Chapter 36

To Change the World

The world was chaos.

Pain engulfed him. Smothered him. Swallowed him. Surrounded him on all sides.

Shards of ice pierced his skin, freezing the blood in his veins. Flames raged all around him, hotter than the sun, searing his flesh straight off his bones. Acid melted him. Gravity crushed him. He was at the center of a hurricane of glass. There was no end, no beginning, no respite, nothing. Nothing but agony. Agony upon agony upon agony until the meaning of the word was lost to him. He was lost. He no longer existed. There was only pain.

His screaming had gone on for so long that he couldn't hear himself anymore. Screams were normal. Screams just were. There had never been a time without screams. What was time? Whatever it was, it hurt. It had to hurt. Everything hurt. Everything was pain.

A sound touched his ears. Soft and low. This wasn't screaming… how could it not be screaming? Everything was screaming. Everything was pain. This new sound… it was pain, too. But different. It was sadness. It was regret. It was a song, muted and slow. A song… Music. Music was… not… pain…?

Something inside of him shuddered. Tears were slipping down his cheeks. He had cheeks? The song continued, growing louder… no, not louder- nearer. Something was coming towards him, reaching out, calling to him. Something about this song was familiar… painful and sad, but honest as well. There was regret mixed into the notes. Regret- a powerful pain. A powerful sadness. A hand appeared before him. He reached out to grab it…

The hand was his own.

The storm stopped.

Link's mind breached the surface of his own madness like he was shooting up from the bottom of a dark pool. His eyes snapped open, fresh air slapped his face, and he inhaled deeply through nostrils wet with sweat.

He was free.

He was down on all-fours, his body trembling with exhaustion, looming over something that looked like a mask lying face down on the ground below him. He couldn't tell what it was supposed to look like from behind, but he didn't care. He was a half-second away from keeling over. He hurt everywhere. His head was throbbing. His stomach churned.

From somewhere nearby, a familiar voice whispered his name.

"…Link?"

Link opened his mouth to answer, then turned his head and vomited. Not the easy kind of vomit either where everything comes up in one steady flow, but the agonizing retching you do when there's no food in your stomach to throw up but your body insists on trying anyway. Doubled over on the ground, his forehead pressed against the cold, dusty floor, Link heaved and heaved, coughing up spittle and stomach acid for what felt like an eternity until his body decided to give over and let him breathe.

Link collapsed on his side, rolling over on his back, away from the mask and the pile of would-be vomit and saliva, and took in several deep, hungry gulps of air. His entire body felt hot and sticky. The ceiling above him danced in an unpleasantly nauseating fashion. Something heavy was strapped to his right arm, but he was too tired to remember what it was, or to even care. He just wanted to lie there on the floor forever and never move again.

A head popped into view above him. Face half-hidden behind a cowl, Link still recognized the eyes of his best friend, Sheik Shadow. His face looked pale and his expression reflected genuine concern.

"Link… a-are you…?"

Swallowing thickly, Link managed to gasp out a pathetic, "I'm fine…"

A second face appeared on his other side. It was Midna. Her weird helmet was gone, so he could see both of her scarlet irises now. Her eyes were filled with tears. She was crying.

Link frowned.

"What… what's going on?"

Sheik looked away. Midna bit her lip to stop it from trembling and hugged her good arm to her midriff. Neither one answered him.

The world was starting to come back into focus. He still felt sick, but not nearly as badly as he had only a few moments earlier. He thought he could hear shuffling footsteps somewhere nearby. Judging from the bit of the ceiling he could see from where he was lying, he was still in the Museum's atrium. And if all the gouges and holes were any indication, his battle with Ganon had been intense.

Everything was quiet now though. Did that mean… Was Ganon…?

Ignoring every muscle in his body that pleaded with him to stay still, Link screwed up his concentration and pushed himself up into a sitting position. Sheik made a sound that might have been him telling Link to stay still, but he wasn't listening. His hands were covered in dried blood. He grimaced.

"Where's Ganon?" He asked, his voice raspy and low. His throat felt raw. Had he been screaming? For some reason, his mind shied away from that thought as though he'd touched a hot stove.

"He's dead, Link." Sheik replied, also speaking quietly. "You… You got him."

Well, that was a relief. And it explained the blood, too. Ganon's, most likely. That was disgusting. He needed to wash that off, stat. And then take a shower. And then sleep for a year.

Something felt wrong, though. If he'd defeated Ganon, then… why was everything so quiet? And why did it feel like… like he'd lost something?

Shuffling footsteps met his ears, and he glanced up to find Groose and Marin stepping closer, the former supporting the latter's weight. She was carrying a flute in her hands, her face covered in dried blood, but she didn't seem to notice. Her entire frame was trembling. She was crying too. So was Groose for that matter, but he was trying not to show it. Were they all just relieved it was finally over?

Something clicked in Link's head.

"Where's my sword?"

The four teens standing around him visibly stiffened as if he struck them with a lash. Nobody answered.

The feeling of 'wrongness' intensified, coupled with something that felt like anxiety mixed with dread.

Swallowing, Link tried again.

"Guys… Where's my sword?"

"Link…" Groose rasped, looking lost, and Midna let out a whimper as she buried her face in her hand, unable to meet his gaze while she broke down in tears.

There was no hiding it this time. They were definitely avoiding the question. Link was angry, but even more than that, he was afraid.

"Sheik-"

"Link, wait-"

"-where is my sword?"

Sheik finally met Link's gaze again, and the sheer misery in his eyes was more intense than anything Link had seen since the day of the Ordon High Massacre. With tears slipping silently down his face, he turned and gestured wordlessly over Link's shoulder.

With trepidation welling up in his heart, Link turned.

