Hello everyone! Ah I'm so glad to be back. I know you're all saying "Spot…you've been saying that for the past 3 chapters…" but I mean it seriously this time. xD I graduated from college on Saturday, so no more academic hold-ups. Seriously, I had a 40 page paper, a 25 page paper, and a 10 page paper all due within 2 weeks. Last semester was NOT fun. (Fun fact: I'm actually not an English or Writing major. xD) But now I have all the time (like I did last summer) to write! I don't know how much I'll be able to write when I teach abroad in China, so I'm gonna crank out as much as I can this summer for everyone. :) I'm also gonna become more involved on this site again, I've kinda neglected it. xD

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! It makes my heart fill with daisies and butterflies. :) There were some really helpful reviews—please continue to leave me constructive criticism, as it greatly improves my writing. You learn by doing and making mistakes. :) I'll try to respond individually to the reviews this week. :D

A/N: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. If I did… xD
Ascension is rated "T" for mild language and violence.

Passion

Eliana stared down at the village gathering below her. Every member of District Five was crammed in the courtyard located in the heart of the underground city, well, everyone except her. She was certain a couple of other members were playing hooky too. She probably should have checked with her father before she made the promise to join the Resistance, but regardless of what Link had said to her, she would have followed them anyways.

She may have tested him a little bit. Besides, she was sick of this life. She was grateful to her father for being a wonderful parent and giving her a privileged life, but this role she played…it wasn't her. She couldn't wait to drop the act and finally be herself again.

Link was a sweet boy. Maybe a little dense and oblivious, but Eliana was positive that Link was a lot smarter than he acted. His energy was warm and his heart was pure. Hyrule was in good hands. Eliana was going to help Hyrule too, of course she couldn't let the country she loved down, but Eliana's motivation for joining the Resistance was purely selfish.

Link's reaction was priceless. After Eliana told him her husband's name, Link adorably believed that Eliana wanted Link himself as a husband. It was so cute, watching Link blush and attempt to come up with a polite refusal that Eliana didn't dare correct him until he finally responded that he was in love with another. Even then, she didn't think Link understood the situation. Of course Eliana saw the love Link had for Zelda, the Princess of Destiny. Anyone with half a brain could see that. It must be natural for any Link to love his Zelda. That was true, wasn't it? Her Link still loved her, right?

Who are you?

It stung.

She had to see him again.

She didn't just want to see him. She yearned to be by his side again. His embrace was so warm and gentle. His heart was so pure, just like Link's. She wanted her husband to hold her in his arms, stroking her hair and telling her that everything was going to be all right.

She knew what it was like to be torn away from him. When she finally achieved spiritual rest, she vowed for it never to happen again. But no, then the Goddesses had to screw up and take him away from her again. Eliana cursed under her breath. He always paid the price for those mistakes. As much as she was grateful to the Goddesses for everything that they did for Hyrule, she was angry at them too. It may be a struggle, but she was going to reunite with her Link and that was that.

Below her, District Five called upon every able body to fight. Zelda was the leader of the operation, as she rightly should be. Eliana liked the fight Zelda had in her. The girl was a bit naïve, just like Link, but she had a strong spirit and wasn't about to let anything get in her way. She would certainly bring about a golden age. Eliana would assist here and there but doubted Zelda really needed her help. At least, she hoped Zelda didn't need her help. Yes, she'd let Zelda figure it all out on her own, just like Eliana had to do everything by herself.

The citizens of District Five bowed before Link, the Hero. The boy blushed, mumbled some nonsense about being an ordinary child, and quickly looked for Zelda to save him. She only laughed. Eliana had to smile too. It was nice that District Five's citizens were having a short reprieve before the fight of their lives.

They managed to recruit an army of about two hundred men. That was hardly enough, but it would have to do. Just in case the fight was devastating, District Five couldn't lose all their men, especially since there were so few. Sheik and Impa, Zelda's assistants, began passing out weapons as Zelda detailed the strategy. Link looked around, as if searching for something. After a quick moment, his brow furrowed in thought and he looked straight up at Eliana.

