The Legend of Zelda: Prince of the Sea

by SushiSheik

Five years have passed since the events of Twilight Princess. Link has become a knight under Queen Zelda and the kingdom prospers. Then the day comes where a single Dark Arrow destroys this fragile peace and darkness returns to the kingdom. To save his Queen and Hyrule, Link must prove that his spirit is stronger than being a hero or knight... even if it costs him his life -ZeLink

20. Chapter Twenty: Conversation

"How about… Braveclaw?"

"That's lame! I still like Stormcloud!"

"Yeah… no, that's dumb, and we both know it. I mean.. if we go down that route, then we might as well name him something cliché like… Thunder or Bolt or something… but that's so mediocre and unoriginal. It has to be cool!"

"Okay, okay… how about… oh! How about… ah... Rocky….?"

"Rocky? You're kidding, right?"

"Well-"

"You just said that because we're surrounded by rocks, didn't you?"

"I mean, you haven't said no-"

"Of course it's no! That is a terrible name. Shame on you."

"Well, let's see you do better!"

"Fine! How about…. Oh! We could call him-"

"That's enough, you two."

Todd and Crevan, brothers caught up in their head-butting, immediately winced with surprise. Their excitement and smiles quickly changed into sheepish pouts when Vahlymor suddenly snapped at them, albeit not in a harsh tone. However, even the prince's calm words held enough weight for the twins to quiet down and that their naming-game had ended… for now.

Daybreak had only just painted the sky with colour nigh an hour ago, yet sunlight probably wouldn't warm their faces until around midday (if they were lucky, that is). Fortunately for them, the weather seemed to be holding out. Ashei had made sure to warn everyone that even the clearest of days could turn into a dangerous storm within minutes amongst the mountains. That being said, it had already been agreed upon that if the experienced mountaineer told them to find cover, there would be no arguments against her word.

The great bodies of the mountains whispered the chill of the higher altitudes around the group of travellers, who remained where they had spent the last few hours of night resting before the break of day. The golden sands of the Great Desert stretched out behind them, taunting them with promised warmth, for their journey would take them deeper through the mountain passes where snow still clearly dominated the mountainsides and peaks. Their goal of trying to locate the allusive Sheikah village had begun… or at least it had in theory.

They all knew that they were trying to locate something that might not even exist. This compiled with the fact that no one knew how or where to even begin their search.

No one, that is, except for Zelda… to an extent.

The Hyrulean Queen awoke that morning in her small tent. She shared the space with Ashei, as this was the most appropriate, and even before she opened her eyes with true wakefulness she felt anxiety grip her heart. As she sat up and saw that Ashei was also awake, probably having waited for the queen to rouse first, to whom smiled and bid her good morning, Zelda felt alone. She felt like an outsider and her guilt was barely hidden behind her eyes, so she was thankful for the relative darkness of the tent.

She knew very well that everyone was relying on her to be their guide and she dreaded the thought that she may let them down, that this escapade could end barely outside of the borders of Hyrule.

This was her endeavour after all and if anything bad were to happen to anyone it would be entirely her fault. Of course, Vahlymor had assured her that he was not forcing Simin, Balin, and the twins to follow him. They had all pledged to do so, whatever the adventure, individually and on their own accord. The prince had told her this while they had still been back within the castle and the way he had said his words further stoked the queen's curiosity. She had still yet to hear exactly how and why the men were so loyal to their prince and now that their adventure had begun, she hoped to ask the prince about it.

Exiting her tent, Ashei following after her, Zelda smiled when she saw the grey mass of fur laying a couple of feet in front of the tent's entrance. Clearly Link had remained right in front of the tent's door the entire duration of their rest. Zelda waved Ashei off, who went around the wolf with wary eyes, before walking over to the men who were already awake and packing up everything to set off soon. Zelda caught the tail-end of the twins' discussion, Vahlymor's stern command for it to end, but without knowing the context she didn't think much about it.

The queen knelt beside the wolf and smiled at him, reaching a hand to pet the wolf's head.

"Good morning," she whispered.

'It's about time you woke up. The twins have been arguing for a half hour as to what to name me. All of the names have, quite frankly, sucked.'

"Name you?"

"Zelda!"

The Hylian woman jumped and quickly stood when her name was called by Arvid, who waved her over to join him.

"I suggest that you come and eat something before we head out."

Glancing back down at Link, who only blinked up at her and gave a slight tail wag of encouragement, Zelda walked over towards Arvid with the wolf following close behind her. Arvid handed his queen a bowl of what looked to be porridge that appeared to have been cooked over night's dying fire's embers in an iron pot.

"Good morning, Arvid," Zelda said, taking the bowl from him with a smile of thanks.

"Good morning! I trust that you slept well? I mean, well enough considering that it was only for a couple hours or so."

"I slept fine, thank you," she replied, blowing on her porridge and watching Faris coordinate with Simin the packing of the tents and supplies.

"No nightmares, I hope?"

Zelda paused before she answered, thinking. "No… thankfully none. I don't think I dreamed at all to be honest. After crossing the desert last night, I was pretty tired and fortunately I just passed out into sleep." Swallowing a mouthful of porridge, Zelda turned her gaze over to Ashei helping the twins pack up the women's tent, to which Zelda frowned. "I should be helping them."

Arvid, following her gaze, shook his head and offered her a supportive smile. "I wouldn't worry about that too much. Your job is to work your magic, so to speak, and point us in the right direction of the Sheikah. You had stated before that you would be able to do this."

Zelda nodded and turned back to Arvid. "Yes and… oh, by the way. What were the twins talking about when I emerged from my tent?"

"The twins?" Arvid repeated, the knight reaching up to scratch his chestnut goatee. "Oh, that… it was nothing. They were just arguing over what to name the wolf, I think? I'm not quite sure. I don't really pay attention to their constant squabbling."

Chuckling, Zelda offered a slight shrug at that, "It's clear that they share a very tight bond. As for "naming" the wolf…" The queen hesitated in her words as she glanced down at Link, who seemed to be looking off elsewhere, but she knew for a fact that he was keenly listening in on their conversation. "I am not sure that giving a nickname to a Sacred Beast is appropriate, but then again… I am not sure if referring to him as "Wolf" is appropriate either."

"Well… perhaps then you should think up a name to call him, as the divine is more your speciality than it is for anyone else here."

Arvid gave his queen an encouraging smile before Faris called him over to help him. Zelda waved off her knight before he jogged away and the woman stared thoughtfully into her rapidly-cooling porridge.

"What do you think? Do you mind if I give you a nickname?" she whispered, watching one of Link's ears flick towards her.

The wolf turned to look up at her and Zelda could almost envision Link, the real Link, with as much bored-enthusiasm as he could muster, offering her a half-hearted shrug. Instead, it was a wolf who gave her some resemblance of a shrug, indicating that Link really didn't care.

After all, he was dead, right? And no one except for Zelda was supposed to know his true identity. anyways.

Still… There was a twinge of sadness that Zelda felt crept into her inner anxiety as well as slight guilt at the thought of assigning Link a pseudonym. It almost felt like, to her at least… that slowly his identity was fading away. She wanted to say his name aloud, but completely understood why it was imperative that his true nature be hidden. It would be too confusing for those around her and they didn't need unnecessary drama or trouble on their already perilous venture.

There must have been some hint of Zelda's troubled thoughts written within her face, or maybe it was the fact that she was still staring thoughtfully into her porridge, but Link nudged her boot with his paw.

'Zelda, relax. It's really all right, you know, giving me a name I mean. If it's you... Then I don't mind.'

The woman glanced back at the wolf and offered him a small smile, before she hurried and finished her breakfast. Going over to Arvid, the knight took her bowl to clean it off and once more refused her offer to help him, insisting that she start on finding their bearings.

She nodded but before she did so, Zelda went over to where Crevan and Todd stood. The brothers were trying to coax Ashei into chatting, or rather flirting, with either of them. Clearly they had a bet of sorts as to whom Ashei would fall in love with first, or something to that end. The twins turned their gazes towards the queen when she approached them, along with Ashei, and in unison the brothers greeted her.

"Good morning, my lady!"

"Good morning to you both," Zelda replied, smiling as their smiles and optimistic tones were truly infectious. "I heard that you two were proposing possible names as to what to refer to the wolf by."

Todd and Crevan glanced at each other before offering sheepish smiles to the Hyrulean Queen.

"Well, we thought up a few-" began Crevan.

"-but nothing really felt right," Todd replied.

"Well, I admire your initiatives, but Arvid suggested that perhaps that I should be the one to offer the wolf a name, if that was all right with you-"

"Oh, of course!" Crevan exclaimed excitedly.

"By all means, my lady! We just thought calling him 'wolf' was not fitting enough," Todd added.

"So, what's his name then?" both brothers asked in sync, looking to Zelda expectantly.

"Oh, well…" Zelda began, caught a bit off guard by the twins' synchronicity, while she glanced over at Link. The wolf sat some feet away, his head turned to look out at the desert.

'Dear Farore… what should I say?' Zelda thought, before she blinked as an idea whispered passed her lips.

"Faro…"

"Faro, my lady?" Crevan repeated, confusion in his tone.

"Yes! Faro. It means… well, it means "journey" in Ancient Hyrulean, which I think is fitting given our circumstances."

The brothers looked at one another before each mirrored the other's grin of excitement. Turning back to Zelda with their expressions of giddiness, they nodded.

"I love it!"

"Faro it is! So much better than Rocky-"

"Be quiet, Todd!"

The queen chuckled and bid the brothers farewell, allowing them to return to their work as she had to begin hers. Zelda did catch the look of what she perceived to be amusement within Ashei's expression, but it was truly difficult to read the captain's face.

Sighing, Zelda returned to where her bag awaited, Link close to her heels. She was satisfied with the name she had provided the twins, but she could only assume how Link felt. He had told her that he didn't care, but was this the truth? She considered reaching out to touch him to ask and hear his thoughts, but stopped herself. Tightening her cloak against the chilly breeze, Zelda knelt by her stuff and began to dig through a pack. Zelda reminded herself that she would need to limit how many times she touched Link and spoke to him, because she did not wish to raise any suspicions amongst her companions. Focusing on her objective to find what she was looking for, she completely failed to notice when Vahlymor crouched beside her with an amused smirk on his face as he waited for her to notice him.

Link looked between Zelda and Vahl and back to Zelda before he whined slightly. Only that roused Zelda to blink and look up at him before turning and finally seeing the prince.

"Oh! Vahl!" she blurted out, rousing a blush in her cheeks.

"Good morning, Zelda," he said with a chuckle, his amusement clearly written in his eyes.

"Forgive me, I didn't see you there."

"I could tell. You seem to be rather deep in thought this morning."

"Ah… yes," she replied, turning back to her pack and removing a foot-long, flat object that was still wrapped in its original black canvas. "I admit that I am rather distracted."

