Chapter 14 - Homecoming

In which Link attempts explanations, the author attempts exposition, Zelda attempts to have Link cured, and an uninvited guest attempts to crash the royal party.

Author's note: Welcome to the third major plot arc of this story. Originally this was going to be very simple. Link would go home, he'd reassure Zelda, there's be some kind of wrap up in which he and she set off into a misty Happily Ever After, and then it would be over. Zelda surprised me by throwing a monkey wrench into the works. She wasn't so sure she was just going to meekly accept that Link being more or less insane was hunky-dory. And since that meant I needed to have her and Link work out some relationship issues, I needed some more plot for them to wander through. I went looking for more plot, and an unexpected guest crashed my plot line, (and the royal ball) indicated that he was not busy just now or anything, and he'd just love to make life more interesting for Link and Zelda, and yanked the story off in an entirely different direction than it was originally going to go. You gotta love it when that happens!

The gates of Hyrule Castle were comfortingly familiar as I walked through them once again. I had said goodbye to Lord Pelson and Father Iskan more than a week ago, and set out for the place I would always think of as home; the place where my life had changed more than once; the place I had so often returned to, drawn like iron to a lodestone.

I would probably always be coming back to Hyrule Castle.

:But in part because you'll always be leaving it,: said Darmani.

It was a bittersweet thought. I could never be fully at home here, so long as Hyrule was at peace. But I would never be fully at home anywhere else either.

Changing to my child self was also a bit like coming home. :Being a kid isn't all bad,: said a faint voice somewhere inside me, and I agreed. I'd built up so much resentment and anger from the way I'd been misjudged, underestimated, even scorned. I'd hated feeling forced to take a form I thought I'd outgrown. But had I outgrown it, truly? And was I truly forced? I could be an adult if I needed to. It might cause problems, but I could do it if it was called for. So why should I resent something that was, in the end, my choice?

And while being a child had its frustrations, it also had its benefits. Foremost among them was that I could feel comfortable around Zelda. Something about being an adult while she was still a child sat wrong with me. I couldn't put the reason into words. But there was something between us, and it wasn't the relationship between a child and an adult protector. Zelda was more than a mere child to me. So perhaps our destiny wasn't quite played out after all. Perhaps there was something more between us than a princess and a no-longer-needed hero.

Inside the gates, Zelda ran to meet me inside the very first courtyard, yanking my wandering mind back to reality.

"Link! You're back!" She smiled brightly at me.

"Zelda!" I couldn't help but smile back.

"How did it go?"

"I found the mirror." I looked around. There were guards stationed around, and a few castle folk passing through as well, all of whom were watching us. "I'll tell you about it in a little bit, not right here."

She nodded. "Your room is still ready for you, if you want to go put your things away. And I'll be in the gardens, waiting."

"Thanks."

I stowed my gear in the room. I hesitated a bit before putting my sword and shield there too. I'd gotten very used to carrying them. I felt a little naked without them to tell the truth. But Hyrule was at peace. There was no reason for me go armed.

I made my way to the garden. I thought I knew where Zelda would be. There was a little courtyard just outside the royal audience chamber. It wasn't as lavish as some of the gardens, it was a very simple space, but it was also the place where we'd first met.

Sure enough Zelda was there, waiting for me. She was seated on the grass, and I sat down beside her. She looked across at me, her eyes hopeful. She wanted to hear good news, but I could tell she was afraid of bad news. I didn't know for certain how she would feel about the news I had brought. The others weren't beings of evil. But...

"So... you found the mirror."

"Yes."

"And what did you see in it?"

"I saw myself..." I tried to think of how to explain. "I saw my reflection shatter into pieces. And the pieces were the others, but they were still me. That's all there was in the mirror, just myself. There were no cursed souls or creations of evil or anything like that. I'm not possessed, Zelda. I..." I sighed. "I'm just a bit insane."

"Link..." Zelda reached out and touched my hand tentatively. "I don't understand."

"Shadow and the others are things I created. They only exist in my mind. The real beings, the souls of the masks I used, they passed on, they're not still haunting me."

"So they aren't... real? They're just imaginary? But I saw you turn into something else." She frowned, puzzled.

"It's hard to explain. I don't know that I understand it completely myself. They're real people, but they didn't come from somewhere else, they came from within myself." I smiled at her. "So they're not evil. They're part of me, and I'm pretty sure I'm not evil."

"And when you turned into a giant and attacked Captain Matin?"