There, just a little ways away, over near the shattered remains of the Great Fairy fountain, the hilt of the Master Sword could be seen sticking crookedly up into the air from where its tip had been buried in the torso of a human body. A human body with long, blonde hair and vacant, half-lidded eyes that gazed without seeing in his direction.

The world stopped moving.

Link could only stare, transfixed in horror, as everything he knew and depended on in life came crashing down around him. Zelda… that was Zelda… lying on the ground… with his sword… His chest expanded, but no air entered his lungs. His heart tried to climb out of his throat.

A moment later he was scrambling across the ground on all-fours like a madman, pulling himself desperately towards her as some anguished sound that couldn't have possibly been his voice tore itself from his throat and cried her name.

He practically knocked Ralph over. He didn't see Colin, or Ruto, or Linebeck. The only thing his world consisted of in that moment was her, and how pale her skin was, how lifeless her eyes had become, the lips that would never again smile or say his name, the chest that no longer stirred with life. She was gone. She left him. He lost her. And it was his sword that had done it.

A moment later, he was at her side. Without thinking, he reached out and seized the Master Sword, yanking it out of her body, casting it aside like a treacherous snake. The sight of it imbedded in her flesh was more appalling than words could describe. That blade was meant to protect her, had been created to protect her! To keep her safe! Not to take her life! Not to grow slick with her blood! This was wrong! Everything was wrong!

He was crying, he realized. Sobbing. Howling. He'd pulled her torso into his arms and was rocking back and forth on the floor, making noises with his throat he hadn't even realized humans could make. He thought he'd experienced pain in his life. He thought he knew what it meant to suffer. He was the Hero of Time. He'd done it all. He'd endured the worst of the worst. Nothing could break him.

He hadn't known it was possible to be so wrong.

Her blood had pooled on the floor around them, soaking into his pants, dribbling from her wound onto his shirt, but he didn't care. Her body felt so cold. People were gathering around him. He hardly noticed. Let them watch if they wanted, so long as they left them alone.

He tried to say her name, as if calling out to her could bring her back, but he couldn't get the words past his lips. His fingers were tangled in her hair. He'd failed. She was his Princess, he was her Hero, and he'd failed her. The entire purpose of his existence revolved around her. Defend Hyrule. Keep Zelda safe. He'd managed to do one of those things. The lesser of the two, so far as he was concerned. He was a disgrace. His life had no meaning. And now…? What else was there for him? For a Hero without a Princess? The future was a cold, black void. He couldn't breathe. He no longer wanted to breathe.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there, crying and cradling her lifeless body to his chest. Minutes. Hours. Years. Lifetimes. At some point, he looked up and found pretty much everyone gathered around them. Sheik and Midna, Groose and Marin, Colin, Ralph, Linebeck. Kafei was awake, sitting on the edge of the fountain, his body bloodied, his eyes hollow. Aryll was leaning against Saria. She was one of the few who met Link's gaze, her expression sharing in his despair but understanding that he needed his space. Nabooru and Rauru and the orphans. Darunia and Ruto. Marin's blue bear.

He'd stopped crying at some point. Not because his pain was gone, but because he'd become completely numb. In a hollow, detached voice, he asked what had happened.

Silence. Then Sheik cleared his throat.

"Link, maybe now isn't the best-"

Link wanted to scream, but he had no energy. He merely looked at his best friend, and Sheik stopped mid-sentence, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"You… I dunno. Ganon blew up part of the ceiling. There was dust everywhere. And then all of a sudden, you went crazy."

"The mask…" Link muttered. "I put on a mask."

Sheik nodded. "I guess that explains… well, you put it on and went nuts. Started attacking Ganon one on one, and you killed him. Cut his sword in two and everything. We all started cheering because we thought you'd done it, only…"

His voice faltered. Link gave him a sharp look to get him to keep going, but he seemed to be having trouble getting his emotions under control.

"You started attacking us, Link." Aryll spoke up, her voice a whisper. "You hurt Darunia and Ruto and Ralph. You almost killed Colin."

Link was still too numb to feel anything, but his body had gone rigid. He turned to Colin and noticed for the first time the blood that stained his shirt and the massive gash across his chest where the fabric hung open. The younger boy winced, but said nothing, averting his gaze.

"We didn't know what to do. You were screaming, and lashing out, and… You were baring down on Sheik when-"

"She was just there." Sheik cut in, his voice thick, his shoulder's quaking. "I don't know where she came from. She was just… and then she was talking to you, and you were quiet like you were listening to her, and then…"

He didn't need to say anything else. Link understood. Zelda had been distracting him to buy the others time, and Link had cut her down.

Sniffing, Link opened his mouth.

"How… How did you stop me?"

"It was Marin." Groose supplied from somewhere behind Link. "She learned a special song earlier that she played to bring you back."

"Special song?"

"The Song of Healing." Marin said, as if that were an explanation. Then she broke down. "Link, I'm s-so sorry…! I tried to hurry, but I was h-hurt and couldn't get there fast enough… It's all my fault that Z-Zelda's…"

Link shook his head, but didn't reply. It wasn't Marin's fault. It was his. Only his. He put that mask on, knowing that he hadn't known the risks. No one else would take the blame from him. This was his responsibility.

Linebeck cleared his throat.

"I, uh… I hate to be the one to say this, but… We should probably get out of here. Some of you need to get to the hospital. There's… Well, there's no sense sitting around here any longer."

He said the last bit in a rush, clearly trying not to provoke Link's ire, but Link didn't care. He was right. Colin, Kafei, Aryll, Marin, and Midna all needed medical attention. Din, he probably did too. They all probably did. And Zelda's family would need to be informed… He couldn't even finish the thought, it hurt so much.

Link nodded, signaling his approval of Linebeck's declaration, and began removing his shield, tossing it aside without a second thought, repositioning his arms so he could lift Zelda's body into the air.

