The instant that she'd heard the news, Gaddison had dove off one of the many bridges leading to the Domain and into the pure waters below. Ordinarily, the water sparkled brilliantly even under the cover of night. It would reflect the light of the moon on its glassy surface, but ever since Ruta had awoken, the skies had been choked by the thick black clouds that rained down upon them endlessly. Now, even during the day, the only light the water could reflect was the dull green glow from the luminous stones that had been built into the carvings of the Domain's metallic surfaces. While they, along with the moon, provided enough light for the denizens of the Domain to make their way at night, it was nowhere near as beautiful as the sunlight that would traipse across the multitude of reflective surfaces that could be found. These days, she found that she tried not to think about the sun too much. Thankfully, she was far too distracted to even have the thought occur to her.

With a grace born from natural ability and years of practice, she swam to the other end of the Domain in record time and instinctively swam to the waterfall that would lead her to the infirmary. While the variety of mini falls that sent water cascading down had confused her in her childhood, she had long since memorized the layout.

Once she came to the base of the waterfall, she angled upwards and began swimming up the stream of falling water, as only a Zora could. It was something she idly marveled at even as she climbed. It was something that most Zora could do, and as such, she had rarely taken time to consider just how impressive a feat it was. Had she not spent many of her younger years in the presence of a Hylian who was unable of doing so himself, she might not have realized how unique the ability truly was.

Most Zora would accentuate their ascent by leaping high into the air and flipping around. Gaddison forwent her typical habit of doing so, choosing to propel herself just high enough to set her feet on the pathway. No one really knew why it had become a norm for the fish-like race to leap so high and flip around. Some had speculated that there was some sort of evolutionary purpose to it, perhaps as a chance to show off their fins and their vibrant colors to potential mates, or possibly as a method to ward off potential dangers. It was also possible that it served neither purpose, both, or more still. Whatever the answer was, it was far from the center of Gaddison's mind as she stepped across the metal roads.

The Knight stepped into one of the only areas within the Domain that was surrounded by walls and covered with a roof. Though the Zora didn't much see the need for walls, the infirmary had been built with the desire to shield the sick and injured from the elements. As she entered, she took note of the various beds that lined the two long walls running parallel to the entrance. A few of the beds were occupied by a few Zora of various ages, all of whom appeared to be sleeping.

But none of them was who she had come to see.

"What happened?" she asked brusquely, her unusually deep voice cutting sharply through the silence. Rivan, a fellow knight, and Bazz, her captain turned to greet her from the foot of a bed; however, neither had a chance to speak.

"Ah, Gaddison!" an enthusiastic voice cried jovially from the side of one of the water beds.

"Prince Sidon, please!" the old nurse, Anora, harped as she deftly tied bandages around a pale, non-scaly leg. "I know you are excited to be reunited with an old friend, but you must keep it down."

"Old friend?" Sidon asked with a thoughtful frown. "Whatever do you mean?"

Gaddison took advantage of Sidon's distraction to peer around Rivan, nearly gasping as she saw the young Hylian lying unconscious on the bed. A part of her had not believed that he could still be alive after all these years. After all, Hylians only lived to about eighty years old while the Zora lived for centuries, yet a hundred years had passed and the young man looked to be no older than the last time she had seen him. A plethora of emotions rolled over her as she gazed at him. Joy, sorrow, anger, loss, and pain were a short few that she grappled with. Of course, she wanted to be overjoyed to see one of her closest friends again, but it wasn't so simple. If he had been alive all these years, where had he been? Why had he not reached out? Why let his fellow Brigade-mates think he was dead?

Unfortunately, the internal confusion would have to wait as she noticed the cuts that littered his body. Cuts, large and small, littered his torso and his arms, some of them still oozing blood. What was worse, the thigh that Anora was bandaging had a large, misshapen circle of blackened skin that surrounded. She shuddered slightly as she saw a bit of bone poking out from the center of the wound. As her eyes climbed upwards, she spotted a matching injury on his right shoulder.

"I did feel something… odd when he mentioned his name was Link," Sidon murmured as he closed his eyes and hooked a finger around his chin. "It was almost like a memory I suppose."

"Indeed," the nurse answered as she set the bandages down and dipped her wrinkled and clawed fingers into a salve. "You and your sister were quite fond of him in your youth."