"Mmhm," he mused, eyeing the object she now held between her hands. "May... I ask you about it?"

Zelda looked back at Vahl as she reached up to tuck her hair back into the front of her cloak. "Of course you may," she replied as she stood, Vahl following suit.

"Well… could it be that what is troubling you... is that this is your first time out of the kingdom, we're heading into unknown and dangerous territory, and that we're all relying on you to hopefully find this so-called Sheikah village?"

The queen regarded the prince, with his arms crossed casually, the gentleness in his tone, yet the encouragement and amusement in his features, before she sighed. "You truly speak your mind, sir," she relented before looking down at the covered artifact that was apparently the key to their navigation.

Vahl shrugged, offering her a broader smile. "I have learned long ago that the truth, no matter how cutthroat it can sound sometimes, is best. This is especially true when you find yourself out of your element, surrounded by danger, and having to rely entirely on the trust you share with your comrades."

The prince's expression softened as he watched the young queen run her fingers across the surface of the wrapped object, knowing full well how she might be feeling. Looking up at his countrymen who were helping the Hyruleans pack up the last of the supplies, he said, "I hope that you know that you can trust me, Zelda, but you also have to have trust in yourself. I understand any misgivings that you must be feeling. You're leaving the safety of your realm for the first time under circumstances that are all relatively new. The threat of the shadow creature, Sir Link's untimely demise, the secret location to this tribe that we seek… it's as scary as it is exciting, I'm sure." Turning to look at the queen, her gaze meeting his, Vahl gave her one of his trademark smirks as he continued, "But you must also admit: it is exciting, is it not? The thrill of adventure, that is..."

His smile was contagious and Zelda couldn't stop the corners of her lips from tugging into one of her own. "What you speak is true," she replied, looking down at the wolf at her side, but found that the beast had soundlessly moved a few feet away and was gazing up at the mountain pass.

"And it's only going to get better, I promise you that. This is only the beginning! The first, er well, second day of travelling may sound boring, but you get to behold just how large the world truly is! I find, especially for people like us, the world can seem so small, but what do you expect when your life revolves around the throne room?"

The Noruidian saw how Zelda watched the wolf and when she turned back to him, the prince allowed his concern to show through his eyes and he uncrossed his hands. Lowering his gaze and in a softer tone he said, "I also promise that I will keep you safe, Zelda. Everyone here will do the same, this I am sure, but personally speaking… I will do everything in my power to make sure that you return to Hyrule, whether we're successful in our venture or not. So, try not to dwell on the doubts, the what ifs, and the possible failures. Please try and enjoy the moment."

The man's words sounded so sincere that the blush within Zelda's cheeks, roused initially by the chill in the air, deepened ever so slightly. Such an honest declaration deserved an honest answer.

"I appreciate that, Vahl. Truly I do," Zelda replied, feeling some of her anxiety unravel a bit from his words. "And… I will try."

Still smiling, Zelda moved her eyes from the prince back to the veiled item in her hands: the key to their navigation and entire venture.

Vahl's eyes also fell upon the item, before glancing back up to the queen's face. He gestured towards what she held and asked, "I take it that what you have there will be instrumental to us finding this village?"

"Yes," Zelda replied, looking up at him, before doubt darkened her eyes, forcing her gaze to fall upon the covered mirror once more. "I mean… I hope it does. It is supposed to but… if it doesn't then I suppose we could always turn back. We're not too far…"

"That's true, so we had better start putting some more distance between us and our point of origin then, eh? We just need a heading and then we can start walking." Vahl's natural confidence and casualness eased into his words, effortlessly encouraging her. The man flashed her a wink and crossed his arms, glancing expectedly at what she held, clearly indicating that it was now or never.

The Hylian woman began to unwrap the mirror while the prince watched, though from afar a wolf did as well. Link had only just turned an eye back towards the pair, though their entire discussion had been heard by the beast. The wolf could, at the very least, acknowledge the wisps of jealousy that bubbled to the surface of his consciousness upon hearing the shift of the two royal's voice: the friendliness and the trust. But, since he was a spirit, these feelings would waver in and out of clarity: he cared, but then he didn't… but of course he did, though, then again, why should he?

The knight's spirit watched his queen reveal the Sheikah artifact: the Lens of Truth. Upon seeing the foot-long mirror, the wolf couldn't help a shiver of distant recognition of seeing the mirror and his spiritual wisdom whispered to him that while he personally had never seen the item before, a previous incarnation of his surely had.

"It's beautiful," Vahl commented and Zelda nodded.

"Yes, it is," she replied softly, seeing her own reflection in the mirror. The woman who stared back at her, with no indication of royalty from either jewelry or attire, could pass as an ordinary woman (even if this was the furthest from the truth).

The prince, slightly enchanted at the prospects of a "magic mirror," watched expectedly as Zelda looked into the mirror. He glanced between her and the mirror, clearly waiting for something, anything, until his eyes met Zelda's.

"So… what now?" the prince asked, his voice still casual, but his expectant tone revealed that he had expected something to have happened already.

"Well…." Zelda began, looking back into the mirror. She watched a blush form in her reflection's cheeks as she became aware also that their travel companions had also begun to watch as well.

"Do you not know how to…. use it?"

"I know-" Zelda began, determination hardening her expression "-that this mirror, this… Lens of Truth, will show us the path that will lead to the Sheikah."

Just as Zelda was about to speak more, the surface of the mirror began to shimmer as it had briefly done before back in the queen's bedroom. However, this time the surface continued to ripple. Flinching a bit with shock, fortunately the woman didn't drop the artifact. Both Zelda and the prince watched in amazement as the mirror's reflective surface rippled and darkened until Zelda could no longer see her reflection. Instead, the image went completely black before slowly the surface began to lighten. Holding the mirror up more, Zelda narrowed her eyes at the dark image before she began to make out something.

"Oh!" Zelda exclaimed, blinked at the developing image. "By Nayru..."

"What? What do you see?" Vahl asked inquisitively, looking between the mirror and the queen.

"I think… yes! It is! It's you! I can see you! It's like… it's as though it's a window now, rather than a mirror..."

'It is called the Lens of Truth, after all…' Zelda thought to herself, her excitement bubbling up at the prospect that things were beginning to make sense.

Zelda glanced up at the prince, a smile tugging at her lips to see such child-like bewilderment on his face, before she looked back at the Lens. She could see the ground, she could see the prince's feet and legs.

"Fascinating…" Zelda mused as Vahl leaned forward to look, before frowning.

"I don't see anything…" he admitted before leaning away and shrugging. "And so be it. This is why you are our navigator, my lady. Well, I'll leave you to it then. Let me know when you have our bearing. Take as much time as is needed."

Zelda looked up at him and smiled, he winked back at her, before she watched him turn and head towards the others. With the prince gone, Zelda returned to gazing through the Lens, holding it up before her to view the world through the small screen. She hadn't said it to the prince, but the world that she could see through the Lens wasn't exactly like a window in the normal sense of the word. When she lifted the Lens to view her companions, she could see an aura of light around each of them, signifying their lifeforce or actual spirits she assumed. On the thought of spirits, Zelda slowly turned, keeping her eyes on what the Lens revealed to her. The rocks and landscape mostly looked the same, except that the Lens made everything look slightly brighter, as if she were seeing the sunlight being reflected off the surfaces, even though the sun was currently hidden.

Intrigued by what she saw, Zelda continued to turn in her circle until she stopped and her eyes slightly widened. Sadness soon seeped into her expression and she blinked quickly to stop any tears from thinking of making themselves known. Through the Sheikah artifact she saw not a wolf, but a shining, ethereal knight standing at a distance from her, arms crossed, and looking out across the dunes of the desert below them.

'Link…'

As if the spirit heard her thoughts, Link turned his head to look at her and judging by his slightly surprised expression, perhaps he could somehow sense that she could see him in his true form? Perhaps he could see her back through the Lens? He looked the same as his body that was hidden away in the caravan's wagon, except, of course, now his image didn't include the Master Sword impaled through his gut. His brunette hair was tied back in a low ponytail, the bangs half in his eyes, the green of his Hero's Clothes, his Hylian Shield, the crimson of his knight's cape… everything was there. He looked the same, though the scabbard upon his back was empty, while she looked completely ordinary. The knight, dead as he was, looked her straight in the eye and she knew that he saw her and that she could see him. This was further confirmed when Link shook his head slightly in apparent disapproval, his eyes shifting aside, before turning away once more.

That simple act caused Zelda's heart to clench and she had to turn herself and the Lens away to face the rocky path further into the mountains. The woman's fingers twitched with their grip on the mirror and Zelda took in a shaky breath. She hoped with all her might that for that brief moment, the others hadn't been watching her. She prayed that the back of the Lens had blocked their view of her expression and with her back to them now, she knew at least that the sudden paleness of her features could be blamed on the chilliness of the mountain air.

She hadn't meant to react so… visibly, but the sudden appearance of the spiritual knight had been a shock to say the least.

"Used to dispel illusions…" Zelda muttered under her breath, recalling what old Impaz had told her.

As the words left her lips, the woman squinted when she took notice as to what she saw through the Lens. Confusion clouded her expression, though it was quickly covered by curiosity as she walked closer to a larger boulder on the side of the road. Zelda glanced above the Lens, then through it, and back again. A small smile peeked at her lips as the queen came forward, staring through the Lens, until she stopped a few feet before the boulder. Reaching forward, Zelda watched her fingers, her skim shimmering with her own aura's light, touch the stone. Her fingertips traced the blue and slightly glowing symbol that was etched upon the rock and was only visible through the Lens' view.

"The Sheikah…" Zelda whispered, her fingertips following the lines of the familiar symbol, before she lowered the artifact. The woman stared at the seemingly normal rock that bore no evidence of the hidden symbol that had been magically stamped upon its side.

The queen's gaze panned from the rock up towards the uphill battle that was the road ahead and she smiled a smile of reignited confidence. Movement caught her eye and she glanced down to see a wolf sit by her side, staring up at the path as well, before the beast's blue eye glanced up to meet her gaze.

"I believe I've found our path forward," she whispered, but received no response from the wolf.

/

"Find it yet?"

"Yes! It is here! You were right, Arvid. We're going the right way after all."

Wiping away some more snow from the rock, Zelda couldn't help the smile that continued to reappear each time the group found another Sheikah marker. Looking over at Arvid, Zelda showed him her smile and he returned his in turn.

"About time we found it, night's coming fast."

A routine had begun to form for the group of travellers the past couple of days as they ventured deeper into the mountains. Their journey had now taken them deep into the mountains and were now in the midst of some of the range's tallest peaks. The days elapsed in increments and were marked each time Zelda was able to locate the next Sheikah symbol. In total, they had managed to find three Sheikah symbols on their first day journeying through the mountains, two the second, and with Zelda finding this one, that meant that today she had found only two. The symbols seemed to be typically located at crossroads or when the path became unclear, such as when the entourage descended down into a valley.