There you are. What are you doing? You are going to help us out, aren't you?

Eliana smiled. There was a great distance between her and the boy. She was pleased that he spotted her so quickly.

I'll be down in a minute. I was just enjoying the view.

You're so cruel, letting all of us do all the talking for you…by the way, your father is on a war path. Might want to stay out of the way for now.

Eliana nodded and sent him a mock salute, which he noticed with a frown. He knew she was mocking him. He sighed, defeated.

Whatever. Seriously though, we need your help if you'd be so kind as to grace us with your presence. I have to introduce you to Zelda.

Eliana sighed, gave one last look at the cavern ceiling, and started to make her way to the Resistance. She was almost there. She was almost free of this façade. She was one step closer to finding him. She knew that he would show up during the battle. That's the thing about being a Hero. You may retire, but you will never lose that desire to help.

Link wanted to introduce her to Zelda. How cute.

She already knew Zelda more than Link would ever know.

Zelda chewed her lip nervously.

What was it about Eliana that made her so intimidating? It was almost if all of Zelda's ancestors were watching her every move. The older girl seemed so familiar—if Zelda was looking at an older version of herself. It was slightly unsettling. Eliana's aura seemed friendly enough, but…why didn't Zelda trust her completely?

"Zelda?" Eliana asked softly, her blue eyes meeting Zelda's green.

"So, I was thinking that we should lead a secondary attack from the right flank," Zelda said softly. Eliana's presence was making her uncomfortable. It was if she was giving a speech in front of her beloved deceased father or something.

Eliana raised her eyebrows. "Why do you suggest that?"

The other girl wasn't trying to seem critical—at least, Zelda didn't believe she was trying to criticize—but again, Zelda felt as if a load of bricks were on her shoulders. "Well," she started tentatively, "the right side of the hill facing District Five is steeper than the left. Therefore, if we lead an attack on the right side-"

Zelda's cheeks turned pink.

"Isn't that not the best idea?" Link piped up. "Sure, attacking from the right side might catch them off-guard because they're expecting an attack from the left, but our army is hardly trained. It's too difficult for them to scale the rocky side of the mountain, and it's quite silly to-"

Link quickly stopped when he noticed Zelda turning purple.

"Right," he added sheepishly. "I'll leave this to you, then."

Zelda sighed, trying to stop her fingers from shaking.

My plan was so flawed even Link saw through it. Great.

"The boy makes a valid point," Eliana said, in a type of voice that a teacher would use with a student. "That plan would work great with special forces, but we have an untrained army. They can't handle the right side of the hill. Besides, the army shouldn't be going on the offensive. They are only here to defend."

"I knew that," Zelda said in a huff, attempting to salvage the remainder of her shattered dignity. Eliana sounded…disappointed. Was Zelda not fit to be the Princess of Destiny? Did she let the citizens of Hyrule down?

Eliana sighed, placing a hand on Zelda's shoulder. "Zelda, even if you're flustered, you must never lose your composure. You are the leader of Hyrule. If you panic, your decisions will falter and your followers will panic as well. Even if your back is against the wall, you must never let your people know that."

Zelda opened her mouth to respond that she was fine, thanks, just caught off guard, when another voice cut her off.

"Thanks for your concern, but she's doing just fine."

Zelda knew that voice.

Midna was not happy.

Who was this little hussy and what gave her the right to lecture the Princess of Destiny? Pah. Midna scanned the girl—she refused to refer to the blonde bimbo (yes, she knew the girl was technically a brunette, but blonde bimbo just sounded better than brunette bimbo) as a woman, even if she was actually Midna's age—up and down. Hmm. So this little heffer looked like Princess Zelda. Spooky, but that gave her no right to tell Zelda what to do. And seriously, this chick had to be at least a size H. Her boobs were massive.

