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Regrets.
Link had so many regrets.
His first regret was joining the Hyrulean Army. He should’ve stayed home. He should’ve given up his life of fighting. He wanted to. But he knew that he couldn’t. They had needed him. And he would never say no if they needed him. Even if he had to leave his loved ones behind. Because he wanted, needed, to protect his home. His family.
He regretted never spending a lot of time with one of his best friends. Princess Zelda. He should’ve at least stopped by the castle when he had nothing else to do and at least say hi. But he didn’t. And he never got to say goodbye. And he would miss his friend. He would miss her dearly.
He regretted thinking he could ever settle down. It just wasn’t in him. It wasn’t possible. Settling down would mean giving up a life of fighting and Hylia couldn't have her Chosen Hero doing that. Did she enjoy making him suffer? It was why he despised the Master Sword in the first place.
He also regretted not saying goodbye to his family. His Malon. His wonderful, caring, kind, and sweet Malon. His dear wife. He missed her voice. Her singing. Her bright red hair. Her strong and comforting arms. Her sweet words she would say to him when he was at his lowest.
He didn't deserve someone like her. Yet she still married him. She was always there for him. When he had a nightmare, she was always by his side. When he would come home covered in blood and bruises, she would take care of him and pepper a few kisses on his cheek. He loved Malon so much. And she was one of the few things he didn't regret.
His child. His daughter that he had left behind and the child that Malon had yet to give birth to. Link missed his little girl. She was only two years old when he had to leave. They had named her Saria. After the girl who Link loved like an older sister when he lived in Kokiri forest. His baby girl. Who he never got to watch grow up. Who he missed so dearly. She was the complete opposite of Link as a child. She was energetic and cheerful and very bright. And Time loved her with all his heart. He remembered holding Saria for the very first time. She had his hair and eyes, but she had her mother’s nose and personality.
How she was so tiny. He remembered Malon playfully teasing him about how he was scared to drop Saria. But Malon trusted him with their child. And Link was glad she did. And he missed her. So much. And he was upset he would never be able to see the child that Malon had yet to give birth to when he left.
He left her alone. He left them alone. Saria would eventually forget about him. She was only two and his son or daughter would never know him. Only through the stories Malon would tell them. Link hoped he would one day be able to see his family again.
Another thing he regretted, was the people he couldn't remember. He would have dreams of them. The nine of them. On one grand adventure. But he couldn't remember them. He didn't even know if they were alive. He remembered how he would walk around the ranch sometimes and he swore he could hear laughing. He would hear talking. He would hear voices he remembered, but couldn't remember who these people were.
“Sky, why are you near the devil birds?!”
“Ten rupees says I can climb this tree faster than you.”
“Warriors I swear to Hylia if you say that one mORE TIME-”
"Let's see if we can prank Legend!"
Link didn't remember who they were. But he knew that he loved them. Cared for them. As if they were his own children. And he remembered how they looked up to him. It was one of the few things he could remember about them. Sometimes when he was asleep, he would see different boys who looked similar to him, but not identical to him. Their hair went from bright blonde to brown. They all relatively had the same eye color except a few of them.
He couldn't remember them. But he missed them. He regretted many things in life. But Link regretted leaving the people he cared about the most. He had died in battle. He had woken up in a decayed body with rusted armor protecting him.
He was stuck as a ghost. He wondered if Hylia was laughing at his misfortune. He’d rather die and stay dead than die and be forced to stay as a ghost for however long. Link had tried to go home. He had. But when he arrived, the ranch was gone. He couldn't find it. His hopes for seeing his wife and his kids. Gone.
Link had instead found this land unfamiliar. It was still Hyrule. But it had changed. He found himself on the outskirts of a village. But he couldn't enter the village like this. He would surely scare everyone. Something in the back of his mind whispered, “Turn into a wolf”. He didn't know why or how, but he did figure out he could shapeshift. Sort of. He could go into his wolf form and then the form he had died in. Corpse and all.
He didn't go by Link. Not anymore. Not when he abandoned those he loved. Until he could see them again, he went by the name of The Hero’s Shade. Call him overdramatic, but he liked the name. Something in his mind said a certain boy who had facial markings like him would've laughed and called him overdramatic, describing him as being similar to a certain pink-haired hero and scarf-clad hero.
