Chapter 6

"Why would he care for one person so much… that one person being the reason that he is how he is now"

"I don't know…"

"She looked familiar… like I had seen her somewhere…"

"Link cared for her deeply… and now he is gone from her, and he realizes he can never go back…"

"Yes…"

"So that's why he shuts everyone out…"

"I doubt that's all of it, one person couldn't make all that much difference…"

"One did to me…"

"That's different… Sheik was your protector…"

"yeah…different…"

Saria stood within the same chamber she had met Zelda in the night before, waiting for the rest of them to arrive. She had been told by a guard that Zelda wanted to meet with al of them at once, so that she could talk to Link about their discoveries the night before. However, Saria didn't feel to good about doing this.

She felt as if she had violated Link's mind, seeing what he meant no other to see… that girl that he cared for so much… How could one person change him so much? How could he be so different from the boy she once knew as a child?

A knock came from the chamber door, and then entered Sheik, looking as if he was sneaking in even though he knocked the door. He always seamed paranoid… it made Saria chuckle at the thought. He took a seat to the side of her, however, he did not speak, he almost acted as I she was not their. He seamed to be concentrating on nothing, looking off into the distance that wasn't their.

After a bit of time, another knock came, and Zelda appeared, her guards standing themselves in on the other side of the door as she closed it. Her eyes shifted over To Sheik's, who also looked back. For a brief moment, they both shared glances, so short, Saria almost didn't catch it. As soon as it had started, it was over and she looked away abruptly, blushing. What happened between them?… Zelda took the seat farthest from Saria, looking in her direction for a moment an smiled, looking as if she was trying to get rid of the redness in her cheeks from the blushing she had just done. She turned her face away again, now looking out the window, suddenly interested in the clouds of the morning sky.

"It looks like it's going to rain…" said Zelda, watching the dark clouds filling the sky. "I just hope that we don't have another down pour like we had a couple of weeks ago, like when we brought Link…" His name hushed her, he was the reason they were meeting here. If only he would get here soon…

A guard bust through the door, breathing loudly as if catching his breath.

"Princess Zelda!" he stopped to catch his breath once more. "Link…he left the castle…"

"What why?" Asked Zelda, rising out of the chair, alarm on her face.

"It was the morning messenger… he had bad news…" said the guard, finally able to calm himself down. "The Lon's…. they…"

"They what?"

"The ranch was burned to the ground by a fire last night, no one knows if they are all right." Zelda glared at him.

"Why wasn't I told!"

"I don't know… he just got here a minute ago…"

"Then how did Link find out?"

"He must have over herd him tell me about it when I was lowering the drawbridge for him." Zelda putt her hands up to her face, sighing.

"What then…"

"He stole one of the horses and took off in the direction of the ranch." Zelda looked up, shocked.

"He did what?"

"He stole one of the horses, then he took off towards what I could tell the direction of the ranch." Saria herd this and stood.

"Princess…I know why he is going their…" Zelda turned to meet her gaze.

"Why?"

"Because that girl I saw from his mind was Malon."

The rain of the storm poured down upon Link as he rode the horse towards Lon Lon Ranch. He was having trouble gripping the reins with his hurt hands, however he didn't care any more, all he cared about was getting their before she died. You won't die this time…I'll make sure of it…The horse was tiring, for Link had ridden it full gallop the whole way, and they were half way their. The horse didn't matter either… it wasn't his, it was borrowed, something Link needed at the time.

The glow of the fire came into view, it's burning flame not receding to the rain's might. He kept his eyes fixed on the burning flames, never wavering from their burning glory. He gripped the reins harder as he rode, not caring about his hand's wounds breaking open as he did.

Suddenly the horse tripped, sending Link flying forward, hitting face first onto the ground. He grunted, taking the impact fully, scraping his face, leaving it bloody. He slowly stood from the ground, staggering from his wounds. Grabbing his face with his left hand, he looked up to see the fire, merely 20 feat away. Still holding his face he sprinted all out, not worrying about the slippery grass that he ran upon. He was almost there…

Rain, blood, and tears ran across his face, blending together as he ran, it made it so he could barely see clearly. Finally he was to the fire, it's burning flames almost completely consuming the ranch, only several small places remained. Link looked around quickly, seeing the fire's destructive force taking the ranch as it's own. Suddenly he herd the cows of the ranch, rustling around in their pin. The cows… she would protect the cows!

He ran to the pin, braking the door down as he went. The fire was spreading into the pin, spooking the cows, and filling it with smoke. Where is she!… The smoke made it near impossible to see, however, he still went on. He finally made it to 2 figures laying on the ground, both unconscious.

