*All Author's Notes and thanks will be at the end, since there is a lot of them.

"Never use your failure yesterday as an excuse for not trying again today. We may not be able to undo the damages, but we can always make a new start."

~Unknown~

Ancient Roots

A Skyward Sword FanFiction

Epilogue: Denouement

One month, thirty days, seven hundred and twenty hours.

None of it was easy.

Ever since our return to Skyloft, the entire island has had much more enthusiasm throughout the second month of Autumn, even with the Winter chill wafting in on the horizon. I don't know whether the brighter skies or our return boosting their confidence, but it was amazing to see such vigour during this time of need. Something sparked in all of us, and we saw hope where most wouldn't.

And yet, this month has been far from easy.

The first day wasn't easy. The day had been spent with the islanders, even if we refrained from saying too much else about the Goddess's Mission. By the time that I had returned to the Academy, I was exhausted. The dress I wore on the day of the Wing Ceremony had strangely returned, folded neatly up atop my bed sheets. I tried not to think too much about it, though I tried to ignore it as I went down to Link's room—sleeping next to one another for when the plague of nightmares came.

We spent many sleepless nights together.

After vowing that I would make the Surface safe before anyone else set foot on it, I began to cleanse the land of any lingering darkness with help from Hylia. After spending all day helping the islanders to rebuild, I flew down to the Surface under the veil of nightfall and created wards around each of the Temples that I visited; hoping that they would ward off any future threats.

Despite Link's protests, I took on this duty alone. It was exhausting to travel so much after a day of hard work, but I pushed through nonetheless; determined to make the land of dreams safe once more.

Though the memories that came with these visits still haunt me today—finding the remains of the Bird Statuette in the depths of the Fire Sanctuary was enough to send a wave of anger and grief through me.

I didn't leave there for a day.

Still, from Skyview Temple to the Earth Temple, to the Ancient Cistern to the Fire Sanctuary; all Temples were purified. I also took the time to visit Skipper and his crew, finding that Scerva's women had decided to abandon their past habits and aid the robot crew as they sailed around the Lanayru Sea. They were all happy to see me, especially now that the ship had been restored to its former glory; even if the women did want to see Groose again.

I also returned to the Sealed Grounds in this time, not even thinking about the wreckage of the Statue of the Goddess that I would have to explain to the villagers of Skyloft soon enough. Despite the destruction, I was able to move chunks of stone out of the way and enter the Chamber of the Sword; sealing both that and the entrance to the chamber beneath it where I met the Goddesses off forever.

It felt strange saying goodbye to these places that shaped me; ones where I bled, cried, laughed, ones where I lost and won, ones that I'll never forget.

Once the Temples were purified, I made it my mission to search for the Fortress. I wasn't sure how much of it would be left, but I vowed to find it for me personally but also as a potential place for people to live. If the Fortress was uninhabitable, then we could at least use the wreckage to build new homes on the plains. It wasn't difficult to find, though it was strangely still standing despite the abuse in the Great War and its subsequent neglect.

It made me happy to see it still there.

Back in Skyloft, the reconstruction is going ahead as planned. The Knight Academy still stands strongly, the Bazaar has been rebuilt into an open-air market, many homes are on the mend and many islanders have moved back into their old homes. It's still in progress, but there's hope here; something we haven't felt in a long time.

Pipit has rekindled his relationship with his Mother after their recent rocky patch, his shoulder injury from Lanayru finally completely healed. He and Karane have been supporting each other through the long shifts they take around Skyloft at night just in case more monsters sprout up, although so far everything seems better. Groose has been a valuable asset to Skyloft's rebuilding process because of his strength and love of construction, smiling more than ever before.

The same, however, can't be said for Link.

Not only has the effects of the Discidium and the Minuere spell taken its toll on him and his strength, he hasn't allowed himself to fully recover from them; throwing himself into helping the reconstruction that he, deep down, still believes that is his doing. We comfort one another when the nightmares come at night, but he's become quieter, more stoic; it worries me.

