He arrived in the city an hour after sunset. The town was wreathed in absolute night, the only illumination stemming from the tiny houselights that shimmered in the darkness. He could hear the soft murmur of voices as he made his way to the house Saria had granted them, the Kokiri often staying out to talk with their neighbors and friends well into the night. They were hospitable creatures, their keen minds so at odds to their child bodies. Of course not all were people of venerable wisdom, but they were mercifully few in number.

Coming to the building they were lodged in, he noted how much larger in size than a typical Kokiri dwelling it was. Its main purpose was to serve as a guest house, and had been his home on more than one occasion. He stripped Epona of her tack, giving her a thorough brushing before bidding her goodnight. She spent her evenings outside where she was happiest.

He paused before the door leading in, one hand on the chilled knob. Peering into the window beside the entrance, he watched the scene before him. Light from a fire blazing in the hearth, accompanied by the help of candles and oil lamps, ensconced the room in a rich glow. Malon sat by the dancing flames, her eyes watching the sinuous twist of the living heat, her face a study of light and shadow. Lure stood near her, a smile on his face as he spoke to her, though what was said Link couldn't discern. They looked so happy beside the fireplace, their worries forgotten in the pleasure of each other's company. What did he have to offer them besides more grief?

Lure glanced up suddenly, his eyes meeting Link's through the glass. He gave an exaggerated sigh and shook his head as he walked to the door, disappearing from view. The door swung open and Lure regarded him with a smile. "What do you want? An invitation? Get in here!" He grabbed Link's shoulder and pulled him inside, shutting the door behind him.

Link followed him into the room. Malon gave him a smile and patted the floor beside her. He took her up on the offer and sank to the warmed stone floor, Lure remaining standing, his weight held by his shoulder as he leaned against the mantle. The ruddy light of the fire richened the colors, giving them a comforting glow that did its best to displace the melancholy he fought. "You're doing it again," Lure said.

"Doing what?"
"Getting all moody. Knock it off, you big baby." He flashed another grin to show he was joking.

Link returned the grin with a much smaller version. He wasn't sure he deserved such friends who stuck with him through all this grief. After all he had done, he deserved to rot in the Shadow Realm with the rest of the tortured undead. Why did they remain here when they should forget him?

"You're a great idiot," Lure murmured.

Link jerked his head away from the fire he had been watching. "What did you say?"

"I said you're an idiot. You promised to tell Malon about everything; then you can sink into a depressed stupor."

Link turned his gaze on Malon. "You don't have to tell me anything now, if you don't wish to," she said to him. The understanding in her face was a wondrous blessing to his eyes.

"I owe it to you for pulling you into this. Besides, it doesn't get any easier with time." The fire caught his sight again, pulling his vision to the undulating motion of the flames, the feel of its heat tightening his skin. "It's not a grand story, it's not a moral tale where I learned some great knowledge from all this."

"Perhaps that's because the story isn't over yet," Lure interrupted.

Link nodded. "Perhaps. It happened right after I told the Oracle my decision, of how I wanted to be free, not ensnared to my duties. The coward's way out, I guess. I couldn't own up to the responsibilities others had placed on me, and I chose to renounce it all.

"After I finished uttering those words, it felt as if I was immersed in darkness. My sight, hearing, all my senses left me and I was trapped in total night. I think I lost consciousness then, because I don't remember anything after that. Truthfully, I don't remember much of anything until seven years ago." He could feel a trembling start from within as the memories of that day resurfaced in his mind. The day he woke up from whatever trance he had been in and discovered what a monster he was.

Taking a steadying breath, he said, "Actually that's not really true. I do have memories from before, but they're hazy, incomplete, as if I saw everything through a dirty, cracked pane of glass. But the glass completely shattered that day, and I finally saw myself clearly.

"I remember coming to my senses suddenly, not knowing where I was, or who I was for one frightening moment. A dark, hooded cloak covered my body, hiding all of me from view. I heard a whinny and looked up to see Epona near me, and behind her six other figures on horse-back, all dressed in similar fashion. I realized I was on my knees, and that I felt wet, but none of that mattered yet. The sight of those riders captivated me, each on a mount of different color. Blood spattered the horses's coats, the hide made sleek by sweat and gore. If the riders had any blood on them, I couldn't tell and I didn't care. I felt the familiar haze begin to fall over me once more, but a low moan jerked me from it.

