Blood, Spirit and Hatred

by Annie Felis

As he travels to the Twilight Realm, Link learns more about the true evil that is behind the machinations of the Twilight Invasion: Ganondorf. Knowing what his role in everything must be, Link prepares himself to face the man that had destroyed Hyrule during the Gerudo War two hundred and fifty years ago. Book Three of the Twilight Princess Novelization.

28. Link Lon

Link stared stupidly up at the golden, slender form of his princess as she towered over him, and then realized why she had come to his dream. Hithi had told him that it would probably take two days to get the letters he had written to their recipients, and it was the second night since then. He looked down at Ilia's body and her blank, staring eyes, and the horrifying image made him grimace and shut his own eyes. "I'm going to guess you're not here to save me from this nightmare."

"Not this time." the princess said hotly. "You know why I'm here, because you took the time to write me a letter explaining in detail what you did. How dare you?!"

He opened his eyes and sighed, and gently set down the corpse. "If you read my letter, then you know why I dared." Unable to look at what he knew was just a bad dream, he turned his head away from Ilia, only to see his family's manse on fire. "I know that it's not why you're here, but can you make this dream go away, like you did my other one?"

"Do it yourself." Zelda said bluntly, and with little sympathy. It was so unlike her, and it surprised him. "Use your dream magic for once."

"Mine?" Link stared at her and slowly climbed to his feet. "You knew I had this magic, and you didn't tell me?"

"I assumed you knew." There was less acid in her voice, but only slightly less. "I wouldn't have been able to speak to you within your dreams unless both of us had dream magic, but I suppose you didn't know that."

"How the hell am I supposed to know what I can and can't do? You know how I learn my magic: badly. I always stumble into it like an idiot. I don't know what I'm doing half the time, and the other half I'm afraid of what I'm doing." He focused and the chaotic scene around them dissolved as if made of smoke, and he looked down at his hands, which were now glowing golden. "I'm running like a ship on a foggy night. I have no idea where I'm headed, or if I'm in danger." He lowered his hands and found that the two of them were once again standing on the infinite sea.

"You're running like an angry bull in a china shop, is what you're doing." Zelda balled her fists and stepped towards him. "You aren't supposed to take matters into your own hands! As much as you claim you can ignore the rules, that isn't so. You're too strong, too terrifying to be allowed to do whatever you want." She took another step and angrily jabbed him with one finger in the middle of his soul's bare chest. It actually hurt, as if she was really poking him. "I trusted you! I thought you were a noble man and would never stoop to vigilante justice. After all you've said and done I trusted you completely, and then you…" She angrily threaded her fingers through the hair at her brow line and turned away from him. "You just did something I can't overlook! Do you know what I'm supposed to do to a man who kills other men when he isn't in battle?!" There was a quaver in her voice at the end, and she sighed to steady herself.

He realized that she wasn't just angry over what he did, and she was frightened too. That combination of emotions was probably why she didn't show much concern for his own. Zelda would need to find some form of punishment to reprimand the idiot who didn't wait for the army and killed a town full of bandits alone. "It was a battle, one where I was outnumbered. But do what you need to do. I'm will to accept the consequences."

"I can't. I can't throw you in the dungeon, I can't exile you, and I certainly can't kill you. The rules need to apply to you, but I don't know if I can follow them in order to punish you." Zelda dropped her hand from her hair and hugged herself. She sounded miserable. "I need you, Link. I can't send you away, even for a little while. I don't know if I can do everything by myself."

"Then don't send me away, and we'll think of some way through this together." If he was physically next to her in real life, he would have came to stand next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. Since they were nothing but a pair of glowing souls, he merely came to stand at her side. "I admit, I didn't think of the actual consequences."

"That's you. Always acting, rarely thinking. You steer with your heart instead of your head." She stared out at the distant horizon, and didn't look at him. He suspected she was growing angry again.

"Both steered me at Deya. My head told me that there was no way of knowing if the captives were even given food or water, and their lives could have been in danger. My heart told me I couldn't stand by while those men forced themselves on the women and girls of that town. I talked to some of them, and the one had to be only about thirteen years old." That got her attention, and she turned her head towards him with her mouth open in horror. "I would've taken care of it sooner but I had Ilia with me. I didn't ride back to Deya until a few days later."

"I had learned about Deya from the Goron roller sent in from Kakariko, but he never described what you described on your letter, only that some army deserters had killed some Bulblins and soldiers, made the town their base, and were interrupting food shipments coming northeast." She anxiously began to pace, something he had seen Shad do while upset, but never Zelda. Perhaps she picked up the habit from him. "As informative as your letters were to the three of us, you didn't disclose too many details. When you mentioned rape, pillage and murder, it quite honestly sounded like the the typical bad group of soldiers, which would have been taken care of in time. I had no idea that children were involved, otherwise I would have sent the army immediately."

He watched her as she walked back and forth. "It gets worse. They didn't want to bury the people they had killed, either. Someone told me that they hadn't just killed a bunch of Bulblins and soldiers that tried to defend the town, but some residents of the town as well. The people of Deya had to wait until the dead started rotting in the fields, and once the smell started to bother the bandits, only then were the residents permitted to bury them." He continued to watch her as she paced, and assumed that her dismay and frustration had no other outlet. "I can see how much this bothers you, so you can understand why I didn't want to wait."

Zelda stopped and turned towards him. "Even so, the damage was already done. I know it sounds cold, but the pain that the people of the town suffered was already inflicted on them, and they could have lasted a few more days until Petyr sent soldiers to retake the town."

"I initially had thought maybe it would be worthwhile to wait for the army, but I knew I could do something. I could do what no one else was able to do, and put a stop to it myself." He expected her to start pacing again, but she just looked at him and listened to him speak. "But I hated it, and I was disgusted with myself. I hated what I was doing, and I felt sick as a result. I'm the hero but here I was, sneaking around a dark town and killing men like an assassin, and then I used Courage to make me strong and fast enough to fight groups of them. And I did it for you—"

"Me?!" she asked incredulously, interrupting him. "I didn't ask for that!"

"I know. I knew that what I was doing would make you angry, but I wanted to make sure that you wouldn't have to deal with the problem. Not just you, but others too. If Petyr had sent soldiers there, good men would have died. Then there was the food the deserters kept stealing, the others that they killed or captured after taking the town, and the citizens of Hyrule that they would have potentially hurt in the future." He saw her anger abate as he spoke, and even though she was still upset, her intelligent eyes were thoughtful. "I understand that you wanted to put those men to work, but they would just add to the country's unrest. They would revolt, escape, and do the same things they had been doing before."

Zelda paused and stared at him for a moment before speaking. "I never said I wanted to capture and put the deserters to work. They've committed crimes against the crown and kingdom, and will be put to death eventually." Her brow furrowed as she took in his stunned expression. "Don't tell me that you believed I wanted to put them into prison camps? How would I feed those men, and guard them?"

Link gaped at her. "But you said you were going to put those who steal to work! You even told Rhea!"

A look of comprehension passed across her glowing features, and she pressed a hand to her forehead. "Oh dear goddess...you weren't listening to me, were you?"

He stared blankly at her, and realized in horror that he really had misheard her. The events of that day after he restored the Shadow Beast blurred together, but he thought he had heard her plans to deal with the deserters. Yet for all the time they spent together, even after they were attacked by them, they never discussed it. He had assumed something and never asked about it, like a moron. He had gotten cocky, and his basis for doing what he did meant very little as a result. "I really thought I heard you right."

Zelda dropped her hand and sighed. "It was an honest mistake. You were clearly exhausted that day."

"An honest mistake?! Zelda, I killed those men because I thought that I was taking a burden off your shoulders!" He sighed and rubbed at his face, and his voice was muffled when he spoke. "Okay, I'm freaking out and I shouldn't. I made a stupid mistake, but the end result is the same. I didn't wait for the army and did something entirely on my own when I shouldn't have, and I made you very angry." He groaned at his own stupidity and lowered his hands. "Not just angry. I scared you too, and I really didn't mean for that to happen."

"I know." She lowered her eyes. For some reason she was having problems making eye contact, and it probably had to do with her mix of anger and dread. "I'm sorry I shouted at you like that, but I really was upset, and I have been for hours. I've been wracking my brain trying to think of a way to get you out of trouble, and at the same time I was in shock that my sweet and kind friend would go and kill so many men."

"I know it seems out of character for me, but I told you how I hated every minute of it. I did it because I thought I was making things easier for you, not harder." He reached out and took her hand, but this time it was his right and her left, since he didn't want their Triforce pieces resonating again. "I apologize. I'm doing my best to help you, even if I screw up sometimes. My whole goal is to make your life a happy one, and doing things like this is counterproductive. I'm sorry, and I'll try not to mess up big like this again."

She still didn't look at him, although she gave his hand a squeeze. "I forgive you. I appreciate that you're trying to make me happy, but I don't want you to do it this way. You're the Hero of Hyrule, but you don't need to take on every dirty task you see before you."

At least she forgave him, but he didn't agree with her last statement. "No, I should execute traitors to the crown as part of my job as the Hero of Hyrule, because that's a way I can protect our people. I'm here to do these things for you, to help you with the good and the bad, and to try to make our home a better place."

She clutched her other hand to her chest. "Link, I don't want this for you. You hate doing it...you said so yourself. I don't want you to continue to do things that make you unhappy."

"It's all right." he said soothingly. "If I can make life easier for you and everyone else, then I will be happy. Taking care of your kingdom is another way that I'm taking care of you, just like your father wanted." That made her raise her eyes to look at him. Just like before, something about her eyes struck him, and he knew that it was another feeling that came from the ancient soul that had been reborn into his body. "Please trust me, and let me do whatever I can to help you...including things like this."

