The next morning, Petyr rode into town.
It was around mid-morning, long after Link had washed and hung out his clothing to dry, and yet still hours before his planned departure to Faron. The morning had been slow and lazy, which was a nice contrast to how the past few days had been. He had found Midna in his room when he woke, reading a book as she always did, although this particular volume appeared to have come from Queen Lizbeth's library. He apologized to her, even though the night before he felt that she was being the unreasonable one. The Twili shrugged it off and told him not to worry about it. Just like that, things between the two of them were normal again.
He cleaned his clothes with Ilia's help, although he insisted he didn't need it. Eventually he gave up arguing with her and worked on his leather, and inspected his gear. The shield had gained a few new marks, and his lantern was still cracked, but the enchanted bow, quiver and boomerang were immaculate. Just like the Master Sword, they came through everything unscathed.
The growing population of the Eld Inn sat down to eat breakfast together, although both Telma and Auru looked a little rough from their drinking the night before. Telma had handled drinking ale just fine, but it seemed that wine did her in. Auren did not put in appearance until much later, coming down from the Gerudo camp up on the canyon wall, and looking as tired as her father. She brought with her a familiar wooden box that opened up into a wind stones board. After she was done explaining the rules, Link's friends took turns playing and watching the two-player game, interested in something to do. Even Colin and Luda watched.
Link himself didn't mind the idleness. He spent his time resting, only leaving the inn to care for Epona. Ilia spent most of the morning keeping an eye on the children, but she did come and sit near him at one point. There was no discussion of his affectionate slip-up last night, and he didn't expect any. He was unsure where that left things between the two of them, but there were so many people around, he didn't have the chance to broach the subject.
He was seated at the table across from Auru, staring at the wind stones board in concentration while considering a tricky move. He was trying to figure out how to jump to the next line without getting his stone stolen, when the door to the inn opened. Glad for the distraction since he did not want to lose yet another game to Auru, Link looked up to see who was walking in. Much to his surprise, it was the dark-haired commander in plainsclothes, his white and silver armor stowed somewhere.
"Petyr?" He stood, both surprised and unsure of why the commander had come to Kakariko. "What are you doing here?"
The handsome young commander no longer looked perfect and immaculate, his plain red and brown clothing dusty from travel, and his curly hair was uncombed. He looked a lot more like an ordinary man without his silver and white armor. "I thought I would come here, since this is your base of operations. I want to be part of what you're doing." He put his hands on his hips, only a few steps into the inn, and swept his pale blue eyes across the room. "Yes." he said while nodding, satisfied. "This works well. You have a place to sleep and eat, and also a place where you can speak without the refugees hearing."
"That's what I thought too." Link said, already considering the time of day Commander Petyr had arrived, and what time the man would have left to get here, and when. He had to have stayed somewhere in Central Hyrule, even if he had left at dawn. "I'm familiar with the place, too. It's why I keep-"
He was cut off by a shout at the top of the stairs, of a woman calling Petyr's name. The group in the common room all turned their heads to look up the stairs to see Shelly standing there at the top, her eyes wide and her hands over her mouth.
The change in Petyr was immediate. Gone was the formal and conservative soldier and suddenly he was an ordinary man who had just found someone he thought he had lost. His expression was a mixture of relief, surprise and love, and he took the stairs two at a time to get up to Shelly as fast as he could. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly as she began to cry.
Link couldn't hear what they were saying since their voices were muffled as they clung to each other, but it wasn't his business anyway; this was their personal moment that unfortunately was happening in front of a group of people. That didn't seem to matter to Petyr, whose deep voice trembled with emotion just as much as his wife's did. Despite traveling halfway through upper Eldin together, they had somehow missed seeing one another, and had no idea that the other was safe and nearby. Link recalled what Shelly had said about walking in a dream-like state, barely aware of her surroundings. She wouldn't have noticed Petyr with her mind numb like that, and he was too busy to spot his wife in the line of hundreds of refugees, especially since she was wearing a cloak that did not belong to either of them.
"Hold on. Wait a minute." Ashei said from where she stood by the fireplace. She had been leaning on the wall, but straightened when Shelly had called Petyr's name. "All this time, Shelly's missing husband was Petyr?"
