"Link...do what you must!" Zelda's voice echoed around him as the gigantic eye poking out of Ganon looked around. He gripped the reigns of the Royal Horse tightly as he led it to small hill nearby. The beast reared its ugly head and shot flames out of its mouth, those flames chased the Hylian as he pushed his horse to go faster and faster. Upon reaching the hill he made a sharp U-turn. The horse sprinted as fast as it could and jumped straight off the hill. Link's heart pounded as he jumped off the horses back, caught the wind the flames made, and flew upward. Once he reached the perfect height he let go of his paraglider, pulled the bow of light out and shot a single arrow to the giant beast's eye.
The arrow hit the eye dead on. Link's job was done.
The Knight watched as Zelda gracefully floated out of the malice and destruction that was Ganon and made her way down to solid ground. He ran to her, Master Sword in hand as the blood of the goddess ran through her veins and made the golden light illuminate her skin as she reached a hand up to the gigantic monster. He stood by her side as she fearlessly looked the beast in the eye. As she destroyed and banished him using the power of the goddess. The reddish burgundy color in the sky cleared up almost immediately and all seemed well.
The Princess turned around with a tired smile on her face. "Link...," She took a step forward but her legs gave out beneath her and she fell, thankfully Link was quick and caught her, "Link..." Zelda breathed out. Her smile widened. Link propped her up and put his sword away as he tried to think of what he had on his person that could help the princess. A wild berry crepe? Some monster cake? Fairy tonic? The Princess blinked slowly and stared up at the hero. "Not once did I lose faith in you. I always knew you would come back." Link's mind was still racing. Maybe he could quickly make some sort of elixir? He could use the scales of the dragons and maybe the rare Silent Princess, perhaps throw in a fairy? "The courage in you burns as hot as Death Mountain. You are Hyrule's light. You have saved us, your family has saved us, for countless generations. The royal family is forever in your debt." Zelda breathed out shakily, frowning a bit. "However I'm afraid we may never repay you..." Mipha's grace could heal her. But how could he use the gift given to him on someone else? He couldn't exactly ask Mipha for help... "As strange as it may seem I'm quite happy with this outcome. Calamity Ganon is defeated and all the malice and pain he has brought is gone as well." The princess sighed happily as her gaze shifted from Link to the clear sky.
"It may have taken a long time. It may have taken the lives of many...the lives of those we care for...but now we can rest easy knowing that the darkness that once loomed over our kingdom is gone and will not return for a very long time. Do you think my father would be proud of me, Link? Do you think...our friends, the champions, would be proud? Urbosa? Revali? Daruk? Mipha? What about the Goddesses? Do you think they're proud of me now? Of us? I guess it doesn't matter if I ask you. I'm closer to seeing them." Tears began welling up in the princess's eyes. She was beginning to question whether or not she was really dying, the talking didn't make it seem so but she knew she was as her body became more relaxed by the second. Link, however, was being thrown into a state of panic. He quickly lifted her up and jogged to the royal horse.
"Link," Zelda cupped the hero's cheek with her hand, "You have done so much for me, for Hyrule. You've carried an enormous weight on your shoulders and you've carried it well. But now I'm afraid you have to carry one more..." Link shook his head as he rested the princess on top of the horse and climbed on himself. He leaned her against him and kicked the horse, signalling it to start running at top speed down the path. "I will not be fit to run the kingdom. There is no other kin of the royal family...I'm entrusting you," she had to pause for a moment to catch her breath, "to be the next ruler. You must lead us back to our once prosperous state. You must do this, please." Link shook his head rapidly as he tried to decide where to go. Kakariko village? Zora's Domain? Which one had the better doctors? Which one was closer? Rito Village maybe? A stable? Should he just make a break for the shrine of resurrection? Maybe in this moment of desperation the many different shrines could make an exception this one time and allow Zelda and himself transport to different locations using them? Without thinking about it any further he guided his horse to the path that led to Kakariko Village.
"Please Link, your are Hyrule's final hope. And thank you. For protecting me all this time." From there on until he reached the village, everything seemed to go slower. He continued signaling to his horse to go faster but it didn't seem to go any faster. His heartbeat however, was racing. Perhaps faster than the horse. No, definitely faster. All he could think about was himself really, and how he had just failed the only thing he had to do in life. Here was Link. The Hero of Hyrule, holding the unconscious princess in his arms. He didn't want to think about how he couldn't feel her breath on his arm or how limp she was. At one point he let go of the reigns and shakily pulled out some fairy tonic to try to desperately make the limp princess drink it in hopes of it working.
