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Hours after he rescued the Queen and destroyed the portal, Link was back out at the battlefield. He took a different horse, knowing Epona would be exhausted from pushing her so hard.
The slower gallop out to the warzone gave Link plenty of time to think. The past few days only proved to him that his love for Zelda had not diminished—but in fact, it likely grew. Link tried to think of alternatives to simply leaving Hyrule to solve the problem. But nothing short of being with Zelda (which idea he had stopped entertaining weeks earlier) would give him a happy life in Hyrule. Of that, he was now sure.
He had spent more meaningful time with Zelda in the past few days than the previous two months. And even though their time spent together was rushed, dangerous, or spent in worry, it had been the happiest he had been for those months. No, Link was sure he could not find happiness in Hyrule.
He arrived on the battlefield to find that the Dark army had indeed surrendered and now was a time of reverence and mourning. Link sought a death count from his generals. When he heard the number, Link felt both devastation at the lives lost and relief that the number was so much smaller than what could have been. His soldiers had fought wisely, and minimized the death count.
A quick look across the warzone told Link that the enemy had suffered much worse. It looked as though nearly half of the army that had stood there that morning had fallen. Link was just grateful their new leader had surrendered before there was more unnecessary bloodshed.
Link entered the Dark Land and lifted his sword immediately, not wanting to be ambushed. He found himself alone in a large cathedral, not too far different from the Temple of Time from which he had just come. Link noticed immediately, however, that the colors all around him were different. Dimmer, as if he was seeing them through a fog. Link determined he was in the "Dark Land" that Ganondorf had mentioned, and hoped he and Zelda would see the "Land of Light" again.
Link walked quickly through the building, but did so warily. Fortunately, the building was empty and Link made it to the exit unhindered aside from his nagging injuries.
When he opened the door and looked out into the land, he saw a majestic Castle upon a cliff-hill in the distance, perhaps a half mile away. Link set out immediately, staying to the side of the pathway so he could hide should another come.
Fortune was again on Link's side, and he thought it odd that there was not more traffic to the castle. Then again, if Ganondorf was doing something vile—which he was—he may not want his subjects to know of it. Link was grateful for the absence of enemies. He wasn't sure how well he could fight at the moment given his serious and painful injuries. He noticed the pain had receded to a dull throb throughout his entire body, though he couldn't support his weight on the left side of his body where he had been hit by sword and spell.
After a few minutes of hurried limping, Link neared the Castle and saw the first people of this land. They were guards.
Link was almost sure he would find Ganondorf and his princess inside the castle, and he would not get to the castle as long as there were guards defending the only entrance. Link stayed near the strange vegetation of the land as he walked up the hill leading to the castle perched on a cliff. When he was within firing distance, Link pulled out his bow.
He notched an arrow and aimed at the foremost guard. For nearly a whole minute he stood, hidden behind a tree, with his arrow pulled partway back, pointing at the guard. Link was having a difficult time releasing the arrow. Not because of the pain in his side, though it did hurt him. It was because these men likely had families. They were someone's son. Perhaps a husband or even a father. For all the monsters Link had slain, he never hesitated like this. The monsters were mindless drones created by Ganondorf to kill him.
But now it was different, and Link had to remind himself that while they were just doing their duty, that duty was to keep him from Zelda, and doing so would bring the destruction of Hyrule. This was war. And sometimes casualties in war were necessary for the safety of greater numbers.
So he pulled the arrow back the whole way and released the arrow. It flew true, and soon the three remaining guards were charging at Link. He stepped from behind the tree, his hiding place now useless, and released two more arrows before the final remaining guard reached Link. Link quickly pulled out his sword and slew the last man. Link walked past each of the four guards on his way up to the castle, careful not to look down at the men and think of who they might have been.
Link slowly opened the grand doors of the castle, trying to be quiet. His injuries were causing him great pain, but from the adrenaline of the recent fight and being close to Zelda his mind didn't register the pain. He slipped inside and looked down the great corridor in front of him, ceilings fifty feet high, windows stretched along the left side of the hallway, revealing the great drop-off of the cliff. Link would have recognized the beauty of the view if he wasn't so distracted by a larger goal.