Link found himself smiling, and remembered what the female warrior had said about him being romantic. That would be something Ashei would say, somebody who seemed to have little interest in relationships. He looked over to where Ilia was seated nearby and saw that she was smiling just like he was, and when she returned his look, she beamed with happiness. Well, at least Ilia was a romantic too.
Petyr reluctantly pulled back from his wife, although he kept his arm around her shoulders. "Link, I came here to speak to you but...but you found her. I don't know how you found her…" he trailed off, his face indecisive as he processed many emotions.
"Go be with your wife." Link said with a smile. "I'll be here in Kakariko a while longer. We can always talk later."
The commander nodded gratefully, and then was led by his wife into the room where she had been sleeping, so they may speak in private. Once they had shut the door, the group all talked at once about the strange coincidence, and how it had turned out. Telma came to the doorway of the kitchen, where she had been washing dishes, and her smile was broad when she spoke. "That settles it. We'll have to put those two in the double room on the end. No point in making a married couple sleep in different rooms."
"I agree." Auru said, smiling after the touching scene. "They need to be together, especially since they thought they had lost one another. It must have been painful for them to be apart."
"You would say that, you big sap." Telma said, crossing her arms and smirking in amusement. "Just like you need to go see your Gerudo wife all the time, right?"
The scholar shrugged. "If you saw how beautiful she was, you'd understand."
A few hours passed and Telma served a lunch of fresh bread with sliced cold mutton, and sliced tomatoes on the side. It occurred to Link that tomatoes were now in season in Hyrule, when only days before his birthday Renado had complained about them not being ready. His birthday was nearly a whole month ago. Had that much time really gone by? He had moved from place to place so often that the days went by quickly, but he knew that he had accomplished a lot.
When the last of them were finishing up their lunches, Petyr came back downstairs without his wife, and wordlessly took a plate of food. He sat down near Renado and his daughter at the long table, and started speaking with no preamble. "Sumati has brought enough Gerudo warriors to Ordon and Faron to sufficiently protect them. I had heard stories of how fierce and strong Gerudo are, and after seeing them fight, I believe it." He paused to eat.
"Does that mean that Faron was attacked?" Renado asked. "We had a Bulbin attack here that was thankfully repelled by the Gerudo and Gorons."
"It was, but the nature of the thick forest near the border forced their attack into a bottleneck, and my men and the Gerudo had no difficulty killing them all…" He eyed Link. "Which I now know is necessary, so they don't report back to bring more." He continued after eating a bit. "The Gerudo aren't only strong; they're honorable, and quite frankly nothing like some people believe. They are willing to come to our lands, the lands we banned them from two centuries ago, and protect us. The Hylian people don't deserve it after how they treated the Gerudo after the war, but the Gerudo don't see it that way."
"Of course we don't." said Auren, who had decided to take a meal with her father instead of her warriors. "What happened with Ganondorf was two hundred years ago, like you said. That war hurt us just as much as it hurt you Hylians. We don't want to think about what happened generations ago, we want to think about the future. That's why my mother had started diplomatic talks with Princess Zelda behind the king's back."
"I'm not surprised Princess Zelda did that. She's a bright and kind woman, and has the foresight to think of the future. She will be a far better leader than her father ever was." The commander pointed at Link, who now stood near the fireplace with Ashei. "Provided you do everything you're supposed to do, and get her out of that barrier. Even if she's in an enchanted sleep, there is likely someone or something that can revive her." Petyr's tone was clear: Link was going to get rid of Ganondorf and wake Zelda. There was no room for argument.
"After talking to the Sages, we have a plan." He didn't want to go into details since Colin knew nothing about Midna, and neither did Petyr. "Don't worry about what I need to do, Petyr; that's my job. You need to stay here and do what you're good at. I want you to lead things here when I'm not around."
"Good. You couldn't uproot me from this town even with that magic sword of yours." Petyr said. "Shelly is here, and I'm not leaving her."
Link had that feeling whenever he left Kakariko and had to leave Ilia behind. While it was true that he was happy that she was safe, he still missed her terribly when they were apart. That feeling must be magnified by ten for somebody who was married and expecting a child.
"I don't know how long things are going to take, and I need to be here when our child is born." the soldier continued, confirming Link's thoughts. "Oh, speaking of babies, I have news: Rusl's wife has given birth to a little girl."
