"Rusl, are you leaving?" Uli followed him out the door. "You had only just returned!"

Rusl sighed and turned to face his wife. Her blond hair was long now, nestling gently around her shoulders. Her face was riddled with worry and sadness. He mirrored her expression and reached in, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in a gentle hug.

"Please don't go." She whispered leaning into his embrace. Rusl could hear the hurt in her voice. There was a cold droplet on his shoulder. He frowned and pulled away gently, seeing tears streaming down her face.

His heart ached.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He pulled her in again, hugging her tighter.

"Your sons, Rusl...they miss you. Colin is always waiting for you to come home. And Carlise! Rusl, please...he barely knows you." Uli begged. "Please. I miss you..." She choked.

Rusl closed his eyes against his own tears. In his travels, he didn't once stop to think what he was doing to his family. Never being there. It's not fair on them, they don't deserve this. Rusl tightened his hold when he felt her shoulders start to shake as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." He whispered again. He shouldn't have come, despite himself he knew Link wouldn't come into the village. Still...he hoped. And he wanted to see his family so much; but his return and now leaving so soon...

Uli stopped sobbing and Rusl pulled away gently, wiping her tears away.

"You're right. It's not fair what I'm doing, I shouldn't have left in the first place..."

"No." Uli said, shaking her head and wiped away the remaining tears he missed. "You did what was right. As much as I don't want you to go...Link needs you. Find him, Rusl. Bring him home."

Rusl nodded. "I promise." He leaned in and kissed her gently, letting the kiss linger. "...bye." He whispered.

"Bye." She whispered back, looking up at him and managed a smile. Rusl returned the smile and turned, leaving his wife, his family, and his life in the doorway.

"You've returned. Have you retrieved what you were looking for?"

"I have." Link replied, glancing back and catching a glimpse of the other time before it vanished in the stone archway.

"Follow me." Saria said and turned away, leading him away.

She lead him through the thick woods again until they came out onto one of the great fields. In the distance he could see Kakiriko village. They both stood in silence for awhile, taking in the view as the sun slowly sunk sending out golden waves across the sky.

"You are nearing the end." Saria said, breaking the silence. Link simply nodded. She turned to him and held her hand out. Link frowned, reaching out with his left hand. In his hand, she pushed a small stone like object, cold and smooth.

"What is it?"

"...a gift." She said, gazing into his eyes. Link was unable to decipher the expression in her eyes, it seemed to be a mixture of sadness and pain but also hope. She finally let her hands drop from his and he looked down.

In his hand laid a beautiful ocarina, smooth as glass and as blue as the ocean. He looked back up at her, confused.

"You'll know...when the time is right." She said and gave him a soft smile.

"When you look at me...do you see him?" Link asked, watching her expression carefully. He knew he changed, as soon as he had stepped out into his own time he nearly collapsed with pain. A dark shadow collided with his body, circled him and choked him until it forced it's way back inside him. He could feel the changes immediately.

He could still feel it and was surprised he was still on his feet.

"Yes." She replied, forcing him out of his thoughts. "I do." Link looked down at his feet.

"Thanks for everything..." He looked back up and gasped; she was gone. He glanced around but a sudden wave of fatigue hit him like a rock and he stumbled back, his back hitting the trunk of a tree and he slid down it to the ground. He winced in pain, his right shoulder still out. It's not something he could force in himself.

He'll just take a small rest before going to the temple, gather up his last bit of strength; no one from the field would be able to see him anyway. Soon it will all be over.

Link fought to keep his eyes open, fought away the desire to sleep. Now was not the time, and if he fell asleep there is a chance that Ganondorf would take over. Still, the darkness crept up on him. He felt panic rise in him when he could no longer fight away the darkness. Quickly and clumsily, he fiddled through the bag that still hung around his neck which contained the needles. He felt through them, slicing his finger on the broken one before finding the good one. His eyes closed as he pulled it out and plunged it into his leg.

He drifted asleep.

Rusl had just past the bridge leading out of Ordon Village when he caught of something moving in the trees. He froze and stared for a moment.

"Link?" He called. The answer he got wasn't what he was expecting. "Hello?" Another childish laughter. He took a couple steps into the trees before he gasped.

Around one tree peaked a little girl, about the same age as Colin. Her hair was long and green, her eyes sparkling.

He took a couple steps towards her.

"Hello, little girl, are you lost?" She giggled and turned, darting into the trees. "Hey!" Rusl called and took chase.

He lost track of where he was going. He'd lose sight of the child, but then she would suddenly reappear before disappearing again. He had almost given up hope until he could see the field in the distance between the trees.

Something else caught his eyes too.

"Link!" Rusl ran over to him, his heart racing. The way he was slumped against the tree, head hanging, eyes closed. His right arm didn't look right either. Rusl skidded to a stop in front of him and noticed the syringe sticking out of his leg.

The liquid was gone and Rusl pulled it out before turning back to Link. He set his hands on Link's shoulders and was greeted with a cry from Link who jerked awake.

"Link, it's ok! It's just me!" Rusl said, tightening his hold on Link's shoulders. "It's ok."

"My...shoulder..." Link managed through his clenched teeth. Rusl blinked and quickly removed his hands. Link relaxed, letting out a breath. "Thank you..."

"Link, are you ok?"

"I'm fine...just...tired." Link said, his voice thin. He struggled to open his eyes to look at Rusl. "My...my shoulder is out."

Rusl nodded, quickly assessing the rest of Link's injuries. He had a couple good scratches and cuts, especially one on his hand. He moved over to Link's right side to deal with his shoulder.

"Rusl...I got the last shard."

"Where did you go? What happened?!"

"I went to a temple I was at awhile ago. There was a woman there who tried to bring down a whole room on us."

Rusl pulled off his leather belt.

"Here, bite on this." He said, making sure that Link did so before moving to his shoulder, placing his hands in position. "Ok, brace yourself...ready?"

Link nodded in response.

"Alright, on three...1...2." Rusl jammed Link's shoulder in. A scream came from Link which quickly turned into a whimper of pain. Link let his head fall forward, clenching his eyes tight until the pain subsided, pulling the belt from his mouth.

"I...thought you said on three!" He growled through his teeth. Rusl gave a half hearted lopsided smile. Link opened his eyes, moving his hand and arm cautiously until stretching it, rolling his sore shoulder.

He pushed himself up the tree to his feet, Rusl getting to his feet as well.

"So you got the last shard...guess that means we head back to the Gerudo Desert." Rusl turned his back on Link to grab his bag.

"Well..." Link began, bending down slowly and quietly and picked up a thick fallen branch and gripped it tight in both hands. "I am. You're staying here."

Link swung the branch hard and it snapped on the back of Rusl's head. Rusl fell forward, catching himself with his hands for a second before he collapsed and went limp.

Link let the remaining piece of branch fall from his hands and he walked over to Rusl.

"Sorry." He whispered, pushing him onto his back and checked him over to make sure he was ok before standing. "This is for your own safety...thank you for everything, Rusl. You're...like a father to me."

With that, Link turned, snatching up a weed and summoned Epona.

In a matter of minutes he was clear from sight.