Inspiration: Deconstructive thinking, and deductive (if and only if…) & inductive logic (if…then …); Napier Euler, the scene in 'Twilight Princess' where Zelda summons the light arrows, The Cretan's Paradox (it will be the Hylian Paradox in this story lol); logarithms, the azimuthal series, and the "Tree of Life" album by Audiomachine for the 2020 reedit.

Original Shout Outs: Nice, Feer, Dshjh, Zephyrcitrus, DarkAngel of Sorrow, AmethystJoker, The Ancient Deruvish, thank you for.

New Shout Out: TeamElbourne, sorry I should have shouted you sooner.

Recommended Readngs: "Birth of the Fourth Goddess," by Anywaysgirl.

Author's Note: Thank you for reading sorry for the delay. Reupload 8/9/2020.

Word Count: 19,561

Chapter 26

I stayed back as Link cautioned, but I readied my bracelet just in case. It was a gamble, and I knew it would be risky for me to get involved, but if Ghirahim overwhelmed my friends I was not going to just stand by and watch. Ghirahim would try to use me as a bargaining chip true, but if a negotiation was needed to save my companions, then so be it. In the mean time, I needed to stay focused and stay out.

Out in front, Hylia, Link, and Elbourne were in battle formation with their weapons equipped. They spread out equidistantly, creating a perimeter. Ghirahim was marching at a steady pace. His battalion of shadow beasts were advancing and bunched in groups of five. The separation actually made it more convenient for each of my colleagues to take a group down. That couldn't have been a coincidence. The demon lord was at the rear with one of his hands outstretched. He looked to be manipulating his minions like a puppet master. His black eyes looked more soulless in the perpetual twilight. Even from here they looked terrifying. The monster sent a shiver of fear down my spine when our lines of sight met. He even smirked at me while licking his lips. I was certain they were already aware, but Link, Hylia and Elbourne needed to keep in mind that Ghirahim may try a stealth attack using his shadow beasts as the bait. Something about the inelegant lumbering gave me pause. I was with probably the best fighting tacticians in Hyrule, outside of my generals, but overconfidence was a vice even a seasoned soldier could fall to.

"They can win if they stand together. Just stand together."

The goddess was already on the up and up and snapped her fingers again for a second kodachi. With two in hand, she went strictly from offense to defense in her strategy.

"We have to be careful in this fight like the last!" Hylia called out to the others. "As I've stated before, the demon lord is not at full strength and is probably using these shadow beasts as a decoy for his true intentions."

Hylia was aware, like I assumed. Link and Elbourne simply nodded, not breaking their stance for a moment. However, instead of letting the fight come to them, both men steadily started walking forward. Hylia followed suit, but kept her distance closer to my field of vision. When everyone was where they needed to be, Link turned his attention back to me for a second. He gave me a firm and declarative warning.

~SSS~

Link

"Zelda, no matter what happens you are not to engage, you must stand clear of the carnage!" I called to her over my shoulder. "Do not involve yourself in this! Understand?"

The queen stared at me and nodded, but didn't answer right away. She was hesitant at my mandate. That only served to deepen my concern. So, I repeated myself.

"This is no time for heroics," I reiterated. "If anything happens to us, you are to retreat from this area and save yourself. Do you understand?"

I waited for a response. The Hylian queen suddenly avoided my eyes, but finally gave an answer.

"I understand," she verbalized.

She understood, but did she agree? My gut told me Zelda was not going to comply. That woman was beyond stubborn. Was she really going to defy me in the here and now? Something told me she would. She had to know her interference would be more of a hindrance than a help. She was the Queen of Hyrule. She was no mere bystander. Ghirahim knew her value just as well as any of us here. Even so, I had no time to get a more definitive answer from her. I had to hope she would listen. Instead, I gave her a look of warning and turned back around.

The trekking was considerably more difficult through this area of the Forest of Lost Souls. This part of the woods had a heavy influx of marsh lands, making the ground terse and foliage ridden. We would have to rely on attrition strategies if we wanted to be successful in overcoming Ghirahim's assault. Take him down fast and quick. He was not going to be easy to defeat this time, though last time was no simple task either. Even so, I was certain he gained more power since our last encounter. His appearance had more opacity to it if that made sense, like he was more tangible to this world. However, he chose an area that would be to his advantage, with luring us out until we got embedded in the marsh lands. That wasn't a coincidence. This was not going to be a predictable fight. There was no telling what the demon lord would try to do to keep the upper hand.

"We'll just have to see how this plays out."

I stopped my advance when I was about twenty or so yards away. However, Hylia and Elbourne advanced a little farther into the tall grass. I didn't think that was wise, but I soon understood why. They intended to meet the shadow beasts head on. I didn't think that was a viable strategy considering the nature of this fight. Even so, they proceeded unmitigated. However, suddenly Ghirahim outstretched his arms to create a force field. The force field was circular in shape with a rotating barrier of dark matter. The dark matter appeared like concentrated energy projectiles with a red hued luminescence surrounding the outer edges. The caustic missiles substantiated around the demon lord to protect him from the sides and aerial attacks. Admittedly, his defense was extraordinary. Attrition alone was not going to work in this case. We were going to have to use annihilation tactics too. Get rid of his horde and take him out quick.

Hylia immediately stopped her advance when she saw the energy surrounding the demon lord.

"This isn't good." She then turned to look at Elbourne in particular since he was closest to her. "Be careful of his long ranged attacks! If you have a shield or armor, you need to engage them now!"

It was a practical suggestion, but one that wasn't to our advantage right now. We were traveling light and our basic armor was our standard fair. While I had my Hylian Shield, Elbourne only had his axe, and Hylia was working with just her breastplate and standardized daggers. We didn't have much in the way of defenses. Even so, we did need to take evasive action. I couldn't lie, this was going to be a difficult battle to win in terms of strategy alone. We had everything working against us: from our numbers, to the typography, to Ghirahim's new set of abilities. How in the world were we supposed to successfully fight off these monsters and deflect Ghirahim's projectiles when he finally used them?

Think, think, think!

It wasn't like me to worry, but this situation was starting to stack the odds in the demon lord's favor. However, we still had stealth maneuvers on our side due to the layout of the land. The tall grass made it easy for us to hide and not the shadow beasts. Even so, I sensed Ghirahim could tell we were fish out of water out here. The monster expressed his confidence by readying the displaced matter surrounding him into attack formation. Then, without warning, he sent two projectiles flying towards us. I immediately raised my shield and braced myself to block the incoming onslaught. Hylia back flipped and jumped out of the way, while Elbourne was forced to raise his adamantine axe to cover his head. Surprisingly, the matter ricocheted off our weaponry, and ironically hit several of the oncoming shadow beasts. It was unconventional, but effective. Twelve of them fell onto the marsh grounds dead.

Afterwards, I looked over at Elbourne who obviously took note of what just happened. A strategy seemed to find us.

"That may be our go to attack!" I called out to him anyway.

The dragon prince nodded and readied his axe again.

"It might be the only way to level the playing field!"

The dragon prince was right, but would Ghirahim continue to use his projectiles now knowing we could take out his small unit with them? Half of his contingent was already dead. It was then I saw a change in the demon lord's battle strategy. He suddenly shifted his energy barrier so that his missiles were pointing downward instead of straight away like before. Afterwards, he then raised his hands and abruptly sent a pulsar of sonic energy to the shadow beasts, who admittedly looked like they were in a trance-like state. Their usual aggressive nature seemed pacified. However, now with that sudden jolt of energy, the shadow beasts looked to come alive. Since the demon lord was exhibiting control over them, their actions were apparently being switched on and off at will. Instead of relying on a propulsion orb and controlling them remotely like before, the reverberations were coming from Ghirahim himself. The result made the combatants more aggressive because of it. We no longer had the luxury of using his power against him. Seeing this new development, I along with the others had to switch modes. We needed to go back to close quarters combat. However, at some point we were going to have to attempt and all out assault on the demon lord to get him to use his projectiles once more. We had to neutralize him in order to stop the sudden vigorous behavior of his minions.

"We have to stop him directly now!" I called out to the others. "We have to attack head on without let up! Kill on sight! No mercy!"

Elbourne had no qualms.

"Sounds good to me!"

The goddess nodded.

"Understood!"

Rushing at us with renewed speed were the last thirteen shadow beasts. Unconventional, but what made this situation dangerous was the leader in amongst them, Ghirahim. I could not predict what his new plan of action was. Even now, he suddenly started rushing towards us with the shadow beasts, smiling a twisted smile. His lean muscular build suddenly got more taut with each step. We were all looking at him befuddled.

"What the hell is he about to do?" I whispered.

Suddenly, without a cue, Hylia immediately took flight, not waiting for the horde to come to her first. She took off at full speed towards the charging mob and when close enough, engaged the horde from the left, initiating her ninpo ninjitsu ninki as her primary attack. She landed hard and worked skillfully to take on two warriors at a time. She slashed her way through four beasts pretty easily before I realized why.

My eyes abruptly widened at what she was about to do, which prompted me to take several steps forward. I called out to the goddess.

"Hylia wait!"

However, it was too late for her to heed my warning. The hotheaded goddess took an aggressive lunge at Ghirahim. Her hope was to catch the monster off guard, but Ghirahim countered her strike by stopping suddenly in his mid-run and redirecting his projectiles at her. He fired off four missiles and blocked her strike with his... arm(?). He couldn't be damaged by her weapon? Holy... shit! All his projectiles missed the goddess and instead came at Elbourne and me in the distance. We deflected the missiles like before, and in the process we took out seven more shadow beasts coming towards us. The goddess's surprise attack did have its benefits. Even so, when Hylia tried to disengage Ghirahim and redirect her strike, he caught hold of her blade and yanked her weapon from her grip. Hylia's eyes widened in disbelief. The demon lord just smirked. His retaliation was going to be relentless.

Oh no.

"Did you honestly think your puny little relic was going to stop me Hylia?" Ghirahim growled at her. "Haven't you learned anything from your lover's fights with me?"

Hylia narrowed her eyes at Ghirahim and didn't back down.

"I've learned plenty, and I know enough to know you aren't invincible the way you think you are."

Hylia's words may have been strong willed, but she had to know she was a sitting tektite out there with no weapon. She was at the mercy of a madman. She needed to maneuver. Draw herself away. Run. Flee. Take evasive action. Do something! Talking was not an option.

Why is she just standing there? I fended off an oncoming shadow beast.

A moment later, Ghirahim raised his hand over her head, ready to strike her with her own kodachi. I looked on through my parry with another shadow beast. With a burst of strength, I pushed off the beast with all my might and hurried towards her.

"Hylia!" I called out, and made quick work of two other shadow beasts in front of me to get to her. "Get out of there!"

However, Elbourne was nearest to the goddess. He was fighting off another shadow beast before he slayed it and went to engage Ghirahim first at Hylia's plight.

"I've got her!" he called to me. He raised his adamantine axe and swiped at Ghirahim's right side where his defense appeared the weakest. "Argh!"

