Amazing story! Put me to shame too!

Veeeery nicy done! :3
A Masterpiece if I do say so myself! xD
The way Link acts in this reminds me of Link in the Eighties Zelda cartoon, just less perverted and without the annoying catchphrase of 'Well EXCUSE ME, Princess!"
Hell, Zelda in this even acts like Eighties cartoon Zelda xD

Well, here we go. Last review. In terms of epilogues, definitely better than a lot of epilogues I've read. It was short, to the point, and summed everything up nicely without adding too many unneccesary details. Heh, I just love how a big part of the epilogue, Link's realization of how it all began and ended in that very same room and all, I basically described in detail in my last review, lol. Guess that answers my question of whether you were actually going for that effect or not. It would have been interesting to see what direction you would have taken in your original idea where Link would not have been as likeable, but this version works just fine. I'll admit he did manage to redeem himself, but I still can't forgive the guy, and I'm very surprised Talon did. After last chapter when Impa told Link to flee, I briefly considered him going back to Talon, but I dismissed it figuring Talon would never forgive him. Guess I was wrong. Not quite sure how I feel about Talon having forgiven Link though. I'll need some time to consider that. This chapter was quite depressing also, leading to an overall bittersweet ending to the story. Personally, I'd have tried to keep the story as dark as the rest of the story, but that's just me. I still love the way you did it though. Your bittersweet ending works just fine, and still fits in perfectly.

Now to the review the story as a whole. Well, first off I just want to say this is definitely one of the darkest stories I've ever read. In fact, it's tied for darkest story ever with just one other story, and that's only because of the two different approaches you guys took. She took a more physically dark route, while yours was more mental and emotional. The story was well rounded, covered all of its bases, and just overall well written. It wasn't too long, which prevented the story from just rambling and losing its effect, but it wasn't too short either, so that the necessary time was given to fully develop the characters and plot. It moved at a steady pace, and it also gave us both the necessary information to understand what was happening, but left plenty of info out to allow our imaginations to freely create our own ideas. The beginning was engrossing, allowing easy interest in the story, and the ending, as I've already said, rounded things off quite nicely. The theme of rain and life was an interesting touch, and you integrated it quite well. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter were an interesting touch as well, and of course you always made them relevant to the chapter at hand. They also, in a wierd way, completely fit with the whole tone of the story; maybe because it was told in the first person, or because Link kept having his own inner monologues trying to figure out his own thoughts and feelings, but whatever the reason they just fit so well. You did have several spelling and grammer mistakes though; not enough to take enjoyment away from reading, but enough to make me make a comment. That's really the only con of the story though.

Not really sure what else to say that I haven't already said in previous reviews. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the story, and I hope you enjoyed the reviews. Take care now.

Powerful chapter. The second Impa showed up in the story, my immediate thought was that Zelda had committed suicide. After Impa told Link she placed Zelda in a room for her safety, I figured I had been wrong; so imagine my surprise when Link walked into the room to see Zelda hanging there. Very rarely, in fact only once before, have I ever been wrong about something happening in a story when I had felt so certain it would be true. Yes, technically I was still right cause Zelda did kill herself, but you did actually make me second guess and doubt myself, so big props on that.

I'd say that scene was definitely the centerpiece of the chapter, as I'm sure you meant it to be. The fact that the story began and ended, or at least Link's mental health part of the story, in that same room was a nice touch. In a way, it compares the beginning and end of many a journey. When Link was first introduced in that room, he was a low-down rotten murderer, and ever so slowly his mind began to crack until it finally broke, while in this chapter we see Link now as not a whole man once more, that will forever be out of reach for him, but rather a new man. Zelda, meanwhile, began as a caring figure who was looking out for Link's best interests by trying to figure out exactly what went wrong, and as we came to learn during her visits to that room wasn't so innocent afterall, but manipulative and selfish, and now in this chapter her mental break is now complete with her having taken her own life. Whether you were actually going for this or not, that is the effect you actually gave off. Oh, and the cloth Zelda used as a noose snapping and her body falling to the floor was a nice touch, and very well done as it made me wince when I read it.

Link coming back to his senses wasn't too big a surprise. After all, he was already starting to pull things together when Zelda snapped, almost as if in response. Of course, it was Mae though that brought him fully back, and in fact with the way you had been portraying Link all story that was the only way it could of happened. Children can have an amazing effect. Guess I won't have to worry about Mae as much as I thought last chapter, but I still feel sorry for her as it still won't be an easy road. But getting them both out and away from the castle was needed for the both of them, and you pulled it off in a beleiveable way. Poor Impa though.

