I just want to take a sec to say that... this chapter is my most favorite piece of writing. Ever. I love it so much, and I really hope that all you special people who've read these stories feel the same, at least a bit. These two tales of my favorite game ever have been a part of my life for a while now, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Thank you for reading.
-Jooostan
A Terminian and the Twilight of Danger
Epilogue: If I Can Dream
Two and a Half Years Later...
"Her royal highness, ladies and gentlemen, the toast is to the bride and groom! Mr. and Mrs. Link and Romani!" Dina raised her glass high up in the air and Link blushed like mad.
"Mr. and Mrs. Link and Romani!" The crowd repeated.
All the other attendants to the wedding cheered as they held their glasses in the air with Dina. Together, they toasted to the newlyweds, and a light applause could be heard all throughout Clock Town. It brought the greatest smile ever seen to Romani's face, and she leaned in to kiss Link on the cheek. When she saw his reaction, she couldn't resist giggling.
The tender, summer air flowed through Clock Town with ease. It was a surprisingly cool day in Termina, just absolutely lovely. The wedding decorations flapped gently in the breeze, and the bell sitting atop the Stock Pot Inn rang repeatedly in celebration.
Link, dressed in a fine, black tunic with white highlights, looked at the ring along his finger. It was the most amazing thing he'd ever hoped for. Romani, right next to him, extended her hand and rested it next to his, letting them both gaze at their wedding bands.
"Hey! Isn't it cake time?" Jim asked from across the table, a little too eager to dig in.
"Come oooonnnn, Link. Let's cut the cake!" Romani playfully held the knife for their wedding cake, and as soon as Link saw it, he quickly rose from his seat and took the sharp object from his wife. She chuckled a little as he held the knife with a firm grip. Romani knew just what to get her husband out of his silly chair.
Everything seemed perfect. It was a miracle that everyone could make it. Zelda, being the 'royal highness' referred to in the toast, was the most surprising person in the crowd. It wasn't her first time in Termina, as she somehow managed to make the trip last year but seeing her again in Clock Town was fascinating. Seeing all of the guests who came all this way just for Link and Romani's wedding was fascinating.
"Ready?" Link asked Romani, as they both held the knife against the cake. The ranch woman gave the former hero a knowing smile and nodded. As the knife slid through the delicious frosting and into the fluffy center, the attendants cheered.
The cake was passed out, and everyone enjoyed themselves. Conversations commenced and the afternoon went on blissfully.
"Oh Romani!" Cremia waved to Romani in a singsong voice. The ranch woman groaned and angerly rose from her seat.
"What, sister!?" Romani put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot repeatedly. The exaggerated display of annoyance just made the older sister chuckle. She walked up to Romani and put her arm around her.
"Alright, you better promise me some things!" Cremia wagged her finger as she used to when Link and Romani were kids. "First, make sure he treats you good, you hear me?"
"Sister..." Romani whined as she nervously peered back at the guests. A few of them were staring at her. "Not in front of everyone..."
"Oh yeah!" Cremia raised her voice so nearly everyone could hear her. All the eyes were focused on them. "And don't go all cowgirl on Link, got it?"
The color of Romani's cheeks matched her hair. She walked away from Cremia, having been defeated, and sat back next to Link. The crowd erupted in laughter and even Link couldn't hold back his giggles. Romani leaned forward and shielded herself with her arms, wishing that the day would go faster.
"Romani cannot wait to be away from sister..." Romani grumbled to herself. A layer of comfort arrived when Link put his arm around her.
"Don't worry. Once we're off to Great Bay, we'll be all alone." The 19-year-old said, smirking. He was glad he had this to take his mind off of what he was thinking previously.
Soon enough, Romani lightened up, and it was time to open the gifts. While admittedly few, the couple were endlessly thankful for everyone who got them presents for the day. The first thing opened was from Tatl. It was a small, handcrafted pacifier made of a soft sponge from Great Bay. When Link first saw it, he shrieked and quickly hid it in the wrapping. When everyone demanded to see what made him so nervous, he showed them.
"Awww, it's so cute!" Dina remarked, absolutely giddy at the idea of being a half-aunt to however many children Link and Romani decided to have. She wasn't Romani's sister, but she sure felt like she was.
"Tatl... why?" That was all Link could muster to his fairy companion. Tatl rolled back with laughter, needing to sit herself on the table in order to not fall out of the air.
"Me and her thought it'd be a good idea..." Navi said, tugging on Tatl's arm to get her to stop laughing.