At seeing the oncoming attack, Ghirahim side stepped out of the way before the axe met him. He then jumped back and out of the attack. With the diversion from Elbourne in play, the prince addressed the goddess.

"Move!" he ordered. "Reengage him from his other side!"

Hylia immediately scuttled away unscathed. She actually did exactly as the dragon prince suggested and snapped two more kodachis in existence.

"I appreciate the help! He'll have a hard time taking us both down!"

Elbourne kept his eyes on the monster.

"That's the whole idea! Look alive, we're not out of the woods yet!"

However, at catching sight of the dragon prince, Ghirahim suddenly took his attention off the goddess and focused solely on him. The demon lord gave Elbourne a long once over and narrowed his eyes at him.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here, if it isn't the illustrious Prince of Dragons."

Elbourne stared at the monster taken aback, but never let his guard down.

"How the hell do you know who I am?" he demanded.

Oddly, Ghirahim just smirked.

"I know more than you think, your... highness, but now isn't the time for introductions. You have something I want."

That was unexpected.

"If you think you're going to get your hands on the Queen of Hyrule you have another thing coming!" the dragon prince warned. "You will not touch her!"

The monster didn't flinch.

"I have to make you aware that those muscular theatrics never work on me. It's a dull cliche that almost seems beneath you your highness."

Elbourne kept his stance and ignored him.

"What are you doing here in the Twilight Realm? What are you trying to find?"

Ghirahim paused and gave the Roostian another once over. In an inexplicable instant, the demon lord suddenly raised his hand and narrowed his eyes.

"Interestingly enough, I just found it."

Then, out of nowhere, he summoned a wave of reverberations around the dragon prince.

What the hell-?

The dragon prince immediately let his axe go and fell on his knees. A high frequency of sound pierced his ears, causing him to lose his balance. Elbourne put his hands over his ears to try to get some relief from it.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!" he cried out in pain. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?!"

Hylia, standing guard, suddenly looked on in panic.

"Elbourne! Don't give in!"

I burrowed through the last two shadow beasts and doubled my step when I saw what was happening. Was Ghirahim trying to elicit control of Elbourne? I couldn't be sure. At my approach, Hylia looked more terrified than I expected her too. Something in what was going on had her in high alert. She was juxtapose to Ghirahim at his left side, but she didn't engage him. I didn't understand why. Instead, she tried to compromise. Her plan looked to be to negotiate.

"Let him go!" she demanded of the monster. "We both know he isn't who you're truly after! You're here to free Demise!"

Ghirahim smirked and glanced over at her.

"True, but a convenience is a convenience. You can't discount that."

Hylia's anger seemed to heighten.

"Let him go!" she demanded. "Let him go you demon!"

I had no idea why she was trying to talk sense into this monster. It was not going to work. In fact, the goddess's effort made the demon lord pulse more energy into his target. Elbourne definitely paid for it.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed.

Hylia's eyes widened when she stared at the dragon prince. Why wasn't she attacking? This was ludicrous. Well, I wasn't about to stand by and let this monster kill Elbourne. I came up from her left and went to strike, but she stopped me.

"Link wait!" she cautioned. "You can't!"

I looked at her taken aback.

"What are you talking about? We can't just stand here and do nothing?!"

She looked over at me.

"I know that, but if we touch the demon lord as he is now, he will kill Elbourne. If we wait he might relinquish that idea."

I stared at her shocked.

"Why would it matter one way or another?"

She wasn't very forthcoming.

"I understand your dismay, but trust me when I say it does," she reassured.

Her conviction was not doing very much convincing for me.

"Well, then what are we supposed to do? Wait for him to finish?!"

Hylia shook her head.

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking, nothing is going to work against him now!" She then focused her attention on the dragon prince. "Elbourne please! Please listen to me!" she begged for some reason. "Whatever you do, do not engage the demon lord! That is what he wants from you! Do you hear me?! Do not engage him!"

I was taken aback for a moment. How could she expect Elbourne to hear her voice, let alone concentrate on what she was saying, when he was fighting for his life? Even so, something compelled the goddess to tell Elbourne these things. It was odd. Something was amiss. There was more going on here than what met the eye. I wasn't going to pretend I understood any of this. What the hell was going on? Why was she imploring him this way? Elbourne didn't seem to have any bearing on what Hylia was saying either. The poor man seemed to be trying to keep his head afloat from Ghirahim's attack. Even so, he managed to answer her.

"What are you talking about?" Elbourne groaned.

However, Ghirahim spoke up before she could.

"The questions you need to ask your self dragon prince is this: why is she so concerned about you?" he taunted. "What are her motives?"

The monster mercilessly exerted more energy on him.

Elbourne groaned louder.

"Arrrrrrrgggghhhhh!" he cried out.

Hylia's eyes widened in panic.

"Dear goddesses!" she whispered to herself. "Is it happening?"

The irony was not misplaced with her statement, but I caught her utterance. I turned my attention to the dragon prince.

Is what happening? What am I missing?

My confusion only deepened with what Ghirahim uttered next.

"Why don't we discuss the goddess's concern for you your highness?" he taunted more. "Haven't you wondered why certain things are the way they are Elbourne of Dragon Roost? Why you have the thoughts that you do? Why you have the dark desires of your heart? Why everything you want is within your reach, but always seems to evade your grasp?"

Elbourne's pain in the midst of all this was turning into open confusion.

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

The demon lord concentrated more energy on him to keep him in submission. How was Elbourne able to resist like he was?

"Ahhhhhhh!" he screamed in agony.

"You know what I'm talking about!" the monster snapped. "Don't pretend to be naive with me your highness! I know how much you long to be accepted by King Xavier! I know you desire to have his respect. The man is quite the bastard, isn't he?"

Elbourne groaned more in pain, but managed to answer him.

"What the hell do you know about my father?!"

The dragon prince's question made the demon lord snicker.

"I know more than you realize... Elbourne. Of course Xavier would never tell you, his prodigal son, his next in succession, his calculus for hatred, that he was in league with the great demon lord, Ghirahim. I know your father far better than you realize!"

That was quite the disclosure. However, I wasn't surprised by the revelation of Xavier working with Ghirahim. The Roostian monarch had all the hallmarks for treachery. From the moment we caught him secretly visiting Midna, to the moment he disappeared, I knew something was amiss. The question now was, why would he make such a deal? The devil he did not know was far more dangerous than the devil he knew. Though, a devil was a devil. I just hoped the wayward king was still alive. But, given Ghirahim's new abilities, I seriously doubted Xavier's survival. Seeing what he was doing to Elbourne was enough. Through it all though, Elbourne was trying to resist.

The dragon prince shook his head.

"I don't believe you!" Elbourne screamed. "You're a goddamn liar!"

Ghirahim saw his resilience and raised a brow. I sensed he expected him to give in already.

"I'm a great many things Prince of Dragons. A killer? Yes. A lover of surface women? Yes. A desecrator of queens? Yes. A deviant and fiend? Yes and yes. Servant to my lord and master Demise? Yes. But, I am not a liar. I never lie, even when it is necessary. I'm going to make you pay for that utterance!"

Ghirahim amplified his energy cell, but amazingly Elbourne resisted more and there was even a minor pulsar in the opposite direction. He attempted to reach for his axe. However, to no avail. The demon lord was furious in that instant.

"Why the hell are you resisting this much?!" he demanded. "She cannot have this much influence over you!"

I stared on taken aback at the monster's disclosure.

She? Is he talking about Zelda?

~SSS~

Elbourne

A vision of white noise:

Falling.

I'm falling.

I've stopped.

My eyes open and I look around. I'm in Dragon Roost. I see the palatial lights. I see the people. I see the wonder. I see the greatness. My mother Constance is there smiling at me. My father Xavier is there scowling at me. Expecting me to forego my duties as crown prince. I reach for them, but suddenly they are far away, and when I see the eyes of my mother, they are blackened. Like her very soul has been tarnished. My father turns away and keeps looking away. I am a disappointment to him. I am a disgrace. I am not the son he wanted. The scene of my home suddenly goes black.

"Elbourne please! Please listen to me!" a voice from beyond begs.

I start falling again.

Falling.

I'm falling.

I've stopped.

My eyes open and I look around. I'm in Hyrule Castle. I am in Zelda's bed chamber. I see the terrace where I used to admire her. I see the bed where I used to comfort her. I see the table where I used to dine with her. I even see her. Her back is to me. Her long dark hair is at her waist. The pink gown she's wearing glows for some odd reason. She turns and looks at me. Her eyes are not the same dark blue. They appear hazel... like mine. She walks over to me and reaches out her hand.

"Why have you kept me waiting?" she whispers. "Why do you always keep me waiting?"

I do not understand what she means.

"I would never do that to you," I reassure. "I love you. I've always loved you."

She scoffs.

"You don't know what love is Elbourne," she whispers, "just as all the maidens who share your bed don't know what love is."

Suddenly, that's exactly what happens. Zelda's room twirls and shifts, until it resembles a room I frequent in the Red Lantern District. I am laying on a bed naked. Hundreds of women are in the room, kissing on my body, begging me for love. But... they all look like Zelda. One Zelda is kissing my bare chest, while another is kissing my lips. All the others were kissing me everywhere else. Until, a door opened and in walked the madam. She was wearing a cloak with a scythe in her hand. When she disrobed she too was naked, and she too looked exactly like Zelda. Only, she wasn't here to please me like all the others. No, she was here for something else.

"Whatever you do, do not engage the demon lord! That is what he wants from you!" a voice from beyond warns.

"It's time for you to pay what you owe dragon prince," the madam orders.

I stare at her confused.

"I've already paid," I say. "The till is in your hand."

The madam shakes her head.

"That's not what I'm talking about," she says, then lifts the scythe over her head. "I've come to collect your heart. You have no need of it anyway."

I start to panic.

"No!" I scream. "No!"

The scythe comes down quick, but before it penetrates my chest, the room goes black and I begin to fall again.

Falling.

I'm falling.

I've stopped.

My eyes open and I look around. I see a place I'm not familiar with. It's a crypt. There are bones everywhere. There's a mirror in the corner. It is made of ash and bone as well. This place is haunting. This place is shrouded in darkness. Where am I? Where have I fallen? I walk slowly over to the mirror and have a look. Surprisingly, I see my reflection, but my eyes are different. My eyes are sky blue in this reflection. As I watch, my hair changes color to dark blonde. My royal wears are exchanged for a peasant's tunic. I realize then I look just like the hero. From behind my reflection a set of arms wraps around my waist. Not in this reality, but in the mirror. The arms belong to a woman. She pokes her head from the side. It's Zelda and she holds my reflection tight. My reflection that looks like Link. But here in this dark place, she is not with me. She closes her eyes and nestles her head against my reflection. Against Link.

"I love you," she whispers to him.

I stare at her, wanting her to say those words to me. I look at my reflection who just stares back and smirks. I don't smirk. He smirks. He holds the woman I love close.

