Previous Chapter Recap: Last time on A Link Between Worlds. Link had managed to fight his way into Lorule Castle. There he confronted Hilda, who confessed that she was the one who ordered Yuga to capture the Seven Sages and Zelda all in the hopes of using their Triforce to restore the crumbling kingdom of Lorule. But Yuga had a surprise of his own when he revealed he was only using Hilda so he could use the Triforce and become a god. After an arduous battle, Link managed to defeat the sorcerer and thwart his mad ambitions. Then, another surprise came when Ravio appeared and revealed that he was a servant of Hilda. He manages to convince his princess and make her see the error of her ways. Hilda uses Link's bracelet to send both him and Zelda back to Hyrule. Feeling great sympathy for Hilda's plight, Link and Zelda used their Triforce to restore Lorule back to its glorious state. Now the two of them are enjoying the peace restored to their kingdom.

With the chaos in Lorule restored to normal, it seemed that Hyrule itself was entering a new time of peace. The dimensional rifts that had littered the land now had vanished along with most of the monsters plaguing Hyrule. But it wasn't just the land that seemed to be returning to normal. But the people in it as well. All the sages had returned to their respective homes and lifestyles. Gulley had been returned safely to his more than overjoyed parents. In fact, Ienzo was so grateful to Link that he decided to increase his salary and give him more days off. Of course this caused Madison to keep an even closer eye on Gulley now.

Seres had been returned to Priest Marcus, who was all too happy to see his only child returned to him safely. And even better, James, the Captain of the Guard was freed from Yuga's painting spell. It seemed that the incident brought the two good friends closer together. So much so, that the two decided to get married later this month. Though Priest Marcus was a bit nervous at the idea, he eventually warmed up to it and gave the two of them his blessing. Irene returned to her Grandmother and resumed her witch training. But now she was making some extra Rupees on the side via delivery service, having been inspired from meeting Link.

Rosco returned to his mining business as usual. In his mind, being a sage did not prevent him from doing his job. Though it did remind him that he should keep the door closed more often to divert intruders. Queen Oren returned to lead the Zora people, and through her and the whole ordeal, it seemed the Zora's became less hostile to humans, helping them more often. Osfala returned home to study under Sahasrahla's tutelage once more. The ordeal seemed to make the young man more humble and less of a braggart. Though that didn't stop him from having fantastical daydreams of heroic feats.

Impa had resumed her duty as the royal adviser to Princess Zelda, but today she was taking a break. Why, you may ask? And where was Princess Zelda? Why, she was with Link of course! As a reward for his heroism, Princess Zelda gave Link free access to the castle. He could come and go as he pleased. The two had spent the day touring the castle. During that, the two stopped at the palace garden for lunch. After a while, the two were now in the main hall and in the gallery admiring the pictures. In particular, they were staring at the picture of the previous Hero of Hyrule and the previous Zelda.

"You know, Link..." Zelda began after a while of silence. "Impa and I have been thinking about something."

"What is it?" Link asked.

"How would you like to become a soldier for Hyrule?" Zelda asked.

"Princess Zelda?" Link asked back. "What brought this on?"

"Well, you did such a noble thing for Hyrule and we felt that you deserved a reward of some kind." Zelda replied. "So, the two of us talked for a bit, and we both felt that this was the best reward we could give you, so what do you say?" Link paused as he stopped to think on this. Truthfully, there was a part of him that wanted to take Zelda up on her offer. But there was something that's been nagging at him since the whole thing started, something that just didn't want to let him go.

"Princess Zelda..." he began slowly. "It's always been my dream to be one of the soldiers of Hyrule... but I'm afraid I'll have to decline."

"What? But why?" Zelda asked.

"Because... ever since I started this adventure, I've never truly felt like a hero." Link began. "I always thought that a hero didn't make mistakes, but I made a lot of them. Even when I got the Master Sword, rescued all Seven Sages, and claimed the Triforce of Courage I still didn't feel heroic. But now I learned something. It's not fancy artifacts or magic swords that make a hero. It's not even if you save people. It's all about doing the right thing. But most importantly, it's about hard work. It's about the will to keep trying no matter how hard it is. That's why I'm declining. I want to be a solider in the army, but I want to do it the right way. By working up the ranks, not just cause I'm a hero. I hope that's okay."

Zelda simply listened to the boy's explanation, completely awestruck by his humility and honesty. Despite Link's age, he showed more wisdom than even her. Returning Link's smile with a warm one of her own she replied. "It's perfectly okay. I must applaud you, Link. Most would jump at the chance to be soldier, but you showed humility that I have never seen before. Though you may not fancy yourself a hero, I believe you to be every bit as heroic as the previous Hero of Hyrule. I just have to warn you, though, the admission fee is quite high."

"That's okay." Link replied. "Ienzo raised my salary so I think I should be able to meet the cost. But it'll probably take a while. So, when can I sign?"

"Whenever you feel you're ready." Zelda said. "We'll hold the spot open for you."

"Thanks." Link said. "But for now, let's just enjoy the peace and quiet." And the two of them went back to admiring the gallery together.

Hours later, at the Lost Woods...

After a wonderful time with Princess Zelda, Link went to Ienzo and told him of his decision to be a solider in Hyrule. Ienzo and Madison were understandably stunned by Link's sudden decision, but they couldn't help but admire his maturity. It was almost as if he changed overnight. No longer was he the lazy bum who always overslept. Now he was a respectable young man. So, while the decision was hard, the two eventually gave Link their blessing and resolved to help him get in.

After talking with Ienzo and Madison, there was now one last thing for Link to do. And that task brought him here to the Lost Woods where the Master Sword's pedestal was. Pulling out the Blade of Evil's Bane, he gave one long look at it before speaking. "Well, Master Sword, it's been one heck of an adventure!" he began. "We certainly had some fun times. Rescuing sages, beating monsters and sorcerers, Heck- we even saved two kingdoms! But now, this is where I gotta say goodbye. After all, this probably won't be the last time you get pulled out of here, so I gotta leave you where some other hero can find you."

He then walked up to the pedestal and placed the sword back in. As he walked out of the woods, he turned to face the mighty weapon one last time. "Goodbye, Master Sword. Thanks for the adventure." Link said. "Now here's hoping whoever finds you has an even better one."

With those parting words, Link left the forest and thus closed the chapter of an exciting time in Hyrule's history.

The End!

Well, so ends my tale. I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Oh, and sorry for the short length. Tomorrow begins my Hyrule Warriors novelization. I hope you will enjoy that as well. Thank you to all who have read and reviewed. Till we meet again!