He walked silently down the hallway until he reached the corner and the corridor opened into a great, vast, chamber. Link looked around, and saw Ganondorf hunched over a large tome. He looked for Zelda, but couldn't see her until he looked up. He found her encased in a large pink crystal, hovering above Ganondorf.
He couldn't breathe. The thought of her dead—or whatever state she was currently in— paralyzed Link, and it took him several long minutes before he gathered himself enough to stand up straight and face the greatest evil he ever knew: Ganondorf.
Two days passed before Link arrived back in the castle. He was reporting all that had happened.
"…and he signed the peace treaty before marching back home. Now, I recognize it was the acting commander that signed it and not their king, but I feel like they will honor the treaty, considering how generous it was to them."
Zelda gave a soft smile. "And I thank you for your kindness. Most of those men are likely good men with families to care for. It wouldn't be right to ask for reparations or the like from them."
"You're absolutely right," Link said.
There was a moment of silence before Zelda broke it. "Again, Link. Thank you for all you have done for Hyrule. If you hadn't been so anxious about creating this army, I hate to think what might have happened. I hope though, that things will return to normal again now that you have much less work to do with the army?"
"Perhaps," Link lied. He knew things would never be 'normal' again.
Zelda's eyes narrowed at his vague response. Her voice remained calm however, when she asked, "How are the men? Are they feeling victorious or defeated?"
"Victorious," Link responded, without much emotion, trying to send a clear message that he wanted to leave.
The message seemed to hit Zelda, as her lower lip began quivering, her voice shaking a bit as she asked, "And how are you doing, Link? Now that it's all over?"
"Fine," Link responded shortly.
Zelda's voice responded with anger. "And is anything the matter, Link?
Link tried to keep his voice level and calm, but his heart beat faster as the tension in the room mounted quickly. "No, my Queen."
Calling her 'Queen' seemed to push her over the edge. She no longer danced around the subject. "Why are you so distant? Why are you so short with me?" Zelda asked, voice rising.
Link matched her rising anger with his own. "I don't know what you mea—"
"Don't you dare!" Zelda all but shouted at him. She was standing now, eyes furious. "Two days ago, in a moment of weakness you were…you again! We talked and laughed and cried together. Now…now this again?" She waved her hands between the two of them.
"Because of you, Zelda! I'm distant because I can't be around you! I'm short with you because the longer I'm around you, the more miserable I get!"
Zelda was silenced. She looked shocked, hurt. It pained Link to see her so.
"I can't sleep, Zelda," he continued, softer now. "I don't eat. I can't get you out of my mind, and it's slowly killing me."
Her hurt transformed into confusion.
"Before, I had the military to distract me. And then the war. But now…" he trailed off. He sighed deeply and made a decision. "I hope your military satisfies you. I'm afraid I must resign as Commander." Link turned away to leave.
Before he reached the door, he heard Zelda's soft voice. "Link, I don't understand." He stopped as she walked up behind him and grabbed his arm to turn him around. But even the sensation running up his arm from her touch was enough to solidify his decision to leave. Leave Hyrule and never return.
"I have to go. Go…somewhere. Just not here. Not with you."
The hurt returned, and Zelda asked timidly, "Why?" He looked down at her beautiful face, probably for the last time.
He needed to touch it just one more time. So he lifted his hand up and cradled her face. Zelda's eyes showed hurt and concern, but she leaned in to his touch anyway.
He needed to know what it felt like. To kiss her.
"Because I love you," he said, before bringing his lips to hers and kissing her.
He kissed her with all the emotion he had pent up over the past months. The passion, the frustration, the longing, the anger. She returned the kiss with just as much enthusiasm. For seconds, minutes—who knew how long—they kissed, not wanting it to end for fear of what would happen afterwards.
But it did end, and as the kiss finished, Link had the distinct thought that this would be the last time he would feel happy.
"Goodbye, Zelda," he managed to say, softly. He turned and left the woman he loved standing speechless at the doorway.
Let me know what you think! We've just got a couple more chapters after this, so buckle up!