Zelda stared into his eyes for a moment, and then lowered her hand and nodded. "Very well...but we need to discuss this further, and in person. We'll figure out a system to take care of the traitors, something organized that doesn't rely on you working alone. We'll also figure out a way to make your actions at Deya seem like a last resort, and that you only acted because people's lives were in danger."

Link relaxed, glad that she understood him. "Yeah, and if it's something like that, it won't be too far from the truth. I would have discussed my plans with you, but there wasn't any way to talk to you...not unless I can figure out how to use my dream magic to come into your dreams for some glowing naked chitchat." That made her chuckle just a tiny bit, and he smiled. Then he thought of something, and decided to ask before one of them woke up. "Hey, Zelda? If I have dream magic, what does my dream mean? The one at the ranch that you walked in on?"

"Interpreting dreams correctly is a learned skill, as is being able to tell when it's metaphorical instead of literal. That nasty dream with the Lon ranch burning could very well mean that the place will burn to the ground, your girlfriend and your horses will be killed by archers, and our sky will suddenly look like the one in the Shadow Realm." He must have looked horrified, because she gave his hand another squeeze. "It's okay, because I doubt it's literal. I think it represents some of your fears. You've found things that make you happy, and you're afraid of losing them, especially since you lost things in the past. That dark sky and that version of me that offered to help represent your desire to reach out to someone you trust when you feel overwhelmed. In this case, me."

He felt relieved that his dream wasn't truly prophetic. "That's good. I've had that same dream before, so that's why I was worried. I've had a bunch of other weird dreams that I haven't told you about, and the more that I think about it, the more I realize that they're tied to fears and not reality. I've had dreams where I fall off that flying island, or ones where I get stuck underwater…"

"They're nightmares of things that frighten or hurt you, and that's not too unusual. I've had a recurring nightmare where I believe my mother is alive somewhere, but no matter how much I search the castle, I can't find her. All it means is that I miss her, and little more." Zelda smiled reassuringly and took his other hand in hers. Unbidden, the two pieces of the Triforce sprang to life and sang their silvery tones. "Don't worry about your nightmares, and don't take them literally. They'll become less frequent, in time."

"All right." he said, and even though he wanted to talk to her more, he knew that their conversation was coming to an end. "I won't do anything stupid before we see each other again, I promise."

The infinite sky reflected in the calm sea faded and everything around them grew dark. The princess' beautiful features became less defined as her inner light appeared brighter. "I know you won't. I'll be waiting until you come back, and then we can speak properly. Until then, goodbye." She vanished into motes of golden light that faded away, leaving him in a brief darkness before his mind slipped back into proper sleep.

---

He awoke to find that the willows were alive with birdsong, and the area glowed orange with the light of dawn. The nightmare and the following discussion quickly repeated in his mind, and he felt relief that his nightmares weren't horrible prophecies, and that Zelda forgave him for Deya. Yawning, he sat up and scratched at his wild hair, and decided he wasn't going to sleep through the noisy birds. It was time to start his day.

It felt peaceful as he knelt next to the spring, and the water was pleasantly cold when he splashed some on his face. The nights in Upper Eldin were starting to get colder since the plains held far less heat than the forests and farms of Central Hyrule, and he figured that it wouldn't be too long before the region's first frost. Even though the meadowlarks continued to call to each other as if nothing was wrong, he felt as if he was being watched. Curious, he looked around to try to spot who or what was watching him.

There was an enormous owl as large as a man sitting in an ancient willow tree on the other side of the stream.

Link stared at it and wondered if he was still dreaming. No...there really was a large brown owl with sweeping, feathery brows, and it was watching him with intelligent blue eyes. It clicked its beak, and then the damn thing spoke. "Good morning, hero! I'm glad you're finally awake, hoo hoo!"

Anyone else would have been surprised, but instead he was dismissive of the sheer stupidity of the situation. He'd seen far too many odd things in the past two months. "Owls don't talk."

The owl turned its head until it was nearly upside down, but its body stayed stationary. "Oh, but perhaps they do-hoo! Just because you haven't seen something yet doesn't mean that it cannot exist." There was something obnoxious about the way it spoke, as if it wasn't really a talking animal, but someone trying to theatrically imitate one. "But it's interesting that you're making bold statements instead of asking questions, hoo hoo!" it said, titling its head back to its normal position. "That isn't very wise, you know."

Suspicious of the annoying talking beast, Link let his third eye open to see what was actually going on here. Superimposed over the form of the owl was an old man with a white mustache, whose skinny legs stuck out of the bottom of his orange robe as he sat on the branch. Really?

"Cut the crap, Rauru. I know it's you." he said before he splashed more water on his face.

The owl made a disgruntled sound that was far less like the goofy voice of the owl and far more like the voice of the Sage of Light, and then it began to shift form, as if it was wax melting from one shape into another. The transformation finished, and the ancient sage sat there in the tree while looking somewhat grumpy. "Go ahead and ruin my fun, why don't you?"

"You have an odd idea of what 'fun' is." He wiped at his wet eyes and reached for the razor sitting nearby. Next to it were a bowl, a chunk of soap, a towel, a comb, and a small mirror propped up against a rock. He now had far more supplies for his morning routine, courtesy of Shad. "Maybe you should try your tricks on someone who doesn't have the Sheikah ability to see the truth of things. I already saw through your Gerudo disguise, remember?"

"That was an illusion, and this was shapeshifting. They're different, and I assumed you would simply see me as the owl. You certainly weren't able to see Midna's true form through her curse." He watched as the young man went through the same morning ritual so many other men did. "You're going to have a thick beard when you're older, if you're this young and you have whiskers that long after a day."

He tried not to let the sage distract him too much; he really didn't want to cut himself in front of the man. "It's after two days. I shave every other day. When I'm older, I probably will wind up having a thick beard. And a bald head, with my luck."

"What's wrong with a bald head?" Rauru asked, and it was difficult to tell if he was joking or not. Link laughed all the same. "Yes, go ahead and laugh. I believe you've earned a few chuckles, after what you did at Deya."

"That was you that flew over when I was on the inn's roof, wasn't it? I had thought that maybe the owl looked huge because of some trick of the moon, but you really were that big." Once again, he was shaving with an audience, although this time his single spectator wasn't doing it out of curiosity, and simply wanted to talk. He wondered if Rauru shaved. "You probably disapprove of what I did."

"No, I believe you followed your heart and rescued those people so they wouldn't have to suffer any longer. Sometimes doing the right thing can involve bloodshed, and there's very little to do about it." The sage kicked his thin old man legs idly, almost like a little boy perched in a tree. "What happened to the Master Sword?"

"You tell me, Rauru. What happened to the Master Sword?" With the way that the sage tended to be cryptic, Link couldn't resist the urge to be obnoxious in return.

The ancient sage made a sound halfway between a growl and a sour grunt. "I don't know everything, boy! I'm asking in earnest. Why do you not have the Master Sword anymore?"

"I had to return it to the Temple of Time so it could rest and recover its magic. It told me that it should only take two years, and then I can go draw it again. It had problems recovering after I used it to kill all the undead in Kasuto. The first time I used it to do something like that in the Arbiter's Grounds, it had a tough time gaining its magic back, and didn't until I channeled the power of the Sols through it in the Twilight Realm." He figured he ought to tell Rauru about what happened there, but at a later time. "Solaria's magic is probably a lot like Hylia's, right?"

"They are both sun goddesses, yes." Rauru confirmed it. "And so the power in the Master Sword is similar. You channeled the power of a light goddess through a weapon created by one, and restored its magic as a result. That did not happen when you cast the same spell in Hyrule. You used the power of the Triforce itself, a very dangerous thing to do."

He examined his face in the mirror, and then cleaned and folded the razor. "I asked for the power to save everyone, without knowing that I was asking the Triforce itself. If I had known I actually was using the thing, I would have asked it to restore all the Shadow Beasts instead of channeling that much magic through myself and the Master Sword. I almost killed myself."

"You used it in a way that it was not made for. The Triforce was created so mortals would have the power of the Golden Goddesses if they ever needed it." The sage crossed his ankles, which were clad in sandals. "That's why the goddess sacrificed herself. It was so she would be reborn into a mortal body, and then she could use the power of the Triforce. Only then would she have the strength to defeat the Demon King Demise."

Link glanced up from what he was doing, confused by this revelation. "What? I was told that she killed herself because her champion died fighting that demon, so she would be reborn with him and they'd be able to fight the demon king together. That and she wanted to be reborn with him out of love."

Rauru laughed from where he sat up in the tree. "I had wondered how much you knew, after spying on your conversation with Zelda when you told her who her soul belongs to. While it's true that there was romance involved, Hylia needed to be reborn at the same time as her champion so she could instruct him how to complete the Master Sword. Only he could complete those final steps, so the sword would truly be for him and him alone. In the end, the sword itself instructed the first Link on how to complete it, not Hylia reborn. Hylia, specifically the first Zelda, also needed to temper her mortal body. It was the only way she would be strong enough to withstand the power of the divine soul within her, but it also meant that she was unable to aid him, since she needed to use her power to seal the demon until he was ready to slay it."

"That makes a lot more sense than what Ooccoo and Solaria told me. They made it sound like Hylia killed herself because she was upset that her boyfriend died." He splashed more water on his face and torso, all that he could do for bathing out in the middle of nowhere. "You saw Zelda's reaction when I told her, right? She was furious that Hylia would commit suicide over something like a lost love."

"Yes, I saw. She was quite upset, but at least she had you. I had expected you to be the one to draw her out of her shell so she could vent her frustrations and grieve her lost childhood, and you did it with the kindness that I had hoped for." The old man sparkled with golden lights and vanished, only to reappear standing on the bank next to Link. "She needs love and friendship just like any other lonely young woman, and thankfully she's finally getting that. You, Shad and Ashei are willing to overlook her title to treat her like a human being, and while Ashei isn't the most sensitive of souls, and Shad is not good at dealing with the emotions of others, you most certainly excel at both of those things." He smiled, and his sweeping mustache shifted. "Even though she has them right now, she misses you. Your two souls are supposed to be together in some way, and simply having you nearby is a comfort to her."