Groose has tried to reassure me where he can, telling me that he's keeping an eye on Link to make sure that he isn't driving himself into the ground, but even in Groose's eyes I can see concern for his wellbeing. We've all tried our best to get through to Link, but through the assurances that he's fine, there's pain in his eyes that he refuses to face until he's redeemed himself.

"That Discidium… it really messed him up," Groose confessed to me one evening as we finished up work for the day. "He hasn't said much to me, but I asked Impa about the ritual a while back. He had to defy the magic as much as he could, but it meant that his memories were attacked and everything he was turned knew upside down."

I remember the dread in my gut as I breathed, "Goddesses…"

"He knows it was all a part of what he went through, but I don't think he can shake off what ever he saw," Groose added after humming in agreement with me. "He blames himself for so much of this, Zelda… I don't know what we can do to help him…"

I sigh as I break myself free from my thoughts, the grass cold against my knees as I kneel before Father's grave. There's still a chill in the air as Winter comes, so I push my scarf up and hug my body closer. Most of the grass is still a dull green, littered with cracked brown leaves rustled by the breeze. I shudder as another gust of wind sweeps through the area, huffing as I think back to Snowpeak and how much worse it was.

The sky's rather overcast today, much like the day when the funeral was held for those who died in Ghirahim's barbaric attack on Skyloft, yet there's still a small part of sunlight slipping through the grey clouds. I smile a little, listening to some birds sing in the tree beside me, lips twisting into a frown as I take off my gloves and stuff them into my pocket and look down onto the headstone.

'The rising sun will eventually set, a newborn's life will fade. From sun to moon, moon to sun, give peaceful rest to another lost Soul.'

The spell was here all this time and I never knew…

I shake my head free of the memories and place a small bunch of daisies in front of the grave. "I know we said goodbye, Father," I murmur. "But… I still miss you so much…"

I lower my head, longing for his presence, my heart skipping a beat when I hear the sound of footsteps against the grass. When I turn to the person, I blink in surprise.

"I-I…" Link stammers, standing at the bottom of the slope with some wildflowers in his pocket—seemingly hating the cold as much as me with the number of layers he's wearing. "I thought I'd…"

His eyes fall onto Father's grave, and I know why he's here. I force a small smile and pat the spot next to me, silently urging him to join me. Pulling my gloves back on, we fall into a pregnant silence as he takes a seat beside me, placing the flowers at the grave. I cast my gaze over to him, wishing that I knew what was going through his mind. The Timeshift Stone would be perfect if one of them hadn't been so mercilessly crushed a month ago.

Swallowing thickly, I say quietly, "He was so proud of you." Link hums but says nothing, his eyes on the engraving. Steeling myself, I add, "That day… when you used that spell… you asked me to forgive you."

He finally looks up at me, eyes shining with remembrance. "I did."

I clasp my hands together and try and rub some warmth back into them as I think about how to say what I want to. I can feel the chilling needles of the cold Autumn weather getting to the tips of my fingers, though I try my best not to think about it as Link waits for me to reply. Neither of us say anything for a while, both of us waiting for me to say something at all—something that will ease his suffering as much as it can.

"I…" I start, only to trail off. "I wish you never had to do it. It should be me asking for you forgiveness, if anything—I forced your hand."

"You don't need to be forgiven, Zelda," he replies with a shake of his head, then in a lower tone, "It was all my fault."

I tilt my head. "Link, you…"

"I should have fought harder, I should have stopped the ritual before it was completed," he cuts in before I can say anything else. He meets my gaze evenly, pain clouding his eyes; a pain I'm struggling to ease. "It was my fault that the ritual happened to begin with. You did all that you could and I…" He closes his eyes and grits his teeth. "I wasn't the Hero you wanted when you needed it the most."

My lips part, watching with sad eyes as he hoists himself onto his feet with a low hanging branch and forces himself to leave the Graveyard now that his feelings have been laid bare for me to see. His words stab straight through my heart, winding me as I watch him go. Lost in his own thoughts for so long, his forced himself to pay for actions that weren't his doing.

If anything, they were mine.

I sigh at the thought, knowing it's true.

