The Legend of Zelda: The Return

Chapter 6

I stand in front of Malon's full-length mirror, studying my naked torso critically. My tunic lies in a crumpled heap on the floor next to me, lying overtop one of my boots (I'm not sure where the other one's gone. I lost it somewhere last night in my dazed attempts at getting undressed and into bed. In my defense, it was really late, and I had a whole lot more on my mind than where I was putting my boots), my hat's on the night table beside the bed (Navi curled up asleep inside it), and my weapons are placed carefully on Malon's desk.

I frown darkly at the white strips of bandage wrapped around my middle. There hasn't been any blood on them for a few days now. I poke my stomach.

"Ow," I grunt, wincing and pressing my hand tightly against the bandage. Apparently just because I'm not bleeding doesn't mean I don't hurt. But if I'm not bleeding I don't really need the bandage anymore, right? I continue to justify removing the bandage before I probably should as I do just that. The white strips fall away and I throw them over on top of my tunic and boot.

A thick white streak, outlined in angry red, is etched onto my stomach. Wonderful. Not even 18 yet and already I've got a scar. And if what the others are telling me is true I'll probably have a lot more before I'm finished.

I poke it again.

"Ow!" I cry, pressing my hand to it – which only causes more pain this time. Apparently the bandages were good for padding too. "Ow!" I pull my hand away and scowl at the scar.

"You know," says a familiar voice from behind me, "if you wouldn't touch it, it wouldn't hurt." I look up and glare at Sheik's reflection in the mirror as he stands just inside the door of the room.

"Hmph," I say, leaning over – resisting the strong desire to wince as I do so – and grabbing my tunic. Sheik's expression is carefully neutral when I straighten.

"You maybe shouldn't leave the bandages off," he says. "It might be a good idea to wear them for a little longer." I meet his gaze as I deliberately jerk my tunic on – sans bandages. He crosses his arms and leans nonchalantly against the wall – a sure sign he's upset. I don't care. I start looking for my other boot.

"Do . . . you . . . want to spar today?" He asks, making an attempt at conversation. Kinda reminds me of Zelda yesterday coming to talk to me. Too bad I don't care if Sheik thinks I'm a jerk. "Think you're strong enough yet?" I don't answer and he shifts ever so slightly. "You, uh . . . you wanna get breakfast?" He tries again. "I think Impa's making something now . . ." At Impa's name my face darkens and I refuse to look at Sheik as I continue looking for my boot. Sheik – realizing what I'm looking for – reaches under the desk and pulls it out. Why, in Nayru's name, did I put it under the desk?

"Did someone say breakfast?" Navi asks, blinking and rubbing her eyes as she floats up out of my hat.

"Good morning, Navi!" Sheik greets her brightly – too brightly. He holds out my boot, offering it to me.

"Good morning!" Navi responds. I can't hold it in any more. I grab the boot and glare at Sheik.

"How long have you know about all of this?" I say furiously. Navi's eyes go wide and she takes a closer look at my expression.

"Good night!" She says, sinking back down into my hat. Sheik's staring at me with a mixture of guilt and surprise.

"I . . . uh . . . I . . ." He manages. I shake my head at him in disgust and angrily grab my other boot, sitting down on the bed to pull them on.

"Is that why you disappeared yesterday?" I demand. "Is that why you abandoned me?"

"I didn't abandon you!" He cries in protest, losing his casual pose and tensing up.

"Then what did you do?" I cry in reply. "Sheik, you just left me there, with those people – who I don't even know . . ."

"They wouldn't have hurt you," he argues. "You can trust them."

" . . . While they dumped this whole Hero of Time thing on me – out of nowhere. And I can't deny it. I can't tell them I don't believe them, because as easy as it would be, it isn't true. I do believe them. But now suddenly they expect me to be some damn hero. They want me to go out there and beat up the bad guys and save the world, like I did last time. But here's the kicker, Sheik, I don't remember last time. Whoever I was then, I'm not that person now. I know who I am now, and who I am is the guy who's going to get torn limb from limb by hungry Moblins when he finally gives in to the stupidity and tries to make a difference. I don't care how many fancy rocks, or expensive flutes they give me, it doesn't change who I am. It doesn't make me anymore of a Hero of Time than I was two weeks ago before any of this even started! But apparently I don't have any choice in the matter. Apparently Dark Link, or whatever they called him, will be back eventually and then I'll have to fight, and I'll have to win, or Hyrule is done for." I pause in my tirade, eyes narrowed, fists clenched, chest heaving. I don't think I've ever been this furious in my life. It takes me a moment but I finally manage to bring my rant back around to its original topic. "And you just left me there! To deal with that! Alone! How could you do that to me, Sheik?"

