Chapter 7

After obtaining the Pendant of Courage, Link immediately set out for the southwest portion of Hyrule, where the Pendent of Power waited for them in the Gerudo Desert. They were running low on supplies, specifically food and water, so they decided to make a quick stop at Kakariko Village. However, they were not met with a warm welcome by the citizens of the thriving metropolis.

Unbeknownst to Link, Aganihm had taken control of the throne. He told the Hylians that this was only a temporary rule, until Princess Zelda could be found. Aganihm then labeled Link as an enemy of the land, saying that they were the one who killed the king and queen before kidnapping the princess. As soon as Link set foot in the village, they were on enemy territory. Aganihm had placed a large bounty on Link's head, wanted posters with the child's face lined the walls of the city. And as Link ran as fast as they could from the town guards, passing the pictures plastering the streets with their face, the Links in the prints seemed to almost stare back at them, a dark reflection of the true Link.

Finally, Link made their way to the desert, but with no food, no water, and the desert sun beating down upon their porcelain pale skin, Link was not in good shape. They trekked through the desert, panting with each heavy step. The sweat that accumulated on Link's forehead became the only moisture around. And after the horrible experience they had in Kakariko, Link felt more alone than they ever had in their entire life.

The heat was now really starting to get to Link, to the point where the Hylan teen's mind became slowly and slowly as broken and warped as their body was. Off in the distance, Link could see their house, just standing atop a sand dune, just as it had rested on the hill back home. But this was their home? Was it not? Link looked around to see the same old trees in the same old forest that surrounded their childhood home. Finally, their quest was over. Link was home.

Link began to run into their house in a full sprint before…

THUD

The six year old Link had tripped over a rough patch of dirt and fell, scraping their knee. They felt warm blood slip through the cracks in their tiny fingers as they began to cry out, sobbing in pain.

"Link! Sweatie, are you ok?" Lavena Kokiri asked.

Suddenly, Link's mother knelt at their side. Even while kneeling, the Zonai woman towered over her child, her long red hair sweeping against the dirt as she moved her face closer to Link's.

"Show me where it hurts".

Link's cry softened to a small whimper as they removed their hands from their knee. Lavena took a quick look at the injury. She then used the long sleeves of her robes to wipe away Link's tears before cradling their face.

"I know just the thing to make this all better".

Lavena then walked over to a nearby tree and picked a single leaf off of it's branch. She then covered the Link's cut with it and placed both hands firmly on their knee before speaking a few words that Link couldn't understand. When she lifted her hands of the wounded area, it was all healed. Link was confused.

"Is...is the leaf gone?" Link asked their mother.

"Yes, it is" the mage replied.

"F...forever?"

"No, not forever, it will be back eventually".

Link tilted their head to the side, confused.

"Link, do you wanna know a secret?"

The young Link nodded.

"Ok, but you have to keep it from everyone"

Link made a zipping gesture across their lips.

"That leaf has been a million leaves before, and everytime it goes away, it's gone for a while. But eventually, after a very long time the stuff that makes up the leaf will come back together in the same way and the leaf will live again. This is true of everything you see. Nothing has a beginning or an end, it's all just the same stuff being formed and reformed in an endless cycle that will eventually repeat in the same way. Do you understand, Link?"

At the time, they didn't. They were just a child, for them the most painful thing in the world was scraping your knee. There was no way that they could comprehend this truth of the universe. But experiencing this memory again, Link started to understand what their mother was trying to get across. They didn't fully understand yet, but they would. In time they would.

Link closed their eyes for a second. When they opened them, their mother was gone, they were back in the desert. Link picked themselves up and looked off into the distance. The palace was now in view. Link only needed to travel a few more hours until they reached it, but that was easier said than done. The heat. Oh the heat was unbearable! Link had to take their cap off and roll up their sleeves. Perhaps, if they were able to stop in Kakariko Village, they could've bought an outfit that would be better suited to the brutal climate of Gerudo Desert. Instead, Link was forced to trudge forward in a cotton tunic, leggings, and leather boots, feeling now more like a heavy suit of armor with every step they took. Link desperately needed to cool down in any way possible. If only there was some sort of oasis around.

'Wait a minute, is that what I think it is?' Link thought.

