Rule one: cover your face.

He pulls his bandanna over his mouth and casts his cloak over his head.

Rule two: cover your tracks.

Under the shroud of darkness, he dashes along the pavements, camouflaging against the crowds that swarm the streets. Blending with the noise of the carnival, he scampers silently towards the city gate.

Rule three: cover your plan of action.

Run. Far from here; far from this fairy-tale wonderland that had enticed him like a rose garden and pricked him like a thorn; far from the mistakes that he had made. The only option is escape.

Ningan bounds across the bridge without looking back. The streetlamps and laughter recede into distant echoes as the shadows of the forest swallow him whole. On and on, his heart pounding with every footfall. With no sense of direction, he loses himself deeper and deeper in the cursed labyrinth without a care.

Liar.

Traitor.

Fraud.

The whispers of branches taunt him from the shadows. On and on, his path twists and turns through the trees until he happens upon a stone archway. He battles his way through the brambles that tug at his clothes and tear at his flesh, until his path gives way to a pool of water. The cloaked ninja collapses at its bank and stares at the image of a sobbing man on the water's surface.

Here, in this very same spot, he had cast his Rupees into the water and prayed for his loneliness to be vanquished. Now, as he kneels at the edge of the same spring, he is overcome by isolation and solitude, and the realisation that this is a consequence of his own doing.

What have I done?

A pair of ghostly arms grips his shoulders and wrap themselves around him, pulling him back to the present. He closes his eyes as their fingers caress his neck. A forgotten voice soothes his agony.

"I forgive you."

He opens his eyes and finds the gold knight standing behind him, firmly grasping his shoulders as they overlook the spring. Ningan rises to his feet.

"Truthfully?"

"Truthfully." the soldier smiles. "You seem to finally understand the devastation you caused and the fractures you inflicted upon our friendship. It was never about the mission."

"Laurel, I am so sorry for everything." the ninja hurls his arms around his lover and hangs on for dear life. They hold each other tightly, releasing all the bitterness that had bottled-up between them into the water.

"So what now?" Ningan asks as he loosens his grip.

The soldier shrugs. "Aurarius and I are aiming east in search of a settlement where we might stock up on supplies. Yourself?"

Ningan mimics his nonchalance. "Still on the road with no particular destination in mind."

"We should keep in touch." Laurel suggests. "I'll write to you. That way, you'll know where to find me."

"Sure." Ningan agrees. "I look forward to hearing about your adventures with Aurarius."

"Then I guess this is goodbye."

They share one last departing embrace which lingers for a lifetime. The soldier steps away from the spring and onto the grass, without taking his eyes off his companion. Ningan remains planted at the water's edge as he watches Laurel retreat into the forest. Just before the glisten of his golden armour fades from view, he calls out.

"Hey, Laurel!" Ningan beckons him back. "How would you like to return to Hyrule?"