"I've vanished on you before," he says, shifting his weight uncomfortably. "This is nothing new, Link. It's never bothered you before. Why does it matter this time?"

"Because this time, I needed you," I cry in a shaking voice. "You are the only friend I have left in a world that has suddenly decided it's going to chew me up and spit me back out. The only thing left that makes any kind of sense for me, and I needed you, Sheik, and you couldn't even . . . you wouldn't even . . .." I let out a cry filled with pent-up anger and hurt and frustration, punctuated by the sudden arrival of Impa and Darunia at the door of the room, looking in with wide eyes.

"What's going on?" Impa demands, her eyes scanning the room for any sign of a threat. While her eyes are taking in every shadow and possible hiding place in the room, however, Darunia's eyes have taken in the expressions on Sheik and my face. I ignore them both, holding Sheik's gaze with my own.

"How long have you known, Sheik?" I ask again, my voice low and uneven. Sheik doesn't answer. He can't seem to do anything but stare helplessly at me as Darunia hustles me out of the room. I can hear Impa whispering something to herself on my way past her as she looks at Sheik. Something about the price of two faces.

Two faced is right.

Some friend.

Navi zips out of the room, dragging my hat behind her.

"We Gorons have a saying," Darunia says after a moment, watching Navi settle my hat on my head and slipping under it as he easily falls into step beside me. I fight furiously to get my anger back under control. He looks down at me, beady black eyes penetrating. "Loosely translated it goes 'Fill and upset stomach, empty an upset mind.'"

"Apparently Gorons have a different digestive system than Hyrulians," I say, trying to keep my anger out of my voice. "If our stomachs are upset, anything that goes in, come right back out." Darunia laughs loudly.

"That's the truth, brother!" He cries between his boisterous chuckles. "You Hyrulians are certainly delicate creatures." He sobers suddenly, looking at me seriously. "But I was more concerned with the second half of the proverb, if you take my meaning."

"There's not a whole lot to say," I reply, unclenching my fists and shoving them into my pockets.

"Seems to me you had a lot to say about it just a few minutes ago," Darunia says. "I'm sure Navi will attest to that."

"Don't drag me into this, Darunia," Navi calls from under my hat. "I'm not getting involved. She's done this to herself. She wants it fixed, she can fix it without my help."

"What?" I demand, crossing my eyes in an attempt to look up at my hat. "Navi, I'm hardly a she." Navi irritably pulls one of my hairs out. "Hey, ow! Don't do that!"

"I wasn't talking about you, dummy!" She snaps. "Go back to your blissful ignorance." Great. Now Navi's in a bad mood too. If Darunia knew what was good for him he'd leave now before one of us snaps at him too.

I say as much.

He laughs again.

"I'm not afraid of your temper, Brother," he says. "I respect it in fact. A bit of healthy anger is good for people."

"I don't feel very good," I respond bitterly as we move into the kitchen.

"Anger's only healthy on the outside," Darunia replies. "Empty an upset mind, remember?"

"And fill an upset stomach," I say with a wry grin as Darunia heads straight for the bomb flower plant he's brought with him. I move over and sit down across from him as he plucks the bomb flower, watches the fuse light, and then pops it into his mouth. He chews and swallows as another bomb flower blooms where the first had been picked.

"So," he says once he's eaten that one too, "I'm working on the first half of the proverb. How about you start on the second . . .." I blink at him and scratch my head with a sigh. He looks at me. "Link, you and I are sworn brothers. It is my duty to you to help you with this."

"Empty an upset mind, eh?" I ask. "I don't really know that I can do that . . .." But I try. Reluctantly at first – it's not really Darunia's business when you get right down to it, and I don't want to burden him down with all of my problems. He's sitting there chewing on bombs. He's got problems of his own – but it doesn't take me long to really get going. More than once Darunia's got to interrupt me to tell me that some of the others are still sleeping and I should quieten down just a bit. It takes me a while, but finally I wind down.

