The Legend of Zelda: What Comes After - The Final Tale of The Hero of Time

Chapter XI: Writings of the Hero

The boy without a fairy, the Hero of Time, the Hero Reborn, the Green Knight, are some of many names I have taken. From being a helpless, fairyless child in the Kokiri grove, to being the hero haled by all of Hyrule, to becoming a nameless street urchin, to becoming a knight, a general, and loving husband and father. 

To begin, my days as a kid were not easy. I was constantly made fun of for being the only Kokiri without a fairy. The only true friend I had in the groves growing up was Saria. When I finally got my fairy, Navi, I thought my life was about to take a wild turn. Little did I know, it would, but for other reasons. That day, I was summoned by the Great Deku Tree, who alerted me of a man from the desert who had placed a curse on three deities of the tribes of Hyrule. He told me that I was the one who had the power to stop this threat, and that I was going to do great things for this world. Of course, I refused to believe him. I was only a kid who thought he was never going to grow up. Somehow, he convinced me that I was the only one who could save him, so I entered the caves below him to attempt to save the deity I thought was my father. The first challenge I faced, the Queen Gohma, is still honed into my mind to this day. Her long, pointy legs, and her countless eyes that glared at me like I was a meal waiting in her den. Somehow, I figured out to how to harm her, as much is it pained me to kill, it was either the Gohma, or the Great Deku Tree. With the help of Navi, I had slain the Gohma and returned to the grove. Upon this, the Great Deku Tree had told me that the curse was unstoppable. I can remember that feeling I had; I was distraught. I felt like I had risked my life... and nearly died for a loss cause. Looking back, I regret the way I spoke to the Great Deku Tree that day, but I knew he understood... and that he did. Although he told me of his imminent demise, he told Navi and I that we saved the entire forest from this curse. For that, I am proud... I still only wish there was a way I could have saved him. Before he passed away, he told me to leave the forest with our spiritual stone, and give it to Princess Zelda. After the Deku Tree had perished before our very eyes, Navi and I left grove and headed for Hyrule Castletown. As a kid, the track from the region of Faron to Castletown was a long one. There was a night where Navi I were in need of rest, which led us to stop at the peaceful hamlet of Lon Lon. That night was when I first met the love of my live, Malon. With the help of her father, I was given shelter, and even a ride to Castletown later that week. After having made a friend who I knew I could count on in the future, I headed to Castletown to find the Princess. That was until I was found by her attendant, Lady Impa. Presenting her the spiritual stone of the forest, I was tasked to find the remaining stones: water and fire. Only then could we open the door of time and claim the Triforce itself and stop the Demon King. After some time fighting battles- some in which I thought I would die- and making friends like Darunia, Ruto, and their colleagues, I claimed the two remaining stones. I can remember the night I headed from the Zora river to Castletown, and seeing it lit up in smoke and flames. The screams of its citizens came from inside, and I had never been more terrified. I can remember seeing the bridge to Castletown being lowered in the distance, and out came Lady Impa and Zelda on a single horse. Without another word, Zelda recognized me, and screamed for me to run to the Temple of Time and claim the Triforce. She threw me the Ocarina, and then disappeared into the distance. That was when I got my first glimpse of him... Ganondorf. He stood towering over me on his gargantuan black steed. He said few words, and as my childish mind tried to attack, he showed me mercy, and only attacked with part of his power. Without saying much more, he took off after the Princess. The image of the blood-stained, burning Castletown still haunts my mind to this day. I can still see that little girl with her lifeless eyes staring straight up at me. Even now, it terrifies me... and I still see that scene in my recurring night terrors. Eventually, I arrived at the Temple of Time, and even though the attendants inside had been brutally murdered, the door of time still stood. I placed the three stones and played the song required to open it. When I walked in, I grabbed the Blade of Evil's Bane and undid its seal. To my surprise, standing right behind me was none other than Ganondorf himself. He had followed me, and now he was going to kill me and take the Triforce. Before he could strike me down, I instantly disappeared into a swath of blue mist. My vision was pure black, nothing else. Ganondorf had led me into his trap, and he claimed the triforce for