"My destiny…is to kill the Hero of Time."

Navi reached out her hand, trying in vain to claw at the boy who stood and began running from her. Her throat hurt as she screamed after him.

"No…NO!!!"



Link couldn't see; his eyes were blurry and shock was setting in. But he could hear. That voice…the voice that had haunted him since he first step foot from the Kokiri Forest; that voice was here, actually here, and not in his head anymore. He scanned around, trying to find the source of that familiar voice.

Through blurry eyes, he looked around him, and as he found a shape standing before the pond, Link heard Impa cry out beside him. The figure was unscathed by the waters; in fact, he seemed to be enjoying the fact that everything was in chaos. That figure…it was so familiar.

Trying to make sure he wasn't dreaming, Link looked elsewhere, tried to find Sahasrahla. The old man could tell him if this was true, surely. But Sahasrahla only pursed his lips, his eyes sad. Link shuddered. He didn't want to believe it! It wasn't true! …Was it…?

He did nothing as his vision deteriorated, the shock finally claiming him. The last thing he remembered doing, however, was looking up at the face of this threat: the true threat to Hyrule, the one that was responsible for Zelda's sickness and all the evils that had been happening.

He was looking at himself.



The Other Link smiled down as Link's eyes began to close. Their mind link was still in place; for now, at least. Other Link scowled as Link's thoughts penetrated his own. The boy thought he'd been looking at himself? How could that boy think that of he, an adult, as himself?

"So, you're as weak as I thought—no, knew you'd be. Why leave the fate of this world in some child's hands?" He scowled. "You're pathetic! Disgusting!" He smiled, slightly lifting his face, his eyes a frozen, deep purple. "And now, you die."

Other Link reached behind him, pulling a sword out of nothing. Link tried to keep his eyes open, tried to get up. But his body was frozen, and he could barely see. The larger Link charged forward, his eyes full of rage and hate, gripping the sword in both hands, bringing it down to smash into Link's head.

Link leaned back and closed his eyes, a tear making it's way down his cheek. His voice came out as a whisper. "I'm sorry, Zelda, I couldn't protect you. Saria, please forgive me, but I won't be coming home this time. Mother…"

The sword stopped an inch from Link's head, and a blinding flash of light melted everything in the clearing into nothing. When it cleared, Mikomi stood before Link, holding the blade of the sword between her hands. Other Link scowled and pressed forward, using all his strength, trying to run Mikomi through. The ghost Hylian held her ground, determination evident in her face.

"Stop this at once! Link!"

The older Link's eyes opened wide, and he suddenly jumped back, the sword disappearing. His eyes looked haunted as he stared at Mikomi.

"You…who are you?!"

"I told you to stop this! There's no reason for this!"

Other Link snarled, clenching his hands. After a few seconds, though, he relaxed and smiled. The smile never reached his eyes. "Oh, but there is a reason. This child is useless. I'm only ridding this world of a mistake." Impa began growling, but Mikomi silenced her, holding out a hand. Other Link looked to the boy lying on the ground, passed out. "I should thank him, though. Without him, I'd never have been able to be born into this world. And the girl, too." He glanced at Zelda. "She was a wonderful host, don't you think?"

Impa glared. "You bastard…"

Link waved a finger. "My, my, such language. Really, Impa, you should watch how you speak in front of children."

Impa rushed to her feet, pulling a knife out of her boot. "You're no child! Who are you?! Why did Mikomi call you Link?!"

The ghost woman sighed. "Because, he is Link. He may have an adult's body, but he is still the same boy that's traveled with you all this time."

"I am not that boy! That boy could never have accomplished what I did! He's weak and useless, and I'll kill him here!"

"If you kill him, you too will die. You know this, don't you?" Mikomi stared the boy down, never blinking.

"You're wrong, I won't die. You don't know anything, woman."

Mikomi sighed, her eyes sad. Link blinked, just as his child counterpart would, tilting his head slightly to the side. His mother smiled to herself; there was still some of him left. Her face, however, held a sad frown. "Are you so eager to join your father and I?"

Link's eyes widened in shock., and Impa stared at her friend. Sahasrahla sighed, then knelt to tend to Child Link. "What…what do you mean?"

"I'm your mother, Link."

"You're dead."

"Yes, I am. And I want to know: are you so eager to join your father and I in Heaven? Because if you kill this child, that's where you'll be. Although…will you really join us, or…" She trailed off, not wanting to think of the other possibility. Link scowled.

