Link smiled as he watched Mipha twirl her trident. His feet created little ripples in the small pond behind his house, and he was amusing himself by turning solid and incorporeal to study the differences in the water's reaction. Apparently, even ghosts could affect water to an extent. It was… interesting.

As promised, he and Revali were on strict orders to stay home and rest. He huffed a bit. He was itching to go out and explore more of the world, but no he was stuck. At least Revali was stuck, too.

Link eyed the trident that she had been practicing with for the last hour. He eyed the sun. Shouldn't it have lost its tangibility by now? "It's been long enough… Your trident's still solid to you? Shouldn't its tangibility have expired by now?" He wondered aloud.

"I'm not sure I understand it either, but I'm grateful all the same." Mipha smiled as she ran a hand over her trident. "If our weapons remain solid to us indefinitely, then that means we can all stay armed."

"I believe it's because they were ours in life, and we're all rather attached to them." Urbosa spoke up from where she was leaning against his shed. "Much like you with your Slate."

Link sighed as he flopped down on the grass. "Look at me, I'm questioning this stuff like Zelda. I need to get out. I've been trapped inside all week." He groaned, sending a small glare towards Mipha, who just smirked back. "I don't understand why I can't go do stuff. I'm fine now."

"Perhaps, but rest will do you some good." Urbosa frowned. "You've been traveling nonstop for three years. How do you expect your body to cope with that if you don't let it rest?"

"I'll rest when I'm dead." Link deadpanned, earning a snort from Daruk.

"You are dead." Revali huffed from the tree above him, causing Link to tilt his head back a bit to catch sight of the feathered Champion.

"Oh yeah."

"Then since you're dead, you can rest." Mipha giggled.

"Don't wanna." Link frowned.

"It's like trying to get a child to take a nap." Urbosa laughed.

"He is three." Revali smirked.

"I'm almost four." Link pouted. "I woke up in the spring, and the trees are starting to bloom again. So I'm just about four."

The four champions shared a look. "When is your birthday?" Urbosa asked.

"What's a birthday?" Link rolled onto his side to stare at Urbosa in curiosity. "Can I eat it?"

Mipha frowned for a moment before adopting a more thoughtful expression. "Give us a day or so, and we'll show you what a birthday is." She decided.

"Oh?" Revali grinned. "So it's like that, then? We'll have to make note of the date."

"Perhaps Zelda will be able to give us a more concrete timeframe." Urbosa tapped her chin. "Though I suppose it doesn't really matter much, now, does it?"

"No, I suppose it doesn't." Mipha mused. "It's only fitting. Spring is the season of new life. Rebirth after death. Yes, I think Spring is the perfect season for Link's birthday."

"But what is it?" Link pouted. "Stop teasing me!"

"You'll just have to wait a day or two and see." Revali chuckled. "Are you four or a hundred and twenty?"

"Both, and I'll act however I feel like acting within that age range." He stuck out his tongue at the Rito.

Urbosa let out a booming laugh. "Come on, then. Time for your lessons."

"Already? But I thought we were done?" Link groaned. He watched as Revali tried to sneak away, only to have the Gerudo Chief shoot him a glare.

"You too, Revali."

"I already know this stuff!" He complained.

"You seem to have forgotten your etiquette lessons." She grinned. "Which is exactly what we'll be covering today. Now, come on, boys! It's time for class."

Link didn't understand why Revali had kept him outside the house all day. Sure, they'd managed to escape their lessons with Zelda under the guise of shopping for stuff for dinner, but he was actively keeping Link from the house. He had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with this birthday thing the others refused to elaborate on. He had half a mind to ask Purah or one of the villagers, but he decided to let the spirits have their fun.

"Hey, Revali?" Link gazed at the clouds from the hill by Hateno.

"Yes?" The Rito turned to curiously gaze at him.

"Did you have a family?"

