Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Zelda or any of the characters in the Zelda series (if I did, I wouldn't waste my time here). I'm not making any money of this and if I forgot anything else in this disclaimer I did or didn't do that as well.

Chapter 20 - Leaving again

Link was sitting in front of the wall, looking at the carvings.

"And you say someone threw the dagger from up the clif?"

"I think from on the clif even." Nabooru answered.

Link turned around and looked through the window at the clifs surrounding the valley. He whistled.

"Fuck, this guy's good."

"So, Link, what are you going to do about this?"

"I don't know who he is, I don't know his motives, I don't know anything about him," Link said, "I only know what he wants, and that's for me to leave. So I guess I'll leave."

"What? You can't leave," Nabooru said surprised, "you don't run from a fight, Link, you never have and you'll never will."

"This isn't a fight, Nabooru, someone wants me gone but he's not confronting me. If I want to protect all of you, I must leave."

Nabooru threw Link against the wall and drew a dagger. Romani was right behind her with her sword drawn.

"Don't try to tell me you're affraid, Link," Nabooru hissed, "it's not you."

"Fine, I'll tell you, because I can trust you." Link whispered.

Nabooru relaxed a bit.

"I'm leaving, not because of this lunatic, but because I have other things to do, but I will return in a few months."

"Like last time?"

"I hope nothing will come up this time, but in the mean time, I want you to figure out who wants me gone. You're a fighter, so you're up to it. Ruto's not trained and the Oracles know Malon isn't. Darunia can't really sneak up in shadows, and I don't want to bother Zelda with this."

"What about the Sheikah?"

"They have to serve the royal family, and I'm not part of the royal family. Besides, I have other reasons to leave Zelda, or the Sheikah, out of this."

A little smile rose on Nabooru's lips.

"So you want a thief to handle this? Very well, I will take care of this. You have my word."

"Good to hear that. I hope you can come to Termina in a few months to attend the wedding and then you can tell me all the news of Hyrule. But keep this a secret, I don't want anyone to know about this."

Nabooru nodded and shedded her dagger.

"Don't worry, Hero, your secret is safe with me."

"And Nabooru? Don't take this guy on by yourself, he's too good."

Link looked around the room and fellt really uncomfortable. All eyes were on him and he almost wished he was back in the time loop, ready to fight Ganondorf.

"As you may have heared, several people received a message to me, ordering me to leave. Because I want to know who is responsible I want to stay, but because I don't want anyone I care about being hurt, I'm leaving."

A loud murmur filled the room. Link motioned silence.

"I will go away next week and I will hope this person will confront me before that so I can stop him and I can stay, but if not, I'm feeling forced to go."

Link turned away and stepped down. The crowd started to whisper amongst themselves again about possible consequences of Link's departure. He looked to exit the room as fast as possible to avoid any hard questions but saw Zelda approaching. He wanted to turn around but Darunia and his son were blocking the way. Darunia looked at Zelda briefly and opened a door, urging his son and Link in, closing the door right in front of Zelda.

"Link, this is not you." Darunia said, politly as ever.

"I don't believe you," the kid said furiously , "first, you say Gorons are cowards when you returned the hammer, and now you're running away yourself."

Link looked severly at the boy.

"Imagine someone strong enough to hurt your father, and he will hurt him, unless you go away. What do you do?"

"No one can hurt my father."

"Oh, they could, what would you do?"

The Goron looked around uncomfortable, and then turned back to Link.

"I would leave."

"That's the same thing I have to do. But I will come back. Know this. I will return, but don't let anyone else know."

"We know you will return." Darunia said. "Such is the way of the hero. But I must ask you, do not go alone. Take Link with you."

The Goron looked up.

"Wha?"

"Take the kid with me?" Link asked.

Darunia nodded. "He's been training for almost two years now, I have nothing to teach him anymore, it is time he went out to see the world, and who is better to show him the way of the hero than you?"

Link looked at the ten year old boy who was about a head shorter than Link. Two years ago, he was begging Link not to eat him, thinking he was one of Ganondorf's minion, and now he was ready to take on Ganondorf himself. He stood there proud, with a similar haircut as Darunia which had started to grow, as he had heared, from when he started to train. That made him suddenly wonder how things were with that Goron kid from Termina. Guess he would be able to go see him.

"Very well, he can come. I would be honoured to train him."

Darunia nodded and returned to the main room of the palace as Link jumped out of the window into the palacegarden.

He had forgoten to define a teleportation place for Farore's wind this time. Ah well, so he had to duck and run again, he was getting used to it. Actually he just had to stay away from...

"Link!"

Fuck.

"My queen." Link greeted Zelda.

"Why are you leaving? Don't you think we can protect you?"

"It's not me I'm worried about, but the others. You can't protect them. What are you going to do? Send a garrison of soldiers to the Lon-Lon ranch? Keep all the sages locked up in the temples? And what about the people in Termina? What if that madman decides to wreach havoc there?"

Zelda was silent for a short time and then finally nodded.

"You are right, as usual, goodbye then, Hero of Time, may you return someday."

Zelda turned and Link though he saw a tear in her eye. He hesitated for a second and then turned and ran back to his home.

A shadow sat on the roof of the milkbar, looking as Link passed through the people on the market place. He would return, oh yes, he would definetly return. The Hero of Time isn't beaten that easily. And when Link would return, he would be ready. Ready to kill Link for all that he had done, for destroying so many lives. He would have his revenge.