"As you know, every creature in this world possesses a sacred power. This power is called life force. The Sand of Hours is a physical manifestation of that power. And that is what brought them here."

Chapter Fifteen: Acceptance

"So, you're leaving now?"

"Yeah, why?

Link ignored the voices, being very careful to stay quiet as he packed what he could in a small bag.

"You haven't made a decision yet. So, why leave?"

'I…Something's off about Agitha and I don't really know Sheik and those girls from the capital well. If…If I'm really being hunted, I don't want anyone else getting hurt because of me,' Link thought.

"Oh…Well. Where are you going? The closest temple is the Spirit Temple/Arbiter's Grounds. But I think they won't let you in unless you're a vai…Unless…"

The idea to cross dress came to Link's mind, but he shook his head, thinking it was a bad idea. Then there was the issue of his "curse" that Aryll spoke about. She had told him that he was to head for the southern forests as there was a spring there that could cure him. The thought gave him anger and he wondered why.

"You would remove us?"

"Uh, 'us'?"

"Yes."

"Um…Link, ignore that guy. He seems crazy."

The voice the Gerudo-sounding one said was quite dark. The voice had a danger to it and something, besides the friendlier voices, told him not to even acknowledge it. It tried to speak with him again, but Link focused on getting his new boots, coat and hat. Taking his knapsack and sneaking past his sleeping friends, Link headed out of Lord Sidon's hut and into the cold.

Northern Palace, Hylia City…

Watching the snow fall again, Ganondorf stood before the window behind his throne, arms held behind his back. He was waiting for Byrne to report as he was worried about Hasan. The boy was different. Too different since leaving the desert and yesterday's fiasco in the Aboda Village ruins didn't change Ganondorf's opinion of that.

He waited for another report, but Byrne didn't answer his Sheikah Slate. So, his fears started to mount. What if Hasan turned and attacked Byrne? He had done so before when he first arrived in the castle. He attacked Impa and…

"Your Majesty! Great news!"

Ganondorf saw the reflection of Lady Veran in the glass. She was grinning and he asked, "What is it?"

"We've gotten information on where the Triforce of Wisdom is located!" she said excitedly.

"And? It's not like it'll do anything as we only have the Triforce of Courage in our possession," Ganondorf told her.

"Oh, and we're nearing obtaining the Triforce of Power from Death Valley's Great Palace," Veran continued.

'Seven years of having them in the desert and we're at "almost". Maybe Nhadala was right. All of this is a lost cause,' Ganondorf thought.

Veran went to him, showed him a map and said, "Here. You'll thank me later."

His Majesty opened the rolled-up map and gasped as three places were marked. One was the Tower of the Gods on the Great Sea. The second was Hytopia, the eastern province. The last was Mercay Isle in the reaches where the Cobble continent used to be.

"So, we go there?" Ganondorf asked.

"Yes, and the pieces are owned by three women, one under the tutelage of Madame Couture. The other is a nun at the Tower and the last is a 'privateer'. I suggest we move as quickly as possible if you want to obtain those pieces," Veran replied.

Ganondorf looked back to the outdoors again, seeing the capital under a fresh blanket of snow. That soon changed as the landscape was suddenly covered in red and he wordlessly nodded to Veran. She bowed and said, "But first, we'll keep the Tafrah under control."

She left the throne room, leaving the emperor to his silent pondering. If they went forward and go after the girls who apparently had pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom, then they risk nobles in Hytopia becoming furious and adding fuel to the fires of rebellion. And the Great Sea Alliance would declare war on the Hyrulian Empire…and they were already in a stalemate with Labrynna. And funding another war to find them…it wouldn't do well with his family's already "stellar" reputation with his subjects.

"If all that's gonna happen, I don't think you should do it, Uncle."

Riju's voice pierced his mind and Ganondorf winced in pain. The girl was getting quite powerful as she was on the other side of the palace, but she was supposed to be studying.

"I am, but your thoughts are really loud. I couldn't concentrate," Riju told him.

"Well, what do you think I should do?" Ganondorf thought aloud.

"Um…Well, Urbosa thinks that maybe you shouldn't force anyone to give up the Triforce. Maybe you should show them that you're benevolent, not at all like the other Dragmire emperors," Riju explained.

Ganondorf sighed, holding a hand to his head. There was no way that anyone would believe him. He was named after the "Great Demon King" after all. And his ancestors had a penchant for being malicious, vile and downright evil towards everyone, including their supporters. For example, his great-great-great grandfather had annihilated the forces of Hytopia, when the place was still a kingdom. But after they surrendered, he proceeded to execute the firstborn, both male and female, rich and poor, royal and commoner, to show Hyrule's power and the power of his clan.