"I was angry. I'd just wanted to spar. He'd treated me like a child, and then cheated... The part of me that has become the Fierce Deity is a very angry part of me. So that anger got out of control. That's all that happened."

"Just... you being angry?"

"A part of me. Or something that was once a part of me, at least. They are people. They're no longer exactly me, they've become separate enough to each be a little different. They have their own thoughts, their own strengths and weaknesses, their own dreams. That's why I say they're real."

"I don't know if I understand. If they're just you, how can you physically change into them?"

"None of us are quite sure. But I suspect it has something to do with the Triforce I have."

Zelda blinked at me. "Wait. You have a Triforce?"

"One of the three pieces, just like you."

"What?"

"Here, let me show you." I took her hand and turned it over, showing the faint Triforce mark on the back of it. I held my own hand next to it, showing the matching one I bore. "There. That mark means you have the Triforce of Wisdom."

"I see." An intense look of concentration crossed her face. "And some of the things I've read suddenly make sense! So you and I have two pieces of the Triforce. But how? Shouldn't it still be sealed away? And who has the third?"

"In my past, that never happened here, Ganondorf touched it, and his touch broke it into three. The pieces sought out those destined to carry them, or so I was told. Ganondorf kept the Triforce of Power, since that's his nature and his destiny. And I got the Triforce of Courage. When I was sent back in time it undid the past for everyone else. Ganondorf never conquered Hyrule. You never had to live in hiding. But for me all that still happened. I remember it. And sending me back in time didn't take away the Triforce piece I carried. So when I arrived here it became split anyway, and you and Ganondorf gained your pieces. That mark appeared the day you met me, didn't it?"

"Yes. That's part of why I've been reading about the Triforce, trying to figure out what the mark meant. But Link... this means that Ganondorf still has all the power he had when you defeated him in the future! My father broke off their negotiations once he learned that Ganondorf really wanted, but he's still out there somewhere."

I shook my head. "He didn't just have the Triforce then, he also had access to the Sacred Realm and all the power of that place. And that's still sealed away. Also, he probably has no idea what he carries. He thought, after all, that he could just take the whole Triforce and lay claim to it. I think he was expecting a purely physical object, not a magical force that would divide at his touch. So how would he know what he has?"

"I hope you're right."

"If I'm not, what could we do?"

"I'm not sure. But maybe we should think about it." Then she smiled at me. "But we've wandered from the topic we were discussing. Link... now that you've looked in the mirror, would you mind letting the healers take another look at you?"

"I guess not... but why? I'm sure the others aren't evil."

"I believe you. I just want to make sure you're going to be all right. Now that we know you're not possessed, maybe they can think of some other way to help you."

I wasn't sure what help I needed that a healer could possibly give, but I nodded my agreement. It couldn't hurt.

"Yes, I don't know how I missed it before, really. It's quite obvious that you're suffering from soul division. Very rare, but certainly not unheard of. And nothing like possession, of course." The healer seemed very pleased with himself. Zelda was looking worried again. I just wanted the poking, prodding, and endless intrusive questions I'd been subjected to that afternoon to be over with. I could hear the Fierce Deity faintly muttering irritated curses in the back of my mind, the whole process had been very annoying.

"Is there a cure for it?" asked Zelda.

"Yes, there is. Though it's a procedure I've never even seen done, your highness. But the books record it in some detail."

"Then you can fix him?"

"We should be able to, yes."

I looked between them with a frown. Fix me? "Excuse me. What exactly is this 'procedure' you're talking about?"

"It's a healing ritual, something called the unification ceremony. Developed almost a century ago by one of Labrynna's greatest healers. I have records of several cases right here in Hyrule where it was used to great success."

"And what does it do?"

"Why it unifies, of course. Soul division, as you no doubt are now aware, is when one soul is split into several different personalities, which can take over the original person. The unification ceremony merges these personalities with the original, leaving just one individual."

"What?! No! I'm not letting you do that!"

"But Link," began Zelda.

"Absolutely not!"

"Link, don't be angry." Zelda took my hand. "You said yourself that you're... insane. I want you to be well, not sick."

I pulled my hand from her gasp. "I'm not sick. And I'm sorry I said I was insane. I'm just... just different, that's all. But there's nothing wrong with me."

"Link, please..."

"Young man, I realize this is hard for you," the healer broke in, "but you shouldn't delude yourself. You're not well."