After all, I didn't have the strength to save Skyloft before the damage was done—something Link blames himself for. My actions resulted in the deaths of my friends and family—something Link blames himself for. I failed to stop the Discidium and brought about the return of Demise—something Link blames himself for.

Anything that I caused, he believes is his fault.

I can't let this go on…

So, wetting my lips, I ball my hands into fists and rise onto my feet too. I push two fingers against my lips and press them against Father's grave like I had done with Zelda XVI's gravestone before pursuing Link as he walks away. I manage to catch up with him as he halts on the bridge connecting the main part of Skyloft with the residential area, leans against the broken bridge and stares out at the sky—the sun partially blocked by the Light Tower.

I give him a few moments to himself so I can decide on how to approach him. He's still the Link I know and love with all my heart, but he's grieving how much of himself he's lost. I can only imagine what he went through in the Discidium and beyond, and I can only imagine how much he's been hurting himself because of it all—I can't fix him, only he can do that, but I can try my best.

I step up onto the bridge and edge my way to the spot beside him. He thankfully doesn't leave or ask my why I'm following him, merely staring out at the fish swimming in the waters beneath us. The gushing water calms me, the fish—protected by grates so they don't fall off the island—disturbing the water's surface by flicking their tails against it. I smile as a memory of younger days comes back to me.

"I remember when you first taught me how to fish after Pipit had given up on me," I say after a while, "I kept catching the washing, and the only fish that I ever got was that one that stunk something awful." I breathe out a small laugh. "I've never heard you laugh so hard in your life…"

"I refused to teach you after that."

I smile softly, "They were better times, weren't they?" I bite my lip as I steel myself to finally talk about what we've been avoiding for so long. "I can only begin to imagine what you're going through," I finally say, causing him to tense up. "I'm worried for you, Link. No… I'm terrified. Please don't lose yourself… not to this. Please talk to me…"

Everything falls silent again as a cold wind nips at my side, so I cast my eyes over to a young, pale blue Loftwing as it lands on the bank of the river, scanning the area before locking onto me. We stare at each other for a long time, though after a moment it drops its head starts to peck at the vegetation that has grown up from the bed of the river and washed up onto the embankment.

Hope rises inside of me when Link shifts his weight, but it all falls away from me when he simply says, "No."

N-No?

He still holds off from meeting my gaze, his grip on the bridge. The clouds above us are clotting together now, the sun struggling to reach through now as the last few shafts of light snuffed out by the light grey clouds. His simple response ignites fear and anger in me. Why won't he talk to me? Why does he refuse to talk about what he went through even after all we've been through?

My shoulders slump forwards—I can't blame him, but it's still frustrating.

The Loftwing flaps its wings a few times before shooting off into the safety of the sky. I take a deep breath, "Link—"

"No, stop," he snaps. "You don't understand. You… you can't understand…" His voice cracks just a little, and it breaks my heart to hear it.

My eyes fall onto his hands still clutching the bridge hard, and something in me dares to do something. Do it, I will myself. It could go one of two ways, but you must take that chance…

He flinches when I take the plunge and take off his glove, revealing his burn scars to the open air.

Link's eyes glint with shame as the both of us inspect the distorted scars that claw across his hand, but I don't stop there. I take his hand into both of mine as a silent show of support. "You don't have to be afraid anymore," I press. "I can't do anything to change what happened to you, but it doesn't mean that I can't help you now. Please Link… please don't shut me out…"

He stares at the ground for a long time, so I tuck my fingers under his chin and force him to look at me, passing him a sad smile and a pleading look. He sighs, shoulder slumping as he finally murmurs, "I failed you…"

"You never failed me, Link," I tell him firmly. "And you never will. It wasn't your duty to protect the Surface—it was mine. Don't hold yourself to actions that were out of your hands. You did everything you could…"

I squeeze his hands and brush some hair away from his eyes. "I died because I didn't try hard enough, Zelda," he says sombrely. "I should have known better than to let my guard down and allow the Discidium to be completed, let alone use a spell that I couldn't control…"

I sigh, using my free hand to caress his arm. "I was the one who fell for Ghirahim's tricks over and over, and the last one I fell for cost your life. And because of me, you're suffering. I promised you that you'd live in peace, but I'm prepared to pay the price for what I've done."

