Chapter 27 - Truth

So much had happened since they'd left Death Mountain that Link felt like he couldn't remember which way was up.

First they'd run into the girls on the wagon which they'd set free, then they'd gone to Engleton and somewhere along the way visited a fairy cave, and after that, he'd been set up by his dark half only to be thrown in prison along with the men he'd had put there from the wagon a day or so beforehand.

Somewhere in the middle of it all he almost remembered kissing his childhood friend, or had that part just been dreamed up? He wasn't sure anymore.

Not to mention, Zelda had acted slightly strange around him ever since she'd been on house arrest earlier, stuck in the dark with the mimicry, and Link really wanted to know what had happened. Sadly though, the details on that story would have to wait for now. He just hoped that until he found out, she would be fine.

Deciding it didn't really matter at the moment and he would question her over it later, Link was just glad he could remember most of how it had happened in his head, and wasn't crazy because of all of the chaos just yet. Once they had Olnor taken care of, resting soundly, he'd gone out onto the porch of Betarro's home, wearing a cloak Kiama had given him in order to keep warm.

He and Zelda ended up talking for a short while with Kiama and Nissa, as well as a young lady residing there now named Jada that reminded Link too much of Zelda, and considering the trauma she'd been through, it gave Link an uneasy feeling, explaining to him one of the reasons why Zelda had become upset to the point of tears the morning they'd sent the girls traveling to Engleton. Somehow he got the feeling that Zelda saw herself in Jada and such a thought both scared and saddened her.

It made him more angry than anything, on Jada's behalf, as well as the other girls, and especially Zelda. He just couldn't stop the feelings he had for her from blooming the way they were, and found comfort in the fact that she didn't know his true admiration, so that matters wouldn't become so complicated. He'd watched her quietly throughout their talking, those thoughts stuck in his mind, before he realized he'd barely been participating in the conversation.

So he'd let the ladies speak amongst each other as he headed outside to clear his thoughts. He needed the time to think things over anyway.

It was another cold evening, but at least it wasn't raining. Considering this while he leaned against the wall, preparing the topics in his head he wanted to consider, he heard a match being struck and glanced over to see the form of a familiar hooded face standing on the end of the porch, the fire from the match he'd lit casting a slight glow of red off of his hood as he stuck the fire into the tip of his pipe and took a draw of breath.

"Lyonel?" Link asked with some obvious surprise, stepping toward him. "When did you get here?"

"Not too long ago," his solemn voice replied. "But I did arrive in time to see what your mimicry did to Olnor. I'm glad you managed to save him. Olnor's a good man."

Stepping closer to the once Royal Guard, Link nodded his head in agreement, asking, "Did you need me to ask for your welcome inside? Olnor's asleep, but Betarro's up, he wanted to make something to eat since we were all a little hungry."

"No, that won't be necessary," Lyonel declined politely. "I know Olnor and Betarro, however I won't be staying for too terribly long sadly. If they knew I was here, they'd only delay me, and I need to leave soon."

"Then," Link drew out, shaking his head slightly, "why did you come here?"

"Well," Lyonel replied, blowing a line of smoke from his shadowed lips, "I wanted to ask if you'd ride with me. There's something I wanted to show you not too far from here."

Hearing this, Link nodded and replied, "Of course, what is it?"

Turning to step down off of the side of the porch, Lyonel waved his hand in silent gesture for Link to follow him, and in doing so, Lyonel simply replied, "Come. I'll show you."

"I should tell Zelda," Link added, "she might miss me and go looking for me if I don't."

"No," Lyonel informed him, "it won't be long enough for her to notice. Besides, she's with other ladies, and sometimes they can chat for a while."

Deciding to listen to him, smiling over his suggestion of ladies chatting for long amounts of time since he knew that was the truth, Link started walking as he said, "Alright."

It took them a little time, but not too long later, just as Lyonel had suggested, their horses trotted up through the woods, shrouding Engleton from a cliff side overlooking the Lake Hylia. The water of the huge lake stretched out under the moonlight for miles, glistening like a billion stars, the same it reflected in the night sky. Lyonel stopped his horse near the edge of the cliff, looking back as Epona trotted up with Link, the wind whipping up the cliff side and through his hair while he overlooked the scenery with the man sitting near him.

"I know Myriad sent you here as the next step in your quest. Have you ever heard of Zora's Domain?"