"You will never be me," the reflection whispers. "Never. Just give up and find someone new to love."

I look at my reflection telling me these things and it angers me.

"I am you!" I retort. "You are my reflection! Not the other way around!"

My reflection scoffs.

"You're delusional," it taunts. "You have lost, give up."

I look away for a moment, down at my clothes. In my reality, I am still dressed as the dragon prince. I still have my white and black cape on. My hair is still platinum blonde. I am still Elbourne. But something is different. I look down and there is blood on my ruffled shirt. There is an opening in my chest. A wound that won't heal. I look back at my reflection to see what it is. Now I look like myself. My hair, my eyes, my clothes. I am the Crown Prince of Dragon Roost. But, in my reflection my hands are holding my beating heart. My hands are bloodied, but when I look down I don't see them in my reality. I don't have my heart in my hands. Only in my reflection. Only in my reflection that truly looks like me now. I stare into my eyes again and I see something different. They are baleful. They are black. They are not the eyes of the dragon prince, but something more. Something I have been trying to contain my entire life.

"Do not engage him! Do you hear me?! Do not engage him!" a voice from beyond warns again.

It was by design.

My reflection talks to me one last time.

"Some things aren't worth asking or waiting for anymore," it whispers. "There comes a time when you must take what you want. Little by little. Bit by bit. Take it. Dragon Roost. Hyrule. Zelda. Take it all."

It stirs something within me. Something I've felt before.

"Take it all," I whisper to myself, "not a bad notion."

My reflection smiles at me.

"Take it all," it whispers in repeat.

Dragon Roost.

Hyrule.

Zelda.

I smile back.

Then just as inexplicably as it began, the vision ended.

Everything went black.

~SSS~

Link

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Elbourne screamed, but somehow managed to get on his feet.

Hylia and I watched astonished. I wanted to help him somehow. I was done spectating. Even so, the goddess stopped me.

"I told you, you can't Link!"

I looked at her frustrated.

"Are we just going to stand here and watch him die? I may not care for him as a person, but that demon is torturing him!"

She stared at me with open remorse.

"I understand your concern, but we have to leave him be. This is Elbourne's fight right now, and, believe it or not, he is winning. He's winning! He's resisting the demon lord! Can you not see?"

My frustration never left, but I went back to staring at the two foes in conflict anyway. I saw what she was referring to, but it didn't make it any easier to ingest. Sooner or later, Elbourne's heart would give out.

Seeing Elbourne attempt to stand, Ghirahim then created an energy ball of power. It resembled a beam Ganondorf used on me in the past. One thing was certain with that weapon, I knew that would kill him.

"No, no, no, dragon prince," Ghirahim taunted. "On your knees like the dog you are!"

The monster then shot off the beam. The surge of power hit the center of Elbourne's chest. After the surge coursed through his body, the dragon prince looked down at the targeted space shocked. Then, as if a delayed reaction, his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He fell down onto his knees before collapsing face forward into the ground. At that, I left Hylia's side and leapt forward to catch him before he hit the marshlands below. I was successful, but he didn't move in my grasp.

My eyes widened.

"Dear Farore!"

Elbourne's complexion was as white as snow. I couldn't believe this was happening.

"Elbourne!" I panicked, trying to shake him. "Elbourne, come on! Wake up man!"

The dragon prince didn't respond.

Surprisingly, instead of being pleased, the demon lord looked disappointed. He appeared indifferent for a moment, but displeasure was seething through his expression.

"Such a waste," Ghirahim whispered angrily. "To allow himself to be beguiled by a light dwelling Hylian. What an utter foolish mistake."

I had no understanding of what was going on here. However, Elbourne lay in my arms still not moving. Zelda's scream echoed in the distance after witnessing what happened.

"Elbourne!" she called out with a broken voice. "Elly?! Link is he answering you?!"

My eyes widened even more at his continued immobility. No... no he wasn't answering me.

Dear Nayru, I stared down at the unresponsive dragon prince, is he dead?

We all stared in shock at the fallen dragon prince. I placed him down in the tall grass so his body would not be disturbed. I had no words for what had just taken place. I literally stood aside and watched a man be tortured to death. What the hell was I thinking? That wasn't who I was. That wasn't what the Triforce of Courage was about. I wasn't supposed to stand by and watch people suffer. I glanced over at Hylia, who appeared openly remorseful. Why didn't she allow me to fight him? Why did she want me to wait? What resisting did she see that was worth this? Elbourne was dead. I then turned my attention to Ghirahim. I narrowed my eyes at him. He truly was a monster. He truly was a fiend. He truly was everything he said he was. This was beyond deplorable. This was down right sadistic. I finally got up and reequipped my sword and shield. I wasn't going to let this go unavenged.

"You twisted bastard!" I growled. "You killed a man in cold blood and act as if it's nothing! You truly are the deviant you claim to be."

Ghirahim didn't flinch, but he raised a brow.

"What exactly is your point?"

I clenched my weapons. I was going to wipe that smug expression from his face.

"You took him down, now take me down you worthless son of a bitch!" I exclaimed.

The monster just smirked.

"Ah more theatrics. If you wish to meet your demise sooner than later I would be glad to end your life. Just know you are no match for me."

I got into my battle stance.

"We'll see about that."

However, before he or I could engage him in combat, Hylia got in front of me. I had no idea what she was doing.

"Get the dragon prince, get the queen, and get the hell out of here!" she ordered suddenly. "I'll hold him off."

I looked at her taken aback.

"What?"

She didn't repeat herself.

"You heard what I said!"

I stood my ground.

"Hylia move out of the way! This is my fight!"

She looked over her shoulder at me.

"This is not the time for that! I understand your anger. What he did angered me too. Your time will come. Now do as I say and get out of here!"

I thought she was talking nonsense and didn't budge. Before I had a chance to argue her point, she took out her kodachis and lunged at the monster. Ghirahim immediately got into his battle stance and parried her attack. He tried to grab her, but she evaded his grasp. He didn't hide his frustration with her quickness.

"I'm so sick of you Hylia!" he growled. "I swear to you by the end of all this you'll be a dead goddess!"

Hylia landed on her feet, turned around, and reengaged.

"You couldn't kill me then and you won't kill me now Ghirahim! You know you're nothing without your master!"

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"As are you and your worthless hero are nothing without the Master Sword!" he rebutted.

She switched blades to switch hands, which reversed them. She was about to go on the offense again.

"Which we will get to defeat you! I fear nothing from you, you cowardly bastard! You've forgotten, you aren't in your home territory! You are not at full power!"

Ghirahim reestablished his force field at her taunt.

"We'll see about that... goddess. Back those words up with your combat skills you useless whore."

I hoped she didn't fall for that. He was trying to bait her in attacking him. Unfortunately, the tactic worked. Without thinking, Hylia suddenly ran at him at full speed. She jumped into a mid-aerial somersault to strike Ghirahim at his right side. Not the best method of strategy, because even though he left it open, his right side was his strong side. I realized that from how Elbourne attempted to attack him from that side only moments earlier and how he gesticulated his barrier. It was always from his left to keep his right engaged. Ghirahim's parry was already established. He drew in some power and countered her with another pulsar. It was particularly strong. When it connected, it sent the goddess flying in the opposite direction. She was still in mid-air when he attacked.

"Hylia!" I shouted.

"Ahhh!" she cried out as she flew by.

A moment later, she landed hard in the grassy reeds several yards away. The goddess looked seriously hurt.

"Hylia!" I called to her in alarm. "Hylia! Are you alright?"

Hylia didn't respond to my call, or move at the sound of my voice. Her entire body was motionless. I had to keep my senses and stand my ground. However, I felt a small glimmer of relief when I saw that she was breathing. Even so, the danger was far from over. Just as the monster approached Hylia, he soon approached me. He was already revving up his pulsar, as he stared me straight in the eyes.

"I'm going to do to you what I did to the Prince of Dragons," he warned. "Only I won't leave you within an inch of your life. I want to see you die."

I reengaged my stance and raised my shield.

"You'd be surprised what I can live through."

The monster smirked.

"I think not."

However, before the pulsar went off suddenly a woman's voice intervened. A voice I did not want to hear. A voice I told to stay clear.

"Stop this!" she yelled from the distance. "Please! Let them go, there is no need for bloodshed! Take me instead!"

Oh no.

It was Zelda. I knew sooner or later she was going to try something. I knew sooner or later she was going to step in. But, what the hell was she thinking? She had to know there was no negotiating with a monster. This wasn't a time for diplomacy.

Ghirahim shifted his attention briefly.

"You?"

"Yes," she said without hesitancy.

I didn't want her taking this any further.

"Zelda stay out of this!"

She didn't answer me.

"Zelda!" I repeated in frustration.

Ghirahim then narrowed his eyes and kept his attention on her. Her plea inadvertently worked. He momentarily drew back the pulsar.

"I'm listening," he said to her.

Zelda spoke up once more.

"Let them go," she repeated from afar. "I'll only come to you if and only if all three of them are safely away."

Ghirahim gave her a long once over and suddenly licked his lips at the proposal. I did not want to fathom what he was thinking.

"I might be willing to forego my plans a little while for a consolation prize like you."

He didn't bother to mask the sexual desire laced throughout his voice. I could have killed him in that very instant.

Zelda was quiet for a moment.

"Then I must have your word. I won't go anywhere with you until you give me your word."

The demon lord groaned sexually at her utterance.

"You really are beautiful," he said, ignoring her whole spiel. "I'm telling you when I get you alone…" he trailed, not finishing. "Ohhh," he moaned like he was having an orgasm, "I'm getting excited just thinking about you whimpering in pain from when I ravage you and drink the blood coming from one of your orifices." He narrowed his eyes just then. "I'm particularly fond of tasting the feminine one."

I had heard enough.

"If you go anywhere near her I swear to you I'll kill you," I promised. "That is not an empty threat!"

Ghirahim cut his eyes to me. The negotiating was over.

"Shut up," he reestablished his energy. "I was willing to let you go in lieu of her majesty's wishes, but you're getting on my nerves with your incessant mouth."

"Taking Zelda was never an option. You're going to have to kill me Ghirahim if you plan on that."

The demon lord had no qualms about the idea.

"So be it. So be it."

He began surging his power through his hand.

~SSS~

Zelda

I couldn't allow this to go on any longer. I needed to intervene. Hylia was down, Elbourne was down. There was no way I was going to watch until Link was defeated too. I gripped my bracelet, closed my eyes, and summoned its energy.

"Triforce of Wisdom and ancestors of the past, lend me your strength!" I cried out in a strong voice. "Please!"

All of a sudden, a bright light shined brilliantly from the jewelry and engulfed itself all around me. My cloak and dress suddenly disappeared and was replaced with a skin tight Sheikah armor and my two toned blonde and platinum black hair. My tresses were immediately wrapped in bandages and tucked away. I felt that surge of power as I once did in the Arbiter's Grounds. My eyes changed from blue to red. It was undeniable how much stronger I felt. Once my transformation was complete I was ready to go.