"My sister?"

"Indeed. As I recall, he was quite close to Lady Mipha."

"I see…"

"I trust you three still remember," the nurse continued as she sent a sideways glance at the three knights.

"We do," Despite the severity of Link's situation, Gaddison and Rivan exchanged sly grins as they heard the enthusiasm in Bazz's voice. Their Captain was known for being serious unless, of course, he was alone with his Brigade. To see him skirting so close to falling from proper decorum was the funniest thing she had seen in a while.

The old woman paused, pulling her sharp, black claws away Link's chest as she wheezed with laughter. "I don't think I've heard that kind of excitement from you since you enrolled with the Knights."

It was a sentiment she could agree with. Though she was technically still on duty, she found herself in a much more playful mood then was normal for her these days. She could only attribute it to the Hylian's presence, and the memories it brought back.

"Oh! I must –"

"Prince Sidon!" Anora harped, straightening her frail, light pink form to its full height. Unlike most of the Zora her age, she didn't have a hunched back, something that surprised nearly everyone who visited her when considering how much time she spent hunched over bedsides. Then again, she did often correct her patients' posture, especially the older ones.

"Ah, my apologies," the Prince responded as he raised his hand placatingly. "I only meant to say that I must inform my father." Without another word, the Prince of Zora's Domain nearly sprinted to the door.

"Prince Sidon!" the nurse waited until the Prince had stopped in the doorway and turned back to her.

"I think it may be best if your father was the only one to hear about this. I fear the Zora Council may not react kindly when they hear that Link is back."

"You are certain?" The Prince asked, his normally rampant enthusiasm gone as he studied the nurse. Sometimes, it was easy to forget that underneath the flamboyant personality that was almost always on display, the young Prince was far more methodical and far more intelligent than he let on. It was often surprising just how much like his late sister he truly was.

"My Lord –"

The Prince raised his hand, cutting Bazz off. "There is no need for formality among friends."

"As you wish m- Sidon," Bazz corrected himself, causing his two companions to exchange mirthful glances. "I overheard my father once say that he would try to kill Link if he ever dared to show his face around here again."

"My father shares the sentiment," Rivan added.

The Prince eyed them both before closing his eyes in thought again. "We do need his help to calm Ruta… and Muzu never was in favor of seeking the aid of a Hylian. Very well!" he said as his eyes snapped open. "I shall do my best to keep this from the Council!" Prince Sidon then disappeared into the incessant rainfall before Anora could lecture him about the need for quiet yet again.

After a few seconds of idle silence, Gaddison turned back to the unconscious Hylian. "What happened, exactly?"

"We're not really sure," Rivan replied. "Sidon rushed up to us and mentioned that someone was in grave danger. We didn't even have time to send for you before Sidon rushed off."

"And how did this happen?" she asked as she gestured to the various wounds on his body.

"We found him like that."

"You should've seen the carnage," Bazz muttered quietly. "I'm not even sure my father would've been able to keep up."

That didn't surprise her in the least. Sergeant Seggin, more popularly known as the Demon Sergeant, was a legend among the Zora for his battle prowess; however, even the Demon Sergeant had been impressed by Link's abilities, even as a child.

"We should get back to our posts," Bazz said as he nodded to Rivan. Though the Captain sounded confident in his statement, she knew that he wanted nothing more than to remain where he was. Thankfully, he had grown up enough to realize that life was often akin to a juggling act and that he had to balance his duties to his fellow Brigade members and his duties as Captain of the Guard.

"Not so fast," Anora interjected as she finished cleaning the remainder of Link's torso. "I need someone to hold him up while I bandage the rest of his wounds. Besides, as I remember it, this young man has a particularly hard time sitting still and resting. I'll need someone here to help me keep an eye on him."

"I'll stay," Gaddison said before either Bazz or Rivan could respond. "My shift was just about over before I came."

"Right."

With a short salute, the trio split apart, with Gaddison returning to Link's bedside as Bazz and Rivan stepped outside. As the knight took her place across from the nurse, she was directed on how to hold the Hylian up so as to allow the nurse to wrap the bandages all the way around him.

"Poor boy," the older Zora sighed as she tied the bindings tight across Link's lean torso. "He was such a sweet child. Now, look… he is far too young to have a face that old. And look at all of these scars," she continued woefully as a finger trailed over the multitude of scars that marred his chest.