Currently, the travel party had just finished ascending a rather steep path from the base of a valley that plateaued to a cliffside that overlooked the rocky canyon below. The trail was wide enough for the wagon, albeit barely, and the Sheikah marker was located on the mountainside beside the path that hung over the drop into the far canyon below, but ahead of them was a fork: forward and upward or right and deeper into the pass.

Just as Arvid said, the sun was already low in the sky and now that Zelda had located their next marker, this most likely meant that they'd be setting up camp soon.

Sure enough, Zelda saw Ashei give the signal that they needed to find a more suitable location to set up camp for the night. Clearly, the mountain expert didn't like the fact that they had a long fall to certain death on their left and a near vertical rock wall on their right: for defensive reasons, it was not the most ideal place to stop.

The symbols had already directed the travelling group deep into the mountains and off of the main road that led westward towards Noruidia. According to Ashei, the path that they were on seemed to be steadily increasing in elevation and that they were travelling in a general north-northwest direction.

For the most part, the group didn't speak much for most of the day. This was done so based on the advice from Ashei. Avalanches were an ever present danger and relative silence was required while they travelled, in addition to the fact that with higher elevations, came harder-to-breathe-in conditions. There was also the threat of possible adversaries like monsters or bandits, which fortunately they had not been met with.

Climbing down from the snowy rock she had stood on to find the marker, Zelda slipped on some ice. Fortunately, her knight's quick hands were there to catch and steady her. However, the stumble caused Zelda to accidentally lose her grip on the Lens of Truth and the artifact fell from her gloved grip.

"No!" she called, and the queen's heart skipped a beat when the Lens impaled itself a pile of snow, rather than landing on the rocky ground.

Arvid, with eyes wide, finished helping Zelda down before stepping back to watch his liege retrieve their only way of finding their way forward.

"It is-?" The knight began, afraid to ask.

"It's fine," Zelda replied with an audible sigh. "Thank the Goddesses," she muttered under her breath, her hands gently wiping the snow from the Lens' mirrored surface.

"Are you two all right?" Faris called to them, the wagon and the rest of the entourage a hundred feet or so away, to which he was quickly chastised by Ashei to shut his loud mouth.

Arvid raised a hand to let the worried onlookers know that they were fine, as Zelda stood with back towards the rest of the group, hiding her shame.

"I got too excited," Zelda admitted softly, more to herself than to Arvid, though the man heard her and came up to stand beside her.

"No harm, no foul, hm?" he offered, giving her an encouraging smile. "Don't be so hard on yourself, my lady, just try and be more careful next time."

"I suppose," she admitted, hugging the Lens close to her and staring at the road ahead. "Thanks for catching me," she added, looking up at her knight.

"Always, my lady," Arvid replied in turn, smiling at her. "Take a moment to collect yourself," he said before turning and walking back towards their comrades.

The knight's words were honest and true enough, but they also struck a chord in Zelda's heart as her eyes turned down to the wolf that stood beside her. She had heard a similar pledge before. Sighing, the Hylian woman walked a few feet forward to stand closer to the edge of the path that overhung the valley. Coming to sit beside her, Link turned his blue-eyed gaze to catch her eyes as she slightly leaned against her leg.

'Careful now… or else they'll start thinking that you're a clumsy queen.'

Zelda smiled at her spiritual knight's prod and at the sound of Link's voice within her head.

Over the past few days, she had not really been able to speak with Link almost at all, which was a shame. During the day they were travelling and come nightfall, with camp setup, meal preparation, and retiring soon thereafter out of weariness and the thin mountain air, there really had been no chance for her to get a word in with the wolf. That had not stopped Link from occasionally leaning his beastly body against her leg or nudging his nose against her hand in order to fill her head with a brief comment or thought. Those moments Zelda would have to hide and not allow the others to see her veiled joy, her small smiles of comfort, and she would only respond in turn with a simple "Hello, Faro" or something along those lines.

Her nickname for the spiritual wolf had caught on. It had become a daily game, of sorts, for the twins to try and call to "Faro" in hopes of encouraging him to come closer, so that they could finally pet him. Of course, Link would never allow this. Not only would this possibly allow for the twins to be able to potentially hear Link's thoughts, or so Zelda assumed, but the wolf, being actually a man, probably didn't like the notion of being petted like some common dog. The others in Zelda's company all seemed to accept that the Sacred Beast was only willing to stay near to the Queen of Hyrule and thus allow her to pet him. However, this had not yet deterred the brothers from trying no matter how many times Simin or Faris told them to give it a rest.

As little as the group spoke during the day, at night while they were all gathered around the fire sharing in their evening meal they shared stories and conversed in hushed tones. This allowed for the Hyruleans to learn a bit more about the Noruidians, and vice versa, and slowly the group were becoming more accustomed to one another.

So far, Zelda has been able to yearn a few more details from either Vahlymor himself or one of his countrymen as to why or how they became so strongly bonded to one another. First came the story of Simin, told proudly by the man himself. Not surprisingly, Simin has actually been Vahlymor's personal guard, aide-de-camp, and confidant since the day he was born. A nobleman himself, Simin was devoted to the Noruidian Royal Family. With this devotion came a lifelong pledge to protect and serve the second son of King Vasailek until death took either of them, preferably himself rather than the prince. A master in hand-to-hand combat, Simin acted as one of the prince's instructors from a young age. The man was also being quite skilled with the short sword and axe himself ( these weapons being the same that he carried with him on their current journey). Once Vahlymor joined the Noruidian navy, Simin joined him and never left his side no matter the length spent on sea. He was unmarried, had no known children, and never faltered in his role no matter the number of battles they encountered against the magic-using sea-tribe: the Tulul. Zelda found this particularly interesting. Simin was a rather animated individual, proper in his speech and movements, and was much more expressive than Vahl. She recalled what the prince had said about how the Tulul could use their magic to manipulate the emotions of others, turning them against them, so much that Noruidians trained themselves to steal their emotions away during battle.

When questioned about this, Simin only laughed and replied with, "My dear lady, who do you think taught Vahl here how to shield his emotions from those sea-devils? I am a master of hollowing, you see, and taught Vahl everything he knows."

Hollowing. The technique was so-named for once mastered, it could effectively "hollow out" a person's emotions from their mind: making them devoid of feelings aside from their own determination and will to continue fighting against the merciless Tulul. It takes a navalman years to master this technique and even with the training, many Noruidians have failed when faced with the relentless pressure exerted by their sea-dwelling enemies.

It was Vahl who revealed that the Tulul were beings that appeared like Noruidians, but only at a distance, for from the waist up they could almost pass as humans. They were not. Their teeth were sharp like a sharks, their eyes large and black, ideal for swimming in the dark depths of the ocean, and their heads were usually bald with either fin-like appendages adorning their skulls or rear-hanging caudal extensions of their heads, similar to that of the Zora of Hyrule. However, unlike the Zora, the Tulul had a long tail extending from their humanoid-like torso that allowed for some members of the race to grow up to lengths of up to eight feet. Incredibly fast swimmers, the sea tribesmen relied mainly on tridents, spears, and their two inch claws that accented their webbed-hands as weapons, aside from their magical abilities. Able to create waves that could wash an entire crew off of a ship's deck and to their certain deaths into the waters of the sea, the Tulul preferred to drown their foes rather than engage in direct combat. The Noruidians have long overcome these dangers by designing wave-proof ships that make it near impossible for the Tulul to effectively use their influence over the waters to wash away men over board. However, it was the Tulul's abilities to affect the mind, prying upon exposed emotions to temporarily mind-control a man to voluntarily jump into the ocean to his death. Or, men might be compelled to take up arms against his own before usually slitting his own throat. Noruidia and the Tulul have been mortal enemies for about two and a half centuries. An official period of war that Vahlymor had commanded over, which had just ended almost as suddenly as it had begun, was marred with some of the deadliest battles in recent history. Many Noruidians had been lost to the sea and just as it seemed that the Norduidian navy was to be overwhelmed, the Tulul retreated rather suddenly one day and Noruidia claimed victory.

"You can understand why we were excited to travel to Hyrule," Vahl commented with a small smile. "As much as we love the ocean, we looked forward to a change of scenery."

That particular conversation ended on a more jovial note when Faris commented that he had no intention of ever challenging a Noruidian to cards, because he would never be able to read their expressions. The comment was needed and it earned a chuckle from the group, though it was not long after that Balin took up the first watch while the others retired.

Once the twins realized that Zelda wished to learn about them and their connection with Vahlymor, they were more than happy to oblige the queen. Only just the previous night, which marked the end of their third day of travel, Crevan plopped down on one side of Zelda with Todd sitting down on her other, with the pair effectively making a Hyrulean Queen sandwich. Faris and Arvid weren't all that impressed with how comfortable the pair had gotten with getting close to the queen. However, that was exactly what she had asked of them and she appreciated it: to be treated just like another travelling companion. That still had not stopped Link from growling lowly at the brothers, which didn't have any effect except that the pair began to whistle and call over "Faro" to come over closer to them.

When that clearly wasn't working, then the brothers continued with their original intentions.

"So, you want to hear about how we saved Vahlyball's life, huh?" Todd inquired with a giddy smile

"The galant story of how we, the brave Brothers Emini, swooped in and became the noble prince's heroes?" Crevan asked with dramatic flare.

"How many times must I ask that you refrain from calling me by that dreadful nickname?"

The twins only grinned innocently and snickered in tandem at their prince's exasperated tone, the man not even looking up from his tending of the fire; clearly, this was an ongoing argument that would never be won by the prince.

"You saved Vahl's life?" Zelda asked, smiling at their humorous nature and taking a mental note of their family name.

"Indeed we did, my lady," Crevan replied.

"And in gratitude, the prince pledged himself to us forevermore!" Todd exclaimed triumphantly, only to be harshly shushed by Ashei.

Zelda chuckled and looked over to the Noruidian prince, who was shaking his head and hiding a smile. "Is that how it happened, Vahl?"

"Well… not exactly," the man replied, looking up, his smile one of amusement, as he raised his brow at the twins.

Vahlymor then proceeded to spin the exciting tale of how he met the twins, with both Crevan and Todd chiming in to add in a detail or embellish a particular element of the story. He began by saying that the fateful event when their paths crossed occurred about nine years ago.

The twenty-year old twins had been only eleven then and were living on the streets of Hallan, the Noruidian capital city, thieving their way through survival with only each other to rely on. The brothers revealed that their navalman father had long since died when they were still infants, drowned by the Tulul, and their mother had been taken by a sickness that had stricken many women in the city when the boys had only been six. Five years of relying on pickpocketing, tricks, mischief, and the generosity of strangers had molded the twins into their mischievous tendencies, but trusting others did not happen easily for them.