"I looked down to the source of the sound, and I think I stopped breathing. Amidst the ruins that lay shattered around me, I held-" He broke off, trying to clear his throat at the sudden constriction. Opening his mouth to speak, he found he couldn't draw in air, just like those seven years ago. You owe it to him, he told himself angrily. You could never tell him the truth to his face, so you do it here!

He swallowed hard, forcing the lump to disappear. "I held Kafei in my arms. I felt wet because his blood covered me. I could feel it on my hands, my arms, my legs, my face. I was soaked in it, the odor overpowering me and I thought I'd, I'd vomit.

"I heard him moan again, the sound pitifully weak. I had screwed my eyes shut, not wanting to see my best friend dying in my arms, but I forced them open. Looking at him, I noticed for the first time that his eyes were gone, torn from their sockets. And you know what I felt? I felt happy! Happy he couldn't see me, couldn't see that his friend! The one who was supposed to guard his back against danger! His friend had done this to him." Warmth gathered in his eyes and he fought the tears back with an iron will. He would finish this and break down later.

"As I knelt there, watching the blood seep from his eye sockets, noting the way it trailed down his skin in perfect rivulets, I heard a voice in my mind. It was one of the Death Riders telling me to hurry, that I'd had enough fun with the man and we needed to leave." Was that his voice sounding so hollow? Ah, well, it didn't matter. Continue on. "They seemed to laugh then, as if my savagery to Kafei was a source of amusement. And for a moment I shared their amusement, I could feel the humor at seeing Kafei mangled by my hands. I started to rise, to join them in their hunting once more, but he whispered my name.

"For a second I was confused. I thought, Link? Who's Link? He said it again, this time louder, and I finally realized who he called for. My mind was humming blankly, as if it had turned off. Thank the goddesses some part could still function, though. I gathered him in my arms, trying not to look at him. I turned my back on the Death Riders, and they let me. They probably thought I'd come back to them soon enough, heh, and it seems they were right.

"I pulled the hood of my cloak on and carried him to his home. Anju was still there, worrying about her missing love, her belly distended with their child. She nearly passed out when she saw me coming, seeing her husband dying in my arms, and me like some great harbinger of death. But she didn't, and she refused to run. There was true courage in her face as she waited for me to deposit Kafei in her arms. I almost touched her then, but I couldn't bear the thought when I saw the blood covering my hands.

"She gathered her husband to her chest, his weight pulling her to the ground. And you know the best part? She thanked me! Me, the cause of all of her grief! I turned away from them and fled as fast as I could, not knowing where I was going, unable to see as the tears clouded my eyes. Epona followed me, and I let her. She is the one creature who knew me for what I was and loved me anyway, as I did her. She's kept me sane.

"So, so she's capable of speaking?" Malon asked. Her voice sounded thick, like she was holding back tears.

"She can't speak, not vocally, but she talks to me in my mind. She's as intelligent as any human, maybe even more so. I'm not exactly sure what she is, maybe a demon of sorts, and she doesn't know either. It's never mattered to us."

"What happened after you left Kafei behind?" Lure asked softly, his gaze on the fire, as if his thoughts were still concentrated on the past.

"I somehow wandered into the Kokiri Wood. Saria took me in and helped heal my mind, gave me the strength to go on. When I was ready, she forced me back into the regular world when I wanted only to stay with her. She knew I would never be fully at peace if I didn't find out what had caused this transformation and what I could do to reverse it.

"After I left the Wood, I wandered from capital to capital, vainly searching each country for some clue. I joined with the Hunters so I could earn money for my wanderings, and so I could do some small part in helping out the people I had done this to. And I always avoided the Death Riders, never venturing to any territory where it was rumored they haunted. At least until recently. And that about sums it all up. I've wandered for years and I've learned next to nothing, except how to drag others into my problems."