"No!… you can't be…" Link fell to his knees in front of the womanly figure, grabbing her face with his bandaged hands. "You have to be alive… have to…" He looked up towards the other body, that of a middle aged man. He would have to bring one out, then the other… He picked the girl up, and turned. The smoke had thickened, making it impossible for him to see, much less find the door. No!… He ran , no longer caring where he was going, keeping away from the fires as best that he could, but he couldn't get out. He couldn't orient himself… The smoke was making it hard too breath… Before Link knew it, he had collapsed to the ground.

No… We have to… get out… we have… to… live… He was falling unconscious…he could feel it. He held the girl to him, hoping that, in some way, he could save her. Have…to…live… The fire didn't mater any more… it was getting so cold…it was getting dark… was this what it felt like to die?…

It all went dark for a moment… then a bright blue light appeared, piercing through the smoke and fire, pushing them apart from Link and the girl. A womanly shape appeared within the glow, her body glowing with a blue shimmer.

"Don't worry Link…your going to be ok…"

Link opened his eyes and sat up, sweat pouring down his body. Brining his hands up, he saw that they had been re-bandaged with new pieces of cloth. He touched his face, the left side of it also bandaged, covering his left eye, a result from the scrape that he had gotten the when he had fallen off the horse. He also had bandages across his now shirtless chest, even though he didn't recall any injuries that he had gotten there.

"You loved her… didn't you." The voice came to the side of him, a place he had not looked yet. It caught him by surprise, even though he had already recognized it.

"What?…"

"You loved her…the girl…" Link turned his head to the direction of the voice, however, he did not see the voice's body because of the bandage on his left eye. He was listening to the voice of Sheik, sitting in a chair beside his bed.

"How long have you been their Sheik?…"

"Since they brought you in."

"How long has it been?…"

"Three days and two nights." Link sat in the bed letting the information set in. Then he turned his head completely, so that he could see Sheik's face with his good eye.

"Why?" Sheik smiled as Link looked at his face, his eyes meeting Link's one.

"Because I have to."

"What?… Why?"

"I have sworn to it." Link met Sheik's gaze, trying to study him with his one good eye.

"Why?…" Sheik gaze became hard as he stared back at the bandaged body of Link that sat before him. He sighed as he studied the man, trying to figure if he was meant to know this information now.

"Soon after you arrived back to Hyrule, I had a dream that something really bad was going to happen, and that you were the only one who could stop it. It was that day that I sworn myself to protect you until the actions that you would make to protect the land were fulfilled. It would be then that my life could be lived again. I am now your protector and mentor, for you now knead both for the trials that await you." Link stared for a moment, then anger filled his gaze.

"I don't need a protector…"

"Really? So why are you now in that bed bandaged from head to toe?" Link glared, not able to answer. "It's because you didn't think before you acted Link, luckily she got you out before you took any serious damage." Link looked away, no longer able to look at Sheik in the eye, shamed from his foolhardiness. Then suddenly he looked back to him, worry in his eyes.

"Did she…?" Sheik was caught by surprise for a moment, then his eyes turned to sadness.

"Yes…there was no saving her… she was dead before you got there…"

"No!…" hollered Link with rage, pounding the bed as he did. "Why couldn't I save her!…"

"Why did you even try Link…you knew as well as I did that there was no way she would be alive…"

"I had to try… I just had to…"

"Why Link? Why was she so important to you?" Link turned back towards the window, looking out it.

"I had to try to save her this time… I has to try to save Ramoni…"

"Ramoni?… Is that who you cared for? The reason that you decided to risk life and death to save an already dead person?" Link slid from the bed quickly, and lashed out at Sheik, attempting to punch him in the face, however he missed and hit the stone wall behind him. He hollered from the pain, grabbing his hand that had started bleeding again.

"I hate you!" he hollered, glaring at him with his good eye. Sheik smiled at this, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I know."

Zelda stood within the doorway of the Hyrulian guard training grounds, staring at the figure who was training, in hopes that he did not see her. The sunlight shone through the windows in a way that it illuminated the grounds themselves, but shield all other places, letting Zelda stand almost out in the open without any one seeing her. She stood watching the figure, sadness on her face.

The figure was Link, attempting to continue training, despite the pain his wounds issued to his body. She saw the wince o his face as he gripped the sword tightly, his bandages, once again bloody. His teeth were clenched, and he took deep raged breathes as he swung his sword through the air.

His eyes met his target, a wooden dummy that he had been using as a slashing post. Gritting his teeth, he ran all out toward it, bringing his sword upward, slashing the dummy across the chest and neck, then spinning around, and cut it's head off. He stopped after this, and went to one knee, breathing hard.