The Rito went quiet for a moment. "Yes. My parents died when I was young—both were warriors. I didn't have any nestmates—rare when it comes to Rito, but entirely possible. There was another egg, but it never hatched. For us, the entire village is our family. The flock of a town could be massive enough, back then, that you could never meet every Rito. But Spire City—the place that's now known as Rito Village—was always smaller than the other cities and towns. We all knew each other. So in a sense, you could say that everyone from Spire City was my family."

"Do you think it's better?" He asked softly. "I feel so guilty that I can't remember them… Did I have a mother? Father? What were they like? What was my sister like? Were we close, or did we fight like I sometimes see Hylian children do? Was… Did… did they love me? Were they proud of me? Are they… I can't remember them." He draped his arm over his face to block out the sun. Revali stayed quiet as he let Link sort out his thoughts. "It feels wrong, but some part of me is scared… terrified of remembering them… Won't it be painful? But isn't it worse to sit and wonder? I can't even remember a voice or a face… I can't even honor their memories."

Revali was silent for a long while, letting the heavy statement sit in their minds. "I'm not sure about your situation entirely, but personally… Even though the memories are painful, I wouldn't trade those precious memories for anything. It's because of the people I care about that I'm here today… even if I am a ghost, now. And you know, Link?" He waited until Link turned to look over at him. "You're one of those people. So even if you don't remember, we will… and that's okay. It's not like you chose to forget… you don't have to remember if you don't want to."

Link smiled, sitting up and giving Revali a grateful look. "Thanks… brother…"

"You tell anyone and you'll be finding durian spikes in your bed for weeks." The Rito promised. "Now come on, I think it's time we head back to the house."

"So I'm finally going to get to see what a birthday is?"

"I suppose so." Revali gave him a tilted smirk as they walked back towards his home. The first thing Link noticed was all the colorful paper strewn about his yard. Purah was standing there, a smirk on her face.

"A little birdie told me today was a special day." She chuckled as Symin carried something into the house.

Revali scowled. "Don't call me that."

"Revali's not little?" Link frowned.

"It's a saying." Purah waved her hand. "Anyways, come on! Oh, and gimme that Slate, I must take pictures!"

"Make your own Slate!" Link huffed as he handed it over to the not-child.

"I would if someone would bring me more Sheikah tech pieces!"

"Do you know how many Ancient Screws I've collected for you and Robbie?!" Link opened his mouth to continue complaining when he stepped inside and caught sight of everything.

There were colorful streams of paper unraveling from the ceiling and a massive cake sat happily on the table with four little sticks stuck into it. The writing on the cake said "Happy Birthday, Link!" and he was truly baffled by this… whatever it was. Was it a celebration?

"Happy Birthday!" Everyone shouted together.

"Happy Birthday, Link!" He startled, eyeing the multicolored streamers with confusion.

"Wh-what?" He stared at his parents, perplexed.

Lyra giggled as she ran up to him, taking his hand cheerfully. Her golden curls bounced as she hopped excitedly. "Did you forget your own birthday, silly?!" Her azure-green eyes sparkled.

"It's…?" He blinked before laughing a bit, himself. "I completely forgot!"

"Well maybe if you weren't out playing in those woods all the time, you might actually remember what the day is." His mother placed her fists on her hips, a teasing smile playing on her lips.

"I can't help it! I love the woods." He grinned, ignoring the odd twisting feeling in his gut when he remembered the voice that'd called out to him before his sister retrieved him.

"Oh, my baby boy is growing up so fast! Already seven!" She wrapped him in a hug, brown curls bouncing like his sister's.

"Only seven and already able to best most of my men!" His father laughed heartily, green eyes glowing with mirth. "I'm so proud of you, son."

Link smiled at them. "I mean, maybe you should just train 'em better, dad?" He teased, snickering at his father's playful shout.

"Big Brother's the best swordsman!" Lyra beamed. "He can beat even the Heroes!"

"I'm not sure I'm that good, Lyra." Link corrected as he picked up his sister. "They're heroes after all. Now, there's a lot of candles here. Think you can help me blow 'em out?"