"Yes…" I trailed in my now disguised voice, and then cracked my neck from side to side. "That's more like it."

I didn't waste time hurrying over to where Link was. When I took my position next to him, he looked beyond upset.

"I told you to stay out of this!" he snapped. "It's too dangerous for you!"

I never took my eyes off Ghirahim.

"If we attack him together," I ignored his concerns, "there's no way he can defeat the both of us in his current state. We both have the Triforces of Courage and Wisdom. Ghirahim is merely a shell of his former self. He knows that. There's no way he can defeat the both of us together."

Ghirahim didn't take too kindly to my supposition.

"We'll see about that," he boasted.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"You know it to be true, otherwise you wouldn't have had an army of shadow beasts with you as a distraction."

Link looked at me surprised, probably unaware that I was so astute to battle informatics now. How could I not be? I was traveling with one of the greatest warriors in Hyrule. He taught me many things without uttering a word. Even so, Link looked notably cynical.

"Zelda-"

I stared at him from my periphery.

"Trust me," I interrupted, "why do you think he hasn't attacked us yet?"

Then, without waiting for a reply, I turned my attention back to the demon lord and lunged at him.

"Zelda!" Link called out in alarm, but had no choice but to reengage his battle stance and fight. "This woman... damn it!"

I aimed to strike Ghirahim on his left side, his weak side. My strategy would be to play the decoy, while Link was the muscle. Ghirahim turned his attention solely to me and snapped his fingers to make his projectiles reappear. He sent two off without warning, but I back flipped twice to dodge both missiles. Afterwards, I ran back towards him and jump kicked him square in the center of his chest. He stumbled to the ground, where Link was waiting to pounce him with a jump attack. The demon lord didn't see it coming. However, as with Hylia before, the blade merely made the appearance of piercing Ghirahim's body. It didn't actually do any damage. Something about his tangible self was not fully substantiated anymore. I wasn't going to lie, I was perplexed by that.

How is he able to have so much power yet not be fully here?

I did not have time to stop and think.

Ghirahim was furious when Link jumped off him.

"You will pay for that!" he growled.

Link reengaged his attack stance right in front of me. However, we both knew this battle strategy needed to change. Ghirahim was not going to be defeated by brute force alone. At least, not with the weapons we had now. I recalled in that moment what Hylia constantly reminded me of. These trials were of wisdom, and in the truest sense of the word. Because of such, any inclinations of any kind had to be defeated by means of wisdom.

It was then I came up with an idea.

"Link we're going to have to switch places," I said abruptly. "I'm going to have to be the offense and you'll have to be the defense!"

Link groaned like I was insane.

"What the hell are you talking about? That's not happening!"

We didn't have time to argue.

"It's the only way!" I insisted. "You forget these are my trials, trials of wisdom!"

Link did not see my logic.

"I don't give a damn if these were trials of a conundrum! You're insane! There's no way in hell I'm letting you take the offensive stance! He's too powerful! He'll kill you!"

I understood his doubt.

"You have to trust me! I know how to defeat him now!"

"Well, then tell me so I can do it! I won't let you fight him! I won't!"

I stared at the hero and tried to be a calming source. This was probably his biggest concern, having to protect me while fighting off a monster like Ghirahim.

"It won't be close combat," I reassured. "I can displace space now because my power as a sage has amplified. I need for you to be the decoy long enough so I can concentrate, summon the arrows of light, and send him back to his dimension!"

My plan sounded ridiculous to him.

"How can you summon the light arrows? We aren't in Hyrule! I don't want to put you in any unnecessary danger!"

I gave him a pleading look.

"I can summon them from anywhere," I revealed. "That is my birthright as the Sage of Light. Please... please Link, you're going to have to trust me. We can do this if we stick together."

Link wasn't reassured by my words, but realized we had no other options. He turned his attention back to Ghirahim and made the quick concession.

"You better be right! I'll buy you some time. Whatever it is you have to do, do it quickly."

Afterwards, he didn't wait for my reply and lunged at Ghirahim.

"I won't fail you!" I promised, then closed my eyes and clasped my hands together. "Light guardians of Hyrule I beseech you," I chanted softly. "Hear the sage of the mother land and grant me the golden power of light!" I said it again. "Light guardians of Hyrule I beseech you! Ordona! Faron! Eldin! Lanayru! Lend me the power of the arrows of light! Lend me the power of light!"

Suddenly, everything got quiet, like listening to white noise. Then, the ground began to shake. Afterwards, I disappeared from the tangible world, and ascended to a different space and time. When I opened my eyes the heavens appeared dark, but the ground underneath me was like water, with Ordona, Faron, Eldin and Lanayru flipping over and around me like a rhythmic cadence. When the cadence ended, the guardians came together and created a ball of light. Through the light was a nebulae of space, and within that space was the legendary arrows of light. Only the Sage of Hyrule who bore the Triforce of Wisdom could call upon the great power. With the arrows now in hand, I looked to the guardians gratefully.

"Thank you," I whispered to all of them before disappearing once more.

They all bowed at my utterance. Afterwards, I descended back to the Twilight Realm. When I reappeared I saw that Link was holding Ghirahim at bay. I wasted no time pulling out my bow, readying an arrow, and pulling the string back.

"Link!" I called out suddenly. "Move!"

Link looked over his shoulder at me surprised, but didn't hesitate to hurry a parry and push himself away from the monster. With him cleared safely away, I let the arrow fly. Ghirahim saw the projectile, but rose his hand thinking he was going to stop it. However, he was in for a rude awakening. The arrow pierced through his hand and nearly severed his limb off.

"AHHHH!" he screamed in shock. "What the hell! You insolent worm filth!"

His words had no bearing on me and I let another arrow fly. However, this time I didn't shoot the arrow at him, but behind him, demarcating the space between the dimensions to create a vacuum. All Link needed to do now was push him through to the other side.

"Link!" I called quickly. "Hurry! Send him off!"

Link, seeing the opportunity, got up and pushed Ghirahim through the displaced matter. However, Ghirahim did not go quietly. He latched onto the edges of space surrounding the wormhole, trying to claw his way back into the realm. He was staring at me.

"You better pray to Hylia that when I come back that you aren't my victim!" he warned. "You will be begging for death before I'm done with you!"

I narrowed my eyes and set another arrow in my bow. Without giving him the response he so desired, I shot him right in the chest. The demon lord screamed and was forced to let go of the edges of space and was sucked into the dimension. Afterwards, the hole closed over itself. Ghirahim was gone... for now. I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes before hurrying over to where Link was.

He was on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

"Are you alright?" I touched his shoulder.

He nodded, but his breathing was labored. I came up to him and hugged him. However, it was then I saw Elbourne lying on the ground not moving nearby. My eyes widened immediately and then I went to see about him. I knelt down, took the dragon prince in my arms, and saw that his skin was as white as snow. His lips were blue. His chest was not moving up and down. I shook him to try to arouse him.

"Elbourne," I whispered in a shaky voice.

The prince didn't answer.

"Elbourne," I said a little louder.

He still didn't answer.

Link turned and saw me trying to wake him.

"I tried too. He... he wouldn't respond."

At hearing that, I transformed back to my normal state. I then rummaged through my bag for a potion. When I found a bottle of golden chu jelly, I put it to Elbourne's lips for him to drink. He didn't even look like he could drink, so I had to open his mouth a little and force the contents inside for him to swallow. I waited to see if there were any visible changes. Gradually, a hint of warmth suddenly came back to his cheeks. However, I was more relieved when I saw his chest start to rise and fall again. When I saw he was going to live, I couldn't keep it together after that. I buried my head in his chest and sobbed in open relief. As Elbourne's breathing steadily improved, he finally had the strength to open his eyes. When he saw me, he looked perplexed.

"Zelda?" he whispered.

I bit my lower lip as more tears spilled over. I lifted my head and stared into his beautiful eyes. I smiled through my tears and nodded.

"Yes," I whispered back.

Elbourne continued staring at me puzzled.

"Why are you... why are you crying?" his voice was hoarse. "What happened?"

I just smiled more and didn't answer him. I hugged him tight.

"No reason, it's nothing. I'm just happy you're alright."

I glanced over at the hero. He had a little bit of a grin on his face.

"You gave everyone a scare," Link said to the dragon prince. "We thought you were dead."

Elbourne looked at him taken aback.

"Dead?" he repeated.

Link nodded.

"Dead," he said again. "Ghirahim shot you with a huge bolt of energy. You were unconscious for awhile. You weren't moving."

Elbourne then looked back at me.

"Is that true?"

I nodded.

"It's true," I affirmed, and more tears filled my eyes. I had to avoid looking at him because I was so emotional. "I was so afraid. I-I couldn't imagine life without you Elbourne. You can't ever scare me like that again."

The dragon prince looked at me surprised.

"Zelda..."

I had to cover my mouth so another sob wouldn't escape.

"I thought I lost you," my voice was broken.

Even I was surprised at how poignant of a reaction his near death was having on me. However, I couldn't pretend that I didn't care for him, Elbourne was one of my dearest friends. I had known him for years and he had been there for me through the thick and the thicker. He sat up and attempted to comfort me now because of how much I was crying.

"Hey, hey," he soothed, "I'm okay, I promise."

I didn't respond, instead I threw my arms back around his neck and hugged him tight. I couldn't help it. It was almost as if I had no control over it.

"I'm so glad."

He grinned and hugged me tight.

"Me too."

~SSS~

Link

I didn't want to come off as rude or insensitive, so I said nothing. I was just as glad as Zelda that Elbourne made it through. I did think for a moment Ghirahim killed him. So, I understood where this deep reaction from her was coming from. However, admittedly it was getting... prolonged. Zelda was still cradling Elbourne in her arms. She was still crying. She was still emotional... and, the dragon prince was eating it all up. The grin on his face could not be denied. He looked like a man in love. I couldn't lie, I probably would too. I understood that Elbourne and Zelda were close, but they needed to consider the other people in their lives as well. Mainly Zelda. I wasn't trying to be that guy. I wasn't trying to be that partner. But, the way Zelda was doting over Elbourne at this point was a bit much. It wasn't like she didn't have a reason. We both did think he was dead for a moment. Even so, the moment passed, Elbourne was fine, and we needed to get going. She needed to stop stroking his hair, get up, reassure him of her friendship, and move the hell on. I knew I was getting too bothered by this, but I knew where this kind of behavior could eventually lead. To vent my frustration, I looked away and groaned, hoping to get the queen's attention. It didn't work. Instead, I let my chiding go for a moment and decided to check on Hylia.

"I'll uh... I'll go see if the goddess is okay," I said to the both of them.

The only one to acknowledge me was Zelda, and all she did was nod without looking my way. I paused for a moment, wanting to react to that, but decided against it. It wasn't worth it. Instead, I rolled my eyes and walked over to see about the fallen deity. When I walked up, I saw Hylia laying on her back with her eyes closed. Fortunately, she was breathing, though she looked to be in pain.

