And the last chapter, that will end this short fanfiction.
Thank you for reaing.

And there is a little mistake in the previous chapter, which I can't correct anymore.
It says "Chapter 1" instead of "Chapter 5".

If anyone is interested in a similar fic like this, I have written another one,
with Link visiting the Kokiris, before he goes to the castle to fight Ganondorf.
I wrote this story many years ago and you can find it here on my profile.
The fic calls "The resturn of a hero".

To answer the comments from the previous chapter:

Johny-O-Boy-E-2525
Thank you very much for reading this fic. I appreciate this very much :)

Chapter 6

"It's so beautiful here. Thanks for going here with me, Link."

The blond boy looked up and his lips curled into a warm smile and at the same time he felt his cheeks turn slightly red. He's been getting so embarrassed around Malon lately. Especially when she smiled at him like she was doing right now...

"You are welcome. You have done so much for me over the past few days. It's the least I could do for you."

"Oh Link, that was nothing. Don't forget how much you helped us. I don't know what would have become of our farm if you hadn't helped us."

"Don't think too much about what was or what could have been. Everything turned out fine. Think about the here and now and you know what I'm thinking right now?"

She shook her head and looked at him questioningly, as a grin spread across his face.

"I think the food just looks delicious."

Her bright laughter was the answer he got and he felt a warm feeling spread inside his chest and go straight to his heart. It was nice to see the young farm girl so carefree and happy as she was at this moment. The initial fear of returning to this horrible place faded more and more into the background, giving way to joy and merriment and soon all the monsters and demons were forgotten, as the two friends sat down at the edge of the lake and started to eat.

The sun was already beginning to turn red, bathing the lake in its heavenly fire. A gentle breeze stirred the waters of Lake Hylia, brushing through treetops and rustling the leaves until it stroked like a tender hand through the hair of the two Hylians who sat silently on the small sandy beach and dipped their feet into the pleasantly cool water of the lake and seemed to be lost in their own thoughts.

Link thought back to what was and what still lay ahead of him on his dark path and he shuddered slightly from just thinking about going into Hyrule Castle. But first of all he had to get there alive, because who knew what had happened to Castle Town in the last seven years, because he had to go through there first, before he could get to the castle. Ganondorf's power had spread so much evil across the kingdom and nearly destroyed so many good souls forever. Link didn't even want to imagine what the heart of evil looked like...

"Link? Is everything alright with you? You seem so absent all of a sudden?"

He flinched, when Malon's voice suddenly snapped him out of his dark thoughts. His head swiveled around and he looked at her and winced again when he saw the worried, almost sad look in her bright blue eyes. There was nothing left of the merriment they had been indulging in moments ago. It was as if she knew what he had been thinking about and what lay ahead of him, but she seemed too afraid to say the words that were on her mind. But Link could see it in her eyes: Malon was scared. Scared for him. Scared that this would be the last moment they could spend together. Scared, that once he made his way to the castle, he would never return and the young hero shared her fear, even though he had learned not to let his own fear show. He was the chosen hero after all and he wasn't allowed to show fear. On the contrary, he had to give people courage and hope.

But now, that he was sitting here, with Malon at his side and they both watched the sunset, he too was beginning to doubt if this wouldn't be the last time he would see Lake Hylia. He didn't know what awaited him in Castle Town and in the castle itself. He wouldn't go alone, because Navi was still at his side and Sheik had told him that they would meet in the temple of time before he left for the castle and would fight against all evil that lived inside the castle. But it was this struggle that stoked the fear in his heart more and more.

Deep down, he was still the little seven-year-old Kokiri boy and not a chosen hero and swordsman, sent to single-handedly save an entire kingdom. He was just a child. A child, forced into the body of an adult to save the world he loved so much.

And that was the key point that turned the fear inside him into determination and courage, because he was fighting for what he loved and if he wasn't fighting for it, who would?

Of all the Hylians, Kokiris, Gorons and Zoras he had met during his journey, none would have been able to carry that heavy burden. But Link was. He had been destined for this from the day he was born and he carried that burden with pride!

This thought brought a smile to his lips, which he gave to Malon, as he turned his head to her.

"Yes. Everything is alright. Don't worry about me."

It wasn't even a lie he was telling her here, but serious words. He was completely at peace with himself and accepted his fate, no matter what the outcome.

But even his iron-hard facade began to crumble and small tears pooled unnoticed in the corners of his eyes, when Malon suddenly took him in her arms and pressed her face against his chest.

"Promise me we'll meet again, fairy boy. Please… promise me that."

The two fell silent for a moment and Link tightened his grip around her and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead, as he whispered his answer right into her ear:

"We'll meet again. When all of this is over, I'll come back to the farm. I promise this to you…"

The end