Link moaned as he drifted in and out of consciousness. He felt sick to his stomach, and he felt unbelievably hot while he shivered. He felt something or someone lift his head, and then he felt a bottle pressed up against his lips. He swallowed the unknown concoction, not caring what it was since his throat was so dry. He tried to make out the figure above him, but he was so delirious, they probably weren't even there. After all, he was out in the middle of nowhere. Who would be around?

As time went on, he could still feel the presence of someone around him. If it was a thief, then they wouldn't hang around this long. He tried to sit up to see who it was, but his mind was still swimming. He felt a large, but gentle hand push him back down. "Rest easy. The fever can kill you if you overexert yourself unnecessarily. Just relax. You're safe for now."

The large hand started to brush Link's sweaty hair away from his forehead. The skin felt warm, but it was comforting. He soon felt a cool cloth being brushed across his face. He felt safe. He didn't know who this person was, but he felt like they could be trusted. After all, he was completely defenseless at the moment. Some hero.

He couldn't tell how much time had really passed, yet when he opened his eyes and could believe they were actually open, what he saw scared him beyond reproach. Ganondorf was standing right above him, looking down on him. His throat was too sore to scream. He felt so helpless, unable to move.

Just then, the figure reached down to gently lift his head. "Drink this." The voice sounded familiar. His mysterious caregiver. He had no choice but to swallow from the cup held to him. It tasted like some kind of tea. He looked back up, and noticed that Ganondorf didn't look menacing or scary. He look… concerned. "Don't trust your eyes, Hero of Time. They could be playing tricks on you because of the illness. What you are seeing is not real." Link couldn't help but see a twinge of sadness as the figure spoke. He felt that gentle hand once more run through his hair. "You are still safe."

Link tried to find his voice. "W- who… who are you?" It sounded so weak.

The figure smiled kindly, despite his visage. "I'm a wanderer who has no use for a name. I travel seeking knowledge. I came across you a few days ago. Because of my knowledge, I knew exactly what ails you. Perhaps the goddesses have guided me to the Hero of Time in his hour of need."

"What is this illness?" Link rasped.

"You've been in poisonous water recently I imagine. And I'll also hazard a guess that you didn't properly clean yourself. The poison can seep into your pores, attacking your blood cells, then attacking your nervous system. If I hadn't found you when I did, you would be dead."

"How long before the hallucinations go away?"

"That depends. It means the poison had already reached some areas of your brain, and you're seeing something you don't really want to. A nightmare made real by your fears. What do you see when you look at me?"

Link thought. He didn't want to give the name for some reason. "The one destiny has chosen to be my opponent." The man chuckled. Link couldn't help but think it was a pleasant sight to see Ganondorf laugh. He surprised himself further when he wished it wasn't a hallucination.

"Then it must be rather odd seeing his face while taking care of you. Does it make you afraid?" The man asked.

"I don't know. I guess I'm wondering what it would be like if he was here. Would he simply slit my throat, or would he explain why he wanted to take over the land?"

"Would you really want to listen to his power hungry rants?"

That didn't sit well with Link. "It's just… I want to know the whole reason. Maybe it doesn't make a difference, or maybe it's crucial. Even so, I want to understand."

There was a silence that felt a little awkward for some reason. "What's there to understand? He is an evil man. So many have suffered because of him."

"By him personally? Or by the growing evil in the land in general? I have yet to hear a story where the man has offended or killed someone personally. Do you know of anyone since you've traveled?"

There was another bout of silence, "I have heard stories. But part of the reason why I travel is because I don't particularly like to hang around people that much."

"Then can I confess something, just so that at least one person can hear what I think for once, and not judge me for it?"

"By all means. It's safe with me."

"When I was young, I met him very briefly. I was so small, so inexperienced. He could have easily killed me then. But he didn't. He didn't even hurt me. I can't help but wonder about that. Yet I go around, and listen to all of these villagers, and I've yet to hear how they have been affected by him personally. I spoke with a wise man once, and he told me that sometimes, things that seem dark and evil are merely misunderstood. That's why I want to understand. When I first saw the man… I can't describe it… I was in the Princess's castle at the time… I had never seen a man such as him before. That skin… his face… he just looked so… so…"

"Ugly? Monstrous? Hideous?" The man tried to finish for him.

"…Beautiful." Link could have sworn that he'd heard the man gasp. Perhaps he worried the man. "It's just, there was something about him, like a kind of grace. I can't explain it. But when everyone kept saying how horrible he was and how ugly he looked… I just can't see it."

The silence grew longer still before the man spoke again, "Why do you think the land is the way it is, boy? You think everything evil just decided to strike out all at the same time? Someone had to organize it all. Even if his hands are clean, his indirect deeds are intolerable. I would trust the people to know what they are talking about boy. After all, while you slept for seven years, so many have suffered from the evil that man has caused. You waste your time trying to understand him. It is your destiny to defeat him. You are better off simply hating the man. When your final battle comes, you should not hold back because you have a sense of pity for him. If you let your guard down like that, he will easily destroy you."

Link sighed and closed his eyes. "I never asked for this. I never wanted to be a hero. Why must it be me? I was a child. An outcast. And now I'm the one who has to fix everything, regardless of how it started? It's just not fair…" Not having the strength to stop it, a tear slipped from his eyes before he was lost to his fevered oblivion. He never felt the gentle hand that brushed the tear away.

When Link finally awoke, he noticed that his caregiver was gone. He felt better, but he also found a package of herbs with instructions for his continued care. There was also a map that leads to something called the Fairy Pool. Link packed up and decided to continue his journey to the desert. Hopefully there he could learn more about the Wicked King.