I knelt down to arouse her.

"Hey, are you alright?"

The goddess moaned at my words, then opened her bright red disguised eyes. She sat up and touched her forehead.

"I think so, just a little more nimble than I'd like to be."

I gave her a quick once over.

"Do you need a potion?"

She shook her head and looked around.

"I'll be alright. How's Zel and Elbourne?"

I raised a brow when she brought them up. I then nodded their way.

"See for yourself."

I didn't bother to hide the sarcasm. At my tone, Hylia stared at me for a moment. Afterwards, she cut her line of sight to the prince and the queen. She watched as Zelda helped Elbourne off the ground and dust off his cape. The goddess then glanced back at me and noticed my poorly hidden annoyance.

"Looks like their fine."

I took in a deep sigh, then stood back up and offered her my hand for assistance.

"Looks like."

Hylia took it willingly. She also took note of my growing aggravation. I avoided her eyes. I didn't want to make this out to be something it wasn't, so I tried not to be bothered by it. However, I obviously was not being discreet enough. In the mean time, I decided now was as good a time as any to address what just took place, and debrief the previous situation.

"We're going to need to regroup." I finally got the others attention. "Ghirahim may be gone for now, but there's no telling when he'll attempt his next move. We have got to double our efforts and make haste in finding this Virtue Key. The sooner the twilight queen is awakened, the better."

I was met with no disagreements, just nods. I then addressed Elbourne.

"I'm not sure what that monster's aim was, but we're glad you made it through Elbourne. You had us worried."

The dragon prince was a bit surprised with my speaking to him this way.

"Am I dreaming?" he asked with a hint of sarcasm. "Are you talking to me?"

I ignored that.

"Take it for what you will. I can't convince you of something you don't want to be convinced."

Elbourne stared at me for a moment.

"You mean that?" he asked sincerely.

I nodded.

"I do. You are every bit a part of this team as everyone else."

Zelda was staring at me stunned. She looked pleased though.

"What a wonderful thing to say. I second that notion Elbourne. I agree with everything Link said."

"As do I blondie," Hylia added behind me.

I smirked and Elbourne continued to look surprised. He even seemed a bit humbled by the adulation.

"I-uh... guess I better stop calling you Linux then huh?" He tried to add a little brevity. "But you must know that will be a hard habit to break."

I grinned.

"I'm sure it would."

He and I both snickered, and I couldn't believe it, we were actually getting along. Zelda looked so happy.

"Maybe I should ask if I'm dreaming," she joked.

"I was about to say the same thing," Hylia added. "You two sure you're alright?"

I nodded as did Elbourne.

"We're fine," we said oddly in unison.

Great.

The goddess and Zelda giggled.

"Somehow this is going to haunt me," Elbourne muttered. "I know it."

The girls laughed more, until finally I decided to change the subject.

"Alright let's settle down." I gestured for decorum. "We need to discuss Ghirahim's obvious power surge."

The reverie then quickly dissipated.

Zelda shook her head.

"I don't know how to account for it," she admitted. "It seemed to come out of nowhere."

Hylia provided the needed insight.

"Ghirahim... draws his power from creatures and environments that have an affinity for darkness," she explained. "There's no doubt in my mind that he powered up in his realm before making the jump back to this one."

That was not a comforting disclosure.

"Was he able to get back to his realm because this one is so weak?" I asked.

The goddess shook her head.

"That's the only explanation that makes since. However, I can't say that definitively. I think he already had a doorway he accessed that we are unaware of. Whatever the case, he's as mad as a tektite now that he's been temporarily subdued."

I nodded, then looked at the queen. Her quick thinking was what got us through. I needed to stop underestimating her ability in combat. This was the second time she surprised me.

"Speaking of which, Zelda... I was wrong, your plan worked," I admitted. "Your efforts saved us all."

Her eyes widened at my divulgence and she blushed. It was charming, but there was no need for her to feel bashful. The truth was the truth.

"Oh, well, I couldn't have done it without you Link. You were the brawn."

I shook my head.

"Credit is given where credit is due. Stop being modest."

Zelda blushed more.

"I... I suppose you're right."

Elbourne looked her way and smirked.

"I guess you're my hero then," he flirted. "Seems fitting enough to me."

Zelda's eyes widened.

"Elbourne... will you stop."

I raised a brow at the interaction. Am I seeing things? I shook my head.

Let it go Link.

Hylia then nodded. I think it was to my thoughts.

"Letting go is good," she confirmed.

I glanced the goddess's way. She was right. I would be peaceable for now. I decided then to change the subject once more.

"We need to get out of these marshes and find dry land to make camp for the night," I suggested. "Dusk is already giving way to evening."

Everyone nodded.

Elbourne elaborated on the typography.

"There's an oasis not far from here called the Ethereal Canopy. We can rest and start a fire there."

No one had any objections.

"Sounds good," I said, then added, "and don't think we've abandoned the search for your father, we haven't."

Elbourne looked at me surprised.

"I... I appreciate that. I can't lie, I'm worried about him."

Zelda touched his shoulder.

"We all are," she added. "Please, don't give up hope."

She took hold of his hand and squeezed it affectionately. Elbourne looked her way and stared into her eyes.

"I won't," he whispered.

She grinned at him and reached up to caress his cheek.

"That's the confidence I like to see," she whispered back to him.

I raised my brows at that and glanced Hylia's way again. She was staring at me and slowly shaking her head. She could probably sense my growing aggravation. However, she had to see I wasn't being unreasonable. They were doing this right in front of me. I hadn't said a word, but this was getting ridiculous. Even so, I tried not to be bothered.

Let it go Link, I thought once more.

"Yeah... well anyway, do you have any ideas where he may have run off to?"

Elbourne stared at me thoughtfully for a moment.

"My first thought was that we would have intercepted him at the Whispering Wood. I know he has a particular affinity for that place. I think because so much history is hidden there. But as you saw, we haven't come across him. If he knows about the guardians the same as we, then there is a good chance he could be heading the same direction."

Hylia was quick to debunk that.

"Xavier has no idea where to find the guardians. That knowledge was hidden from everyone. Only the Twili kings of old knew of them. I mandated it that way because I didn't want Ganondorf going after them. He would have tried had he known they existed."

Elbourne nodded at his correction.

"Well then, I can only surmise he may be injured somewhere, or hiding from us purposely at this point."

Either could have been a defacto reality for the king. I just hoped he was still out there somewhere.

"In any such case, we're keeping our eyes open. I have a feeling we may be on the right track."

Elbourne didn't look as confident, but he kept his wits.

"I hope so."

Zelda was right there next to him.

"Ahhh, now you've taken a step back," she joked.

Elbourne looked her way and chuckled. They looked like they were in their own little world for a moment. However, when I saw Zelda caress his cheek again, and whisper "Are you sure you're okay?" I had had enough. This pandering was intolerable. I couldn't let this go. Not this time. The dragon prince was not a child. I then let out an audible groan, one that would get everyone's attention, which it did. I was getting tired of this display.

"He's fine Zelda," I snapped before Elbourne could reply. "What needs to stop here is you goading over him."

Everyone then looked at me stunned. There was a brief silence between all of us.

"Excuse me?" she uttered.

I didn't reply and that was when Elbourne spoke up.

"I guess you finally saw no need to keep the facade," he accused. "I was wondering when the real you was going to show up."

I cut my eyes to him.

"The real me?"

He gave me a quick once over.

"The one without the pretense. You don't have to falsify your concern. We both know you would rather see me dead."

I groaned.

"Stop with the self righteous indignation. If you want me to be honest, I was concerned about you. I thought you were done for. No man should have had to go through what you went through."

He scoffed and raised a brow.

"A likely story. Admit it, this is about you not being able to handle a friend being there for a friend."

I wasn't going to let that slide.

"This has nothing to do with not being able to handle a friend being there for a friend. This is about the unnecessary pandering going on here. You were flirting with her right in front of me. I'm not going to take that kind of disrespect from any man."

"Zelda was only making sure I was okay," Elbourne replied.

"Which you are," I stated. "What more do you need? She doesn't have to hold your hand and coddle you. You're a grown man."

The dragon prince shook his head.

"Unbelievable," he then added sarcastically, "who needs Ghirahim when I have friends like you?"

I decided to challenge that inquiry head on.

"With what just happened, I wouldn't be so quick to make such a comment," I warned.

Elbourne then gave me an offhanded look.

"Excuse me?"

I narrowed my eyes and didn't bother answering his question.

"Forget it. As it stands now, this is getting us nowhere. I think we need to leave this subject alone. We have other things to worry about."

My attempted circumvention didn't work. Elbourne immediately identified my insinuation and chose not to back away from it. He took a step forward.

"What the hell are you getting at?" he demanded.

I looked from him to Zelda and didn't reply. However, I could tell by the look on Zelda's face she did not want me to go there. She knew what I was going to say if I said it.

"Link..." she pleaded, "don't."

Hylia interceded as well.

"Uh... look, I agree with Link that we shouldn't say things that are going to cause disharmony. We already have enough problems on our hands as it is. Remember, our focus needs to be the Virtue Key and finding the king."

Elbourne didn't take too kindly to her words either.

"What things? What would cause disharmony?" he challenged, then turned his attention back to me. "What the hell do you mean Linux?"

He was trying me, and in a moment I wasn't going to care about us getting along. My suspicions about him were already there. They only heightened since we got to the Twilight Realm. Now after seeing how Ghirahim targeted just him for the good part of our fight, my distrust was growing. It was obvious to me that Ghirahim saw some value in capturing the dragon prince.

"It doesn't matter," I attempted to dismiss. "Let's just get our bearings together so we can keep moving."

However, Elbourne didn't budge.

"It does fucking matter! I want you to tell me what you meant by that insinuation!"

I narrowed my eyes and Hylia could see that if she didn't mediate soon, we would have a serious issue on our hands.

"Elbourne really," she said, "now isn't the time for this. Let's get past all this pent up frustration and discuss this when we have cooler heads. We barely got away from that monster with our lives."

I kept my gaze fixed on the dragon prince.

"Hmph," I moaned, "not all of us Hylia. Just him. Just him."

The dragon prince then took another step forward.

"Yes," he said to me directly, " just me. I'm the one who nearly died! What's with all this dancing around the subject? Say what you really mean. Out with it farm boy!"

That was it.

That was enough provocation for me.

"Fine," I said with a hint of contempt, "I think you have some explaining to do, your highness."

Zelda looked at me surprised just then.

"Link don't!" she interjected.

Elbourne stopped her.

"No, it's alright," he insisted, then turned back to me. "And exactly what the hell am I supposed to explain? What are you getting at?!"

I scoffed.

"Do I need to spell it out for you?"

He didn't take too kindly to my tone.

"Apparently you do, because I don't know what you mean!"

I paused for only a moment.

"Why was Ghirahim able to exert control over you?"