Midna was admittedly a little bit jealous.

"And you are?" The girl asked coolly.

Huh. Who did she learn her manners from, Kallah? Didn't these people know it was polite to introduce yourself first? Or at least a 'hey, how are you doing'?

"Her name is Midna," Link cut in, standing in-between the two females and eyeing them nervously.

Aw, Midna wanted to respond to Blondie over there.

"She's wearing an Elite Guard uniform." Blondie narrowed her eyes at Midna, gathering energy in the palms of her hands.

Oh, so the little Missy wanted a fight, eh? Midna grinned, gathering energy in her own fists. This ought to be interesting. Midna was always better at fighting than diplomacy, anyways. Small talk was just a waste of time.

"Wait!" Link cried, waving his hands, pure golden energy forming in his hands as an involuntary reflex. The boy sighed, muttering something about women under his breath and shaking his head. Midna couldn't help but smirk. His resemblance to Kallah was uncanny sometimes.

"Midna, Eliana. Eliana, Midna." Link said, motioning to the two elder females. "Eliana, Midna is on our side. She acts as a spy for us. Midna, this is Eliana. She is the daughter of District Five's mayor and joined the resistance earlier today."

"She's a Shadow Tribe member." Blondie—oh, sorry, Eliana—said. Seriously, what was with this chick's manners? She referred to Midna as if the other girl didn't exist. And didn't she know that if you want to find something out, you ask? Still…and Midna didn't really want to admit it, but the girl had some serious skills if she was able to see through Midna's disguise that easily.

"I know," Link said. "But the Shadow Tribe was also Ganondorf's prey. It's time we put our differences aside and work together against a common enemy. Besides…we're working towards a future alliance with the Shadow Tribe, right Zelda?"

Zelda, who seemed to be in a funk up until that moment, nodded, clearing her throat. "Midna has proven to be a valuable ally," she said softly—almost tentatively, which was strange—to Eliana. "She and Kallah have been vital in providing information for the Resistance."

"Kallah?" The harsh look in Eliana's blue eyes softened. Midna frowned.

Kallah, you little bastard, I swear, if I find out that you slept with all the girls in Hyrule, you're a dead man.

For some reason, women, even brainwashed women, loved Kallah. Maybe it was his devilishly good lucks, powerful spiritual energy, his snarky attitude, or his charisma. It was sickening.

"He's my brother," Link grinned proudly.

Zelda also noticed the change in Eliana's expression. "Do you know him?" she asked the elder girl.

"No," Eliana said softly. "I don't."

Midna didn't like it.

She didn't like it one bit.

"HOO."

Sheik couldn't resist. Eliana was a babe of all babes. She did look scarily like the princess, except with much larger boobs. Then again, she seemed to be older and his dear princess was surely still developing in the breast department. Last night, Sheik was pretty certain that Link and Zelda started cuddling in their sleep, but he didn't know for sure. He was mostly surprised that Kallah didn't show up at all. Sheik thought Kallah would at least contact them, but nothing. Midna came, though. She said a few regards to Zelda, greeted Eliana, and said something to Link which clearly worried the kid. Sheik hoped nothing happened to Kallah. Kallah's aura was still strong, which indicated that he was alive and well, but…eh. He'd show up when he was needed. That was just how Kallah operated.

Anjean had been pretty quiet. Come to think of it, Byrne was gone too. Sheik assumed that the bad guy was still on Ganondorf's side, but from the way Anjean, Link, and Zelda talked about him it made him seem like a hero. The old woman cuddled what appeared to be a small teddy bear, kissing it gently and assuring the bear that everything would be okay. Why the teddy bear worried was beyond Sheik, but he was sure the bear was merely a symbol of someone.

That's it, Eliana, lean down a little bit lower…

Impa slapped him, hard.

"What? She's hot," Sheik grumbled.

"I don't care about your sexual fantasies, but leave the princess and her breast size out of it."