The knight remained silent as she gently lowered the Hylian back down and straightened, unsure of what exactly she was supposed to say. She was well aware that Anora had known Link in the past; however, she had assumed that he was nothing more than a child she had to treat from time to time. Considering how most of the elders felt, she had assumed that the nurse would have mixed feelings about her most recent patient. Instead, all Gaddison could see was sorrow on the older woman's face. It was enough to remind her of her own pain where the Hylian was concerned. Such a large part of her childhood, torn away so sharply and suddenly.

While the Brigade had been named after Bazz, Link had been integral to the group. Possibly even more so than its namesake. His loss had nearly been enough to tear them apart.

"He used to collect bugs for me, you know? To use in my elixirs."

"That's why he spent so much time picking up beetles?"

"Yes," she chuckled. "He usually went a little overboard when it came to helping but his heart was always in the right place."

"It was," Gaddison replied as she thought back to all of the times he would sit and listen to her complain about family, training, or how stupid Bazz and Rivan could be. It was also normal for some issues to be magically resolved whenever he was around. Though she knew it was him, she never confronted him when a lost treasure of hers suddenly reappeared or was replaced, but she always knew it was him. Sometimes, it was appreciated, but most of the time she hadn't really been asking him to solve the problem for her.

"You know, dear, it's okay to show a little emotion."

"I'm fine."

"You realize that I've known you your whole life?"

"Yes," the knight answered as she grabbed a chair that had been leaning against the wall and settled into it. She felt the strongest urge to sigh as Anora settled in a chair of her own. Now it was time for a conversation that had already been had a hundred times. Actually, that was being a bit conservative.

"Then you should also realize that I know when you're lying, correct?"

"I don't think –"

"That's precisely how it works." Even the part where the old woman interrupted was nearly identical to every time before. "Do you remember how much time you and your friends spent in here?"

"A lot."

"A lot? Dear, you spent half of your childhood in here, at least until Lady Mipha mastered her healing magic. Even then, she often brought you here anyway."

"I remember." She took a deep breath as she waited for one of her least favorite parts of these talks.

Silence fell between them for a few seconds as Anora dissected the knight with her eyes alone. "Did you ever think about telling him how you felt?"

"What?!"

Anora cackled quietly as Gaddison tried hard to subdue her shock and bring back her stoic façade. "You expected me to lecture you about bottling your emotions up, didn't you?" She continued wheezing as the knight tried and failed to regain her composure.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," she replied, only the slightest quiver in her voice.

"Didn't we just establish that I know when you're lying to me?"

"…Yes," the younger woman replied begrudgingly. She didn't know what annoyed her more: the fact that the old nurse had a plan to break through her cool exterior or the fact that it had worked perfectly. Even now, she was struggling to regain a stoic visage while grappling with the nurse's words.

"Then don't think I don't know about that little bit of you as well. You spent enough time in here for me to learn more about you than most," the Nurse chided as she set a hand on Link's forehead.

"It was just a childhood crush."

"Hmm," Anora hummed as her yellow eyes returned to Gaddison. "I can't decide if you're trying to lie to me, or yourself."

"Neither."

"… Do you remember how the Bazz Brigade started?"

"With Bazz and Rivan," she muttered, beginning to fidget much to her dismay. She wanted nothing more than to step out into the cooling rain for a few moments.

"Indeed. Then?"

"Link was allowed to join after giving Bazz a few lessons with a sword." She was beginning to lose her patience with the conversation at hand. She was fully willing to admit that she may have had a crush on Link in her youth. Among all the boys she had known in her younger years, Link had stood out the most, just based on appearance alone. Not being a Zora, he had lacked fins, scales, and other traits that she had come to view as normal. Instead, he had skin and hair, which she had admittedly had quite a lot of fun playing with, especially when Link allowed her to tie his blonde locks into various styles.

While spending her years in girlhood chasing fleeting dreams of romance was fine, she was far too old and far too busy to waste time on such trivial matters. Besides, she knew that Link hadn't seen her as anything more than a friend, not that she could blame him. Unlike most Zora, her scales were not vibrant reds, purples, blues, greens, or any of the other colors that were normal for a Zora. Instead, she was a very pale lilac that could almost be confused for grey under the wrong lighting. Not only that, but her voice had the habit of making many of her fellow knights uncomfortable, with Bazz and Rivan being the only ones who didn't notice how deep it was.

