Clearer in Time

~Wisdom~
Final Chapter. Goodbye
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It was a surreal experience, watching your own funeral. Link had never thought that, even in his wildest adventures, he would ever see such a thing.

Hyrule Castle was nonexistent, the ruins of Ganon’s Tower still smoldering above the now blackened, cooled sea of flames. The people of Hyrule gathered in the field around Lon Lon ranch to see Zelda sworn in as Queen of Hyrule. The people of Hyrule, the Gerudo, Zoras, Gorons, all of them, cheered and applauded as Zelda approached the podium, the Sages standing behind her.

Link could see everyone’s expression fall as her inauguration speech slowly became a eulogy. The Kokiri children burst into tears. Up on the podium, the Forest Sage joined them silently. Tears streaked Malon’s face, both her friend and her love pronounced dead. The entire crowd was solemn.

Link’s body was buried on the ranch, his counterpart in the plot beside him. The teary eyed kingdom watched as their savior was laid to rest. The celebration that the people had initially planned was less than jubilant, the reveling seeming superficial and unimportant in the face of such a mortality.

Link watched all of this as though he was there, from a bird’s eye view.

“Link…” He turned his gazed and met eyes with the princess, standing before him, hands clasped together. They were surrounded by clouds and blue sky, standing on seemingly nothing. Below his feet, Link could see all of Hyrule gathered in the field, as if he was there. That seemed impossible, however, as when he looked down there, he could see his own body being buried, Dark Link in the grave beside his. He was glad they had not forgotten him.

“Link,” Zelda said again, breaking his train of thought. He tried to reason how Zelda could be here with him, when he could see her down there giving his eulogy. Was he really…?

As if she could hear his thoughts, Zelda nodded her head solemnly. “I’m afraid you are,” she said. He could hear that she was straining to keep her voice level and unwavering. “What your seeing down there is reality. I’m holding you here temporarily. When you leave, you’ll enter the next world.”

“Where are we?” he asked.

“We are in the Sacred Realm,” she replied. “Until now, you’ve only seen the Chamber of Sages.”

Link said nothing. Down below, he could still see everything. What a strange feeling…

“Link,” Zelda said. “I’m so sorry. This entire thing is all my fault. I should never have dragged you into it. If I had just left you alone, none of this would have happened.”

Link shook his head. “You had no way of knowing. It’s just as much my fault as it is yours.”

Zelda said nothing in reply to this. She turned her gaze down to the people of Hyrule. “They’ll rebuild. Hyrule will rise from the ashes of this dark time. But…” she turned her gaze back up to Link. “So much has already been lost. The past seven years were something that was never meant to pass.”

Link wore a puzzled expression. What was she getting at?

“Now that the worst is over,” Zelda continued. “It is time to set things right. The way things are supposed to be…” She locked eyes with Link. He felt that he understood what she meant.

“There is one more quest to complete,” she said. “You’ll need the ocarina I gave you.”

Link retrieved the ocarina from his pocket, holding it out before him. It was strange how crucial a small musical instrument had been to his quest. This, along with the Master Sword, was the key to the Sacred Realm. Zelda placed her hand over the ocarina, taking hold of his own hand.

“When Ganon seized the kingdom,” she said, “he attacked unopposed. The Sages still would have had the power to stop him, at that point. But, he had moved too quickly. He murdered all of them. That is why you needed to awaken their successors, your friends.”

Zelda looked up, locking eyes with Link again. “There is another way,” she said. “The ocarina can be used to speak with the Sages. You can return to the past and warn them. Ganon will be stopped before he can begin his reign.”

Link’s mind whirled with everything Zelda was telling him. It made sense, in a confusing sort of way. If the Sages were wise to Ganondorf’s plot, his threat could be quelled before it could take. He would have to travel back in time once more.

There was a hole in this plot, however… if he did this, there would be no reason to return…

Once again, Zelda seemed to read his thoughts. “If you do this, the door will close. There’s no coming back.” Link was silent for a moment. All he had done, it seemed, had been a false cause in the end. He had fought so hard, only to go back to the beginning…

“Will anyone remember what happened?” He asked. In reply, Zelda held up her right hand, her Triforce resonating slightly. Link felt his stir in turn.

“We will,” she said. “The three of us, and the Sages. No one else.”