"I just . . . I don't know why it bothers me so much," I say finally. "This whole Sheik thing," I add for clarification. Sheik's not the only thing I ranted about. "I mean . . . Saria did the same thing. She knew about all this, and I didn't get mad at her. Then again, she was there yesterday. She didn't just up and leave. And Bruiser knew about this too, and he stayed silent. He wasn't there yesterday, but that's hardly his fault. And only one more reason why I could've really used Sheik. But not only has Sheik known about this for forever apparently, he wasn't there yesterday, and he won't tell me why." I scowl darkly down at my mug of hot chocolate. "It really, really, bothers me that he knew. It shouldn't. It doesn't bother me that Saria or Bruiser knew, but it bothers me that Sheik knew, and I don't know why." When I look up Darunia is giving me the look. That secretive, curious, startled, I-Know-Something-You-Don't-And-Am-Debating-How-Much-I-Can-Tell-You look. I hate that look.

"Don't do that," I say flatly. "Don't look at me like that. Darunia, if you know something, tell me." For a minute I actually think he might, but then the Goron leader gives a disgruntled sigh.

"I'm sorry, Link, but I can't," he says. I return back to scowling at my mug.

"Do sworn brothers often keep secrets from each other?" I ask. I can see him wince out of the corner of my eye. I'll take that as a no.

"No," he confirms darkly. "They do not. And you have no idea how much it grieves my heart to do so, but neither to they tell each others secrets and I am also sworn brother to the King, and Zelda is his daughter." My scowl turns into a puzzled frown as Darunia gets up and walks out of the kitchen.

Zelda?

What does she have to do with any of this?

I look up at where Darunia disappeared. Was that a hint? Why did he mention Zelda . . .?

"You there!" A voice demands imperiously from behind me. I wince and drop my mug. Oh no, not her! Princess Ruto glides imperiously into the room and sits imperiously across from me. "What are you making me for breakfast?"

xxx

I bang into Zelda and Impa on my way back to Malon's room to collect my weapons. Impa looks the same as she always does, but Zelda almost looks like she's been crying.

Five minutes ago I had a tirade of angry questions for the psychotic princess right at the tip of my tongue.

Looking at her tear stained face as she hurriedly tries to wipe clear any signs of crying I can't remember a single one of them. I turn to look at Impa.

"Could you . . .." My voice dies off. Impa's gone. I frown. Damn Sheikah. Why can't they just say goodbye like normal people? It takes me a minute to realize that Zelda's trying to push past me without meeting my gaze.

"Woah, hold up there, Princess," I say, maneuvering myself in front of her and blocking her escape. "What happened to you?"

"What do you mean?" She demands, still avoiding my gaze.

"You look horrible," I respond without thinking. Pluck! Navi rips out another hair. "Ow! Stop that!" I cry, rubbing my head.

"What?" Zelda demands.

"Sorry I was talking to Navi," I say. "She's trying to make me go bald."

"No, I mean what did you say about me?" She says.

"I said you look horrible," I repeat. She stares at me incredulously, wondering whether to be offended or not. She decides on the former.

"How dare you?" She cries. I roll my eyes.

"Well it's true," I say simply. "Your hair's all messed up, and your face is all red, and your eyes are all bloodshot, and no offense but frowning doesn't really suit you at all. You look much prettier when you smile." Her frown deepens and her brows draw down. "Look!" I cry brightly. "A wrinkle!"

Pluck!

"OW! NAVI! FOR LOVE OF . . .!" I rip my hat off and grab the fairy before she can make a run for it. I hurtle her through the air over Zelda's head and pull my hat back down onto my head and hold it there

"You deserved it, you jerk!" Navi shouts at me as she rights herself in the air and starts fluttering her wings, stopping her frantic flight.

"What kind of partner ARE you?" I cry, rubbing my head and wincing. "Saria's partner doesn't pull her hair." Navi flutters back over to me and perches imperiously on my shoulder – reminding me of Ruto.

