Madness threatened to engulf him once more. He fought off the roiling emotions, trying to watch the scene before him. Epona stood beside the black horse, the two like statues in the midst of the pelting rain. Ganondorf and the rest of the Hunters were backing away from the approaching Death Rider. Link could feel their fear, taste it with the rain in each breath he drew. Malon, unsure of what to do, had drawn closer to him. He wanted to warn her away, to tell her to escape, but the effort would cost him his tenuous hold on consciousness.

The Death Rider paused, the midnight figure visible only by the backlight from the streetlights. Link could sense the pleasure it received from the panic and anger the Hunters were projecting, reveling in the raw emotions. Why do you fight? he heard the Rider's voice echo in his head. Why do you resist your true nature?

Link closed his eyes and clenched his teeth, trying to block out the demon's voice. You will always be one of us, the Death Rider said. The Seven chose you to be one of their champions. Why deny such an honor?

"I have never seen this 'Seven' that you speak of," Link ground out. "And I will be their pawn no more!"

Malon jumped when she heard his voice break the eerie silence. She opened her mouth to speak, then stopped when she saw the look of anguish and hatred on his face.

The demon's dry laughter filled the air, the first vocal sound it had made. You think you can escape? You are becoming arrogant. Arrogant and foolish to believe you can resist their power.

"I have and I will."

The Death Rider turned its back on the Hunters, its attention focused fully on Link. Perhaps all you need is a small reminder of what it was like to ride with us. If you taste of our power once more, then you will come to your senses.

A swift, violent chill fled through his body. He opened his eyes, ignoring the suspicious and wary glances of the people surrounding him, the Death Rider filling his vision completely. His stranglehold on the beast within slowly slipped through his mental grasp. He could feel it begin to take over, smoothing away the fear and rage, replacing it with total calm and total apathy to everything but what mattered most. Destruction.

Yes, the Death Rider's voice slithered through his mind, vocalized by a soft hissing that made Malon's skin crawl. She wanted to shake Link, break him from the lock the demon had obtained over him, but he felt remote, so far gone that he would no longer feel her touch.

"Something's not right," she heard someone whisper close to her. Tarragorn stood beside Ganondorf and the others, watching the ominous scene before them. The blade she remembered Link calling the 'supposed Master Sword' was bared in the Gerudo's hand, the strange blue metal reflecting the sallow streetlight.

Suddenly Link broke his stare down with the Death Rider. A feeling like the touch of a spider raced down her spine at Link's expression. His eyes were vacant, emotionless, as if someone had turned off a switch in his soul. He gave a queer smile to no one, reminding her of a possessed madman. She stepped forward, hoping and praying that whatever he had succumbed to could be chased away by a comforting voice or a healing touch.

A calloused hand held her back. She wanted to fight the grip, to break free and run to her friend, but fear held her prisoner. "He's one of them," Ganondorf hissed in sudden realization. She could see his knuckles turn white and hear the leather of the hilt creak as his hand constricted around the sword.

She opened her mouth to protest, and stopped. She could find nothing within her that disagreed with his words. He's one of them, she whispered in her mind, the echoes of the words ringing hollowly.

The shrouded Death Rider let out an eerie whistle, reminiscent of a night wind moaning between gravestones. The black horse whinnied shrilly, the piercing cry overriding the noise of the tempest. The horse cantered to its master, stopping before the Death Rider, one fiery eye watching the Hunters.

Giving the horse a comforting caress, the Death Rider moved to its back and mounted easily, the rain-slicked hide of the animal a mere inconvenience to the demon. Link watched the process, his gaze still distant and empty. The Death Rider inclined its head towards Link, as if speaking to him, though no words were uttered.

Link nodded and the Death Rider's horse reared, sinewy legs clawing at the night sky. When its hooves touched earth, the horse charged the Hunters, teeth bared in hate, the pounding of its assault shaking the ground and their courage.

The group scattered to the four winds, most swept away by the force of the demon's attack. Malon heard the yells of the prey, the sound reflecting off the walls of the buildings as they ran into the town's streets.

