FicWad

I'm just one more of them, one more of the people who challenged the woods and got lost. I walked here thinking that nothing would happen, that I could reach the Sacred Forest Meadow hidden deep in the woods to prove its existence, and become famous; 'I'm the best swordsman, I can do it,' I thought. I was so wrong.

In this place I've wandered for months I can't find other thing than hostile creatures like Stalfos, Skull Kids, Scrubs or Wolfos. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to find animals I can kill to get meat. I do the best I can to survive, the rain and puddles are the only source of water, though sometimes I find small ponds, usually guarded by animals I fight using the only weapons I have with me, a sword and a shield.

It's been over a year since I challenged this cursed forest, ignoring the warnings everyone said to me. I can still remember the last conversation I had with Rin, my girlfriend.

"Don't go there, Kubo, it's dangerous, you might never come back."

I just embraced her and kissed her to calm her. She was very beautiful, her long blonde hair fell down to her waist; she had white skin and beautiful green eyes with a lovely look.

"Don't worry, I'll promise I'll come back soon, because..." I knelt and pulled out a small object from my pocket. "...I want to marry you." I showed her what was on my hand, a small silver ring with a shining blue gem on it. "What do you say? Will you marry me?"

Tears began to appear on her eyes, for a second I thought she would reject me, but it was the opposite.

"Yes! Yes, I'll marry you."

I was the happiest man in the world in that moment, as soon as I came back from the Sacred Forest Meadow I would marry her and we would have a family, but that didn't happen, as I'm now in the middle of a forest.

Now, sitting with my back against a tree, I looked to my left hand holding the rusty sword. My emaciated reflection appeared on the blade, I was extremely thin, my once brown hair had begun to lose its colour, my beard had grown considerably, my blue eyes that once had shown the bright of the will of a swordsman were now looking sad, and my skin was very pale. There's no sunlight in this place and it's been a while since I ate something, so I wasn't surprised by my looks.

All this time I had continued fighting and trying to leave this place hoping to return home with Rin, but now it was over, I couldn't move my body anymore, I felt really tired and breathing became harder. I knew this was the end. I did the best I could and failed. As soon as I realized I wouldn't go back, I closed my eyes and said what would be my last words as memories of all the people I left behind came to my thoughts.

"I'm sorry."

And then everything was over... or so I thought.

Unexpectedly, I woke up; it was like it was asleep. The forest around me was darker, it was night. I wasn't tired or hungry anymore and could easily stand up, so I wandered aimlessly.

I walked until dawn, and I reached a small pond. I walked towards it and the animals around fled scared, I didn't pay attention to them as I leaned towards the water. When I looked down, the face reflecting on it wasn't mine, it wasn't even Hylian. After seeing the skeleton-like face on the surface of the water I looked to my body. There was no flesh, just bones and the armour I was wearing. Then I realized I wasn't me anymore, I was one of the creatures that were supposed to be the restless souls of the lost travellers, a Stalfos.

I wandered through the forest aimlessly after that, around 16 years had passed and my memories were fading, but there was one memory left that I've been struggling to keep, the memory of Rin, with the silver ring on her finger and the promise I made to her.

In the forest, I passed near a boy, he was wearing green clothes, his blond hair and his face made me remember Rin once more, and his blue eyes were just like mine used to be, shining with courage and determination. I did the only thing my instinct told me to do, attack. The fight was shorter then what I expected it to be. He pulled out a sword with a blue hilt and stabbed right through my chest. He sheathed the sword back into the blue and golden scabbard on his back, and began to walk away.

I was slowly losing my life, again. I felt my body vanishing as my soul could finally rest in peace. The name Rin and I had thought for our first son suddenly came to my mind, and I muttered my last words directed at the swordsman clad in green.

"Thanks, Link."