... And this is it, guys... The end of "Hey". I can't even freaking believe it. So, as the beginning of a New Zelda adventure begins with Breath of the Wild, I'm ending this one right here and now. _ (This was originally posted on Wattpad on March 3rd, 2017.)

So... I want to thank/apologize to all my readers for reading through this mess. xD Love you guys, and I don't even know why you stuck with this story, lol.

I dedicate this chapter to all my readers, and enjoy playing BotW! :DDDD

Please read/review/enjoy cuz I'm a tired person... lol 3

This will be my last post (at least for a time on , but I'm still very active on my Wattpad account [Princess-Zel]), and I've enjoyed my time here on a ton. I appreciate you guys; you're all the best. :-)

Always,

~Zel

My smile brightened as my fingers flew across the keys of the grand piano; my clear voice rose higher and higher as I focused all my energy into this one performance. Thoughts of Aryll filled my mind, and although they were tinged with sorrow, I was happy. I was grateful for the time that I had been able to spend with her, even if it was short.

The feelings of joy that arose inside me were beautiful.

For a few moments, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Midna, Saria, Karane, and Pipit, all looking exuberant in their caps and gowns. Then there was Sheik, Tetra, and Tetra's crew all wore mirrored expressions of satisfaction and pride as they watched and listened to me play and sing.

Groose and Malon stood together, toward the back, and I was conscious of this fact as well. They'd both treated me and Link awfully, and even though they mostly kept to themselves now, they had apologized for their behavior and were much nicer if we ever spoke. They'd found healing within each other.

Mr. Rauru, Ms. Nabooru, and Impa were all present as well, along with Dawson and Aileen, my adoptive parents, and Zant, my big brother. My heart is so overwhelmed with the support of my friends and family.

And then, I saw him, standing so close to me. His smile was identical to mine, and he silently mouthed the words I sang along with me. He was so calm, and I needed his dependable strength to make it through my performance.

As soon as it was over and the words died in my throat, I rose from the piano bench and scrambled into Link's open arms. A cheer bubbled up from somewhere in the crowd, and I had a suspicion that it was Zant.

"You did an amazing job, Zel," Link whispered into my ear before brushing a piece of black hair away from my face.

I buried my face in his chest as a noise that sounded like a cross between a sob and a laugh escaped my lips, "Thanks, Link."

He let out an excited whoop before scooping me up and spinning me around in his arms, "I'm so proud of you!"

"Don't be proud of me," I laughed back. "There's nothing to be proud of when it comes to me."

We slowed to a stop, and Link placed a finger under my chin, lifting my face up to look him directly in the eye, "Don't you ever say that, Zelda Haiden. You're everything to me."

With those kind words, he drew me to him once more, and, I swear, my heart nearly melted when he spoke. Tears began forming in my eyes, but my smile was still perfectly intact.

He was confused by my sudden emotion and looked into my eyes, concerned, "Hey, hey, hey... Are you alright, Zel?"

And I nodded as he wiped the tears from my eyes. "I'm not alright, Link."

"What?!" he questioned.

I couldn't hold back a giggle, "I'm perfect. You're perfect."

He chuckled along with me, "Not gonna lie – You scared me there, Zel."

I felt myself being pulled backward, into the embrace of Midna. "Zel, it's finally over! Can you believe it?!" she exclaimed. "No more of this high school junk, and we get to move on and actually live!"

Link caught my eye quickly and mouthed at me: "I'll catch you later." Then, he, too, was pulled into a group hug with all of his football buddies.

It was a whirlwind of congratulations and exclamations, and I was so overwhelmed. People were talking about parties and college and relationships and jobs, and I had absolutely no clue where my life would be going. I hadn't really bothered thinking about it, supposing that I'd figure things out as I went along.

Saria was a little bubble of joy as she gushed over how excited she was and how wonderful she thought my performance was; I assumed she'd had a cup of coffee beforehand but wasn't quite sure – she's a naturally energetic person, but adding coffee into the mix... It made things... exciting.