Darunia stumbled forward.

"Hey, Hero, let me help-"

"No!"

He hadn't meant to shout, but it was too late to call it back. Darunia jerked back like Link had swung his sword at him. Link bit his cheeks and tried to force himself to calm down.

"Sorry. I meant… just, let me do it. I can… She doesn't weigh much."

Ruto touched Darunia's arm and shook her head.

"Yeah… Alright, man. You got this."

Honestly, Link was so exhausted, he didn't know that he could carry her on his own. It didn't matter. No one else was going to touch her. He was going to hold on to her for as long as he could. Until he had to let her go.

He slid his hand under her arms, and another under her knees, braced himself to stand, and hesitated. Her purse was hanging limp from her shoulder. It was going to fall off if he tried to walk with it. How on earth had she kept ahold of it this whole time? Girls and their purses… the thought was discordant, almost normal. Well, she… didn't need it anymore. No sense in lugging it around. Propping her up against his chest, Link tugged the purse off her arm and tossed it to the side as well. It hit the ground with the tinkling sound of shattering glass.

Thinking of perfume bottles and how nice Zelda normally smelled, he slipped his arms around her once again, preparing himself to lift, and stopped. Everyone around him was moving, corralling the kids, collecting discarded weapons and discussing in hushed tones what to do with them. No one was paying attention to him and Zelda anymore. No one else noticed the scent that was now drifting out of Zelda's purse.

Link did notice, however, and as soon as the smell hit his olfactory senses he immediately began coughing. What… what was that?! That wasn't perfume! It smelled like… It smelled like alcohol. Like, really, really potent alcohol. And urine. What in the Goddesses' name did Zelda have in her purse?!

He didn't know what possessed him to open it up. Honestly, random smells from Zelda's bag were so unbelievably irrelevant in the face of what he carried in his arms, it shouldn't have even registered in Link's mind. But maybe the curiosity was just an excuse to distract himself from the horror that had become his reality since waking up. Whatever the reason, Link reached out, pulled the bag open, and stared in disbelief as a tiny, glowing pink orb of light floated drunkenly up out of Zelda's purse.

It took him a moment to realize he'd seen something like this before. Back in the cave where he and Midna had met the Queen of Fairies. They'd been floating all around her, dancing above the water… He'd seen them before that, too! When he'd spoken to Farore while he'd been in a coma. Little orbs of light had been dancing all around them in the Sacred Grove. It was a fairy.

This fairy didn't look quite as playful as the others had been. It fluttered in languid circles, looking like it wasn't quite sure where it was or what was going on. The scent of alcohol was still thick in the air. Was it… drunk? Where had it come from? Why did Zelda have a drunken fairy in her purse?!

Reaching forward, Link tugged the handbag fully open and found the shattered remains of a filthy brown bottle inside. Dribbles of some dirty liquid had splattered all over the contents of her purse. What…? Did Zelda have some secret drinking problem that he knew nothing about?

Before he could do or say anything else, the fairy seemed to perk up. As though sensing something nearby, it bopped up and down in an animated fashion for a moment before zooming forward and crashing headfirst into Link's knee. It stumbled back, spun aimlessly, then bumped into the purse. The poor thing was totally wasted. Its light dimmed for a moment, and Link could see that at its center was a tiny humanoid shape with dragonfly-like wings. It shook its head, trying to steel itself, then slowly turned around so it was facing Link again.

It shot forward, and this time it didn't lose its course. Lifting higher into the air, it circled Link and Zelda's bodies several times, showering them in a cascade of pink sparkles that vanished like snowflakes the moment they touched their flesh, flying higher and higher until, in a tiny burst of light like a New Year's firework, it vanished.

Link stared. That… was the weirdest thing he'd ever seen. Clearly his mind had finally snapped under all the emotional strain he'd been under that day. He couldn't take any more of this. He needed to lay down.

Shoving his arms back under Zelda's body, he braced himself to stand, took one last look at her peaceful face, and froze.

Her eyes were open. She was staring right at him.

Link's mouth went dry. His heart was hammering explosively in his chest. Everything around him was spinning. This… This wasn't… She couldn't be…

Zelda licked her lips and frowned.

"Link? Why are you… staring at me? Like a creep?"

His chest had constricted. He couldn't breathe.

"Link?" Her brows knitted in concern, but a moment later she was wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Oh sweet Farore, what is that smell?"

Link's mouth worked, but no sound came out. She was moving. And talking. Was this real? Was this part of his fairy hallucination? Had his mind broken that much, or… was whatever liquid Zelda was carrying in that bottle of hers some sort of scent-activated LSD? No, Link, wake up, don't do this to yourself. Zelda's dead. You killed her. She's gone forever. She's never coming back!

The living Zelda hallucination pushed herself upright, leaning her weight on one hand against Link's leg while her eyes scanned the area, taking in the blood and the bustle of their friends preparing to leave, all of whom were apparently averting their eyes from the grieving Link for privacy's sake. He wished they were looking. He needed someone else to tell him what was going on. He couldn't trust his eyes anymore.

Zelda's gaze landed on her purse and she leaned forward, examining its contents.

"Tingle…" she declared in a breathless whisper.

Tingle? The smelly homeless man? Alright, well if Link was looking for confirmation that he'd gone insane, here it was.

Somebody let out an ear-splitting shriek. Saria had apparently decided to shoot Link a brief glance to make sure he hadn't broken down again and had finally noticed that Zelda was sitting up all on her own. Her reaction felt pretty normal, all things considered, meaning it was the only normal thing happening at the moment.

Zelda had jumped in shock at the sound of Saria's scream, almost knocking her and Link over, and was now fidgeting uncomfortably as everyone around them gawked at her.

