Chapter Thirty Six

~Normal POV~

I watch Link as he bends down and cleans his sword of Ganon's blood. It's over. Really over. Behind me I can hear the moans of the others as they return to consciousness. I'm frozen in place. Talk about an adrenaline rush. To tell the truth I actually stunk at all my archery competitions, which is why I didn't take it this year. I can't believe I actually hit him.

I freaking hit the Dark Lord. Take that Mrs. Spenson. Turns out I actually can shoot.

Link turns around and smiles at me. "You are one heck of an archer, just to let you know."

"I sure wasn't last year." I smile back.

He walks over and embraces me. "I'm sorry he hurt you."

"Oh please, Link. It didn't even really hurt. I'm fine." Truth is it felt like I stuck my hand in a light socket. My muscles are a little achy and stiff, but I'm basically okay now.

Link can see I'm lying. But he just hugs me tighter. "What matters is that you're okay now. Hyrule's safe and I can spend tonight in a nice warm bed. Maybe even have a real meal."

"You deserve it, Hero of Hyrule." I smile and kiss him. I feel butterflies in my stomach as he wraps his arms around me and smiles against my lips. Living the game is officially way better than playing the it.

"I still approve, just so you know." Tanner calls from behind us.

We pull apart and Link smiles at him. Tanner gives us that crooked grin that Link must have learned from him. Maysen and Alac have the same smile on, it must run in the family. Sheik sits on the floor next to Zelda, who are both also smiling. "Called it!" He says triumphantly.

Link rolls his eyes. "Technically Navi called it." He furrows his brow as he notices the absence of his fairy companion. "Navi? Navi!" He calls.

"Here," Comes the weak response.

Link runs over to her. She clutches her side and groans in pain. The blow she received must have been more than her tiny, frail body could take. "Did I miss it?" She tries to smile but it looks more like a grimace.

Link picks her up in his palms. "Yeah, I hate to say."

"Well, you're alive, so it must have gone well." She says.

"It went okay. Navi, what's wrong with you?" Link's voice shakes.

She winces as she tries to sit up. "Ganon's throw injured me. That, and I'm running low on magic."

"Running low on magic?" Link asks.

"If I'm away too long from the Great Deku Tree I run low on magic. When I run low on magic, I become weak. Fairies can't survive too long without magic."

"Navi, you never told me that. We could've stayed in the forest for a while." Link frowns.

"Link, it takes a long time for me to refuel my magic. Months, years sometime. We didn't have the time." She winces again.

Link looks like he just remembered something. "That's why you had to leave the first time." He pauses. "This... this is going to be the last time I see you, isn't it?"

Navi looks as if she's about to cry. She nods sadly. "Yes. I need to get back to the Great Deku Tree. He needs me for other tasks."

Link sighs and nods as well. "Please be careful, Navi."

Navi slowly gets up. She tentatively flutters her wings and lifts off of Link's palms. She flies to all of us and gives us a kiss on the cheek. "I won't ever forget any of you." She says, tears welling up in her eyes. None of us have dry eyes. She smiles at me. "Bye Nicky. Take care of him for me, will you?"

I nod and wipe away a stray tear. "Of course."

She kisses Link's cheek. "Remember idiot, I'll always be your fairy partner."

"You always have been." He smiles sadly.

She touches his cheek. "Goodbye Link." Then in a flash she's out the window and headed back to the Kokiri Forest.

Link looks out the window longingly. "It was just as hard the first time."

I lean my head against his shoulder. "Yeah, it was. Just like Midna and Fi."

"Hey," He says looking at me. "I actually understand what you're saying now." I laugh a little.

Suddenly there's a flash of light and three crystalline voices ring out. "Hero."

We turn to find the goddesses beaming at us. "You have done well, Hero." Din says.

"Just as you have before." Nayru says.

"You have used my Triforce well." Farore says.

Link bows. "Thank you."

Farore smiles. "We will forever be in your debt, Link. You have served Hyrule well since the moment you took on the role of our Hero all those years ago."

Link stands back up. "Years and years and years ago." He says under his breath.

"I believe you know what you must know do?" Din asks.

"Yes." Link says with a sigh, pulling the Master Sword off of his back.

Nayru waves her hand and a pedestal appears in front of the goddesses. "Place the Sword of Evil's Bane within the Pedestal of Time. Your journey is complete."

Link solemnly thrusts the sword into the pedestal. He smiles sadly and whispers, "See you, Fi." I swear it glows just a bit brighter in response. Then he walks over to me and puts his arm around my waist.

