, "And that's why they're all dead."

Zelda nodded, "They tried to kill me, and I was forced to defend myself. Soon, I had the entire kingdom against me. No one would take me in. And most of the people even tried to kill me. I killed them. Don't you get it, Link? I kill because I had to, it was all for you. When I saw you again today, I knew the goddesses saw how good I was and decided to reward me."

Link knew she was only lying to herself. Link shook his head, "No, you're only using me as an excuse. Don't lie. I know you enjoy killing."

Zelda surprised Link by actually agreeing, "You're right. I was. I'm sorry."

She stepped towards Link. Link pointed his sword at her. Zelda hesitated and spoke, "I don't understand why you would want to kill me. But I had sworn long ago that I would give anything to see you again. And if that means losing my life, then I'm willing to do it." She walked up to Link and held his hand, "But...please, before you do it. Can you kiss me one last time?"

Link noticed the ring he had given her a long time ago. It had seemed like only yesterday. On the ring it was engraved with the words like he remembered. It said 'Forever Your Hero'.

Link leaned in and kissed Zelda passionately. Zelda responded and kissed Link back, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him in and deepening the kiss. Tears dripped from both their faces. They held that kiss as Link raised his sword and places it against Zelda's chest.

Link wrapped his free arm around Zelda's waist and pulled her body closer to his. He plunges the sword into her. Zelda and Link still had their lips locked in what they both knew would be their final kiss. Zelda made a small sound of pain. Link could taste blood in her mouth. Zelda's hand reached up slowly. Her hands were trembling as she gripped the handle of the blade and helped Link plunge it deeper into herself, all the way up to the hilt.

They stayed like that for a few more minutes, until Link stopped feeling Zelda responding to his kiss. He broke the kiss and gasped for air. He still held the blade. Zelda's hands slowly lost their grip and fell to her sides as her head leaned forward. Her body was held up by the blade.

Link let another tear drop as he quickly withdrew the blade from her chest. Zelda slowly fell backwards, her beautiful blond hair flowing in the wind. Her lifeless body crumpled in the flower garden. Zelda was dead.

Link looked on and felt sick to his stomach. He looks at his bloodied sword and angrily chucks it away from him as hard as he could over the castle wall.

Link turned around and saw Daphnes standing at the doorway, Daphnes spoke, "Link...you did it."

Link looked at Daphnes, his eyes seemed lifeless, "Yes, I did, didn't I?"

Link walked away from Zelda's fallen body and past Daphnes. Daphnes grabbed Link's shoulder and asked, "Where are you going?"

Link spoke, "Someplace else...I can't stay here. I can't stay in Hyrule."

He looked at Link with an alarmed expression, "Why?"

Link responded, "If you can think of anything that will keep me here, I'll stay."

Daphnes nodded slowly, taking his hand off Link's shoulder without saying another word.

Link walked out of the courtyard, past Saria's body. Past what was left of Malon. And out of the castle.

As Link entered the ruined marketplace, he heard a scream. He looked around, puzzled and alarmed. Finally, he looked up as a sixteen year old, blond Hylian princess fell out of the sky and landed on him.

Link pushed the girl off of him and looked in shock as they both sat up, "Zelda!"

Zelda blinked and looked at Link, "Link!"

They pointed at each other and both said at the same time, "I thought you were dead!"

Suddenly a large portal opened and a familiar sinister figure stepped through.

Zelda and Link instantly backed away and bolted to their feet, Link said in shock, "Ganondorf!"

Ganondorf smirked, "Yes, boy. I see you've remembered me well."

Link was utterly confused, first Zelda comes out of nowhere, now Ganondorf! Zelda and Link looked at each other, and without saying a word to each other, ran right for Ganondorf. The portal was still open, and they hoped to push him back in. Ganondorf's hand flew forward, catching Zelda by the throat as Link threw a punch at Ganondorf.

Ganondorf caught Link's punch and pulled him in closer, grabbing Link's throat as well. Ganondorf began to strangle both Zelda and Link. He watched their faces as they squirmed and struggled to breathe. Ganondorf laughed, "You both are very foolish to come at me with half strength and no weapons! Now is my chance to confiscate that which is mine! Starting with you, boy!"

Link felt the Triforce of Courage being stolen from him, and just before it completely left his body, Link said between breaths, "Not today, Ganondorf."

He focused his willpower into shattering the sacred Triforce into eight smaller pieces right before Ganondorf's eyes. The pieces floated high into the air before scattering across the kingdom. Link smiled, but his victory was cut short as Ganondorf retightened his grip, "Damn you! You two always seem to be a hindrance to my ambition! I will do myself a favor and kill you all!"

Ganondorf then had a change of heart and looks at Zelda, "Then again...I'll just keep you both alive until I learn how to abstract the Triforce of Wisdom without shattering it. And what better way than to trap you both inside the place you imprisoned me?"

He turned and held out both now unconscious heroes in front of the portal to the Sacred Realm, "Goodbye, for now!" He tossed both Link and Zelda into the sacred realm before sealing them both inside.