"Uh…" She started awkwardly, her cheeks glowing pink as she offered up a stiff wave. "Hey guys… What's up?"

She was met with silence. Everyone was staring. She stared back, clearly at a loss. Link's heart was beating faster. If they could see her too… were they part of his hallucination as well? Or… Or…

Unable to restrain himself any longer, he decided he had to test it out. Lifting a trembling hand, he reached out and poked her cheek.

She blinked in surprise and swatted his hand away.

"What? Link, cut it out."

He poked her again, and she smacking him across the chest.

"Touch my face again, Hero, and I'll break your finger. You know I don't like it when people touch my-"

Link seized her face in both hands and pulled her forward, cutting her off mid-sentence with a clumsy, passionate kiss.

She let out a muffled squawk of surprise and discomfort, beating her hands against his torso until he relented and let her go. He was breathing heavily, his eyes burning. She felt so warm…

Zelda, for her part, was scowling, wiping at her lips with the dirty, blood-stained sleeves of her shirt, a disgusted expression on her face.

"Ugh, Link, what the heck… You're all sweaty and gross-"

"You're alive!"

The words left his lips in a breathless whisper, tinted with wonder and disbelief.

She stared, her eyes slowly softening in understanding.

"Oh… that's right. I was… I forgot. Sorry." She winced, looking down at her lap. Almost absent-mindedly, she extended her hand, tangling her fingers in the front of Link's shirt. "Yeah… I'm alive, Link. I'm back."

She glanced back up at him to gauge his reaction, and there was something playful dancing in her eyes.

"Also, the Goddesses say hi."

Something like a breathless chuckle and a sob left his throat, and he leaned forward, eager to pull her into another kiss when she fended him off, pressing her hands flat against his chest, pushing him away with a wrinkled expression of disgust on her face.

"Ew. No. Not right now. We're all sweaty and gross and covered in blood and-"

"I don't even care." Link said, laughing, pushing her arms away with surprisingly little resistance. "This is what you get for jerking me around!"

Before he could actually pull her in and kiss her for real, however, they were interrupted by a familiar, angry shout.

"Wait just a minute!"

The two blondes turned and stared wide-eyed like they'd been caught fooling around by Link's grandmother. It wasn't her, of course, but it was someone just as short and almost as terrifying. Midna stomped forward out of the flock of their silently staring friends. Her good arm was on her hip, her fiery eyes blazing, her lips quirked back something that was either a grimace or a snarl or else the twisted love child of the two. She was literally seething. After all he'd been through, he'd never been so terrified.

Without warning, she darted forward and began kicking Zelda repeatedly in the leg.

"Ow! Ow- hey! What?! Mid, cut it out!" Zelda cried, trying to crawl on top of Link to avoid their shorter friend's rage, but Midna was shouting too loudly to hear Zelda's desperate pleas.

"You friggin' jerk! Screw you, Zelda Nohanson! Screw! You! You can't just die twice in one day and then come back like it's nothing and expect people to put up with it! It gets less dramatic every time it happens, y'know?! You better watch out! The next time you die, I'm gonna make sure we bury you right away so that when you come back like the frickin' zombie you are, you'll asphyxiate in your coffin and die all over again! And then come back and die again! And again! And again! Do you hear me, Princess?! Do you?!"

Despite the actual anger and trauma in Midna's voice, and the fact that she was physically assaulting his only recently resurrected girlfriend, Link couldn't help the stupid smile that split across his face. He couldn't hide it, even when Midna missed and kicked him instead. They were alive. All of them. Impossibly, in some cases, but still.

Midna's angry voice was getting close to breaking, so she cut off her wild kicking assault and whirled around, pointing an accusing finger at her boyfriend, trying to divert attention away from her and toward someone else.

"Tell her, Sheik! Sage of Shadow! Tell her you can't just come back from the dead willy-nilly! It's unnatural and weird!"

Sheik stared at the three of them for a moment, lost for words. Then he cracked. A snort tore itself out of his nose. A moment later he was doubled over, shoulders quaking, face hidden behind a hand as he either laughed or cried or did some bizarre amalgamation of the two.

Midna looked momentarily stymied, staring at her boyfriend in both commiseration and disappointment that he hadn't jumped in and taken her side.

Zelda watched Sheik break down for a moment, expression both sad and affectionate, then turned to Link, offering him a resigned smile. He jerked his head, accepting, and she lifted his hand to her mouth as though to kiss it before seeing all the dried blood caked onto his arms and dropping offending appendage with a grimace. Pushing herself to her feet, she walked past a glowering Midna and approached Sheik, tugging his hand away from his face and pulling him into a hug.

"Thanks for all the help, Sheik." She murmured.

"Shut up." He replied thickly. "I hate you. Zombie."

She laughed.

Her laughter broke the floodgates. A moment later, everyone was hurrying forward, pulling Zelda into hugs, laughing, crying, celebrating the fact that they were all alive. Even Linebeck and Rauru got in on the action, which might have been a little odd, but Zelda hugged them just the same.

Throughout all of it, Midna stayed back, angrily shouting over the sounds of celebration, "No! Stop it! We already did this! This already happened! Don't encourage her, or she'll just do it again!"

Nobody listened.

While Zelda enjoyed her momentary spotlight as the center of attention, exchanging hugs with Kafei, shaking Ralph's hand to avoid his burn, spinning Navi around in the air, Link remained where he was seated on the ground. Sure, he could be jealous that the girlfriend he thought he'd killed, who'd just barely come back to life and who he hadn't gotten any time alone with, had just been stolen away by his friends, but at the moment he found he didn't mind. He'd have time with her later. Time alone, without prying eyes. Time after they'd been cleaned up, so she'd have no excuse to push him away. Lots of time. A whole lifetime. And endless lifetimes after that. He could wait a few more minutes.