"Yeah, our ancestors were crazy. But you're not like them. Just show them or something," Urbosa's voice rang out.

"How? We're at a war with Labrynna and fighting rebellions in Holodrum as well as monsters that appear during the Blood Moons," Ganondorf asked.

"Um…" Riju started.

"Hmm…well, you can go in disguise. And we can go with ya! Hyrule will be fine with the Council of Six running stuff for a while," Urbosa suggested.

Ganondorf shook his head, muttering, "Uh, no."

"Why not?" Riju asked.

Ganondorf didn't want to say aloud that he didn't trust the group. Especially since Impa was no longer with the group to keep an eye on them. They were the only ones who wholeheartedly supported his campaign for the complete Triforce and they never questioned him. And some of the things he had seen them do, especially regarding the Tafrah. It didn't seem right and he didn't want Hyrule to become a place where demons roamed.

"Then let's go! We can see how Hyrule is now and we can make sure that they're okay," Riju said.

Ganondorf sighed, thinking it would be a really, really bad idea. His absence would be noticeable by all. So, maybe sending Urbosa and Riju around the country would be better.

"Yeah! It'll be an 'educational' trip!" Urbosa piped up, excited at the prospect of leaving the palace.

"But after Hasan and Byrne return," Ganondorf told them.

The two groaned and Ganondorf stifled a smirk. Before they mentally signed off, Riju asked him, "Hey, Uncle. Um…"

"What?" Ganondorf asked.

"Why do you need the Triforce so badly? I know you want to wish Aunt Jamilah and Cousin Din back to life, but…You don't consider us your family now?" Riju asked.

"I…I knew you would ask this. No, I do consider you family. You, Urbosa, Impa…Hasan…" Ganondorf said, muttering the young man's name.

"But if you have us, then you don't need the whole Triforce, right? So, if you did get it, you'd wish them back?" Urbosa asked.

Ganondorf nodded, heading to his throne and sitting down. He rested his hand on his left fist and thought more about it. He was so sure that he needed the relic's power, a power that could bend the laws of reality…like the Eternity Glove from Urbosa's manga collection. He could bring his wife and child back…but he could do so much more.

'But I don't want to fall into temptation. If I was to have it, then I could…' Ganondorf said.

"You could rule the world. Seriously, think about it."

A masked Sheikah appeared and Ganondorf immediately recognized him by the red jumpsuit, black arm and shin guards, the white cowl around his neck and a mask that had the Sheikah's crying eye symbol, but upside down. He appeared by falling from the ceiling, but landing on his backside. The somewhat-out-of-shape ninja muttered, "You weren't supposed to see that, Heika."

"What do you want, Kohga?" Ganondorf said.

"Well, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with the princesses. If you were to have the whole Triforce, you could unite the world under one banner: Hyrule's! The place is called 'Hyrule' for a reason; 'High Rule'!" Kohga said.

"Um, I don't think that's it…" Riju told her uncle.

"Seriously, think about it. Why was this place chosen by the gods? It's because this place was destined to rule all others. So, getting the completed Triforce back will assure Hyrule's position in the world and…" Kohga continued.

Ganondorf slammed a fist onto the armrest and he shouted, "That is not what I want to do!"

Kohga fell silent and he told him, "The two things I would do with it is to see my wife and child alive again and ridding this world of the Malice that infects it. Everything else are your and the Council's ideas. Ideas that I oppose."

The Yiga clan Sheikah stayed quiet and Ganondorf told him, "If that's all, I suggest you leave."

Kohga bowed and muttered, "Hai…Heika."

He disappeared into shadows and the man muttered, "What has gotten into everyone? I will not become like my ancestors!"

Temple of the Ocean King, entrance…

Oshus, sensing something off, headed for the temple in the north and found the monks standing outside. They were standing worried and stumbled about as the island was rattled by an earthquake. He looked around and said, "The trio of adventurers haven't returned?"

"No, elder. The entrance to the interior collapsed just as we thought to check up on them," a monk replied.

Oshus fell to his knees, as well as the other monks, and a powerful earthquake ripped the island. The old man looked at the temple, just as the earthquake subsided. He could feel powerful energy coming from the place and it felt as if the island was about to be turned into…

"Hurry and get the islanders onto the boats. We need to evacuate to safer waters!" Oshus ordered.

The monks did as they were told and Oshus prayed, "Please, wake up, Hero, before you do something that you would regret."