"She's told me multiple times how she needs me around, and I feel that's important too. I don't know if it's my soul reacting to hers, or what." He started to comb his damp hair, and then stopped to stare at the clear waters of the stream and its pebbled bottom. "I really like her now that we've gotten to know each other as adults, but I think there's another part of me influencing my behavior. I feel something when I look at her eyes that's...I can't really describe it well. It feels like I'm very fond of her, so being near her makes me happy, I guess? Or like...things are how they're supposed to be. Like they're right. It's happened when I heard her sing, and when she finally stopped crying after learning about her soul, and I'm just...happy when it happens. I get this little jolt here…" He patted his bare chest, over his heart. "...and I know how that sounds, but it isn't anything romantic. I know romantic love feels like, and this isn't it. It's something else, like my soul remembers her from previous lives, and how important she was back then."

Rauru smiled and gave him a knowing look. "It could very well be that your soulmate from many reincarnations is making your heart skip a beat. Then again, it could also mean that you found someone so much like you, that you're almost giddy with happiness now that you're friends. Whatever it is and whether it comes from this life or your previous one isn't important. You two get along swimmingly, and are happier when you're together."

It felt like Rauru was implying something, and Link tried to not get grumpy about it. He turned away from the sage and resumed combing his hair so he wouldn't have to look at Rauru's stupid smug expression. It was too early for this crap. "Yeah. It must be a soulmate thing. Was there a reason why you came to visit me?"

"Yes, and you answered my question. The Master Sword sleeps in the Temple of Time, and you're a day away from Hyrule Castle." The old man had the nerve to click his tongue disapprovingly. "Zelda needs you. I'm not certain why you're in Eldin, but I ask that you hurry it up. You should return to her soon."

"I'm doing something important, all right? I have to travel to Old Kakariko…" he trailed off as he turned towards the ancient sage, who was dissolving into golden lights. Link sighed as the lights flew away to the west as Rauru did exactly what Darunia had done to him weeks ago. "Damn sages."

---

The canyon leading into Old Kakariko was slightly wider with fresh cuts through the volcanic stone, which meant that the Gorons probably enlarged it to make it safer. The town itself had a few human residents of the round-eared variety still living there, but also a few Hylians the most likely lost their homes in the invasion. The race that was absent was the Sheikah, much to Link's disappointment. He had hoped to speak to some, specifically from his mother's clan, but he had no idea where they went. "West" was all that Impaz had said. He decided that he'd ask her for more details.

After asking some residents about it, they pointed him to a stable with horses and mules in it, and he was able to put Epona there. The building had been shuttered when he had last been in the town, and most likely had been packed full with people at the time. The palomino had alfalfa, water and a quiet song, and once her tack was removed, he took the parcel that was the Hero of Time and left the stable.

Unlike the last time he was there, he knocked on the door of the old home that sat behind the boarded-up well. As he waited, the orange tabby that he knew belonged to Impaz appeared from beneath the building and began to rub against his shins. He smiled down at the tomcat. "Hey there, little boy. Pspsps." The cat produced a trilling meow and gazed up at him with golden eyes that were almost the same color as its fur. Link squatted down and scratched the cat's cheeks, and used the tone of voice people reserved for small children and pets. "Aww, yeah. You like that, huh? Who's a good little boy? What a sweetie you are! Yes! You sweet boy…"

The door opened and it wasn't Impaz standing there. Instead, a familiar redhead clad in green and brown stared at him with his deep blue eyes before bursting into laughter.

Link felt his face grew hot. He hadn't expected Max to still be in town after weeks had passed, and he certainly hadn't expected the young man to answer Impaz's door. "Shut up." he muttered, caught in an embarrassing moment.

"I've been called many things, but a sweet boy isn't one of them." Max said with a grin.

"I was talking to the cat." he said grumpily as he stood up.

"Uh-huh. I can give you two another moment alone, if you need it." Gods, he was obnoxious. What made him so obnoxious was that Link would have used the same commentary himself.

"Is Impaz home?" he asked, unable to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

"Of course she is." The redhead said while continuing to grin at him. "Come on in, little boy. Pspsps."

"Don't make me give you two more black eyes." he growled. This really was not going how he had planned. Rauru had been bad enough with his stupid owl routine and rude departure, and now not only was Max here, he thought he was funny as well.

"Gods, it's just a joke. You're awfully cranky for a guy who just got here." The warrior stepped aside to admit Link to the house, and the cat as well.

"Yeah? Well, the Sage of Light decided he was being clever earlier, and I wasn't in the mood." He saw a look of confusion pass over his cousin's features, and he sighed. "I'll explain in a bit. Hello, Impaz." he said to the old woman, who was seated at the dining table as she sewed a garment in Sheikah blue.

"Good afternoon, Link. What brings you out this way? Here to deliver a package?" she asked, only glancing at him briefly before looking back down at her work through a pair of spectacles.

"Sort of." he said, carefully setting down his parcel near the door. The orange tomcat curiously sniffed at the canvas package.

"What's in there?" Max asked, also curious.

"Link." he said simply, glad he had the opportunity to be a smartass in return.

"Speak plainly, please." Impaz chided. "What did you bring me?"

"I didn't bring this for you. In that package are the bones of the previous Link, otherwise known as the Child Hero." he said, not beating around the bush anymore.

That made the old Sheikah set aside her sewing and shift in her chair until she was facing him. Her red eyes peered over the top of her glasses. "Please explain."

He told the two of them of how the spirit of the previous hero was able to communicate with him through dreams, what had happened to him, and what his final wish was. Then he had to explain how he managed to find the previous hero's remains near the Deku Tree, and somehow managed to transform him from a Stalfos into an ordinary pile of bones. "All that's left to do is bury him next to his wife, Malon Lon. He told me to ask you where her grave was."

"It shouldn't be too difficult to find. The royal family used to be buried here, and important people tied to the Hyrules were buried nearby." She carefully settled her sewing into a basket and stiffly rose from her chair with a grunt. While Impaz's mind was sharp, her body most certainly was not. "If he's waited centuries, he can wait a bit longer while I get you some tea. Have a seat." Impaz turned and carried her basket out of the room, and made her way into the kitchen.

Link unstrapped his sword and set his baldric and shield down next to the previous hero's remains. "Max, why are you still here?"

"I'm not still here." his cousin said. "I just came back last night." He then began to explain. Three days after Link and his army left Old Kakariko, Max escorted a group of Ordonians south through Eldin, along with some Goron warriors that Darbus had sent specifically for that purpose. They stopped at the Goron depot and discussed Old Kakriko's food situation with Hagar, who seemed to already know about it. Max took that opportunity to request food for Mido, and explained how their crops had been ruined. He also told Hagar and a few merchants that he knew where there was available food in Lanayru, and so he left the Ordonians in the care of the Goron warriors and went with a group of Goron merchants to start gathering food. After a few days, the merchants split into two trains to bring what they could find to the two suffering towns.

The snow had melted in Mido, and the residents were overjoyed to see Max, the Gorons, and the yams and grain they had brought. Since he had been gone for a while, Max remained home for a few days to spend time with his mother, who was extremely lonely and downhearted. Ever since his father passed, his mother had become a sad, quiet woman, and having her only child leave had been hard on her. Brent had done what he could to try to to cheer her up, but he knew that what she needed was her family, and to not be isolated in Mido. After a pigeon came from Hyrule Castle itself announcing that the Twilight Invasion was over and the Hylians were human again, Brent suggested that Max bring his mother home.

"When he said home, he didn't mean with her immediate family." the redhead said as he drank Sheikah tea and ate sweet sesame cake with Link and Impaz. "She's a Trilby, but she abandoned her family years ago since they made a formal alliance with another noble family. It's a family both my parents hated, the Leighs." That sent alarm bells off in Link's head, but he didn't interrupt. "Lord Edmund is an ass, and my mother never liked him. That's why I brought her back to Bannen lands, where my aunt and cousins live. She's my father's sister, so they're your second cousins, like I am. Once mother was back home, she started to act like her old self again." He laughed. "And it wasn't long before she started bugging me about when I was going to marry Ashei."

"Ashei's only eighteen, but I can understand why a noblewoman would be interested in her adult son's marriage, especially now that Hyrule's in tatters. There needs to be a sense of normalcy." Impaz said, and she raised her sparse eyebrows at Link, who had inhaled a second piece of cake, and was eyeing up the rest. "Stop eating my sesame cake. That's a treat made with some of our new supplies, you know. I don't care if you're the hero, I won't allow you to be a glutton."

"Sorry. I didn't have lunch." he said, feeling guilty. He had done it without thinking, and probably looked like a jerk.

"You just missed lunch with us, but you can have dinner here. I shot some pheasants this morning, and there's more than enough to share." Max offered, and after taking a sip of tea he continued. "Mother was finally happy, and so after spending some days at home, I came back here to make sure granny was okay." Wait, granny? "I was surprised to see that some Hylians had decided to move here, but I'm also happy about it. That way she won't be alone when I have to leave again."

"Now you need to tell us a story, Link." Impaz said, and she glanced over her shoulder at the ordinary steel sword that leaned up against the wall. "Why is it you no longer have the Master Sword?"

That required quite the explanation, starting with getting the final shard of the Mirror of Twilight, what he had done in the Twilight Realm, how he fought Ganondorf, how he used the power of the Triforce to restore the Shadow Beasts, Midna and the Twili's return to the Twilight Realm, his journey with Zelda, and then with Ilia. The two of them listened with rapt attention, and Impaz didn't ask very many questions, only when she found out that Zelda's soul hadn't been in her body for a whole month. Link's story ended with an apology for using up the Master Sword's energy.