Nodding to Lyonel's question as he turned to look at the man, Lyonel went on, "They, as the rest of us, know there's evil about the lands these days, and they've unleashed one of their guardians to protect their home."

"Guardians?" Link asked, a questioning look on his face.

"Watch the lake, Link," Lyonel replied. Blinking at him, Link decided to listen, and he looked back out at the waters, watching as Lyonel had suggested. Silence passed by them for a short while, until, in the distance on the water, Link could see something jumping from the surface and landing with a large splash hardly a moment later. The sight caused his brows to narrow and his lips to part. Whatever it was, it was apparently huge, and he could only imagine what it might be capable of.

"That's the guardian," Lyonel started. "You may not be able to weather the lake without consequences."

"What is it?"

"Well, that's left to be seen." Lyonel sat back and looked toward the young man while he watched the surface of the lake quietly for more spottings of the creature, continuing on with his explanation. "Fish, monster, who can tell? All that have been unfortunate enough to get caught within it's jaws haven't returned to tell the tale."

Shaking his head, Link glanced over at the former guard and asked him, "Does Myriad know about it?"

Lyonel shook his head, "I couldn't say. She knows many things, but only if told to her, or seen in visions. You'll be able to consult her again before you travel to the lake, however. There's a stone in the Misty Falls just past here. It's secluded, so you'll have to look harder for it, but it's there. Misty Falls is a chasm of gorges at the pit of cliff sides where several things reside, including danger, but it's the safest way to Lake Hylia, as well as the quickest from the fields. I just thought to pass this information along to you since it wasn't likely you'd find the stone before you attempted to cross the lake, unwitting of the danger there."

"Thank you," Link responded.

Listening, nodding, Link considered it all, and as he did, he was surprised to find that Lyonel was turning to ride on. Quickly, Link stopped him, turning on Epona himself and asking, "Lyonel?"

Lyonel slowed to a halt and looked back, "Yes?"

Link figured the man's sudden appearance and his quick departure now had reasons behind it, prompting him to ask his next question. "Why are you all the way out here instead of in Roshala?"

Link watched the man quietly while he waited on his answer. Turning his hooded head, Lyonel looked forward again and remained silent for only a moment before he told Link, "Trouble has it's ways of finding you when you need it least."

Link had began to trot toward him. As he did so, he heard Lyonel telling him in addition, "Don't follow me now, Link. And don't ask me to go with you." Finally he looked over at the young Hylian and added, "You and Zelda have your own destinies, and I have mine."

"But you can't just live on the run until Hyrule is restored, Lyonel." Link narrowed his brows when Lyonel didn't seem inclined to stop and discuss this with him, and he rode ahead of him just a bit, making sure he had the man's full attention instead of just allowing him to leave as he was currently set on doing. Stopping Epona in front of the horse he was riding, he added, "You have to go somewhere safe, where you won't be found."

"I have somewhere safe," Lyonel reassured him, "and Myriad will tell you where that is. It's not a strong fortification yet, but I plan on taking up that responsibility. There are those who have heard rumors of the mind control, the brainwashing that Dragmire begot on the king and queen, there always have been. There's word that there was another, a true child of Hyrule royalty that wasn't the currently stationed king. But these rumors were overshadowed by the belief that Myriad and the other Sages had turned their backs on everyone.

"Uncertain of the truth and who to trust, the people waited. If Myriad awoke, they would know that she hadn't abandoned Hyrule, and that the stories of the false king were true. Now that she has, some people have gathered to rebel against him."

Listening to the story, taking it all in, Link shook his head at the man, "You were just going to leave without saying anything?"

"As I'd said," Lyonel explained, "your and Zelda's destinies differ from mine. Ask Myriad more, she will be able to relay the information to you, as I have given her."

Link didn't want to just leave it at that, his brows narrowing as he was about to speak, but that's when a voice rose above his own, interrupting him. "Well, if Myriad knows, then there's a chance Ganondorf can get it out of her, now isn't there, Lyonel?"

Lyonel's expression went a bit grim. He knew that voice, though it'd been ten years since he'd heard it, and Link looked over, beyond Lyonel, to see the same soldier he'd spied the day they left Roshala, the one with the white eye and the scar on his face, slowly trotting up on his horse from the darkness behind the Royal Guard's position before him.

"You!," Link exclaimed angrily, pulling his sword from it's sheath.

Lyonel held up his hand, having not even turned to look back at Arden while the man trotted in toward them both casually. Seeing his hand, Link narrowed his brows and lowered his arm slowly, listening as Lyonel said, "Don't get involved, Link, not now."

