Oh these random ideas that develop because of one person's comment of 'So... how was it that the entire castle was rebuilt in a month, call me crazy but wasn't it destroyed at the end of the game?' Now for my other story Undisclosed Desires I explained what I think happened there but what if the castle really was gone and Castle Town was little more than a ruin? What if Link had a thing for Midna? What does a man do when separated he's separated from the one he loves? What is the best way a Princess may serve her people in their time of need? So out of these questions I present to you: What If. I hope you enjoy the read.

What If

WARNING! WARNING! THERE IS A GRAPHIC SCENE IN THIS CHAPTER SO I WILL ALERT YOU WHEN IT APPROACHES. DO NOT READ IF THIS OFFENDS YOU OR YOU ARE TOO YOUNG!

Chapter 1

Zelda gave a sigh of relief when she and Link finally exited the secret tunnel that led from the Arbiter's Grounds back into the main lands of Hyrule. Normally such a trip, though difficult, wouldn't have taxed her so. Making the trip with a man nearly made mad from sorrow and loss was almost impossible.

Oh Midna. Was it so necessary to sever all ties? She thought not for the first time as she looked at the disheveled hero she had forced to live. Zelda did not know the heartache of love lost but she felt that if she could survive the pain of losing her country then he would be able to survive his own wounds.

Quietly and without help she set up camp and tried to get him to eat and drink a little water. Once again he refused everything from her.

"I wish I could take your pain from you," she said softly to him but he remained unmoved and her heart broke for the warrior. She owed him much and would have gladly given him anything in her power if it would help cheer him. Hyrule was free from Ganondorf's taint only because of his remarkable bravery and courageous heart.

"Sleep well then," she told him and built the fire up a bit more for the heat and to ward off the encroaching darkness. Now more than ever she was grateful for the Sheikah training she'd received her whole life from her Sheikah companion. Without it they would have surely perished.

The fact that the Sheikah Clan survived was the main reason that Zelda refused to give up. When she'd learned of the invasion she had ordered the Clan to retreat, commanded that they do so or be labeled as traitors to the Crown. It had broken her heart but she also knew that she wouldn't be able to live with herself if the Clan died. And they would have. Surrender is not in the Sheikah code when it came to keeping the Royal Family safe. It was all or nothing. No in-between and no shades of gray.

Rather than stare into the fire and ruin her night vision she looked at Link instead and felt worry churn her insides. She hadn't thought him to be a talkative man but every now and then she would hear him speak but couldn't understand what he said. And sometimes when the hairs on the back of her neck would rise she would glance at him out of the corner of her eyes and she could swear that he was staring at her with orange tinted eyes instead of his normal blue. Yet when she turned to look at him fully there was nothing there but piercing blue eyes full of sorrow.

The Sheikah part of her was acutely suspicious but the other part of her realized that he was but a man. And no man could go through the ordeals he had and come out unchanged.

Suddenly she saw his eyes snap open and perhaps it was a reflection of the fire that caused his eyes to burn such an unnatural orangey-red. The look of disgust he threw at her she knew she hadn't imagined and she turned her gaze away.

With heavy thoughts on her mind she drifted off into an uneasy sleep. Soothed by the sweet smelling grass and gentle wind that was a balm to her soul after the harsh desert.

A great weight falling upon her pulled her out of sleep with such suddenness and force that it caused her to feel nauseous.

"It's your fault," her assailant hissed but she recognized him anyway.

"Link?" She asked in disbelief.

"It's your fault." He repeated and his orange eyes glowed with madness and hateful intent. The sweat beading on his brow dripped to her face like tears.

WARNING! WARNING! NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED I WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN THE VIOLENCE IS OVER!

"Link please! You're fevered and out of your mind because you haven't drank or eaten in-"

"Silence!" He roared and slapped her across the face and then ripped her dress from her body with his still powerful hands. "Hurt," he growled. "Like you hurt me."

He shoved into her without warning or apology and she bit back the scream of pain and sorrow that warred with her outrage. He held her hostage and tears poured from her eyes even as she fought to remove herself from what was happening and retreated within herself. She stepped away so that she could rationalize without her feelings clouding the issue. Something that easier to be said than done but she was afraid of what would happen to her if she didn't control herself. The mind is the greatest weapon. Fear and uncontrolled reactions and emotions can numb the mind so that you can't think. Let it wash through you, so that when all the fear is gone, only you will remain. She repeated the lesson over and over in her head and eventually she lost all feeling of her body and a cold calm overcame her.

He was mad, and it was more than just the lack of food and water that had caused him to become this. For one who had been possessed she should have realized the signs sooner and done something about it when she could have. She had foolishly thought him to be invincible, despite all evidence that he was simply a man who had accomplished great things because he'd had to. She owed this man a great debt for saving her people, her country. She would repay it by freeing him from whatever had possessed him. She just had to wait until he had exhausted himself so she could exorcise whatever had overtaken him.

YOU MAY BEGIN TO READ AGAIN

She didn't know how much time had gone by when he weakly threw himself off of her to the ground nut she did note the sky beginning to lighten. Even then she didn't reconnect with her body; instead, she used her magic to seek out what it was that had caused such evil in his heart. She found it located on a cord around his neck. A black an orange stone that practically oozed evil yet was concealed between his tunic and undershirt. And like any well trained Sheikah, she reacted.