I narrowed my eyes and glared up at the healer. "I'm not deluding myself. I've faced the truth and I accept it. I've looked into the True Mirror, and I know what I saw there. I saw myself as one whole, made up of many parts. That's what I am, and it doesn't require fixing."

"Young man," started the healer again.

"No." I got to my feet. "I'm leaving."

"Link..." Zelda gave me an imploring look.

My anger eased just a little bit. She was only trying to help me. "Zelda... I'm sorry. But I won't let you do it. They are my friends, and this unification would destroy them. I can't allow that."

"But it would heal you."

"Would it? I am only one part of the whole, Zelda, just like Shadow and the others. If they were combined with me again, I too would be destroyed, replaced by somebody else entirely." I turned and strode out of the room. I still had some doubts about the state of my sanity, but about this unification ritual I had no doubts at all. I wanted nothing whatsoever to do with it.

:Thank you Link.: Shadow spoke softly in the back of my mind.

:You're my friends! You've helped me through so much! I don't want you destroyed. I don't want to be destroyed either!:

:None of us do, little dude. So thanks from me too. But you need to chill a little, I think. Zelda and the doc are just trying to help you.:

:Yeah, I know. In a way that makes it harder. Enemies I can fight. Friends who want to destroy me in order to fix me? That's a lot more complicated.:

I made my way back to my room. It was a relatively empty space. A bed, a small table, my pack sitting in a corner with my sword and shield beside it. Mikau's guitar sat in another corner. That was all.

I flopped on the bed with a sigh. I'd gone through everything in Calatia in order to prove that Zelda could trust me, and wouldn't insist I try to get rid of the others, and now she was insisting on it anyway.

:She will no doubt come around eventually,: said Darmani. :When you continue to simply be yourself, and don't show any signs of coming to harm because of us, she will give up her fears.:

:Yes. She scared now. She not expect what you tell her. Soon she learn, is all right.:

:Yeah, you're right, Scrub. I've had a lot of time to get used to you guys, but you've scared me in the past.:

:That's the problem, really. She doesn't know us like you do. Maybe if she met some of us, she'd be a little more at ease with us.: Shadow chimed in again. :We could try to talk to her.:

:Good idea. But don't set it up all formal-like,: said Mikau. :Just let it happen. Like... she'll probably come in here to talk to you. And I'd like to play some tunes, I haven't practiced this whole trip. I'll just be here, you know, with my axe, all friendly and such. We can say hi.:

:I guess there's no reason to hide you anymore. At least not from her. So yes, let's do that.:

I let Mikau take over. He picked up his guitar and sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard and relaxing. He let his fingers just wander over the strings, playing something mellow without any particular tune to it. More than an hour passed, and I wondered if Zelda would come after all. But even if she didn't, I didn't mind. Being Mikau was always relaxing, and I could use some relaxation.

The door swung open. Zelda took a step into the room, then stopped. she looked uncertainly at Mikau. "Uh..."

"Hi there, little dudette."

"H-hello. Who are you?"

"I'm Mikau. You want to talk to Link, right?"

"Yes?"

"I'll get him for you."

Mikau stepped back, and I took over, shifting to my child self as I did so. Zelda went wide eyed.

"Hi." I set down the guitar and stood.

"I... I've never seen you do that before."

I shrugged. "I decided there's no reason to hide it from you any more."

"I see. I... I wanted to talk to you. I'm sorry I tried to force you into doing something you don't want to, Link. I'm just worried about you."

"I know." I smiled at her. "And I'm sorry I got angry with you. You really don't need to worry though. I'm all right."

Zelda looked away from me. "I can't help but doubt that, Link. It's not natural for a soul to be divided."

"It feels natural to me."

"That doesn't mean it is. But... I'm sorry, I'm trying to argue with you again. Link," she looked back up at me, "I'm your friend, no matter what happens, you know that, right?"

"I do. I'm your friend too, Zelda." I smiled. "And your loyal subject."

"Well, would my loyal subject be willing to accompany me to the Grand Ball next week?"

I blinked at her for a moment, startled by the sudden change of subject. "Uh..."

"My father has mentioned I should have an escort. And I don't really want to be stuck with one of the noble kids all night. They're so... so..."

"Childish?" I ventured.

"Yes. And last time I ended up with my cousin Marken." She made a face. "He thinks that crude jokes are the height of humor. The whole evening was awful."

"I'd be honored to escort you." I gave her a little mock-bow and smiled. She laughed. "Though I've never been to a ball before."