"YES!" She laughed gleefully, voice raising to an almost painful pitch.

"All right, you two." Their mother grinned. "Ready? One… two…"

"Link?" Zelda questioned as he shook himself.

"Sorry, I just…"

"Got back a memory?" Purah guessed, and he nodded.

"My seventh birthday." He smiled softly. "Apparently I forgot it. Lyra teased me." He laughed a bit. It was the first time he'd ever remembered his family. It was bittersweet, and he wasn't entirely sure what to make of it, but the love he'd felt from them was undeniable.

It was also the same love he felt from the people here in this room with him. He grinned. "So a birthday is a celebration!" He declared, causing them to relax a bit.

"It's a celebration of the day you were born. A way to show how happy we are that you're here with us." Purah explained. "What did you think it was?"

"I dunno?" Link shrugged. "A food?"

Zelda laughed. "No, but the cake is. Symin was kind enough to make it for us."

Link grinned as he took the Slate back from Purah and quickly stored the cake before pulling it out again. "There. Now we can all enjoy it!"

It was a birthday Link would do everything in his power to never forget. From Purah dancing on the table to Revali snorting in amusement so hard that milk came out of his beak; he would capture it all with his Slate in the hopes of never forgetting it again.

That night, while Symin and Daruk cleaned up the mess they'd left behind—Zelda having forbade him from helping—Link made his way out to the roof of his house. The stars were almost entirely obscured by clouds, creating an inky darkness that slithered around the light of the crescent moon.

"You know, there was a time when I couldn't turn around without seeing you there." Zelda's voice floated gently in the space between them as she settled herself down beside him. "Now, I must seek you out."

Link remained silent, mind drifting as Zelda allowed the quiet to encompass them both.

"I don't really remember much." He admitted softly. "Today was the first time I remembered any kind of family. I had a mother… a father… a sister." He clenched his fist weakly. "And now they're gone."

Zelda gazed at the stars for a long moment. "Do you regret remembering them?"

"No." He answered after a long period of silence. "I really don't. It… it hurts, but… But they're still practically strangers to me. And I really think that hurts more."

Zelda winced, seemingly unable to come up with anything to say to that. The silence stretched on between them until it became both too heavy to break, and too awkward to leave. Finally, the late princess spoke up.

"You know, there was a time when I thought I may have been falling in love with you." She mused. "But then I saw how Mipha looked at you… and I felt like an intruder. Who was I to step between you two when you'd known one another for so long? But the feelings wouldn't go away. So I tried distancing myself from you. But you never left me alone, ever the proper knight. And then you saved me during a trip to Gerudo City, and I couldn't deny it any longer. I finally spoke to Mipha about it thereafter." She sighed, draping an arm over her eyes. "And that was when I realized… What the two of us felt for you was entirely different. But I'd no idea how at the time."

Link turned to look at her, going over the few memories he had of those days. He'd felt… something for Zelda, that much was undeniable. But he agreed that what he felt towards Mipha—even now—was entirely different from how he felt towards the Hylian princess.

"I finally figured it out. It took traveling beside you with everyone, but I think I finally understand what this is." She turned to look at him. "I do love you, Link, but not like Mipha. I love you like a sister would a brother. The pull is our spirits—reincarnated together for eons—resonating with one another."

Link felt a massive weight drop from his shoulders as a smile spread across his face. "I think that sums it up nicely." That incessant tug toward Zelda… of course it would be because of that. They'd known one another for countless lifetimes, so it made sense that their spirits would be comfortable together.

"So… um, yes… I… just wanted to say that." She flushed a bit. Link grinned and ruffled her hair, eliciting an outcry from the princess. "LINK!" She glared furiously as she tried to put her hair back in order.

"Yes, dear baby sister?" He chuckled.

"I'll have you know—"

"I was at least eighteen when you turned 17." He cut her off. "We've both been around for a century, and neither of us were aware of the world during that time. You can't pull the age card on me." He smirked. "I'm the older brother."