The next gift was from Anju and Kafei. To Link, it was the most meaningful of all. While their union granted them their own, unique Couple's Mask, the innkeepers decided to gift them their old ceremonial masks as well.
"Mom... Dad... W-We can't accept these." Link held Anju's Moon Mask and Romani held Kafei's Sun Mask.
"Nonsense!" Kafei exclaimed. "Link, long ago, you helped us with our wedding. It's the least we could do for yours."
"Please, honey, we'll survive without them." Anju added, chuckling.
While the boy didn't like how his parents gave up such special items, the memory of him working so hard to help their wedding warmed his heart. He quietly accepted the gifts, smiling knowingly at his wife.
The last gift, and probably the biggest one, was from Zelda herself. She had wrapped it personally, the golden emblems and white, spangled ribbon being proof of it's majesty. Inside the box was a surprisingly hefty tablet. On it was an inscription, depicting Link and his friends first battling the Thunderbird. It was a very nice thing to look at, more fond memories flooding back.
"Thank you, Zelda." Link walked up to the princess of Hyrule and gave her a hug. The gesture surprised her, but she welcomed it. She was glad that the small barrier that remained between her and Link was finally broken. "This means a lot..."
"The pleasure is all mine, Link, I assure you." Zelda said, beaming from ear to ear.
However, that wasn't the last gift left to give out. Link and Romani had something prepared for a very special friend. Link waved to the Bomber who had been his best man. "Hey Jim! Come over here!"
"Huh? Why?" Jim asked as he walked up to his closest friends. His question was answered with a long, narrow box, wrapped with a plain red tissue paper.
"You guys didn't have to get me anything... This is your day!" Jim tried to hand the box back to Link, but the teen just put his arm around his wife and politely refused. His expression gave Jim the convincing he needed to finally open the gift.
It was a new blowdart. Carved out of a fine oak, seemingly by hand. It looked amazing, far better than the dingy old blowdart that Jim used to use when that balloon always bothered him in North Clock Town. That old thing had gotten to old to ever really be used again. This one looked as if it'd last years. What caught Jim's eye was the little lettering on the side of the tool.
"'To Jim~ With love, Link and Romani'." Jim read the message out loud. For a second he was overcome with emotion, and he quickly hugged his friends. His voice was a soft whisper. "Thank you... Thank you guys so much."
"Anything for our friend!" Romani exclaimed, smirking. Link patted Jim on the shoulder and the trio went off to enjoy themselves to the fullest.
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As the day delved into the evening, the wedding started to die down. People were heading home, and Zelda was checking in at the Stock Pot Inn, just to be safe and not have to make the journey back to Hyrule at night.
Epona was given a lovely, white saddle to commemorate the wedding, with a bundle of carrots waiting for her when they got to the beach house. As Link gathered his things in preparation to leave with his wife, the Swordsman Master pulled him aside.
"Congratulations, Link. I must say, my boy, while I have found you to be a little... well, how would I say this..." The master snapped his fingers, a telltale sign he was concentrating, until Romani was able to chime in with a good word to match his sentence.
"Reckless?" Romani added playfully, a smirk across her face.
"Yes! That's exactly the word! Thank you!" The swordsman chuckled at the ranch woman and then put his arm around Link's shoulder. "However, today, my student, I cannot complain."
"Thank you, sir..." Link's felt some modesty well up in his heart. His teacher had been a little rough on him during his training all those years ago, but Link was happy he could make it to his special day.
"Now, I think you better be off." The swordsman pointed to Romani, who was already atop of Epona, ready to head to the beach where the new house awaited.
"I wish you luck, my friend." The master held out his hand and waited for Link to shake it. The hero did without needing to be asked.
Link walked to Romani, ready to start this new part of his life. He looked back, a little saddened that he wouldn't see them for a while. But it was worth it, to be with Romani, and just her for a while. Giving a smile and a little wave, they set off.
"Goodbye! Ride carefully, alright?" Cremia shouted as Epona trotted away.
"We love you, honey! Enjoy yourselves!" Anju waved her son goodbye.
"See ya later, Link!" Jim cheered, his grip on Pamela's hand tightening. Romani, remembering the little tradition, told her husband to stop Epona for a moment. She readied her arms and threw her bouquet up and behind her, still smiling at Link.
As luck would have it, Pamela was the lucky woman to catch the flowers. She turned to Jim and gave him the most devilish look conceivable. For the first time in a while, Jim himself grew red in the cheeks, and wasn't prepared to be tackled by his girlfriend.
"Don't mess anything up on your first round, okay, Link?" Tatl shouted, knowing full well what she meant.