"What's going on? What are you doing? Wake up!"

Bartolomeo opened his eyes, finding everything fuzzy. His head was killing him and he felt as if his limbs were heavier than usual. The brunet felt pain coming from the right side of his face and he grabbed it, shuddering as the pain was great. Doing so, he then noticed his limbs were made of stone with yellow vein-like markings on them. They were glowing in response to his pulse and he said, "Wh-What's going on? What's happening?"

He covered his mouth, hearing his voice was much different than his gruff, Labrynnan-accented voice. It was Hylian-accented, also echoic like he was an ethereal being. Wanting to check himself with the one good eye he had left, he looked around for a reflective surface. Finding a suit of Phantom armor, he picked up the helmet and saw his faint reflection.

His left eye was glowing yellow while the right was missing. His skin was dark brown, like stone, and rocky like a Goron's. Glowing veins, like the ones on his arms, were on his face and neck. His clothes were tattered and part of it torn off, exposing much of his legs and arms. Oddly enough, the vest was still okay, but looked worn, as if it was stretched to its limit. Seeing that his arms and chest was much more muscular, Bartolomeo figured that his transformation caused it.

"What is happening to me?" he asked himself.

Greeted by silence, Bart noticed that there were no Phantoms or the Gomess that attacked him. And he managed to wind up in what seemed to be the very bottom of the temple. The floor was covered in glowing tiles and there were stairs leading to the final floor, where a door with a flame-like crest waited. The last things he noticed was an empty treasure chest in the center of the room and a fallen Makar and Sheik.

"Makar! Sheik! No!" Bartolomeo shouted.

He started to run, but then noticed his footsteps were like stomps. The headache he had returned as several voices started speaking in his head at once. He collapsed and his body violently trembled as it felt as if another Blood Moon was approaching.

"H-Hey, calm down!"

Bart couldn't focus as the pain was much worse than during his lupine Blood Moon transformations. He clutched his head and curled up, the temple shaking as an earthquake had started. Crying out, the Tafrah privateer wanted the pain to end. He felt as if he was being torn apart.

"Bartolomeo! Please calm down! You'll lose control and yourself!"

"I…can't…" he screamed.

With a roar of pain, the Tafrah passed out as a specter looked on. He, glowing with golden light and dressed rather regally in silver and gold armor, muttered, "Oh no…"

The Tafrah morphed, his stone body going from humanoid to lupine within a few seconds. The red-eyed Wolfos, empowered with the earth, snarled and turned its attention to Sheik and Makar. The pair were barely alive, having fallen a long way and their bodies were broken. Not wanting them to be its meal, the specter said, "Over here! Hey! Hey!"

He clapped its hands and the Malice-Earth-Magic empowered Wolfos leapt at him. It was ineffective as the specter wasn't tangible. Clapping and shouting, the armored ghost said, "Over here!"

He was near the door with the odd fire-like emblem and the Wolfos lunged for him. It missed again, slamming its head into the door and cracking it. The monster rendered itself unconscious and the Malice that surrounded it seeped onto the floor.

The specter looked at Makar and Sheik, raising his hand and effortlessly lifted them with telekinesis. Sheik slowly awakened and asked, "Who…?"

Smiling, the specter told her, "Hey. Long time, huh?"

"L-Link…?" Sheik asked, very weak.

The image nodded and he told her, "Tell Master Mazio that I'll be a minute. You have the Phantom Hourglass, right?"

Sheik couldn't move, but she telepathically confirmed that they had it. Spectral Link was happy and said, "And give my apologies to Oshus. I didn't mean to mess up the island and the temple…and I'm sorry for hurting you."

"I know…just…come back to us safely. No matter who you turn out to be…" Sheik said.

With a wave of his hand, the injured duo disappeared and Link turned his attention to his corrupted fragment. The Wolfos woke up, growled and attempted to attack again. But this time, it was halted by telekinesis. Link held out his left hand and the beast was stopped in midair.

It struggled and the Malice began pouring out of him. The ground started to shake and parts of the ceiling broke off and fell. Link kept his hold and said, "C'mon! Listen to me! You're not gonna disappear because you are ME. Come back and don't let the Malice win!"

It bared its fangs and the tremors became more violent. But it didn't affect Link as he kept his hold on the fragment. He took a few steps, getting himself in arms' reach of the beast. It glared with red eye, locking onto Link's blue ones.

"Okay. Time to wake up!" Link shouted, his blue eyes turning gold.