"Yes," Arden chuckled, "this isn't your fight, kid. The grownups have a bit of talking to do. So run along now, like I know Lyonel's going to send you doing." Arden smirked and Lyonel finally turned about on his horse to face the man, crossing his arms over the pommel of his saddle casually as he leaned forward like he were just sitting with an old friend to talk to them.

Arden came to a stop on his own horse's back, his large black stallion snorting loudly as he spoke again, "So, relaying secret messages to your wife, hmm? You know, I can't begin to imagine what Ganondorf might threaten to do in order to get it out of her once he finds out what she knows."

Lyonel's blue eyes turned to ice, though he made no expression, but Link, sitting behind him, looked surprised. "Your wife? Myriad?"

"He didn't tell you?" Arden chuckled out. "No, of course not. It wasn't important. Just as long as you become the hero we're all dying to see, isn't that right, Lyonel? Ganondorf might be a merciless, arrogant bastard, but you're just as predictable as he'd said, and so is Myriad."

"Have you spoken enough yet," Lyonel chimed in, "or are you no longer burning with the desire to pull your blade and have at one of your oldest enemies?"

"Oh, that desire never dies," Arden told Lyonel certainly. "You'll experience the full force of it tonight. Perhaps even that kid will taste a bit more than what I've previously showed him as well if he doesn't listen and run along to play with the other children."

Link sneered at the old soldier, but he kept himself in check, as Lyonel had suggested he do, reaching his blade up to turn it and put it back into his sheath out of respect for Lyonel's wishes. Watching Link slip the Master Sword back into it's sheath, Arden grinned, "Good lad. Now, Lyonel, as you were saying?"

"The time for speech is over, Arden. If you're planning on telling Ganondorf what Myriad knows, then you'll simply have to be stopped. It's time now to finish what was started ten years ago."

"I couldn't agree more," Arden told him in response, pulling his large berserker's sword from the sheath upon his back. As he did so, Lyonel pushed his cloak to the side, revealing his own blade at his hip, a long, slender cutlass, and the two locked gazes for a brief moment.

Link had backed Epona away. While he wanted to aid in the fight, this was unfinished business, and the business wasn't his own. It really would have been rude for him to interfere no matter how much he wanted to, but in that moment, he heard a gasp which distracted him, and he looked back to see Zelda having come running toward the scene. Without a choice now, and thankfully so, he turned on Epona and started riding toward her.

Once he reached her, Zelda looked up at him and asked, "Link, what's going on?"

Link looked back when he heard the loud clash of metal, seeing that Arden and Lyonel had engaged in battle. As he watched Lyonel's swift movements against Arden's strength, he shook his head, reaching his hand down for her. "It's a long story, I'll explain it later. Come on."

"But, aren't you going to help him?"

"It's not my business." Link shook his head, "Lyonel asked me not to interfere."

"Link, he could be killed!," Zelda told him, "We should do something!"

Zelda looked up at him, the hopeful expression in her eyes making him clench his fist. This was the one time he couldn't fulfill her wishes, and he said, "Don't look at me like that, just take my hand. Listen to me."

Zelda glanced back over at the fighting when he'd told her that, watching a white glow envelope Lyonel's blade as he spun back from a hard swipe of Arden's sword, then swung his cutlass forward in an arc, causing a surge of energy to shoot forth from his weapon in the shape of a crescent moon, slamming into Arden and knocking him backwards with a harsh impact. Somehow she knew Link was right, this wasn't their fight in particular. It seemed much more personal, and even though she wanted to help, as Link did, she turned to him and took his hand.

Link helped Zelda onto his horse behind himself and told her to hold on before he took off with her and out of sight. As they rode away, uncertain of the battle's outcome, Link stopped at Betarro's home to find Frost. Once he had, Zelda explained to him that everyone had gone to bed when she'd come to find him, and since the ground was still damp, she'd managed to follow the horse's hoof prints through the trees to where they'd gone to.

Nodding his understanding, Link asked her, "Is there anything you need to get from inside the home?"

Zelda, sitting behind Link still, narrowed her brows while she considered it and asked, "No, I don't think so, why?"

As she was dismounting Epona, he replied, "Because we need to leave as soon as we can."

Stopping next to Epona, looking up at him in surprise, she shook her head, "Because of Lyonel?"