"Oh, now I see why the princess of Minori complained about having three elder brothers." She huffed, crossing her arms with a wry smile.

Link felt an air of ease settle between them. Like a puzzle piece finally clicked into place, and most of the awkwardness that had been there had dissipated like the Malice of a Blood Moon.

A mischievous grin spread across Zelda's face, making Link give her a wary glance. "What's with that look?"

"Let's go visit the Castle." She stated suddenly, and Link almost phased through the roof in surprise.

"What?!" He shouted, and Zelda quickly hushed him, glancing around to assure herself that the others hadn't heard. "Zelda, we can't just—"

"Just us. Come on, where's your rebellious streak?" She gave him a challenging smirk. "You obviously need something to get your mind out of this rut you're falling into, and there's something I wanted to retrieve."

"And what is so urgent that you need to go now?" He crossed his arms. If Revali found out he snuck out without him, he'd be in some serious trouble.

"It's not urgent." She sent him a knowing grin, shadowed with mischief. "But you can't tell me you're not sick of being cooped up in here?"

He hesitated. The offer of adventure was far too tempting. "And what will we tell the others?"

"We won't." Zelda smirked. "Just you and me. We'll be there and back before they even realize we're gone."

"This sounds like a horrible idea." He groaned. Zelda raised an eyebrow and held out a hand towards him. "If Urbosa finds out, we're both dead. I'd like to make it known that I'm an unwilling victim in this."

"I'm not kidnapping you."

"I just turned four, what would you call it?" He sent her a smirk as he took her hand.

"I call it a bad influence." She cackled lowly.

"Just to warn you, my Slate has a teleportation cool-down of one hour, unless we can get to another Shrine. Freely teleporting—that is, teleporting from somewhere that isn't a Tower or Shrine—can only be done once in an hour. If we go there, we can't just teleport away from trouble." He frowned. He didn't have a good feeling about this, all of a sudden.

"It'll be fine." She huffed. "We can just tell the others that we've gone for a walk and lost track of time talking. Besides, if we run into trouble, we'll just stay incorporeal. Well, I won't need to worry about this, hopefully…"

"The others are solid to monsters as ghosts. You may be, too." He fought the urge to tattle to Urbosa about Zelda's idea, now. Sure, moments ago it had seemed fine, but… something was off, here. There was an air of danger about the idea that he really didn't like. Perhaps it was just because that was the location he'd died at, but the thought of returning to the castle was frightening to him. "Perhaps we should bring the others…"

"It'll be fine, Link!" She insisted. "We're already dead, what's the worst thing that could happen to us?"

He frowned. "Did you really just say that? Did you honestly just tempt the fates?"

"I tempted nothing that wasn't already out to get us in the first place." She crossed her arms. "Please, Link? There's something very important I need from my study, and I'd honestly love to get out of this Goddess forsaken dress I've been stuck in for the last century." She gestured towards her white prayer dress which was stained in blood and mud from their run from the Calamity.

He was about to say no. About to insist they bring at least one other person along, but then he saw Zelda's pleading eyes. That shine of unshed tears and a sort of desperation that made his heart hurt.

"Why just us?" He whispered.

"Because it only feels right." She answered just as softly. "Link, that place is our final resting place. I… Just this once… the first time we return… I want you by my side. You and nobody else."

He sighed, unable to tell her no when she looked at him with such a pitiful gaze. "All right. But just in and out." She grinned as Link pulled out his Slate, hesitating as he held his finger over the icon for the Saas Ko'sah Shrine. She tightened her grip on his arm as he gathered his courage—wasn't that what his Triforce had chosen him for?—and tapped it. They dissolved into tendrils of blue, even as his gut twisted with uncertainty.

He realized, as they rematerialized in the docks of Hyrule Castle, that this was the furthest he'd knowingly been from the other Champions since his death. A sort of hollowness filled him that Zelda didn't seem to have. Suddenly, he was accosted with the same biting loneliness that he'd become so accustomed to during his journey. That soul-devouring iciness that he hadn't even realized had vanished with his death. What had once been tolerable—even normal—was now an ache that left him feeling like Ganon had impaled him all over again.

