A/N: I STILL can't find that button. Worst case scenario, I'll reply to everyone's questions and comments here. Not much to say except thanks for reviewing, as always!

The Legend of Midna: Time's Requiem

Chapter 19

Tear wrapped yet another cloth bandage around her mother's wounds firmly but gently, saying nothing as she did so. Midna lay on the bed, fast asleep while Eirias paced back and forth at its foot, his brow furrowed in thought. "I'm going to the garden," he said at last, snatching his cloak from the table. Tear's voice stopped him just short of the door.

"You still haven't forgiven Mother after all this time?" she asked softly.

"If you recall," he said, one hand balled into a fist, "she left us to fend for ourselves in that snake pit she called a court!"

Tear sighed and rubbed her forehead wearily. She'd heard this all too often over the years. "Eirias, that was years ago, and I'm sure she didn't want to -"

But her brother would hear none of it. "You weren't the one who was crowned king," he hissed."You didn't have to deal with council members that plotted and backstabbed at the drop of a pin. Youhaven't had to kill, and kill, and kill to stay alive -" Eirias broke off and reined in his anger, taking in a deep breath and releasing it to calm himself. Tear rose from her mother's side, placing one hand tentatively on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she said, searching for words that would comfort him and finding none. The king sighed and looked back at her.

"Don't be. It's not you I'm mad at..." He trailed off, feeling the familiar anger returning at the thought of Midna. "You were always there for me, watching out for me, and I can't thank you enough for that, Sis. But right now, I think... well, that's just it," he said at last. "I need time to think."

Tear released his shoulder and nodded. "Go ahead and think, then. I'll watch over Mother for now."

With a murmur of thanks Eirias slipped out the door and into the courtyard of the Palace of Twilight, ambling down the tarnished walkway to the gardens. In recent years the palace had fallen into disrepair, every ounce of money being funneled into the budget for the war against Oni. Cracked walls and floors, Sols that barely illuminated the passages, unhinged doors, malfunctioning lifts - the list went on and on. Only the gardens flourished, sustained by whatever magic Eirias could think of to keep them alive and well. He nodded his head as a council member passed by him and gave a mechanical wave at one of the war-generals, his mind fixed on the gardens. They had been a comfort to him, a natural place where nothing died and nothing would lie or scheme. They were his refuge from the cruel and brutal world, his one solace besides his sister. He entered the gardens, taking a seat on the old and decrepit wooden bench that sat in the center of the area. Spotting a plant whose leaves were drooping, Eirias reached out and caressed it with his magic, his voice carrying a soothing and peaceful melody that coaxed the plant back to life. Satisfied with the result, the king sat back, letting his eyes fall on the various potted plants around him. "You never did anything either," he told them softly, knowing that they couldn't reply. "You were always there to hear my complaints, my sorrows, my triumphs... keeping you alive and well is the very least I can do." He relaxed, closing his eyes and enjoying the silence that came with the garden.

"Your Majesty?"

Eirias grumbled and opened his eyes to see a servant at the end of the walkway, looking nervously at him. "What is it?" he demanded.

The servant scuffed the ground with one sandal and cleared his throat, unable to look his king in the eye. It was clear that he was nervous.

"Well? Spit it out!"

"The war-generals humbly request your presence at the council chamber," he squeaked, barely able to stand in place as he waited for a sign to be dismissed. At a wave of the king's hand, he darted off. Sighing, Eirias stood, brushing off the pieces of wood that clung to the back of his robe. Taking one last look at the life around him, Eirias left the garden.

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Tear sat in her room upon the comfy chair next to the bed and briefly wondered how and why her mother had returned now, thirteen years to the day she'd left. Deciding that it didn't matter currently, she resigned herself to dabbing Midna's forehead with a damp cloth. The queen stirred, weakly attempting to swat her hand and the cloth away. Tear blinked and let her hand be pushed to one side as Midna muttered something incoherent, only to fall into a fitful sleep once more. "I believed - no, I knew you'd come back, Mother," she said quietly, and placed the cloth on the table beside the bed. "I only hope you have a good reason for why you've been gone so long. I don't think Eirias will accept you otherwise."

"Really, Tear, you need to stop worrying all the time. It'll put lines on that beautiful face of yours," came a lively, familiar voice.

Tear smiled and closed her eyes as two strong arms wrapped themselves around her. "When did you get back, Colin?"

"Yesterday."

"You could have told me," she half-scolded, getting up to give him a kiss.

