Epilogue
The cabin was fairly unremarkable. It looked as if it had been built by hand, and that was because it had. It looked as if the one who built it was not greatly skilled in carpentry, and that was because he wasn't. The cabin sat in a fairly unremarkable location, isolated from any other settlements. There was one remarkable thing about the location, though.
At night, the stars were beautiful.
It was, perhaps, not the most spacious place to call home. But still, to someone, it was a home. Their home had a porch.
The girl sat on the porch steps. She was cradling a potted plant in her hands, as if it were more precious than a child. More specifically, the plant was a flower. Several of them, in fact. They had been given to her a long time ago.
She was alone, now. Usually, some rather unpleasant men would stop by and taunt her, spit at her, and insult her. But they never touched her, or went any farther than the first step on the porch. They had not always done so. Before, no one had ever come so close to her home.
Before, everyone had left her in peace.
The last time she had seen those men, they had not stopped by for long. After about an hour or so of their usual unpleasantness, a new face had appeared. He shared hurried, whispered words with his friends, and they had all run off together, looking rather frightened.
The girl was beautiful. But it was not her long golden hair that made her so. Neither was it her clear blue eyes.
It was her soul. She was pure.
She was gentle.
She was kind, even to those who did not deserve her kindness.
She had a love for all living things that could not be explained with words.
The sound of footsteps made her look up.
Immediately, her eyes filled with tears and her lips formed a smile.
"I knew that if I waited here, I'd see you again."
The stranger's eyes, which had been full of sadness, now regained their lost light.
He looked at the girl, and felt all of his doubts and loneliness evaporate.
She stood up.
"I'm glad you're back," she whispered.
Link smiled a soft, warm smile.
He had finally found it.
What he'd been searching for.
"I'm home."
His paradise.