The specter turned into a vibrant light and that light became blinding. The Wolfos howled in agony and began glowing with that same light. A large part of the ceiling fell and the light disappeared, leaving the basement floor empty.

"Sir? Um, young sir?"

A pirate captain in blue, along with his young son, Bartolomeo, looked up from a map of the Seas of Labyrnna. The ten-year-old Bartolomeo, dressed in swabbie gear of blue and white, sat next to his father and saw the bosun enter the captain's quarters. His father, Captain Nathaniel Ferreira, stared and asked, "What's wrong, Anselm?"

"Your wife, Lady Lucia. She's ailing sir," the bosun, Anselm, told him.

The captain jumped up from his seat and rushed for the door. The two left little Bart alone and the boy hopped out of his seat, wanting to follow. He walked through the halls of the ship, going to the third deck as that was where the infirmary was.

There, he found most of the crew standing outside of the room and his mother's cries were heard. Scared, he ran to see her, but was grabbed by one of the sailors. He squirmed and screamed, "Let me go! Let me go!"

"Bart, stop! Don't go in!" the man, Alfonzo, told him.

"But Mommy! She's…!" Bart yelled.

Alfonzo shook his head and said, "Let the medic and your father handle this."

Another loud cry and Bart asked, "Is…Is this because those Gerudo pirates…"

The sailors were silent, only the screams of the boy's mother cutting through. He remembered that they were attacked by Gerudo pirates while sailing the Sea of Storms. His mother, pregnant with his little sister or brother, had gotten badly injured when the Gerudo fired on the ship. After they repelled their attackers, the crew sailed to Crescent Island, hoping to rest and pray that their recovering First Mate would make it to Lynna City, Labrynna's capital and home to a friend that could help. But the woman went into labor as her injuries were grievous and caused too much trauma for the baby.

Another scream and Alfonzo carried Bartolomeo back to the captain quarters. There, he said, "Your mother is strong. She'll make it."

"But what if she…?" Bart started.

The door opened and his father looked quite distraught. He collapsed and cursed loudly, slamming his fist onto the floor. Alfonzo, worried, asked him, "Sir? What happened?"

"She…She…" Captain Ferreira stammered.

"Lady Lucia…?" Alfonzo started.

The captain began bawling and Alfonzo ran out of the room, presumably heading towards the infirmary. Bart knelt next to his father and he asked, "What happened?"

"She…she…she's gone. She's gone! Curse every last one of those Gerudo…pirates!" Captain Ferreira screamed, cursing very loudly.

The child fell onto his backside as he realized his mother was gone. But…

"What happened to the baby…?" Bart asked.

His father couldn't get the words out. Instead, he continued to cry. Scared, the boy headed for the infirmary, seeing the sailors carry soiled sheets and even funeral shrouds. When he entered the room, he saw his mother, eyes closed, pale and covered with a black funeral shroud. The ship's priest began saying various prayers and the boy went to his mother's side.

Alfonzo spotted him and tried to stop him when Anselm placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head. Pink colored fairies flew around and one said, "I'm sorry…We tried…We tried so hard, but she lost so much blood and…"

Bart stared at his mother, poking her arm and muttering, "Wake up. Wake up. C'mon. Wake up."

"Kid…She…She's gone…and so is the baby…" the second fairy told him.

"Mom's not dead! You got healing magic, right?! Why can't you use it?" Bart shouted.

The trio of fairies backed away and he saw a small bundle, wrapped in a funeral shroud on his mother's stomach. The priest sighed, telling him, "It was a girl. But the trauma was too much and she didn't make it."

"Then…Then, why can't they…!" Bart asked, tears welling up in his blue eyes.

He backed away, accidentally knocking over medical equipment and items. The fairies tried to console him, but the little brunet shouted, "Stay away from me! You useless fey!"

He took off, running for the upper levels. Alfonzo sighed, telling everyone, "We need to give them a proper send off."

The man bowed to Lady Lucia's remains, along with Anselm. With a final salute, they vowed to keep her son on the right path, wherever that led.

Laruto 12th, Mercay Island, Oshus' home…

"Okay, now raise your right arm…" Oshus said.

He watched as Tetra did so, painfully, and the poor child was still covered in bandaging. Despite rest, healing fairy magic, many potions and changes in wound dressing, the young woman and Korok were still recovering from the fiasco of the Temple of the Ocean King. The old man regretted allowing them in there as they recovered the Phantom Hourglass, but their companion Bartolomeo was gone. They figured he died when the temple collapsed onto itself.

Makar, nearly bandaged up like a Gibdo, scoffed and said, "Pretty sure moving a lot like that's a bad idea."