Tearing her eyes away from the receding nightmare, she turned back to Link. He now sat atop Epona, the once easygoing mare trembling with eager fury. Her flaxen mane rippled as she shook her head, the whites of her eyes shining in the streetlight. If the Death Rider before had scared her, the sight of her best friend changing into a devil left her rigid with terror.

"We have to destroy them!" Malon started in surprise, Tarragorn's unexpected words shocking her from her stupor. Ganondorf stood by the Hunter's side, his face contorted in a mixture of fear, anger, and betrayal. They were the only two left from the group, the rest running for the lives.

A sudden explosion ripped through the night, the heat of the resulting fire radiating outwards from its origins in the town's innards. Screams and shouts soon filled the air as the people reacted to the attack on their home.

As if in response to the violence, Epona let out a shriek, the sound unlike anything Malon had heard before. Link brandished his sword, the firelight dancing over the steel, and he spurred the mare into motion. Epona leaped forward, her long legs eating the distance between them and the remaining Hunters.

Ganondorf stepped in front of Tarragorn and Malon, placing himself in Link's path. He adjusted his hold on the hero's sword, preparing for the onslaught. Malon watched in horror as her closest friend descended on the Gerudo, his face twisted in a demonic parody of a grin. There must be some way to stop this! she screamed mentally, racking her brain for some solution.

Running out of time and options, she shoved Ganondorf out of the way, setting her body between the Hunters and Link. "Stop, please!" she shouted, appealing to the human part of Link she knew he still had inside him.

Epona slid to a stop just in front of Malon, mud splattering over her dress, the heat rising from the mare's body washing over her as the sound of labored breathing boomed in her ears. Malon dared to look up, fearing what would meet her gaze.

The tip of his sword hovered in front of her face, the rain-washed steel filling her vision. Tearing her eyes from the honed metal, she raised her gaze to his face. The desolate look was gone, replaced by rage and fear. She could see the inner turmoil roil behind his blue eyes, the fight taking every strength of will he had. She wanted to say he would win, that his sense of self and humanity would prevail, but his eyes denied her. He was losing the war that raged within.

His hand trembled, the sword inching closer to her vulnerable face. Her eyes locked on his, she couldn't and wouldn't move, refusing to believe he would cause her harm.

The cool kiss of steel touched her skin, the razor-sharp point embracing her yielding flesh. She saw his eyes darken in defeat, and she felt her own widen. Before the sword could drink of her blood, Link stiffened in sudden pain, his back arching against the sensation.

He slumped forward, slipping off Epona. Malon rushed to him, catching him as he fell. She lowered him to the ground, running a gentle hand over his back to the place where an arrow jutted out. She broke the fletching off so it wouldn't catch on anything and delve further in, her mind humming blankly despite her attempts to think. She had to find help for him, or he was going to die.

"Move," Tarragorn said to her. Malon glared at the Hunter. "You'll have to kill me before you'll touch him," she said, her body shielding Link's. Epona stepped in front of Malon, tail lashing as she bared her teeth at the Hunter. Malon felt comforted by the gesture, knowing she had found an ally in the mare.

"Enough of this!" Ganondorf snarled. He strode forward, ready to dispose of the bane on their land and people, when suddenly a figure dropped on the ground between the two opposing sides. A man with drenched brown hair, a bow in one hand, a naked sword in the other, slowly straightened. Malon couldn't see his face, for his back was to her, and she wondered on which side he stood.

Surprise and a touch of fear flared over both Hunters's faces. "Who're you?" Tarragorn said.

"A friend who is keeping a promise," he said, his voice rich and low, like that of a bard's. Too fast for Malon to see, he threw something to the ground. An explosion filled the clearing, disabling her sense of sight. She heard someone whistle, then felt someone pick her up and set her atop a horse, forcing her hands to grab fistfuls of mane.

Bewildered shouts rose up, and the squeal of a startled horse. A man yelled near her, and the horse she rode leaped forward into a gallop. She gripped with all her might onto the slick saddle and mane, wishing desperately that she could at least see.