"Because more soldiers could have followed him here, and I don't want to risk this town falling into anymore chaos than it already has."

Frowning, Zelda turned her face away from him, apparently disliking the idea as much as she knew it made sense. But she nodded her agreement despite how she felt. "I hate having to rush away without saying goodbye," she said as she went over to Frost.

"Zelda? Link?"

The voice had come from the front porch, Kiama opening the front door as she'd stepped outside, looking a little bit groggy, Nissa sitting on her shoulder. Link and Zelda glanced over at the young lady, and Zelda replied, "Kiama, I thought you were asleep?"

"I was trying to, but I couldn't get there. I kept thinking about being kidnaped," she explained, fidgeting with the robe that she'd put on, asking then, "Why are you two leaving so suddenly?"

Seeing that she'd heard their short conversation, with a sigh of breath, Zelda was about to explain, when Link started before she could as he dismounted Epona and walked over to her. "Because there could be soldiers coming this way who want to stop us from getting to our destination. I don't want Engleton to fall under more fire because we're just passing through."

Kiama frowned at him, and Nissa, still sitting on her shoulder, piped up, "Did you see someone?"

"Yes," Link nodded, "that's why I want to go now, as soon as possible."

Though the girl look disappointed, she didn't seem inclined to stop them, somehow knowing that soldiers coming there wouldn't be good just as well as Link and Zelda did. "I see," Kiama replied dejectedly, but when Link put his hand on her shoulder, she turned her blue eyes up to look at him.

"We'll be back," Link promised, "we'll come to visit you once everything is over and done. Okay?"

The comforting words and promise made Kiama smile again, nodding her head to the two in agreement. Once she had, Zelda walked over, and Nissa flew toward her, saying, "Zelda, I'd like to stay here with Kiama, and Jada, and help them recover. I think I could do a lot for them both, what do you think?"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Zelda smiled, reaching up to pat Nissa gently with her fingertip. "I'm sure they'll get better much faster with you around."

"Thank you!," Nissa replied, flying in to hug Zelda's neck, then Link's before she went back to land on Kiama's shoulder. "You two take care of yourselves, okay!?"

Zelda nodded, and Link smiled, promising them, "We will, and you too. Be careful, Kiama, and take care of Jada."

"I'll try to. She'll be staying with us, kind of like my sister, so I got something very good out of it all." Still smiling, Kiama stepped in and hugged the both of them. Once she'd stepped back, she asked Zelda, "Did you wrap up the dress?"

"Yes," Zelda nodded, leaving Link in the dark over the comment for now, adding, "I put it on the saddle so I could take it with me. I'll think of you when I wear it."

"Okay," Kiama grinned, stepping back onto the front porch again. "Be well!"

She'd called those words to them as they'd mounted their horses. Only a few moments later, they were heading away from the small town just as suddenly as they felt they'd arrived there. Watching them leave, Nissa on her shoulder, Kiama looked at the fairy when she heard a sniffle, and when Nissa exclaimed how much she was going to miss them, Kiama just grinned and patted her head, turning to walk back into her house where it was much warmer.

For Link and Zelda, their own thoughts revolved around many different things. Link considered Lyonel, and could only hope that he would see him again somewhere down the road, once he'd found out from Myriad where the man was heading exactly. He also hoped Lyonel defeated Arden completely, in order to give them all one less problem to contend with. Though, even if Arden was defeated, somehow Link got the feeling another problem would just rise in his place until Ganondorf himself was stopped. With those thoughts in mind, he started leading Zelda to the Misty Falls, which they had to pass through in order to reach Lake Hylia, where both Myriad and Lyonel had sent them this time.

---

The rocky walls of the Misty Falls rose up as high as towers, the landscape painting a very serene and mystical feel. The chasm that led through to Lake Hylia was indeed beautiful, foggy, but very serene, only the flood of water about them as it tumbled over the rising cliff side's making any sound at all amongst the scattered trees and plant life.

According to Lyonel, it was a bit dangerous here, and Link, as they rode through it, putting as much distance between themselves and Engleton as they could, saw why it could be considered that way. It was a slight maze of chasms and gorges, and there could have been something hiding anywhere, monsters, Poes which Link did spy one on the way in, though it left them be and disappeared, as well as probably thieves and the like. He didn't stop riding for a while though, despite their fatigue, only slowed down once they were well within the midst of the area.