He shook himself, concentrating on the very real Zelda that stood to his left, gazing around the docks that she had once known so well with a sorrow that Link wished he could relate to, if only so she wouldn't feel so alone.

"Thank you, Link." She whispered softly as she took his hand. "Do you remember the way to my rooms?" He shook his head, half distracted by a feeling of something being off. He couldn't quite place what it was, but it was bothering him. Something was very different from the last time he was here. "That's all right. I do. I'll lead the way."

It wasn't until they ascended the stairs that he realized why the castle felt so odd. The ever oppressive Malice that had smothered him the entire time he'd been in the confines of the Hyrule Castle Ruins was gone. Nothing but a small wisp of the once cloying substance remained. He could breathe, now, and that was mildly weirding him out a bit.

Link had been to the castle several times before his fight with Ganon, both to gather supplies and explore. He was pretty familiar with the layout of the castle, but he still didn't know the way to Zelda's rooms by heart.

It wasn't long before they found their first monster—a silver moblin. It lumbered around the hallway, muttering nonsense that Link couldn't decipher despite knowing the basics of their tongue. Link cautiously approached from behind, gesturing for Zelda to stay put. His sneak attack was pulled off flawlessly, and he prayed to Nayru that he'd be able to do that with every monster they came across.

Unfortunately, their next monster was just two halls down, and it was a golden lizalfos. Link cursed under his breath as Zelda went a little pale. Thus far, the golden monsters had given him enough trouble that he needed the help of at least one Champion. He handed Zelda a bow and shot her a meaningful look.

"No going back, now." He whispered.

"I know." She nodded, grip tightening around the bow. "I assure you; what I'm after is worth it."

With a silent prayer to Din for strength, Link whipped around the corner, charging the golden monster, who brought up a boomerang just in time to block his strike. Link cursed as he leapt back, barely avoiding a slash from its tail, which… had it tied a weapon to its own tail?! It had. It had seemingly broken off the blade of a sword and secured it to its own tail.

The lizalfos gave a low hiss that gave him the distinct impression of pleasantly surprised. Not the effect he was going for, that's for sure. He ducked under a swipe from the boomerang, keeping an eye on the tail. He failed to see the way it drew back, and the wind was knocked out of him when its tongue lashed out like lightning.

He coughed, jumping to the side on reflex. An arrow whizzed by his face, burying itself in the lizalfos' shoulder, eliciting a hiss of pain. He capitalized on the monster's distraction as he buried his own blade in its abdomen, but instead of falling, it grasped the blade with what felt distinctly like a smirk.

A sudden instinct had him abandoning his blade in the monster, leaping back with just enough time to avoid a nasty shock. "It's electric?!" It hadn't looked electric! He instantly grabbed the next available weapon in his inventory—a spear. He shiftedShifting his stance to better accommodate his new weapon. A bit of distance would do him some good with an electric enemy.

He moved the same moment the lizalfos did, and the intelligent gleam to the monster's eye unnerved him more than he'd like to admit. It analyzed his movements. It was testing him in a way that vaguely reminded him of something that he couldn't place his finger on.

He lashed out with his spear, aiming for something vital, but it was much faster than a normal lizalfos. Another arrow missed the monster by inches, and it finally took notice of the spirit hiding behind the pile of rubble. It gave a nasty grin and Link was quick to jab his spear at the beast.

"Your enemy is right here." He practically hissed, drawing its attention back to himself. It scowled, tightening its grip on its own weapon as its horn sparked a bit. Link went to dodge what he thought was an oncoming electric discharge, but instead he was met with a boomerang to the arm. He bit his lip as he dropped his spear and grabbed the sword that still impaled the creature, twisting it as he forcefully pulled it out. The lizalfos hissed as it spat up black blood, clutching at its injury with a hateful glare.