"And have you come down to the camp to see me half-dead? You've got enough to worry about as it is."

Tear opened her eyes and nearly gasped at Colin's condition. Several bandages covered his arms and neck, while even more bandages covered his thigh. His dark blue tunic was torn and stained with blood, and his blond hair, which fell to the nape of his neck, was disheveled and matted.

"It really isn't as bad as it looks," he added hurriedly, seeing the worried look on her face. "And the commander gave me a full week off this time."

"I should hope so," she said, and placed one hand on his cheek. "Be more careful out there, will you? The men Rayn sends with you are capable, but -"

"They're not you," finished Colin, and smiled gently. "I know." He brought her hand away from his face. "And you don't have to worry, all right? I'm perfectly capable of handling whatever Oni sends out, you know."

"I know," she replied. "But I'd feel better if I was out there with you..."

Colin sighed and rubbed the back of his head. He swiftly looked around the room, but things were no different from the last time he had been in here. The shining blade and shield hung on their customary places on the far wall away from the four poster bed, while several Sols shone brightly upon the verdant walls, giving them a glossy sheen. On the ceiling were several runes embellished with graceful shapely strokes that only a feminine hand could have added. Countless books lay across the bookshelf next to the bed, their bindings cracked and worn, their pages yellowed and faded. Colin blinked and scrutinized the blade, noting a small scratch on the crosspiece.

"You've been fighting, haven't you?" he asked as calmly as he could manage. Tear nodded, inspecting her fingernails.

"Eirias was going to inspect a potential ambush site himself, and I offered to accompany him," she said, and looked him in the eye as she did so. In it her iron will was reflected, daring him to comment on her actions.

"Don't give me that look," he said, breaking his gaze away from her and shifting in place uneasily. "You know how I feel about you going off and fighting!"

"And you know how I feel about sitting at home not being able to do anything! Do you know how, how..." Tear struggled to find the words that would voice her emotions. Glancing at her sleeping mother, she lowered her voice. "How frustrating it is to have to sit here while everyone else goes out to fight?!"

"I'm sorry, Tear." Colin's voice was soft and placating. "But even if you weren't a princess and were just a commoner... I'd still want you to stay at home, where you're safe. I don't think I can..." Colin trailed off and looked away, staring at the far wall in silence. Knowing what was going through his mind, she stepped into his field of vision and placed one comforting hand on his cheek.

"Hey."

Colin still refused to meet her eyes.

"Don't think about that now," she said, wishing for what seemed to be the billionth time that she was as adept at comforting people as she was with the blade. They remained that way, unmoving, until Colin looked up, his eyes a gateway into his wounded soul.

"I have to. You know what tomorrow is, don't you?" His voice was on the verge of breaking. "It's thirteen years to the day Ordon was... my father, my mother, my sister..." Colin took a deep breath and shuddered, closing his eyes as he did so. "I have to go lay flowers on their graves..."

Tear said nothing but wrapped her arms around him in a soothing embrace, resting her head on his shoulder. "I know how you feel..." she began, wondering whether or not the words would be enough.

Colin and brushed what wetness had built up in the corner of his eye away. "Mmmm. But your mother... she came back," he said, gesturing at Midna. "What about your father?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I can't ask her, either; she's exhausted - Eirias said it's the effect of her magic and her injuries..."

"But you have her back. I'm happy for you." Colin tried to smile, his lips twitching with the strain of his efforts, but failed. Suddenly he turned to leave, head drooping. "I'd better go; I still have to find those flowers."

Before he could take a step Tear was in front of him, her arms folded. "You're forgetting that we have a garden here. Take whatever you need." She paused for a moment. "Or do you not want to be around me for a while?"

Colin's head jerked up as he spun around to face her. "You know I love you and you know I love spending time with you," he said, and gave her a soft kiss. "It's just... with these memories, I want to be alone for a little while."

Tear let him by, her understanding reflected in her eyes. "Fine. But don't dwell on them too long, all right?"

He nodded and began to walk out the door.

"And Colin?"

"Yes?" Even without turning around he could feel the warm smile on her face wash over him.

"I love you too."

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"Do you know where we are, Hero of-" Link stopped and blinked. "What should I call you?" asked Link as the Hero of Time made himself as comfortable as possible on the floor.

"Hmmm?" The shade looked up at him, puzzled.