I finally got to the point and there was a brief silence.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me dragon prince," I did not back down from my accusation. "First the barrier at the palace and now this! Why was that monster able to elicit control over you?"

Elbourne rotated his shoulders, loosening himself like he wanted to fight me. He took another step forward.

"If I recall he was trying to kill all of us," he accused. "Don't go getting one sided on this!"

"Cut the dragon shit Elbourne!" I snapped. "The only person he controlled was you. The only person he seemed interested in in that fight was you! You have to know more than what you're letting on! Now tell the truth!"

Elbourne looked at me incredulously.

"I have no idea!" he retorted. "I want answers the same way you do, you spineless dog! I'm telling you I don't know!"

I made no apologies about not believing him.

"We'll see about that..." I warned, "we'll see."

Elbourne scoffed at my tone.

"We'll see or what?" he demanded. "What the hell are you going to do?"

Admittedly, I made this situation more cumbersome by not just letting the issue go. However, what was done was done. I was tired of Elbourne thinking he was just going to fancy his affection for Zelda in front of me. Truthfully, I was mildly frustrated with her too. She should have been more aware of her surroundings as well. I wasn't suggesting she couldn't be there for her friend, but she had to understand that history was history. Elbourne was going to use that to his advantage. Even so, the tension in the air was seismic now.

Elbourne then looked to Hylia and Zelda.

"I have no idea why he targeted me earlier," he swore, breaking the silence. "You have to believe that." He was met with more silence and looked between the two women. "I give you my word!"

Zelda said nothing and looked to the ground, while Hylia sighed and decided to speak up.

"Look, right now we're not going to get anywhere fighting. We're fortunate that we were able to buy ourselves some time with Ghirahim's disappearance. What's important now is that we regroup so we can find Azimuth. And given what we learned from Exerion we're going to need to double our efforts in finding Xavier."

Zelda raised her brows.

"I just hope Ghirahim hasn't found him already," she whispered more to herself than anybody.

I never took my eyes off the dragon prince.

"If... that was what he was looking for," I accused quietly.

Everyone looked at me surprised just then.

"Link..." Zelda trailed.

Elbourne came up to me just then and got in my face.

"Whatever... farm boy."

Afterwards, he pushed past me angrily, shoving my shoulder in the process. He started ahead in the marshes. I watched after him, until I caught Zelda staring at me. I met her disapproving gaze.

"What?" I asked anyway.

She shook her head.

"You know what. Why did you do that? You knew that was only going to cause more harm than good."

I groaned at her question and didn't reply. Zelda looked to the prince now distancing himself and stared after her friend in open concern. Hylia then came up to me and touched my shoulder.

"Not your best move my good man," she said honestly. "Not your best by a long shot."

I closed my eyes and sighed. When I opened them, I looked to the queen once more. She was still staring at Elbourne. This unsettling concern grew within me.

What's going on in that head of yours Zelda? What are you thinking about?

"There's only one way for me to know," I whispered to myself, "and that's to ask her later."

~SSS~

Two hours later, the Ethereal Canopy, Zelda

We left the marshes abutting the Forest of Lost Souls and continued traveling east. Two hours past and nightfall was upon us when we finally reached an area called the Ethereal Canopy. It was beautiful. It was an oasis of waterfalls and sleeping ferns. The waterfalls were multi-colored like a rainbow and the sleeping ferns had a bright green luminescence with a dark blue bark. The leaves were white like many of the leaves here. I began to believe there wasn't an ugly place to be seen in the Twilight Realm. Every sight inspired awe, even though right now my companions didn't feel awe inspiring.

We were silent for the walk. We were silent when we made camp. We were silent when we started a fire. And we were silent when Link and Elbourne went their separate ways. I was concerned. I tried to keep some normalcy by preparing supper. I went to gather vegetables for a stew. I saw a garden of bright purple flowers that, when picked, a large root stock was attached. So, I guess technically they were fruit. I couldn't be certain. All I knew was, I gathered six, chopped them up, and heated them in a small cauldron with some water over the fire. Link and Elbourne each took a portion of the forest's perimeter to stand watch. Hylia too was standing watch, but closer to the campsite than the others.

With dinner simmering, I decided to check on the others. Well, to be perfectly honest, I wanted to check on Elbourne. I knew Link wouldn't approve, but I was worried about him. He had been through a lot today. There was no telling what was going through his mind right now. He seemed to be brewing and that bothered me. I knew he was troubled by what had taken place. He was probably thinking everyone was against him. I wanted to assure him that that wasn't the case. I wanted him to know he had an ally in me even if he thought the others didn't trust him.

I made sure to be discreet when I left the campsite. I walked down the short road that forked into a beautiful lagoon where a lovely multicolored waterfall was steadily splashing into a small pool. There I found Elbourne staring down at the water. The fascinating reality was the alcove appeared more like a twilight version of Faron's Spring in Hyrule. It was lovely. I saw Elbourne at the pool's edge. I attempted to approach him quietly, but suddenly his voice stopped me.

"What is it Zelda?" Elbourne asked without turning around.

I paused in my tracks. He was very astute. I shouldn't have been surprised that he knew it was me. This had been our routine for many years. We always looked out for each other.

"I… I just wanted to see if you needed anything."

Elbourne didn't answer right away.

"I'm fine. Go back to camp."

I noted a slight echo of contempt in his voice. I knew where that resentment was coming from, but I wasn't going to let it deter me. I took another step forward.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. I know your moods better than my own Elbourne of Dragon Roost."

Even though I couldn't see, I was quite certain Elbourne had closed his eyes as he sighed heavily at my reply. He got quiet again and I sensed he was conflicted with how he felt about our friendship right now. So, I came up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist. I held him securely and rested my head against his back. I wanted him to know I still cared for him.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked softly. "Please… won't you share it with me?"

The dragon prince still didn't answer me right away. He shook his head.

"I don't have very much to say Zelda."

I squeezed his waist affectionately.

"But you do, I know you do because I know you."

He groaned at my words.

"Zelda please..."

I knew he wanted me to go away, but I wasn't going to give up.

"I'm not leaving," I said stubbornly. "Come on... you used to share everything with me."

I was aware that wasn't the best shift in conversation considering the circumstances, but I had a feeling it would resonate. He hesitated again then finally conceded.

"Fine. I was just thinking about how much I hate seeing you in farm boy's arms. It makes me vomit a little."

I raised a brow.

"Elbourne... will you be serious?"

He then took my arms from around his waist and turned to look at me.

"I am being serious. I'm dead serious."

I could see from his expression that he was. I didn't know what he wanted me to tell him.

"I'm..." I shook my head trying to find the words. "I'm sorry."

Elbourne gave me a quick once over before locking his eyes on mine.

"Do you think what they think?" he demanded suddenly, changing the subject. "Do you think I'm some kind of traitor to the world of light?"

I stared right back and didn't flinch.

"No, of course not."

He took a small step towards me.

"Are you being honest?"

My eyes searched his face.

"I have no reason to lie. You're one of my dearest friends. I care very much for you."

"Your beau was all but accusing me of being the devil," he said angrily.

I didn't have much of a rebuttal for that.

"I'm sorry for Link's actions. I told him he was wrong."

He shook his head like he didn't believe me and looked away.

"I'm certain," he said sarcastically,

"I did," I insisted.

Elbourne didn't reply for a good while, but I sensed some of the tension leave his body. And though he tried hard to mask it, he looked a little relieved with what I was telling him. He continued to avoid my eyes, but his actions made me grin.

"Are you going to stop with the angry charade now?" I asked with a hint of playfulness. "You know we could never stay upset at each other."

The dragon prince paused and cut his eyes back to me. It took him a moment, but he eventually gave me the grin I was looking for.

"Who said it was a charade?" he asked anyway.

My smile widened.

"I did," I replied boldly, "and I want you to stop it."

He snickered a little at that.

"You're demanding all kinds of things from me, aren't you?" he inquired with a hint of playfulness himself.

I nodded.

"Indeed I am."

His grin broadened.

"Well... you know you're the only woman who could. I only care about what you think."

My eyes widened slightly at his words, but I didn't want to delve into his inflection.

"Oh my silly, silly Elbourne," I attempted a little brevity.

Elbourne's smile lessened for a moment and he looked past me to the entrance of the lagoon. Afterwards, there was a brief silence between us before he met my eyes and spoke again.

"Can I ask you something?" he inquired suddenly.

My ears perked.

"Of course."

Elbourne paused for a moment and looked past me once more.

"Why are you here?" he asked softly.

I didn't answer right away.

"I'm here because you're my friend. I wanted to make sure you were alright."

He shook his head at my response as his eyes met mine once more.

"No Zelda," he said and his voice got lower, "why are you here?"

I suddenly looked at him puzzled. What was he asking of me?

"I don't understand what you mean."

He gave my face a quick once over.

"You claim to be in love with another man. Why are you worried about me? Why are you following after me?"

My face shifted to one of surprise. Why was he delving so unnecessarily into things he already knew the answer to?

"Those are silly questions. A friend is allowed to care for a friend, and you happen to be one of my dearest friends Elbourne. Stop being fantastic."

Elbourne took my statement head on.

"I'm not being fantastic. I'm being realistic with you. Now answer my question, why are you here?"

My eyes widened in slight disbelief.

What does he want me to say?

"Would you rather I not be here?" I challenged. "Would that suit your whims better?"

He narrowed his eyes at me slightly.

"It might."

I stood my ground.

"I know that isn't true. You're saying these things because you're being stubborn."

Elbourne shook his head.

"I'm saying these things because I want a straight answer from you," he stated.

I stared at him helplessly just then.

"I... I wanted you to know that I'm here for you. You're wonderful, funny, and caring. I just wanted you to know someone was in your corner."

I could tell my explanation wasn't what he wanted to hear. He probably assumed I wasn't being truthful. He gave me another long once over, then came a little closer to me. I was suddenly a little nervous with the look in his eyes. Afterwards, he reached up and caressed my cheek tenderly.

"So... you're in my corner?"

His tone unintentionally made me blush, which made this situation more compromising.

"I only meant that I'm here for you as a friend," I stated and took a step back.

Elbourne immediately took hold of my right arm and pulled me back toward him. When he had me in his grip, he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"You mean kind of like how I was there for you the other night?" he whispered.

I pushed back on his chest to give us some space, but I knew he wasn't going to release me. I shook my head at his words. I had a feeling he was going to use that against me.

"Look I can't-"

"Do you suddenly realize you love me Zelda?" he asked all of a sudden. "Is that why you're here?"

I stared up at him stunned. I was dumbstruck for a moment. I knew he was getting the wrong idea about this. I immediately shook my head no.