"Not really. It promotes healing and prevents atrophy. So, time to get up, Makar," a nurse told him.

He groaned and asked, "Why can't we just use Blue Potions? That'll help more than this."

"We did, but you were unconscious. And besides, we need to make sure that every muscle and bone healed up properly," Oshus answered.

Tetra sighed and told the boy, "Just be quiet. You're so impatient…"

Makar opened his mouth to retort when Master Mazio entered the home. He looked at the cot where Makar rested and then to Sheik. The Sheikah was disappointed that Makar didn't get the fact that he nearly died and that only two weeks of rest was barely enough time to get back into fighting shape.

"Seriously, I'm tired of being here. Can we go now?' Makar asked.

"Unless you want your wounds to reopen, I suggest you learn to stay put," the nurse told him.

Master Mazio was pleased he didn't have to say anything. The boy did choose to leave the other fragment in favor of rejoining their group. So, his rushing into danger and not listening to his original orders helped in the events that transpired. But they did have to get moving soon as he received word that the empire's forces were trying to invade the Great Sea. And he had to keep Tetra safe, along with her sister Hilda, as ordered by Lady Impa and the other elders.

Tetra, ending her exercises, was led back to her cot on the right side of the room and she rested. Oshus and the nurse looked to Makar and the boy whined. The Sheikah master left the recovering duo and headed for the port.

As he walked, the master saw the townsfolk rebuilding the houses and shops that fell into disrepair from the sudden earthquakes. His group joined in the repairs and he hoped that their help would get them more work. But, he could sense that they didn't really trust them. Who wouldn't, as they were a group of mostly Sheikah privateers, close to being pirates?

"Master! Master!"

Master Maizo saw one of the younger sailors, Miss Maiko, running to him. The white-wearing, silver-haired Sheikah girl looked as if she had seen a ghost and the man asked, "What is wrong, child?"

"Master, come to the bar, quick!" she said.

"Why? What's wrong?" Master Mazio asked again.

"Y-You just have to look! The bar owner's pretty spooked too!" Maiko told him.

The two headed for Mercay Tavern and saw the owner standing outside. The portly man was flustered and he said, "Um, are you his boss or guardian or whatever?"

"Who?" Master Mazio asked.

He entered the tavern and saw a familiar face. Said person wore a white shirt with turquoise-colored hakama-style pants with the sigil of Farore at the bottom. He was munching on various foods and had a mug of what seemed to be ale in front of him.

As if sensing his presence, the youth turned and Master Mazio saw that it was indeed Bartolomeo. But he had bandaging on the right side of his face, over his right eye. His left was blue as ever, but there was a feralness and confident in it that the master hadn't seen before. His hair was also darker, looking as if there was a blue tinge to his brown hair.

"Bartolomeo? I thought you…" the master said in disbelief.

"Hey, there Master Mazio," the youth told him.

His accent, still Labrynnan, was a bit heavier than usual. But questioning it would've gotten Master Mazio nowhere. So, he asked, "H-How did you get here? How did you survive?"

The youth seemed lost and all he could answer with was a shrug. The tavern owner entered and said, "This boy's eaten about 1,500 rupees worth of food and drink and when I asked, he said that you'd pay his tab. So…"

Master Mazio pulled out his wallet and sighed. He gave him three Golden Rupees, two Orange Rupees and four Silver Rupees, the total being 1,500. The tavern master's eyes widened and he said, "Th-This'll take care of it…"

Bart was done eaten and he thanked the man for the food. But, why did he eat that much? The boy never did so before as he remembered him to be a light eater.

He got off the bar stool and asked the master, "Is Tetra and Makar okay?"

"Um, no…They're still recovering from the incident in the temple. As are you," Master Mazio said, pointing at the youth's face.

He seemed to forget the injury, touching the right side of his face and muttering, "Oh."

Thanking the tavern master, Master Mazio led Bart and Maiko out of the establishment and towards Elder Oshus' residence. As they did, he could even see that the youth's gait was different. He seemed so sure of himself and walked confidently.

'Has he fully awakened? If so, then we must leave this island immediately,' the master thought.

Bart gave him a small look, one that told the master he knew what he was thinking. Seconds later, he said, "Don't worry. I'll be fine. Just have to find the others and we can finally get started."

"Uh, what?" Maiko asked, not getting it.

Master Mazio nodded and wordlessly continued to head towards the elder's hut.

Okay. So, Bartolomeo's fully awakened as a Link fragment, but what about the others? Stay tuned!

-miano53