A figure broke free of the crowd. Small, completely disheveled just like the rest of them, her arms held stiff and uncomfortable at her sides, her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles were white. Her bright almost-hazel eyes met Link's, and if anything, her trademark scowl grew even more pronounced. In spite of that, she slowly made her way over to him, looking torn between imperious disdain and disgust at the prospect of having to talk to him.

"Hey." She muttered sullenly, averting her gaze.

"Hey yourself." Link parroted, hiding the affectionate smile that tried to worm its way across his face. "You ok?"

"Of course I am!" She snapped, heated, then clenched her jaw shut and silently seethed as she tried to get ahold of herself. Link waited her out. He was used to this by now.

"I… I just…" She licked her lips and swallowed, looking anywhere but at him. "I wanted… to…"

"It's ok, Tatl." Link cut in gently, and Tatl started, finally lifting her eyes to meet his. Without the perpetual anger in them, he almost didn't recognize her. She looked confused. And afraid.

Link sighed. "Listen… I'm sorry. I was supposed to keep you safe, but instead I let you get captured by Dark Link. I fought my way here to save you, but I failed in that too. At the end of the day, I… I couldn't protect you from anything. I let you down."

Tatl looked horrified. "I… what?! No! You…! I mean, I… I can take care of myself, I don't need you to…!"

"I know." Link chuckled, sitting upright. "You can take care of yourself. You're tough, and you're a good big sister. You're gonna be ok."

Tatl had averted her eyes again, staring resolutely at the ground, her shoulders trembling.

"I know I am… but…"

"Y'know, you had me really scared there for a while." Link supplied, trying to sound light-hearted and ease some of the tension on her face. "When you vanished, I thought I wasn't ever going to see you again. Though you probably would have liked that, huh?"

He meant it as a joke, since she was always going off about how annoying he was. He hadn't expected to see the sudden heartbreak in her eyes, or the way her sullen pout devolved into a full-out frown.

"N-no…" She croaked, her voice cracking. Link stared in surprise, caught off-guard by her confession, and could only watch as her mouth worked soundlessly, desperately searching for the words she wanted to say. Giving up, she flung herself violently in his direction.

"Whoa!" Link cried out, nearly toppling over backwards. "What's wrong? Tatl?"

"You're going to leave!" She practically wailed, her face buried in his shoulder. "You are! Everyone always leaves! I don't want to be alone anymore!"

Link sighed, his heart melting, wrapping his arms protectively around her trembling torso, drawing her in closer.

"Yeah. I'm gonna leave." He whispered, trying to let the words gently. "I have to. I live all the way down in Ordon. And you, you live up here, in Castleton. That's just the way it is."

Tatl broke down all the way, her response lost amidst her unintelligible sobs.

He was at a loss for what to tell her. His protective big brother instinct hadn't worn off, even now after everything was over, and he had the sinking suspicion that it never would. What he wanted more than anything in that moment was to take away her pain. To tell her she and her brother would never have to return to that orphanage, but that he and Granny and Aryll would take them in like they'd taken in Sheik, and they'd all be one big, weird, dysfunctional family. Only… he couldn't.

As nice as it would be, he had no right to make a promise like that. Granny was too old to be taking on two more little kids. There wasn't room for them in the house regardless. And Granny definitely didn't have the finances to feed and house two more growing, hungry mouths. He wanted to be her big brother more than anything, but… That's just not how things were going to work out this time. Not everything resolved itself the way he wished it would. And he was done making her promises if the possibility even existed that he might not be able to keep it. Not when it was something this important.

"But you know what," Link continued in a soft whisper, "that doesn't mean we won't ever see each other again. And that doesn't mean we can't keep in contact. Maybe I'll come up and see you sometimes. And maybe I can talk to Charlo and see if he can't let you call me every so often, or maybe Skype me on a computer or something, to help you with your homework or… like, if you just want to tell me I'm stupid. I could even send you boring, old-fashioned letters. This doesn't have to be goodbye unless you want it to be."

The conversation stopped for a little while as Tatl struggled to stem her seemingly unending flow of tears, completely drenching Link's shirt. He didn't mind. Finally, after a long silence, she managed a shaky response.

"Your girlfriend's right." She mumbled softly.

"About what?" he asked, his curiosity suddenly peaked.

Her arms tightened possessively around Link's neck. "You are really gross right now."

Link chuckled.

Across from him, Zelda's circle of fans hadn't decided to free her yet. Nabooru's voice carried out of the din to Link's ears.

"Hold on, explain this to me. How are you alive?"

Zelda's light-hearted response danced its way over to him. "Oh, you know, the old-fashioned way. I had a fairy in a bottle."

"Is that code for something?"

"That's enslavement, Zel. I'm reporting you."

"Look, if you don't want to tell us then fine, but don't make junk up-"

"No really! I had a fairy in a bottle, ask Link! He saw it come out! Way back, when me and Colin… and Kafei, I guess… when we first came into the museum, we got help from this smelly old homeless man named Tingle. He gave me this bottle as a gift and I just kinda stuck it in my purse and then forgot all about it. It's a good thing I held onto it- Tingle wound up saving my life."

"Good ol' Tingle." Kafei sighed theatrically. "Our unsung hero. I thought I recognized that pungent stench of his."

Colin let out a bark of laughter.

Tatl suddenly drew back. Half expecting her to punch him and pretend like their touching little moment had never happened, Link was surprised to see her eyes wide with apprehension, staring at something over Link's shoulder. Wordlessly, she grabbed his face and turned his head so he would look.

Someone was standing apart from the group a little ways away, looking down at the ground. Slowly, the figure bent over, plucking something up from off the floor, turning it over in his hands.

