Link reappeared just outside of the crumbling gateway into the past glory of the Temple of Time. He opened his eyes, once more taking in the ruins around him. He rubbed a mossy and dirty piece of marble, knowing that it was once part of the grandest church in all of Hyrule's history.

Goddesses, it was so pitiful.

"Well, three down, one to go." Midna said, appearing out of his shadow "Somewhere in the sky... How are we gonna find it- hey! where ya going?!"

Link had turned right back to the gateway, and he opened it to head back inside.

"Link, we just-"

He glared back at her, and went back in time.

Midna followed him in confusion, but didn't say anything as he walked through the somber ivory hall and back to the pedestal of the Master Sword. He drew the blade, then rammed it back into its home.

"Are you quitting?!" Midna snapped "After all of our work-" she stopped abruptly when Link glared at her once more. He held a finger to his lips in a gesture of silence, and bowed his head and knelt.

Midna hovered over him for a few seconds, waiting to see what was next. Nothing but the hero's lips moving silently.

"Oh... You're praying." Midna said aloud. Link smiled lightly, nodding. Midna lowered herself, feeling sheepish and embarrassed. Link just continued praying, glad Midna was able to understand.

After awhile, she said "I always thought praying was for people who were weak." Link's ears twitched "but you... You aren't like that at all." Another ear-twitch "My people... We never really had faith in any religion. I mean, the goddesses you hold so dear banished us... Hm, I heard of a few others, but they just didn't... Click, I guess." Link's head was tilted slightly, his prayers still rambling undisturbed, but brow furrowed in confusion or pity. Midna honestly couldn't tell, she was still not very good at reading the subtleties of his expressions.

"... That sounds like a faithless life to live." He said after he found a point to finish.

"It's not faithless." Midna snapped "We just choose to place our trust in the hands of our leaders, in a future we shape with our own hands, rather than gods or spirits."

Link leaned back, thinking it over. He then sighed "Well, we have different viewpoints on that."

They sat there in the temple's warm light, thinking.

"Say, who were you praying to?" Midna asked.

Link shrugged "The golden goddesses, my ancestors... Anyone who would listen." He held his hand up to the stained glass, the glowing staircase of light leading into the recently finished gauntlet, the grand room in general "I figured that praying here, somewhere so sacred, would give me a bit of a signal boost."

Midna laughed "You're their chosen hero! Why wouldn't they-"

"I'm just a kid." Link said sullenly "I'm not even twenty yet, keep in mind. I'm a simple ranch hand who was selected by, not only the gods, but pretty much the rest of Hyrule, to save a land that I barely knew of."

"You've done a great job!" Midna said.

Link stared at the sunlight pouring in "I know, but... You just gotta wonder: why me?"

Midna shrugged "Sometimes fate plays our destinies without our consultation. It's life." She mulled over their adventure together. She certainly didn't ask to be transformed into an imp, thrown from grace as ruler of the Twili. "You know, we kinda argued over that awhile ago."

Link blinked, then smiled "Yeah, we did." He laughed "Wise Nayru! That was forever ago! Before the Forest Temple, right?"

"Yeah! I remember you screaming at me quite vividly." Midna replied with a coy smile.

ahhh I should really write more Zelda fics...