Despite the scenery or their nonstop ride, Zelda couldn't quite notice the beauty surrounding them in that moment, too preoccupied with other thoughts to be able to really take it in like she would have liked to. Dark Link's actions in Engleton kept clouding her mind, and she couldn't help her somber mood over it.

They'd only taken one brief reprieve along the way. She'd cried when she'd been alone during that stop. She felt violated, and disgusted at herself on top of it. She'd let that mimicry do all of those things to her, kiss her, grope her, make her admit her feelings for Link to herself when she didn't think she was quite ready to yet, and she hadn't even been able to tell the difference between him and the real thing.

She kept trying to reassure herself that this entity which had violated her was designed to mimic Link in every way possible, but to carry out Link's darker sides primarily, as everyone had them. But she just couldn't convince herself entirely, kept believing there had to have been a way for her to have known it wasn't the real Link. Was she actually a bad person who wanted too much, was so blinded by her desire for something more between herself and her friend that she couldn't even tell the truth of who she'd actually been with?

She couldn't even look at Link while they rode, considering that thought, too embarrassed and ashamed to, thinking she was greedy and selfish.

Her fists gripped Frost's reigns more tightly, her heart swelling with shame as well as with the newly accepted thoughts of love she had for her protector. Dark Link made her admit those thoughts in her own head, and she just couldn't forget about them now, couldn't imagine not seeing Link from day to day, wanted to think about how nice it might be to actually kiss him, and not his evil mimicry. And with that notion came the feelings of violation once again, remembering how he'd not only kissed her, but even touched her in very personal spots, making her skin crawl.

Adding insult to injury was that she'd enjoyed it, though of course, she'd thought he was someone else, but it was still a slap in the face nonetheless.

She knew that if Dark Link had tried to go any further than he'd been going with her in the dark however, she would have stopped him. She had felt comfortable up until the moment that Olnor had come knocking that it was all just innocent touching, a bit laced with heavy temptation. She would have found out on her own if Olnor hadn't come to the door, but she was scared of how far it might've gone if he hadn't, if she'd told him to stop, and he wouldn't. Would he have raped her, trying to make her believe it was actually Link?

She knew for absolute certain that, had it come to that, she would have known the difference. But all of these doubts and thoughts trailing through her head while they trotted through the chasm of Misty Falls were making her extremely doubtful about everything period, making her question things that previously she never would have even guessed at.

While she thought, Link had caught sight of her face several times, and finally, he couldn't stand it anymore. She looked so completely downtrodden at times, and even ill at others, that he had to know exactly what was plaguing her mind, what Dark Link had done to her in that house that was making her act this way, silent and closed off, worrying him endlessly.

So he stopped Epona in her tracks and turned to dismount her, allowing the horse to graze through the grassy floor quietly. This was a good place to stop and rest anyway, as they both so needed it. So he'd set up camp here, but not before he got his answers.

The movement got Zelda's attention, and she tugged on Frost's reigns to get the horse to halt in his movement. "Do you need a break?" She asked him as he came walking over to her.

Link didn't respond, just reached up for her hands. Zelda, narrowing her brows in a slight bit of confusion, turned and took them, letting him help her down. Once she was settled on her feet properly, she looked up at him and saw the look of concern in his eyes. Before she could say anything though, he spoke his worries to her.

"Ever since we've left Engleton, you've been acting strange. Sad and depressed, and quiet. I know it has to do with what happened with him," he enunciated, "and I want to know exactly what that bastard did to you. I don't want you to hide anything from me."

Hearing Link saying something like that caused her throat to close off, her breath catching as if she couldn't breathe at all. She stared up at him, able to see the determination and worry on his face to know the truth and make any wrongs done to her right, and he in turn could see her eyes glistening with unshed tears, taking in a breath as he put his hands on her shoulders. Maybe he'd said that too harshly and scared her. She looked scared, and in a way, she looked scared of him. That just would not do.

"Did he lie to you about me? What did he say, Mira?"

He couldn't help it. The name had slipped out, and in that moment, he refused to correct himself, wanting to remind her that they had known each other since they were children, and that he'd never do anything to hurt her. It was there in her eyes, looking at him as if she were uncomfortable around him, and he couldn't stand it, would do anything to set it right.

When he said the name, it struck a chord, and she suddenly felt completely silly for keeping so much from him. The tears fell down her cheeks, her inability to handle the rush of newly admitted feelings she had for Link overwhelming her, and she lowered her face to her hands and started crying unabashedly. She hated being so emotional, really hated seeing that look of worry in his eyes, but she couldn't help herself in that moment.