So Impa was reading his spiritual energy that thoroughly, mmm? Maybe she really did care. Maybe she was even jealous. Sheik had to keep himself from laughing aloud. Impa? Jealous? Now that was a humorous thought. He made a mental note to keep that thought for whenever he needed a good laugh.

Seriously, it would be great if Impa cared about Sheik enough to be jealous.

Not like he'd ever tell her that.

He finally tore his eyes away from Eliana and focused on the task at hand. He was supposed to be focusing on the layout of the land or something insignificant like that. Everyone shot down his battle plans, so why bother? His plan was simple: skip the tactical nonsense and just take 'em all out. Sheik looked at the massive army on the hill in front of them. Sure, they were defending, which was a hell of a lot easier than attacking, but they were outnumbered at least 10 to 1. Sheik looked at the leaders. There appeared to be four of them. Two of them were faces he didn't recognize, however, the other two…

One was Midna. She certainly didn't seem to be happy, but a job was a job. They had to know that Midna would be forced to fight them. Oh well, they'd have a play fight, that was okay. Maybe Midna could stand back and give orders. Sheik hoped she didn't have to do too much against her will.

There was Kallah. Finally. He was a few paces away from Midna, who had her eyes trained on him. Kallah didn't seem too pleased either, in fact he looked unhappier than Sheik had ever seen. Link noticed his brother and started to call him before Zelda restrained him, warning Link not to blow Kallah's cover.

The main person, some dude with weird hair and a strangely shaped robe, held up his arm. The battle was about to start.

They were ready.

Link took a deep breath, focusing his energy in the palms of his hands. The plan was very simple. Do not go on the offensive. Just defend District Five. District Five was located at the bottom of a hill. Originally, Link hoped that they would be the ones at the top of the hill, but that was slightly impossible. Higher ground was always an advantage, but at least defending was easier than attacking. Link came up with the idea to use the hill to their advantage. A first wave of soldiers would come. Link would collapse the ground around them, causing it to sink and blocking the path for the other waves. Obviously they'd find some way to get around the roadblock, but it would be a start.

Link grit his teeth, sending a massive shockwave of his energy. The ground rumbled, unseating much of the stampeding army. One soldier in particular stared at the ground, eyes wide as he realized what the Resistance was doing. He screamed for everyone to fall back, but it was too late. Link pounded his fists together, the earth crumbling beneath the panicking soldier's feet. Yes. Most of Ganondorf's army was stopped by one hit. Link gasped, focusing his energy. Whew. That took a lot out of him. He'd need a couple moments to regain his energy.

Zelda tapped his shoulder, giving him a bit of relief before screaming for the defense to be ready. She knew that stopping those guys was the easy bit. The much more talented soldiers were certainly on their way. Like clockwork, many of the next wave used their energy to blast them into the sky, sending them down at District Five. Impa created her shield, motioning for Link, Sheik, and Eliana to move.

Sheik launched his orange energy at a foe who was attempting to attack Link. Link needed a few more moments to catch his breath, signaling Sheik to protect him. Zelda interrupted, shaking her head at Sheik and motioning for him to go. Sheik hesitated, but Zelda sent out golden energy of her own, protecting Link in a bright golden shield. With Link defended, Sheik nodded, joining Eliana in the fray.

Eliana's aura was a pure blue, similar to Midna's except a little softer in color. She was awfully good, just like Link expected. She used her energy as swords, cutting down every soldier that stood in her path. Link noticed she wasn't hitting vital points, disarming her opponents but careful not to actually kill them. A soldier came in on her. Link started to call out in warning, but Eliana kicked backwards, knowing where he was without even glancing back. Zelda gave a low whistle. Link could tell she was impressed.

Sheik, not to be outdone, decided this time to form his energy like guns, shooting bullets of his aura at his targets, able to down many soldiers at once. After annihilating a small group, he grinned, giving Eliana a thumbs-up. She merely shook her head, a small smile creeping on her face.

