if i die tomorrow - permanent hiatus

storm

     Kakariko Village was on the horizon. I dragged this slowly dying body desperately towards it, the solitary ray of light in my world of darkness.

     When I reach Kakariko Village, it will all be okay. I told myself, holding back yet more tears of pure agony. It will be solve everything.

     I hobbled down the path, drawing unsteady breaths and wiping the blood and sweat impatiently out of my eyes. My simple attire marked me as a common traveller, the Master Sword carefully hidden away. I didn't know if I could survive another battle, physically or mentally.

     The morning sun glared down at me, as though it of all beings knew what I had done, or rather, what I hadn't done. Normally the sun would have brought me hope, the dawn of a new day a symbol of rebirth. Yet lately, everything, everything felt as though it was staring at me with disgust, with hatred, with anger. 

     Hyrule itself was warring against me, lamenting its losses, turning its rage on me, who should have been there, who should have saved it.

     Rain clouds soon cloaked the sun underneath its gray shreds of lace, and I hung my head as the chilly drizzle soaked through my thin tunic, water droplets sliding down my hair and dripping miserably by my feet. The cold reached my very bones and I shivered, my arms wrapped tight around myself.

     If Zelda were here, she would have dragged me by the hand to shelter underneath a large tree, scolding me for being so careless while violently wringing out my hood.

     I could almost hear her voice by my ears.

     If I focused hard enough, perhaps I could hold on to this tiny fragment, perhaps I could save a bit of her spirit to keep by me.

     I blinked rapidly, recognizing the tone of pitiful longing.

     Pitiful. I would never have dreamed of using that word to describe myself.

     I gritted my teeth and pushed against the downpour, a lone figure in a raging storm.

     I heard the busy, bustling village before I actually arrived, the wind chimes swaying overhead on interweaving strings singing softly as they knocked against each other in the rainswept wind. Stingingly cold pellets of rain poured into puddles, making them come alive from its quiet indifference, dancing, growing, changing. It momentarily drowned out the ruthless voices hanging like a storm cloud around my head.

     Suddenly my breath snagged. 

     What would they think of me, crawling back here without the princess?

     My head spun. Without warning, my knees finally gave out. My hands skidded over the wet earth, trying to scramble back on my feet, but I only slid further in the mud. A cough racked through my shivering body, specks of fresh blood splattering onto the ground. 

     I swallowed a sob and wrapped my arms around my clenching stomach.

     Was I going to die, so close to salvation?

     The last thing I saw before falling headfirst into a void of darkness was a flash of blinding light tearing through the mist.

     "Is he alright?"

     "How are so many of his wounds infected this badly?"

     "He should be awake sometime soon, but..."      

     "Okay, all of you! Get out! Give the poor boy some space!"

     I dimly heard the shuffling of footsteps as people filed out, talking in a low voice amongst themselves. A gentle hand brushed back the bloodied hair from my face.