Prince Vahlymor, aged eighteen, had been passing through the capital after returning from one of his many voyages out to sea. Having been born the second son to the king, with an elder brother who had been groomed to inherit the throne since the day of his birth, the prince had equally been reared knowing that his life would be served commanding the sea. As such, he spent most of his time out on the waves. Still, he did periodically return to the capitol to visit his parents and brother, as well as to be present for official events or ceremonies as was required.

Civil unrest had been felt within the capitol due to a recent flood that had destroyed one of the city's granaries. People were desperate and hungry and when people felt hunger for too long, anger was a quick and easy way to placate a gnawing stomach. Even though the prince was being escorted by guardsmen, angry and desperate people accosted him, a member of the Royal Family, for living lavishing while children starved before the castle's gates. Vahlymor had not been aware of the dire situation in Hallan and was appalled at what he saw. He tried to reason with the people that he would personally speak with his father on their behalf. King Vasailek had in fact been trying to temper the masses, divvying out rations, and opening up as much of the food reserves as he could, but with winter on the way he could only allow so much or else everyone would starve.

To some, it hadn't been enough, and a young prince within the city streets was a good enough target. A radical individual made his way through the crowd until he was as close to the prince as he could without alarming the guardsmen. Under his cloak he wielded a knife, which he had intended to throw either at the prince himself or his cliff elk. Fortunately, he never got the chance to do either. The moment that the man went for his blade, he was bumped into by a young boy, distracting him with a smile and apology, while his twin brother pickpocketed the man's cloak and revealed the dagger. The guards then saw the weapon and the alarm was raised. The other guards were alerted of the possible threat, but the radical ran. However, the boy with the dagger in his hand was caught by a guard who dragged him to Vahlymor's feet.

The civilians who saw this manhandling of a child by the guards of the prince were only angered more with the hunger in their stomachs.

The punishment for threatening the life of a member of the Royal Family was death, yet here was a young boy pleading he was innocent, that it had been the man in the cloak. The death of a child would have pushed the people over the edge and could possibly lead to a riot. Vahlymor knew this, but he also knew the law. That is, until an identical boy appeared, pushing his way through the guards, to claim that they had saved the prince's life, not threatened him, and on the streets there was a code of honour. Basically, the boy argued that the prince was now indebted to them and if he allowed for his brother to die, then the gods would see to it that he be punished.

Vahlymor explained to Zelda and the others that he would never forget that day, nor the expressions on the boys' faces, who looked the same: with their torn clothes, bright red hair, and dirt on their faces. However, the boy on his knees, the one who had been caught, Crevan, was terrified, eyes pleading, with tears streaming down his face. This was in contrast to his twin brother, Todd, who stood straight and stared hard up into the prince's face, even though tears threatened to fall, unmoving from his protective stance. Vahl knew that the boys had not been the ones who wielded the dagger in the first place, but he was impressed by their strong bond and the concept of being "indebted" to them intrigued him. He was so impressed that he knelt down and told the boys that they had nothing to fear, to dry their eyes, and asked where their parents were.

"I told him that our parents were dead and that if he was going to kill my brother, that he had better kill me too because I'd be alone," Crevan remarked casually, a small smile of memory upon his lips.

"Yes, yes… you make it seem so dramatic," Todd replied, smiling bashfully as he glanced at Zelda. "As I recall, it was all rather quick the entire situation."

"And when I found out that they were orphans and had no family, I took them with me," Vahl said fondly, smiling his charming smile. "I told them… that they had saved my life and as repayment, I would see to it that they were properly taken care of. Bathed, fed, clothed, educated… you name it."

"And for some reason, we ended up following you everywhere you went," Crevan laughed and shrugged. "And here we are nine years later. Todd and I only turned twenty not that long ago, but Vahl here… you're what? Twenty-seven now?"

"Turning twenty-eight come autumn," Vahl replied, eyes down and thoughtful, though he was still smiling.

"Right… damn you're getting old!"

The prince laughed and threw his glove at Todd, rousing a round of laughter from the group; even Ashei was smiling.

Zelda smiled at the thought of the previous night and took a deep breath of the cold mountain air, before looking down at the wolf sitting beside her. The beast's blue eyes were turned to look at her and Zelda couldn't help but reach out to give the back of his ears a small scratch, earning a tail wag from the wolf.

'As much as this feels nice, you should get back to the others. Sounds like they're deciding whether or not to go back into the valley to make camp or continue for another half hour.'

The woman turned her eyes to her travelling companions, who weren't that far, but with the slight moaning of the winds meant Zelda couldn't make out what they were saying. Of course Link, with his superior hearing, had no issue with this. It was hard for Zelda to know that she was only a few feet almost at any time from her best friend, yet they had not had a proper conversation since he had saved her from Dark Link and spirited her away to the Ghostly Ether.

She had a feeling that Link felt the same, because it was the wolf who usually initiated these short comments and interactions. Zelda never commented on it, but every time the wolf brushed against her and Link's voice filled her mind, she always felt the slight echo of sadness or loneliness whenever the wolf left her. Were these feelings her own or were they imprinted upon her from her spiritual knight? She couldn't be sure and she hadn't had the chance to ask Link about it. Though, even if she was given the chance, she wasn't sure she would.

Being a spirit was difficult enough, never mind being questioned about his feelings.

"I am thankful to the Goddesses that our travels have been safe thus far," Zelda suddenly spoke softly, her eyes downturned and thoughtful, though they met Link's when he looked up to her. "But I cannot help but wonder if we're a day away from the village, or three? Or five? Or a month, for all we know. The village may not even exist, anymore. Abandoned or destroyed by an avalanche long ago… what if this is all for nothing?"

'As much as I don't care to admit it, but the prince was right. Try not to think of the possible outcomes: focus on the journey,' Link advised, leaning against her once more, the wolf looking off towards the beautiful mountains all around them. 'All you can do is continue onwards with hope and trust that what you're doing is for a purpose. You told me that Impaz said that this journey was prophesied, so you must have faith in the Goddesses. I have faith that they would not allow for you, Zelda, to be led astray. '

The queen smiled and her grasp on the Lens of Truth tightened.

"You're right," she replied softly, glanced down at him, before turning back to her group to start walking back to them.

That is, until she paused, her breath slightly catching. In the distance, Zelda saw her travel fellows also paused, while the horses and cliff elk began to stir and snort anxiously. A low rumble filled the air, like distant thunder, but not quite. There were clouds in the sky but they were not bearing a storm The faint sound of cracking also filled the air, like that of a surface of a frozen lake when walked upon but much louder. Together the sounds were slightly haunting, yet mesmerizing. While Zelda was caught up with listening in confusion with the others for only a moment or two, the spell for all was broken by Ashei.

"Avalanche!"

"Zelda! Run!"

The captain's warning and Arvid's desperate order were cut off by the rumble that suddenly turned thunderous, likened to the sudden volume of the crashing waters of a giant waterfall breaking through the ice of winter. Zelda's eyes turned wide as her head snapped up to see the snowy peaky looming over them come alive. The entire side of the mountain seemed to cut away from its complete form and had turned into a wide and giant white snake of snow, ice, and rock. Seemingly slow to start, the giant sheet of snow was quickly racing down the mountain. The avalanche's great weight combined with pure gravity combined to create a frightening display of elemental power that was roaring with increasing speed directly towards them all.

The horses whinnied loudly, terrified, while the cliff elk bugled in fear: all anxious to run back down towards the valley and hopefully out of the path of the snowslide. Ashei ordered them to run, turning her own steed to lead the way back down the path with Simin and Faris with the wagon following suit; however, Arvid was already running towards Zelda, only to be held back by Balin and Vahlymor, who dragged him kicking and screaming back to the twins holding their panicking mounts.

There were only seconds before the stampede of tonnes of snow struck the path…. No time for a rescue, even for a faraway queen.

Primal fear and awe had frozen the Hyrulean Queen, who stood trembling, ignorant of the plight and cries of desperation from her comrades. The world of sound had been consumed by the avalanche, a giant, rampaging beast that was moments to devour her. There was nothing she could do, nowhere to run. At her back, a cliff with a long drop to the rocky valley below and certain death, and there was no way she'd be able to run up or down the path to possible safety.

There was nothing she could do… there was nothing-

Sharp pain filled her hand and broke the spell of fear. Zelda's eyes shot down to the wolf whose jaws were clamped on her hand, tugging her away from the cliff edge. She had not heard his barks, nor felt his nudging, forcing Link to bite her.

'RUN TO THE ROCK FACE!'

Link's screamed words momentarily drowned out the roar of the avalanche and Zelda bolted forward into a full sprint, Link never leaving her side. Clutching the Lens of Truth tightly with one hand against her chest, the narrow path felt as wide as Hyrule Field as she ran towards the near vertical face of the mountain side. Gasping from fear and panic, Zelda prayed that she would keep her footing, because the ground shook so violently. The dim light of the day became even darker and Zelda looked up with terrified eyes as the giant wave of white crashed overhead, soon to cascade down upon her, surly crushing her to death. Slamming her body against the rock face so hard that she knocked the wind out of herself, Zelda crumpled into a heap, shutting her eyes tightly closed, covering her head in pathetic protection, before screaming with fear as the pained bark of the wolf caught her attention. Before she could look, everything went black.

Zelda's world was swallowed by the deafening roar of the avalanche as it fell upon her and all she could do was cower and shut her eyes tight as the weight of a mountain fell upon her. This darkness, this immense roar of ice and snow, surely were to be her coffin.

…

…

…

…

…

Silence.

Was she dead? Had she passed out? Had she gone deaf?

Stirring slightly, pain was the first thing Zelda registered, both in her body before more specifically in her hand. Pain was good, she realized, because pain meant that she was alive. Her left cheek was pressed against the cold rock of the mountain and something hard and angular was achingly cutting into the crease of her arm. It took her a moment to realize that it was the Lens of Truth that was hurting her, because she was hugging it so tightly. All of this only took a couple of seconds for her to register; however, before she could even try to rationalize what had happened or even open her eyes, her ears caught up with her other senses.

The silence following the deafening cascade of the avalanche had been replaced with the sound of heavy, laboured breathing… and it wasn't her own: it sounded masculine.

Her eyes snapped open, but the darkness of her vision did not cease. Had she gone blind? Had she hit her head? Was she dead and was it Death who breathed so laboriously above her? Turning her head to stare into the darkness, Zelda blinked her eyes frantically, trying to force her vision to settle in the darkness, but try as she might she could not see anything more than pure black and all she could hear was the strained and tired breathing.

"Who is there?" she weakly asked the darkness, wetting her lips and trying not to flinch from the aches in her bruised body.