Link was glad. Maybe they could fight the battle without relying on the members of District Five.

He had to know that was too good to be true.

The main leader of the opposing forces gave a motion which sent the four generals into action.

Link grit his teeth. That meant Midna and Kallah were about to join the fray. Midna went first, propelling herself across the gap and landing in front of Sheik, getting his attention with a small energy slap that conveniently struck Sheik's buttocks. Link nodded. That would be a good fight. Midna and Sheik always wanted to test each other's skills. Neither would actually injure each other either.

The other leader, a youthful looking man with long hair and crazed eyes, propelled himself in Zelda's direction. Link called out, ready to defend her, but Impa stepped in front of the princess. The two argued for a moment, Impa finally winning and Zelda retreating to defend the rest of the district. With the major generals engaged in battle, the rest of the foot soldiers would attack District Five. Zelda would lead the defense.

Finally, Kallah left his position. Link's brother sent waves of red energy down. Link stood, shaking off Zelda's shield. He would be the one to keep Kallah at bay.

To his surprise, Eliana got there first, sending a wave of blue energy to intercept Kallah's red. She continued to send attacks at him, the attacks becoming so persistent that it piqued Kallah's interest. He engaged her in battle, and the two moved away from the battlefield a bit so they could have a proper fight.

No. This couldn't happen. Because Kallah never stopped by last night, Eliana didn't know who he was. She didn't know that Kallah was on their side. Sure, Zelda mentioned him, but she didn't know what he looked like. This was bad. Not that Link expected Kallah to lose, even to a powerful user like Eliana, but still. He went to stop the fight before the main leader sent a black wave at him. Link had no choice but to intercept.

Oh well. He'd have to finish this battle quickly. Then he could concentrate on helping Kallah.

Kallah launched his red aura at the girl who intercepted his attacks. Although he originally intended to go after Zelda in order to protect her, this other female attacked him with such vigor that Kallah couldn't ignore it. She seemed determined to fight him. Between the attacks, Kallah made out her figure.

He gasped.

She looked exactly like the woman who appeared to him yesterday.

I knew you once.

Caught off guard, the girl's aura slammed into an unsuspecting Kallah, knocking him to the ground. Kallah winced as if a thousand tons of pressure was placed on his chest, crushing his ribs into thousands of little pieces. Ouch. Her energy could rival Zelda herself. She looked shocked, running to him in worry.

"Kallah!" Midna's panicked voice also cut in. She angrily sent a wave of her blue energy, not unlike the color of the girl's, and jumped to defend him. Kallah could hear her worried thoughts. She was wondering why he let his guard down and why he allowed himself to be hit.

"Your opponent is me," Midna growled, hands lit ablaze with blue fury. "I won't let anyone lay a hand on him." Sheik came over, a bit offended that Midna cut their battle short, but shrugged his shoulders and attacked Kallah. The attack was not to injure, merely to startle. They had a reputation to uphold, after all. Kallah regained his breath and jumped out of the way, shocked at the searing sensation in his ribcage. Yikes. He collapsed quickly, clutching his chest.

"I'm going to kill you!" Sheik yelled aloud, although his spiritual energy said something else entirely.

Are you okay?

Midna, knowing that Sheik wouldn't hurt Kallah, made no motion to stop him, her attention completely focused on the girl in front of her. Kallah couldn't shake the feeling that he knew that woman.

He couldn't shake the feeling that girl was his Zelda.

Like hell I'll let you hurt him.

Midna growled, surprised at her own anger. She hadn't felt this angry since Ganondorf betrayed and executed her entire clan in front of her eyes. How did Kallah allow himself to be hit with such a powerful shot?

Midna knew she didn't trust that bitch. They were supposed to be on the same team. Sure, she didn't actually meet Kallah, but Eliana knew of them. Hell, that shift in Eliana's eyes…she had to know who Kallah was. Link said Eliana could be trusted, but Link was too trusting by nature. Midna didn't trust this pretty little bimbo around her Kallah one bit. Even if Kallah was stupid enough to let himself get hit, what the hell was she doing sending a real attack at him?