"They're incredibly boring. But with you there at least I'll have somebody to talk to. Most kids don't go, and most adults..." she shrugged. "You know, I'm sure. They pinch your cheeks and talk to you like you're a baby."

"Yeah, I know." We exchanged a glace of sympathy. And I recalled how I'd once though Zelda would never understand. But she did, really. She wasn't as old as I was, but she was older than her years all the same. We had that in common, at least.

Escorting a princess to a ball proved to be a very involved endeavor. I spent far too much time being measured and fitted, lectured and instructed, and generally hassled and harassed about it. The end result of all the fuss was to make me very nervous. The lecture on proper behavior given to me by Impa, Zelda's bodyguard, was particularly nerve-wracking. Impa was not the sort of person you wanted to disappoint, and I knew almost nothing about courtly manners. Neither did any of the others. Even Mikau, who was usually the best of us at socializing, was out of his depth.

"Don't worry," said Zelda afterward. "Impa won't actually have you thrown in the dungeon if you do something gauche. If she was going to do that, Marken would still be down there."

"That's good to know."

Eventually the night of the ball arrived. I donned the clothing I'd been given for the occasion. The formal tunic with its puffed sleeves wasn't too bad, though the royal blue felt a bit odd, I was used to my usual green. The surcoat draped over it, however, seemed like it was actively trying to slide askew. And having no sword still made me feel a little bit naked. So did being without my hat, but Impa had made it quite clear that it was completely unsuited for the occasion.

I arrived at the ballroom early. The royal party had to be there to greet all the other guests when they arrived. And as Zelda's escort for the night I was to be standing with her by her father's throne during the first part of the night. She'd told me that later we'd be able to actually dance, which thought filled me with extremely mixed emotions. I didn't know how to dance, for one thing. And Shadow kept making somewhat suggestive comments, which were making me blush a great deal.

"Link!" Zelda, wearing a dress nearly covered in embroidery, met me just inside the door. She claimed my hand and led me up to the dais where her father the king was already waiting. Servants were lighting lamps and putting up the last few touches, and the ball itself would start in only a few minutes. "You look very handsome," she said to me as I stood by her side, waiting for the night to begin.

I felt my cheeks heat a bit. "So do you. Uh. You look pretty that is, not handsome."

She giggled. "Thank you."

:Very suave of you,: said Shadow with a snicker.

:Oh shut up.:

"Everything is ready," said one of the servants to the king.

"I'm not supposed to say anything to these people, am I?" I whispered to Zelda.

Zelda giggled again. "No. Unless somebody says something to you first, then just reply politely. My father will be doing the actual greeting."

I tried to still the twist in my stomach as a servant opened the main doors and people began to trickle in. I'd faced down gods and monsters, this should be easy. But with Impa standing on the dais almost directly behind me it was hard to relax.

The noble, wealthy, and otherwise important people of Hyrule began to file past the throne. The king greeted each of them, most by name. Zelda and I mostly just smiled and nodded, though occasionally somebody would address some remark at the princess. I caught a few concerned glances aimed in my direction, and knew the rumors about my transformation last month were still at large, but they seemed to have died down for the most part, so I was largely ignored. As the evening wore on I began to relax. This wasn't so bad. I started paying more attention to what was going on, looking around the room, watching the people dance, drink and mingle. There was music, played by a small orchestra in one corner, but mostly a low drone of chattering voices filled the room.

I noticed one group that stood apart, a little island in the flowing sea of people. They had only just entered, and hadn't yet made their way up to the dais to greet the king. One of them was a very tall man, with a distinguished face and a neatly trimmed beard. He was surrounded by half a dozen women, all with golden hair. They all wore long cloaks, and the man seemed to have armor of some sort on beneath his.

"Something's not right," whispered Zelda beside me. I glanced over and saw that she too was looking at the tall man. He had begun to move in our direction, the crowd parting around him and his escort. They moved with the kind of confidence I associated with warriors. I heard Impa shift behind me, and knew she had noticed them as well.

The man approached the throne. He bowed to the king, who began to greet him.

In an instant, as he straightened, he drew a sword that had been hidden beneath his cloak, and ran the king through.

Everything suddenly happened at once.

The guards that stood on either side of the throne drew their swords, too late to stop what had been done.

"Father!" screamed Zelda.

I instinctively put my hand back to draw my sword, but found nothing. Panic shocked through me. I was unarmed!

The guards leapt at the tall man, but were met by the women with him, who all drew curved scimitars. For a moment longer the music and dancing continued, peace and battle overlapping strangely.

