Time's Moving Faster Than I Can Count

Time's End

His right arm fell limply by his side, unable to move it at all now. His left arm cradled his abdomen weakly, and he could feel the warm, sticky liquid sitting between his fingers. He shakily lifted his fingers, and he could just barely see the crimson. His hand dropped back down, and his head hung down. Blood gushed from every wound, and nothing he could do would fix it.

He was too far gone.

He gasped for breath he would never catch again, and he could feel himself slowly drowning on his own blood. Tears fell from his remaining eye, he just couldn't help it. His thoughts were of the boys he couldn't protect, the woman he'd never see again, the child he'd never get to meet. All of his muscles were too tense, yet they were weakening rapidly every single second. His heart slowed down, and he couldn't focus his eye anymore. It was all dark and blurry.

The pain increased greatly for a moment, but he couldn't cry out, and then it completely fizzled away. Then, all he felt was cold. Cold, and regret.

Regret.

He regretted failing. He regretted dooming more young boys to suffer the exact same fate he did. He regretted not being able to see Malon one more time.

He regretted being a failure.

A failure that was going to die, in the middle of the woods that raised him, cold and alone. No one would ever find him. No one would ever know. Malon would never get closure.

He regretted never getting chance to meet his child. He hoped they wouldn't hate him, but he wouldn't blame them if they did.

He was only deserving of hatred.

Why did anyone think of him positively?

He was no hero.

He was a failure.

His slumped backwards, his head as forward as it would go. A final, tired, and weak breath left his lungs, and the blood took over. His thoughts became mangled, then fell apart. He had nothing left. His heart fell still, and he was gone. A final stray tear fell stubbornly from his eyes, down his cheek, and fell from his chin down to his blood-stained tunic. It made no difference in the state of his clothes, but the trail remained there anyway.

The forest fell silent. No birds, no crickets, no fairies, not even the rustling of trees could be heard. A heavy sense of grief settled over the forest in a chokehold, it knew he was gone. He may not have been born from it, but he was always a part of it. The Great Deku Tree sprout felt his life end, and the forest mourned with its guardian deity. Vines entwined the body of their lost friend, protecting it from the curse of the woods. The three assassins were brought back up as Stalfos, and they wandered mindlessly away to a place they'd never be found again.

Hours later, as the sun began to set, a lone girl walked to where he lay. A single Kokiri girl with green hair walked hand-in-hand with a Skull Kid. Four fairies danced around their heads. One was green, belonging to the Kokiri girl, one was yellow and one was purple, both sticking with the Skull Kid, and the final one was blue, belonging to and sticking with no one.

Not anymore.

The Skull Kid made a small noise of distress, shaking at the sight before him. The Kokiri girl had tears fall from her eyes, and the fairies jingled sadly.

"Oh, Link." Saria whispered, voice breaking.

Where the grass was once green, blood stained it red. His once blonde hair was matted with blood, and his skin looked even paler against the crimson. Blood covered the right side of his face, and was dried around his mouth and down his neck. Vines cradled him like Saria once did when he was but a baby, and his eye was partially open. The blade that stuck out of his back was obvious, and the dagger that stuck out of his chest was dangerously close to his neck.

Not that it mattered. He was already dead.

The wounds frightened Skull Kid. The fairies jingled sadly again, and fluttered over. The blue one weakly settled on his cold nose, looking into his half-open eye. It was cold, empty, glossed over.

Dead.

The yellow and purple ones sat on his head, braiding his hair through tears. The green one sat atop Saria's head, trying not to keep looking at the cadaver before her. The six of them stayed for a short while, before the vines began covering their friend more, protecting him in death. They were unaware of the restless spirit that stood nearby, watching with one single red eye, made of bone and covered in armour. Saria put her hand out, towards the blue fairy, and gently pulled her away. The other two followed, and as they left, Saria spoke.

"Come on, Navi. It's too late to say goodbye."

The End.