They must have traveled through the town, for the sounds of shrieks and moans rose up around her, the sinuous twisting of the horse's body as it raced its way across the streets keeping her attention away from the horrible cries. A wave of burning heat washed over her, her skin breaking into an instant sweat that evaporated immediately.

Soon they left the chaos, the heat dying away with the city's cries. She figured they must be in Hyrule Field; the hard pound of the horses's steps on packed earth had faded to the gentler sound of hooves on moist grass.

Her sight was returning to her slowly, although spots and afterimages danced across her vision. "Where are you taking me?" she shouted above the howl of the wind as it whipped past them. Racing at such high speeds always thrilled her, even now.

"To a safe haven," she heard the stranger say, his voice instantly recognizable.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Now's not the time! We need to concentrate on getting there first."

She bit her lip to keep herself quiet, holding back the questions she needed to have answered. The only thing she could do was trust the man, for now.

* * *

Pain had always been a close companion, but never like this. Every muscle ached and his back felt as if it were afire, even while he laid still. His memories of what happened were hazy, but one thing stood crystalline clear. Malon, her eyes wide in fear and disbelief, shielding the Hunters from him. His hand convulsed into a fist, sending lances of pain shooting up his arm. The misery was deserved after what he had done. He should have been able to fight the desire, been able to keep control of himself. Instead he had let his amoral side reign, giving in like the weakling he was.

Staring up at the bed's canopy, he realized that what he thought was velvet curtains were really leaves of ivy draped over the canopy frame. The strangeness startled him from his black mood, his thoughts turning to where he was and how he got there.

The soft piping of a flute, the instrument reminding him of a meadowlark from Hyrule Field, rose up from behind the screen of leaves. Sitting up very slowly, Link brushed back the curtain, the slick feel of the verdant vegetation bringing back memories that he held dear.

"Hello Saria," he said, spotting her on a chair near his bed.

The music died away as Saria pulled the ocarina away from her lips. Her eyes, the same color of the ivy he touched, held his, their fathomless depths always disconcerting to meet. "Yai'schalla, Link," she greeted him in her native tongue. Switching back to Hylian, she said, "It is good to see you again, even if the circumstances are the same as before."

"Fate is kind to lead me to such a wonderful healer each time I fall."

"Fate, and friends." She rose gracefully from her seat, the folds of her glacial blue dress falling in silken waves to the floor, the green flow of her hair complimenting the color. Walking to his side, she laid a hand on his cheek. "You were wounded severely, but you will mend."

"Who brought me here?"

"A woman with red hair, and a man who has been searching for you for a very long time."

A breath he hadn't realized he had been holding ran out of his lungs. Thank the goddesses, he thought. She's still alive. But who's the other Saria mentioned?

Before he could ask her, Saria stepped back. "I have many things to attend to, and you still require rest. Any questions you have can wait until you have regained your strength." Placing a hand on his brow, she said, "Good night Link."

That's cheating, he thought as her magic permeated his being, leading him into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Are you sure he's all right?"

"Yes, that's what the Lady of the Wood said."

"But how does she know?"

"She's a great healer and well taught in the knowledge of magic."

Link cracked open an eye, wondering who was making so much damned racket while he was sleeping. This time the leafy curtain was tied back, revealing the two noisy occupants. The false roof of living pine boughs let the sunlight fall over their faces, bringing out the highlights in Malon's hair. Link blinked a few times to make sure he was seeing correctly, then he pinched himself. The man standing next to her, it couldn't be who he hoped it was.

"He's awake!" Malon said, noticing Link sit up. She bounded over to his side, smiling brightly, though he could see lines of tension in her face that had never been there before.

"'Bout time," Lure said. His hazel eyes crinkled into a smile, but his mouth was set in a line.

"You're alive?" Link asked.

"Last I checked."

"Are you the one Saria said was looking for me?"

Lure dropped his gaze, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "You think we could discuss this later?"

"No. Malon, could you please leave?"

A frown deepened the lines of her face. "Please?" Link repeated, asking her to understand.

"Fine," she said, standing up. She walked to the doorway, then paused. "You owe me an explanation, too."
Link winced and nodded. "Thank you."