It was the mask that had driven Link insane.

Link was up and moving in a heartbeat, holding out his hand, letting out a panicked, "Wait, don't touch that!"

The man turned towards Link and smiled. He would have recognized that wide, toothy grin anywhere.

It was Mr. Happy.

Link came to a stop, feeling uneasy.

"Don't?" Happy asked, tilting his head to the side. "Why ever not?"

Link's gaped, fishing around for something to say.

"Uh… It's… It's dangerous."

"Hmm…" Mr. Happy mused, studying the mask curiously, tilting it from side to side. "Yes, that is certainly true. An object of great power. A being of terrible wrath. But then, I knew this already, as I am the one who lent it to you."

In spite of the situation, Link felt his face flush. Oh, duh… He'd forgotten. He'd seen Happy up in his office during the fight and had finally given in and asked him for help, which resulted in the mask tumbling out of the hole Ganon had blasted in the ceiling…

Wait a minute…

"Hey!" Link suddenly exploded, pointing an accusing finger in Happy's direction, "All of this is your fault!"

Behind him, Link could hear the murmur of hushed voices and the sound of approaching footsteps. The others must have noticed Happy's appearance and were moving to join them. He almost turned around to tell them to stay back; this psychopath wasn't to be trusted.

"All of what, Hero?" Happy asked, his voice perfectly calm. "The fact that your world is now saved? That your friends are all alive? That Ganondorf has once again been thwarted, and Demise has been utterly destroyed, his curse finally lifted from off the world, never to threaten Hyrule again? Well, I'm flattered, but certainly the credit for all of that cannot be lain entirely at my feet. You all performed admirably as well. We're all quite impressed."

Link was gaping like an idiot, he knew, but he was finding it hard to close his mouth.

The others were gathering around him now, shuffling forward and staring awkwardly like… well, like students in a museum.

For the most part, his friends just looked tense and confused- as far as they were concerned, the Museum Curator had just appeared in the center of the atrium out of thin air. Linebeck looked a half-second away from swallowing his tongue, probably because this man was also his boss. Midna and Groose, however, looked openly shocked.

"Yo, Happy!" Groose shouted, far louder than he needed to as per usual, "What're you doin' here, man?! I thought we left you in Clock Town peddlin' your wares!"

Midna punched his arm in a not-so-surreptitious manner. "Idiot! He's the museum curator!"

"Oh yeah…" Groose mumbled, rubbing his arm. His brow furrowed. "Wait, so he's not the guy we saw?"

Midna buried her face in her hand with a groan. "Seriously, how do you not remember this?"

"Actually, young Groose, the mask vendor you met and I are one and the same." Happy supplied jovially, turning to face the crowd fully, offering the taller Gerudo boy a stiff bow. "I visited you in your trial to provide you with assistance at the behest of my masters, just as I did with the rest of you."

His announcement was met with surprised silence, followed by an explosion of questions.

"Wait, Mr. Happy was in on all of this?"

"I didn't see you at all today."

"Am I totally fired?" That last one was from Linebeck.

Zelda stepped forward beside Link, placing a comforting hand on his arm. Mr. Happy offered her a deep bow, ignoring the others as their questions tapered off into silence once more.

"Your Grace," Happy intoned solemnly, "it is an honor."

"I'm not Hylia anymore, Mr. Happy." Zelda reproved, not unkindly.

He nodded in acquiescence, still grinning. "Your Majesty then, if you'd prefer. Still, you will always be Hylia to me."

It was Zelda's turn to smile.

"If you don't mind me asking, who or… what… are you?"

She winced, realizing a half-second after she'd spoken that her question might have been a little rude, but Happy didn't seemed offended in the slightest.

"A spirit, Your Majesty. A servant of the Goddesses, much like you and your Hero. I was sent here at their behest to help guide their warriors on their quests, such as spirits often do."

Link cleared his throat gruffly, deciding to step in and return this crazy conversation to what was important.

"Alright look- Happy, or whoever you are. What are you gonna do with that mask?"

"What would you like for me to do with him, Hero?"

Link blinked, not expecting the question to be turned around on him so quickly.

"Uh… I dunno. Destroy it I guess? Maybe lock it away? That thing is dangerous, it drove me insane- it made me kill Zelda!"

His throat tightened as he said that last part. Even though she was (miraculously) alive again, it wasn't exactly something he wanted to talk about just yet. Zelda gave his arm a comforting squeeze.

Mr. Happy burst out laughing rather unexpectedly. "Oh ho ho! No, Hero. Quite the opposite, in fact. He is not the one who drove you to madness; rather, it was you who adversely affected him."

Link stared.

"Do what now?"

"Ok, hold up." Sheik cut in, looking annoyed. "Can you all stop saying 'he' like the rest of us are supposed to know who you're talking about? He who?"

"Him." Happy replied succinctly, holding up the mask Link had worn so the others could see it clearly. "This is the 'he' to which we are referring. A god, though one with whom you will not be familiar. He was never worshipped, and doesn't quite fit in with the other gods and goddesses of old. He's wild, a vagabond, a drifter, a seeker of battles and glory. He holds allegiance to none but himself."

"Okaaaay," Sheik said slowly, dragging the word out to show his annoyance. "And his name is…?"

"He hasn't got one." Happy replied, shrugging. "Or rather… well, if he ever had one, it isn't known by a lowly spirit like me. In the olden days, when legends of him still existed, he was called the 'Fierce Deity'. A warrior god who fought an endless battle with demon kind, allegedly all in some desperate ploy to win the favor of a certain Goddess. He crossed paths with the Hero once in past life; it is said that their duel with the demon known as Majora was truly a sight to behold."