"I'm-I'm sorry," she hiccupped softly as she stepped closer to him, "just hug me for a moment."

He lifted his arms up and around her as he narrowed his brows, doing like she'd asked him, hugging her tightly and protectively. He wanted to comfort her, not add to her unease. Softly, he told her, "I'm not trying to force you to talk about something too soon, but I can't stand seeing you hurt like this, feeling like he might've said something about me that was a lie, or just that looking at me reminds you of him and what happened with him. I need to know so I can help set it right again."

She hiccupped again as he'd said the words, finally putting her arms around him and returning his embrace as they stood there, seeing that he thought maybe she was uncomfortable just being around him, which wasn't true, not because of his dark half anyway. Turning her head to rest it on his shoulder, she tried to catch her breath and get her voice to work as she started speaking quietly, telling him what had happened, and why she was acting the way she had been.

"He hurt me," she started, "by pretending to be you in the dark, saying things to me that you would say, making me believe it was you completely, and I couldn't see through it, like I don't really know you."

Hearing this, Link closed his eyes tightly, trying to keep his anger down while he hugged her, felt her shaking, the words she spoke of hurting him to hear. "You know me better than anyone, except maybe Nabooru," he reminded her, "and that's the truth, just as I know you like Impa does. Don't let yourself think you don't just because a mimicry decided to play the part."

Promising her that, he felt her lift her head after a moment, slowly shaking it. He let her step back to see what she would continue to say, and finally, she told him what she'd been thinking of.

"There's more, Link. He told me he feels the way you feel, about me. He said he set you up just to get you out of the picture so he could have me to himself." She wiped her eyes, trying to settle down before more tears could roll out of her, and then glanced up to his face, "He was kissing me, even," she shuddered before glancing away in shame, "taking some liberties as well, and then said that he was curious about why you liked me so much. I know it has to be true, Link, but," she sighed out, "I need to know if it really is. I feel so selfish for needing to know, but I do. I want to know if you...feel that way toward me, because if you do, then I can stop worrying."

Link couldn't help himself when he stepped toward her, "He touched you?"

Zelda shook her head, still too ashamed to look at him, "Don't ask me about that, it's too," she shivered, unable to help it or finish her words. "I just want to stop thinking about that part, okay?"

Link look angry, and told her, "If he–"

"Please," she whispered, "he didn't go far, so don't get mad," she informed him. "Let's just be completely honest right now, okay? I have to know if it was a lie, so I can put some of these doubts to rest."

Seeing she wanted an answer, even needed it, Link glanced to the side, almost unable to believe aside from it all that even though Dark Link was an evil, twisted version of himself, he could understand anything that Link felt, which actually scared Link just a little. Knowing how much this woman meant to him gave Dark Link a way to make his lighter half vulnerable, or would he really attempt to harm Zelda because of the way he also seemed to feel toward her?

Deciding it was too complicated to think about in that moment, Link just concentrated on answering her question. But even that wasn't an easy undertaking. He'd promised himself he'd never let her know because she had so much on her plate already, and he didn't want to hinder her from what she wanted so badly, which was to restore her family's name. But she wanted his honestly, was giving him the hopeful look she possessed that he knew he had to give in to, and he decided he'd have to break his promise after all. She felt as if she no longer knew him, so he had to put her at ease.

Finally, he looked back at her, nodding his head. "It's true, Zelda. I've grown more fond of you than I probably should have. Even before I took the Master Sword, when I first saw you again that day in Kakariko, I noticed things about you that when I was a kid I would have never even thought of. Ever since then, it's grown on me, and I know I can't stop it, but I promised myself I wouldn't let it get the best of me for your sake."

Zelda breathed out a shaky breath as he spoke, turning her head to look up at him while he turned to his side and went on without looking at her. "Sometimes I dream about you, and sometimes I think about forgetting everything just so you'll never become a Princess and I won't have to watch you possibly being taken out of my life. I know it might not happen, but the bottom line is that I am a commoner, and you're royalty. And those are selfish thoughts that don't have a place with what we're seeking out when so much else is at stake."

As he thought it over, he nodded his head and went on, "Yes, I love you more than just as a friend, but I wanted to keep it quiet because what I'm trying to accomplish means I have to give up what I really want, what would make me happy. It's not about me, it's about everything else. But I'm not giving that up for the people of this land, or for the crown." He looked over at her, "I'm giving it up for you, because that's what would make you happy. I couldn't make you uncomfortable knowing you had so much admiration coming from someone who is supposed to protect you when you don't return those same feelings."