Colin perked up at this, only half listening to the adults before. "I'm a big brother now?" His eyes were wide with wonder, at the concept of being the older and more responsible sibling, or perhaps the idea of a little baby now being in the family.
The handsome Hylian looked across the table at Colin, who was seated next to Luda. "You're Rusl's boy, aren't you? I can tell just by looking at you. Your mother and new sister are safe and healthy. The baby came a few weeks sooner than expected, but luckily at a time when Rusl was there."
Link felt both happy and disappointed that he hadn't been in Ordon when Uli had her baby. She was just as much of his mother now as Sami had been when he was young. He had already accepted that it could happen, that he would be busy doing things while other people's lives carried on. This new baby presented a problem, though; he had wanted to bring Rusl with him to the Temple of Time to show him where the Master Sword was supposed to rest. He couldn't ask Rusl to leave his new child so soon after she was born, or his wife who had to recover from giving birth. This threw a wrench into his plans.
"Congratulations, Colin!" Luda put her arms around the younger boy, excited for her friend. "I am sure you will be a wonderful big brother. Promise me you'll bring her to Kakariko when she's older, so I can meet her?"
The blonde boy grinned from ear to ear, nodding. He was the happiest Link had seen him in quite a while.
Ilia rose from the table. "I'm going to bring some food to Shad. He's probably in that cave under the Sanctuary again, forgetting to eat as usual."
"Are you planning on taking care of everyone here?" Ashei asked, raising her eyebrows as she leaned against the end of the yellow brick fireplace, arms crossed. "You seem like you want to mother everyone, even the people older than you." She smiled when Ilia lightly laughed in response to that, and it was a genuine smile from Ashei. "Don't worry about Shad too much. He remembers to eat and sleep...eventually. Just worry about taking care of this guy here." She pointed her thumb at Link. "He's kind of an idiot."
Her words brought him back to last night, when Ilia had touched his face, and he had kissed her hand without thinking first. He had called his own self an idiot. He felt his face turn warm, and Ashei mistook his reaction as a response to her joke, chuckling. "I guess I know how to push your buttons, yeah?"
Link decided to play along. "I feel betrayed, after fighting side by side with you and everything."
"Whether Shad can take care of himself or not, I'm going to bring him something anyway." Ilia said. "Link, don't you dare leave while I'm busy doing other things." She went into the kitchen to pack a lunch for Shad, leaving him standing there with his mouth open with a response that she wouldn't hear.
"You're adorable with her." Ashei said softly, so only he could hear. She was smiling, woman Ashei coming out to poke fun at her friend.
"Oh, shut up." he muttered. He could hear Midna laugh quietly in his ears.
About an hour later, after he had changed back into his clean green clothing again, and after he had told Renado and Petyr his intentions to quickly go to Faron and back, he was standing at the spring with Ilia next to him. Nobody was at the southern end of town, since Renado wasn't currently in the Sanctuary. Down in the direction of the southern gate were a pair of Gorons on guard, but they paid no attention to the two humans at the spring.
"All right. Before I go, I think you should meet Midna." Link said, turning to Ilia. "Midna, would you please come out?" He watched as the small Twili appeared next to him, forming out of his shadows.
Ilia gasped in delight after watching this. "That was amazing! Link told me about you, but I didn't understand the shadows thing until now."
"Oh? What else did he say about me?" Midna's tone was curious, but there was a slight edge to it.
The young woman smiled to reassure her. "Nothing bad, don't worry. I can tell he likes you. And now that I've met you, I think I like you too. You're kind of cute."
That comment made Midna laugh. "I don't normally look like this. Normally I'm as tall as a Gerudo and have the kind of beauty that bards write sonnets about." That made Ilia laugh, and Link rolled his eyes dramatically. The imp floated closer to Ilia's face, and reached out to put a small hand beneath her chin. "Let me have a good look at you. Everything looks darker when I hide in shadows." She tilted her head slightly. "Yes, you're quite pretty, aren't you? Just like he is." This comment made Ilia turn pink, although he wasn't sure if it was from the compliment, or the reference to his own looks.
"All right, stop trying to win her over with compliments." he said.
Midna put a hand next to her mouth as if she was going to whisper a secret to Ilia, but spoke in a faux whisper that Link could clearly hear. "He was grumpy when I told he was easy on the eyes too. Either he doesn't like compliments, or he's jealous of you."