It wasn't even a minute until it bled out, and Link let out a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure if it was luck or what, but he managed to get away with nothing but a scratch.

"Are you all right?" Zelda asked as she came over, keeping a healthily cautious eye on the corpse.

"Yeah… just a scratch." He assured her, though the gash was fairly deep. He would probably need to be careful of that arm for a little bit. It was shallow enough for him to shrug off, but deep enough for it to affect his battle performance if he wasn't careful.

"I never thought one of those golden monsters would be here." Zelda frowned.

"Neither did I." Link agreed. "There might be more… we should be careful."

"We're nearly to my rooms, now." She sighed. "My study can only be reached through my room, so we'll just grab what I need and then head back."

"I doubt it's been an hour yet…" Link eyed the small timer on his Slate that counted down how long it would be until they could teleport again. "Still have another forty minutes… We'll need to head back to the Shrine if we want to teleport before then, the Slate won't have enough power to 'port us before then."

"Right." Zelda sighed. "I'm sorry, Link… you were right. I should've let the others come with us."

"It's okay." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "So long as we're careful, there won't be anything for us to worry about."

Zelda's rooms were just a tower and a bridge away, but it was on that bridge that they both got a good look at the Castle Grounds. Link's heart leapt into his throat. "By Hylia…" He whispered.

"What is… it…" She trailed off when she caught sight of what he did.

They both knew the castle would be swarming with monsters, but what they hadn't expected was for most of those monsters to be golden. Link abruptly realized how lucky they'd been to have run into a silver moblin instead of a golden one when they'd initially arrived. He counted at least thirty golden monsters down there.

Suddenly, the idea of going back through the castle to reach the Shrine sounded foolish. "Maybe we should wait out the last half hour or so in your study." He suggested.

"I agree." She nodded as she gently tugged him along towards her rooms. "Come on. Sorry for dragging you this way… I really had no idea…"

"None of us did." He reassured her as they entered her old quarters. Zelda took in her room with a nostalgic sigh. Dust and debris were everywhere.

"Oh, what a mess. Regina would have my head if she saw this…" She gave a watery laugh. "She was my old handmaid. Always on my case about keeping my room clean." She went to run a hand along her dusty bookshelf, only for her face to scrunch up with grief when she realized her hand passed through it. Not a speck of dust moved.

"Here." Link solidified as he stepped towards her, tiny puffs of dust rising with each footstep. He eyed the window, wondering how it had survived a century without a crack. He reached past the princess and pulled down the book she had reached for.

"Thank you…" She sighed. "It's silly, isn't it? I've known I was dead, but… it's just so frustrating. You know… I wasn't fully aware during this last century… it's all been a blur. Just a constant struggle that kept me mostly unaware of the world. I knew it'd been a hundred years, but not… It hadn't really set in until I started to travel with you. I just… It honestly feels like everything happened only a few months ago at most, and I…"

Link wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Link, everyone I know and love is dead. Even you are dead. How… how am I to continue when there's nothing left?"

"There's plenty left." He corrected her, walking her towards the window. He carefully pushed it open, coughing a bit at the dust that fell like rain. "Look, what do you see?"

"I… I see ruins… and trees and monsters." She hiccuped a bit.

"Do you know what I see?" He asked her softly, and she looked at him, confused. "I see Rito flying in the distance. I see trees growing and thriving in rich soil that can produce healthy crops. I see water and air and life, Zelda. There is life. And where there is life, there is a future. It may not be like our past, but it doesn't have to be. These people don't know what they've lost. They have adapted to the now. It isn't sad, it's… it's just the way life is. Life changes, and that's okay. It's okay to miss what was, but don't get so caught up in missing what is gone that you can't appreciate what is now." He squeezed her hand. "Right now, you have us. Myself, the Champions, even Purah! You aren't alone…" Not like I was.

She sniffled a bit and wiped a tear from her eye. "Yes… Yes, you're right." She turned to him with a bright grin. "Then come on, help me look through some of this, would you?"

