A oneshot written as a celebration for wwhd's release, so I hope it's decent enough.

Forgotten Tale

The statue always looked the same, tall and proud and heroic, making the onlookers feel as if it would protect them for eternity.

The castle was grey and silent, utterly different from the lively place it used to be. But he really shouldn't expect for it to be the same, not anymore.

The Flood came, Hyrule was sealed, and he was all alone.

Some were despaired that their treasured Hero wouldn't come, that he wouldn't save them from the Evils of Ganondorf just like many centuries ago.

He didn't feel worthy enough to feel that way, though, for he was the King and he miserably failed to protect his people. He failed to prolong the days of prosperity that followed Queen Zelda's rule after the legendary seven-years-war.

He failed Zelda, he failed the Hero, he failed the sages…

He failed Hyrule.

So he apologized to the statue, again and again and again, his guilt only weighing on him more and more as the days passed.

The statue didn't answer, it only listened.

For that, Daphnes was grateful.

It was boring, being stuck in a sealed castle with no one to keep her company. It was a wonder why the old man didn't go completely nuts after years and years of being alone.

"So you were real all along, huh?" she asked the statue that was a copy image of the picture she had in her cabin.

"Mom talked a lot about this place, about you. I think she was trying to find this castle even." She remembered the locations her mother marked on different charts, spending many sleepless nights going over them.

"Her tales are one of the few things I have from her aside from old scrolls and sea charts, so knowing that they were real made me happy. I don't know how to feel about being directly invoved in them though."

She could imagine the Hero smiling amusedly at the way she looked at her dress in distaste. Couldn't they find a shorter dress or do you all want me to trip?

"Well at least I'm not the one with the silly get-up. I don't even know how Link could stand it."

And now she imagined him to look offended and she laughed.

She was insane for thinking that talking to a statue, ranting on and on about her life, to be so relieving.

The Hero of Time was willing to listen at least.

He stared in awe at the statue at the center of the castle's hall; it looked like nothing he had seen before.

The person the statue was dedicated to must've been highly respected, and it only made Link wonder who he was.

But his sister was waiting for him and he couldn't admire it any longer, so he left to find the sword the King of Red Lions (he would've called him magical talking boat if he was being honest) told him about.

And, as he raised the sword up high, he saw the flash of a young man in green smiling proudly at him in his mind's eye.

Blinking confusedly, he stared at the sword for a while before he tried it out, marveling on how incredibly familiar it felt in his hand.

When the castle grew quiet again after he defeated the sealed monsters, he couldn't help but to ask the statue, "Was that you?"

The statue didn't answer.

Link only grinned.

"Thanks."

The statue served to remind him of his failure, of his attempt to seize the Triforce for himself.

He spoke to it, enjoying the fact that it didn't have a choice but to listen to him.

And then he destroyed it, relishing on the fact that he was still here and the Hero wasn't.

He didn't know by doing that, he would start the end of the old Hyrule and the start of a new one.

Their tale was destined to be forgotten after all.

Ganondorf couldn't help but to feel morbidly amused, now a figure of stone himself.

"You knew, didn't you?"

The statue didn't answer.

End.