In his wolf form, the Hero’s Shade carefully made his way into the village. He kept to the shadows, knowing he would appear hostile in his current form as well. But it was an upgrade compared to waltzing in fully decked out in armor and as a corpse. No flesh. Bones visible.
The village seemed peaceful. A quaint village that was miles away from Hyrule Castle. Everyone that the deceased hero could see had round ears. But something caught his eye. That boy didn't have round ears. He was playing with a group of young kids. The boy in question looked to be about 14 years old.
Then it hit the wolf. This boy...he knew him. Twilight. His protegé. The wolf wanted nothing more than to hug him. It had been so long. Too long since he had seen him. But he didn't have his facial markings on his face. He hadn't been on his adventure yet. And something in the back of the dead hero’s mind made him feel tired. It wasn't his time yet. So, he let himself fade away. “I’ll see you in a few years, pup.” He quietly whispered before fading.
•••••
The Hero’s Shade and Link raised their swords. “Show me what I’ve taught you.” he refrained from saying pup. He missed him so much. And witnessing him go on his first adventure and helping him, it felt like watching a child take their first steps. Pride swelled in the dead hero’s chest.
The Hero’s Shade took the full blow of the attack his pup sent his way. He stumbled back. He wished he could smile. Because he would have if he could. “Well done.” He said.
Link smiled at his praise. The Hero’s Shade approached the young man. He rested a hand on his shoulder. While he was only 17, he still should have never been forced to go on an adventure. He didn't deserve it. They didn't deserve it. But he didn't know who they were.
But the smile faded away from the young hero’s face. “What’s on your mind, pup?” he asked letting the nickname slip out. The hero perked up a bit at the nickname. He sighed. “Did you feel scared? Having to fight?” He asked.
The hero felt his nonexistent heart break. “Yes. All the time. I was...afraid that every fight would be my last. But, I knew I couldn't let that distract me. Because if I did, then I would always be afraid.”
“What did you do? To help?” Link asked.
“I thought of the people I care about. They were the ones that always kept me going. Even when I wanted to end it all. To stop. To give up fighting. I knew I had to do it to help people. To protect the people I care about. And I know you have people you want to protect.”
The young hero nodded. “It’s ok to be afraid. But never let fear completely overtake you.”
Link smiled. “Thank you.”
The deceased hero nodded. “Go defeat Ganondorf. Tell him the Hero of Time said hello.” The Hero’s Shade said, knowing that he would be smirking if he could. It felt a bit weird saying his hero title. He hadn't heard it in years. Link paused. “The Hero of Time?” He questioned quietly.
The Hero’s Shade walked over to the young hero. The dead hero gazed fondly upon his great-great-grandson or however far apart they truly were. He did something he would have never expected to do in the form he was in. He hugged the young hero. “I’m proud of you, pup.” The hero hugged back. He melted into the older hero’s embrace.
“Now that I’ve taught you everything I could, go and beat up Ganondorf for me, will you?” He heard a laugh from the young hero.
“Will do.”
The Hero’s Shade let go of Link. Twilight. The boy smiled at him before he disappeared to continue on his adventure. The Hero’s Shade felt himself fading. For good this time. He had helped Twilight. He could rest easy knowing that Hyrule was in good hands. He never doubted him. When he opened his eyes, he was met with two figures standing in front of him with their backs to him.
They both looked familiar. They both seemed to notice a presence behind them as they turned around. Link felt like crying. The two heroes smiled brightly. The shorter one immediately ran towards Link and crushed him in a hug. He barely made it up to his chest. Just like he remembered. “It’s good to see you again, Time.” Sky said with a bright smile as tears rolled down his cheeks. "We missed you." Four said, but with his face buried in Time's torso, it muffled some of his words.
Time held Four tightly. “I missed you both too. So much. I miss everyone.” Time said with a smile as tears began to slowly make their way down his face. His face. He was no longer a corpse. A ghost. Sky joined in on the hug. Time wrapped his arm around the first hero and the second. The Hero of the Sky. The Hero of the Four Sword. The Hero of Time. All together again. Time couldn't wait to see all his boys again.