"You're the worst!" Navi elbowed Tatl in the gut and chuckled.
Link urged Epona into a canter and the goodbye's faded. As the sun began to set, the hero and the ranch woman eyed each other lovingly when they neared the beach. When they got into view of the house, Romani gasped at the sight. That old spider house, once a decrepit, mangy building, was cleaned up and given a fresh coat of paint. A large bundle of carrots hung, tied to the doorknob, for Epona.
"It looks beautiful!" Romani practically squealed. She hopped off of the mare and gazed at the house. Everything about it screamed 'yes' to her.
"Just wait until you see the inside." Link said happily, jumping off of his loyal steed and walking up and behind his wife. He put his hands on her hips and kissed her neck tenderly.
"Oh. Romani knows she'll love it!" The ranch woman, possibly too excited, scooped Link up into her own arms and held him bridal style. The move was a swift reversal of what Link thought would happen, but he didn't fight it. Romani was the more adventurous of the two.
Kicking open the front door, Romani set Link down and was astonished at the inside. The slippery ramp that once could've only been scaled by the mighty Goron was gone, all dug away to provide space for a new dirt floor. Right by the place were the ramp was, sat a bean sprout, fully grown. Just the idea of flying up and down the bean plant every day filled Romani with excitement. Taking Link's hand, she raced over to the plant and stepped onto it, and the couple were swiftly taken to the main door that led to the body of the house.
Above the couple's heads was the night sky. The ocean scent was wonderful, and the sound of the flora could put them both to sleep. However, there was a newly remodeled house to do that in. No longer was the house a deep descent, but instead just one floor with another above. The nearest door to the entrance held a vast study, and across the hall were two doors and a short staircase.
There was one kitchen and a bathroom, and up the stairs were two bedrooms, made especially for the couple and a possible third or fourth addition for the future. Link, with the help of the Terminian Gorons and the carpenters, were able to make this all a reality.
"D-Do you like it?" Link asked meekly.
"I love it! Oh, it's perfect!" Romani's answer filled Link with pride. With that, he took her by the hand and led her to the bedroom.
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Much later in the night, Link slowly sat up in the bed he and Romani shared, something on his mind. For a while, he sat on the mattress, unable to lay back down to go to sleep. Finally, when he noticed the clock turning to three, he got out of bed and walked to the study to think.
"Hm...?" Romani, still drowsy, noticed the lack of Link's arm wrapped around her waist. She quickly woke up and grew upset that her husband wasn't in bed with her.
In the study, Link sat at the desk surrounded by bookshelves. He fished a small, old, weathered piece of paper out of his pocket, having taken it from his personal chest in his old room at the Stock Pot Inn, and put it on the desk. He just stared at it, continuously reading the short little message that was written on it.
"Link? Grasshopper? Is everything alright?" Romani opened the door to the study and spotted Link immediately. How he was hunched over, staring down at the desk told her that something was wrong.
"I-It's nothing, Firefly. I'm sorry if I woke you..." Link mumbled, just barely being heard by his lover. She sighed and opened the door the rest of the way, walking up and behind Link, placing her hands on his shoulders.
"Grasshopper didn't. But Romani's worried about you. Today was a great day for us. What's got you down?" Romani leaned forward and rested her chin on Link's head, wondering what the matter could be.
"Don't worry, it's not much. Just something about..." Link never finished his sentence. He was too distracted by a faint memory. Romani was able to get a look at the small slip of paper on the desk, and almost right away she understood.
"It's him, isn't it?" Romani asked.
"R-Romani... I don't know i-if I ever told you this, but... I had a dream. Once. It..." Link didn't want to go into the details. Every time he thought about it, it hurt. It pulled at his heart like nothing else. "It was just like today. Our wedding. It was amazing. But... it had... him. He was there."
"It did?" Romani's mind raced when she thought about what Link had described. A piece of her wanted to let him cry, and she made sure to let him do so.
A single tear fell from Link's eye and onto his cheek. He sniffled, unable to stop thinking about his dream. It felt so real. Like he was really there, talking to his friends. All of them were older, wiser, and there for him on his special day. Now that his special day had arrived, a part of it felt empty. He couldn't do a thing about it, but every fiber of himself wished he could go back in time and stop the tragedy.
"How long has Grasshopper had this paper?" Romani gestured her head towards the slip.
"For over two years now..." Link admitted. The brash side of him, yearning for the quickest solution took over, controlling his tongue as he spoke. "I can get r-rid of it. I... I can put it in a bottle and throw it in the ocean."