She couldn't stop looking at him. He really believed that, didn't he? He was willing to sacrifice what he wanted, his happiness, in order to make her feel at peace again, and somehow, she just couldn't get past that fact. He was selfless and caring, where Dark Link was the exact opposite. Dark Link was actually going to steal her away because of how he felt, and realizing this, she remembered the mimicry's words that he just approached those feelings differently than his lighter half, because he had the same drives, he just operated on selfishness.

The thought gave her insight into the evil mimicry's mind, but for the moment, she didn't consider it at all. Instead, she stepped toward Link, the one she really wanted to understand better. In some strange way, the dark half helped her in that endeavor, realizing that he would never take what he wanted unless it was offered to him, and she wanted to offer it now.

Link hadn't been completely sure how she'd react to the truth, and in a way, his mind had settled on the thought that Dark Link had kissed her, even touched her, which had just made him more angry all over again. But before that anger could set in though, Link found Zelda taking his upper arm in her hand, and he looked down at her as she stepped closer to him.

He was a bit surprised as she leaned up slowly, meeting her soft lips to his, kissing him with meaning. He stared at her for just a moment, but then closed his eyes in order to return the kiss, leaning down into it so she wouldn't have to stand on her tiptoes to reach him.

A spark charged through her that hadn't happened exactly that way when his dark half had kissed her, though it had been there since she was under the impression that it was Link instead. It was just much more intense this time, and it made her dig her fingers into the sleeves of his shirt with a wave of dizziness running through her, somehow making her tingle in a way she couldn't explain.

Link had moved his arms around her in response to the kiss, hugging her against himself more tightly, able to feel her through their clothing and the chainmail he wore, but not well enough to get a proper feel of her shape. Still, she was soft, just like every other time he'd hugged her, and he wanted to feel it now while he kissed her, deepening that kiss slowly.

His lips slanted gently over hers, making her lightheaded, and what's more, she realized that somehow, he was still a good kisser, as if he might've known what he was doing and exuded confidence over it, though she didn't have much basis for comparison since this was essentially her first real kiss.

Both of them had taken in their breaths more deeply through their noses, a bit more swiftly as their heart rates picked up, and Zelda was surprised when Link broke it off out of no where, having somehow expected him to continue on, wondering if maybe she was under the assumption that just because Dark Link exerted no control that Link wouldn't either.

As he pulled back slowly, she realized she was using him for support, her legs boneless in feel, and she heard him asking her softly, "What are you doing?"

"I love you," she whispered out in response, "last night, I was forced to admit it to myself finally when I thought you were with me, saying things about how you felt. Up until now, I just blamed the feelings on being a silly girl with no experience, especially when I saw how other girls treated you when they saw you. But now I know it's true, and I wanted to know how you felt before I admitted it to you, just incase he was lying to me, so I could avoid a problem. It's not just a silly infatuation I have. Knowing this now, and that you won't take anything unless offered to you, maybe not even then, I had to kiss you for it."

Somehow, those words had been the sweetest he'd heard in a long while, like a weight was lifted off of his chest in finding out that he wasn't alone in his romantic feelings for the woman he held so closely to him now. He'd been blaming himself of being selfish just as much as she had, thinking his admiration for her was one sided, not completely able to see the full truth due to the need for consideration of the opposite's feelings. But now that he knew the truth, somehow he could see clearly, all along, that she'd harbored those kinds of feelings for him to begin with.

His need to protect her from everything, even himself, made him blind to it. Now that he knew though, he felt like he'd taken his first breath since the evening they'd gone to the fairy cave a few nights before, and almost kissed then. Before he could comment on it though, she added to what she'd been saying.

"If I take the throne," Zelda started, "if I'm not allowed to stay with you, then I won't stay with anyone, I won't be the Princess, because that's what you want, and it's what I really want as well. Taking up my position and righting the wrongs done to my parents is very important to me, and it would make me very happy, but if I can't be somewhere near you, then I won't be happy at all. I'd become miserable thinking that what I wanted pushed me away from you, and then left a sour taste in my mouth."

"Zelda," he breathed out slowly in response to those words, shaking his head as he lifted it in order to look down at her, "you know I can't ask that of you, and I'd feel terrible if you did that."