"Midna!"
The Twili laughed, and Ilia laughed with her. Oh well, at least they got along fine, even if it was currently at his expense.
"Link told me you had a sense of humor." Ilia said. "I think you're a good match for him. I'm glad you're his partner. Please be sure to take good care of him, okay?"
Midna bowed. "I've been doing that since I found him. Don't fret, Link is safe at me." She smiled her fanged grin at Ilia, and then moved to say something quietly in her ear that he couldn't hear. Ilia put a hand to her mouth and then looked back at Midna, her expression unreadable. The Twili continued to smile. "Don't worry about it." She floated back to Link. "All right, time to go. Which place are we going, Ordon or Faron?"
"Ordon. I know it's selfish, but I want to see Rusl's baby girl before I find this next mirror shard." This made Midna chuckle at him. "What's so funny now?"
This time she wasn't making fun of him, and her smile was fond. "You, as usual. You really like kids."
"Of course I like kids. They're cute and innocent." She knew that he liked kids. He generally took the time to see the Ordonian children whenever he was in Kakariko.
She floated up and patted his cheek. "You big softie. Did I tell you that you're a real sweetheart? Because you're a real sweetheart." She turned to Ilia, who looked like she was thinking about something intently. "You'll be the only one in Kakariko who has seen this, other than Renado. It might look a little weird, but don't worry. The spell doesn't hurt us."
Ilia was drawn out of whatever thoughts she was working through, and raised her face to look at the two of them. "Wait." She stepped forward. "Let me say goodbye."
"Ilia, I'm not going to be gone that long. This shard is probably the easiest one to get…" He stopped talking when she took one of his hands in both of hers.
She looked up at him, her green eyes intense. There was emotion behind those eyes, the one he had been seeing here and there once she remembered her life in Ordon, and the one he remembered her having before they were attacked at the spring. It was a look of warmth, just for him. "I needed to tell you...that you weren't an idiot yesterday."
He stared at her and felt his heart begin to thud in his chest, unsure of what to say in response. He opted to say nothing, and let Ilia keep talking.
"You were fine." she added softly. "If anything, I'm the idiot for not talking to you about it. So...let's talk about it soon. Then maybe I can give you a better response." She let his hand go and stepped back again to give them space. "Come back safe."
He continued to look at her, feeling both stunned and elated. A smile slowly crept cross his face, at the revelation that his instincts were right, and she did have feelings for him regardless of her amnesia. He wanted to talk to her about it right now, but he knew that his trip to Faron was far more important than his own personal needs. She returned his smile, and an understanding passed between the two of them.
Midna gave one of her characteristic snorts. "All right, you two. We're going. See you later, Ilia."
Link was still smiling at Ilia when the world dissolved into blackness.
The staccato tune played out as the sunny spring in Ordon formed around them, the air far warmer and more humid than it was in Kakariko. The runes on the rocks lit up even in the sunlight, the Light Spirit responding to his presence as always. He didn't even feel all that dizzy this time, since his mind was so distracted by what Ilia had just told him.
"All right." Midna said, putting her hands on her hips. "Are you going to explain what that was about? You two were making doe eyes at one another and she started talking in code."
"Sure." He began to walk from the spring and entered the cool shade of the woods. "But first I want to know what you were up to last night when you didn't come back."
She rolled her one visible red eye comically. "Oh, fine. I went and grumped around for a bit, and then talked to Renado for a while after that. I got over it before too long, but by the time I came back you were already asleep." She floated backwards in front of him as he walked, reclined with her arms behind her large head. "So, why aren't you an idiot?"
Link didn't feel embarrassed talking about the subject in front of Midna, unlike he had in front of Ashei earlier. "Ilia wanted to talk to me, and we had a conversation. Just a regular one, like we always used to. Then she asked me what happened to my face, and touched my lip." He shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal, when it was most certainly a big deal to him. "And then without thinking about it, I kissed her."
"Oh, finally. Took you long enough. Did you make sure to mess up her hair a little bit?"
"It wasn't that kind of a kiss." It could have been though, if he had decided to make it that way. Just because Telma's loud laughter startled the two of them didn't mean that they couldn't have kept going. "I just kissed her hand." He could feel that he was sweating in the hot Ordonian sun already, despite passing under the dappled shade of trees here and there. He was glad he decided to not wear his brown cloak for this trip. "I was going to say I was sorry, but I didn't feel sorry. So I told her that I was an idiot instead."