She partially reconnected with her body, just enough to move it without feeling anything from it. Taking care to not actually touch the stone she was able to remove it by unknotting the cord.

And just what are you going to do? Hissed a much darker version of Link's voice. But rather than coming from Link it was coming from a shadow form of himself. And this darker form watched her its orange-red eyes that followed her movements as a snake will follow a mouse.

"I'm going to get rid of you," she said calmly. Her voice sounding oddly like an echo of what it normally was.

What have I done? He chuckled oily. It wasn't I who enjoyed the taste of you. Although, he paused and his eyes heated as they roamed over her naked body. I could make an argument that you're offering yourself to me.

"An offering?" Zelda repeated and looked at the stone that dangled from her hand. "Yes. Accept my offering of sending you back to the hell that you came from." Goddesses use me to remove this taint from your servants. Give me the strength to cleanse this evil. She prayed and her body and the small camp were encased with a golden light.

When the glow faded the stone and the Dark Link were gone. As was her ability to separate her mind from body. Her body had been hard used and ached from both the assault and the bruises. Blood was drying on her thighs but she had nothing to clean herself with and she was dizzy with pain but she didn't want to sit down either. Painfully she walked over to where the tattered remains of her gown were and knew that there was no way she would be able to wear it again. Instead, she gathered her magic once again and turned the dress into a much worn Sheikah outfit. She was glad of the wrappings that could hide the bruises that marred her skin and wandered if that hadn't been the original purpose of the clothes.

When she was finally dressed she turned her attention to Link. He looked as bad as she felt but rather than feeling compassionate she just felt numb. All she wanted to do was just walk away and leave. But that wasn't an option. Slowly and hesitantly she managed to get his clothes straightened and in doing so she was able to find the horse whistle that he used to summon his mare, Epona, to them before.

Unsure of whether it would work or not she blew into the whistle and had to experiment a bit before she was amble to imitate his call successfully.

A few loud blasts of the simple tune and she was soon rewarded with the sound of distant hoof beats.

"Thank you," she whispered and cast grateful eyes up to the heavens. "Thank you."

"Hello Epona," she greeted the mare after she'd halted. "I hope you're up to a long run lady," she said to the horse as she stroked her nose affectionately. "I fear your master isn't well and his life may depend upon you."

Minutes that felt like hours passed by as she barely managed to get Link in the saddle and this she could only do because Epona knelt down to aid her. And then they began the long trek to Ordon Village. It was terrible of her, but she wanted to be free of Link as soon as possible and the only thing she could thing of to do was return him to his village.

"Take us home girl," she asked the mare softly before giving her the signal to go. And to home she went. Tirelessly, she maintained a steady canter through the vast fields of Hyrule and through the woods of Ordon. At first, Zelda's body protested this new strain but the further they went the more used to the pain her body became. It was foolish, Zelda realized distantly. She was pushing herself too hard and not giving herself any time to recuperate or think but she was afraid to stop. And she needed to see what had become of her country. Later. She promised herself. She would see to herself later.

They arrived by midmorning and halted only because of a swordsman shout. "You there! Who are you!"

"A messenger bringing a hero back to his people," she answered and forced her voice to sound confident and sure. "I fear for him. He has refused all food and drink for the past few days and is slipping from this world." And he was. Link had been feverish and muttering all sorts of things since they began to ride. The two things he'd repeated the most were 'don't go' and 'I'm sorry.'

"My name is Rusl," the swordsman introduced himself. "I will take care of him. What news of the Princess?"

Zelda hesitated as she helped the man gather Link in his arms. "No news as of yet sir," she answered finally. "I must borrow the horse for a short time but I promise she will be returned to her master."

"I know of the Sheikah Clan," he said and managed to stop her in surprise. "I know their word is good."

She bowed to him and saluted him in the customary way of the Clan with her fist over her heart. "Take care of him," she said and her eyes ghosted over Link's limp form. "He has done much good for Hyrule and deserves to be treated as a hero."

Rusl nodded in agreement and she quickly wheeled Epona around and left Ordon as quickly as she had come. It was time to see what remained of Castle Town and of the people there.

Once she reached the fields though she slowed to a walk to let the big hearted horse rest. "Many thanks Epona," she said to the mare. "I promise you'll be reunited with your master soon." The mare nickered in return and Zelda smiled for the first time in days as she patted the strong neck in front of her.

She was returning home but it was a homecoming that she was dreading with every fiber of her being. Her one hope was that the people of Castle Town had managed to survive. With an aching heart and body she let Epona set the pace as they traveled to the decimated center of Hyrule.

A/N: So I know this starts off really depressing but I promise it'll get better. No more scenes like the one that caused this fic to be rated M will be repeated so I hope you review and check back to see how everything evolves.

A/N: So this chapter was revised due to Evil Riggs recommendations. I agree completely that the first version of this chapter was entirely too rushed and not well put together. Although I did plan to explain things later from Link's point of view but I think this will work better. Thank you Riggs for the constructive criticism and for taking the time to review. I very much appreciate it.