"We'd better stay in contact, Zelda!" Saria exclaimed, giving me a fierce hug.

I laughed, "Of course we will! You have my number and can call or text me whenever you'd like!"

"Yay!" she squealed before moving on to the next person.

My fond smile never left my face as I was pulled into a group hug from Pipit and Karane. They, too, were extremely kind, and we all promised to remain in touch, in addition to my promise of being a bridesmaid in their wedding a year from now. The diamond that glittered on Karane's left ring finger gave me even more cause to smile.

My mini conversation with Tetra was an interesting one, and she told me to watch out for stray dry erase markers. That comment evoked a laugh from both of us. She was with her crew and Shad, an unlikely group.

Sheik gave me a sly smile, "Y'know, Zel – I think I can hear wedding bells in the near future... What do you think, Link?"

Link's ears blushed bright red, and I lightly shoved Sheik, accompanied with a small laugh. "Oh, yeah, Sheik! The ones for Karane and Pipit, right?"

Scoffing, Sheik replied with a chuckle, "No way, Zel! For the Zelink!"

I raised a brow at that – "Zelink?"

"Saying Zelda and Link is too much work," Midna butted in, giving me a wink. "Look at how far you've come, Zel!" She tackled me with a hug, brimming with excitement.

Zant followed shortly behind her, joining in on our group hug. "Congrats to my two little sisters for finally making it to graduation! I never thought Mid would make it this far with that defective brain of hers!"

A few seconds later, Zant was glaring at Midna who had flicked his ear. "I heard that, you bokoblin!" Midna exclaimed, glowering at our brother comically.

Then, came Aileen and Dawson who were both all smiles as they squeezed the life out of me. They expressed sincere interest in my friends, engaging them in conversation like the amazing people they were.

Mr. Rauru simply greeted me with a proud smile, "I knew you'd be able to do it, Zelda. You know, Impa, Nabooru, and I had been watching you, Link, Sheik, and some others for a while now. We all knew that you'd do something great one day. And you have."

Shaking my head, I responded, "I didn't do anything, Mr. Rauru. It was all Sheik and Link. They were the ones who really... ended the Vigilantes."

"That might be true," Mr. Rauru relented, "but you helped Link along the way. You provided him with comfort when he was hurting, and that's just as important as the bullets that ended the lives of those murderers."

I couldn't help but give him a quick hug, "Thank you for everything, Mr. Rauru. I really do see you as a sort of father figure in my life since my own was absent from my life for so long."

Surprised, he responded to my hug rather stiffly but chuckled, "You're quite welcome, Zelda. Keep in touch, alright?"

"Promise," I laughed. Suddenly, I felt like crying... It was as though I was stepping into a new corridor, closing the door behind me for good – no turning back. It was scary... but exciting.

Finally, after all the excitement died down, I looked around for Link but couldn't find him in the masses of people. Then, I felt someone lift me from behind, and I laughed because I knew exactly who it was – Link.

He set me down on the ground before whirling me around to face him and lifting my chin with his finger, like always, "So... Where were we?"

I smirked slightly, "You were just about to declare your undying love for me."

"Well, Zelda Haiden, I'm completely and totally in love with you. I have been for about a year now," he stated quite seriously.

... It was a joke.

And he took it seriously.

What the heck.

I was taken aback, but thankfully, it didn't take me too long to recover. "Well, Link Finlay..." I gulped, "I'm completely and totally in love with you too."

I couldn't believe what I'd just said...

"I think Aryll would be happy for us..." he whispered softly into my ear.

I nodded, "I think she's probably excited that you're finally proving Grandma wrong. That you can get a girl."

Link laughed at my teasing before wrapping his arms around me in a fierce hug, "You're a gem, Zel."

My heart actually did melt this time, I swear. I pressed my lips to his, and that was when I knew, with my friends, family, and loved ones nearby –

I had finally found my way home.

Total Word Count:

1,483