"No, no not the way you're suggesting, but as a friend, of course I love you as a fri-"

However, instead of listening to me, he interrupted me by pressing his mouth against mine before I could finish. I stiffened in his arms and stood still, hoping against all hope Link or Hylia wouldn't catch us in the act. I resisted initially, but he was insistent. When I saw he wasn't deterred, I then closed my eyes and tried to be as cooperative as possible to hurry and lessen the kiss. However, it seemed the dragon prince was prolonging it because I wasn't reacting the way he wanted me to. It was then I attempted to pull back to put a stop to this, but he negated our separation knowing what my intentions were. In fact, he kissed me deeper because of it. It was only when I gave in a little and gave him some affection back the way he wanted that he compromised with me. I even reached up and ran my fingers through his hair. I kissed him back deeply and leaned in on him a little. We stayed like this for a moment, before he finally pulled away. When we were separated, I stared at him shocked.

"Why did you do that?" I demanded in a whisper.

His reply was obvious.

"Why do you think?"

My throat tightened.

"I can't do this with you!" I whispered. "I'm involved with Link now."

Elbourne didn't seem to care about my relationship with Link.

"That's no concern of mine. You don't have a ring on your finger yet. He isn't Hyrule's king yet. Even though I assume that's the direction the two of you are going in."

I didn't know what to say.

"Why do you insist on proceeding this way? You know it's only going to hurt you in the end."

I could tell he didn't appreciate what I was saying to him.

"Because I'm not going to pretend with you any longer. Didn't you tell me once before that friends are entitled to a little affection? That's all that happened here, a little affection. Does that only pertain to you? Does that only pertain to the other night?"

I broke away from his grasp. I pursed my lips together, feeling terribly guilty.

"That-that was a mistake," I stammered helplessly. "I never should have used you like that. This can never happen between us again! Ever!"

His features dimmed a little.

"Don't try to downplay what happened between us Zelda. You know it was more than that. It's always been more than that."

I shook my head.

"It wasn't!" I tried convincing him. "It isn't!" I then looked around suddenly at a loss. "Why isn't friendship good enough for you?"

He stared at me in disbelief at the question. He probably found it a little disrespectful.

"After what we've been through? After what you've always meant to me? You expect me to just want friendship and nothing more?" he asked with a hint of bitterness. "No. No Zelda, it isn't good enough."

I bit my lower lip.

"I-"

"It isn't good enough," he interrupted. "It'll never be good enough. I don't want to be just your friend. I've never wanted to be just your goddamn friend!"

I took a step back just then.

"Elbourne-"

"I love you," he interrupted again. "Do you understand that? I. Love. You. Stop trying to convince me or yourself otherwise." He then turned from looking at me to stare back at the spring. "Now go back to camp before your beau finds out you've left your post to fool around with me... again."

I stared at him stunned.

"I-"

"Go Zelda," he interrupted once more.

I was dumbfounded by his insistence. I didn't know what to say. So I said nothing. I just stared at him, milling through what he conveyed, and slowly turned back around and headed for the exit like he suggested. I was shaken, but I was trying to deride what happened before I ran into Link or Hylia. Speaking of which, as I approached, I saw that Hylia was sitting down on one of the logs near the fire and stirring the pot of stew I left unattended. I paused for a moment, having a feeling she knew where I scurried off to. I assumed now she was going to give me a brief talking to about it. I sighed at the thought, but knew it was unavoidable at this point. When I approached the log she was sitting on, I sat down next to her. She glanced over at me when she saw the troubled expression on my face.

"Everything alright?"

I shrugged.

I wasn't sure.

"I suppose."

The goddess grinned and paused for a moment.

"It… didn't go so well with Elbourne, did it?"

I stared at the fire, not bothering to deny where I was.

"No."

The goddess nodded.

"I see."

We both got silent, but I felt compelled to go on.

"He's... he's angry with me right now, and I don't know how to help him because... because..."

Hylia raised a brow when I found it hard to continue.

"Because he's in love with you?"

I closed my eyes and I nodded. The goddess continued stirring the stew.

"That's a tough position to be in, isn't it? So, what are you going to do?"

I looked at her puzzled just then. I didn't understand what she was asking.

"What do you mean what am I going to do?"

She glanced over at me and stopped stirring again.

"I meant what I asked, what are you going to do?"

I wasn't sure how to answer.

"I don't know," I said with a shrug, "keep being there for him."

Hylia raised a brow.

"You saw how that turned out for you. Honey your best bet is to leave him be for right now. You trying to be there for him is only going to make what he feels for you deeper. His love for you isn't simply going to vanish."

I knew she was right.

"But he needs an outlet."

Hylia then turned her attention back to the fire.

"True, and if he needs you, I'm sure he'll come back to you."

I then turned my attention to the fire too.

"You're right," I whispered.

She grinned.

"Of course I'm right," she replied.

I rested my head on my knees.

"Sometimes I wish I could act like the Hylians who had the condition of the Hylian Paradox and be done with it," I said suddenly. "Elbourne would then be happy and Link and I could go about our business."

She chuckled at my suggestion. She understood I was referencing a literary hyperbole about how Hylians said opposing things that meant something else entirely. It was probably a silly thing to say considering the circumstances.

"So basically you want to lie to keep the dragon prince happy," she said rather bluntly. "That will help no one Zelda my dear."

I rubbed the back of my neck.

"I know," I replied.

Something in my inflection made her chuckle more. She reached over and caressed my cheek.

"My poor, beautiful ancestral daughter," she said sarcastically. "Whatever will you do?"

I grinned at her teasing.

"Run for the hills at this point," I replied, "but only after we stop Ghirahim."

Hylia laughed again and turned her attention back to the fire. After a few moments, I studied her expression and realized she still hadn't revealed to me what she wanted to disclose to me in private. It was just her and I here at the campsite. I discerned now would be as good a time as any for her to share her secrets with me. Whatever it was must have been very important if she didn't even want Link to hear.

I then spoke up.

"Since we're on the subject of covert intelligence," I started, breaking the brief silence. "I was hoping you would finally share with me what you wanted to tell me in private at the palace."

At my mentioning, the goddess suddenly got very quiet. She looked over at me and took in a deep sigh for some odd reason, but then broke her gaze and looked around the campsite to ensure she and I were alone. I looked around myself since her serious expression warranted it. Hylia then came a little closer and lowered her voice.

"I want you to keep what I'm about to tell you between just you and I," she whispered suddenly.

My ears perked immediately.

"Of course," I whispered back.

She came a little closer.

"You have to promise."

This had to have been serious.

"I promise."

She turned from looking at me to the fire and hesitated for a moment. A solemn expression then came across her pretty face. I waited and she still said nothing. It was then I reached over and touched her shoulder to cue her.

"Hylia... what is it?"

She wouldn't look at me now and stared down at her hands.

"It's regarding Elbourne."

I looked at her taken aback just then. My heart skipped a beat.

"What about him?"

Hylia hesitated again.

"I... I have strong reason to believe Ghirahim is solely after him," she divulged.

My eyes widened.

"What? Why?"

The goddess then turned to look at me.

"When I went on my excursion the other night there were all these strange insignia pertaining to Dragon Roost in the light of the trees," she revealed. "That is not a normal occurrence, and I'm willing to bet Ghirahim has created that disturbance because he wants something from Elbourne."

My bottom lip quivered.

"What would Ghirahim want with Elbourne?"

She shook her head.

"The truth is stranger than fiction," she said cryptically and didn't elaborate, "but, I know that to be the case. We cannot deny that it has to be something, earlier today was proof of that."

I didn't want to believe that was the case. It couldn't have been the case.

"How do you know it doesn't have anything to do with the Roostian king?" I challenged. "What if what you saw was for Xavier and not Elbourne?"

She shrugged.

"You have a point," she said, "and that very well could be the reason Xavier left the palace. He may have seen the signs and took off, but it's highly unlikely."

I looked away and suddenly felt distressed. This was turning more and more into a convoluted mess. I really wish now Elbourne had stayed back in Hyrule. Little did he, or anyone, know he was going to be such an important catalyst to what was happening. I just hoped it wasn't true. I hoped Elbourne wasn't who Ghirahim was trying to capture, but if he was, why? What would he want with the dragon prince? Hylia was all, but saying it outright.

I sat staring at the fire, when Hylia reached over and touched my shoulder. She attempted a smile.

"Come on," she whispered, "don't look so sullen. You have to keep being Elbourne's compass. We can't lose sight of him. We have to protect him."

I nodded.

"You're right," I whispered back.

The goddess then looked over her shoulder at the hero in the distance.

"Besides..." she went on, "there's someone else for you to consider in this matter as well. I know you care for Elbourne, but don't forget that you've fallen in love with Link."

I understood that all too well.

"I haven't forgotten ancestral mother," I promised. "I know how much I love Link."

She stared at me for just a moment.

"Don't forget that, and don't forget what you two went through to be there for each other."

I looked over at Link myself.

"I won't."

It seemed to be the convincing reassurance she wanted to hear. Afterwards, Hylia got up and headed for the perimeter where Link was standing watch. I saw her speak to him and nod towards me. I grinned at her trying to keep things civil and always thinking about Link. She really cared for the hero. I wrapped my cloak tighter around myself and looked up at the night sky. A few moments later, I was unsurprised to see Link approach from the other side of the fire. He looked down at me from his standing position and nodded in a respectful manner. I in turn smiled.

"Do you mind if I sit with you for a while?"

I pointed to the spot next to me.

"Not at all."

He sat down and attempted to grin. His handsome face lit up when he smiled. He took my hand in his.

"Are you holding up alright?"

I nodded.

"Yes."

He caught the glint in my tone.

"Are you sure?"

I looked over at him and my smile broadened.

"I'm sure."

Link then stared at the fire and got quiet. There was something about his facial expression that alerted me that he had more to say. He must have been finding the right way to say it. I squeezed his hand a little.

"What is it?" I asked quietly.

He paused for a good while, then finally took in a deep sigh and turned to look at me.

"I'm sorry about how I approached the situation with Elbourne earlier. I realize now, I've done more harm than good."

I stroked his back.

"Don't worry about it. It's over now."

Link got quiet again before he spoke once more.

"Zelda... are you still angry with me regarding what happened with Midna?" he asked all of a sudden.

I looked at him slightly taken aback just then. I hadn't thought of that all day.

"No. I told you before I was foolish for getting upset about that the way I did. I was completely irrational when it came to that."

He simply nodded at my reply, but his eyes never left searching my face. I noticed the concerned look he was trying to conceal.

"Why do you ask?"

Link shrugged and attempted to be nonchalant.

"No reason, just wanted to be sure."

I was a little hesitant with how he said that.

"All...right," I replied when I noticed he wasn't very convinced.

He gave my face another quick once over.

"How's Elbourne doing?" he asked suddenly.

I looked at him taken aback and involuntarily felt my cheeks blush. That was certainly an unexpected shift in the conversation.

"What?" I said in response.

Link raised a brow and gauged my reaction. I knew I was doing more harm than good.

"How's Elbourne?" he asked again. "You checked on him didn't you? You saw him alone last night in your bedroom and now you saw him alone where he's stationed in the alcove. Or, did you think I didn't see you sneak off to where he was?"

My heart raced a little.

I paused for a moment.