"It's all right, dear." Impaz assured him. "It needs to rest, and the darkness beneath the town isn't going anywhere. The Sage of Shadow came here with the Sage of Fire, and the two of them had the fragments of that mirror with them. They went to the temple that lies beneath the town, put the mirror there, and then she strengthened the seal. It should hold for a good while, and I believe your duties to Princess Zelda and Hyrule are far more important right now." She turned to look at the bundle of bones near the door. "I believe that sooner or later, our sage friends will return from their business up the mountain. Until then, let's find some shovels and a grave."

---

Malon's grave was at the rear of the cemetery, near an entrance to an ornate mausoleum. It also was not merely Malon's grave; it was a double tombstone and the other side bore the name of her husband, although it didn't list a date of death for him. The previous Link had a grave set aside for him while he was still alive, but he had never been able to use it.

Until now.

I'm glad you brought his bones here, Link." Impaz said as the young man carefully set the bundle nearby. "Not only will he be buried with his Malon, he'll also be close to his Zelda. When she passed away, the cemetery at Hyrule Castle wasn't there yet, and so she was buried here near her husband."

"Do you think we'll be able to dig this grave before sundown?" Max asked while peering up at the early afternoon sun. "I'd rather not be out here after dark."

"I believe you will, especially if Impa and Darunia return from old Death Mountain." The old woman turned to look at the extinct volcano's wide peak. "Impa strengthened the seal to her temple two weeks ago, and while they were in town, Darunia sensed that the evil within his temple was starting to break free. Even though he sealed that evil, he has gone to strengthen the seal every few days to make sure it never escapes. The reason Death Mountain suddenly went cold two hundred years ago was his doing. An ancient dragon had been resurrected, and Darunia had to seal it along with the power of the volcano itself, since the strong fire magic of Death Mountain gave the dragon strength. Once the volcano was made inactive, the Gorons migrated to their current home."

"Hopefully he's got that thing sealed up good and tight, because I'm not in the mood to fight any more dragons." Link picked up the shovel. "I guess we dig down until we hit something."

The two young men started the process of digging a grave while Impaz sat in the shade of a nearby tree and continued with her sewing, something she had brought with her. It wasn't long before the afternoon heat began to get to them, so after a drink of water and a rest, they stripped down to only their boots and pants and resumed digging. After a while they took turns being in the hole, and one passed up buckets of dirt for the other to empty.

"What in the name of Din are you doing?" asked a familiar voice in incredulous tones, and Link didn't need to turn around to know it was Darunia. Instead he accepted a bucket of dirt from Max and threw it on the pile that was gradually growing.

"Digging a grave, obviously." he said, and then he had to retell his story of how he had found the hero's Stalfos and recovered his bones, but he also told them what had happened to Saria. The two sages listened intently, and he and Max managed to rest for a bit while he talked.

"That poor girl." Impa said sadly. "Guarding the mirror was hard on all of us, but especially for her. Normally if a Kokiri leaves the forest for too long, they'll die. If they don't stay joined with their fairy, the same thing happens. I can only imagine how she felt."

"She described it as feeling like physical pain." He heard that Max had begun digging again, which meant there would be another bucket coming up soon. "But she said she was ready to move on, since I was going to bring Link's bones here to be buried. She told me she was glad that somebody loved him, even though centuries have passed."

"I agree with her, brother." It was odd that Darunia kept calling him that, but the Goron seemed fond of him even though they didn't know each other too well. He wondered if his hero's soul had anything to do with that. "You've done a great thing for him. He was our friend, and we know he deserved better."

"I traveled with him when he was a boy." Impa said. "Even though he was only ten years old, he was very bright, and very brave. I wish I had gotten to know him well as an adult, but we could only watch him from far, and see only glimpses of his life."

"Hey, I hit something." Max said from the hole, which was so deep that only his head was above ground. "I don't want to dig anymore to find out what, but it's not a rock. This is deep enough to do the proper rites, I think. Give me your grandfather, will you?"

Link passed over the bundle, which the other young man took and set down near his feet at the end of the hole closest to the headstone. "Need a hand up?"

"Here, I'll get him." Darunia reached down and put both of his thick hands underneath Max's arms, and lifted him as if he was a small child. "There. No climbing needed." he said as he set the young man down on his feet.

Max wiped at his brow with the back of his dirty hand. Even though he had tied his hair back, wisps of it had escaped and stuck to his sweaty face. "Thanks...but I wish you were here three hours ago. You could have dug this so much better than us."

The Goron laughed and put his hands on his round belly. While most Gorons were round in the middle, Darunia looked as if he was carrying extra weight, but in the way that truly strong men did. "Sorry, I had other work to do! But I can at least push the dirt back in." He reached a hand towards the pile of dark volcanic soil, and then stopped. "Uh. Don't you Hylians sing a prayer once the body's been put in the ground?"

Link looked down at the bottom of the grave and at what was left of his previous incarnation. The gods hadn't done that Link any favors either, and he probably had no love for them. Still, he wanted to send his grandfather off right. The Deku Tree had said that funeral rites were to give comfort to the living, and while that was true, they were also a final expression of love for the deceased. He stepped back from the grave to give the Goron room, and then began the same song that Ashei had sung at his father's grave, the Hymn of the Underworld. Max joined in and the two man sang the funerary song while Darunia pushed the dirt back into the grave, and packed it down. Then he too stepped back and clasped his large hands in front of himself.

"May he find peace in the underworld." the Goron sage said respectfully.

"That's not where he's going. We have a shared soul, spread out between the two of us. The tiny fragment that's him is supposed to rejoin with me, although I don't feel any different." He looked down at his dirty hands, and expected something; maybe Courage would glow, or he'd feel something in his chest, but nothing changed. It was disappointing.

"Thank you." said a voice very much like his own, and Link raised his eyes to see the faint spirit of his previous self standing on the grave, with the hint of blue flames around his ghostly feet. He was dressed in the same blue and black outfit he had been wearing in the dream world, which happened to be the one he had died in. "You kept your promise."

"Of course." he told his grandfather. "You deserved better than the life you had."

The previous Link's bearded face broke into a broad smile. "I could say that about you, but at least you have so much more than I had, and have so much more potential for the future. I had thought I would continue to be forgotten, but now I know that won't happen. You're standing here with my friends, which is more than I had ever hoped for at my funeral. They'll remember me too." He nodded his head at Impa and then at Darunia, and then fixed his single blue eye on his descendant again. "Remember, no matter what life you lead from here on out, your Zelda is everything to you. The relationship that you'll have with her will be unique and unlike any other friendship you'll have, so cherish it." He began to walk towards the young hero as he spoke, and stopped directly in front of him. "I know Hyrule is in good hands, and now I can truly rest. Thank you, my grandson. I'm proud of you." He reached out and wrapped his ghostly arms around Link, and his touch was chilly on his bare skin. "And now, we will become one again."

The cold suddenly seeped into his chest and his bones, and his vision faded. He felt as if he was falling and heard Max call out his name in alarm, but the world seemed far away as suddenly new memories flooded his mind, memories of another man from another time. They overwhelmed his mind as images flashed rapidly, almost so rapidly he could barely keep up with them; there was a small blue fairy hovering nearby, a young Sheikah man with his face hidden behind a mask that played a golden harp, the moon fell from the sky on a town, a red-haired woman held a light-haired baby while humming Epona's song. The memories and the emotions behind them battered his mind and he would have screamed, but his body didn't respond. All he could do was endure the process of absorbing another man's mind into his own.

He had no idea how long it went on, or who he truly was anymore, or if he was still sane. The memories of the previous Link crowded out his own, and it almost felt as if the Hero of the Twilight was someone else. Eventually he was aware that he was no longer standing but instead laying on what felt like grass, and something soft was pillowing his head. He groaned and started to move his body, and realized that he must have passed out.

"Hey. Hey, Link." The baritone voice was familiar, and his ragged mind took a moment to recall who it belonged to. Max. It was Max, his cousin. "Can you hear me?"

"Don't crowd him, young man." That one was Impaz. "He'll finish waking up eventually."

Link opened his eyes to see that Impaz and Darunia were standing next to him, and Max was kneeling at his side while peering down at him in concern. The warrior was clad in his shirt again, but Link was not. A dark blue robe had been thrown over his bare chest, and he realized that it was Impaz's sewing. That meant that whatever was under his head was most likely his own shirt or vest. He tried to hold onto the sensations of reality and ignore the memories that fogged his mind, and looked up at his cousin. "Max…?"

The warrior looked visibly relieved. "Yeah, it's me. How are you feeling?"

He grunted and scrunched his brow as a bunch of images flashed again, like the memories were trying to find the shelves of the library that was his mind. "My head hurts."

"Your head? We were worried about your heart, since the other Link's spirit went into your chest. That light on your hand glowed, and you collapsed. Your skin was ice cold, so Impa hurried to get the medical kit from Impaz's house." Max's face blurred in and out of focus as he spoke, and it was difficult for Link to pay attention. Another rapid group of images hit him, ones from when the previous Link visited the Zora's temple at the bottom of Lake Hylia. The memories intermixed with his own, and he wasn't sure if he was seeing the events of a month ago or two centuries ago. "Hey. Hey!" Max patted at his cheek roughly. "Stay with us."

"Sorry. I'm here. It's just...I don't think a mind is meant to hold the memories of two people." He squinted to focus on his cousin's face again, and attempted to smile. "You were worried about me, huh?"

"Well obviously I'm worried. I know this might be hard to believe, but I like you." The warrior smiled down at him. "I know we didn't get off to a good start, but we're still family."