"I won't die, and I'll never give up until that boy is dead!" He reached for his sword again, but stopped as pain shot up his arm. Bringing his hand before his eyes, he watched as the limb began disappearing and reappearing. Clutching his left hand to his chest, Link looked up at Mikomi, scared. "This…what is this?"

"You can't stay here, Link. This isn't your world. Go back, child."

"NO! I won't go back there! I won't!" He reached out his right hand and held up a stone. Impa gasped as Link tightened his grip around it, and then disappeared.

The two women stood in silence for a minute, neither saying anything. Finally, Impa looked to her friend.

"Mikomi, was that…?"

"Yes, that was the Goron Ruby."

"Why…how…?"

"That's the only thing that is keeping him in this world. I never thought he'd think to use them like that…" She wasn't about to say anything else, and turned from Impa to kneel beside Sahasrahla, who was holding Link in his arms.

"The Dark Link has finally appeared, it seems. I wasn't expecting him for some time." Sahasrahla sighed. "This boy, he's still too young to fight this battle. I feel so sorry for him."

Mikomi placed a hand on her son's forehead, about to say something to Sahasrahla, when Link's eyes opened wide. The woman's eyes widened in horror as she met her son's gaze for the first time.

Link refused to blink, even though his eyes burned. It couldn't be, could it…? He sat up slowly, refusing to take his eyes from Mikomi's.

"Mo…mother…?" Mikomi's eyes widened in shock, then began to water, and Link reached a hand up to her face. She pulled away before he could touch her, and he looked hurt. That look tore at her heart, and her tears fell, but she could not let him touch her. She'd already broken so many other laws…

"Mother." His voice drew her mind back from her thoughts. "Mother…what…what's going on…?" She shook her head, trying to stop her tears. Link smiled wanly, his eyes bright. "You shouldn't cry, Mother, because I'm going to fix everything. I'm going to take responsibility for this, so you shouldn't cry, you didn't do anything wrong." Mikomi took a shuddering breath, but couldn't hold herself together anymore, and clutched Link to her, hugging him and crying into his shoulder. Link hugged her back, tears on his cheeks. "I'm sorry I made you cry again, but I'll make it up to you, ok?"

When she could finally stop crying, Mikomi pulled away from him, holding him out at arms' length. "That's exactly what your father told me when we were thirteen and he broke my favorite doll. Thank you, Link." He smiled at her, and opened his mouth to say something, but a crash sounded behind him, and then Mikomi threw him to the side as a blast of air passed by where they'd been.

"What the…?" Link jumped to his feet only to fall down right away. His mind may have cleared, but his body was still suffering the tag ends of shock. Shaking his head to clear it of the ringing, he followed the furrow back to its source, and his eyes widened.

"E…Eon?"

The red-headed boy stood, his eyes narrowed in concentration and a strange, long weapon clutched in his right hand. The green-clad boy barely recognized it as the staff Eon had when they'd first met, only with a blade on the end now. When Eon didn't move the weapon for another attack, Link tried to stand again, and grinned foolishly when he didn't fall down. His friend watched him through narrowed eyes.

"Eon, it's me, Link. You didn't forget me yet, did you?" Link half- laughed, forcing a grin as Eon hefted the weapon, pointing it at the green- clad boy. Link's laugh died in his throat as Eon swung the weapon, sending another gust of air that furrowed the ground. The Kokiri-child just barely managed to dodge the attack, and suddenly Impa was before him.

"Boy! What do you think you're doing? Why are you aiming at a friend?!"

Eon lowered the weapon, but said nothing. Instead, he moved to his left, and only when he brought the glaive-type weapon up again did Impa realize he was only trying to aim without hitting her.

The attack barely missed again, as Impa shoved Link and herself out of the way. Her leg, however, did not escape, and a huge gash opened along the front of her lower leg. She grunted in pain, but made no other indication that she was hurt.

Eon stared, lowering the weapon. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit you. Please don't put yourself in front of him again."

Impa glared at the boy, clutching her wound in her left hand. Her hair was a mess, and she constantly shook her head to keep it from her eyes. "What are you talking about?! I thought you were friends?!"

Eon slouched a bit, not looking at them. Link inched forward, intent on getting the weapon from his friend before he could send out another attack. He really didn't want to hurt Eon.