"Maysen, Alac, I suggest you find Livia, she is quite worried about you all." Nayru says. "We will be done in a moment."

Maysen and Alac bow to the goddesses. Then they ruffle all of the boys hair and walk out of the throne room.

The goddesses face us with solemn expressions. "I trust you understand what happens now?" Farore asks me.

I stare at her in surprise. "Um, no. I don't."

They all sigh. "Child," Din says softly. "This fight is over. It is now time for you to return home."

I stare at her in shock. I've forgotten that this isn't real, that this isn't my life. But... go home? After all of this? Link's grip around me tightens.

"You mean she has to leave?" He says, a bit of panic laced in his voice.

"Yes," Nayru says. "This is not her world. She does not belong here. You know this. She must return to her own world, her family."

How long have I been gone? Oh my gosh. Mom must be absolutely out of her mind, and Dad's probably not sleeping. And David's probably panicking, blaming himself for not being home with me, even though it's totally not his fault. My heart drops.

Link notices. "She–she'll be able to come back, right? I just lost Navi, I can't lose Nicky too."

Farore shakes her head sadly. "No, Hero, I'm afraid not. This encounter was not meant to happen. You are from different worlds, you can no longer have any contact with each other."

My heart drops even farther. "No," I say. "I can't just leave. I'm way to involved here to just leave and never come back! You're goddesses for heaven's sake, can't you allow us contact?"

"No child, this will be the last time you will see each other." Din says.

My heart beats fast. "Then I'm not leaving."

"Child, think of your family."

And they've got me. I can't just leave my family. I may love Link and everyone and everything here, but I can't just up and leave my family.

"We will reverse time in your world," Nayru tells us. "Your family will not remember your absence. It will be just as if you never left."

"I'm not forgetting Nicky." Link says firmly.

"Of course not, Hero. We would leave time as it is here. We are not so cruel as to make you relive this nightmare, and forget Nicole. And you, Nicole, will remember as well." Din reassures us.

I feel like crying. Leave. I guess I knew this would come eventually, but I didn't expect it to hurt so much. I didn't expect to fall in love with Link, become friends with Zelda and Sheik and everyone, to become so familiar with real-life Hyrule. I feel like my heart is ripping in two. "Okay," I whisper.

I walk over to Sheik and Zelda, who have been watching quietly. I can see the pain in their eyes. I embrace Zelda.

"I feel like we're old friends." Zelda says sadly. "I wish you didn't have to go..." She falters.

"So do I. You're a pretty awesome princess, Zelda." I smile at her then embrace Sheik as well.

"Tell that Miyamoto guy to get his facts straight about me, okay?" He says with a lot more emotion than he usually has.

"I'll write him a strongly worded letter. You'll make an amazing king." I try to laugh. Then I come to Link.

Oh no. I can't do this. I can't say goodbye to him. His cobalt eyes look so sad it hurts. He's really beat up, with scratches and grime all over him. He has multiple wounds all over his arms, legs and abdomen. But I don't think he's ever been more handsome.

He really has a crappy life, though.

"Nicky..." He says, struggling to find words. Before he can say anything else I wrap my arms around his neck and bury my head in his tunic. "I'm coming with you." He whispers.

"Oh no, Link." Though I want to say yes so bad. "You know you're needed here. You just got your parents back. You need to stay here."

He lifts my chin up and kisses me softly, but there's an urgent need to it as well. It's a long kiss, because I don't want to go. But finally we pull apart. "Too early to say I love you?" I ask jokingly.

He laughs softly. "Nah. I love you too." He kisses my forehead and then releases me. "Promise me you'll play lots of video games?"

I laugh. "Promise." I take of my necklace, which has my name on the round silver pendant, and put it around Link's neck.

"It is time to go, child." Farore says.

I hug Link one last time and then turn to them. In their place stands a huge Triforce portal. I wipe away a tear and then turn to wave goodbye to Link, Sheik and Zelda. Link clutches the necklace. Sheik and Zelda hold hands. They wave back, and I step through the portal.

I really hate crying. My eyes sting.

~X~

I wake up on my couch, alone. At first I think that maybe this whole thing has been a dream. But the fresh tears running down my face and the lack of my necklace tell me otherwise.

The title music plays from the Dark Castle game. I reach for the Wii remote and start the game, even though I know it won't take me back.

I was right. Video game Link just with his back to me. He's not real. I can't talk to him. He's no longer a person. None of them are.

But as I get up slowly to try to do the dishes, I imagine that he wears my necklace.