It didn't surprise Zelda that Link was out here, she knew that he would be here, that's why she had come. She watched him, wondering… wondering why he would risk his life for a person he didn't as so much as visit since his return, yet he acted as if she was his whole world… He loved her…

The word love brought another ache to her heart as she stood there, not because of Link, but because of Sheik. She understood why he could not be with her, but it still pained her to have to be so close to him without being with him… Sometimes she wondered if he really loved her at one time… if it could have been a one sided love…

Link stood from his position, walked several steps, then fell to the ground, exhaustion taking him down to his weakest point. Link grunted as he fell, he was as a surprised as Zelda was from his sudden loss of strength. He fell, face first, onto the ground. Link…

She ran up to him, (as fast as the dress would let her,) and knelt down to see if he was ok. She checked his pulse, which was ok, and she could here his ragged breathes. She rolled him over, his eyes looking at hers, anger upon them.

"I don't need your help princess…"

"Why do you say that? You don't let anyone help you ever… you shut us all out…" Link glared again, then attempted to get up from the ground, however he failed. His breathes were ragged and strained, he was having a tough time moving at all.

She looked down at him, his body scarred and wounded, and yet…he didn't back down like any other person would…he kept going…

"Link… why did you try to save her?…" Link didn't respond, he kept trying to get up from the dusty floor on which he lay. He struggled upward, then fell again. "Link…you can at least answer me…" Link was in the middle of his third attempt at getting up, when he fell again. He breathed hard, as it took all his strength, he had completely exhausted any amount of strength he had retained while he was practicing.

Zelda knelt over, and attempted to pick him up, but he shrugged her off.

"WHY WONT YOU LET US HELP YOU!" She yelled when he did this. He turned and glared at her.

"Because I don't need your help, I'm perfectly fine on my own…" His words were haggard from his lack of strength, but his rage came through as easily as if he was at full strength.

"You say you don't need help…and yet I had to save you the other day…" Link looked back at her, surprise in his eyes.

"That woman in the glowing light…"

"That was me…"

"I…how did you do that?"

"Don't worry about it… let me just help you up, so we can bring you to the hospital wing…" Link's face returned to the glare for a moment, as he attempted to get up again. He struggled as he got to one knee, then the other. Finally he was standing before her, looking as if it was taking all his energy to keep himself vertical.

"You see?…I'm ok Princess…" Zelda looked at him, seeing his lack of strength still there.

"Walk towards me…" Link glared, he knew he wasn't that strong… Finally, he moved his foot forward, but it locked and he fell to the side in pain. Link grabbed his leg, pain etched onto his face. "It seams you have little choice in the matter Link…" Link still held his leg, but he was able to glare at her, even though the pain was intense.

"Fine… you win…"

Sheik stood above Link's bed, looking down upon his damaged body. The princess had brought him in after he had exhausted himself from trying to train in his current condition. Foolish… However foolish he may be, Sheik knew he had to help him… and he had decided that there was one way…and one way only…

Link stirred in his sheets, starting to blink his closed eyes, signifying his starting of the dreams, the reason of which Sheik was here. It's starting… Sheik brought his hand down over to Link's face, where he placed it mere inches from it's surface. I just hope it this works…

Link stood within the middle of an open field, watching two young boys within walking distance away. He knew both of them well, for one was him, and the other, was…Kafei… The boys were sword fighting, practicing with each other, testing each other's skill with a blade. Link saw these two, and cried.

Even though he saw this image every time he dreamt, it was as if it was still fresh in his mind, a new experience every time he saw it. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he still watched them fighting, their voices carrying over to where he stood.

"You are swinging it wrong, here do it like this." The younger version of Link had said, as Kafei had maid an error leaving him open for an attack. He then used his own blade to show him how to properly do it, then Kafei did the same.

"Oh…wow, that did do a lot better."

"You see? If you know how to handle a sword, then you can be a great warrior."

"Like you are Link?" Link could see his own face from his point away from them, seeing the slight embarrassment that he had showed when told he was a great warrior. He wasn't a great warrior…he was a cocky foolish child who knew how to use a sword…

"Well…I…uh…"

"No…you are not a great warrior, you are a great teacher." new tears came from these words…the last words he had herd Kafei say to him… When they were originally told to him, he stayed in silence, but he didn't know what would come next…

"…"

"What's wrong?"

" I may, or may not be a great teacher, but you are a great friend Kafei…"

At this, the image of the two boys training switched to another, that of Link sitting with a red headed girl, looking at the stars at night.

"Their beautiful…aren't they Link?" The boy looked up to the night sky, watching the stars in response to what the girl had said to her. Watching from afar, Link did as well. It had been a long time since he had truly enjoyed the stars…

"Yes they are Cremia…" said the boy, watching a shooting star whiz by. The girl watched in awe as it did.

"Make a wish Link!" The boy looked over to her and smiled. "I already have." With that he kissed her. The girl broke away soon after it had started. She looked at him, blushing and turning away.

"I'm sorry…I…" he didn't have time to finish, she had kissed him back.