"I…I guess…we were… But…" He looked up and caught Link edging towards him, and his eyes narrowed instantly as he lifted the weapon, aiming at Link. "But that's over now. I can't let him live." His eyes softened as he looked at Link. "I'm really sorry about this. I'll explain to your friends, if you want me to. But, I can't let you go. If I did…then…" He dropped his gaze and the weapon lowered slowly, and Link took his chance, dashing forward. Eon just barely realized what was happening as Link careened into him, knocking them both to the ground.

Rolling on the ground, Link and Eon fought with each other; Link trying to grab the glaive-weapon, and Eon trying to stab Link, which wasn't working very well, considering the sharp end of the weapon was either beyond Link or pinned to the ground.

This wasn't the way things were supposed to be going! Link threw a punch at Eon's face, but only managed to hit a rock. Why did all these bad things happen to him? Link barely dodged the tip of the weapon as Eon managed to swing it, pulling the blade closer to himself. Why did his friends attack him? Link pinned Eon to the ground and wrenched the weapon from his hands, throwing it away.

Sitting up slowly, Link backed away from the prone figure on the ground, bruises covering both of them and Link with a nick on his cheek from where Eon managed to scratch him with the blade while they rolled on the ground. Eon coughed and sat up, leaning with his hands behind him, a goofy grin on his face.

"You're not that bad at fights. Where'd you learn that?"

Link smiled, breathing heavily. "Mido and I never really did see eye to eye."

Eon nodded. "Yeah, I figured it was something like that. You're just so loud and obnoxious, anyone would wanna fight you." They both smiled, but Eon slouched. "I really wish this didn't have to end…"

"But we don't have to fight! You don't need to use that…that…um…what is it?"

Eon stood, brushing his smock off. "It's called a naginata. It's my weapon, and I do need to fight you." He looked up and lifted his right arm. The naginata vanished from the ground and then reappeared in Eon's hand. "I'm really very sorry about this, but I need to kill you now." He lowered the weapon again, and then charged.

Link dodged out of the way, reaching for the Kokiri Sword. At the last minute he remembered he didn't have it and cursed under his breath. Running, Link dodged Eon's attacks, looking for a suitable weapon.

"Link-kun!" Link stopped when he heard the tiny, familiar voice. Navi! She was alive, and all right! "Look out!" Link ducked, barely managing to escape the path of Eon's blade. When he stood again, he watched as the small faerie flew passed him and directly into Eon's face. The other boy dropped his weapon and flailed, turning his head back and forth, trying to make the faerie move. For her part, Navi stayed perfectly in his field of vision. Link had the haunting feeling that she was holding onto Eon's nose.

"Don't hurt Link-kun! He's not your enemy; he never was and never will be!" Eon's eyes widened in shock as a tiny, hand-shaped red mark appeared on his cheek where Navi slapped him. There were tears in her eyes as she matched the red-headed boy's gaze. "Link-kun isn't even the Hero of Time anymore. Sahasrahla said so. Isn't that right, Link-kun?" She turned to face her charge, and Link nodded, his hands by his side.

"No! That can't be true!"

"She speaks the truth, child." Eon and Link both turned to see Sahasrahla come towards them, supporting a limping Impa and followed by a very tired-looking Zelda.

Eon shook his head. "No! He has to be the Hero! He opened the gate!" Navi shook her head, trying to catch Eon's gaze again, but he wrenched away from her, falling onto the ground. The small faerie reached out to help him, but then pulled her hands to her chest and fluttered over to Link, landing on his shoulder and crying silently.

"Child, listen. This boy is not—"

"No! You're all trying to confuse me! I didn't want to do this anyway, why are you all making me feel so bad?!" The small boy had tears running down his cheeks and he clutched at the dark soil.

"Eon, that's your name, right?" Said boy looked up, and Zelda stood before him, reaching out her hand. "Please, listen to us. We aren't lying to you. Link really isn't the Hero of Time anymore, and he's not the threat to Hyrule you seem to think he is. So please, won't you listen?"

Eon looked away, his eyes squeezed shut. "Why…why won't you let me do what I need to do? Why won't you let me?!" The earth erupted around the crying child, water surrounding him. Link pulled Zelda out of the way as Eon's naginata flew up from the ground right beside where she'd been. The naginata disappeared into the dark blue liquid, and Eon stood, his eyes shadowed as he was completely surrounded by the water.

And then he was gone.



