"Wake up…"

Young Link rolled over on the cold stone floor, hugging himself for warmth. He could've sworn he heard someone whispering to him, but it must've just been the mask bothering him again.

"Link, wake up…"

The soft voice repeated itself. Young Link dismissed it again. He was hallucinating again. It happened sometimes. One can only come out of Termina with so much of their sanity.

"I told you to wake up!"

The voice went from gentle to annoyed. Young Link felt someone hit him in the head violently. He snapped his eyes open and sat up, rubbing the spot where he was hit.

"Ow! What was that for?!" he spat. The man sitting cross-legged in front of him simply crossed his arms and stared. He wore almost identical attire to Young Link in his adult form, only without the gauntlets. He also had a red cape draped over his shoulders and gold armor on his shoulders. He looked eerily similar to Young Link's adult form, though this guy was probably in his late twenties or so.

"Aw, another one?" Young Link whined. "You're kidding me. Now I have to go over my backstory again. So I was raised by this big-ass tree and-"

"I know," the man interrupted in monotone.

Young Link furrowed his eyebrows. "Oh. That makes things easier, I guess."

"Do you know who I am?" the stranger asked, his gaze still uncaring.

Young Link thought for a moment. "I don't think so. You're a version of me, though, right?"

"To be more specific," the man replied. "You're a version of me." Upon seeing his counterpart's confused expression, he added, "I'm Hylia's Chosen Hero. I'm the very first incarnation of you that's ever existed."

"You were?" Young Link expression became more serious. "Then how did all this reincarnation crap start?"

"Well, that technically started with a curse from Sky Link's final battle with Demise," Hylia's Hero explained. "I fought in a battle that took place thousands and thousands of years ago. Demise was trying to take over the land, so Hylia chose me to fight for her. But I was regrettably struck down by Demise's...eccentric servant. I'm not quite sure why Hylia decided to be reborn with me, but I believe it was so we could be together."

"Hylia," Young Link repeated hatefully. "So it was true. We were only born for the purpose of serving her. And you died in the process."

"…And?"

He raised an eyebrow at his other self's incompetence. "What do you mean 'and?!' She used us! She used you! We're just a toy to her."

Hylia's Hero smirked at him. "What's wrong with that?"

Young Link's mouth was agape in amazement. "There is something wrong with you. You don't mind being seen as a tool? To be forced to constantly serve someone until you die? And then do it again when she brings you back?!"

"Nope," the man grinned. "If Hylia chooses to see me that way, that's fine. I've always told her I only existed for her sake, so why would I get angry at her for thinking the same thing?"

"Why the hell would you think something as degrading as that?"

Hylia's Hero's smile faded. "I have memories of the lives of you, Sky, and a few in between. And Hylia – or Zelda, as you all her – has always been there to care for me after the whole 'save the world' thing."

"But she ruined our lives!" Young Link argued. "I don't want to save the same bitch for thousands of years. And it's all Hylia's fault."

"Well, then, I suppose you hate Zelda too," Hylia's Hero shrugged lazily.

Young Link blinked stupidly. "Uh, she's kind of annoying and clingy, but I don't hate her…"

"But you had to save her," the Hero continued. "And she's the one who set off the chain reaction and sealed you away for seven years."

Young Link frowned accusingly at him. "Look, I know what you're doing, and its not gonna work. You can't change the way I think."

The Hero's smirk returned. "Think what you'd like. Now, let me explain to you exactly what I am. I'm the suppressed memories of your previous life stored deep within your soul. Someone woke me up, but I'm not quite sure who."

"So we don't know who brought you here. Great," Young Link huffed sarcastically. "Do you know why?" Hylia's Hero shook his head. "Okay… Then what do we do now?"

"Simple," the Hero replied. "We break out of here."

"Okay. You distract them while I-"

"Can't," he interrupted. "I don't have a physical form. I'm just an image in your head."

Young Link rolled his eyes. "Fine. Is there anything you can do?"

"Just do what I say," Hylia's Hero ordered. "I can see behind the cell wall that Impa in coming to check on you. She's not the Impa from your time period, so don't give any signs of recognizing her. When she reaches you, ask to speak with Fi."