It didn't.
Racing into the village, Link paid no attention to the villagers or the travelers as they jumped out of the speeding horse's way. He paid no attention to them as he leaped off the horse with the Princess in his arms and ran up the stairs to Impa's home. The only thing he did pay attention to was how Impa had apparently instructed Paya to prepare a bed right under the painting of the battle ground where the guardians rested. The second Link laid Zelda down Paya hesitantly shooed Link out of the house as Impa slowly stood up and walked to where the princess was laying. When he was locked out the house he was mobbed by a crowd of villagers who asked Link to clarify who the girl with blonde hair and a dirty white dress was. He didn't speak however (not like he ever did), he just stood there and stared at the door. Eventually the crowd disbanded and Link still stood there. The Korok that usually hung around the small statues waddled over and brought him an apple at one point and Link accepted it however he couldn't exactly eat it. He squished the poor fruit, leaving him with apple juice all over his hands and an extremely disfigured apple in his fist. Finally, after what felt like an eternity Paya opened the door and allowed the Hylian in.
Zelda was still laying there. Her hair was combed and a flower crown made entirely of silent princesses decorated her head. Impa sat in her usual place and beckoned Link forward.
"I'm sure you know what I'm about to say, Link." He nodded slowly, his hands clenching into tight fists. It was difficult not looking over to the princess and it was difficult to resist the urge to burst into tears but he did resist and stayed as stoic as ever. "Now don't beat yourself up over it. You did everything you could. And judging by the way her mouth was tinted pink you still tried to do more. Her death had nothing to do with you. Spending one hundred years constantly using a godly power depleted her life span, but she hung on long enough to...," the old woman sighed, "to fulfill her true duty."
Out of the corner of his eye Link could see Paya cover the princess's body with a golden sheet before heading upstairs.
"Link," Impa stood up and walked over to the knight, "before I go any further just know that I think you will be a fine ruler to Hyrule." Link blinked and looked at the woman in slight confusion. She smiled warmly, yet there was a hint of sadness there, and responded, "a hundred years ago when it was you on your death bed, Zelda sent a message to me saying that if she did happen to perish at any point and you did awaken from your slumber that you were to be the next ruler. I can only assume that she told you this before she took her place among the Goddesses."
Paya walked back downstairs, a bag strapped onto her back. Impa walked over to her granddaughter. They spoke for a moment before Paya hesitantly walked over to Link, hugged him briefly, and quickly ran out the house. Impa returned to her seat.
"I just sent her out to the Dueling Peaks Stable. She'll return shortly, she's only going to hire a couple of the stable workers to ride around the kingdom and deliver messages to the smaller towns...to prepare for the Princess's funeral. Now your task is similar. Only you will visit the Divine Beast's homes and notify them." Link nodded though the look of discomfort on his face was quite obvious. "I understand. You believe I am going a bit too fast and not exactly allowing you to mourn for Zelda before already making preparations for her funeral, correct?" Link nodded a bit. "Again, I understand, but we must...we must start now. I don't enjoy saying this but planning this will be both a distraction and help us deal with the fact that one of the survivors of the Calamity is now gone. It will be good for the kingdom and it will be good for you. It may not seem like it now but believe in me when I say it is." Another nod from the knight and Impa patted his arm. "That may have sounded harsh just plain unemphatic but please, put some faith in me."
Link stood silently and waited as Impa slowly made her way upstairs and back downstairs. She returned with a small, light bag. She explained that inside of it were just some letters explaining the current situation. Link was to deliver the messages and answer any questions if he could. Of course he wasn't obliged to, Impa clearly explained in her letters that the poor boy just had the princess die in his very arms and he shouldn't be pushed to answer any sort of question if it made him uncomfortable. The old woman smiled and handed Link a small covered pot which contained some nice meaty stew. It wasn't anything fancy but Link smiled and hugged her, grateful for the gift.
"Go on now," Impa led him slowly to the doors, "I will wait for your return but for now I will say goodbye and I'm sorry." She hugged Link tightly, the gesture making Link tear up just a bit before letting go, smiling warmly, and closing the doors behind him.