Once again the image blurred again, to that of a great monster destroying part of the town of Termania. It was a mechanical monster that had come down from the mountain to the North, Goht it seamed, had escaped from his tomb of rocks. Link now saw through his past self's eyes, however, he was reliving it so that he could not control himself, it was as if he was caged within his own body.

None of his weapons were effective against this monster, and he had foolishly left his masks back at the ranch where he was staying… all except one…

He stood within part of the city that had not yet been destroyed by the monster, the east part of town. Many of the townspeople were herded together in worry. Link stood alone from the others, attempting to devise some way of beating the mechanical monstrosity that was creeping ever closer to the town.

"What do we do Link…we can't stop it." Link turned to see Kafei, attempting to help him as well.

"I don't know… have you found any sign of Anju?" Link asked back, looking once again towards the monster.

"No…I haven't… I have no clue where…" Kafei was stopped from speaking a by a scream he herd in the distance, that of a woman's. "Anju!" He took off towards the voice, his sword raised. "I'll save you Anju!"

Link watched this action from within himself, knowing what came next. It all happened like it was in slow motion, the monster appearing just ahead of Kafei, Anju in it's maw, dead. Kafei's screams of sorrow and anger throughout the town, then he ran at it, rage filling him to the brink.

"No! Kafei don't!" It was too late…Kafei had been thrown by the bulls horns, impaling him as it did so. Link ran. He ran as fast his feat would take him. When he had found the body…it was to late.

He fell to his knees, tears streaming down his eyes, that was when he had herd it…he herd the voice.

Let me help you. Let me avenge your friend's death.

Link looked around to see who the voice was coming from, but to no avail.

"Who…who are you?…"

You cannot say you have already forgotten me Link…I helped you when you fought Majora…

"…The Fierce Deity…"

Yes…you speak my name aloud. Link pulled the mask from his pack, looking at it, as if for the first time. It's painted colors reflected towards him, it's face looking very much like his own.

Use me…I can avenge his death…

"Ok…I will…" and with that he placed the mask to his face.

Link was in tears staring at his hands, seeing what he had done. The town and all the villages within Termania were in flames, and their was a dead body before him, slashed to the point of almost no recognition, but Link knew who it was… His hands were blood red, the blood still fresh from the slaying. He reached out and touched the girl's hand, caressing it as if she was still alive.

"Why… why did I…Cremia…" His eyes came to the sight of the mask on the ground, laying their, seaming to watch his every move.

"I trusted you! Why did you do this?"

I did nothing… you did this yourself…

"No…I couldn't…"

Face it…your no hero…you have slain the vary ones you loved.

"I…no…"

Yes…it was all you, I took no part in what you have done.

"NO!" Link picked up a small rock that lay upon the ground, and smashed the mask with all his might, over and over again he slammed the rock into the mask, breaking it piece, by piece. Finally the mask was shattered upon the ground, it's many pieces glimmering in the moonlight before him.

A hand came to rest upon Link's shoulder, it's hands bandaged with many cloths.

"Come on Link…it's time to go…"

Link opened his eyes, looking up towards the face of Sheik, who was looking down upon him. The sunlight filtered into the window, and a rooster crowed it's morning crow. Sheik's hands were at his sides now, having withdrawn his outstretched one when he saw the sighns of Link's waking.

Their gazes didn't stray for, what seamed to be the longest moment one could go through. Link waited to see what Sheik's expression would hold for him, pity, worry, anger, who knew, neither of these, however, he saw. What he saw was understanding, and a look like he didn't care that he did the things he had done. He had seen Link for the person he was, seeing his good, and evil. The way, of course how everyone must be seen.

Sheik as well waited to see what link would think about what he had done, looking into his dreams in that way, violating his personal boundaries, to a degree. Sheik had awaited the anger that he would see after what he had done, however, Link did not glare. Forever it seamed they stared, understanding, and knowledge seaming to pass between them within a matter of a minute.

"So, you now know." said Link finally, his gaze never wavering from sheik's own. Sheik smiled despite what had happened.

"Yes…now I understand." Link looked away finally, breaking the bond that had been there.

"Yes, so it would seem." He started up from his bed, having regained a good amount of his strength from the night before. Sheik, although the eyesight bond gone, followed Link with his gaze as he moved around the room.

"It makes since, the girl that Saria had seen. That was Ramoni… and yet she had the most striking resemblance that of Malon, the younger of the Lon's. Seeing one that you cared for stricken dead by your own hands would change any one Link… So you ran…you ran as fast as your feat could carry you. By the looks of your age, this happened 2 years ago… What have you been doing since?"

Link stopped his moving and looked up to the face that's eyes were meeting his own. Sheik's eyes were filled with wonder, he wanted to know the rest, he wanted the empty holes filled. Link however, had little answers.

"I was surviving…"