Midna sighed and came right up into his face, causing him to stop walking. "Link! You are so ridiculous with this girl! I know you've had some opportunities with her. Shad told me about that little date you two had in the apple orchard. Just stop being such a good boy for once and give her a real kiss. Stick your tongue in her mouth or something."
That comment made him turn red, although he should have expected something like that coming from Midna. He walked around her without comment, not willing to fall for the bait, if that's what it was. At times Midna seemed genuinely concerned about his happiness, and that included his relationship with Ilia. Other times he felt like he was the butt end of a joke. He could hear her mocking laughter behind him, and he began to scowl as he walked. Even though he didn't see her do so, he could sense when she merged with his shadows.
Her voice was in his ears when she spoke. "I know we want her memory back so she can help you, but she can still help you this way too. If you're happy, then you'll be able to focus on what we need to do far better than you have been. I know you don't talk about it much, but admit it: you think of her often. I can tell."
He had nothing to say in reply to that.
"At this point in time, it doesn't matter if her memories of you are there or not." she continued. "We still have a lot to do before you get to the point where you can take your life back. You're in love with the woman anyway. If you can have something with her, then you ought to go for it."
"Is that what you were talking to her about? Were you telling her that I'm in love with her, with me standing there?" The idea made him angry. She had better not have ruined that for him.
"Sometimes girls have secrets, but no. That wasn't what I said to her, so don't worry your pretty blonde little head." Midna giggled, and her laughter was starting to really get on his nerves. "Sometimes you need to trust me and not get all hot and bothered about things." That was the pot calling the kettle black after last night, but he decided to say nothing else. He was done talking about this subject.
When he passed through the woods and into the open fields of Ordon, his eyes immediately went to his house. He missed his home, even though it wasn't anything special. Link was giving some thought to retrieving some of his own books to keep at Kakariko for the time being when he saw movement up the hill. A group of figures stood or sat clustered around his house, all with red or orange hair. The Gerudo were camping in his house.
As he climbed the hill, the details of the Gerudo became clearer as he approached. The warriors lounged around with weapons, sitting beneath trees or standing in groups. It honestly wasn't too different than how he saw them when he first entered Hida's fortress. A few of them hailed him when they noticed him walking towards them, and although he could recognize some faces, he couldn't put names to them. He had met so many people in the past month it was getting hard to keep them straight.
One face he did recognize was Sumati's. She sat at the base of the massive tree stump that held his house, reading what appeared to be one of his books. Apparently she could not only speak Hylian, but read it as well. Her massive axe lay on the grass beside her. Like the other Gerudo, she kept her weapon close, and even though the group of them looked like they were lazing about, he knew that they would be able to spring into action in an instant.
Sumati raised her face from the pages of the book and grinned through blue-painted lips. She stood up to greet him. "Nice house." she said in place of a hello. "But your bed is small."
He laughed at both her lack of a proper greeting, and at her commentary about his bed. "Why am I not surprised you're squatting in my house? And reading my books?"
"And drinking your tea, and eating those purple preserves you had, and cooking in your kitchen, and shitting in your outhouse." She smiled and bent down to pat at his left leg, above where his wound from the giant centipede was. "I saved your life, so I doubted you'd mind."
Link looked around at the gathered warriors, who appeared unconcerned that they were on his property. It wasn't like he really hated them being there, since he wasn't using his house at the moment. It would have been nice if somebody had asked him first, however. It also would have been nice if they hadn't eaten his blackberry preserves, if that wasn't a joke on Sumati's part; Ilia had helped him make that. "So this is where you're stationed?"
Sumati closed the book, and he could see the title on the spine. It was a book about local plants. He imagined it would be interesting to somebody who grew up in a place with few plants at all. "Some of us. Others are down at the far end of the valley where you keep your goats and cows since our horses are there, and then the rest are with Petyr's men up in Faron where some of the Hylians have settled. This is the best spot, though." She gestured at the view of the fields and the village down the hill from where Link's house was situated. "You have a good view here. It's a good place to watch for trouble. You chose well when building your house here."
"I didn't choose it, and I have no idea who built it. Bo didn't want me to be too close to his daughter, so he moved me here to the edge of Ordon." he admitted.