Romani sighed and stepped forward, kneeling down to look at Link. Her face conveyed the most compassion he'd ever seen. It was like gazing at an angel, with her fiery hair illuminated in the flickering candlelight.
"But will you be able to rest if you do?" Romani asked Link.
Link quickly nodded, but it became a serious shake opposite. He didn't know what to do with himself or the note. Its words sat on the paper, almost mocking him for his failure.
"Then tomorrow, Romani wants you to go out to the Lost Woods and see him. Alright?" Romani's eyes were stern, but they held hope. However much she hated seeing Link suffer, she knew he needed this last sliver of solace. Otherwise, he may never be able to move on.
Link looked at the paper again. He inwardly hoped there would be another option, but he didn't want to disappoint Romani. She looked up to him and he looked up to her. If he messed with that balance, it wouldn't be pretty. Eventually, he nodded.
"Come on, lets get some sleep." Romani took Link's hand and blew out the candle. As she pulled Link away from the room, she looked back, leaving the paper on the desk.
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"I love you!" Link waved Romani goodbye. "I won't be long!"
"No, take all the time you need! Got it?" Romani told him, giving a serious look. "Romani loves you!"
The ranch woman accentuated the word 'love' as Epona trotted off towards the trail leading all the way to the Lost Woods. She held her hand to her heart as Link escaped her view. She quietly prayed that he would be able to find it in himself to do what needed to be done. When she finished, she took a minute to admire the ocean coast before walking back into the house, ready for whatever would come next.
Soon, the heavy, blue fog told Link that he was in the right place. He slowed Epona's canter down and carefully rode through the Lost Woods. Knowing exactly what he was looking for, it was just a matter of when it'd become visible. The one beam of sunlight that shined down on the little landmark.
Link inhaled sharply when he saw it. What he was looking for. The tree stump.
"Alright, girl. Be good and stay here, okay?" Link got off Epona and gently rubbed her cheek, grabbing an apple from his bag and letting her eat. She neighed softly and stood still, chewing on her treat. The teen turned around to face the stump, and he took a deep breath.
Walking towards the remains of the tree, he got a good look at the carving in the bark. He stopped just five feet from the wooden reminder and reached into his pocket and grabbed the old piece of paper. His eyes swapped from the item in his hands to the monument before him. On the stump, there was the etching of himself, Tatl, Tael, the four giants, and a certain imp. This place marked where he had been laid to rest.
Link was speechless for a long time, unsure on what to say. He considered just quietly grieving for a while before he decided to leave. No. That was no way to act in front of his friend. Finally, some words came to mind.
"I miss you." Link said solemnly, staring at the image of Skull Kid.
The gentle breeze flew through the Lost Woods, all the sounds of the fauna growing faint. That strange sense that happened when Link was in deep thought. Where all the other sounds faded away. He didn't know why it happened, but he couldn't ever stop it.
"I know I haven't... ever visited since it happened, but I hope you're doing alright... wherever you are..." Link muttered. An overwhelming sense of nervousness overcame him, and he reconsidered this entire journey. But then he could swear he heard a song in the far distance. A song that reminded him of an old Kokiri friend, but also of Skull Kid. Whether or not it was real or just a part of his imagination, he got the strength to continue.
"I'm sorry. About being so careless. I know it's not all my fault... But I hope that you... I wish...Th-That you could-" Link lost the power to speak, but it wasn't from weakness. All he could do was reach into his pocket again, pull out a chip of the gem of a fire arrow, and stare at it alongside the note. Link read the message on the note one last time.
'Forgive me'
Link closed his eyes and the fragment of the fire arrow ignited. It didn't burn him, but he knew in order to let go, the note had to. He carefully held the paper near the flaming jewel, and the fire slowly spread on it. There, the boy dropped the note into the moist grass at the foot of the stump. The paper slowly burned away, its ashes getting caught in a sudden light breeze. As the leaves and dust danced through the air and out of sight, a weight lifted.
The Hero of Termina and Time felt peace. Complete and utter peace, all throughout his mind. A part of his soul was freed, and it was able to shine in the light of his spirit. Link inhaled deeply, enjoying the forest smell, and exhaled. His nerves relaxed.
Link gave the stump one final look, smiling. As the silence permeated through the Lost Woods, the sun emerged from a gap in the trees and shined down on the grave. Then, he walked away. He returned to Epona, and she galloped off into the fog, back to Termina.
The End.
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Link and Romani will return... one day. Whether it be soon, or a long while, this parting will not last forever. I promise.
-Justan