Aloarn raised her hand slowly, delicately. The soft shadows of moonlight ran down the length of her arms and silhouetted her slim form, casting an eerie, silver-blue aura about her body. The deep tan of her skin seemed to lighten; her face paled as she continued to move, rhythmically, to the beat of her own heart. The sand in her hand sifted through her fingers and fell, glittering, to the dark ground. Her eyes shone like dark pools, the green faint and shadowed in the trance of the Gerudo ritual.

"Esai d'oku li. Pa ruh' mt'a kie..." Chanted Nabooru softly. The rows of burial mounds before her were few, but the deep sorrow in her gaze revealed the names and faces of each loyal Gerudo that lay beneath green earth. No proper tradition had been carried out for their funerals; they had been killed by their own kin, and were never to rest in the red sands in which they had been born.

Aloarn turned and drew the edge of her foot along the ground in a strange pattern. The star she drew beneath her had only four points, not the traditional five. Link watched her draw the star with an attentiveness that rivaled his anguish. His guilt was deepening as the lives around him were extinguished, as soldier he knew would never fight again. As each point of the star was etched into the ground, Link caught Aoarn's eyes and the knowledge of the Code was whispered in thought.

The first point was Nayru, more wise and ancient than time itself. The souls would rise to her in offering and she would judge in their hearts who the child belonged to. For the Gerudo, they would pass on to the second point, where stood Frarore. Her green arms would wash them in blessed water and clothe them with the armor of their victories. Their defeats she would cast off, sending into the Dark Realms of the world where evil men would bear them. Last they would approach Din, their secret goddess. At the gates of the Blessed Realm, the message that Aloarn wrote in the earth would be delivered, to offer the souls of the Women of West to Din. It was then the judgment of the Goddess of Power to determine if the Gerudo entered, or lay abandoned in the Middle Realms.

The final point of the star was drawn, and the eternal joy of the Blessed Realm was etched into the earth. Scattering the sands across the symbol, Aloarn bowed her head and quietly stepped away from the graveyard. The star glowed faintly, shining red against the dark green of Hyrule Field, and then faded. The souls of the fallen Gerudo had begun their journey.

Link stole a glance around their caravan, which was relatively small in comparison to what Zelda originally wanted. Nabooru wanted the Princess, the Hero, the Advisor, and herself to be the only ones to leave - but future Queen of Ter'zai persuaded bringing twenty castle soldiers, none of whom had the faintest idea what the mission was of or why their beloved city had been attacked, and who Nabooru deemed instantly as completely unreliable.

But Link did not care of castle soldiers; his thought bent, solely, to blond bangs, entrancing green eyes, a soft soul beneath masks of strength. Aloarn stood beside him, watching the light fade from the burial star, her eyes shining but refusing to cry.

As Nabooru turned back to camp, Link stepped closer to her. Zelda had complained of thieves and dangers, and Gerudo law required one night of prayer in honor of the fallen, so Nabooru could not even allow herself to leave. Tents had been pitched and the soldiers gathered around small fires, laughing and heedless of the seriousness their mission really carried. Zelda had retired to her tent and had refused to let anyone enter.

It was when Aloarn's hair brushed the back of his tunic did she realize he was behind her; turning and stepping away simultaneously, her face lit up a little.

"The star will shine again as the sun rises," she spoke softly.

"To show that Din has received them," agreed Link with an encouraging smile. Then they both turned and watched the graves, as though waiting to see the women's souls drift from the earth and rise into the starlit sky. Aloarn's face changed suddenly and the wispy, dreamlike state of the night faded.

"He has done this."

Link's countenance faltered into fury for a brief moment, and he regained himself.

"He will not go unpunished, Aloarn. He has already taken too many lives..." the guilt poured down on him again and he though of Ingo, of the man at the bar, of the casualties all those seven, long years.

"...Lives I should have saved."

Aloarn heard the defeated tone of his voice and turned to him. He had no choice but to look back, the crystal blue of his eyes half-hidden in shadow, his blond hair covering the beaten visage of his handsome face. She could not bear him in this state and she raised her hand, brushing the hair from his eyes. His gaze pierced through her, but she dare not break it.

"You cannot blame yourself," she whispered. Link's ears heard her, but she seemed so much like a dream that he could not make out the reality of the situation. Was she some fantasy that he had though up? Was she really there in front of him? Was she just the ghost of someone else he had abandoned, the soul of some dead woman that he had been too late to save?

Then he felt the soft touch of her hand on his face and his thoughts were put to rest.

"There are so many you have saved...and so many you have protected. It is...it is Ganon who has killed them, not you." Link's gaze cleared. The falter on that name, the hesitation -

"Ganon. Ganon."

This time, she flinched visibly. Whether she had lost some control in the effort to comfort him or merely did not want to hide it, she allowed Link to see the pain the name caused her. Carefully, he tried to wrap his arms around her, a vain effort to comfort her; but she shuddered at his touch and pulled away.