The tall man turned towards the princess and I. Blood dripped from his blade. He smiled, and his face rippled and shifted. Suddenly Ganondorf stood before us. "Hello Princess," he said. "I've come for your little triangle."

Screams erupted in the ball room. The Gerudo women, their hair red now that the spell disguising them had been removed, had killed the guards on the dais and were fanning out into the room. I caught a glimpse of the gigantic form of a moblin blocking the ballroom doors.

Impa stepped between Ganondorf and Zelda. As she did she said, "Get her out of here." I knew that was aimed at me. Zelda still stood there, staring in shock. As Impa drew her blade I grabbed Zelda's hand and ran for it.

I heard Ganondorf's all-too-familiar voice snarl something threatening at Impa, and then we were among the crowd, which surged back and forth, caught between the Gerudo and the moblin blocking the door. I didn't even bother trying to get to the door, I headed straight for a window. I kept Zelda's hand grasped tightly in mine. Her skirts hampered her, but she ran after me as fast as she could. We wove our way among the adults, and for once I blessed my short stature, Ganondorf wouldn't be able to see us amid the crowd.

The window was not the sort that slid open, so when I reached it I stopped and kicked it with one booted foot. It shattered, shards spraying into the garden beyond. I didn't have time to clear all the glass from the sill, I jumped, and Zelda jumped after me. We tumbled out the window into the bushes below.

Thankfully those same hampering skirts seemed to have protected Zelda from the glass, and I had only minor cuts. We raced through the gardens, heading without need for discussion for a place where a child could slip out through one of the many secret passages within the castle. There was chaos erupting all around us. Moblins and Gerudo women poured into the castle's courtyards and halls. I could have wished to get to my room, where my gear was, but that would probably have gotten us killed.

We slipped through the hidden tunnel and emerged outside the castle's walls. Dead guards lay sprawled outside the gates, but the battle had moved within, there were no enemies here. I ran with Zelda towards the town. The night sky was lightened by flames ahead of us, at least some of the town was on fire. On the town's streets there were more moblins, and a few Stalfos as well. I cursed my lack of weapon and concentrated on avoiding them. But the fire limited our options, and soon I found myself in a dead end alley, with nowhere to go.

:Let me,: said Shadow.

:Thanks,: I said, suspecting what he had in mind. But first. "Zelda... don't be afraid," I said. Then I stepped back, letting Shadow take over.

Zelda's eyes widened but she said nothing when I changed. Shadow looked down at her from his adult height. "Hello princess. Wish we could have met under better circumstances. But we're blocked in here, and the only place to go is up." He pointed, and Zelda, setting her face in an expression of grim determination, nodded. "I'll boost you up and then follow."

Shadow easily lifted Zelda's slight form high enough for her to get on the roof of a low shed attached to the taller building that blocked us in. A moment later he was up beside her, and lifted her again to the second story.

The fires still restricted our path, but Shadow picked his way across the rooftops easily, and he always managed to find some way to help Zelda follow. Eventually he dropped to the street at the gate that led out to Hyrule field. A group of moblins had just passed by, but for an instant there was no one to see as Shadow and Zelda dashed out the gate and across the drawbridge.

I felt a wave of relief as we stepped onto the grass of Hyrule Field. We'd made it. But I knew that we were a long ways from being truly out of danger. I had no weapons and no gear. Neither did Zelda. All we had were ourselves. And it was night, on Hyrule Field, where stahlchildren roamed freely.

"Let's get moving," said Shadow, either hearing my thoughts or thinking the same himself. "The nights aren't safe here. We need to get across the field as quickly as possible."

"Right," said Zelda.

:Hang on, I want to try something,: I said.

:Okay:

Shadow handed control back over to me. "Just a second," I said to Zelda. I pursed my lips and whistled a tune. I didn't have the ocarina, but maybe I didn't need it.

In the distance I heard a whinny. Some of the fearful knot in my stomach eased, and I shifted back to child height in preparation. Hoofbeats approached, and a moment later Epona galloped up out of the darkness. I wanted to hug her. But there wasn't time. I swung up onto her back, noticing that she seemed to be a little taller than I remembered. Then I held out my hand to Zelda. "Let's go."

She nodded and took it. I pulled her up behind me. "Hold on," I said, and I set my heels to Epona's sides. With a whinny she took off, racing across the grass.

Behind us flames licked up into the night sky as our home burned.