A Hero's mourning (ZELINK)

Asphyxiate (Age: 9)

"Thank you for bringing me here, Link"

"It's not big deal..." the boy rubbed the back of his neck bashfully, his mother put a hand to her mouth as she started coughing  "I just wanted you to have some fun before you... before you-...." Link choked up and tried to force back the tears welling at his eyes.

"Before I die?" Medilia stopped picking the berries and looked at him, sadly. She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder "Link... The time we had together, those memories we had, the loved we shared," Medilia's own eyes were moist "I would rather die than not live those things out with you, Aryll and your father."

"But- It's not fair!"

"Everyone has to go at some point or another, Link. Others earlier, some later."

Link turned away from his mother "...What will I do without you?" he whispered, mostly to himself. Medilia drew her hand away from her mouth, there were stains of sticky crimson blood. she hid her hand behind her back and looked at Link, tenderly.

"You will never be without me, Link. Every time you pick the berries, I will be there holding the basket beside you. Every time you cry, I will be there to wipe the tears. Each and every thing you will do will have a part of me. We still have a week left, Link."

"I wish we had eternity left."

"So do I, Link, So do I."

SNAP

Link whipped his head around, he bent down and picked up a stick for extra caution. He squinted his eyes at the bushes when he saw them rustling. Link stood protectively in front of his mother, she would die over his dead body.

"Link." Medilia whispered "Always be the hero."

And then the creature jumped.

It ran at them "MEDILIA!" Link screamed, rushing to hold his stick in a stance like they had taught him, his heart was pounding. He didn't know what to think, all he knew was: Protect. Link widened his stance and stood his ground. If it was a bokoblin he'd have a chance.

No, it was a moblin.

Medilia looked on calmly, as if she knew this day would come, a second seemed like an hour. Link looked at his mother in disbelief  "GO!" He yelled "RUN! I CAN HANDLE IT!" he said desperately. 

Medilia smiled at her son sadly, the tears that should've fallen a long time ago fell. She planted one last kiss on his cheek "Go," she said, her breath tickling his cheek "Be a hero."

Link was pushed to the side so hard, it knocked the breath out of him. He tasted the mossy earth and hit his hip on a tree root. He quickly jumped up and looked at his mother, too scared to cry, he could hardly breathe "MEDILIA!" he yelled, his mother smiled at him and then the moblin knocked her to the ground as if  she was light as a feather.

Just as the monster raised its clawed hand, Link turned and ran. He ran for his life. He had to live for his mother now, he had to live. He fell over and stumbled, he got back up and ran faster than ever. His breathing was ragged and he felt like to throw up, but he couldn't stop. 

He heard a piercing scream, like the screams from the dead. He clasped his hands over his ears and let out a loud yell, trying to drown out the screming, and shut his eyes, the tears were hot against his cheeks and he sank down to his knees, against a tree. That was his mother. It was his mother's scream. Link threw his head back and screamed, the pain threatening to turn him inside out.

He breathed in a shaky breath, his mother was lost. It was up to him to take care of his sister, he knew his father wasn't the man for the job. Link started hiccuping, struggling to keep his sobs inside. He clenched his hair in his hands and shut his eyes tightly.

He heard a snap coming from the tree above.

Not thinking, Link stood up so quickly, he tripped over a tree root and he went down the hill. Link was in too much pain to feel anymore, so every sharp rock in his path was numbed. His vision span and he just looked on, blankly.

He stopped falling at some point.

He felt the sticky, crimson irony substance rise to his mouth and seep out of his lips. He felt the dull ache in his head, pounding at him. He felt the pain of his mother. He had heard her scream as she died.

All was gone, all was pointless. The only thing left to do now was,

Asphyxiate.