"Family." More images formed in his mind, and he saw the red-haired woman holding a baby again, a baby he knew was the previous Link's daughter and eldest child. Malon was a lovely woman with a beautiful singing voice, and as the old Link within the memory watched, the new Link was overwhelmed by the love that the previous hero had felt for his wife. Memories came unbidden of time spent riding horses, sharing meals together, sharing a bed together, and the warm contentedness that he was starting to understand now that he was with Ilia, but it went beyond what he had known. Link and Malon had children together, children that brought him joy that only added to the happiness that his wife brought him.

Then the memories shifted in tone, and Malon's face was feverish as she feebly tried to nurse her second child, and her eyes fluttered as she struggled to say conscious. In the next memory he experienced, he could hear his ancestor's pained voice—a voice that was so much like his own—as the previous hero wept at the bedside of his dead wife.

It overwhelmed him, and he curled up on his side and covered his face with a grimace as tears sprung to his eyes. That loss of Malon was the hardest thing the Hero of Time had to go through, even compared to all he had done both in the lost timeline and the true one. He was so heartbroken that he lost his sense of self, and could barely function as a father to his children, who were left in the care of their grandfather and the staff of the ranch. He became aimless, unsure of what to do with himself, unsure if he could keep living the kind of life he had without Malon.

"Hey, are you all right?" Max asked.

"It's his memories." Link mumbled as he struggled to control emotions that weren't his own. "He lost his wife, since she died after their son was born. Even though he loved his children, he couldn't be near them after that. When he saw them, they would make him think of her and what he lost." He sniffled and swallowed hard. "He only had one other purpose, which was serving the kingdom as a knight, so he abandoned his family and returned to Hyrule Castle." Suddenly the memories revealed something shameful, something that made sense. Link sat up and wiped at his eyes as he learned what the previous hero had said was too personal, and had refused to share. "Oh, gods. It all makes sense now…"

"What does?" Darunia asked, leaning in.

"What we were we talking about?" Impa asked as she hurried to stand over Link with the other three, and she held a metal box in her hands.

"Link's experiencing the previous hero's memories. He seems to be fine physically, so I don't think I'll need that kit, but thank you for bringing it." Impaz said, not making any motion to take the medical kit.

"Better safe than sorry, I suppose." The muscular Sheikah leaned in towards him with her free hand rested on her knee. "Link? You look like you've had the shock of a lifetime. What was it you said makes sense?"

He took his hand away from his face and looked up at her. "Why he wanted to go find Navi and the Master Sword. He absolutely had to prove he was a hero and was the start of a worthy bloodline due to it, but it had nothing to do with Malon or their children. Once his wife died, he went to the only person he felt he could trust, the only person that understood him: Zelda. But it wasn't just a friendship. Once he returned to her and Hyrule Castle, they had an affair. Queen Zelda was still married to the prince regent at the time, but he was in poor health, and they weren't certain if he could get the queen pregnant. Then she suddenly was pregnant. It happened shortly before the regent died, but it wasn't his doing. He was too ill to walk, let alone sleep with a woman. Link was the father."

Impa nodded seriously. "Yes. It was his greatest shame, and a scandal at the time. The Sheikah and the castle historians covered it all up to try to save both the Lon family and the Hyrule family face. Otherwise they would have been disgraced."

"Link didn't want his son to be nothing but a bastard, either. He wanted to marry Zelda, but he couldn't. He wasn't eligible. Even though he was a knight and technically nobility, they didn't know who his parents were, and so they assumed he had a commoner's blood. He thought that if he proved that he had saved Hyrule twice and actually killed Ganondorf, he would be worthy of being the next prince regent." He hugged his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. "But he never returned, and his son Gregory grew up to be a horrible man and a cruel king. It was his biggest regret, that he was unable to be there for his youngest son, and was unable to guide him. He felt responsible for all the things Gregory did as king."

"Even though I'm Sheikah, I have to admit that I didn't know anything about this." Impaz said as she stooped to pick up the blue robe she had thrown across him. "The Child Hero's tale was a sad one, but the actual truth of it is even sadder."

"Now I know why he told me he had to 'confirm some things Zelda did'. After he died, he wanted to make sure that she and their son were all right. Even though Malon was everything to him, he also loved Zelda, and had for years." Other images came to his mind then, of the previous Zelda herself. That Zelda had the same face and same slender build as the Zelda he knew, but her hair was a golden blonde, and she preferred to wear pink. She sat beneath a tree and smiled at him warmly in the dappled shade; she walked through the newly-built Hyrule Castle while laughing about something with the previous Link; she lay beneath him as he made love to her. That one in particular was far too graphic for Link's liking, and he felt himself turn beet red.

"What's wrong? More memories messing with your head?" Max asked.

He rubbed at his face and tried to push the sight and sound of that particular memory from his mind. "I just remembered him and that Zelda uh...being intimate. She had the same face and voice as the current Zelda, so…" He made a frustrated noise. "While I certainly like the current Zelda, I absolutely do not like her in that way. She's just a friend, and seeing that kind of image involving one of my friends is pretty damn weird and...and wrong."

"You certainly look uncomfortable, and I can't blame you." Impa said, and she extended a hand towards him. "Come on. I think you should find someplace private to go through all these memories."

---

He lay on a pile of Impaz's kneeling cushions, wrapped in a blanket even though it wasn't all that cold yet, and numbly watched as the two Sheikah and single Goron played dominoes at the dining table. He would have made it an even four and joined them, but he kept succumbing to the previous hero's memories. Sometimes he'd remember something that had intense emotions tied to it, and he'd pull the blanket up over his head and curl up in a ball to hide his reaction from the others. They never looked at him, and it appeared that they were ignoring him out of consideration for the abnormal mood swings he was having.

The one who didn't ignore him was Max. Even though he was in the kitchen cooking most of the early evening, he came out a few times to check on his cousin. One time he brought him tea and a piece of buttered bread, another he offered a few books for Link to read. The last time he came and refilled the empty teacup, and then sat down to the miserable young man huddled in a blanket.

"Does it still suck?" the redhead asked.

"Yeah, it still sucks." Link said moodily as he stared at the wall while laying on his side. He had put his back to the group after a fit of rage that was not his own, and never bothered moving after that. "When I've been sick or hurt, I've known what to expect. I have no idea what to expect with this. I keep learning things about him that I don't want to know, like when he got food poisoning, or the times he got his dick sucked." That made Max laugh, and Link grumbled and turned his head to glare at him. "It's not funny! I don't want to know about him getting his dick sucked! It's not like I'm getting my dick sucked, it's dick-sucking by proxy and it makes me feel extremely uncomfortable."

"I had best not hear any more of that language or subject matter, young man." Impaz said sternly from where she sat at the table. "I don't care who you are or what's going on in your head. You will be a gentleman in my house, or you'll sleep outside."

He didn't bother apologizing since he was truly miserable. "If you were seeing some of the things I've been seeing, you'd get vulgar while complaining too."

"It's okay, Link. It'll be done eventually. Absorbing a whole person's mind sounds kind of nuts, but it can't take forever." Max patted him on the shoulder. "Cheer up, dinner's almost done. Roast pheasant, oat bread, peas and potatoes."

"...Onions or carrots?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course onions. It's roast meat, isn't it? Granny's got some plum wine, and I can probably sweet talk her into giving you some." the warrior offered. "It might calm your head."

"I think it's probably best that I avoid alcohol until this over. I'll be better off with the tea you brought me." It was some herbal variety that had a blend of things in it, but all he recognized were chamomile and mint. He sat up and reached for the teacup, and tried not to think about the things he had seen over the past few hours.

Darunia excused himself and told them he would return to Old Kakariko in a few days. "Not that I don't enjoy standing around watching humans eat, but I told Ralis that I would visit his historians, and I've been putting it off." He patted the grumpy young Hylian on the head as he continued to sulk inside his blanket. "I hope you get better soon, brother. Hyrule still needs you, and you need to get back to the castle. I'm sure Princess Zelda is waiting for you to come back, since a Zelda usually needs her Link around."

"Thanks. I'll get there eventually." he said, still busy wallowing in his own misery. He felt exhausted. "Sorry if I'm not myself at the moment. I haven't gotten to chat with you sages very much."

"For the time being, Impa and I are still immortal. We haven't given up our powers yet, because we still feel there are some things we can do without breaking the rules." The Goron grinned at him from within his bushy beard. "And you're still young. There will be plenty of time for us to talk in the future."

Another memory crawled across Link's mind as the Goron spoke, of a child that Darunia had in the lost timeline. That Goron boy was also named Link, named after the Hero of Time, but Darunia never had a son in the true timeline due to his awakening as a sage. It was a life that never came to be, and it was somewhat sad that the sweet Goron boy never existed, and that his father never knew about the son he had loved dearly in the alternate reality. Darunia misinterpreted his glum expression and patted him on the head again with a laugh.

"You'll be all right." The Goron turned and waved to the two Sheikah. "Later." Then he didn't wait for a response and dissolved into sparkling red lights, which flew straight through the wall and to the northwest.

"At least he said goodbye this time." Impaz said with a small smirk as she worked with her namesake to set the table. "I understand that Gorons are informal, but that one can be downright rude."

"That isn't his intention and he isn't normally rude. Darunia has a formal Goron dialect, and his manners are fitting for a patriarch. It's just that when you spend centuries away from others, you forget how to act around them at times." The tall Sheikah sighed as she placed plates down on the table. From the looks of things, she was eating with them. "It still feels strange speaking to other Sheikah."

"Speaking of Sheikah, I have some questions for you two, if you don't mind." Link stood and shed his blanket, and took a few steps towards them.

"I don't mind, but it would probably be best if you continued to rest." Impaz said as she clutched a handful of forks. They looked as if they were made of actual silver, and could use a polishing.