They sat around the small fire Sahasrahla made, eating what little food they still had. Sahasrahla promised them that when they made it back to his house, he would make a lavish feast, so could they please bear with the small rations for now. Link sat a bit apart from the others, eating only because he didn't want them to worry. Mikomi watched him from a distance, worry creasing her smooth brow.

He was the reason for all this sorrow. That Dark Link hadn't been some hallucination, or a figment of his imagination. He'd been real for all that time… He was the one who possessed the princess and made her sleep for so long; the one that Saria sensed through the trees of the Lost Woods. And he was Link.

That thought made Link feel worse. Saria…she'd known all along, hadn't she? That Link was the one causing all the trouble. He remembered their last conversation, and how Saria hadn't been able to finish her sentence. She was so sad then, was she still now? Link pulled his knees up to his chin, resting his head so that only his eyes were visible beyond his legs. His eyes half-closed, Link tilted his head to the side, his food forgotten.

The thought that he made Saria sad upset him to no end. He kept seeing her pained face from two years ago, and remembered how he fled without even saying goodbye. She gave him an ocarina and he never even said thank you. His mood continued to deteriorate as he remembered the nightmares he had during this long journey. Would Saria hate him now, like in his dreams? Would she blame him and refuse him? Tears formed in his eyes and he sniffled against his knees, trying to hide the sound.

"Now that's enough of that!" Link looked up as the harsh words came from behind him. Mikomi stood above him, her face set in annoyance. "Stop thinking like that right now!" She lowered her voice and knelt beside him, motioning towards the others that everything was under control. "You've done nothing wrong."

Link shook his head, his mood set. "No, I did do something wrong, otherwise Zelda would never have been possessed and this dark version of myself wouldn't be running around causing havoc. He's right, I'm useless."

Mikomi hissed under her breath and sat down fully. The boy would get no sympathy from her. "I told you to stop this and I meant it. Knock off this pitying act and pull yourself together." Link's eyes widened as he stared at his mother lecturing him. "I'm sick of seeing you kick yourself over and over again for things that are beyond your control close your mouth right now I won't hear it." Link did as she demanded, instantly forgetting what he'd been about to say. "Things happen for a reason, child, and you can only keep going. If not for you, there would be no Hyrule for Dark Link to wreak havoc upon, now would there?" Link shook his head. "And because of you, he's appeared. That doesn't mean you're useless, it means that something needs to be fixed. You told me you would take responsibility for this, and I expect you to be a man and live up to your word. Girl's don't like boys that can't live up to their words." She smiled for the first time since she sat down, and Link blushed a bit. "I know it's hard, but bad things are always going to happen. You need to pick yourself up when they do, though, and carry on. Otherwise, the only thing you'll accomplish is nothing."

Link nodded and they sat in silence for a while. Then, suddenly, Mikomi stood. "Where are you going?"

"I can't stay any longer." She lowered her face and her bangs hid her eyes. Link swallowed, afraid of what she was about to say. "I don't know that I can ever come back. I've broken too many laws. I don't even know if I'll be able to see Aylen again…" This last thing was said so softly, Link knew he wasn't supposed to hear it. She knelt again and hugged the boy tightly to her. The others around the fire had long since moved away, leaving the two alone. Link clutched her hands in his, not wanting her to leave.

"You have to promise me, Link, that you won't start thinking like him again. You're strong and brave, you know you are. Others count on you, and you can't forget that. Your life isn't your own anymore; you need to live for those you love. Do you understand that, Link?" The boy nodded. He had explained to Zelda just the other day—how he'd left the Kokiri Forest for Saria, even though it hurt both of them. He understood exactly what his mother meant.

Mikomi's arms trailed away from his shoulders and her weight against his back left as well. Link hurried to his feet, turning to face his mother as she looked up at the star-filled sky. She smiled and looked down at him as the wind picked up her hair, trailing pieces across her face. Link found he loved her hair…he loved everything about her.

"You'll be careful, yes?"

He nodded. "Yes, yes I will."

"And you won't give up?"

He shook his head and smiled at her. "Never."

She took a deep breath and smiled at him, her eyes squinted and bright. "Then, I guess I can leave you alone for a while. Will you be all right by yourself?"

"No," she frowned, but Link smiled, "because I'm not alone. Mother, Father, everyone is with me, helping me through this. So, I know I won't be ok on my own, but I don't have to worry about that, right?"