"And who followed shortly after?"

"Sidon, Kodah, Mipha… and me," she sighed.

"I remember the first time you came to visit me after you started training to join the Brigade. I was always so surprised that a little girl who wanted to craft jewelry for a living made such a life-changing decision."

The knight looked down at her childhood friend as she recalled why she had wanted to join the Bazz Brigade to begin. Link had indeed been a motive, but she had also been inspired by the guards that had rescued her and her father on a fishing trip that had gone horribly wrong. Being able to spend extra time training with the blonde boy was just an added benefit. "He wasn't the only reason."

"I know. I just want you to admit how important he was to you."

"He was… and is," she replied quietly. "But I don't think those feelings survived."

"Hmm?"

"The last time he was here, he was…" she trailed off, unable to find the words to describe the change she had seen in him. Link had gone from a loud, happy, fun-loving child to a cold, detached, silent young man in a few short years. Perhaps it would have been less painful and easier to accept had she been with him to experience the change, but she had only witnessed it during his brief visits to the Domain after his initial departures. Then again, being there might have only been more painful.

"I know he was different, but that's why it's important that you remember how much you care about him. How much you all care about him. Seeing him like this shouldn't sit well with you dear, and I don't just mean these," Anora murmured as she gestured to the multiple injuries that marred his body. "I too remember what he was like the last time he was here. He needs you all now, especially since…"

"Lady Mipha," Gaddison finished. Even after a century, she still missed her old friend. Though she was more an honorary member of the Brigade, seeing as she missed many of the meetings due to her duties as Princess, her loss had still been felt sharply by the Brigade. Even Kodah, who had waged a silent war with the Princess over who would get Link in the end, had mourned her loss just as much as the rest of them. Mipha had always been the older sister she'd never had. Despite how busy she consistently was, she was always willing to make time for the lilac Zora. Always willing to heal her wounds, and always so supportive.

"Indeed," Anora agreed as she wiped at her eyes. Gaddison knew that as sad as she was, it was nothing compared to how the nurse felt. She had trained Mipha as a nurse while the late Princess had worked to master her healing power, and during that time they had developed a special bond. "If you will excuse me, I think I need a few minutes of rest."

"Of course," Gaddison replied as the nurse shuffled past her, realizing just how exhausted she was herself. She had just come off of her shift to find a friend had returned from the dead and was horribly injured. The knight could certainly use a few moments to herself to reflect on how she felt about the whole situation. It was only then that it hit her.

How in Hylia's name had he survived?

"Father," Dunma greeted as Rivan took his place next to her at the gates to the Domain.

He returned the greeting with a nod and a small, affectionate smile.

Father and daughter stood side-by-side silently for a few, brief seconds as Rivan rolled his right shoulder. Even though it was frowned upon to be having idle conversations while on duty, Rivan wished that his daughter would ask the question that was very clearly on her mind. Maybe it was because he had raised her himself, or maybe she was just awkward in general, but he could always tell when there was a question on her mind that she considered to be prying.

"… Is everything all right?"

"Yeah," Rivan replied, "just an old friend."

"A Hylian?"

"Can you keep this between us?" Though he hated to sound stern, as it brought endless teasing from both Gaddison and Bazz, Rivan still let it seep into his voice as he eyed her out of the corner of his eye.

He caught her straightening slightly, as she always did when she heard that tone from him. "Yes."

"You remember the one that I used to play with when I was a kid?"

"Link, was it?" He wasn't surprised that she remembered. Though she sometimes acted disinterested whenever he would talk about his younger years, she still sat through every single one, even the ones she had heard more than once. Not only that, but Gaddison had informed him that she liked to ask about some of the antics that the infamous Bazz Brigade had been involved in.

He also supposed that she would also naturally want to know more about a figure that had torn a rift between her father and grandfather. He hated the fact that she had been forced to grow up exposed to such tension, but he also wasn't willing to listen to someone slander a friend's name.

"That's him."

"So, is it his grandkid or something?"

"No, it's Link."