Before Young Link could ask any questions, a tall, slender woman strode into view behind the cell bars. She peered inside, brushing a strand of grey hair out of her piercing eyes.

"Um, can I speak to Fi?" Young Link asked hesitantly.

Impa's red eyes glared at him suspiciously. "What would you need to speak to Fi for?" she asked sternly.

Young Link's eyes shot to Hylia's Hero for a split second. "Tell her you want to ask Fi how Sky is doing," the Hero suggested.

"I wanted to see how Sky's doing," Young Link told his guard.

Impa raised an eyebrow, but turned and started back the way she came. Once she was out of sight, Young Link allowed himself a victorious fist-pump.

"Don't celebrate just yet," Hylia's Hero said, though he himself was smiling victoriously. "First we have to get Fi to let us out. When she comes, tell her that you are technically her master just as much as this era's Link. In the Era of Sky, she was Sky's companion, so by that logic she should let you escape when you command her to."

"Hey, you're not so useless after all!" Young Link complimented with a playful wink. "Oh! Here she comes."

Fi came to float in front of them expressionlessly. "Why did you call for me?"

"Well, you should know that I'm your master just as much as this world's Link. Right? So if I order you to let me go, you should." He folded his arms across his chest defiantly.

Fi was silent for several seconds. "I do not see a side to this that's beneficial to my team."

Young Link sighed and rubbed his temples, knowing this might be difficult. "Okay, then. Who's your true master?"

"The Link of the Era of Sky," Fi answered instantly.

"Correct," Young Link replied, doing his best to imitate the authority Zelda always used. "And isn't he on my side?"

"…Yes."

"And if he were here, wouldn't he want you to let me leave?" Young Link asked.

Fi stared at him for a long time, probably going over statistics in her head. "Understood," she finally said. "I shall let you go free on the condition that you go directly back to your base."

"Of course," Young Link grinned, his eyes scheming. Fi unlocked the door telepathically and allowed him to step out of the cell.

"The exit is down that way," Fi informed, nodding to her right. "I'm afraid you will be on your own from then on. I shall go back to my army." She spun around to go back the way she came, but added, "One more thing. I have not met my true Master yet, but Her Grace once told me before her death that he would be very kind to me. So, please, give him my gratitude."

Young Link nodded to her. "Will do. Thanks again." He hurried down the hall away from her, bursting through the door at the end. He threw his hands up towards the sun that beat down upon him, for once not caring about the intense heat of Death Mountain. "Woo! I did it! C'mon, Hero, let's go back."

"I know," Hylia's Hero said from within Young Link's head. "I'll stay inside your soul for now. It's not like I have a physical form out of it anyway. If I remember right, we were dragged here from straight ahead, so keep going that way. It might take us a while to get back without warping."

"How long we talking here?" Young Link asked suspiciously.

"About three or four days," Hylia's Hero estimated.

"Days?!" Young Link exclaimed. "Shit, I thought it was only a couple hours."

"Then you're living in a fantasy land," the Hero replied dryly. "You'd better get moving. We don't have any water or anything so we need to get back quick."

"Yeah…" Young Link was pretty sure he wouldn't make it all the way. His throat was already getting dry from the time he spent in his cell. "If you see a pond or something on our way back, tell me."

"Sure. I'll keep pointing you in the right direction if you get lost." With that, Hylia's Hero left his counterpart alone. Young Link took a deep breath and took his first step on his journey back.

*This was pretty short compared to the last chapter. Sorry! :( I didn't want to drag it on longer than needed. But Hylia's Hero is here~! I didn't get a very good chance to show him in all his awesomeness, though. *sigh* Oh, well. The good news is that we got Young Link back. *throws confetti* Rejoice in the return of everyone's favorite badass!

Young Link: Huzzah! :D What do I win?

*gives HW Zelda* Take this Zelda.

HW Zelda: :D I'm free~!

Scarf Link: NUUUUUU! D:

Young Link: Woo!

k bye.*