Mikomi closed her eyes and nodded, then opened her eyes as she leaned down, kissing Link's forehead. "We'll meet again, my son. And then, a long time from then, when we meet one last time, I'll introduce you to your father."

"I'd like that very much."

Mikomi nodded and the wind picked up again. Her hair swirled around her face, and Link's bangs flew in front of his eyes. When he could see again, his mother was gone. The only thing left was a small necklace lying in the dirt.

Link picked it up, the silver chain cool against his skin. A drop of water fell on it, but there was no rain. Wiping away the tear, Link saw that the necklace was a small tree, with the word "Hope" engraved into it.

The boy clutched the last thing his mother gave him to his chest and looked up to the sky. He'd like that day to come soon.



He rejoined the others a bit later, happy. When they noticed him, he waved and smiled, and even though the smile reached his eyes, there was still a hint of longing, of sadness, in them. They looked matured.

"Where'd that lady go? Mikomi, right?" Zelda looked at his face, and upon noticing his eyes, bit her lip. Turning away a bit, she added, "She was very beautiful."

Link touched her shoulder gently. "It's ok. She had to leave, is all. And thank you, I'm sure she'd love to know you think that."

Zelda smiled slightly but said nothing else. Sahasrahla came up beside them then, placing a hand on the top of Link's head. The elven boy's head dipped a little and he looked up at the elder through one eye, a goofy grin on his face. Sahasrahla smiled down, but then became serious again.

"You understand now, don't you? The reason you are needed?"

Link nodded, the grin disappearing quickly. "Yes."

"So, what will you do about it, child?"

Link looked down at his feet, then back up at the older Hylian. "What I always do. Fix it."

Sahasrahla smiled at him and tapped Link's head one last time before moving away. "We need to return to my house. There, we can form a strategy."

Impa passed Link by as well, but all he got from her was a nod of the head. Link beamed.

The trip back to Sahasrahla's was short, but beautiful. The sun burst through the trees in places, dappling the party with ever-moving beams of light, and the wind smelled of honey and spring. Birds fluttered by every now and then, and Zelda chanced an encounter with a deer.

"It's really very beautiful. I missed a lot while I was asleep, didn't I?"

Link shrugged. "Not so much, I don't think. But then again, I wasn't really paying attention to the surroundings."

"What do you mean by that?" She craned her neck to look at his face from her place at his side, and her hair fell over her shoulder. She looked just like an adorable faerie from the legends Navi told Link as a child.

"Well, I was worried about you, for one." He blushed a little and wouldn't meet her eyes. Zelda giggled. "It was also dangerous half the time." He wondered if he should tell her about the voice in his head and his anxiety about going insane, but before he could, she blinked and reached out a hand, pointing at his chest. The necklace his mother gave him had fallen out of his tunic and sparkled as a beam of light graced it.

"What's this? May I see it?"

Link paused, unsure, but then nodded and reached behind his neck to unclasp the silver strand. Folding it into his hand, he handed it over to the princess, who cupped the small silver artifact reverently in her hands.

"It…it's beautiful. Wherever did you get it?" She held the tree up before her eyes, the silver reflecting the light, making it look like she held a glowing sphere before her. Something about the light seemed unnatural, but not in an evil way. It soothed Link's heart, and he found he could tell Zelda without feeling pain.

"From my mother. It's the second thing she ever gave me."

Zelda blinked and looked from the pendant to Link. "The second? What was the first thing she gave you?" There was no harm in her words, only honest curiosity.

Link smiled sadly, looking at his hands. "My life. She gave me my life in exchange for hers." Zelda's eyes widened and she bit her bottom lip, clutching the small keepsake to her chest and lowering her face. They stopped walking for a minute, and Link lifted a hand to hover around her elbow. He hadn't meant to make her cry. "I…I'm sorry, Zelda. I didn't mean to upset you! Please, um, please don't cry."

The princess lifted her head, and there were indeed tears standing in her eyes. "I'm not crying, Link. Don't worry."

Link frowned slightly and pointed to her. "If I'm not mistaken, those are tears. Tears equal crying."

Zelda shook her head, a small smile playing across her lips. "I'm not crying, believe me. It's just…this is a precious gift, and you let me touch it."

"Well, you asked."

"That's not what I mean. Not the keepsake itself, the memory. I have a feeling that you'd never have said what you just did before yesterday happened. It's always nice to learn things about your friends."