Within the darkness before her, not even two feet away, came two eyes of glowing red. The red glow of them was enough to faintly illuminate their owner's face.

"Dark Link…"

"Good evening, my dear Zelda," Dark Link replied coarsely, his voice was strained and forced, but it sounded like he was smiling as well. "Are you… are you hurt?"

"How-?"

"Are you hurt!?"

Dark Link's voice, Link's voice, changed from friendly to desperate, and from what Zelda could see of his expression, he looked pained and truly concerned. His red eyes searched her face trying to discern any pain from them, worried that he had somehow been too late.

"No," Zelda replied after a moment, being honest. Sure, she was bruised from running into the rockwall, but considering that she had just survived an avalanche, she was practically unscathed. Her injured hand, the hand that Link bit, was bleeding but she made a fist with a sharp inhale, though she heard the droplets of blood strike her cloak.

"Good…" Dark Link's whispered reply, and the dim red light of his eyes vanished as he closed his eyes with relief. "I can smell your blood, though… please make sure that you bind your wound."

Hesitantly, Zelda slowly shifted her position so that her back was against the mountainside, but when her boots came into contact with what she assumed to be Dark Link's leg or knee, she shied away. She paused, waiting for some sort of snarky quip from the dark being, but none came, and if it weren't for his continued laboured breathing, she might've thought he had disappeared altogether.

Now in a more comfortable position, Zelda reached into a pouch attached to her belt to reveal the truth of her rescue by Link's murderer. The Luminous Stone that she produced gave off enough light to illuminate the being before her, or rather over her, and the small, black space that she now found herself in: there was no trace of snow save for some upon the stoney ground. The dark knight was kneeling right in front of her, his knee barely giving her enough space for herself, and was uncomfortably close to her... closer than what she would've liked. His close position, however, was because his right arm was positioned over her figure while his left arm hung limply at his side. Upon closer expectation, Zelda saw his arm through the brace and holding the grip of a dark version of a Hylian Shield, which looked like he had viciously stabbed into the very rock of the mountain a few inches above her head to secure a proactive barrier above her form.

Yet that was not the most impressive or shocking revelation that the Luminous Stone showed. The reason why it was so dark was because Dark Link, with his shadow, tendril-like powers of dark shadow magic, had expanded his form to create a sort of cocoon around them both. With slight amazement, Zelda took a few moments to stare in wonderment and slight horror. She could see that Dark Link's black, long, floppy hat was gone, used to make the cocoon. His back no longer had a solid edge as the cocoon looked to originate from there as well and from his Hylian Shield itself.

"Impressed?" Dark Link asked, lifting his head to reveal his red eyes once more, a smirk upon his constrained face. "For a moment there, I was worried that I might not reach you in time."

"You knew that I was in trouble?" Zelda asked, keeping her eyes on Dark Link, still hugging the Lens of Truth close to her, thinking of the dagger that was strapped to her left outer-hip.

"Of course," Dark Link replied, smiling wider, though his expression softened. "Do you think I'd trust that dog to be able to protect you? And don't get me started on the asshole prince or his ragtag group of bedfellows... Useless the whole lot of them…"

Zelda narrowed her eyes at Dark Link, not because of his comments, but because the feistiness and the confidence she had come to associate with the dark being was lacking. Sure he smirked and he chuckled at his own words, but it was clear to the queen that it was all for show, that Dark Link was hurting.

'But why should I care?' Zelda thought to herself, surprising herself when she realized that she was worried about the man who had nearly banished Link's soul to the Dark Realm and who had manipulated her to almost kill Link properly.

"Where's Link?" Zelda asked evenly, focusing on the fact that this being before her was not Link.

It took everything in her power to slow her panic that the wolf had been by her side as the avalanche came but was now gone, replaced by his dark doppelgänger. The last she had seen or heard of her spiritual knight was the pained bark she had heard right before everything went dark… which she knew now had been Dark Link protecting her.

"Don't you worry about that bastard," Dark Link replied, his tone bored and tired, and he could only give a half-hearted eye roll.

"Where is he?" she asked, her tone more firm and expression narrowed.

"You know, Zelda," Dark Link began, sighing, and looking at her with a brow raised, "usually when someone saves your life, it's nice to thank them before you interrogate them."

A blush bloomed in Zelda's cheek and she clenched her teeth a bit; this only intensified when Dark Link smiled wider at her, clearly amused. A few moments of silence spanned between them and just as Dark Link sighed and shook his head, Zelda spoke.

"You have my gratitude," she admitted softly, feeling her hard expression crack. "Now, will you please tell me… what happened exactly? It all happened so fast I don't-" Zelda paused, slowly shaking her head while she grappled with what had happened and hugging the Lens and herself a little more to ground herself a bit, ignoring the pain of her clenched, injured fist.

Dark Link watched the queen, wanting to reach out to comfort her, but he knew that she would pull away. Instead, he decided to respond to her since he had coaxed out some gratitude from her.

"What happened was… the mountain decided at the worst possible moment to shit itself and I could not standby and watch you get hurt. I don't know what was going through your dog's brain, I mean honestly? How was he going to protect you? In that moment, you're literally cornered against the wall, about to be crushed, and... what the fuck was that dumb bastard going to do?"

Dark Link wasn't asking her and he wasn't expecting her to answer, his incredulous tone said that much, but he paused with his rant and shook his head. Sighing to calm down, he shrugged and continued with his eyes upon her, his expression hard.

"Whatever. Anyways, I've been following you since you crossed the desert, keeping my distance so Fleabag wouldn't sense me. When the avalanche started and I saw that you were in danger and didn't have any viable options I leapt in, like a hero of old. Ironic, huh? Kicked your dog into the next realm and managed to shield you in the nick of time. And now… I have the weight of a mountain on my shoulders, but it's fine. You're worth it, Zelda. Your safety is worth this weight I bear. As I've said before, it's my duty to protect you. You're all that matters to me."

The bluish light of the Luminous Stone contrasted the red glow of Dark Link's eyes, creating a colour gradient that made it nearly impossible to notice that the man's skin was pale, that his hair was grey, or that his clothes were black. If it weren't for the colour of his eyes, Zelda could easily fool her senses into thinking that it was Link with whom she spoke with. This feeling had happened before, when he had cornered her in the castle next to Link's body, and once again it unsettled her just how alike they were, except, of course, Dark Link spoke much more harshly and unfiltered than Link ever did. When Dark Link blinked, the red glow disappeared and the blue light of the stones completed this illusion that this dark imitation was the real thing.

Zelda knew that she would have to focus hard to distinguish the two. Then again, she couldn't help her thoughts from drifting as she remembered the heat of Dark Link's upon hers, how his hands had caressed her cheek so gently, and the honesty in his words before… She was going to have to keep on her toes to combat against Dark Link's wiliness and influences.

Dark Link may have sensed or guessed this moral dilemma within Zelda because he smiled and dropped his head on his chest, closing his eyes, and said, "Please. There truly is no need to fear me, Zelda. Not only will I never cause you any harm, that I promise you, but I also currently am not in the position to try anything such as the last time that we spoke."

As if to showcase this, Dark Link raised his unused left hand, but was barely able to raise it a few inches into the air before he rested it upon his raised left knee, offering her a inconsequential hand gesture and shrug.

"All my strength is being used to keep back a fuck ton of snow and ice," Dark Link continued, sighing,

"So? What do we do then? What's your plan?"

Dark Link lifted his head slightly, narrowing his eyes open to look at his determined queen, before smiling and dropping his head back down. "I'm already doing it. This entire conversation I've been tunnelling a tendril of mine up to the surface. I've only just broken through, I think. Considering how long I've had to stretch myself… I think we're about seven to eight feet under, I'm afraid."

"Seven to eight?" Zelda spoke up suddenly, panic widening her eyes. "Can you dig us out?"

"Zelda, please," the black knight replied, his tone soft and calming, but he did not raise his head this time. "I know that I'm amazing, but I can only do so much. You must try to stay calm, okay? You're going to have to trust me-"

"Stay calm? Trust you?" Zelda repeated, her heart beginning to hammer and she scoffed with a shake of her head. "You possessed me and nearly killed Link! How could I ever trust you?"

"Because I am your only hope until your dumbass companions get their shit together and come and dig you out." Raising his head, albeit slowly, Dark Link opened his eyes to look at her with a soft but clearly exhausted expression.

"I am doing all I can to make sure that this barrier I've created doesn't collapse and you get crushed. If I could take you far, far away from here, I would, but I can't. If I could dig you out from here myself I totally would without hesitation. Do you think I enjoy the thought of the foreign prince and his gang being the ones to save you? Fuck no, but I don't have much of a choice here. If I were to try and dig us out… I can't guarantee that you won't get hurt in the process. So I am asking you, kindly, to please try and stay calm, to trust me, and to not get too excited. The hole I've drilled will supply you with air, but I don't want you to pass out on me. Please, Zelda. I won't let anything bad happen to you. If you don't believe me, well you should. I would never lie to you, I've told you this before."

By the end of Dark Link's little speech, his voice shook and he had closed his eyes once again.

Biting her lip, Zelda watched Dark Link and actual guilt seeped into her chest from his words. He had saved her, he was exerting himself to keep her safe, so why would he try anything to harm now? Setting the Luminous Stone aside, as well as the Lens of Truth, Zelda slightly prepositioned herself better so that both of her knees were up. Retrieving her handkerchief from her pouch, she gently wrapped her injured hand, sucking in a breath at the biting pain. Once the wound was relatively bound, she set her hands upon her knees, staring at Dark Link. His face was obscured from his white bangs, though she could still hear his heavy breathing.

"I'm sorry…" Zelda said softly, clutching her knees with her uninjured hand. If she was going to survive, she had better listen to him, even if she didn't like it.

"It's fine," Dark Link replied, a smile in his low voice.

"Are we still able to talk or shall we sit here in silence?" Zelda asked, her tone one of honesty and slight curiosity.

"I would love to talk with you, my queen. It'll help to distract me, if you will."

"Okay," she replied, taking a steadying breath before posing her next question. "Is Link able to escape this Underlayer realm and how will the others find us?"

"The Underlayer? I assume you're referring to the realm beneath the Light World's surface, yeah?"

"Yes, Link informed me about it and how you two had fought there for days," Zelda admitted, thinking of her conversation with Link after they had crossed the Great Desert.

"Of course he did! Arrogant fuck..." Dark Link scoffed and shook his head slightly.

"Actually, I came up with the name," Zelda added, wanting to divert the conversation back on track. "Link said it did not have a formal one."

"Not exactly, no. There are so many realms that not all of them have or need names, really. But, it's a good title for it, actually. I commend you, Your Majesty."

"Yes, well," Zelda began, filing the corners of her lips tugging into a faint smile as his genuine compliment, "within this Underlayer realm, Link will not have been hurt by the avalanche, correct?"