"How?" she asked a little bit more loudly than she must have been intending, considering how quickly her mouth snapped shut.

"I don't know," he grunted as he rolled his shoulder again, subduing his own combination of excitement, worry, and curiosity. He still had no idea how Link had managed to survive for so many years, especially without appearing to age. In fact, there wasn't much at all he did know. The only thing he was certain of was that Link's return was somehow connected to Ruta's recent awakening. Regardless, he still had a job to do.

"… How do you feel about that?"

Rivan was struck with the urge to go find his father and knock him over the head. While the girl's grandfather wasn't the only reason she found it difficult to express or otherwise discuss emotional topics, he certainly had helped to create an environment that didn't facilitate such things, though he couldn't deny he shared fault there.

His father, much like many of the elders of the Domain, had quite the disdain for Hylians in general. Unfortunately, that disdain devolved into outright hatred where Link was concerned. He was widely blamed among the older generation for the loss of Lady Mipha, regardless of how sensible a conclusion it was. The only exceptions he was aware of were Kapson, the spiritual leader of the Domain, and Anora, which had surprised him. He had figured that she would hold a special abhorrence for Link, but she didn't seem to hold any ill will toward him at all.

Of course, he was worried about how King Dorephan might react to the Hylian's presence. While Rivan had often witnessed the King reprimanding Muzu, his attendant, for speaking ill of Hylians, that didn't mean that he didn't hold any grudges against Link. Dorephan was well known for his patience and understanding; however, that didn't mean that he was a stranger to anger. Rivan had only seen the old King angry once in his hundred and thirty years alive, but it was an experience that he could live without seeing again.

"I don't know," Rivan replied evenly. As excited as he was, he had to admit that there was a tiny seed of doubt that had taken root in him, and not just because the reactions that the elders would undoubtedly have. His own feelings toward his childhood friend were complicated. He understood that the cold exterior Link had taken on in the later years of their friendship hadn't been at all directed at him or the others, but it had still stung to get barely any acknowledgment from his friend Not only that, but he hadn't gotten to be upset about until long after he believed Link to be dead. Instead, he had been forced to play Link's advocate, trying to help the others of the Brigade understand that he didn't hate them, but that he was struggling with his own pressures. Even though he understood, that didn't mean he didn't need to learn to accept it in his own way.

He grunted as he rolled his shoulder again, deciding to leave such thoughts in the deeper pools of his mind. Right then, he had a job to do, and reflecting on all the questions he didn't have the answers to was only going to distract him from that.

Sometimes, he wished things could go back to the way they used to be when he was younger.

"Father, did something happen to your shoulder?"

It occurred to him as he returned his attention to his daughter that some things made the complexities of life worth it.

"Keep this between us?" he asked with a sigh.

She nodded.

"Your uncle punched me in the shoulder."

He just about smiled ruefully as he watched his daughter try to stifle her laughter at the mental image of Captain Bazz punching him in the shoulder. "He did?"

"He's excited," Rivan replied dryly. Perhaps if he had been expecting it, it wouldn't have hurt as much as it had; however, he hadn't been prepared for such a display from his Captain while on duty. As a result, the blow had caught him off guard.

This time, he let out a small smile as she fought down another bout of laughter It really did do him good to see her letting off a bit of steam, even if it was to laugh at his expense. Unfortunately, the moment was short lived as he saw a few of the elders walking toward them both. In short order, both he and Dunma were once again wearing their expressionless masks as they passed, giving the elders a brief bow of the head as they passed.

Rivan rolled his shoulder one last time, rolling his eyes as Dunma snickered quietly beside him. There would be plenty of time to devote to Link and the past later. Right now, he had plenty of other things to attend to, including the apparent need to entertain his daughter.

His last thought on the matter was that maybe Link's return was having an effect on him. After all, he ordinarily wouldn't have even considered making a fool of himself while he was supposed to be standing guard.

A/N: So, after talking with a friend, we decided that there weren't enough fics centered around the Bazz Brigade, so here is this... thing? Oh well, if you don't like this one, then you can look forward to his when he releases it. It is important to note that this is a side project, so updates won't be consistent.

For the people who care about the other things I write: yes I know CoaFA hasn't been updated in a while. I'm working on it, I swear. For people who want me to update OWaP, that's a side project, so I'll get to it when I can.