Link blinked, not understanding. "I...I don't understand."

"Have you ever been able to say what you just did? Ever before? Something happened to you, and it's a change that makes me happy."

"You're crying because you're happy?"

"And sad."

The boy raised an eyebrow in confusion, and Zelda patted his cheek. "I don't think I can explain it to you. But I'm glad she had the chance to give this to you before she left. I'm sure it looked beautiful on her."

"Yeah, it probably did—hey! You…did you know, Zelda?"

The girl nodded. "I met her, yes. She was always so sad. Just like you were, even when you were smiling. But now your eyes look like hers did last night, after she hugged you."

"I thought you were unconscious then!"

"There are many things you still don't know, Link. And anyway, I don't think you'd have noticed anything other than her if Eon hadn't tried to kill you. Poor boy." She turned away again, the wind playing with her gold tresses. "I feel so sorry for him. He's confused and lonely."

"Yeah, I know. But that's ok, because I'll help him out." Zelda turned to look at him, surprise evident on her face. "What? You don't think I'd fight my friend because of some silly misunderstanding like this, do you? I'm just going to keep telling him the truth until it breaks through his thick skull that the enemy is me and not me. Um, wait. I mean…"

Zelda giggled and returned the necklace, then they began moving again. Sahasrahla and Impa were far ahead of them, but still moving slow enough to stay in the children's line of sight thanks to Impa's limping. They walked in silence for a time, the shadows playing across their faces and just enjoying the nice day.

"Um," Link broke the silence after a time, and Zelda turned her head to face him. "About before. How did you meet my mother?"

Zelda looked down at the path for a minute, wondering how to phrase her answer. "Well, almost as soon as I was attacked in the castle. I felt these dark hands grab my heart, and then I couldn't see and pain coursed through my body. It's similar to what happened at the lake, only not as bad. But then, while I was floating in this void, I started to hear things, and realized it was all of you talking. And I felt someone holding me. The presence that had taken over my body recoiled from that touch, always, so I was closest to being—how do I put this—alive, I guess is the closest thing, again. And then I could see her face.

"It was amazing, because I instantly saw a resemblance to you. And she noticed I could see her and smiled down at me. 'Hello,' she told me, and I asked her if she was some kind of angel. She only smiled sadly, and shook her head. 'No, I'm only a lost figment, trying to find my way home again.' I was sad when she told me that, because I could feel her pain with those words, and then I knew who she was. 'Does Link know about you?' I asked, and her eyes widened in shock, but then she closed them and shook her head. We didn't talk much after that, and I learned that she was inside my mind, helping me. Through her I could see all these things happening, and I could see you, too, Link."

"Me?"

Zelda nodded. "Yes. She was always watching you, always worried about you. She even tried to talk to you in your dreams, but she could never make you see her."

"I remember a dream where I heard her voice, but that's all. When I listened to her and Impa talking that one night, that's when I realized exactly who that voice in my dream had been."

The princess blinked at him. "You listened to them? She never knew this."

Link nodded. "Yeah. She was talking to Impa one night and I woke up, but they didn't know it. That's when I knew who she was, but I wouldn't believe it until Sahasrahla told me. I wanted to believe it, I really did, but I couldn't. It would have hurt more if my hopes were misplaced. But…that conversation was where I learned she was proud of me." He blinked a bit. "I cried a lot back then."

"There's nothing wrong with crying, especially not when something like that happens to you."

Link shrugged. "Boys are brought up to learn they don't cry. It's not manly." He made a pose then, and Zelda giggled. "Good, it's nice to see you smiling. We were getting a bit too serious there." He jumped a bit in front of her, turning and walking backwards. "We should have fun! Today's a wonderful day, don't you think? No point in wasting it with clouds of our own making."

Zelda nodded enthusiastically, then reached forward and tapped his chest. "Then I dub thee 'it!'" Link's eyes widened as the smaller girl flew passed him, running for all she was worth. Puffing out his chest, not willing to lose to a girl of all things, Link chased after.

Navi, sitting on Impa's shoulder, nearly fell off as the two skidded passed, laughing uproariously and getting dirt all over.

"Kids."

Impa smiled and nodded, not saying anything as Sahasrahla chuckled softly.