No one else. To live your life, plagued by memories of hardships that never happened, deaths of friends that never existed. None of it would ever have happened. He never would have died. Dark Link would never have been born… Zelda would never have disguised herself as Sheik…

Once again, he felt as though Zelda had seen his thoughts. Something was different this time, though. Her eyes shined with the promise of tears.

“I’m so sorry…” she said, his expression becoming more puzzled. Zelda stepped back from him, her hands steepled before her. The Triforce resonated, her powers being exerted with full force. Blinding light shined around her, so that Link had to turn away.

The power in the air faded, and Link turned back to face the princess. She was no longer alone. Standing beside her was another woman, this one in an unfamiliar whitish dress similar to Zelda’s own. She had short, uneven dirty blonde hair. Her face, beautiful and revealed, was unmistakable.

It was Sheik.

Link floundered for his voice, his mouth moving slightly and silently. Zelda, although her tears were flowing freely now, smiled at his shock.

“As a Sage, I have more power in the Sacred Realm,” the princess said. “I can give her her own body here.” Link’s mind spun. What was happening? They were two different people?

Sheik rushed at him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest. Link wrapped his arms around her in return. Neither of them said anything.

The two women were both crying, Link thought as he looked down at the blonde. Sheik freely, wetting his tunic, Zelda silently, knowingly. Why were they so sad? Link thought? Wasn’t this a good thing, if they could each be their own person? Or was it because of him? Over him?

Looking at the princess, he knew this wasn’t the case. As he realized this, the truth found him, dropping into his gut like a lead weight. Zelda would never have hid from Ganondorf, if he went back into the past. Sheik wouldn’t exist.

Zelda nodded silently, seeing his realization. He shook his head at her. This couldn’t happen. He wouldn’t allow it. This future was good enough. Ganondorf was gone, and Hyrule was safe. There was no need to go back.

“I’m sorry, Link…” Zelda said, answering his unvoiced thoughts. “It’s the way it has to be. I wish it didn’t, but…” Link tried to fight the logic of it. He knew it was right, though. So much pain and suffering had occurred, all at the fault of the princess and himself. Things had to be set right.

But it wasn’t fair… so much dear to him would be lost… Dark Link, his new yet somehow close friend, an estranged brother, would never exist. Sheik… she would never exist… He remembered when he had fought against the monstrous Ganon, when he had realized that he wouldn’t live through it. He had resolved to sacrifice in order to save Hyrule. If only he had known the cost would have been so great…

Sheik pulled away from Link’s chest and looked up at him, her amber eyes locking with his blue ones. How he had missed her.

“It’s okay,” she said to him, tears still falling. “It’s the way it has to be…” Link smiled at her, holding back tears of his own. He looked towards the princess, who tried her best to meet his smile, but failed. She looked as miserable as he. Clearly, this was hard for her, as well.

“If you play the song I taught you…” she said. “The lullaby. You’ll return to the moment you drew the sword. That same song will contact the Sages.” Link nodded, smiling at her again. She was able to return it this time.

“See you on the other side,” Zelda said to him.

With a tremendous effort he took a step back from Sheik. They held each other’s gaze a moment longer.

“I won’t forget you…” she said. “I promise I wont.”

Link nodded silently, fighting to remain composed. He brought the ocarina to his lips and began to play. A perfect, bittersweet melody. He felt the air around him charged with magic, his body filling with it.

He finished the song, opening eyes he hadn’t realized he had closed. Sheik still stood before him, her beautiful amber eyes filled with sadness. Link stepped nearer to her, leaning in close. Sheik made no response to his advance, just seemed to cry more.

Link pressed his lips to the beautiful Sheikah’s, feeling… nothing.

Link couldn’t feel her kiss, nor her touch. He tried to grasp her hand, but his own fingers seemed to pass through hers. His physical self fading away. The sight of the princess and the Sheikah girl were fading away. It was goodbye.

Link closed his eyes, unable to stand it any longer. The tears finally started to fall. He felt his body fading, his self returning to his own time. The way things were supposed to be…

I won’t forget you, either, he tried to say. He knew that she couldn’t hear him, but still he said it.

I promise…

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*Well, I hope you like the ending. Its not very happy, but I think its good. Especially if you do like more sad endings. Please tell me what you think.
*I'll be posting an epilogue shortly. I strongly recommend that avid readers keep an eye out for it.
*"Shockolate," thanks for the incredibly detailed review. Very Nice. I don't even know where to start responding to something that in depth O_o
*Keep watch for the final update. Tell me what you think of the ending. Read, Rate, Review, and Enjoy!!!