An awkward silence fell over them, Malon struggling to find words while Lure remained deep in thought. Link dreaded the break in the quiet, wondering how they'd react to what he said. But they deserved the truth, even if it pushed them away from him.

"We're not going to leave you," Lure said, breaking free from his thoughts. "You'll have to do something worse than be controlled against your will to push us away."

"Right," Malon said. She gave Link a one-armed hug and a true smile, letting him know she still cared for him. Link tried to smile back and failed. He jumped up from his seat, breaking free from her hold, and started walking to the door. Lure watched him, a worried expression on his face as he said, "Where you going now?"
"I just, I just need to think."

"Ah, Link's alone time. Go on, you big softie, before you start bawling in front of us."

A watery grin flitted over Link's face before he turned on his heel and rushed outside. Once the door was shut securely behind him, he rested on the strong wood, the grateful tears he had held back finally slipping free. Goddesses, how he hated to fall apart in front of people, but their unconditional acceptance of him was more than he could bear. He had hoped, but hopes were usually shattered into pieces of sorrow and pain that cut you to shreds.

Scrubbing his face dry, he pushed off the door and started walking, no set destination in mind. He only wanted a quiet place to let all of his emotions settle down so he could talk without making a fool of himself. The smooth dirt road, its sides lit by the clean light emanating from the streetlamps, gave him a path to follow mindlessly. He wandered around the avenues of the city, allowing the peace of the woods and its people to permeate his being. If he ever had a chance to settle down, he hoped he could do so here.

The soft clop of horse hooves on the road caught his attention. The calm shattered, he readied a hand on his sword, mind and body alert for anything. A pair of horses emerged from the path leading through the Wood to Hyrule Field, their figures coalescing like ghosts taking solid form. Both wore hooded cloaks, and for a moment his heart stopped. But he did not receive the sense of malice and chaos he felt when he was near the Death Riders, his unwanted brethren.

Letting out a quiet breath, he continued to watch as they neared him. He did receive a sense of familiarity, as if he had met these two before, but there was no reason why he should think so. He saw one rider turn his head to study him as they passed and a chill of recognition thrilled down his spine. He wanted to step forward and confront the two, to ask them who they were, but they were already riding away by the time he gathered his nerve. Ominous people, he thought, trying to push them out of his mind. He had other things to worry about.

He walked back to the house Lure and Malon waited in, the strangers already forgotten. Reaching the door, he steeled himself and stepped into the warm house. He saw Lure sitting in a careworn chair by the fire, Malon asleep in another. A smile turned up the corners of his mouth at the scene. He wished his life could be full of moments like these.

He slipped into the room, taking care to be quiet and not disturb Malon's rest. He sank to the hearth floor, across from Lure, letting the heat of the warmed stones replace the chill of the night that clung to him. He leaned his head against the fireplace, the exhaustion from his injuries and truth-revealing finally hitting him. They shared a peaceful moment listening to the sound of Malon's deep breathing and the crackle of the logs as the fire turned them to ash. And the goddesses clapped their hands and the world was turned to ashes, he thought drowsily, the line from an ancient tome he'd read during his studies. The whole book had been nothing but prophecies collected over the centuries, the authors lost in time. He didn't want to believe in their merit. If everything was foreordained, if any action he made was controlled by some unknown presence, he didn't think he could live with that idea.

"Destiny is what we make of it," he heard Lure mumble, his eyes half-closed as he watched the fire.

Link nodded in agreement and felt sleep rising to meet him, ready to take him into her warm embrace when realization touched him with its icy fingers. "How did you know?" he asked softly. He shifted his weight, bringing his body into a position he could quickly rise from.

"How'd I know what?" Lure asked, a puzzled frown on his face.

"How'd you know what I was thinking? I know I didn't say anything."

Lure studied his face, chewing on his lower lip in thought. "I guess I can't ask you to overlook this?"

"You just did, and no."

"Damn it, me and my big mouth," he muttered. Link felt a touch of fear at his words. Could he have been completely wrong about Lure? Was he an enemy after all? "You giant ass, of course I'm not," Lure snapped. Link blushed in response, and became angry. He didn't like the idea of someone able to hear his thoughts against his will.