"I'm not sick, Impaz. I'm just two heroes in one body at the moment, and both of us are tired of laying around like an invalid." The memory of his ancestor breaking his arm as a young man floated to the front of his mind, and he winced at how painful it had been.

"That's why you should rest. We don't know what will trigger a memory." While the old woman was probably right, he felt like he had to move around a bit.

"I'll be fine. It's gotten better over the past few hours. Besides, I don't know the next opportunity I'll have to speak to the only two Sheikah I've seen alive in the past five years." He pulled out one of the dining chairs and straddled it as he sat down, something that the old woman didn't seem to approve of, but said nothing about. "I'm only one-quarter Sheikah so I don't know that much about my family, but I do know that my grandmother wasn't born in Hyrule. In fact my mother was never clear on where her mother was born, and only told me 'west'. This town is probably the last Sheikah town in Hyrule, but all of them have gone west too. Where did everyone go? Why? And do you think there's a chance I could trace my family tree if I tried?"

Impaz looked at him thoughtfully. "I suppose I could answer, but I think Impa would do it far better, since she recently gained a far better understanding of things." The old woman turned to the other Sheikah with a smile. "If you don't mind."

Impa moved her red eyes over towards the kitchen doorway, where Max was cheerfully whistling to himself while he cooked. She hesitated, and then turned back to Link and nodded. "Hyrule isn't the only country with Sheikah towns in it, and Holodrum is one of those countries. In fact it's a far safer place for our people, since the northern half of the country is mountainous, with many places to hide villages. Even though it's safer, the fear and hatred that Sheikah have faced in Hyrule is universal, I'm afraid. Our race is misunderstood distrusted throughout the world."

"My girlfriend's father hates them, and didn't want me to be with her because of it. He believes that somehow my bloodline will taint her children's, or something ridiculous like that. I don't even look like a Sheikah and I'm still at the receiving end of that hate." He folded his arms on top of the chair and rested his chin on them and watched as Impaz laid out silverware, which he knew was for the Hylians' benefit; traditional Sheikah ate with sticks, and quite a bit of Impaz's home looked traditional. "Fine, now I know that there are Sheikah in the norther mountains of Holodrum. Why did the ones here need to leave when they were already guarding something horrible that was sealed below the town? It had to be for something far more dangerous."

Impa glared at him, obviously annoyed that he had made that connection. Her reaction also meant that she clearly knew why they had left, and the answer she gave may or may not have been the entire truth. "I went west to check on them, at Impaz's request. The Sheikah left Hyrule regardless of what clan they belonged to in order to use their skills to fight Lynels. They've grown far too numerous for their species, which is one that normally doesn't breed often, and they now have a taint of dark magic. Something or someone has been tampering with them, but we don't know to what end, or why. One of our duties is to keep the monster population under control, especially fearsome species like Lynels, Hinoxes and Wolfos. Even though it's in Holodrum, the Sheikah there are doing their best to protect Hyrule, and are trying to stop the Lynels from expanding east."

"That matches up with some of the things the Bulblin King told me about Holodrum and how his people fled to escape the Lynels." Link recalled the conversation he had with Gar three nights past. "He said that about six years ago, a lot of Lynels showed up on the savanna, huge numbers that he had never seen before. Maybe that means that they were trying to escape the Sheikah."

"I doubt it. Lynels don't turn tail and run, since that isn't their nature. I think it's more likely that they happen to be in more places than the Sheikah thought. As for finding your bloodline among the Eclipse clan…" The tall Sheikah shrugged. "I suppose you'll have to do some poking around on your own. Even though I'm Eclipse, I don't know anything about your family, so you should look in the royal library for information. This town used to be an Eclipse town when I was a girl, but it turned into a general Sheikah town with multiple clans, so I don't know how much information you'd get from the people that lived here."

While he had hoped for specifics, it was a start. He knew he wouldn't be able to go west yet since his duties in Hyrule would keep him busy for years, but it was still good to know that the Sheikah were still working to aid Hyrule while in hiding. If he was lucky, he could have some family alive in a hidden village somewhere.

Once they sat down and had dinner, Link talked for much of it and told them what he had been doing after restoring the Shadow Beasts. There were some personal details with Zelda he omitted, and he told them the altered tale of being attacked by deserters. Even though he knew that they might judge him, he told them of what he had done in Deya, and why. Impaz looked grim, but both Impa and Max offered their approval and support; they admitted they would have done the same thing.

"I think that either one of you could have done it, too. I've seen you fight, Max, and you're pretty damn good. I know that Impa used to be the previous Zelda's bodyguard, just like my mother was the queen's. That means that you must be fairly skilled in a fight." Now that he had been talking, the images had stopped for the time being, since he was recalling his memories from this life. It was like the other Link within him went to sleep.

"You say that, but I don't have that Triforce piece in your hand that makes you so powerful." Max said. "From the way you described how you did things in Deya, I think a warrior would have problems without Courage, whether they were a Sheikah or not."

Link looked down at his hand and at the three brown triangles there. "I admit that Courage helped me…" He trailed off and shut his eyes as a sudden memory of the Triforce came to him. He recalled his previous life, waking as an adult when he shouldn't have grown up, only to find Courage embedded in his hand, and listening to Rauru explain what it was. Then he was fighting and not using it, unsure of how to use it, unsure if he was could hear whispers coming from the Master Sword or not. The previous Link traveled back in time and returned to being a child through Zelda's song magic, but he did so with all of his belongings, including the Triforce fragment that bonded to his soul.

That was why what happened in the Sacred Realm was a shock. Zelda in the true timeline did not have her Triforce fragment when they used the Master Sword to go to the Sacred Realm, but he did. When two children and one Gerudo warlock all rushed forward to try to use the Triforce at the same time, it shattered, just as Rauru had said it did in the lost timeline.

He opened his eyes and saw that Courage was glowing, even though he didn't activate it. No, even though he didn't activate them. "I get it. I understand why I'm so much stronger than the previous hero." he breathed, finally realizing the truth. "Courage is the weakest of the three pieces, and I shouldn't have been able to do the same things Ganondorf was doing when we fought one another. When the Hero of Time traveled back in time and his aging reversed, he still had his piece that he gained in that timeline, and kept it while he and Zelda went to the Sacred Realm in this one. When the Triforce split, the previous Link absorbed that Courage, and it fused with the one already bonded to his soul."

He touched the glowing triangles on his hand, and the one at the lower right that was brighter than the other two. "The reason I'm able to make myself so strong or so fast is because I have two pieces of the Triforce, combined into one."

"That shouldn't be possible." Impaz said. "The Triforce is immutable, created by the gods to grant mortals their power in a time of need. It exists in perfect balance, and the power of Courage and Wisdom combined equals that of Power. This upsets that balance, and the fact that this odd fused Triforce fragment reappeared with your soul when you were born is troubling. I don't know how that will affect the relic if it ever reforms."

"Maybe it isn't meant to reform." Impa suggested. "The way it exists now makes far more sense, since the three pieces have bonded to souls that are best suited for their kinds of magic, and there haven't been too many instances of people actually using the Triforce for its original purpose, like what Link did with the Shadow Beasts. If Courage and Wisdom combined are more powerful than Power, then that means the future incarnations of the hero and the princess will have an easier time of things."

"You make it sound like what I did was easy. Anyway, I'm not too worried. If things were out of balance or dangerous, then I'm sure something would have gone wrong by now, and it hasn't." Even though he said the words, there was a silver of doubt within him. He smiled and continued to tell them of Rauru's odd visit, and did his best to not think about the terrible power in his left hand.

That night he didn't sleep well, as memories that didn't belong to him drifted to the front of his mind, and his dreams were nothing but things that the previous hero had done. He learned of an odd portal to a different world that had the city beneath the falling moon, a place called Clock Town in the nation of Termina, and how the previous Link was stuck in a time loop until he was able to stop the moon from destroying that world. In doing so, he transferred the souls of recently-deceased people into masks, and then used those masks to turn himself into those beings, a horrifying and painful process. It was a world of pain and torment, of hopelessness and resignation, of the moon falling to the earth and obliterating everything in those few seconds before Link's song magic brought him back a few days to start the process over again. The memories were terrifying and his heart pounded when they jolted him awake, and it was a while before he was able to sleep again.

The next day he remained in Old Kakariko while his mind continued to sift through the memories of the previous hero, since he knew they made him unfit to ride. With little else to do, he wandered around the town and spotted landmarks that were familiar to a man from a different life. The entrance to the Shadow Temple was up on the side of a cliff, appearing to be little more than a small cave mouth that was overgrown with tree roots. Death Mountain slept because Volvagia was also sleeping within the mountain, and most likely would continue to do so for centuries. Even the boarded-up well was familiar, and he knew of the maze of passageways beneath it that led to the main part of the Shadow Temple.

His feet brought him back to the grave, one that he oddly felt was his grave now that he had the other Link within him. Looking at the tombstone, he noted that Malon's date of death indicated that she had only been thirty years old, five years younger than his mother was when she passed away. It was a life cut short due to tragedy, and he wondered how different history would have been if Malon had lived. Considering that the previous Link was romantically involved with both his wife and the queen, Gregory very well could have been born anyway. The previous hero had done his best to try to ignore how he felt about Zelda for years, which was what the current hero had been trying to do with Midna. Knowing that the old Link had dealt with the same frustrations put his mind at ease, and he felt better about what his stupid heart had done.

Max volunteered to go with him the next day to make sure that he traveled to Hyrule Castle without any issues, and when Link planned to leave shortly after dawn, his cousin was prepared. The young warrior had turned out to be a kind, responsible young man that smiled often and had a generally happy demeanor, something that Link had suspected but hadn't had a chance to see much of. He had comment on it as the two of them rode at a walk through the town after saying goodbye to the two Sheikah.