himself. However, the legend was true, and the Triforce split into three, and awarded its pieces to different people, me being the bearer of courage, Ganondorf being the bearer of power, and Zelda being the bearer of wisdom. Seven years later, I awoke in the chamber of sages. I, who was raised as a Kokiri, was shocked to see myself so grown up. I didn't even realize I had changed until Navi also awoke. She questioned if I was actually me, and that was when I got my first glimpse of my grown up self. In that moment, I cursed at the Master Sword, and convinced myself that it was the one who had altered my appearance. After all, I still thought I was a Kokiri. When I first was dubbed the Hero of Time by the sage of light, Rauru, I denied it. I was not hero, I was kid, who knew nothing about saving an entire realm from darkness. For a long time after, I denied I was the Hero of Time... I didn't want to be it either. I can still see the destroyed land of Castletown and the ominous structure standing where Hyrule Castle once stood. That was when I met Sheik, a women who I assumed to be a Sheikah rebel. She called out to me by calling me "Hero of Time" and I hated it. I didn't understand why I suddenly was hero just because the sword had chosen me. Sheik eventually led me to meet with other parts of the Queen's Banner, which was the common name for the Hylian resistance. Over those seven years, there were many attempts to slay Ganondorf's army and free Hyrule's temples, but of course, none of that could be done without the Hero and the Sword that Seals the Darkness. With the help of Sheik and other members of the resistance I managed to free the sages from their temples, starting with Saria, Darunia, and Ruto. When I saw Saria for the first time again, she didn't even recognize me. I tried to tell her and Mido that I was me, and she denied it and told me that I had died seven years prior. It wasn't until after Navi came to her and proved that it really was me. It took some time, but eventually we convinced all of the Kokiri that I was, in fact, me. It was also revealed to me by the Deku Sprout, the offspring of the Great Deku Tree, that I was not a Kokiri, nor had I been placed under a spell or curse from the Master Sword, but that I was a Hylian all along. My full story of my mother racing into the forest as a child had been revealed to me, and that my parents were of none other than the Hylian noble house of Aldamear. Saria told me that she knew my mother for a very short time, but she said that she was the most beautiful women she had ever seen. I did feel anger towards Saria for not telling me sooner, but I felt even more respect for raising me as one of them, and I could not have been more proud of the one I called my best friend. After many battles and hardships, there came a day when I sought out Malon. Navi and I arrived at the ranch after the horse Sheik lended me was injured by a Stalfos. We brought her to the hamlet of Lon Lon and of course, Malon was there. Navi flew ahead of me to look for help, and as I practically held the steed up as we walked to the ranch, I saw her and her smile... that damn smile. By then, I had finally grown into my grown up body, and clearly Malon had done the same. She was stunning, but the look she gave me as Navi flew behind her was a remorseful one. Once we fixed up the horse with healing potions and such, she told me that she too thought I had perished during Ganondorf's raid on Castletown. For that entire night, we talked about what really happened those last seven years. For that time, I hid from her I was the Hero Reborn, as I didn't think she'd believe it. The next day, Malon and I had planned a scheme for me to take Epona out from Ingo's selling point. After beating him in a race, Ingo threatened Malon for not doing her job, and I stepped up to defend her... nobody was going to hurt Malon. That was the first time I had ever seen myself put fear in someone's eyes. I told Malon there that it was probably best for her to head off to Kakriko to be with her father, and she agreed. Suddenly, Ingo had called for some of Ganondorf's Gerudo soldiers, and with Malon's help I booked it with Epona out of the ranch and back to Kakariko. After that, there were only two unfreed sages remaining, the sage of spirit and the sage of shadow. Getting into the Gerudo homeland was a difficult task, but with the help of Sheik and her fellow Sheikah, we managed to do it, and free the sage of spirit, Nabooru. With Nabooru freed and the Twinrova sisters dead, most of the Gerudo were now off of the spell placed onto them, and joined our side in taking down Ganondorf. During the battle against the Twinrova sisters, Sheik had succumbed to injury. After Impa and I took her to the great fairy of the desert, it was then that I found out Sheik was none other than Princess Zelda. In that moment, I was shocked. I couldn't believe it. The rebels had told me before, along