Lure heaved a sigh. He opened his mouth to speak when there came a knock on the door. Rolling his eyes, he rose from the chair and walked to the door. Link stood up, too, one hand playing with the pommel of his sword. He hoped whoever was here would leave so he and Lure could continue this disturbing discussion.

The sound of the door being pulled open, and the soft exchange of words met his prying ears. Link waited a moment longer and was about to come to the door himself when Saria walked in. Lure was right behind her, a puzzled and disturbed expression on his face. "What's the matter?" Link asked.

Saria's face was expressionless, blank, but he thought he detected a hint of some emotion in her eyes. Was it fear? "We have unexpected guests," she said, and the images of the two riders flashed into his mind. "Who are they?" Link asked.

Lure moved away from Saria and took a position near Link and Malon, who was still oblivious to what was occurring. Saria watched his movements before she turned back to Link. "They will introduce themselves to you. I hope you will allow them to share this dwelling with you, as we have no other guest houses."

Link nodded once. He knew he was being slightly curt to her, but he wasn't in the mood for civility. Saria smiled at him, her eyes darker than normal, and she turned and left. Two figures appeared in her stead, the same hooded riders from before. He noticed Lure tense up, and he wondered if he knew who they were. One figure stepped into the room, every elegant movement capturing his attention. The rider moved like a dancer. The rider reached up a hand and pushed back the cowl, revealing a woman with hair like spun gold that fell past her shoulders. She regarded the two with one dazzling blue eye, then she smiled. "I was hoping we would find you here," she said, her voice soft and fluid, like her movements. "It has been a long time since I last saw either of you."

Her companion removed his hood, revealing wild auburn hair and piercing gray eyes. "Marek!" Lure said in surprise. "What in all the Dark Realm are you doing here?"

"He is accompanying me, as is his duty," the woman said. "He is my Guardian, after all."

Link gulped. So this was Zelda! He had thought the entire Royal Family had been killed in the Cataclysm. He didn't know whether to rejoice that she was here, or curse. He had been the cause of all this, he knew even if he had no proof. She would have every right to recriminate him. "Lady Saria has been kind enough to allow our trespass for the night," Zelda said with a small smile. "If it is all right with you two, that is."

"Of course!" Link stammered out. He blushed, realizing how idiotic he sounded and clamped his mouth shut. He hated being around beautiful women, he could never speak coherently in front of them. Malon didn't count because she had been his friend for ages and Saria resembled a child, but the Princess Zelda was most certainly not either of the two.

She gave another smile before beckoning to Marek. He responded by removing her cloak and then his own, hanging both on a rack by the door. Zelda moved to the fireside and sank into the chair Lure had been sitting on. She gave the sleeping Malon a glance, then turned to watch the fire dance. Link and Lure exchanged looks, unsure of what to do now. "It seems interesting that we should find two Guardians and their charges in the same room when so many are dead in this age," Zelda said, raising her eyes to take in the two of them. Marek had taken a position to Zelda's right, a place Link could tell he occupied often.

"What do you mean?" he asked, trying to understand her words.

"Come now," she said with a slight arching of one refined brow. "You mean to tell me you know nothing?"

I know a lot less than you'd think, lady, he thought. "I have no idea of what you're talking about."

"He is your Guardian," she said, motioning to Lure, who looked aggrieved.

"Wha-?" Link eyed both Zelda and Lure. "I'm not Royal, and furthermore, I was supposed to be a Guardian myself."

"Of course you're not Royal," she said dismissively, "but the Oracle chooses those of great importance and who would require assistance to have a Guardian. Obviously you fit the profile, and you did give up Guardianship at your initiation."

Link gave Lure an imploring look. His friend smiled wryly at him and said weakly, "Surprise?"

"Why in the Dark Realm didn't you tell me?!"

Lure grimaced. "Because I knew you'd be upset, and because I didn't want you to think the only reason I was helping you came from me being bound to it."

Link turned his back on them, shaking his head. "I need to think," he said more to himself, and he walked to the door. A hand took hold of his shoulder, pulling him to a stop. "You can't run forever, Link," Marek said to him, an oddly imploring look in his eyes.