Link's head was spinning. Some god called the Fierce Deity had teamed up with him in a past life to take down Majora? And both of them had happened to come back simultaneously over the span of the last couple days? Or… had the Fierce Deity come because of Majora and Demise's presence? Was he drawn here because he wanted to fight Demons?

"Is that why you gave Link his mask?" Zelda asked, voicing Link's thoughts aloud. "Because of his and Link's past connection?"

"Yes and no." Happy answered. "That is part of it, but it was mostly because he wanted to fight. Though I doubt he'd have been so eager to let any mortal other than the Hero wield his power in such a direct manner."

"What does that mean?"

"When one wears the mask, a relationship is formed between wearer and god. Not unlike the one developed between Majora and the one who wears her, although in this case the two become one rather than one controlling the other. What was meant to happen was Link and the Fierce Deity combining into one entity, sharing their strength and their mind, if but for a moment."

"But then why did I wind up going insane?" Link asked, feeling irritated that none of this was answering his questions.

Zelda let out a sudden, startled gasp.

"The Triforce!"

"Indeed, Your Majesty."

"I'm still confused." Link supplied blandly.

"Join the club." Midna chimed in from off to the side.

"When Hylia gave up her godhood to become a mortal," Zelda explained hastily, "she did so because gods cannot wield the Triforce. Din, Nayru, and Farore explicitly made it this way in order to preserve mortal independence. Gods aren't supposed to use it. When the Fierce Deity tried to merge with you when you put on the mask…"

"…the Triforce of Courage which you bear on your hand tried to reject him." Happy finished wistfully. "The result was an incomplete fusion. Your mind was shattered. The only thing that held on was the battle instinct that the two of you shared. That is the reason why you attacked the ones you love. That is also the reason behind me being here right now."

He waved the mask again.

"The Fierce Deity contacted me directly, something that rarely happens; he likes to keep himself separated from the others. But he felt he must ask that someone return his mask to him. He… Well, I think he's ashamed of what happened. If he hadn't been so eager to jump in and slay the demon himself, he might have taken greater care with Link's Triforce bearer status. It's quite unlike him to feel embarrassed. What a strange day this has been for me."

A strange day for him. Link almost laughed.

"I still want to know what he meant by him showing up to help the rest of us." Sheik spoke up from the side. "I never saw you at all today."

"Not everyone required the same amount of assistance." Happy replied with another small bow. "You already had a spirit guiding you. I was not needed. However, if you cast your mind back to when you first entered the well… and a friendly skeleton who pointed the way…"

Sheik looked utterly floored.

"I did visit most of the others, however," Happy continued, letting his squinty-eyed gaze sweep the group, "although I did so in different forms. As a spirit and a messenger for the gods, I am able to change my appearance at will to better fit the scenario. Though I admit, I tend to stick with owls. I am rather fond of them."

Link could practically see the gears working in his friends' heads as they racked their brains. Slowly, eyes began to widen.

"There was an owl in a tree when I was lost in the woods…" Aryll whispered softly, looking amazed. "I threw some sticks at it, and then bats chased me all the way to Ralph…"

"An owl carving on a wall, over the weapons I used to escape…" Colin muttered, running a distracted hand through his hair. "And on the suit of armor that Aryll's spirit possessed…"

Marin let out a theatrical gasp. "Oh my gods! When Groose and I were flying around lost, his giant bird started chasing after an owl and it brought us to the temple where everyone else was captured!"

"I never saw an owl." Kafei muttered petulantly, clearly feeling left out.

"In your case, I was actually a bipedal octopus." Happy said with a shrug. "I like to mix things up sometimes."

Kafei nodded thoughtfully. "That actually makes sense, now that I think about it."

The others had all devolved into pockets of mini-conversations, explaining to one another all their varied experiences in which Mr. Happy might have maybe appeared in their adventures to give them aid. Almost no one was paying attention to Link or Zelda anymore. Happy offered them one final bow.

"If that is all, Your Majesty, Hero, then I must be off."

"Wait!" Link blurted out hastily.

"Yes?"

"What do you mean, you must be off?! What are we supposed to do now?"

Happy tilted his head to the side, looking confused.

"You wish for me to plan out the rest of your lives from this moment forward?"

"No, it's just…" he gestured to the front doors, shattered but still standing. "There's a line of police officers outside. A magical barrier was holding them back. I dunno if it's still there or not, but… The world knows that magic exists again, or at the very least they will soon. And I'm still wanted for theft and breaking out of the police station. Are we just supposed to… walk out the front doors and hope for the best?"

"Well, that is one option." Happy replied, shrugging lightly. "Honestly, Hero, I don't have an answer for you. That magic is returning is a fact that cannot be undone… Unless, of course, you were to wish for it to be. But I would never dream of trying to influence the decision of one who would wish upon the Triforce."

"Do what now?" Link asked again.

Happy gestured for them to follow, and after exchanging baffled looks, they did. Not too far away, near the ruins of the staircase, a small, golden triangle hovered by the wall. A gentle golden light threw the damages Link, Zelda, and Ganon had caused into sharp relief.

Link and Zelda stared. It was the Triforce of Power. It must have been left behind when Link and the Fierce Deity had killed Ganon, but with Link going nuts and Zelda dying, no one had spared it any thought.

The back of Link's left hand was vibrating, his Triforce insignia glowing brilliantly in response to being so close to another piece. He could see Zelda's mark doing the same.

"Here, you see?" Happy informed them, pointing to the Triforce of Power like it was just any ordinary trinket. "Now that Ganon is gone, his claim over the Triforce of Power is gone as well. It will linger here for a time, but if it is not claimed soon, it will move on to whoever most embodies Din's virtues. Probably not for the best, assuming you want to avoid any more catastrophes like today in this lifetime."