with Sheik and Impa, that Zelda had been in a foreign country. After, Impa decided it would be best to take Sheik to Kakariko for her to heal. We headed to Kakariko, only to get there and find that half of the village had gone missing, including Malon. Instantly, both Impa and Sheik knew this was the cause of Bongo Bongo, the Necromancer lurking inside the shadow temple. Knowing Malon's life was at stake, I hurried into the temple with Sheik and Impa. The things I saw in this temple still haunt me to this day. The dismembered bodies and their hands that protruded from the murky waters of the temple. The ear-piercing screams of the ReDeads, and the voices of the demons who had long been trapped inside that prison. Eventually, after traveling for what like hours, Sheik, Impa and I had confronted the Necromancer. However, it did not go as planned. For some odd reason, he decided his feat would be to take our eyes. Impa, as tough as she is, fell under the Necromancer's spell, and lost both of her eyes. As it looked like the same fate was about to happen to me, Sheik appeared and saved us both from imminent death. That did not stop the Necromancer from cutting a gash deep below my eye... that scar still remains with my to this day. Once I plunged the legendary blade into the misty body of the Necromancer, it was over, and now all we had to do was find the prisoners. Out of all things from this temple, this scared me the most. When we found them, I frantically searched for Malon, praying and hoping she was still alive. I found her inside one of the last of the cells, and she was curled up into a ball with a horrifying look on her face. As I approached her, she kicked and scream for me to leave, thinking I was another demon trying to get into her mind. After playing Epona's song on the Ocarina of Time, it was then that she realized I was no apparition. From that moment, she held onto me like I would dissappear if she let go. I didn't blame her, however, because I knew she shared the horrid memories of this wretched prison. Days later, once we had freed all seven sages, Nabooru, Rauru, Saria, Darunia, Zelda, Impa, and Ruto, we planned our final assault on Ganondorf's castle. In days before the final battle, I remember checking the stable to check on Epona, and it was then that I saw Malon, and the lifeless look I saw on her eyes remained with her. I remember embracing her, telling her that she was safe. It took some time, but the only thing that could have saved her from those terrible memories was a kiss. She took that opportunity and placed her lips on mine, and it was then that I realized my affection for her. As the days continued to pass, the final assault seemed closer and closer, and I feared for the fate of my fellow soldiers and members of the resistance. On the final night, Zelda was captured by one of Ganondorf's henchman. When it happened, I was with Malon inside the inn at Kakariko, and I left her, knowing something was wrong. I realized this rudeness and apologized later on after a few soldiers and I took down some of Ganondorf's assassins in the village. Knowing that Malon was now a target because of my relationship with her, Impa advised that she stayed with us for the final night, and she did so. When the day finally came, the assault commenced. Armies of all different races clashed as we all strove to break down Ganondorf's walls. Once we finally reached Ganondorf's chamber in his tower, Zelda stood to in front of him, with a knife to her throat. With a simple shot an arrow from another angle, Nabooru freed Zelda, and the battle between good and evil had begun. By then, I had fully accepted that I was the Hero of Time, and with all the pressure weighing down on me, I had to complete the task I was assigned by the goddesses to fulfill. After a long, hard battle, I had slain both Ganondorf and the Demon King residing within him. I was scarred, beaten up and broken, but I won... and the eight years of Ganondorf Dragmire's tyranny had come to an end. That next morning, Zelda, the sages, and I went to claim the Triforce once more. We knew our wish would be to restore Hyrule, but we weren't sure how it would play out. When given the opportunity, the goddesses, along with the golden wolf... or the spirit of courage... came to me, and told me what was going happen had I accepted this wish. Upon accepting, the world of reality would split into two, existing at the same time but neither interfering or meeting each other. However, in one realm, the one we now know, everyone who perished under Ganondorf's war would be brought back and given a second chance. However, no one other than the sages and myself would remember any of the events that transpired. With it all up to me, I took the Hero's role and accepted that wish, bringing back all those who had suffered the fate under Ganondorf the Terrible. Without a goodbye to any of my friends, I faded away and into this new reality.