The two children reached the small house much faster than they ever expected they would, but it was only natural, seeing as they ran the entire way. 'It' standings when they arrived were: Link (currently 'It')—3, Zelda—2. Deciding the game needed a small interlude, the two children sat on the small steps, Zelda breathing heavily and Link just breathing. They waited what seemed an eternity for the others to arrive. The sun only had about an hour of time left in the sky when the others came into hearing distance.

"Link-kuuuun!" Link's ears perked when he heard the distant call from Navi. Standing, he leaned forward slightly, only to have a blur of light latch onto his face. Looking cross-eyed, he noticed the small faerie holding his nose, pouting.

"You left us behind, Link-kun." He didn't miss the look she gave Zelda, as quick as it was. "Really, running all this way, and after everything that's happened. You need to be more careful."

Link knew she had every right to be worried; Eon was still around, and although Link had a feeling the boy wouldn't attack again so soon, he understood Navi's worry. "It's ok, Navi-chan. Anyway, we were playing because of what happened. We can't focus on so much bad stuff, or… Or else I'll be like I was before." Zelda lifted her face to look at him, one eyebrow lifted questioningly. Link sighed, then turned to the girl. "I don't know how much Mother let you see, but… I wasn't in the best of shape before. Actually, everyone, including me, thought I was—"

Navi interrupted him by placing a small hand against his mouth. "Link-kun was very confused before, because he didn't know what he was supposed to do or what was going on. And he focused on so much bad stuff that it didn't help. But still, Link-kun," she ignored the princess again and turned to her friend, "you shouldn't be so reckless."

"I'm never reckless." He noticed Navi's frown. "I'm always careless."

Navi's eye twitched, but she said nothing until the other two arrived. Impa was still limping, but in a way that only Impa could—that is to say, they only knew she was limping because they knew of the huge gash on her leg. When they made it to the steps, Zelda ran down to Impa's side and helped her, talking quietly so only Impa could hear. Sahasrahla set his walking stick down outside the door, then beckoned everyone inside.

"I'll make us a splendid dinner, so please, everyone…" he made a sweeping motion, indicating everyone should go inside. Zelda helped Impa inside first, with Link and Navi following behind. Sahasrahla was last in as he closed the door to the darkening horizon.

The air inside was cool and comforting, with the feel of home. Safety. Sighing, Link settled himself on the floor, leaving the few chairs for the adults and princess. Sahasrahla, however, went straight into the small kitchen, where the sounds of pots clanging could be heard. Link titled his head slightly, then his eyes widened and he jumped up, a grin on his face. Running into the other room, he grabbed the elder's hand as he pulled a pot from a shelf.

"Why don't you go sit down, sir. Let me make something; I know how, and I wouldn't mind." He shook his head before Sahasrahla could even speak. "You're tired, but I'm younger, so I can handle this. You should go rest with the others, don't worry. Please?"

The older man paused for second, just looking at the boy. Finally, though, he nodded, setting the pot down on a counter and walking away to sit beside Impa and Zelda. Link watched him leave, then turned to the daunting task at hand. He grinned, then set about his work.

Saria had taught him many things, and one of those things was cooking. Link wondered now if she'd only taught him, knowing he would one day leave on adventure. Shaking his head, he pulled out some fruits he found in a cupboard, refusing to think anything bad about his friends. So what if that's the reason she taught me? I'm grateful that she did, because it helped a lot. And learning with her was fun. Just because something is destiny doesn't mean I have to think of it harshly. Saria is my friend—even destiny can't force someone to be another's friend.

Link worked diligently, cutting the vegetables and boiling water, washing some rice and cutting up some salted meat he'd found. Soon, the smell of cooking filled the air, and Navi poked her head around the doorframe, smiling at the green-clad boy.

"Link-kun, do you need any help?"

Link looked at her over his shoulder, shaking his head. "Nope. I'm fine. Just gotta finish this last thing and then I'll join you while I let everything cook. The meat's doing fine, it's almost done, so that means I gotta start the vegetables now…" Navi knew he wasn't talking to her anymore, so she quietly slipped away, smiling to herself.

True to his word, the small Hylian boy entered the adjacent room a few minutes after Navi returned, a grin on his face. "It'll be done soon, hope I didn't make you wait too long."

"No, you didn't," the tall Sheikah said from her position in her chair.

"Where did you learn to cook, Link?" Zelda turned to face him from her place at Impa's side. "It smells good."

"Of course it does, it's something Saria taught me. Besides, why are you all so surprised? I cooked over the fire before, remember?"