"Unfortunately, no," Dark Link replied with a sigh. "Being a spirit, Fleabag can phase in and out of the Underlayer as he pleases, as far as I'm aware. While in the Underlayer, he cannot be harmed by environmental elements, though being here in the Light World probably wouldn't phase him a lot either. And no, he cannot come in here through the ground," Dark Link added, just as Zelda was opening her lips.

"Why not?"

"Has he spoken to you about it? The rules and alike?"

"He has."

"Well in the Underlayer, he'll be able to easily maneuver out of the avalanche, because he's a spirit. Even so, he can't dive in there and reappear here. It just wouldn't work. Also, I fucking won't let him. He's well aware I'm here and he knows that you're still alive, so I'm sure that he'll fuck off and find the others and lead them straight to where we're buried."

"How can you be sure?" Zelda asked, still not appreciating Dark Link's abhorrent use of curse words or terrible nicknames for Link, but she knew it couldn't be helped seeing as he was a dark entity. Besides, Link swore fairly often, just not so much around her.

"Let's just say I know a fair amount about this type of thing," Dark Link answered cryptically, before adding, "and I happen to still have my tendril up in the open cold air waving around like a little black flag, just for you."

Zelda's smile finally breached her expression, but with Dark Link's head down, surely he couldn't see it, right? He was so close to her… so close, in fact, that she could faintly feel his hot breath upon her legs and with his head lowered, his longer, pale bangs brushed her raised knees. Clearing her throat, the woman tapping her fingertips upon her knee as a curious thought formed in her mind. Narrowing her eyes a bit at Dark Link, she asked, "So… if being in the Underlayer means that Link would not be hurt by the avalanche, why did you kick or force him there? I thought you would want for him to be buried like we are."

Silence followed Zelda's question for a few seconds and when it began to stretch, concern actually seeped into her features as she stared at Dark Link's unmoving form. Just as she was parting her lips to speak again, Dark Link lifted his head and opened his crimson eyes to her, albeit narrowed from fatigue.

"If you hadn't been a part of the equation, of course I would have loved to have buried that mutt under a hundred feet of snow and ice and more. However, you were in danger, Zelda, which meant that you were my only priority. I wasn't paying your dog too much mind when I kicked him out of the way so that I could save you."

The sincerity, honesty, and genuiness in Dark Link's words stunned Zelda. He spoke like this before, when he assured her that he'd never hurt her, never lie to her, and that he loved her. However, she also knew that he had this ability of a dark influence, to melt her defences and manipulate her mind, so how could she ever truly believe anything he said. Then again, Zelda regarded him now and he looked so… defeated, weak, and legitimately struggling to keep her protected from the thousands of pounds of snow, ice, and rock on top of them.

"Are you injured?"

Zelda watched Dark Link blink in surprise to her question (though, with his red eyes, his blink was even more pronounced). The man actually looked away from her and she saw him smile a bit, almost sheepishly, before he shrugged as much as he could.

"Ah, well... No, not really, not physically if that's what you mean. But, you know how terrible it can feel to get a piece of ice or snow down your back? Yeah… I have that but with an avalanche." As if to accentuate his words, Dark Link shivered and chuckled dryly, lowered his head a bit.

"You feel cold?" Zelda asked, genuinely surprised by the notion. She expected that him being a being made from dark shadow magic, that he had no physical feeling.

"I feel all that your beloved dog feels…" Dark Link replied simply, though he raised his head to lock eyes with her and smile. "Only… I don't hide anything or lie to you about it."

Frowning a bit, Zelda considered Dark Link's words, and everything else he has said to her, before asking, "How old are you, exactly?"

Zelda jumped a bit when Dark Link suddenly burst out laughing. His expression showed true surprise and amusement. The humoured bout quickly died as he forced himself to calm down, even wincing a bit as he regained his composure.

"Oh, wow, forgive me for startling you there, Zelda. It's just I really had not expected that question at all and now that you've asked it… it's a bit complicated to answer."

"Why is that?"

"Because, now that I actually think about it, I guess you could say that I have three ages, really."

"Three? Could you explain this to me… please?" Zelda added the "please" after a moment's hesitation. She didn't wish to sound demanding or anything, especially since Dark Link already has critiqued her for "interrogating him."

'But why should I care?' the queen found herself thinking once more, but waived this away as Dark Link began to speak.

"It's simple, but then it's complex," the shadow-being began, choosing his words carefully as this was something he'd never really spoken of ever before. "This physical form that I have is only about a month or so old, as it was born from Fleabag's blood, the dark shadow magic that had been imbued onto the Dark Arrow that struck him, and a special thanks to those Gerudo whores for releasing me." Once again, Dark Link shook his head as Zelda began to inquire further about this, but he was contractually obligated, so to speak, to keep the details vague. "Yes,yes, we all know the story by now so no need to go into it further. So there's one age, I guess. Then, of course, I am Link."

"No-"

"Zelda." Dark Link's voice turned hard and firm, cutting off the woman and he raised his red eyes to meet hers, his expression stern. "You can deny the truth until you're out of breath and blue in the face, but I am just as much Link as that flesh suit you have stowed away in the wagon or your lap dog that's-"

"Now that is quite enough!" Zelda rarely raised her voice, but there were limits to anyone's patience and Dark Link was waning on hers. Taking a steadying breath, the woman pinched her nose and continued in a calmer tone. "Look, if we're going to continue talking, then please no more... "dog" or "fleabag" or any other degrading name you can think up with for Link. Let us speak… civilly from now on, that is all I am asking."

For a brief moment it looked as though anger flashed across the shadow knight's face. However, taking a cue from Zelda, Dark Link took in a deep breath and smiled before giving her a loving look. "Ah… there is my fiery queen. As you command, Your Majesty, I'll... try my best… but this is going to get confusing if I refer to him as "Link" yet I am also "Link."

"What happened to referring to yourself as Dark Link?"

"Well… I did tell your hero that that was my name…" Dark Link admitted slowly, half shrugging, "and it's not incorrect. I am Link, but I am not. I am his dark reflection. I am the amalgamation of all of his dark desires, subdued instincts, and flaws all wrapped up into one handsome package. However, while that may be true, I was also intentionally being misleading when I told Link that… I mean, you can't really blame me. I had every intention of sending his soul to the Dark Realm and possessing his body. I really thought things would've played out… a lot better." Trailing off a bit, his tone almost remorseful, Dark Link shook his head and continued, "This all ties into my other two ages. I am Link, the reflection of your gallant hero. I have his memories, his appearance, his mannerisms and his skills… I remember his parents, the day he found out they died. I know the feeling of loss and loneliness that he still carries with him so many years later. When I was "born" into the Light World, I was born as much Link as you know him. That is my second age. Your twenty-three year old knight and my birthday is not that long before yours, Zelda."

The woman only nodded slowly, even smiling a bit, but she was finally beginning to understand.

"And your third age?"

"You enjoy history, don't you? I know that you know a lot about Hyrule, its founding, its myths and legends, correct?"

"Of course. I am Her queen," Zelda replied, raising her dignified chin a bit, wondering where Dark Link was going with this.

"Well, my beautiful queen… what I know might just put your knowledge to shame."

"And why is that?"

"Because…" Dark Link began, his red eyes holding her blue ones, and he smirked. "My third age is rather difficult to quantify. You see, I am… very old. Older than even Hyrule… older even than the First Zelda, your ancestor, who… was beautiful, just as you are you now. You'd be surprised at how similar you look."

"What are you saying?" Zelda asked, her eyes having widened a bit. She hung off his every word whether she liked it or not, because what he was saying was too incredible to consider.

"I am…" Dark Link began, enjoying this a little bit and loving this attention, "or rather I was born, my true birth, actually came with the death of the First Link, the Chosen Hero, in the arms of the White Goddess herself... Hylia. He died for her, but he died a tortured, flawed man, and from his pain, his desires, his immense regret to have died too soon, I rose… like a sexy black phoenix from the ashes."

Dark Link's malicious chuckle followed his words, shaking Zelda from her enthralled trance. The woman frowned, mentally kicking herself for believing such an outlandish story, and shook her head.

"That's a lovely story, but a story nonetheless."

"I told you that I would not lie to you," Dark Link gently countered, amused, and reached his left hand up to brush his bangs away.

"A story is not the same as a lie."

"True, but this story happens to be the story of my life. I understand if you don't believe me, for even I can attest that it sounds pretty far fetched, but that does not change the fact that it is true."

"Fine, but if it were the truth, then that would make you… I mean, honestly, that would mean, umm..." Zelda's voice faded as the gravity began to dawn on her. Could she really be staring face-to-face with the greatest wealth of knowledge of Hyrule's broken and scattered history?

Dark Link smiled wider and reached his left hand to clasp her uninjured hand, forcing her to meet his eyes once more. "I am both old and young, flesh and shadow, Link but not Link. I have been in love with you since the time of my birth, when the Goddess Hylia still breathed in her immortal form. I could not help this even if I tried, for this is my nature, scripted into my blood and soul. The First Link, the Chosen Hero, loved the White Goddess, and for her he gave his life. Only with his death did Her Grace realize her own feelings, and so the cycle began with the story of the First Zelda and the Second Link. A story as old as Hyrule itself, of the tragic love story between the Chosen Hero and the Descendant of the Goddess. I have watched it from afar for millennia, earning more heartache with each new successor to the Chosen Hero title, but it seems to all end the same. Unrequited, denied, hidden, or short lived, it matters not how each story plays out because you and your do-... Link... are only the current players in Fate's cruel game. As for me?" Pausing, Dark Link sighed and squeezed Zelda's trembling hand, "I am the sum of too many heartaches, a multitude of regrets, and the epitome of the moral darkness lurking behind every Chosen Heroes' courageous act. I am… Link in every way possible, for I am his truest reflection."

Mouth slightly agape, eyes wide, and slightly shaking, Zelda searched Dark Link's red eyes for any shred of a jest, or a lie or deceit. He only stared back with a sad smile and an expression that almost looked to be relief: relief of being able to share his sad story of his miserable and dark existence.

Giving her a few more moments, Dark Link chuckled lightly and said softly, "Can you understand now why I think it's so ridiculous that you and your hero still have not admitted your love for one another? Or, why you know it to be true in your heart when I tell you that I love you, Zelda? It truly is a tale as old as time for me… a cruel joke that never stops being funny."

Taking her hand from his, Zelda clasped her fingers together, her gaze upon her knees, as her mind tried to make sense of all of this.

"I cannot," she spoke finally, in a whisper, with her eyes still downturned. "As Queen of Hyrule, I-"

"You know, take it from me, Zelda," Dark Link spoke, interrupting her, and offered her a supportive smile. "I have heard that excuse a lot more than you have said it yourself. I'm not saying marry the guy, just… admit to yourself your feelings, that you love me."