He pulls away from me so quickly that my hand slips out from his. "You can't blame yourself, Zelda," he pleads. "You're covered in scars because of me, you bled because of me, others suffered because of me. I don't deserve the peace you think I should have. I deserve anything but!"

I ball my hands into fists. "I was weak enough to be captured more than once and let you fall into the enemy's hands too!"

"I was too weak to save myself, or anyone else!"

"I almost ruined everything because of my emotions!"

We keep going, desperate to take the blame for the other's pain, lost in a bout of anger and guilt, carrying on until we both yell the same thing at once.

"I killed you!"

Our voices finally die out simultaneously, lips parting as we catch our breath. My eyes fill with tears at the memories of holding him in my arms, begging for him to wake up no matter how much I knew that he was gone—all because of me. We've both been so distracted by trying to take the blame off each other that we never focused on our own pain; and now it's come at the price of prolonged grief.

And now to hear us both say it just makes what happen come flying back to the front of my mind.

We both share the same guilt. Our actions in the Goddess's Mission lead to our deaths—Link's at the hands of the Demon Lord and mine at the hands of the Demon King. No matter whose "fault" it was, it still happened—we still both lost our lives at the hands of the Demon Army. And even though we lived through it and survived the battle, we still caused each other so much suffering and pain.

For that, neither of us will forgive ourselves.

As the minutes pass, I finally push myself to leave. Wallowing in guilt, I leave Link on the bridge and return to the Graveyard; desperate for some space. My shoulders slump further forwards as the truth haunts my mind, memories from the past echoing around my mind so fast that I angrily wipe away my tears. Everything that people said, everything that people sacrificed, everything I did to hurt people; it all plagues my mind.

Collapsing against the tree beside Father's grave, I finally allow cold tears to trail down my cheeks. I tilt my head up, taking a moment to let my eyes fall shut as I take in the world around me.

No matter what happens, no matter how many times I'll end up returning to this land because of Demise's curse, time will always keep moving. The story of the eradication of the Demon King will soon pass into story, and then into legend, but no one will remember the agony that came with it—the blood, sweat and tears that was brought about throughout the Goddess's Mission.

I sigh deeply at the thought and slump further against the tree trunk, finally opening my eyes. Against the late morning mist, every half-built roof poke out and rises high into the sky. It gives me hope to see them, but I can't take the time to truly appreciate it after what just happened with Link.

The same Link who makes his way towards me now.

I push myself up with worry, hoping that he isn't coming to apologise for something that isn't anyone's fault; it'll only make the guilt worse. I go to speak, only for my voice to die out when he stops before me and watches me with sad eyes. His eyes flicker down to a spot beside me, and I shuffle away so he can sit down. We take our seats in silence, staying naturally close but still nervous to talk after what was said before.

How fitting that we're back in the place surrounded what brought us together and then split us apart—death, a dark voice in the back of my mind sneers.

I ignore it, resting my head against Link's shoulder. The moments throughout my life where we have been like this—Link falling asleep against me in class, huddling around the Kitchen fire during the cold season, or just sitting together and enjoying one another's company. After everything that we've been through, it brings back good memories to coddle me from the bad ones for a while.

Unable to hold back, I twist myself so that I rest against his side.

To my disbelief, he moves his arm so he can hold me closer.

There's a beat of silence.

Then I start to sing.

"Time stood still for a while," I sing softly. "Your hand was holding mine. The stars that shined in your eyes, don't let them go back…" I close my eyes and think about when Mother sang this to me when I was younger, calming me as I carry on, "Fly on you golden girl, and take on your fears. I'll be with you in your dreams, the world is darker than it seems…"

My voice trails off, only for another to continue the song.