"Ha!" Sumati laughed and clapped him on the shoulder as hard as always. It made him stumble a bit. "With how popular you are with women, I can't blame him! After seeing the other men here, I can say you're the best-looking one. Although some of those soldiers aren't too bad. Some of my warriors have made propositions, and I'm sure there's been a few couplings by now, but I don't know if anything will come of it yet. Here's hoping. If we can have Hylian warriors paired up with Gerudo warriors, our daughters will be strong."
Of course she'd say that. Even when on duty to protect the Hylians, the Gerudo were still thinking of marrying and having children. At least in Ordon and Faron, they'd have a better chance than they would in Lakeside. "I can't stay and chat." Link said. "I'm after a piece of the Mirror of Twilight that isn't too far from here. It's in Faron, to the northwest. I wanted to visit Rusl and Uli first, though. Petyr came into Kakariko this morning and told me that they had a baby girl."
"You spoke to him this morning? That means that you and Midna used a portal to get here. I saw two of them in the area so far, and I could tell that they belonged to her. It's the color...same color she has on her arms and legs." At least Sumati understood how he traveled so quickly.
"Yeah, those are my portals." Midna piped up, having been silent so far. "Oh, and Petyr's going to stay in Kakariko. As it turns out, his wife was in the group of refugees Link brought there." She giggled. "Honestly, to see a tough guy like that turn into a big loving teddy bear was the cutest thing." And she picked on him for being romantic?
"He said he was going to Kakariko to help you...I mean, help Link. If there wasn't anything for him to do, he was going to come back to Ordon. I'm glad he has a reason to stay there and be happy." Sumati sat back down on the grass and opened the book again. "Go about your business. I'm going to be here reading all your books and eating all your food."
Link walked back down the hill and followed the road through the fields, and towards the collection of buildings that marked the unofficial center of their community. As he looked to the fields, he noticed both familiar and unfamiliar faces. The Ordonians waved to him or called out his name, and he responded to be polite. The Hylians did not and watched him pass silently, or talked among themselves. To the Ordonians he was Link, the young man who tended to the goats and helped Rusl on patrol, and they likely had no idea what he had been doing. To the Hylians, he was the Hero of Hyrule, the one who pulled the Master Sword, and they knew nothing about him herding goats. After the two different groups standing in the same fields watched him go past he knew that was going to change. They would undoubtedly speak to one another about him.
The center of town had a collection of tents surrounding it, similar to the ones that had popped up around Kakariko. He took the left path that led him over the small tributary that joined the nearby Floria River, and the waterwheels that slowly turned from it. Rusl's house looked the same, although it was strange to not see the smith outside working as usual. He walked up to the front door and opened it to step inside.
Inside were strangers, seated around the table. There was a young woman, a small child and an elderly man. They all jumped since he startled them when he entered the single-room building. First they looked angry or annoyed that a stranger would just walk in, but then their eyes widened when they recognized him. "You are not Rusl." he said, stating the obvious, thrown off-kilter.
The older gentleman relaxed, realizing the mix-up. "No, hero. He and his wife moved into the mayor's house to give us a place to live for the time being." The man called him "hero" yet had no idea that Rusl was the one who raised him to adulthood. And here he was in Rusl's home.
Gerudo in his own house, Hylians in Rusl's, and city dwellers working the fields. Ordon was far more different than he expected. "Ah. Well, thank you. If you'll excuse me…" He was about to turn to go, but the child tugged on his tunic, having walked right up to him when he entered the house.
"Are you a hero?" the boy asked. He was around three years old, with dirty bare feet.
Link got down on one knee to look at the child on his level. "Some people say that, but I'd rather they call me Link."
The boy reached out to touch one of Link's earlobes. "You got earrings." It was just like small children to talk about whatever drew their attention at the moment. The little boy was adorable.
He smiled. "Yes, I do."
"That sword's purple and yellow." The child's attention had moved from Link's earrings to the long sword on his back. "Do you kill bad guys with it?"
Link shook his head, patient with the boy. "No, I don't kill people. I only kill monsters, and only when I need to."
"You got a boo-boo?" The child touched Link's face with his small fingers, prodding at the cut on his right cheek. "Do you want some peaches? Mama's got lots." This comment made the two adults at the table laugh a little.