"Let go of me," he said, his voice deadly quiet. Marek kept hold, refusing to back down from Link's furious stare. Link felt a surge of power, one of the many deplorable gifts bestowed on him for being a Death Rider, rise up unbidden. He always began losing control when he let his emotions overwhelm him. But this time, instead of holding the power at bay, he let it surge close to the surface. Marek stumbled back, his eyes widening at the manifestation spark in Link's eyes.

"Enough of this," Zelda said. She rose from the chair and walked to the hallway. "Marek and I shall retire for the night, so you two may discuss this obviously new situation." She smiled warmly at Link and left the room, Marek close behind. Link watched them leave, then let out a sigh. "She's right," Lure said. "We need to talk."

Link nodded. "Let's go outside. I don't want to wake up Malon."

"If she's slept through all of this, I don't think she'll wake anytime soon." But he followed Link despite his words.

The cool breath of the night rose the hair on the back of his neck as Link stepped from the house. He walked a few steps away, then turned, arms crossed over his chest. Lure leaned against the house, fidgeting with his shirt collar as he waited for Link to speak, but Link wasn't going to give his friend that comfort. He waited and watched Lure, taking pleasure from the man's growing discomfort. If Lure was going to hide such a secret from him, then he planned on making him suffer for it. Vindictive? Yes, but he thought he earned it.

"All right!" Lure burst out, pushing off of the wall. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you beforehand, Link, but there was a reason why. Like I told you before, I didn't want you to believe I was only protecting you because I had to."

"Why would you think I'd believe that?"
"Because you would and you are. In the back of your mind you're already falling prey to that damned paranoia of yours, wondering if I'm only here to take advantage of you somehow."

"I don't appreciate your snooping in my head." His voice was soft, the words uttered without inflection, though Lure flinched.

"I can't help it," Lure muttered, arms crossing protectively over his chest. He looked up, his eyes narrowing. "You know, I didn't ask for this anymore than you did. I wasn't given a choice in the matter. I'm your friend, Link, not your enemy, so stop treating me like one!"

"Why would the Oracle assign you to me?"

"She wouldn't say why. All that she would tell me was that I should look for you as soon as I could, and to protect you with my life. As any Guardian and friend would do."

Link was beginning to hate that woman. "So she knew what my answer would be before she even asked. Why'd she bother?" Lure shrugged. Link hunched his shoulders, trying to work out the tension he felt knotting his muscles. "I don't think you're an enemy," he said. "But you'll have to forgive me if I worry about hidden motives." His words came out more bitter than he had wanted, but Lure only nodded.

"So all's forgiven?" Lure asked with a small smile.

A hesitant grin pulled the corners of his mouth up. "Yes, but if you're hiding something else from me, I'll be forced to pitch you head first into Lake Hylia."

"You've done that already, and in front of a huge crowd no less."

"Had to make you remember, so you'd think twice before you tried to steal my clothing while I was swimming."

"I don't think the ladies of Hylia minded much. They seemed to enjoy your running around almost naked while you chased after me."

Link blushed at the memories his words recalled. "It must have been a year before I had the nerve to show my face there again, all thanks to you." He glared at Lure before his scowl slipped into a wide grin.

"See, that's what I like," Lure said. "You need to smile more often."

The grin turned to a mock-frown. "Then I'll have to walk around like this."

"You already do."

Link snorted. "Pardon my lack of perkiness."

They started to walk back to the door together. Lure threw his arm over Link's shoulder, saying, "You won't be pardoned. What this world needs is happiness."

A grim look passed over Link's face. "But when will there be something worth celebrating?"

Lure could offer no answer, and they passed into the house silently, each wondering what the future would bring.

* * *

A/N: Many thanks to Tori and LOZFF ml for all their support and mistake catching. Much thanks to you people who're reading/reviewing, too. The feedback's greatly appreciated. ^_^

On a side-note, anyone else seen Cowboy Bebop? Just finished the movie, and I must say, that whole series kicks some major booty. Go watch it now! Shoo!