"Link, you...you can't...the Code..."

"This isn't about the Code," whispered Link so gently that Aloarn was unable to disagree. His heart was punding in his chest and his mind was screaming at him, but he ignored it.

Gently he slipped his arms around her for the second time, making sure his grip was loose enough so that she could step away if she desired; but this time, she seemed unable to move.

Aloarn was torn. Her secret was screaming in her brain, dangling at the edge of her lips, ripping up her body in an effort to escape. But to tell...to tell would mean death, destruction, dishonor, and he would know...Ganon would know...

But Link did not ask her. He held her, strong for her, understanding. The quiet comfort of his embrace was something Aloarn had never felt. Carefully, she rested her head into his shoulder, where she could feel the subtle movements of his chest as he breathed, calm and quiet. For a long moment she dare not move, dare not speak, for fear that he would vanish, or walk away, or -

She shivered at the thought. Link felt it but said nothing. Gently, he rubbed his thumb along her side in an effort to comfort her, and Aloarn felt the weight of her secret overcome her. A single tear slid, glittering, down her cheek.

"Ganon..."

Link waited, but knew she wouldn't continue without encouragement. Gently he pressed his cheek to hers and the Advisor bit her lip and closed her watering eyes. The shadows in her mind were beginning to vanish into the night.

"...I was twelve..."

Link could feel an oncoming surge of rage and subdued it. He closed his eyes and gave all his attention to her voice. She struggled slightly, but went on.

"...My mother tried...to stop him...she tried to...offer herself...

Her voice was getting more broken, but she went on, encouraged by Link's protective embrace, his silent understanding, the feeling of safety he gave her.

"He killed her for...interfering..."

The rage simmered, but Link kept it in his control.

"I was...so scared...but he didn't care. He...the look, in his eyes..."

She trembled violently and gripped Link's tunic. Link, once again subduing his rage, held her to stop her from shaking and spoke quiet words in her ear. Aloarn's hands went to his shoulders and she looked up, her eyes shining and terrified, and locked his gaze.

"I'm so scared, Link..."

Link shook, but regained his composure for her sake; the fury in his chest threatened to loose hell upon the world, and from within its sheath, the Master Sword began to glow. But his voice was even as he gazed at her.

"You don't have to be, Aloarn," he whispered, placing on hand on her beautiful face. "Not anymore. I'm going to protect you. He's never going to hurt you again. I'm...I'm so sorry. I'll make him pay. I won't let him hurt you."

Aloarn swallowed and she layed her head on his tunic again, seeking the comfort of his arms. But the effect was short lived; from the campsite, they were putting the fires out, and the soldiers were beginning to turn in.

Aloarn saw it and sniffed, raising herself from his shoulder. Link did not break his gaze from her; gently he raised his hand and wiped the tears from her face, stopping briefly to entwine his fingers in the long locks of her crimson hair. She smiled as he did so, almost disbelieving that he was content with her and willing to keep this secret without prejudice; his gaze was full of care and, though terrified it may be a trick, she nonetheless took solace in it.

"It's late," he whispered. Aloarn nodded, breaking eye contact.

Link hesitated only for a moment; then he leaned in, and placed a short soft kiss on her forehead.

Aloarn gripped tighter to his shirt before pulling away, her soul at peace for the first time she could remember. And when she whispered him a goodnight, it was with a note of regret.

Link watched her until she entered her tent and the lights went out. His body began to shake and he left the campsite, heading towards the bridge to Kakariko. Stopping a few feet from the river, his shoulder began to tremble.

He tore the Master Sword so quickly and ruthlessly from its sheath that the Skeletons attacking him were hacked into pieces before getting within five feet. He chopped their skulls before they could get all the way from the ground; he cut the marrow out of their dead bones and hacked the remains into pieces. Eventually they stopped attacking him, but he was furious and fell upon the scattered bones of those he had already destroyed. When that was no longer satisfying, Link roared, lacking something to let out his rage upon, and slammed his sword into the earth.

His hatred threatened to consume him, but he resolved on something else. Ganon had hurt Aloarn in ways that could never be cured, never healed.

Sweat dripped down his face and He gazed out in the vacant darkness, the Master Sword gleaming at is side. If it took his own life, every ounce of his strength and skill, he would get revenge.

He would make Ganon suffer.


Navi could feel the water entering her lungs, but she was too weak to cough, to fight. She no longer glowed with light, and her frail naked body lay almost invisible in the raging waters of the Gerudo Valley river. She was swept downstream without any resistance, praying to Frarore to bless the small offering of her beaten body.

The next thing she heard was a gurgling voice; someone grabbed her by her torn and damaged wings and turned her over, so that the water flowed from her lungs. She was set down again, choking slightly, and tried to distinguish the voice above her.

"..the Hero's fairy...near death..."

But she was too weak; her small frame of her body collapsed on her and the last thing she saw was the long, wet blades of grass that grew beside the River.