"Yeah, I probably do seem different to you, but what you saw of me was a different Max and not the real me." he said as he rode Risotto. It was still a stupid name for a horse. "I was going through a rough patch and acted like a dumbass. Getting drunk the first time I had seen Ashei in two weeks, getting jealous of you in Mido, not trusting you in this town…"

"Crying over all of that…" He had to poke fun at him over that; after all, Max had seen him in tears a few times over the past two days, due to the Hero of Time's memories.

"I was hoping you didn't hear that, but Impaz did say that the windows were open." The warrior awkwardly rubbed at the back of his neck. "Ever since my father died, my mother had slowly been wasting away. Being separated from him for years was hard enough on her, and then she found out that she would never be able to see him again. She never got to say goodbye. You know those birds that die not long after their mate dies? I was afraid that's what was happening to my mother. I thought I was going to lose both my parents, and it changed my personality. I really needed Ashei, but of course whenever I was around her, I started to act like an idiot."

"Don't feel bad. I haven't stopped acting like an idiot around Ilia. I think she finds it cute." That made his cousin chuckle, which made Link smile just a bit. "You said your mother perked up once she was back in Bannon lands with the rest of your family. I guess she's going to be okay, huh?"

"Yeah, I think so. Being isolated in Mido didn't do her any good, even though she's good friends with Brent. My aunt is her best friend, and being around your best friend can be the best medicine for a broken heart." He sighed heavily. "Of course, when your best friend is the thing that keeps breaking your heart, it gets harder."

"She does her best to hide her true self away from everyone, but I can tell that she genuinely likes you. Right now the most important thing to her is becoming a knight just like her father, something you and I can relate to." He decided he wasn't going to tell Max the truth; it wasn't his place to, and he knew that Ashei had to confess her feelings on her own. "Although I do have one question that's been bugging me…"

"Yeah?" It was a genuinely curious response, instead of the hostile one Max would have given weeks ago.

He smirked at his cousin. "Why 'Risotto'?"

That made Max laugh, and he leaned forward to pat the horse on the neck. "This boy isn't my horse, or at least he didn't start that way. He's my mothers, and since he really took a shine to me, she took my mare while I kept him. Of course the horse already knew his name, so I wasn't going to change it. Apparently she thought his colors looked like the top of a dish of risotto when it's browned up a bit in the oven. If that's her method of picking names, I'm lucky I'm not called 'Apple'."

Now it was Link's turn to laugh. He liked the real Max.

The two of them rode south through rugged volcanic hills and crossed the Great Bridge of Eldin around noon. The guard post on the southern side of it was once again manned by soldiers in blue, who waved at them in a friendly manner. Their equipment was maintained and they looked relatively clean, so he knew that they were Petyr's men. The general was getting men back to the various outposts and forts around Hyrule, and that would ensure the safety of displaced citizens that needed to travel as well as curb the behavior of the deserters from the army.

Since they took the northern road that ran along the gorge for the Upper Zora's River, they rode through more fertile land, and actually saw a village with people working the fields. The people worked diligently to plant root vegetables and winter wheat, and they also happened to be on the shorter side, green-skinned, and had a pair of horns jutting out of the sides of their uncovered heads. The Bulblins had settled in at least one village in Eldin, and for the first time he saw members of the race that weren't warriors. They wore loose clothing that was belted around their narrow waists, and their children wore robes of different bright colors as they chased a dog with something in its mouth into the middle of a field. Even though Link couldn't understand the words a gray-haired Bulblin woman shouted at the dog, he was fairly certain they were along the lines of "drop it!".

They stopped for the night not too far out from the castle and its city, since they wouldn't be able to make it there by dark. While Link could have convinced the guards that he was the Hero of Hyrule and made them open the west gate to let them in, he decided it was better to make camp and then reach the castle sometime later in the morning. Max didn't argue and said that it was probably a good idea that Link rest, since he seemed distracted at times during the ride. Link admitted that seeing certain landmarks brought up memories belonging to the other hero, and while it was easier to handle them, it still left him tired.

After eating a meal of rabbit that was supplemented by turnips they looted from an abandoned farm, the two of them talked quietly. "I guess you know how to cook too." Max said while digging at something caught in his teeth with a fingernail. "I thought I'd be the one doing it again."

Link stared into the fire to avoid looking at his companion's annoying picking of his teeth. "I've lived on my own ever since I was fourteen, so I learned in a hurry. I also earned how to eat a lot of burned food." Although he only ate that burned food because he was too proud to ask Uli for help. At least he figured it out eventually. "I was surprised to find that you knew how, and are pretty good at it too. Cooking isn't a skill that noblemen tend to learn, you know?"

"My mother thought I should learn since knights don't spend all their time hanging out at the castle. They travel a lot, and you can't always find an inn to eat at." Thankfully, he stopped his obnoxious picking of his teeth and took a drink of his waterskin. "My father knew how to cook, but the way he did it was very mechanical: foods A and B cook in a pot to create food C. He did it as a necessary thing with no passion, kind of the same way most people trim their toenails. I enjoy doing it, probably because I like eating."

That reminded him of something he had meant to say. "Max, I didn't tell you something I've wanted to for a few days, because I didn't want to tell you in front of Impaz. Ashei and I spoke to your father's spirit at Hyrule Castle." He felt the other man's eyes on him, but continued to stare into the fire. "It was after I fought the Bulblin King, at my father's grave in the west courtyard. Alden found us there, since his spirit hadn't gone to rest yet. He needed to tell us where Zelda's body was, and warn us that Ganondorf had become a demon. That wasn't all...he also asked about you, like he hadn't seen you in years."

"My mother and I haven't seen my father for nearly seven years." That made sense, considering that the Bannens likely fled at around the same time many others did. "He insisted on staying behind to protect Zelda after your mother disappeared." There was a pause as neither one of them said anything, and the only sound was the popping of the fire. "What did he say?" Max asked after a moment.

"He wanted to know if you were a warrior, and if you kept with your training. Ashei told him that not only did you do that, but that you're pretty skilled fighting with duel blades. She also told him that you planned on becoming a knight." He glanced up to see Max staring at him intently as he listened. "Then Alden said that he'd be able to rest, knowing that you were following in his footsteps. He seemed really happy about it. He wanted me to pass along that he loved you and your mother, but he also asked the two of us to be there for you. That's something he didn't need to ask, since I know we were going to do it anyway." He stopped talking as the other young man stood up and turned away from the fire slightly so his face would be in shadow.

"Thank you for letting me know." Max said in a quiet voice. "I think I need to go walk for a bit. I won't be far."

Link nodded. "Yeah, okay. Take all the time you need. I'm not going anywhere." He watched as his cousin wandered off from the shelter of the trees they had camped in the middle of, and out into the open fields.

---

Castle Town was bustling as they rode through it. The last time he had seen the town it had still been in a state of disarray, with people living in tents and rough shelters on the streets since their homes elsewhere had been destroyed. Now most of that was gone, and there appeared to be a lot of ordinary life happening. Women stood at common water pumps with baskets of laundry, a group of musicians played for rupees on a street corner, Gorons hawked their wares in streetside stalls that hadn't been there before, and wagons full of supplies went both in and out of the city. It was far more like how the town had been when he had freed it from the Twilight.

Even though he considered stopping to say hello to Telma, he decided it was best that they get to the castle. As he had rode through western Eldin, he had thoughtfully looked at the remaining spires of Hyrule Castle and considered the original reason he had started on his journey. Eventually he did manage to get to the castle and met with royalty, although it wasn't under the most ideal circumstances, and not for the reasons he was tasked with traveling to the castle.

People eyed him as he rode past, and some waved and called him "hero". He was wearing Lon colors and no longer had the Master Sword, but people still recognized him. After speaking with the people of Deya, he realized that many citizens had spotted him and Zelda on horseback while they all headed to Goponga. Even if they didn't recognize his face, they certainly recognized Epona.

The mare whickered in greeting at a familiar dark bay stallion that stuck his head out into the aisle of the castle stables. Spirit was excited to see his two friends, and he attempted to push at Epona's face with his nose when Link brought her close to say hello.

"What's with you? Are you trying to kiss my girl?" He patted the bay on the nose. "Huh? Did you fall in love, you big idiot?"

"The way you talked to Rusty back in Old Kakariko suddenly makes sense." Max said, referring to Impaz's orange tabby. He led his horse into a stall and shooed away the groom that attempted to come help, since he wanted to care for his horse himself. It was one of the many ways he was like Link. "When you're by animals, you turn into a big baby."

"That's not a bad thing, considering I'll eventually have a ranch full of horses and dairy cows." At least he hoped so. He had no idea when Zelda was going to reinstate his title, especially since they both agreed it wasn't a priority at the moment.

After caring for Epona and enduring his cousin's chortling while he hummed to her, Link stepped out of the stall with his saddlebags, and found Trevor waiting for them. The royal guardsman's expression was carefully neutral, and Link was under the impression that he was in the stable out of duty instead of any desire to talk to the Hero of Hyrule. "Welcome back. Who is this you've brought with you?"

Max performed a half-bow since he was also carrying his saddlebags. "I'm Maxwell Bannen, son of Alden Bannen...and Link's my cousin. We ran into each other out on the road and decided to come to Hyrule Castle together."

Trevor's expression softened, and he smiled sadly. "Yes, I've heard of you. I'm Trevor, captain of the royal guard. Your father and I were friends. Let me express my condolences."

"It's all right. He died protecting his princess, which is probably how he wanted to go. I know it's how I'd want to go." He shifted his heavy bags slightly. "Well, I'm here. The only problem is I don't know where I'm supposed to go."