And I think it's good that you decided to leave many questions unanswered. Stories that answer everything don't leave much to the imagination, and in this story inparticular it not only fits with the overall theme of the story itself, but is also needed in a type of story like this. Just one more chapter to go. I both look forward to and dread it. I look forward to seeing how everything turns out, but also dread the fact that that's it, there won't be any more after that. That is the mark of a good story though, when you elicit responses like that.

Well, my sympathy for Mae has just grown even stronger. I mean, before now she was simply a victim of being a result of this catastrophe, but at least she was still leading a pretty healthy life. Now though, with both Zelda and Link having broken down completely, unable to do anything really, Mae is the one who will be affected the most. There's no living even a semblence of a normal life now. What's worse, she's still too young to even conprehend the basics of what's going on. That's what I got from this chapter anyway.

The chapter title matched it's point quite well. Can Link pick up the pieces of his shattered life? Well, only time will tell, or the next two chapters lol, but even if he can it would be a long and difficult road. I highly doubt Zelda can pick up her pieces at this point. I see we got more insight from the flashbacks. Zelda took that heartbreaking, we all know it was to her even if she didn't show it, news quite well, but that's no surprise considering how well you've portrayed her as a calm, collected, and conniving person, at least before her breakdown. Still though, as the reader I could still see the news ripping into her. It was ever so subtle, but you did manage to get that point across. Nicely done.

Nearing the end, and yet this story can still go in so many directions. You've certainly managed to keep me guessing this whole time. Sure I figured out a few things, but as to how this story will turn out in the end there are too many ideas floating through my head to narrow down.

Each chapter just amazes me more and more. It just keeps drawing me in further and further. You may consider it only a filler, but I see it not only as a necessary chapter, but one that continues the plot and character development beautifully. Zelda's continued breakdown was shocking, but not unexpected when I think about it. It shows that she's still human, an evil bitch of a human, but still a human nonetheless. It also raises many questions, which is a good thing. It makes me wonder whether she regrets what happened altogether, or perhaps while her plan was to get Link away from Malon, but never by having her killed that she regrets. Perhaps she didn't even know about Malon being preganant. Whatever the case may be, she was obviously shielding her own emotions, locking them deep inside, and unlike Link who became an emotionless shell of a human by the circumstances, she shielded it away consiously and it all just flooded out after her outburst last chapter. Or maybe I'm wrong altogether and she just simply went batshit crazy as you put it, but that's the mark of a well told story: the ability for readers to come up with many different theories and ideas of what's happening/about to happen.

I want to feel sorry for Link, I really do and you make it so hard not to with the way you describe him, but I just can't forgive him for killing Malon, especially as she was his true love. And as you've said many times, that was your point, so I'd say you achieved it perfectly. The funeral flashback for Malon was really touching. I don't think you could have made that scene any more depressing if you tried. And Zelda during that scene, I can't tell whether her emotions were real, or nothing more than an act. Good job. I'm really curious as to what will happen now that Zelda has completely lost it and Link has finally gained the ability to feel again.

*Blink...blink* Wow, just wow. Where to begin? Guess I'll just start from the beginning and work my way down. Haha! I was right, Link did impregnate Malon. *Does happy dance* Wait, why am I happy? That means Link's life, and what Zelda had done are even worse than I thought. Dear god how could this story get any darker?(Hint: I wrote the lines beginning with 'Haha' all the way to 'darker' when I first got to that point in the story, so I ended up answering my own question at the end in terms of the description you gave toward the end.)

Zelda's a bitch. Plain and simple. Not to mention a certifiable nutcase. Congratulations on being the first person to actually make me dislike Zelda. Her actions at the end, when she just lost it, just wow. I think that perfectly portrays her true nature and character in this story, the first time we get to see the 'real' her. It also shows another sort of mental breakdown; not the kind where you lose the will to live, like Link, but rather a psychotic break where you do not want to be on her bad side.

As for Link, dear god. I'd ask how he hasn't committed suicide yet, especially now with little Mae running around, but I think he's just so far past the point it's not even funny. If I didn't know better, I'd say Zelda somehow manipulated things so that Mae did resemble Malon just to torture Link even more.

The end was very beautifully done. I loved how you interspersed the flashback with the present, going line for line, matching up the sequences. It created a nice effect, and brought out the emotions of the scene far better than just doing the flashback and then doing the present by themselves could've accomplish. And poor Malon, the description of the flashback was very well done, and it's one of the few times a scene has ever brought out emotions in myself as well. I felt so sorry for her. I just wonder if we'll ever see the scene right before Malon's death, when Zelda does whatever it is to get Link to kill Malon and then we see him do it. I have a feeling we might, but at the same time there's also something to leaving it in the unknown. I'm also not sure what would be darker and scarier at this point, seeing it or not seeing it.