"Yeah, but…" Zelda blushed a bit, and wouldn't continue.

Impa, however, would. "This smells a lot better than that other stuff you made. Give you a real place to cook and some real ingredients and I guess you make a decent chef." Navi choked back a laugh at Link's expression, and Sahasrahla simply grinned. Impa shrugged when Zelda whispered something to her, the girl's face slightly wild looking.

Link shrugged, blushing slightly at Impa's comment. She didn't need to be so blunt… "Yeah, well, I was taught by a great cook. Guess it's something an adventurer needs to know."

Supper was done shortly after that, and the five sat around Sahasrahla's small table, Navi and a candle their only sources of light. Link's meal, although not very big, was enough for everyone to enjoy, and although it wasn't the best food ever, it tasted great to the weary Hylians.

"Where did you find all this stuff, Link-kun?" Navi asked as she picked up a cooked carrot, blowing on it slightly before taking a big bite.

Zelda nodded as well. "Yes, where? There's cooked rice, and vegetables I didn't even know grew around here. And then there's this meat…When did you go hunting?"

Link blinked, confused. "What do you mean? I found all this stuff in Sahasrahla's cupboards. The meat isn't fresh, really, but it was being kept in storage. It's salted."

"I knew I was having guests, so I stocked up." Four heads turned to look at Sahasrahla, who sat eating his food as though he'd never said anything. "Anyway," the older man said when he was finished chewing, setting his food aside and taking a sip of tea, "thank you for the meal, child. However, it's later than I was hoping, and we're all tired. I know I said we'd have a meeting to discuss what we're going to do, but…" He left it hanging, and everyone knew what he meant. They were all exhausted, both physically and mentally. There was no way they would be able to stay awake much longer. Even with warm food in their stomachs and a pleasing, comfortable atmosphere, no one would be able to concentrate.

"Well, then, here, let me take everyone's dishes if they're done. I'll wash them, then go to bed." Link walked around grabbing all the dishes, until he had a huge stack that he could barely see over. When he had everything, the boy made his way into the other room, then carefully set everything down on a counter and started washing the dishes with a towel and water from the bucket he'd filled earlier for this express purpose. He could hear the scraping of chairs in the other room, and the shuffling of feet towards the sleeping chambers. When all was quiet, he set down the plate he'd been scrubbing and sighed.

"It's just going to get harder from here on, isn't it? And I can't give up, but…but…it's so hard…" He felt tears in his eyes as he scrubbed his cheeks with the back of his hand and then picked up the plate again. He heard a small flutter behind him as his sniffles grew louder against his will, and then the soft feel of Navi on his shoulder, leaning against his neck was there. "It's so hard…"

Navi leaned her head against the bottom of his chin and closed her eyes, staying silently by the side of the small crying boy who was her best friend.





LINK NO MIKO'S LITTLE CORNER OF TALKINGNESS

Whooo, hello, peeps. Wow, look. An update! And within a decent amount of time, too! Yes, folks, during this downtime of FF.net's, I've actually been PRODUCTIVE. *gasps* Anywho, hopefully this ending won't be considered a cliffhanger, since, um, I didn't think of it as such. -_-x Oh, and I've also been reading lots and lots o' Kenshin manga goodness, although I don't know why I'm mentioning this now. No fanfics to read, so go to manga.

Anywho. Angst angst angst. My acting teacher was right when she said girl's love angst. What am I doing to this series…? I hope people aren't getting too annoyed with me, and will keep reading. It's all going to come to a head, I promise! Things will make sense! And to any and all Eon lovers (I KNOW you're out there *glare at oneesan purposefully*)…you'll have to keep reading to find anything else out about him! Hhahahah…wait, how is that a maniacal laughing offense? I'm in a really weird mood right now… I think I'm gonna end this little miko rant right now. Maybe Watase- san and Yuki-san have really rubbed off on me (Fushigi Yuugi and Angel Sanctuary writers, respectively) with their free-talks. Oh, and Watsuki- san (Kenshin). Why am I bringing manga into a video game story…?



*After the Fact* Ok, I went to upload, you know, cause I love you all and stuff, and guess what I got? "Document manager down for repairs." What did I do? (^&%*^#*^%#@*&$* Well…I THOUGHT it, you can be damn sure. Anywho, hopefully FF.net will let me upload .doc files, or I shall be one unhappy little miko…