"Calling you 'The Hero of Time' all the time is too big a mouthful; what should I call you?" repeated the king. The Hero of Time appeared to mull it over for a while, shaking his head as he silently rejected several nicknames.

"Call me Kokiro," he said at last. "And as for where we are... you have my memories. Use them."

His memories... so I'm in... Termina? The king sighed and closed his eyes, slowly shifting through the memories engraved at the back of his mind. Great Bay, Ikana Canyon, Clock Town - every part of Termina flashed before his closed eyes. "I'm not... sure," began Link, as he covered every inch of the foreign land mentally. "It's not any place that could be easily accessed," he said, thinking aloud. "And it would have to be old, judging from the stones..." Only one area stood out from the rest. "Woodfall Temple," said Link finally, opening his eyes. "The entrance, at least."

"Very good," said Kokiro. His eyes were bright with approval. "I wasn't sure if you'd catch on as quickly as you did when we trained in the Sacred Realm."

"I'll try to take that as a compliment," muttered Link. As the two of them had trained Link had always mastered the hidden skills within a few hours, refusing to rest until he had complete control over them. "But... Termina is in the Light Realm, isn't it? How did I get here?"

The shade looked at him thoughtfully. "You truly do catch on quickly. As for the answer... there is no Light or Twilight Realm."

Link stared at Kokiro in disbelief. "Come again?"

"Twilight and Light have merged due to Oni's influence and power. It was his first act once he arrived in the Twilight Realm; in order to spite the Goddesses, he merged their perfect world with one that they had consigned to dwell in obscurity. The Twilight Realm is now joined at the hip with Hyrule..."

"And the Goddesses didn't do a thing about this," said Link incredulously. Kokiro shook his head.

"They couldn't; their hands were full keeping the rest of Oni's power in check. If it's any consolation, he hasn't been able to do anything of that magnitude since."

Link got up and began to pace back and forth, trying to absorb everything that the Hero of Time had said. If Light and Twilight had truly merged, then the Twili had made contact with the Hylians for the first time in over a thousand years. A seed of worry began to sprout for the villagers of Ordon and his own adopted people - were they all right? Link stopped pacing and turned to Kokiro.

"What about the Twili? And Ordon? Are they safe?" demanded Link.

The shade averted his gaze from the hero. "That's something you must find out for yourself. But hero... these things are insignificant. What truly matters is... whenyou are."

"What do you mean, 'when you are?'" demanded Link. Kokiro still refused to meet his eyes and stared determinedly at the floor.

"I mean exactly what I say. I had hoped that time would permit me to word this subtly, but alas..." The Hero of Time took a deep breath and looked up at Link, locking eyes with the hero. "You're thirteen years in the future."

Link sat heavily on the ground in shock. Thirteen years. Not days, not months, but years. He opened his mouth, but whatever words he wanted to voice refused to come out.

"I know how you feel," said the shade after a while, his eyes closed. "I woke up after the drawing the Master Sword seven years older. I know what you're going through right now, but -"

"How?" Link's voice came out as an alien croak. "And is Midna -"

"She's here in the future with you," replied Kokiro. "And as for the how - I don't know the specifics. Once you meet up with your wife, ask her; I'm sure she knows."

"Meet up with Midna?" asked Link, his mind still hooked on the fact that he'd been shot forward thirteen years.

"That's what I just said. You didn't think I'd agree to come in here without a plan to help you escape, did you?"

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Oni grinned, letting the image of Link's cell fade away. So, the Goddesses had decided that having their Chosen Hero locked in a cell was bad for them after all. Those manipulative little girls think they can have someone waltz through my protections and break out my prisoner? Getting up from his throne, he strode over to a small panel set into the ancient stone wall. Several titles were etched into it, small orbs set above the names. "Parasitic Armored Arachid... no, no, too crude. Phantom Shadow Beast... perhaps another time. That eye is truly frightening... Subterranean Lava Dragon? No, it would likely burn the temple down. Ah," said the ex-god, spotting a familiar title at the end of the panel. "Masked Jungle Warrior. Yes... I think that will be sufficient." One hand touched the crystal. In an instant it vanished, loud, foreign words echoing throughout the chamber. "Go and guard the exit of the temple."

More unintelligible words came from a seemingly invisible source.

"Yes, I realize that you have lost before - but so have all my current servants. Ambush the Hero of Twilight if you can - without a weapon, he is nearly helpless. But -" Oni glared in the direction of the exit - " Do notunderestimate him."

The voice let out a battle cry - and then all was silent in the temple.