Just in front of them was a beautiful, sparkling oasis, surrounded with fertile plant life. Link wondered how they could have missed it. But questions like that need not matter in such a situation. Link dropped down to their knees and began scooping up water with their hands before eventually just putting their face to the moisture and lapping it up. Then, after Link's thirst was quenched, they opened their eyes to quite an odd sight. The first thing they saw was their reflection, but it wasn't that of a normal Hylian. Instead, it was some sort of strange rabbit like creature, with long, floppy ears, and covered in fur, the same pale pink that the Hylian's hair had been just moments ago. Shocked, Link recoiled back, landing on their rear.

Once again, they were no longer in the desert, but this wasn't a pleasant memory from Link's youth. In fact, it wasn't even Hyrule. The sky was a sickly green, speckled with ominous black clouds. All around them was dead grass, a field of only decay. And the stench, oh the stench. The air was so full of spores and dust that Link found themselves yearning for the time they spent in the sewers of Hyrule Castle town. This whole place seemed like some sort of twisted reflection of the Hyrule that Link had known, a world of darkness. Was this another hallucination? Was this the underworld? Or was this a twisted spell that Aganihm placed in an effort to halt Link's progress?

Link surveyed this strange land once more, in an attempt to find any sign of life in this field of death. Finally, Link spotted something. But upon further examination, it became clear that the creature would not be a kind one. In fact, it looked a lot like a wolf. A wolf with pitch black fur and eyes that seemed to glow a devilish red.

'Uh oh' Link tried to say, but in this form they were only able to let out a couple of squeaks.

The wolf began barreling towards Link, fangs bared. Link tried to grab onto their sword, but for some reason they weren't able to get any kind of grip on it. They pulled their arm down to see what the problem was. Instead of hands, Link was met with the sight of two soft pink paws, unable to hold a stick, let alone a sword.

Link looked back up to see that the wolf was now right in front of them. Before they could react, the wolf bit into Link's side, plunging it's fangs deep into their flesh. Link let out a loud, high pitched squeak before finally blacking out.

Link jolted awake screaming. They stopped soon after, relieved that they were now able to speak like a Hylian again. Link examined their body to confirm their suspicions. To their relief, they were back in their original body. Link sighed in relief. This relief, however, was short lived, as Link looked around to find themselves laying in complete darkness. The floor was covered in a shallow layer of water, but this was the only thing they could make out, everything else was black. Link stood up.

"Hello!?" They exclaimed.

Their cries echoed throughout this realm of emptiness.

"...Link" a voice whispered.

Link jumped backwards, startled.

"Who's there?!"

"Link!" the low voice shouted this time, booming throughout the realm.

A few seconds of silence followed.

"What is it that you want, Link?" the voice said, returning to an echoey whisper.

"Power? I can give you all the power you desire"

Link tried to run away, splashing with every step they took.

"Or is it riches? You can have all the rupees you desire, Link"

"No! No, I don't want this, just take me home?" Link cried out.

"Home? Your home? Where you are alone? Do you really want to go back to that empty husk of isolation?"

Link stopped.

"What about your real home? The one that exists only in your memories, with two loving mothers, a caring uncle, and not a worry in the world. I can give it to you. Just say the words and you'll be at your front door, rushed into the warm embrace or your family, away from this grueling destiny. I can make you happy again, all you have to do is give up".

Tears began welling from Link's eyes, adding themselves to the water on the floor.

"No! I can't!" Link screamed through tears.

"Why not? There's no way you can win against me. A broken, pink haired orphan stands no chance against the mighty Ganon!"

Link fell to their knees and looked down at the pool beneath them. They looked at their reflection, the reflection of a broken, pink haired orphan. The reflection of Link. The reflection of the child trained by the greatest archer and the most powerful sorcerer in all of Hyrule. Half Sheikah, a people of honor and wisdom. Half Zonai, warriors with unimaginable power. And Link, the child with the courage to defeat Ganon.

"Never!"

Link slammed their fist into the ground, causing it to shatter beneath them.

Link fell, and fell, and fell, until they finally landed softly on their back, and in a field of flowers. Link looked up and the bright blue sky, squinting as their eyes adjusted to the light. Link sat up in the picturesque landscape, where they found a pleasant surprise sitting just in front of them.

"Z...Zelda?"

The princess nodded.

"Is...is this real?"

"It can be, for now. Here, this will make you feel better".

She handed them a heart shaped bottle containing a sparkling red liquid. Link drank the whole thing as fast as possible. Zelda giggled as she watched her friend down an entire healing potion in an instant.

"Link, it's all ok now, you can rest".

Link began to lie down, resting their head on Zelda's thighs.

"Zelda?"

"Yes, Link?"

"Am I still broken?"

Zelda stroked Link's hair as she answered.

"You never were".