"And I'll be waiting for the light, that guides us through the worst of nights," Link continues. I snap my head up in shock, surprised to hear him singing again after so many years of refusing once he had lost his family. "And I'll be waiting for the sign, you're coming back, and you have found your path…"

"I know that you've seen the worst," we sing together. "Your heart's been torn before. Those creatures won't let you go, so hang on to what you know. So sail on you golden girl, and fight against those fears. I'll be with you in your dreams, of a world without a Queen…"

We both fall silence, and I lose myself in the memory of watching Mother and Father dance and sing to this song in his Office—the last time that they laughed before the fire. Fuelled by the past, I take both of Link's hands and pull him onto his feet, resting my hands on his shoulders and gesture for him to do the same with my waist. We fall into a simple swaying mother, a soft smile tugging at our lips as we hum the melody again.

It isn't long before the song and dance is forgotten and we seem to lull into an embrace, content with holding each other close after so long apart.

Everything feels like it used to as I listen to his heartbeat against my ear, pulling away after a few moments when I know what I need to say. "I still don't feel like I deserve you after all that I've done to you and everyone else," I start, waving him off when he goes to hush me. "But I… I love you, Link. I can't ever change that…"

He smiles a little. "And I still don't feel like I deserve you either, but I love you nonetheless."

We both lean forwards at the same time.

The kiss is slow and hesitant at first, unsure of whether this sudden show of affection is right of not. Our minds have been corrupted with the poison of our past, and we have buried it for so long that we have only owned up to it now. Our lips barely brush before we are apart again, the doubt clouding our minds. Our bond has been greatly weakened, but it's far from broken.

He holds me closer, and my hands shift to clasp around the back of his neck—unconsciously falling into another kiss as we give up on our doubts and live in the moment. It's difficult to describe the mix of emotions flooding through me, but the prominent one is love—a pure feeling that hasn't and will never die so long as I live. My love fuelled my fight during the Goddess's Mission, and it's the one thing that's always kept me going in my darkest hours.

Mending what has been damaged will take time, strength, and love; but it's possible.

I'm ready to take it on, and I know Link is too.

After all, anything is a risk worth taking with the person you love at your side.

~The End~

Author's Note: Well, I certainly may not be proud of most of this story (including the Epilogue too, I suppose), but I think that I can brush that off because we are finally say this: I have completed the biggest story thus far in my writing works. When I first posted Chapter One, it was nothing but an idea that came to my mind when I was trying to sleep, almost like "Skyward Sword FanFiction" (stay away from that story, I beg of you). And yet, this has somehow turned into a journey for me as well as you.

I won't say that it's perfect, as I've said before that it's far from that, but I will say that this has been the best time that I have ever had. Comparing most of the other years that I have had, this is the best end and start to any year in my entire life. My own writing has grown, and the amount of companions that I have gained throughout this entire story is truly magnificent. There were only a few flames, but to think that everyone excluding those have been so amazing is nothing but sheer joy.

I could not have done any of this without you. Yes, you reading this right now. I was so afraid that people would leave this story to the dirt, but you didn't. If you have read up to here, whether you liked it or not, means that you showed at least some support; even if it may have been to drag yourself to the end. I felt like that too, but now I am nothing but sad to know that my days without thinking of a battle sequence or character interaction for this story. Still, this will hold a place in my heart.

And this is all because of you. I may have written this story, but you have shaped it into what it is today. This story, however good or bad it may be to you, if my gift to you.

Favourites & Follows: Thank-you to "K'ger", "GameCguru", "MadisonMaine3", "Gavean" and "nifty trickster" for favouriting this story along with "K'ger" again, "Gavean" again and "nifty trickster" again for following this story. I cannot thank all of you enough for this fantastic effort, and my heart goes out to all of you. At the moment of this story finishing, we are at this: 90 Favourites and 83 Follows. How incredible is this?! I am so proud of myself, as I never thought that this would happen in my wildest of dreams, and you because of your sheer dedication.

Total Views/Reviews (before editing): 26,498 views and 311 reviews.

Total views/reviews (after editing): 40,939 views and 346 reviews.

*The song that Link and Zelda sing together during the ending sequence is called "Off to Sleep" by Couer De Pirate, and plays during the credits to Child of Light. Thank you to MiniJen for helping me with this.

Thank everyone. Just thank you for everything.

~RandomButLoved~