"I'm afraid your father's old room is occupied by Link now, but there are plenty of rooms in the knight's barracks. While you aren't a knight, that's where Lady Ashei and Sir Brent are currently staying, and I know that you're familiar with them." Trevor said as he walked with them.

"...Lady Ashei?" Max's blue eyes grew wide, and then he grinned. "She did it. Son of a bitch, she did it before me."

"Me too. So much for becoming knights together, huh?" Link smiled at Trevor, pleased at the news. "When did it happen? I'm going to have to nag Zelda for not waiting for me to get back."

The guard did not seem to like the idea of Link nagging the princess, but did not comment. "Only a few hours ago. Since Sir Brent came in last night, Princess Zelda officially reinstated his title this morning, and then knighted his daughter for her service to Hyrule. For the first time in two generations, there are two Mabe knights." Once they left the stables, he vaguely waved in the direction of the castle. "You know where your room is, and Reginald has already made sure it's prepared. I need to get Maxwell settled."

"All right. Thanks, Trevor." He nodded to his cousin. "If you want to know where I am in a bit, look for the princess. She and I have a lot to discuss."

"Yes, you do. She's quite angry, or was." Trevor said without being asked. He clearly wanted to point out Zelda's displeasure, as if it somehow justified his own dislike of Link. "She's up where the throne room used to be, inspecting the work being done there."

"Cool, thanks." He saw that the guardsman did not approve of his informal language, but he didn't care. Trevor was a dick, so he and his stuffy rules could go shove it. "See you in a bit, Max."

He walked to the external door while the two other men crossed the courtyard, and even though he wasn't with Ilia, he felt good about being back at the castle. It felt as if he really belonged there. Both his parents had worked at Hyrule Castle, and now he had friends that did the same. As much as he wanted to talk to Shad or find Ashei to congratulate her, he decided that he really should find Zelda first. After depositing his gear at his room and cleaning himself up a bit, he unstrapped his baldric and inspected his sword to make sure it was clean and in good condition. Satisfied, he picked up the wooden shield and took the external door to the rooftops.

Once he was outside, he could see coal-burning Goron cranes belching smoke as they moved around giant squared-off chunks of granite. Zora and Hylian masons on tall scaffolds worked together to set the large stones and rebuild the throne room, brick by brick. He could see little else of the massive room from where he was, other than the statue. The statue of the golden goddesses had regained two of its heads, and a crane was very carefully moving the marble head of Din towards the very top of the sculpture. As he climbed the stairs that he had once used in order to face Ganondorf, he heard a shout and the crane that was slowly moving the head suddenly stopped, and the large chunk of stone precariously swung back and forth at the sudden halt. The engine of the huge machine cut out as its Goron operator stopped work with a look of frustration on his face.

"You moron! You almost undid our hard work!" cried an irate Zora with green scales. He held a clipboard in one clawed hand, and gesticulated angrily with the other at a Goron in a hard hat. In fact, all the Gorons were wearing hard hats. "When I say 'away' I mean away from us, not back the way he came!"

"You gotta be specific!" the Goron said with obviously strained patience. From the red sash he wore, he was most likely leading the construction project, and the Zora was a head mason or architect. "When you wanna move in that direction, you gotta say 'back'. It's the way we do things!"

"The way you do things is disastrous!" shouted the Zora.

"Gentleman!" the princess raised her voice over the two of them, and they immediately fell silent. It also made some of the workmen turn around curiously. Zelda strode into view and put her hands on her hips as she stood in front of the arguing pair. She was once again dressed in leggings, boots and a blouse, and her sword was belted at her waist. Just the sight of her gave his chest that familiar jolt, something like excitement, and he realized that Rauru was probably right; he was giddy about having a friend just like him, the only other person on the planet he could truly relate to. He was giddy because he had her.

"It was an honest mistake." she said smoothly. "We'll go over the terms again so everyone remembers them. Left is left, right is right, back is towards the back of the castle, and forward is towards us."

Ashei was nearby with her arms crossed, and even though she was wearing the same green armor as always, apparently she was now a knight. She stood next to her father, who was watching the entire spectacle while running a hand through his shaggy beard. She turned her head to make a comment to him, and caught a glimpse of Link out of the corner of her eye. "He's back." she announced, as if people were expecting him.

Zelda turned around and smiled when she saw him, but it was not her true smile. The one she used while at the castle was reserved and did not involve any teeth, but when she was alone with friends, she smiled broadly. However her blue eyes smiled far more than the rest of her face, and she looked genuinely happy. "You're a few days later than I expected." she said as she walked across the ruined throne room.

"I had a funeral to go to, some questions for Impaz, and I also ran into Max...who is getting settled, by the way." That last statement was directed at Ashei, and he looked back to his princess. "I think he's a little miffed that she got knighted before him. Trevor broke the news right after we got here."

"It would figure that Trevor would do that." she said, rubbing at her brow with her fingertips. It was unspoken, but he could tell that she was implying that the guardsman did it to rub salt in wounds that weren't there. Link really didn't care if Ashei was knighted first; in fact, he was happy for her. "I'm glad you're here, even if you're late. Although I must ask why you're carrying those things instead of wearing them."

Now he could finally do what Rusl asked of him months ago and end his journey. He knelt down in front of her and presented the sword and its baldric. "Princess Zelda, I've come from the village of Ordon, south of Hyrule. The old royal smith has sent this gift as a form of friendship between the farming communities and the kingdom, as well as a reminder that he has retained his skills. Please accept this sword and shield from Rusl, who hopes that you'll call him back north and into your service."

Ashei snickered, since she assumed he was being factious as always, and he was to a degree. At the same time, he had made a promise to deliver the sword and shield to Hyrule Castle, and he wasn't going to break that promise. Some of the workmen wandered over to watch the spectacle, which probably made no sense to them.

"The shield has been damaged." Zelda said as she bent and picked it up, ignoring the sword for the time being. It was difficult to tell if she was playing along or not. "While it's beautiful work, there are chemical burns on it."

"I'm sorry, Your Highness. I know that it's a display piece, but I needed to use it to defend myself." Link said in apology. When he said that, he saw a faint glimmer of amusement in her eyes, and he resisted the urge to smile. Yes, the two of them were going to play through this whole farce to the end.

"And this sword…" The princess set aside the shield and plucked the weapon from his hands. "Its leather looks worn, especially its baldric." She drew it with a faint hiss and examined the blade. "Of course...it's fine Goron steel. Some say it's nearly as strong as diamond, and worth as much since it's a difficult alloy to forge. And yet...I can tell that this sword was used as well. Explain."

"Forgive me, but I had no choice. There were situations where I needed a weapon." he said in response, and he watched her as she tested the blade out.

"The balance is fine, but it's made for an arm stronger than mine. Not only that but I already have my own sword, made by the same kind of steel, and made by the very same smith. I have little use for another Goron steel sword by him." The princess eyed him as if she was considering something. "Unless…"

Now he was curious where this was going, and raised his eyebrows in a wordless question. There were murmurs from the workmen that had come to watch, and now that they understood that this was a game between the hero and his princess, they were enjoying it.

"Your trip to deliver this sword was a long and dangerous one, and led you to become the Hero of Hyrule. During that journey, you risked your life time and again for your people and your kingdom, and asked for very little in return. While being the hero is a thankless task, it should not be without its reward." She lowered the sword to her side and looked down at him seriously. "Twelve years ago, the last heirs to the Lon family line disappeared, and my father assigned their ancestral lands to a man that has since deserted from the army. Even if he were here to defend himself, I would strip him of that land in order to return it to its rightful owner." She extended the sword in front of her, over his head. "Bow your head, Hero of Hyrule."

He did as she commanded and felt his heart pound. She told him that she wasn't going to return his lands to him right away...was that a lie so this could be a surprise? Did him bringing her there affect her decision? Either way, Princess Zelda formally intoned the words that he had hoped to hear. "The crown recognizes that you, Link Lon, are the last heir to your family's legacy, and henceforth I do declare that the Lon lands, including all the herds within it, and the town of Talon are returned to you. And through your actions during the Twilight Invasion, you have proven yourself worthy of the title your family has held for centuries. I hereby dub you Sir Link of Lon." He could feel the sword lightly tap him on each shoulder, and he thought his heart was going to burst with joy. "May Hylia and those assembled within this throne room witness this ceremony. Rise, Sir Link."

"Not yet." he said, and he continued to bow his head. "First, I have a request."

Zelda paused, clearly surprised. "I don't believe this is something that can be negotiated." Her words were so much like his own when he had spoke to Max about their knighthoods, he almost laughed.

"No, it isn't, but I would like you to hear my request. My grandmother was the guardian of Queen Selene, and my mother the guardian of Queen Constance. I'd like to continue that tradition established two generations ago, when my grandmother protected yours. I understand it's normally an appointed position and that I'm not a full-blooded Sheikah, but I formally request to be your guardian knight and protector." He waited as she considered it, and glanced up ever so slightly at her booted feet. They shifted as she changed her stance, which he hoped was a more relaxed one.

"Your request has been heard, and will be granted. I hereby state that you are now also my guardian protector, and your life is my shield." When he looked up at her, he saw she was smiling knowingly. Was she going to assign him the title anyway? Zelda dropped her voice low so most of them around them couldn't hear. "Ashei wanted the job, but I told her that I wanted you first. I still granted her some of the responsibility, and she'll do your duty whenever you return home to Ilia, but mostly it'll be you. You get to take care of me, just like father wanted." The princess slid the sword back into its sheath, and held it out to him. "Now come along, hero. You and I have plenty of work to do together."

When he looked up at her, she was smiling down at him with a warm expression. He felt as if things were finally as they should be, and he nodded in affirmation. Together. Link took the sword in his hands and grinned up at the woman that had given him a new purpose. "I wouldn't have it any other way."