To her credit, Eliana was crying and appeared to be devastated by her actions. Maybe she didn't know that her power was so strong or that Kallah wouldn't defend himself. Still, shame on her. Midna wiped any thought of sympathy from her mind. If she wanted to play rough, well then, rough was how it would be.

Is he okay?

That was Eliana's spiritual energy. Midna almost ignored it. Given his labored breathing and the fact he'd barely moved since getting hit, Midna assumed Kallah had broken ribs, potentially even a punctured lung. Sure, he'd live, but getting out of this battle if someone attacked him for real could be tough.

What's it to you?

Midna made sure her voice was antagonizing. Eliana chewed at her lip, tears still streaming down her face. She held up her arms, indicating to Midna that she had no intentions of fighting.

Oh, now she wanted to play nice. Too bad. Midna had no tolerance for traitors. She sent a wave of her energy at Eliana, infuriated that their spiritual energies were so close in color. There was no way that Midna was anything like Eliana. She would never betray her friends.

She would never betray Kallah.

Eliana dodged, bringing up her defenses reluctantly. Midna could hear the internal struggle—Eliana made no attempt to hide it—she kept trying to tell Midna that it was an accident and that she would never, ever try to hurt Kallah. She assumed that Kallah would have defended himself.

Yeah, Kallah was an idiot, but still. She should not have attacked him with her full strength.

Midna lunged at Eliana, going after the girl's right arm. She defended, moving to kick Midna. Midna jumped back, creating a haze. The Shadow Tribe girl could hear Eliana coughing and struggling to determine Midna's current position. Huh. Looks like pretty girl wasn't as good with spiritual energy as Midna had assumed.

There she was.

Midna jumped, going for a direct shot at Eliana's arm.

Just as she was about to make impact, a red light shot from the west.

Kallah grimaced. The last thing he wanted to do was move. What other choice did he have? He wasn't expecting Midna to freak out at the girl like that. Sure, Midna never really thought and reacted only on emotions, but come on.

Midna gasped, instantly recognizing his energy and pulling back, retracting her cloud of haze.

Kallah…

It was an accident. She meant me no harm. Now go cool your jets and have a mock battle with Sheik. He's a little offended that you hung him out to dry like that.

Midna shook her head, refusing to budge an inch. Kallah sighed, despite the pain it caused. Women. They could just be so darn stubborn sometimes.

Come to think of it, shouldn't he be mad at the girl too? She did attack him with her full energy. Apparently, given Midna's anger, they were supposed to be allies. Oh, that's right. She was the girl that joined their team last night. Hey, how was Kallah supposed to know? He wasn't there and Midna only mentioned it in passing.

He was preoccupied, okay? It's not every day when you're forced to kill a good man and then learn you're a reincarnation of a famous hero.

He couldn't be angry at the young woman. She looked panicked and clearly distressed that he was hurt. Besides, that nagging feeling would not subside. He needed to know.

Get out of here, Midna. That's an order.

Technically, Kallah was Midna's superior in battles. He vowed to her that he'd only officially order her when he meant business. True, he never expected to use his authority this early in the game, but then again, he didn't know what to expect in general.

She opened her mouth to refuse, finally giving up and sighing. Kallah could tell that she was hurt. Not physically, but emotionally. He looked downcast, not wanting to meet her eyes. He was tired of hurting her.

But how could he leave Zelda? Besides, what if she was here, right now, and right in front of him?

Kallah sluggishly made his way over to the other girl, collapsing as his breath left him. She caught him, pulling him into a gentle embrace.

I've felt like this before.

"Link…"

Kallah felt something damp touch his face. He reached up, feeling the small teardrop. She was crying, tears streaming from her beautiful blue eyes. Her long brown hair gently brushed against his weary body. She wasn't exactly the same as he remembered, but there was no doubt.