"I wasn't sneaking off," I reassured, "but yes I did see about him. He's... he's having a hard time right now."

The hero took in a deep sigh as he looked at me seriously just then.

"You didn't think that maybe he wanted to be alone for awhile?"

I saw his point, but he didn't understand Elbourne the way I did.

"I see where you're coming from, but he needs a friend right now. He probably feels like the whole world is against him."

Link's handsome face dimmed a little when I said that.

"Zelda... I want you to be honest with me," he then stared right into my eyes, "are you in love with him?"

I gave him an obvious stare.

"No, you have to know that's a silly question."

His eyes searched my face again.

"I don't think it's silly at all. That display of concern earlier was really heart felt."

I looked at him surprised by his reply.

"Are you serious?" I asked in minor disbelief. "You're going to hold that against me? I thought he was dead Link. You and I both did."

He looked away and shook his head.

"I just want you to be sure in what you want."

I then reached up and turned his face back to mine and caressed his cheek. I wanted to put his mind at ease.

"I am sure in what I want," I promised. "I want you. I love you."

Link could hear everything I was saying, but still didn't look convinced. However, he nodded at my utterance anyway.

"Listen, I need to talk to you about something," he went on and lowered his voice, changing the subject again. "It's why I'm concerned with you spending so much time alone with the dragon prince."

I gave him my undivided attention, but I had a feeling I knew what he was going to say.

"Yes?"

Link looked away again for a moment.

"I... I never told you everything that went on with me and Ilia."

I stared at him astonished, not expecting him to shift the conversation so overtly.

"You and Ilia?"

He nodded and went on.

"The night she and I slept together," he divulged in a more forthcoming way.

I was surprised at how bluntly he stated that. I wasn't sure I wanted to hear this.

"Alright," I replied anyway.

He sighed again and continued.

"I, too, felt an obligation to her at times," he confessed. "How could I not? She was always concerned about me, she's one of my best friends, and she has this perpetual love for me in her heart. However, on my part it was because of that obligation I felt towards her that I let my guard down in a moment of weakness. It winded up hurting the both of us."

I looked to the fire and understood why he was saying this to me. I didn't reply. He rubbed his hands together and went on anyway.

"We caught ourselves off guard Zelda," he said with a hint of warning. "I thought I was stronger than I was."

I pursed my lips together and still didn't say anything.

"I... I just wish she'd stop reliving those moments in her mind," he went on, talking more to himself than to me. "It's over, I just wished she'd stop thinking about it."

I found some of what he was saying a little insensitive. What did he expect her to do? She was in love with him.

"Link... do you think you're being fair with that statement? You can't expect Ilia, who has perhaps been dreaming about being with you her whole life, to forget something so special. Making love for a woman is different than for a man. It's very emotional."

He grunted.

"I understand why you're saying what you're saying Zelda, but I can't completely agree with that. Trust me when I say I've met some women who think of sex as being just sex. Women can be just as callous as men."

I saw his point, but that didn't dismiss mine.

"True, but would you really warrant that as the case with Ilia? Do you really think all she wanted from you was a love affair?"

Link didn't bother to delve into that further.

"Look, I'm not trying to be unfair to Ilia. I know she cares about me, which is exactly my point when it comes to you and Elbourne. What I'm saying is, I know you care for Elbourne. I know... a part of you loves him very much, but you have to use discretion. I don't want what happened to me to happen to you."

I was quiet for a moment when he finished.

"I wouldn't let something like that happen between him and I. I wouldn't betray you that way."

He looked at me once more.

"I'm not saying you would, but what about him? I know he desires you very much. He makes no qualms or apologies about being in love with you Zelda. I will give him that credit. I know he truly cares for you, but Zelda... you belong to me."

I looked from the fire to him surprised. I never expected him to be so upfront with his feelings like this. There was no beating around the bush with those words.

"Link..."

He reached over and caressed my cheek.

"I don't want to lose you," he whispered. "I'm done saying it simply. You need to know how much I love you."

I grinned at him.

"You won't lose me," I whispered back, "I promise."

He tried to be comforted by my words, but I sensed the worry in his eyes. I squeezed his hand affectionately.

"I promise," I whispered once more.

There was a brief silence between us with Link's beautiful blue eyes still searching my face. He finally broke his worried expression with a small smile, and I felt a twinge of guilt for what happened between Elbourne and I only a few moments ago. Link came close, kissed my forehead, and hugged me tight.

"Okay," he whispered once more, "I believe you."

I closed my eyes and wished things weren't so complicated with Elbourne and Link. There were definitely some issues I needed to straighten out with both of them. Not now, but soon. After we ascertained the Virtue Key. I didn't want another blowup like before. I never wanted to argue with Link like that again. Never. I decided then it was time to shift the conversation.

"You know," I began, "there was something I've been meaning to ask you."

Link gave me his undivided attention.

"What's that?"

I stared up at the night sky.

"Seeing that this is the Twilight Realm, why haven't you turned into a wolf?"

Link looked at me surprised by the question, but then thought about it too.

"Well, honestly I don't know. I was given the power to control it at one time, but I haven't attempted to try and transform since after I put the Master Sword away."

I looked at him surprised.

"Oh really?"

Link nodded.

"When I adventured with Midna, I acquired a special amulet called the Shadow Crystal. That coupled with the Master Sword allowed me the ability to shift between my human form and wolf form at will. Why I haven't changed to my wolf form yet is beyond me."

I nodded at his explanation.

"Perhaps you were given a royal reprieve by Midna. Or maybe now that Zant and Ganondorf are gone the true essence of the Triforce of Courage has encapsulated you, allowing you to be human in both worlds."

Link shrugged and nodded at my theories.

"Perhaps, we'll know soon enough."

Immediately after that we got quiet and gazed up at the stars. There were millions in the heavens to reflect upon. However, a moment later, I saw Link cut his gaze and stare at me again.

"I better get back to my post," he said softly.

I glanced over at him and nodded.

"Okay."

He stared into my eyes and caressed my cheek once more, then reached over and kissed me softly.

"You better get to solving that riddle," he said to me when he pulled away. "We're going to need to make haste."

I nodded.

"True."

Link then got up, stretched, and grinned when he looked down at me.

"I'll leave you to it okay."

I grinned at him in return.

"Okay."

Afterwards, Link headed back to his watch. I stared after him and took in a deep breath, thinking about the things he disclosed to me. He was right. I never considered the Ilia situation quite the way he put it when I thought of Elbourne and myself. There was a chance that a compromise could cloud my better judgement. Link and Hylia both were trying to convey that to me. Link was right. Elbourne loved me. Elbourne made no apologies regarding his feelings for me. I needed to have more discretion when it came to how I approached him. I couldn't lie though. There was a measure of guilt I felt towards Elbourne because of our complicated past. What he felt for me wasn't merely an infatuation. How could one stay infatuated for fifteen years? I suppose it was possible, but I knew that wasn't the case with Elbourne. He had told me very plainly what he desired from me. He wanted marriage and a family... two things I knew I couldn't give him now that I was with Link. I would just need to use for wisdom when I dealt with him. Speaking of such, I had to forego my personal problems for now and decipher this next riddle like the hero suggested. We needed to know our next destination, and sitting here idly was not going to make that happen. It was then I opened my satchel to pull out the Book of Mudora. I stared at the green leather bound volume and stroked my fingers over the cover, realizing the responsibility this text placed on me.

I need to solve the next riddle. Solving the next riddle gets us closer to the Virtue Key.

With that, I made it my resolve to find the great Azimuth. I read the encrypted words again.

"'The inverse to the lag of what is natural will purport the conservation of all things."

First of all, what was 'the inverse to the lag?' A lag was simply a way of describing something that had fallen behind. So the inverse of a lag would be something that did the opposite function, like a log, or logarithm. In mathematics logarithms were used in a variety of equations to compute and chart data. In this case however, the logarithm was being specified. How? I looked back at the riddle: 'the inverse to the lag of what is natural…' I stopped there and thought about what was being said in that phrase. The first part was fairly simple to understand, the second part deduced that the logarithm had a precise characteristic. A natural one.

"Hmmm, could it be referring to the natural logarithm of base e?"

The natural logarithm of base e was discovered by the sage Lord Gaebora Kaepora many many years ago. It was an irrational number, or a whole and a partial part of another, 2.718 to be exact. The logarithm of base e had been found in many instances in nature. The half-life of most chemicals could be calculated with the natural logarithm of base e. Engineers understood the importance of their building materials with the natural logarithm of base e. Mineral substances and their decaying properties could be calculated using the natural logarithm of base e. In short, it was an important number.

Having discovered which logarithm, I looked back at the riddle for more information. 'The inverse to the lag of what is natural will purport the conservation of all things.'

Purport, I isolated the term.

I looked the word up in the index. Purport meant to understand the significance of something else. In this case, it was 'the conservation of all things.' What conservation of things? I looked up from the book to the fire for a moment and thought about it.

"The Law of Conservation of Mass?"

It was an idea. I decided to look it up.

The Law of Conservation of Mass stated that matter in an enclosed system, when broken down, will remain constant over time. For instance, if a candle were to burn inside of a house where all the windows and doors were closed, the broken down properties of the wax -carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen- would remain the same. If there were six molecules in the wax, the same six would still be present just in a different form. So how did this law tie with the first part of the riddle?

"'The inverse to the lag of what is natural will purport the conservation of all things,'" I whispered again. "The natural logarithm of base e will help signify the remains of the broken down constant, the constant in this instance is Azimuth."

I was getting close. So, to understand correctly, there had to be some cumbersome manifestation in nature that was a clear evidential marker that the natural logarithm of base e was there: overgrowth of trees, extreme escalating weather patterns, nautical swells that turned to tidal waves.

Something had to be there to signify Azimuth's presence.

I paused and sighed for a moment.

Now, how were we supposed to find it?

I pondered back to what Exerion said about the use of the other two guardian's names, and how those in themselves contained clues.

Azimuth… what does your name reveal?

I understood previously that an Azimuth was a part of a circumference, or an angular measurement of a circumference, but I needed to truly understand how its name related to the riddle. I knew in quantum measurements there was a series of numbers known as the azimuthal series. These numbers focused on the function of momentum. The first of these numbers was two to calculate the shifting differentiation of a sphere.

I paused for a moment.

Two… the natural logarithm of base e was 2.718, stating that somewhere there was an exponential constant in a spherical surrounding.

And then it came to me.

"A dome of some kind. Azimuth resides somewhere in a dome where there is a massive over growth of life."

I looked around and knew the Twilight Realm was Hyrule's shadowed sister.

Where were we? I wondered looking at the roads.

I then realized we were the equivalent to where we would be in the world of light if we were in the alcove of Faron Woods.

"Looks like we don't have to go too far. We're going to the Twilight Realm's version of the Forest Temple, but it won't just be a tree. It's going to be a tree inside a large dome."

With that, I closed the book and sighed weary but satisfied. We were one step closer to the Virtue Key.

The next chapter will be up soon.