Raising her eyes to him, Zelda frowned and turned her gaze, and with a stronger voice she said, "I do not love you."

If this hurt Dark Link, he didn't show it. Instead, he simply chuckled and looked aside. "Let me tell you another story, hm? It takes place a couple of years ago, on a bright and sunny day in Hyrule, and Her Majesty, the Queen of Hyrule, with her loyal Hyrulean Knight and Personal Guard the Queen, pay a visit to the Royal Family's Graveyard."

"Thats enough-"

"The Queen has come to pay respects to her deceased mother and unborn brother, as it happens to be the anniversary of their untimely demise, and while sitting beneath an old tree, the Queen and her Knight find comfort in each other's company."

"I don't wish-"

"The Knight shares that his own mother, who had been found dead mysteriously along with his father on the shores of Lake Hylia, had also been pregnant at the time. The two orphans, one royal and one hero, find solace in their shared histories and grow closer on an emotional level as they realize that they have a lot more in common than they initially thought."

"Please, stop-"

"While under the tree, the Queen falls asleep from the bliss of the moment, even settling against her trusted Knight, with whom she feels safest. While she slumbers, the Knight regards the sleeping form of the Queen, with her peaceful and most beautiful face, and he is struck by realization. He, her most loyal and trusted Knight, is in love with his liege, but duty and status divides them so he swears to never again acknowledge these feelings no matter how hard they might hurt him. He would stand by her, as her Knight, her friend, and her hero, for the rest of his days if need be, but always knowing that deep down she is the love of his life."

"You are cruel," the queen whispered, her eyes glistening with the threat of tears, and she trembled down from confined anger and emotion.

"No, I'm honest," the dark knight retorted simply, never breaking his gaze with hers. "And if you find the truth to be hard to hear, that's on you. I have all of Link's memories, his emotions, his feelings, everything! I know how he feels, so why can you not admit yours?"

"You know nothing!" Zelda shot back, glaring daggers at her saviour.

"Speaking of cruelty, I know of a cruel irony that I will share with you," Dark Link continued, his expression morphing to reflect his dark nature and twisted humour. "That tree that you lovebirds sat beneath on that fateful day when dearest Link realized his love for you? Why, is that not right beside the gravestone belonging to none other than the Hero of Time? A fallen hero who, like your wolven hero, became trapped as a spirit because of his lasting regrets in life."

Lowering his gaze to half-hide his red eyes behind his bangs, Dark Link continued with a tone more akin to bluntness than taunting. "When Link made his deal with the Goddesses and became a spirit, he was able to do so because he has regrets, my dear Zelda, just like the legendary Hero of Time. What do you think those regrets could possibly be?"

For a moment it seemed that the shadow knight would continue with his barrage of truths to display before the queen, but upon regarding how she trembled and the tears that had begun to fall from her eyes, he stopped. Settling back, grunting a bit, he sighed and shook his head in a regretful manner.

"I have seen this story so many times, though I am not only its witness, but also a victim. I feel the brunt of the Chosen Hero's heartache, his lovesickness, and heartbreak. I do not mean to cause you pain, Zelda, I only wish for you to…" Dark Link paused to sigh and look aside before continuing in a lower tone, "I only wish for you to be truthful with yourself. You know that I love you, therefore you know the Link loves you, so I just do not understand why it is so hard for you to say it."

"Well that's just it, you do not understand, and you never will. But Link does, which demonstrates, perhaps, the greatest difference between you two."

Wiping her face with the back of her gloved hand, Zelda, the Queen of Hyrule, had returned and was done with this nonsense about love and feelings. Staring hard at Dark Link, the queen spoke with a tone that could make full grown men tremble and forced others to hang off of her every word.

"I am privileged with bearing the mantle of being one of the Goddess Bloodline, that I have been blessed with gifts given to me by the Goddesses, but I also bear the weight of the great responsibility that is being the ruler of my kingdom. With these privileges come restrictions that I have pledged my life to abiding. A kingdom is built upon rules, laws, and trust, and even the strongest of institutions can easily crumble if that trust is broken. This means that while I must believe in myself and my heart, I cannot allow myself to allow my personal desires and wants to come before the needs of my people. I do not have that freedom, but I willingly accept this."

Pausing Zelda regarded Dark Link and for a moment it truly felt like she was telling this to Link, which, in hindsight, was a conversation that probably should have happened long ago but never happened. Even so, these unspoken words were always understood.

"These rules I refuse to break. Even now with this venture, I bent them as much as I was willing without breaking them, and to do so I had to offer my very hand to form a powerful alliance with a neighbouring kingdom. I am devoted to upholding the peace of my kingdom and fighting for the happiness of my people. I understand this to my core and so does Link. There is an understanding that we share that is strengthened by our friendship and trust. That is why your… fantasies are nothing more than that: fantastical and unrealistic ideals of a being who claims to bear the wisdom of millennia."

The entire time Zelda spoke, Dark Link watched her silently, his expression neutral, but by the end of the queen's impassioned speech there was a spark of what looked to be amusement in his eyes. Once it seemed that she was finished, the knight nodded slowly in agreement, even offering an indifferent shrug in response.

"Well said, Your Majesty," he replied softly after another moment, but his tone inferred that he had more to say than that. "I agree that there will always be differences between myself and my Light World counterpart and mind you, while I was born ages ago my memories of those times are… scattered, to say the least. I am truly a reflection of your beloved Link. I am living now, not then, and I am honest with my feelings… True, that your knight is a bit more… restrictive with his true emotions and it seems that you hold him high in your esteem, my lady."

"But?" Zelda asked, feeling that there was a point to Dark Link's admissions.

"But…" Dark Link began, smiling his handsomely dark smile, "if your green-clad hero is so virtuous, then how do you explain that stolen kiss in the castle gardens?"

The slight catch in Zelda's breath and the tiniest flinch in her eyes was all Dark Link needed to see before he chuckled lightly. "I've said it before that Link... he… he ruined that moment, totally fucked it, because he allowed his true feelings to show themselves unbridled and unguarded. But you, my dear, were not ready for such a raw showcase of true emotions, because you have become too accustomed with that regal veil you've donned yourself to cloak your true feelings."

"I already know that my reaction was the cause for your attack Link," Zelda retorted sharply. "That if I had not sent him away that perhaps none of this would have happened."

"I would have gotten to him one way or another," Dark Link admitted simply, taking a moment to slow his breathing, which was still laboured. "Do not blame yourself because the fool lowered his defences." The knight's tone rang with true concern and comfort and it seemed that he honestly was trying to assure her that Link's misfortunes were of no fault of hers. "Besides, look where it has gotten you? Okay, not here," Dark Link added, gestured with his left hand to their current situation, "but you are no longer within Hyrule and you yourself have discarded your royal mantle to continue your adventure. As I see it, all of your "royal obligations" no longer affect you, so there is nothing holding you back from being honest with yourself."

"Leaving Hyrule does not change who I am," Zelda argued back.

"Yet you spirited away Link's body with the Master Sword into a specifically made wagon? There's no use in denying that, my lady… I can smell the stench of it from here, and it takes more than some wood to hide the Master Sword's power."

"I deny nothing," the woman replied tight lipped, glaring.

Cocking his head slightly to the right, Dark Link gave her a queer look and a smirk. "You endanger yourself by travelling across unknown lands, with the body of your "knight" stowed away in secrecy, searching for clues on how to resurrect him. You are traveling to a distant kingdom all for a "friend," as you say?"

"I am doing this for Hyrule!" Zelda shot back.

"You are doing this for Link!" Dark Link responded just as fast. "You are doing this for yourself, so just admit it!"

"But that changes nothing!"

Breathing deeply, emotional, and tired of all of this talk, Zelda leaned forward and gripped the front of Dark Link's black tunic, white-knuckling her grip. "Admitting… anything, does not change anything…" she whispered hotly, shaking Dark Link slightly in her frustration. "I am still Queen of Hyrule, I am still engaged to Prince Vahlymor, and Link, even if there is a chance that we succeed, will still be my knight. Nothing changes!"

Caught slightly off guard by the sudden explosion of anger and emotion from the usually collected queen, Dark Link blinked in surprise to be faced with Zelda so close, to feel her hot breath upon his chilled skin, and to see the anguish and desperation in her eyes. It was in that moment that he realized that as much as he has been toying with Zelda, swaying her emotions, that here was a woman who was doing everything in her power to save the man she loves. Words could be empty, but actions could speak volumes, and Zelda was exhausting the only option she saw that could potentially rectify Link's current spiritual entrapment.

Dark Link realized that if Zelda were to ever actually admit that she loved Link, that it would only cause her pain and misery, and he did not wish none of that… not for her.

Looking aside, Zelda let go of Dark Link's tunic and sat back once more, sniffing a bit and distracting herself with facing her makeshift bandage on her hand. Her heart thundered within her chest, her face felt hot, and even in such a small, enclosed space she felt so exposed. Dark Link had done that to her so easily.

"As I've said already," Dark Link said softly, sadness and regret in his voice, along with something that resembles loneliness. "I have seen this story play out so many times… and I am sorry that you once more caught up in it, Zelda. It never seems to end in happiness, but even so, even after so many years, my love for you has never dimmed. There is a certain… light and beauty in love, even if it's shrouded in pain and misery, and… it's…"

For the first time since their long winded conversation began, Dark Link actually sounded like he was struggling with words that had nothing to do with his physical exertions. Chuckling dryly to put on a false smile, the shadow lowered his eyes and finished saying softly, "And it's this beauty, this eternal love I have for you, my Goddess Hylia, that makes my lonely existence in the Dark Realm bearable."

Perhaps it was the blue light of the Luminous Stone that shrouded his monotone colouration, perhaps it was trauma of surviving an avalanche weighing upon her mind, or perhaps still it was bleak sadness within Dark Link's voice that Zelda felt her own anger and repulsion cool. He looked and sounded so much like Link… it was heartbreaking to hear the visceral pain in his words.

'He is Link… a shade of him at least…' a small voice echoed in her mind, but Zelda brushed it away.

"Forgive me, my lady. I should not have pushed you to admit something that is already so clear. I didn't mean to upset you so."

Now it was Zelda's turn to be slightly taken aback, because she had not expected the man's sudden apology. With Dark Link's head lowered as it was, his eyes closed once more, now more than ever with him apologizing to her that he truly did become the Link she knew. Wetting her lips, Zelda sighed softly and she regarded the defeated form of a knight before her: his very body her shield against the crushing dangers of the world outside.

Removing her glove, Zelda slowly reached over to cup Dark Link's cheek to raise his head for him to meet her gaze, but when her fingers brushed his skin she flinched away.

"You're so cold," she said, surprised and then wary. "I thought you said you were of flesh and blood in addition to being a creature of dark shadow magic."