Wow, I'd definitely say this is your best chapter yet. It's probably all the symbolism. This chapter already has all the stuff that makes the rest of this story so great: the enticing storyline, excellent character development, the details that make the story come alive, but I think it's all the added symbolism that really pulls this particular chapter together. The way you describe the storm, and then personify it upon Zelda, but at the same time you take one of the elements of a storm, the rain, and then personify it upon Malon, it creates a nice contrast, and, . . . I don't even know how to describe it.

And I was right. I knew it was Malon. And while I agree that simply referring to Malon as "her" and "she" throughout the story does add the sadness and mysteriousness you were going for, and I wouldn't change that at all, I don't think you should have actually told us it was her. Even if it was blatantly obvious, you should have still kept it under wraps until the end, but that's my own personal opinion.

And before I knew that the baby would be born this chapter, I just had a strong feeling that in some way it was going to resemble Malon. The chapter just seemed to be heading in that direction, especially with how the symbolism with the raging storm bringing on bad omens kept popping up. Wonder if this will help snap Link out of the broken shell of a man he's become, or only drive him deeper into his own miserable despair. I also see that apparently Link and Malon were engaged, but judging by their conversation I wonder if she was also pregnant. If so, well that just piles on even more despair. How much more darker and depressing can this story get? I don't know, but I'm loving every minute of it.

Hey there. Long time no review. Nice to see that you continued, and I'm assuming possibly finished this story by the amount of updates in my email, this story. I was truly hoping it wouldn't have gotten lost to the void and never gotten completed like some other stories I read. But yeah, sorry it's taken so long to actually read and review this. No real excuse other than I've been busy. Anyway, on to the review.

You certainly haven't lost your touch after all this time. It's a little sad to see that you don't actually remember how the story was originally supposed to go, but sometimes that can be a good thing. It'll certainly keep me guessing, lol. I am curious as to how Link is now out of the dungeon. Either he completely broke and became what he is now, Zelda's "pet," or it happened in a previous chapter and I just don't remember. Maybe I should have reread the first few chapters as a refresher. Oh well, I'll eventually figure it out I'm sure.

So Zelda's plan all along had been to get Link to marry her huh? She certainly seems to be growing more and more evil as the story progresses, isn't she? And the way Link just sort of broke is quite saddening and disturbing. As usual your details are top notch and you portray the characters quite well. I can actually feel their emotions. And now Zelda's pregnant. Wonder where that's going to lead. Guess I'll just have to read to find out.

I'm glad Mae is a whole diferent being than "her" (wich has finally become almost as a culpit as Zelda for some reasons - but that's complicated xD).

I can *cope* with that ending. Yeah, somehow. Even if wasn't was I had logically espected from the writing style and all the hangovers.

Okay, that's all, so... thank for the distraction?

Farewell~

And yet, strangely, I still like this Link, and can't help but dislike Malon. Quite a bit.

I still sorta want to believe that Link will be okay, and that Malon will not pop up anymore.

But... I think the story I'm expecting all of this will turn into is a chimera, and maybe I'll just be depressed, but I don't care muche yet as I can't help but simply read.

PS: The sentence I don't care anymore, is a little too repetitive now and we have grasped that idea, I think. No offence intended.

This was a very sad, twisted, yet beautiful story. It's so unique and original, and put Link and Zelda in a light that's never been seen before. Some parts did actually bring me to tears...

Things may not be perfect, or even good now, but at least they're better, and Link has some closure.

I started reading this in '08, and I have to say, it's been well worth the wait. :) It's been an amazing experience!

HOLEEEE CRAP.

T'is finished :DDD

The writing is to put it simply awesome. It's poetic, kind of emotional and HOLY CRAP ZELDA DID WUT.

Uh... yeah. Again, hanged Zelda was unexpected yet well-written, but I liked the ending and the epilogue. I knew Link was going to come to his senses eventually :D

Nice ending too. With the line from a few chapters back, and IT WORKED AND AHAAAAHH IT'S OVER

Um, yeah. Awesome fic, and I'm looking forward to future updates to Of Light and Shadows and/or Destiny revamps! :DDD

Yay for good endings. :D

Awesome story, my friend. You did an amazing job with this story and I'm glad to see it turned out so well.

So Mae helped Link snap back into reality, eh? That's good to hear. Good thing Zelda killed herself. She was batshit insane.

Onward to the epilogue!