"Zelda," he responded softly.

Zelda cried aloud, embracing him tighter and burying her face in his shoulder. He could feel her body wracked by sobs. He weakly returned her embrace.

"It's okay."

She sniffled, wiping a tear and smiling brightly at him.

"I know," she said. "I've been waiting so long to hear you say those words again. I'm so glad…I'm so glad that you finally remember me now."

Kallah gently wiped a tear from her eyes, nuzzling her gently like he always used to. She rubbed his back, searching for his broken ribs. Kallah guessed she was trying to heal him. He smiled, gently bringing her hands away from his injuries and shaking his head lightly. She would use up too much energy healing him.

He smiled. Of course. His Zelda was beyond stubborn and probably didn't stop pestering the Goddesses until she was reincarnated as well. However, she too did not possess the same amount of power as she used to. Kallah was pleased, though. She was definitely strong enough to hold her own in a fight. He wouldn't have to worry about her too much. For a moment, he just closed his eyes and breathed in her sweet scent, a delicate flowery fragrance. The chaos from the battlefield, the cries from soldiers and the clang of steel, faded as he was lost in his paradise.

An angry cry jerked him back to reality. That was Midna, getting far too into her battle with Sheik. Kallah could tell from her spiritual energy that Midna was depressed beyond consolation.

He figured he might have had something to do with that.

Just with that thought, his paradise faded. What was he going to do about Midna? Rather, how did he feel about her? Why did he still feel such strong feelings of passion while the woman he loved was sitting right in front of him?

"You love her, don't you," Zelda whispered quietly as if she could hear his thoughts. Knowing Zelda, she probably didn't have to use her spiritual energy. Zelda knew him better than she knew herself. She could pick up on his slightest cues. That was what happened when you spent thousands of years together.

"Love is a strong word," he responded, kissing her lightly on the cheek. "I do know that Link loves you."

Zelda frowned. "What do you mean? Your brother likes his Zelda, not me."

Kallah laughed lightly, grimacing from the strain. "I was referring to me," he said with a wink. "I, Link, the Original Hero, love you very much."

"Stop being silly and referring to yourself in the third person," Zelda chided, tapping him playfully on the nose as she always used to when Kallah said something stupid.

Kallah wasn't referring to himself in the third person, at least, that was not his intent. He decided to drop the issue, now wasn't the time. Besides, if he stayed in Zelda's arms any longer there was a possibility someone would find out that wasn't supposed to. A sharp pain in his chest reminded him of his condition. It hurt just to breathe. He was pretty certain he had a punctured lung. Though the other lung was managing just fine, he'd have to retreat from battle and heal himself. It was a shame, he'd wanted to stay and watch Link grow. He shook his head. No matter. Link would surely impress him another time.

"Sorry," He responded. "By the way, what's your name? I can't call you Zelda 'cause there already is one in this time."

Zelda smiled, brushing loose strands of Kallah's bangs off his forehead. "My name is Eliana. I am the daughter of District Five's mayor. I joined the Resistance yesterday in order to find you."

Kallah returned her smile, playing with her brown locks before releasing himself from the embrace and standing. He gave a low bow.

"My lady Eliana. My name is Kallah and I am a member of the Resistance. I am honored that you have chosen to fight by our side."

She curtseyed, although she seemed a bit confused. Kallah gave her a wink and a small salute. There was a certain fire queen that needed cooling down.

"Link!" Zelda called after him. She ran to Kallah, embracing him and kissing him gently on his back. "Don't. Please don't leave me."

"The Link you search for is no longer here," Kallah responded delicately. "My name is Kallah, son of Knight Erheart and the Lady Aria. I have a younger brother named Link. It is my duty to protect him."

"That's not true!" Eliana-he'd already begun to think of her as Eliana—cried, grabbing his shirt so tightly the fabric crumpled in her grasp. "Your name is Link! You are the Original Hero! You are my husband! This Kallah person…this isn't you! It's who the Goddesses forced you to be!"