Surprised himself from the sudden physical contact front he queen, Dark Link did indeed look up to blink at her quizzically. Exhausted amusement replaced his surprise and he offered her a tired smile. "This is true, but let me remind you that I'm holding back a lot of snow. If you'd like to know… it's very cold. I know that you're not cold though, Zelda. I overheard you saying with Miss Zero-Personality, Ashley or whatever her name is, that you both received fancy earrings from the sand bitches that help keep you warm. Aside from freeing me from Link's blood, they have my gratitude for that, at least."

Creasing her brow, Zelda considered Dark Link and under her scrutiny, he once again flashed her a half-smile before lowering his head again; he seemed exhausted once more. After a few more moments of silence between them, Zelda reached up to her ear and removed one of her earrings.

The ruby flashed slightly from the light of the Luminous Stone before she presented it upon her palm to Dark Link. The knight took a moment to lift his head and when he saw her offering, genuine puzzlement filled his expression and he looked to her confusion.

"My gratitude for saving me, sir," Zelda explained evenly. "Please accept it and stay warm."

Dark Link's mouth actually opened slightly in astonishment and for a moment the notion that this might be a trick fluttered across his mind, but he quickly killed this thought. This was Zelda, who was kind, and generous, and good… so good.

"I…" he stumbled, blinking hard and looking at the small earring. "I cannot accept this on the grounds that you'll get a cold."

"A little chilled, perhaps, but I will be fine," she insisted, meeting his eye and softened her look a bit. "It's rude to decline a gift from a queen."

With another moment of hesitation, Dark Link lifted his left hand and gently took the earring from her hand. He then held it within his palm, staring at it with sad eyes. Zelda sat back against the wall and watched him, intrigued. Silence filled the protective barrier and Dark Link continued to stare at the earring, his eyes narrowed, and expression beyond readable. The Hyrulean Queen sat in silent observation, fascinated by his solemn reaction, but she felt the pang of sympathy for him.

This feeling for Dark Link, a being created from dark shadow magic and evil, was only heightened when the man finally spoke.

"I've never received a gift before..." he admitted so softly, before he blinked in surprise, as if he hadn't meant to say that aloud. Clearing his throat, Dark Link reached up to his right ear where his black earring morphed into his ear and he set the Gerudo ruby earring in its place. As soon as the earring was placed into his lobe, the black knight caught his breath and blinked in surprise. "Oh! Wow… they work fast," he commented, glancing over to Zelda and was stunned to see her faint smile. "You have my gratitude," he said, looking away, feeling a heat within his cheeks that was almost foreign to him: a blush.

"You're welcome," Zelda replied, holding her arms and half-closing her eyes. "Can you tell if the others have found us yet?" she asked after a moment.

Frowning a bit at the change of subject, Dark Link glanced upwards and said, "It shouldn't be too much longer, my lady. In fact, your companions started to dig you out some time ago."

"They have?" Zelda asked, clearly surprised. "Why hadn't you said anything?"

Looking away, even slightly pouting, Dark Link took a few seconds to answer before glancing back at Zelda to say, "Can you blame me? These minutes have been some of the happiest moments of my long life… just talking with you, Zelda, here and now, shut off from the world. A rare gift that I know I do not deserve."

Zelda hadn't quite expected such an honest and sentimental answer and she slowly settled back down before nodding slowly.

"You know… I'll admit something to you because… it's you," the man began cryptically, taking a moment to inhale deeply. "I have always dreamt to join the Light World: to see colours, to see the sun's heat, to be with you, and I have before… briefly… in another time. But being within Light World has its own drawbacks. Link's memories, my memories… knowing that here my-... our parents died so suddenly, so unjustly. It hurts… it's… so unfair… I can't..."

His voice shook as he spoke, as if he trembled from the cold, but it was pure, unhinged fury that shook his body. Dark Link knew that he could not speak any more on the topic, for the truth… he was forbidden to speak the truth. He knew so much… knew to whom deserved the brunt of his savage and furious revenge, but he could not even lift a finger to enact it.

Dropping his head and shaking it, Dark Link quivered so violently that his entire black barrier trembled, causing Zelda to look up in concern.

"Link…" she began automatically out of concern, before catching herself upon realizing what she had just said.

Dark Link also registered the name drop and with a loud exhale, he lifted his head once more to reveal his smug smirk, his anger seemingly gone (or perhaps just hidden). "Yes, dear beautiful Zelda?"

Now it was Zelda's turn to blush, though more out of personal embarrassment than anything, before she scoffed and waved him off. "I think it's time we changed your name. If "Dark Link" is not suitable, then perhaps something else is?"

"Oh?" the knight replied, suddenly intrigued, curious, and seriously amused. "You have my attention, but I assure you: my name is Link, but give me your best shot."

"Well.." Zelda started, thinking about it for a moment. "You say that your Link's reflection… that you are him, yet you aren't. So… how about... '' Pausing for a moment, Zelda met his red eyes before saying, "What about "Link" but backwards?

Dark Link couldn't help his sight guffaw. "K-nil?" he asked, chuckling some more. "That's awful! Fuck no!"

"No," Zelda corrected, rolling her eyes as his laughter. "I was thinking more like Knil, with a long "i". What do you think of that?"

"Knil?" Dark Link repeated, making a face before thinking about it. "Knil… Knil? Knil... Vile Knil... I mean… it's not not terrible, I guess…" Trailing off in more of a pout, the man shrugged and raised a brow at her. "My name is still Link, whether you like it or not, or even Dark Link but… if it's just you… then fine, you may refer to me as… Knil."

Although he played it off as nothing, beneath his nonchalant exterior Dark Link's heart pounded. Zelda, the love of his existence, had given him two unexpected gifts and he was sure that she was not aware just how much those gestures had affected him. The warmth of the earring radiated across his pale skin, reaching the icy cockles of his soul in a way that made him feel uncomfortable almost. Warmth was not something that was abundant in the Dark Realm. Then this name… Knil. It was true what he had said, that Link would always be his name, and while he was proud of the moniker "Dark Link," it also always irritated him slightly. Why? Because it insinuated that he was a secondhand version of Link: nothing more than a dark imitation… a carbon copy of the original. While this was true for the most part, it could still bug him.

'Even if this is true… she still gave me a name of my own…' the shadow being thought.

"Zelda?"

"Yes... Knil?"

Swallowing hard at that, Dark Link wet his lips before smirking and said, "Do you want to know why I detest my Light World counterpart so much? Why I truly hate him?"

"Why is that?" Zelda replied with an almost exasperated sigh, but still gestured for him to get on with it.

Dark Link half-chuckled and looked at her, before saying, "It's because of you, of course. There is only ever one of you, which means… you are beyond my reach but within his."

Parting her lips slightly, Zelda squinted at him, prompting him to continue explaining.

"Everyone living person has a dark side," Dark Link explained. "Shadows that follow them, reflecting their hidden desires, their dark impulses… the evil within mortality. I am the Chosen Hero's shade, the Dark Link, but you… You who are a descendant of Her Grace… you have no shade, no shadow, Zelda. You are your own light and for me, a creature of shadow and darkness, you are a beacon in a sea of blackness."

He could see his words sink in, he saw how her eyes slightly widened, heard the faint catch of her breath, and Dark Link could basically see the wheels turning in her mind, her thoughts racing. He had said all he could say but, unfortunately, for him, time was up.

"I love you, Zelda," Dark Link proclaimed, honestly and without any hint of smugness or jest.

Zelda could not even react before Dark Link's entire being violently shuddered and he howled in pain as a loud thud crashed against his Hylian Shield from the outside.

"Fuckers!" he gritted out through clenched teeth, glaring upwards. "Get your boot off of me your filthy bastard!" he growled, red eyes flashing.

Caught off guard, Zelda had no time to react or fight back when Dark Link suddenly reached out and grabbed ahold of her arm, pulling her close, and passionately pressed his lips onto hers. The kiss was hot but short, only lasting a second or two, before he tore back and grinned at her.

"You know that I can't help myself," he quipped, before looking upwards. "Watch your head," her warned, holding her close before letting out a mighty roar as he ripped his right arm bearing his Hylian Shield from the wall.

The removed shield absorbed into Dark Link's arm, appearing on his back and the barrier above them melting away. Bit of snow fell, but not as much as a avalanche's worth, for instead the end of a rope fell onto Zelda's head and the pair were looking up at the bottom of a man's boots who hung from said rope.

"Zelda? Zelda!"

"Arvid!" Zelda called up responding to her hero's relieved voice and she saw his smiling face look down to her. The light from a fire illuminated the man-made vertical tunnel from above and from above, Zelda could also hear the voices of her worried companions at the mouth of the hole.

"Thank the Goddesses, you are alive! Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," Zelda replied, smiling back up at him.

"I'm so thankful! Here! Reach up and I'll grab you and we'll haul you up, okay? Give me your arm.

Zelda reached up and felt Arvid's strong hand grab her hand. However suddenly, the queen was lifted upwards by Dark Link's strong arms, right into Arvid's more secure grip so that the knight could wrap both of his arms around her waist.

"I have her!" Arvid called upwards. "Pull us up!"

Clinging onto Arvid, Zelda managed to look back down to see Dark Link hiding in the darkness, his red eyes giving her a wink, and the woman opened her mouth to say something before she and Arvid were yanked upwards. She reached a hand downwards, without thinking really, and immediately the Lens of Truth was shoved into her grip and she grabbed hold of the artifact in time before she was pulled out of range.. Zelda looked down for as long as she could, but soon the space and Dark Link were blocked by a wall of ice and snow.

The ascent was quick and the combined voices of Faris, Simin, Balin, the twins, Vahlymor, and Ashei, all called out in coordination to haul the pair up through the top of the hole. Several hands latched onto Zelda to pull her up afterwards, Arvid pushing her as well because she was his only concern.

The early evening had become night during the hours that the queen had been trapped under the mountain's discard. Falling into a heap onto the warm body of a person, who hugged her closely to his chest, she could feel their hot breath of relief in her ears.

"Zelda! You're all right!"

The woman blinked open her eyes to see Vahlymor's relieved face beaming down at her, true sincerity and relief in his eyes and face. It was the prince who held her so tightly now, an intimate embrace that Zelda could feel him shaking with joy or relief, or both. Turning she saw all of the relieved and happy faces of her comrades, who all looked exhausted and rough, but all were alive and accounted for. Everyone shared expressions of relief and gratefulness that the queen had been found safe and sound: the twins were even crying and not even trying to show it.

Smiling at everyone, Zelda's eyes fell upon the one person who remained silent while the others all celebrated.

The wolf sat on the opposite side of the hole. He looked back at her with his blue eyes and while there was joy to be found within them, they hid the guilt of failure that was crushing his heart.

This Link… had not been the one who had saved her and he knew it.