He sounded smug, but Link didn't pay him any mind. Without Ganondorf, the Triforce of Power essentially belonged to Link and Zelda now. That meant, together, they possessed the entire Triforce. They could make a wish. They could do anything they wanted.

Zelda was clearly having identical thoughts. Turning her head slowly, she met Link's wondering gaze and smiled. He grinned back at her. This was it. Their chance to change the world.

Zelda raised her right hand. Link did the same with his left. In a burst of golden light, their respective Triforce pieces left their bodies, manifesting their physical forms, merging together with the Triforce of Power to form the complete Triforce. The light that shined from its complete form was vastly more powerful than when there'd been just one of them. It stabbed at Link's eyes, it was so bright, but he couldn't look away.

He didn't know if the others had noticed or not. They probably had, but he found he didn't really care. All that existed in this moment was him, Zelda, and the Triforce…

And Mr. Happy.

"Remember," he warned gently from the side, "the person who is to make the wish must be sure that their heart is in balance, else the Triforce will merely split up again. One last thing- the mortals outside will not be kept out for much longer. You must make your wish quickly, and then hide the Triforce until such a time that the Sages can seal it back within the Sacred Realm. Otherwise, your precious Hyrule will likely descend into chaos and war once more."

Link blinked in surprise, not realizing what was at stake. If anyone outside saw this, be it a cop or an EMT or, Goddesses forbid, one of the reporters, the chaos might destroy the world. After all, people might not believe in magic, but seeing is believing, and everyone knew what the Triforce was. Zelda was nodding impatiently as if she'd already considered all of this and already had a plan in store to deal with it. Goddesses, she was amazing…

Now what were they going to wish for?

"Something to help the world deal with what is to come, right?" Zelda asked, once again seeming to read Link's mind. "Something to ease the transition. Something to help us all get through the coming years."

"Right." Link agreed, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. "Or… wait, is that right? Should we do this? What if we just wish magic away again? Then nothing has to change."

Zelda shook her head. "Change will come one way or another. Life is about change. The best we could do is postpone its return, but… Do we want to? The world as it is now, this isn't what it's supposed to be. This isn't what the Goddesses had in mind. The transition will be rough, but it's necessary. So much has gone wrong… we have the chance to make it right again, here and now."

Link sighed, running a hand through his hair. Geez, he really was sweaty… he owed Zelda and Tatl an apology.

"Well… Ok then, so how about we just fix the immediate problem? Y'know, with me being arrested and the police outside and everything? Let's just… wish that none of this ever happened."

He'd extended his hand to demonstrate, not really meaning to touch the Triforce, but Zelda just about leapt out of her skin in her efforts to pull his hand back.

"Link, no! Are you crazy?! That would bring Ghirahim and Demise and Majora and Ganondorf all back! All of the good we accomplished would be for nothing! We'd probably end up repeating all of this! Geez, think before you act!"

"Sorry, sorry!" He said, retracting his hand stepping back. "It was just a suggestion! Geez!"

She looked slightly mollified, but her eyes were fixated anxiously on the Triforce. This was a tough one. Everything that had happened here at the museum had been awful, but… in the end, it was good. The only problem was, with magic coming back, countless legendary artifacts in their possessions like the Triforce and the Master Sword, a gaggle of kidnapped orphans and one runaway convict, things weren't looking good for when the police and first responders finally made it into the building. And if the government got their hands on the Triforce before they could hide it...

Zelda let out a weary sigh.

"Y'know… If the Triforce is really meant to represent the Golden Trio, then it's fair to say that they're the ones who grant the wish, right?"

Link shrugged, not seeing where she was going with this.

"So then… if they're the ones who grant the wish, then they're the ones who decide how your wish is granted. Right? I mean, we can't be too specific because we might end up forgetting some little detail or screwing something else up entirely. We only get one shot, so we need to make sure we cover all our bases. On the other hand, being vague sounds completely illogical, but… I mean… The Goddesses know what they're doing. They know how to twist this scenario to the best possible outcome."

"Sure, I… guess."

She sighed again, then turned to face him.

"Link, I have no idea how to fix this."

He laughed. "Y'know what? I don't either."

"I don't think either of us are smart enough to come up with the perfect solution."

"Well, if you're not, then there's no way I am."

"But I know three ladies who are. I think we should trust them, Link. Put our faith in them and let them take the reins for a moment. I mean, I know it's counter-intuitive- the whole point of the Triforce is so that mortals can control their own destinies… but maybe that's counter-intuitive too. Maybe the point of life is to learn you can't do it all alone. Or maybe it's knowing that, in the end, you don't know anything at all."

"You've totally lost me, Zel."

She snorted, digging the heels of her palms into her eyes.

"I lost myself, too. I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. I think I'm just trying to convince myself that this is a good idea."

Link reached out and wound his arm around her shoulder, bringing her in for a brief hug.

"Hey. Whatever happens next, we'll face it together, alright? Just like we always do."

She sent him a tremulous smile.

"Thanks, Link… Do you… mind if I…?"

"Go ahead." He laughed, stepping back and ushering her forward. "This is all you."

Zelda stepped closer to the Triforce. The Golden Light shone in her eyes. To the side, a respectful distance backwards, their friends stood huddled, watching them in awe. Mr. Happy met Link's gaze, nodded one last time, and then vanished.

Zelda extended her hand. Her fingers splayed against the bottom-left triangle. The symbol reappeared on the back of her hand, only this time all three triangles were filled in. A gasp left her body. The light became blinding.

For the span of a heartbeat, the world came undone.

When Link opened his eyes, the Triforce was gone, but the mark on the back of Zelda's hand remained.

She turned her head and met Link's wondering gaze with a smile. Everything around them was still destroyed. Nothing felt any different.

With a resounding crash, the front doors exploded inwards.