"Eliana," he whispered, taking her hands in his and ignoring her pleas for him to call her Zelda. "Yes, in one lifetime, my name was Link. I was a great Hero who saved Hyrule. I was your husband and your King. I assure you, the times I shared with you were the happiest of all my memories. However…I am now Kallah. When the time comes when Kallah ceases to exist, I am sure I will be able to stand by your side again. For now, I ask that you treat me as a comrade and comrade only."

"No," she whispered, pulling back. Her lips quavered, fighting for the words to say. For a moment, Kallah was afraid she was just going to let him have it. However, her anger vanished, leaving only emptiness. "I thought I found you. I thought I was finally going to be reunited with the man I love. For a moment, my entire world was right again. But ultimately, I was wrong. You are not my husband."

"No," Kallah agreed sadly. "No, I'm not." He gave a polite bow, stumbling away as if drunk. For some reason, his entire equilibrium was off. Did broken ribs really mess him up that bad? Maybe it was the lack of oxygen. Maybe it was his emotions. Kallah couldn't really tell at that moment. That was the shitty thing about emotions. He rarely got to show them due to the society he lived in, and that caused his emotions to be uncontrollable.

"Link!" A call came. Eliana ran to him, throwing her arms around him and touching her forehead against his. "Please…" she kissed him deeply. Kallah returned her kiss, pulling her close to him. When the kiss was over, he leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"Wait for me."

"Always," she responded, nuzzling him one more time before letting him go.

The fog around them dissipated into nothing. Huh, what was with the change of weather? Most likely Eliana put the layer of fog out as a shield to protect them from nosy onlookers. She was already gone, moving to attack more of Ganondorf's army.

Kallah groaned, unable to keep up the act. He collapsed against one of the Resistance's protective walls. He felt his energy leaving him, partially due to the injury and partially due to leaving Eliana behind. He had to refer to her as Eliana. He couldn't be with her now. Besides, just as he was Kallah, she was also Eliana. She had to have people in this lifetime that she cared about too, right?

"You stupid, moronic, stubborn pretty boy," a harsh but familiar voice snarled.

Midna.

Midna's embrace was much different than Eliana's. The Fire Queen was rough and shook Kallah, but for some reason, Midna's embrace was just as pleasant. He felt protected in her arms. Her piercing hair and eyes were completely opposite than Eliana's, but she was just as beautiful.

Was it possible to love two women at once?

"Midna," he croaked out.

"What? Depressed that it isn't lovely Eliana?" She clearly didn't forget what happened earlier. Kallah didn't blame her. She had to be pissed off that he defended Eliana. The jealousy was obvious, though. It was kind of nice.

"Maybe," he admitted. "But you'll have to do."

Despite his injuries, he'd never been so happy to be slapped in his life.

Ah. You all know how I love my perfect ending lines, even though this chapter easily could have been about another 15 pages longer. :P Oh well, we'll save that for the next chapter and the other half of the battle where we catch up with Zelda and Link. xD I've noticed that I've been neglecting our Princess of Destiny. Hmm. That will change. xD

There's something off about this chapter and I don't know what. I originally wrote most of this the same day I wrote the last chapter I posted, but I was determined to fix it for months until I finally decided to leave it be after adding in a scene or two. Hope it's not obvious that parts of this were written months apart. It's really bugging me though. :P

There's some slight foreshadowing of some major conflicts in this chappie, cookies if you were able to spot them. :D Let me just say this: I have plans for Eliana, who's more than a little miffed right now. xD

Thank you so much for being such loyal readers with this lazy author. xD Please PM me whenever you'd like to give me a nudge or talk about this story. Happy to get back into the swing of things! I'd much rather be writing this than a senior research thesis on international apologies. Yes, you read that right. :P

Thank you so much and I'll see you in the next chapter!