Malon gave a half-grin and walked from the room. Turning back to Lure, Link said, "It's good to see you, and to know that you're alive."

"Same here." Lure pulled up the chair Saria sat on, the whicker frame bending under his weight. "These Kokiri never prepare for bigger guests," he said, making sure the chair wouldn't disintegrate underneath him.

"They rarely get visitors." A lengthy pause stretched out as they both struggled for words. "Why did Saria say you've been searching for me?" Link finally said.

"I've been trying to keep a promise."

"And?"

Lure gave him a crooked grin. "All of us have secrets we'd rather not reveal, at least not yet."

Searching his friend's eyes, Link could see no hidden motives lurking in the hazel depths. Stop it, he chided himself. This is your friend, someone you once trusted with your life. Stop looking for enemies in everyone. "Thank you," he said, giving Lure a genuine smile.

An answering grin spread on Lure's face. "I'm used to bailing you out of trouble; just falling back into bad habits."

"If I recall, it was I always dragging you out of trouble."

"You've gone senile with old age."

Link snorted. "Old age?"

"You are five months older than me." Lure leaned forward, his face growing serious. "Listen, Link. I think you should stay in the Kokiri lands for awhile. The Hunters are going to be after you once word gets out about what you really are, and word spreads fast. Lady Saria gave her consent, and you still need to recover fully."

Link saw it in the way Lure's eyes never looked him full on, the way he absently played with a loose thread in his shirt. "You're hiding something."

Lure drummed his fingers on his knees, looking peeved. "Why is it that no matter how hard I try, I can never get you to go along with something without a struggle?"

"One of my many charms. Now speak."

"You know how the Death Riders have been kind of lying low since you broke free of them? How they were rarely raiding villages and such? Well, their activities are picking up, and I think it's because whatever's been controlling them is going to act soon, though the how, why, and everything else eludes me."

"You seem to know a lot about this."

"I came to the Kokiri Forest a little after you left. Lady Saria told me about what happened to you, and what little she would say on the Cataclysm. We both know that whoever caused that event formed the Death Riders."

"Yes," Link said, resting his head against the headboard. "But I've never learned why or their identities. The last Death Rider I spoke to in Hylia mentioned 'the Seven', but I have no idea who that could be."

"Most likely the ones who control you. And they're becoming more active with every passing day."

"Why does this concern me?"

He arched an eyebrow at this. "Because I think the Death Riders need you. If you stay here, you're safe from them, and from everyone else after you."

"I'm not going to hide."

Lure sighed in exasperation. "Don't think of it as hiding. Think of it as going on a vacation."

Giving him a look, Link swung his legs out from under the covers. He grabbed a shirt left on a settee beside the bed, wincing when the healing wounds pulled. Drawing the shirt on, he scanned the room. "Where are my boots?"

"Over there," Lure said, pointing to the pair by the doorway. "Will you at least think about what I said?"

Standing, Link clutched the bedpost as the world tilted on its axis. He felt a comforting arm encircle his waist, holding him steady. How long had it been since someone had embraced him without fear, even while knowing what he was? He gave Lure a small smile and gently pulled free from his hold. "I promise you I will think over what you have said."

"I guess that's all I can ask for." Lure walked to the doorway, picking up Link's boots and bringing them to him. As Link pulled them on, Lure said, "What will you tell Malon?"

He paused, eyes narrowing slightly. Then he continued his dressing, saying, "If I had my way, nothing. But I don't think that will work this time."

"You owe her the truth."

"Do I?" He walked to the doorway and stopped. "Perhaps I owe her the comfort of not knowing, of being oblivious to this whole mess. They say ignorance is bliss."

"Who's this 'they'? I doubt she'd agree with them."

A quiet chuckle escaped his lips. "You're right. But not now. If she looks for me, tell her I'd like to be by myself for awhile. Then I'll tell her."

Lure nodded. "Just take it easy, or you'll re-injure yourself."