"And I'd feel terrible if you weren't happy," she responded, looking up at him seriously, her tone having risen just a bit as if she were ready to argue. "I know you can't ask it of me, and that's why I offer it now. If you have every right to sacrifice your happiness for mine, then I can do the same thing, and I will, and," she drew out, trying to think of something meaningful to say, but in the end, she simply settled on, "you can't stop me!"

Both of them had straight faces after she'd spoken those words, looked at each other seriously for a moment, but they suddenly snorted in amusement and started grinning. The heaviness of the mood seemed to drift away once they did, leaving their lighthearted snickering behind, and Link nodded his head at her, "Yes, my lady."

The response made her genuinely grin at him, and she grabbed him to hug him tightly. Link didn't mind one bit, content to stand there and hold her for a few minutes longer, considering it was a nice area to settle in for a while anyway. Lifting his hand up, he let his fingers comb through her hair finally, having been unable to really do that before without seeming a bit too close to her, but now, all he wanted to be was close to her. Looking down at her, his mouth settled against the top of her head, he had a thought, and he spoke it.

"You know, I didn't realize it back then, but I've loved you since we were children. I know we were seven when we got separated, but I still had feelings for you. I liked how you used to take my hand without even realizing it. It made me feel good in a way I couldn't explain. Like I was important to you."

The words made her smile, thinking back to how she did that a lot, and she wondered if it might've been for the same reason, because she'd loved him as a child too. Opening her eyes, she whispered, "I've always felt safe whenever you were around, even when Casimir threatened us, you made it seem alright. After you fell, I felt completely helpless, for a long time, as if I were weak. When I heard the rumors about you possibly being alive, I studied harder for Impa to try and improve myself, so that if you did show up, I wouldn't disappoint you again."

"That wasn't your fault," he told her, "no one could have prevented that. I think it was meant to be actually."

Zelda narrowed her brows, and she turned a curious gaze up at his face, asking, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well," he started, turning, an arm around her shoulders, walking with her over to Epona where the blankets were settled on her back, "I think we both needed time apart in order to become stronger, find out more of who we truly are, instead of growing up as if we were brother and sister, learn to survive on our own. That way we'd be more able to accept our true individual identities once the time came, instead of clinging to one another and refusing to leave the world we'd been sheltered in and fighting for what we have to."

His words made complete sense, and she smiled as he reached up for the blankets tied on Epona's back, handing one to her. Taking it, she looked up and asked, "Are you sure you didn't get the Triforce of Wisdom?"

Link scratched his head and thought about that, then shrugged, "Nah, my Triforce has a little of everything. It's better than yours."

"Oh good goddess," Zelda rolled her eyes, "I do love you, but you can be so immature sometimes."

He'd started snickering softly over her comment, and as he did so, she glanced to the side and asked him, "So, what happens now? I mean, now that we know how each other feels, we can't ignore it, can we?"

"So we won't ignore it," he told her simply.

"But what about later, when I'm–"

She stopped when she saw the curious smile on his face, and somehow she knew what he was going to say. He confirmed it when he spoke, "Don't worry about it right now."

With a nod, she added, thinking of Myriad's words, "We should simply concentrate on what lay right before us."

"Right."

Smiling, Zelda glanced down at the the rolled up blanket he'd handed her and asked, "What's this anyway?"

"Towel."

"Towel?"

"Yeah, there's waterfalls and pools all around us. I think if we wanted to, now would be the perfect time to get cleaned up." He grabbed the bar of soap from the pouch on Epona's back and handed it to her, "Don't you agree?"

Smiling, she took the bar of soap with a nod and stepped back, acting somewhat hesitant. When she did, Link shook his head slowly in confusion, "What?"

"Well, I was curious about something." Blushing a little bit, she glanced away from his face and asked, "Where did you learn to kiss?"

Hearing the question and seeing her embarrassment over it, Link grinned at her, thinking back to that reason, his brows raising slightly. "Well," he started, "it all began in the Gerudo Valley with a girl named Masita."

He turned to walk away, leaving Zelda standing there behind him with wide eyes. It was true then! She couldn't help herself from the surprised look on her face as he took Epona's reigns acting as if he were going to walk away without saying anything else.

"Oh no you don't," she called after him, grabbing Frost's reigns and trying to catch up with him before he could get too far ahead of her. "I want to know what happened between you two!"

Link chuckled, walking on, replying, "Maybe I'll tell you later, after we've gotten our baths."