"Saria's not a jerk," Navi replies lightly. She moves to go back under my hat and I pull it down further over my head. "Aw come on," she whines. "Let me back under your hat."

"No!" I cry. "You hurt me when you're under there."

"Only when you deserve it!" She argues.

"You don't get back under until you promise to stop pulling out my hair," I say flatly.

"I don't stop pulling out your hair until you promise to stop being such a jerk," Navi replies. For a minute I consider pulling out some of her hair. She'd deserve it. But then reality kicks back in and I realize that her hair's too small. I'd wind up ripping her head off.

Hmmm . . .

. . . No. No I can't. That would be evil.

"Then I guess you don't get back under my hat!" I cry instead. I blink when Zelda – who's lips have been twitching since the argument started – suddenly breaks out laughing, unable to hold it in anymore. I turn to her with a crooked, triumphant grin.

"See?" I say. "Told you you're prettier when you smile."

"HA!" Navi cries, zipping in under my hat. I ignore her. For now. She pulls my hair again and I'll do worse than throw her across a hallway.

"Can I go now?" She asks. I think about it.

"No," I say. "No I don't think you can." She frowns at me.

"Why not?" She demands. I smirk at her.

"Because you're frowning again," I say. She doesn't want to, but she laughs again and I step to the side to let her pass. "Cheer up, Princess," I say as she passes me. "Whatever it is can't be that bad." She smiles at me – without quite meeting my gaze – and walks down the hallway. I turn around and lean up against the wall as I watch her leave. I wonder what was wrong with her in the first place. If I didn't know better I'd say that someone had said something to upset her.

Hmph. I'd like to get my hands on the jerk who did it and give him a rather violent piece of my mind.

I'll probably never know though. I doubt she'd tell me.

"Crazy princess," I mutter under my breath as I turn back around. "She and Sheik have way too much in common. Secretive sons of –"

Pluck!

"OW! NAVI!"

xxx

I'm trembling.

Because of the cold? Because of the pain? Because of the fear?

I don't understand . . .

I'm surrounded by whiteness, cold and blank. I spin around, searching desperately for some familiar sight. Some sign that I'm still . . . I don't know, alive?

Alive or not, there's nothing here. Nothing but me and this whiteness. Suddenly, however, I see something, out of the corner of my eye. I turn and look, hope rising up in my chest, then dying still born when I see it. It looks almost like a ripple. A huge, dark, ripple in the whiteness. I swallow hard and take several steps back as the ripple advances, picking up speed as it comes. Some buried alive instinct thumps deep in my chest: this is going to hurt.

I whirl around in an attempt to run from the ripple, but I've take no more than two steps before it reaches me, and knocks me back against a stone altar. I'm pressed up against the smooth stone, uncomfortably aware of the three dents in it. Pain sears through me. Every inch of me burns with a pain unlike anything I've ever felt before . . .

Or have I?

Blurred images run through my mind. A tall, imposing man – Gannondorf I realize now – with ember eyes glaring at me with a venomous look. I see him raising his hands, and . . .

I scream as the pain increases.

"Hero of Time . . ." A voice whispers. Gritting my teeth I force my eyes open, peering around me. The whiteness is gone, replaced with an absolute dark.

"Who's there?" I cry around the pain. I press a hand tightly to my stomach and work my way into a sitting position. "Who's there?" Before I even finish the question I know the answer. I know who it is.

It's Psycho Me.

It's Dark Link.

"HERO OF TIME!" Screams a voice from behind me. I whirl around just in time to see an ebony figure lunging at me, three feet of black steel gleaming in his hand.

"Wha . . ." Without wasting any more time on half formed words, I try to roll off the altar and onto my feet. The pain abruptly increases however and I cry out and crumple back on the cold, smooth surface.

"HERO OF TIME!" The figure screams again. He leaps at me again and I struggle to roll out of the way, but I'm not fast enough. His black blade slides through my stomach, impaling me, pinning me to the altar as my blood runs down the sides of it, filling the gaps in it. I gasp and my eyes go wide, even as my hands clutch at the blade inside of me. Dark Link smiles wolfishly down at me.

His face blurs and shifts . . .

He looks . . . like . . . Gannondorf . . .

"Your blood," he whispers, "will open the seal . . ."