"Yes, mother." Turning his back on the room, he weaved his through the wooden corridors, the nonexistent roof dancing above his head as the wind blew. Outside, he avoided the little people of Kokiri, not wanting to be stopped by any acquaintance that might remember him from his last visit and wish to talk. Though he had fallen in love with this place and its people, the natural beauty of the buildings made to blend in seamlessly with the forest, the gentle innocence of the folk who lived here and never aged, he had no desire to speak to any human.

Do you wish to avoid me as well? The soft touch of the thought drew his gaze to Epona. The people of Kokiri knew about her intelligence and let her roam free as if she were one of them. Now she stood beside one of the buildings nearest the true forest, her head drooping ever so slightly, but only he could tell.

Link walked up to her, taking her velvet head in his hands. It was not your fault. You cannot control who you are anymore than I can.

Does that make us weak?

Stroking her muzzle, the downy skin softer than silk, he said, Yes.

If I am with you, I do not feel weak.

He smiled. Nor do I.

She turned with him, and they both left the quiet city behind, entering the deeper forest. He had a special place in mind, and the way was emblazoned in his heart. He had been there so many times, the solitude and peace of the place equal to the abandoned temple ruins he had once haunted.

Taking in the beauty of the woods, he felt at peace, his pains forgotten, overwhelmed by the magnificence of the old growth forest. Sunlight barely filtered between the thick boughs, the deciduous and evergreen canopy forming a thick roof overhead. Dirt packed by eons of animal and human feet stretched between the gigantic trunks, ferns occasionally dotting the landscape, the only plant able to survive on the leftover light the ancient trees allowed to slip past.

A flash of color caught his eye, and he stopped. By the bole of an enormous oak a patch of violets struggled to live in the preternatural gloom of the forest. Bending forward, he grazed the tops of their silken heads with his fingers, admiring their tenacity.

Giving the strong flowers one last glance, he continued on his way, the melodic song of the forest filling his ears, drawing him deeper. All thoughts of guilt, of evils committed and seen fled his mind, leaving an empty peace he feared and loved. Devoid of thought, he ceased to care about what mattered most to him, of finding the answers to his questions and seeing the peace of this place brought to all of Hyrule.

A dark shape loomed suddenly before him, the thick boles parting to reveal the body of one of their fallen brethren. The tree, felled by time or nature or something else, had rotted from the inside, leaving a giant tunnel. He passed through its body, finding and walking through several others of its ilk, the many turns coming automatically to his feet. He wondered if he would ever forget the way.

Soon they left the maze of trees, the land opening into a small meadow. How the grass managed to survive, for the tree canopy was as think as ever here, he could never figure out. Perhaps the feeling of power that thrummed through this land sustained all of this vegetation. A crumbling wall, ivy clawing its way up the gray face, was the first sign of humanity he had seen. A rusting gate hung from its hinges, the broken teeth of the top recalling images of toothless, decrepit crones, trapped within the confines of their decaying bodies.

Leaving the meadow behind, they entered into what was a maze, the walls long covered by greenery. A soft hush hung over the land, the song of the forest dwindling to a low hum, as if the forest held its breath in veneration. Glitters of light occasionally flashed, the light caught from the corner of his eye. Yet every time he turned to see it fully, it disappeared, as it always had and would. He had asked Saria about it once, and she had smiled at him, her amusement lighting a twinkle in her eye. She had not answered him, instead regarding him with her ancient gaze as she was wont to do. She was the greater mystery to him, and he doubted he would ever fully understand what she was.

A break from the maze appeared, the opening in the living wall beckoning to him. A long line of stone steps led forward, solid walls closing in on either side. The sound of Epona's hooves rang off the walls, startlingly loud to his ears. The long path ended in another meadow. A dying tree writhed in an endless death throe to his left, reaching with its twisted bows to the building behind it, as if supplicating some god who would never answer. Ivy covered walls enclosed the lea, the tall grass waving in the light wind.

Raising his eyes to the decaying temple, for Saria had said that was what it was, he could feel the peace and vitality of life rise from its walls. It seemed as if the heart of the forest resided here, enclosed by mortal hands trying to capture some of its great mysteries. Stone steps once marched all the way up to the door of the temple high above. Now the bottom half was smashed, struck by some unknown force, as if the gods would have no one profane their resting place. He had always wanted to go within those walls, see what lay behind the shut door, but Saria had forbid it.