"Of course." He smiled softly as he followed behind her, opening doors and drawers and shifting through her belongings whenever she asked him to. At one point, he'd turned a very interesting shade of red—almost as dark as Zelda herself had—when she had mistakenly asked him to open her old underwear drawer.

He stored whatever she wanted to keep in his Slate, and he couldn't help but smile a bit as she excitedly asked him to store her entire collection of books. Link wasn't sure if the Sheikah knew they'd be storing half a library in this Slate when they made it, but he was very glad they gave it enough space to handle it. Perhaps he'd ask Purah to replicate his Slate so Zelda could have her own.

"Link, can you pull out my traveling outfit, please? I don't think I can stand this prayer dress any longer."

He chuckled a bit as he pulled the clothing out of the Slate, smiling at the outfit she often wore whenever they'd go looking at Shrines or Divine Beasts. "Here." He handed it over before turning around, giving her some privacy to change.

"There. Much better." She smiled to herself as she looked in the mirror. Link quickly pulled out her hairbrush and held it up in question. She smiled and turned away from him, letting him brush out the knots and dirt from her hair.

While he was sure he'd never done someone else's hair before, his fingers glided through her locks with a skill he found himself enraptured by. He nimbly started twisting locks of hair together, forming an intricate braid he'd never seen before. When he was done, he tied it off with a ribbon he had in his Slate.

"Oh, Link, why didn't you tell me you could braid so well!" She laughed as she spun around, grinning at herself in the mirror. "I can't remember the last time I felt so much like myself!"

"You look much better." He grinned.

"You know…" She eyed her reflection. "I may like to try short hair."

"Short hair, huh?" He tilted his head. "I think you could make it work." He checked the time on the Slate. "Twenty minutes until we can 'port out." He sighed. "Hylia, it's like waiting for a Blood Moon to rise."

"Come on." She gently tugged his sleeve. "My Study is this way…" She twisted an odd knot hidden in the design of her now empty bookshelf. It swung open with a loud creak. "I hid this from my Father. He would never have approved of such a…. waste of time."

They made their way up a spiral staircase, and Link smiled as they entered her Study. Papers were strewn about and a few things had been knocked off a shelf. A window was open, hanging on its last hinge. Link noted one box in particular that had been knocked off a shelf and had fallen upon its side, but it was completely empty. Perhaps whatever had been inside had been lost to time.

Zelda smiled softly as she ghosted around the room. "It's an absolute disaster, but I suppose that's to be expected. Link, can you open a few drawers for me?"

"Of course." He chuckled a bit as he started storing different books and stacks of papers in his Slate. "You know, we really should get you a Slate of your own, at this rate." He mused.

"I'll have you know that Slate was mine at one time." She huffed.

"Finders keepers." He stuck his tongue out at her, eliciting a startled laugh.

"There! There it is!" She grinned, pointing towards a little blue book. It was weathered and old, but still seemed to be in one piece. Loose papers were sticking out of it, and Link had the vague recollection of seeing her with it often Before.

He picked it up, setting it in his Slate so it would stay safe. "Is that it?"

"Yes, that's all I need. I think we've managed to get everything." She nodded. "How much longer on the Slate?"

"Ten minutes." He sighed, sending the screen a small glare.

"In that case… would you mind if we went back to my room? I'd… rather not stay here…" She glanced around her Study with an odd mixture of guilt and longing.

"Sure." He nodded as they made their way back towards her room.

Zelda hesitated a moment once they reached her bedroom, sending Link a nervous glance. "Do you mind if we…?"

He gave her a small smile with a gentle shake of his head. She nodded her head in thanks before she phased right through her door and went out onto the bridge. Link followed, walking through the door as well. She stood at the edge, staring out over what had once been her kingdom.

Link stood at her side, desperately trying to remember the same kingdom that she did. Had that forest in the distance always been there? Where had the towns been? How big had Castle Town been before The Great Calamity destroyed it all?

