The Legend of Zelda: Link's Desperation

Chapter 1: Unwanted Power

Her form was new to me. I'd known her as a bossy yet lovable imp, my friend who followed me yet led me at the same time. Her assistance in my quest was essential, and she is a main reason that Hyrule has been restored. Her new form is only new to me; Midna, the leader of the Twili, was transformed into her more personally familiar state by the evil Usurper King Zant. After everything we've faced together, we stand beside Princess Zelda at the Mirror Chamber in the Arbiter's Grounds within the Gerudo Desert.

"Well... I guess this is farewell, huh?" Midna says. "Light and shadow can't mix, as we all know. But, never forget that there's another world bound to this one."

"Shadow and light are two sides of the same coin... one cannot exist without the other." Zelda is standing proudly; but obviously exhausted. Ready to return to a normal life once more. "I know now the reason the goddesses left the Mirror of Twilight in this world... they left it because it was their design that we should meet. Yes... that is what I believe."

Midna was unconsciously staring at the ground, soaking in Zelda's philosophical words and searching for her own.

"Zelda... your words are kind, and your heart is true. If all in Hyrule are like you... then maybe you'll do all right." Midna turns and begins towards the mirror. The stairs appear.
"Thank you... well, the princess has spoke truly, as long as that mirror's around, we could meet again..." A tear slowly collects in Midna's eye. The light shimmers off it as if it is the final drop of light in the leader of darkness.

"Link... I..." The tear floats away from her face and floats towards her outstretched hand. She drops her arm and the tear continues to the mirror, making a fracture in the center that grows near to the edges. Both Link and Zelda gasp, finally aware of Midna's true intentions. Midna rushes up the stairs, in front of the slowly cracking mirror's portal. She turns back and flashes a smile to her previous companions, and the light of the portal engulfs her. Just as she fades into the light, the mirror fully shatters, leaving Zelda and Link alone in a despair and loneliness that their minds have yet to fully grasp...

"Hey! Link!" He's jolted awake from the flashback, by what seems to be another one. This time every morning Fado would call Link out and put him to work herding the goats of Ordon. Sadly, the call was only a figment of his imagination, because that is by no means where Link is.

In a deep section of Faron Woods, an open area clear of trees is bright from morning sun. There, a sword of ultimate power shines small prisms across the clearing, and across Link's face. When Link's quest was over, he knew that in legend, the hero placed the Master Sword back where he found it, as a symbol of completing the battle for good and resealing the power back with the goddess that once created it.

Link had left the Mirror Chamber with his chin up and his feelings within, as did Princess Zelda. Link doubted they'd ever meet again.

He knew the final step was taking the sword back in the Sacred Grove, where he worked so hard to obtain the blade in the first place. He traveled on his dear horse as close as he could get to the grove, and went through on foot. The weight of it seemed to get heavier and heavier with each step he took.

Finally, he reached the stone with "Hylia" engraved on it. He recalled the legend of the first hero; he lived a happy life. He and his best friend, a lovely girl, were living peacefully until sudden unknown circumstances separated them and revealed their destinies. She was the mortal form of the goddess Hylia, and she was fated to recover the memories of her past life. The hero's fate was to protect her from lurking evil that followed her. Of course, every legend has a happy ending. They defeated the evil in the world and lived happily ever after. Too bad that's not what's happening here. Link's life suddenly became real one day; beforehand it was doting around in a small village, and abruptly it was saving the world. Now, in the end, he and his best friend aren't living happily ever after. She's doing something, somewhere, and he's losing his mind staring at a purple and silver sword. He still has the Ordonians, but they reverted to their old life too quickly for Link's taste. This has been most definitely an adventure Link will not soon forget, and even if they don't either, it's still not tearing at their soul like it is Link's.

He would go back to Ordon if it weren't for himself. His entire adventure, he dreamed of relaxing or even working hard at the ranch, just being home like he was so used to. But his journey has opened his eyes to the world--he now sees the good that shines through, the evil that lurks, and how naïve one could possible be. It was all one big life lesson, a lesson that no one else seemed to learn.

There was still one final part of everything, that would lead to the answer of his questions. Would he go back to Ordon, or would he go searching for adventure elsewhere? Would he beg Princess Zelda for refuge in the castle? Or would he become a Skull Kid when he gets lost in the woods? It is all dependent on how he analyzes what occurred when he returned the Master Sword.

He made his trek through the Sacred Grove, his goal embedded heavily in his mind. When he reached his destination, he stood in silence for a few minutes, reflecting on the adventure behind him. He was a normal boy, in a small village, and suddenly he was jolted into this legend for the history books, in saving Hyrule and afterwards living a life of distance and secrecy. After all of this, with his head held high and his sword reared back, he plunged it deep into the stone and felt a burst of power throughout him, but just like that it was gone. The only remaining sensation he felt was a tingling of power on the back of his left hand. His eyes were closed, but when he opened them he saw a burst of energy run through the sword one last time and not just the usual one, but two glowing triangles on the back of his hand.

He was immediately certain about what this meant. He had defeated Ganon, and he had absorbed the power of the Triforce he held. It was a mark on the back of his hand that proved that he killed a man, even if it wasn't in cold blood. The power section of the Triforce has been the piece that led Hyrule to war, and what birthed the greed in the world... Link was now two thirds of the most ultimate power in the universe, leaving only Princess Zelda.