A lilting trill rose up, the sound bringing to mind birds and verdant life. On a tree stump to his right, Saria appeared, the small ocarina gurgling its happy music. He still wondered how she did it, how he could be alone one moment and the next she would be behind him, no sound betraying her presence until she chose. Another unanswered riddle.

Gazing at him over the ocarina, he could see her eyes smiling, the color reflecting the forest's color, as if they drank in the hue of the wood, or gave it birth. An answering smile appeared on his lips. Despite all her of her mystery, the power that clung to her like a cloak, she had the playful nature of a laughing stream and he loved her for it.

Leaving Epona to graze and watch over them, he walked to where she sat on the stump and sank to the ground by her side. Resting his head on her knee, he relished the feel of the cool silk, the faint scent of resin and crocuses clinging to her always. Her hands stroked the top of his head once before they resumed their position on the ocarina. Soon a soft tune floated on the wind, the haunting melody consuming his every being, transforming it into the song.

Song after song played out, each with a distinct life of its own. If only he could stay like this forever, the gentle twilight softening the lines of the land, the feel of her presence comforting his soul, healing his mind like she healed his body. Only here did he know true peace.

The music died away, the last vestiges borne away by the breeze. She rested her hands on his head, drinking in the beauty of the land with him. "If only we could stay like this," he heard her whisper, her voice as melodic as her music.

He reached up with his hand, covering both of her child-like ones with his. No words could express what he felt, but he knew she understood exactly what he was thinking. Another long pause followed, the sun continually sinking lower as it trekked its way to the western horizon. She broke it once more, saying, "We must return."

His hand squeezed convulsively around hers before he forced it to relax and free her. Straightening, he turned his head to catch her eyes. "Thank you."

A smile spread over her mouth, her hair waving past her shoulders, a woman's soul in a child's body. "Anything for you. Has your friend talked to you?"

"Lure? Yes, but he won't convince me."

"Why not?"

"I can't stay here, hiding like some coward. I've done enough of that already, and it's gotten me nowhere." He broke eye contact with her, unable to look into those fathomless eyes for too long. "It won't solve anything."

Was that his imagination, or did a flash of pain and sorrow flit over her face? She turned her head to the temple, her eyes studying the falling roof, the crumbling walls. She looked back at him, saying, "I am not surprised. Your heart desires conclusion, an end to this all, no matter what that end may be." Her eyes caught his, boring into him. "Can I convince you to stay?"

Surprise filled him at those last words. She had never implored him to stay before; instead she had been the one to force him out last time, making him realize that he would remain miserable unless he sought an answer to his questions. That she wished him to stay frightened him.

As if she heard his thoughts, she lowered her lashes, throwing crescent shadows on her cheeks. "I am sorry, I had no right to ask such a thing."

Link caught her chin, raising her gaze to his. "I am happy beyond words that you want me to stay, but scared to death at the same time. Why do you want this now?"

A smile full of cynicism and regret danced over her lips. "We all have our secrets we cannot reveal." She leaned forward and caressed his cheek. "You should leave the forest, leave our lands as soon as you can. You are not safe here."

He could feel his eyebrows draw in, his eyes searching hers and learning nothing. He stood up, drawing away from her. "I shall heed your words, but answer me one thing."

She looked up at him.

"You know about the Death Riders, where they came from, who made them." It was supposed to be a question but it came out a statement.

She cast her eyes away, then brought them back, as if drawn to him. A light seemed to die from within and she nodded. Link knelt before her, catching her hand in his. "Then I forgive you of anything you may have done and can't tell me." Perhaps it was arrogance to think he had the right to forgive her anything, but it felt like the right words to say.

Tears formed, beads of falling, life-giving water trailing down her face. He kissed her hand and left, knowing she wanted to be alone. Mounting Epona, he left the glade behind, heading back to the Kokiri village.

* * *

A/N: Many thanks to Tori for beta-ing this, and to all you readers out there. =)