A small gasp behind them made Link whirl around, blade firmly in hand. It took a moment before he realized it wasn't a monster but a person. A person with the steady glow of Spirit Flames about them.

He had long brown hair with streaks of grey and a defined shadow of stubble, giving him a ruggish look. He held himself proudly and the sword on his back, along with his uniform, told Link he was staring at one of Hyrule's fallen knights.

The man stared at Link and Zelda for a moment before pulling himself into a well-practiced and fluid kneeling position. "Y-Your Majesty!"

Zelda blinked. "Sir Reynold?" A small smile flitted across her lips.

"I'm honored you remember my name."

"Please rise. The royal family is gone, there is no need for such formalities." She gave a soft sigh. Reynold hesitated a moment before rising, sending a curious glance towards Link.

"Hero General Link, it is good to see you again." He smiled.

Link felt a pang of guilt travel through him as he glanced at Zelda. Would it be better to stay silent? To let him believe that Link remembered him?

"Ah, Hero General was your official title. It's tradition to grant it to the Hero who wields the Sword—I can't remember when it was reestablished, but it was apparently something that they did back with the First Hero." Zelda explained, obviously having misunderstood his glance.

Reynold gave a puzzled frown as Link sighed. "I'm afraid I've lost my memories." He stated, and the knight before them startled badly at the sound of his voice. Had he really been silent even back then?

"Lost your memories?" He echoed, a look of sorrow passing over him. "Of everything?"

"Yes." Link ran a hand through his hair, and he couldn't help but notice the way the knight watched his every expression. Having watched a few of his own memories, he supposed he could understand… his old self used to be less expressiveexpressionate than a stone wall. "I remember almost nothing from before the Great Calamity."

"Perhaps it is a blessing, then." Reynold nodded. "While we didn't see your battle, we all know that you were the one who defeated Calamity Ganon. On behalf of everyone, I thank you." He gave Link a low bow.

"Everyone…? Are there others here?" Zelda questioned softly.

"Myself and a couple hundred knights stayed behind in the hopes of doing something." He nodded. "Among the Captains areis myself, Captain Raymond, Captain Fitzgerald, Captain Iris, Captain Tajmir, Captain Vizrol, and Captain Xenith."

The names sounded vaguely familiar, and he felt more inclined to like the names Raymond, Iris and Xenith, but he had no memories of these individuals. People he'd apparently known.

"Captain Raymond stayed?" Zelda asked, glancing at Link.

"And his small team." Reynold nodded.

"Your old team, from before you became a Royal Knight." Zelda explained.

"I… I had a team?" He didn't miss the small wince from Reynold.

"Yes. You were… rather close with some of them." The older knight answered.

A small ding and a near silent vibration had Link's hand on his Slate. "The teleportation's ready." He glanced at Zelda.

"We should probably return before Urbosa and the others." She agreed.

"Just a moment." Reynold spoke up. "If I may, I would like to inform the others of your presence."

"I'm okay with it if you are, Link." Zelda looked at him with a delicately raised eyebrow.

"I'm all right with it… but if they're people I used to know, you may want to warn them of my amnesia." He scratched the back of his head a bit. "I don't want to get their hopes up if we were friends. I've bought a house in Hateno, but you won't find me there often. I like to move around a lot, but it's your best chance of finding me with any consistency."

"You… have bought a house?" Reynold looked at him perplexed. "Wait a moment… are you… not dead?"

"That's… erm… a bit of a complicated question to answer." Zelda hummed a bit as Link gave a groan.

"I am dead, but I can still interact with the living as if I were alive. They can see me, touch me, hear me… many of them are unaware of my… less than alive state." Link picked up.

Reynold shook his head with a fond smile. "So even death cannot keep the Hero down. Truly, even without your memories you are still the same resilient man we've all looked up to."

Link wasn't sure what to think about that as Zelda wrapped her arm around his. "Come on, Link. Let's go home. It was lovely to speak with you again, Sir Reynold."

With a final smile of farewell, Link and Zelda vanished into tendrils of blue and rose into the sky.