"No thank you. I need to go find my friends. It's been nice talking to you." He stood up.
"Bye, Link." said the little boy, and then he went and climbed into what presumably was his great-grandfather's lap. The two adults smiled at Link and his exchange with the child. He ducked out quietly, leaving the family to their temporary home.
"What is it you like about little kids, anyway? That boy was grubby, and he poked your face and ears." Midna's voice seemed slightly offended, even though it wasn't her face or ears that got poked.
"Little kids are like that. They're too young to understand what's rude or unacceptable, so you need to be patient with them." He walked back down the road and towards the middle of town.
"I just don't get it. Older kids are fine, but I'm not comfortable around the little ones." Hearing her say that wasn't surprising. While she seemed fine with Colin and Luda, she had commented that Malo was a brat.
"Don't you plan on having kids one day?" He knew that in his life, kids were inevitable. If he had the blood of the previous hero in his veins, then he figured he should continue that bloodline.
"Ugh." He could picture her rolling her eyes by listening to the tone of her voice. "I suppose at some point I'll have to. Pass on the family legacy and all that."
"You make it sound like a chore."
"You don't have to grow the kid in your belly, or go through childbirth." She actually sounded disgusted at the concept. "If that isn't a chore, I don't know what is."
He decided to let her be. It was a subject they weren't going to agree on, and also a subject not worth arguing over since it was subjective. He walked through the houses, makeshift sheds and tents until he came to Bo's house. He was accustomed to knocking, as it was also Ilia's house, but right now things were different. He grabbed the door handle and pushed the door open. "Hello?" he ventured as he entered the house, speaking softly in case Uli or the baby were resting. It was a bit warm inside, since they were in the middle of an Ordonian summer, and the windows were open to let in a breeze.
Bo came out of the back room and spread his arms wide in a gesture of surprise. "Link! You've come back. Is my Ilia still in Kakariko, or did she come with you?"
"She's still in Kakariko. In fact, she was the last person I spoke to before leaving there." And what an interesting conversation it was, even if it was intentionally made vague. He shouldn't think about that right now. Midna was right, he did think of Ilia often. "But I do have some good news about her: she remembers you."
The older man's eyes lit up. "She does? Well thank the gods and spirits! I was worried about her, and was afraid she'd never remember her old man." He took a few eager steps towards Link. "What else did she remember? Surely she remembers you by now."
Link shook his head. "No, but I have my suspicions why, and why she's remembered almost everything else." He had come to see Rusl and his family, but talking to Bo about Ilia was also important, so he went and sat down in one of the wooden chairs from the table at the center of the large, round room. He had to turn the chair sideways due to the Master Sword, but by now he was used to having to sit in ways that accommodated the big blade. Bo chose a chair next to Link and looked at him, listening intently.
"First, let me tell you how she remembered things. Ilia remembered a bunch of little things while I was away from Kakariko, like the goats, the bridge over the river, picking fruit, things like that. But then she started to remember people too. She remembered Beth, but because she did she also remembered her parents and their store."
He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees, and found that his wound was no longer sore when he did that. "Those kinds of things have triggers. She remembered Beth because she was taking my measurements, and it made her remember doing the same for Beth so she could make her a dress. She remembered you because of something stupid I did." He laughed a little about it, still feeling foolish. "I got drunk."
"You? I can't picture that. You don't drink much other than a little mead at the winter solstice." Bo leaned back and crossed his arms. "But I think I know where this is going."
"If you're thinking that she helped me to bed just like she's helped you more than a few times, you'd be right. She helped me up the stairs to my room in the inn, took off my heavy gear and boots so I wouldn't wake the children, and told me to get a drink of water in the morning." He had to smile at it. "She was not happy with me. I was too stupid to notice it at the time, but I realized the next day and felt like the fool. She forgave me later, which is completely in-character for her, memory loss or not. While she was taking care of my dumb self, she suddenly remembered that she did the exact same thing for a middle-aged man more than once. I told her it was you, and she had this look on her face like something clicked. Then she remembered everything about you, and how much she loves you."
That made Bo smile warmly. His daughter still loved him even though she had lost her memory about him for a while. "I understand how it works. She remembers me because you got drunk just like I would." He chuckled. "I guess it's a good thing you drank too much. It's a shame that her doing something for you like that didn't make her remember you."
"But Bo, she can almost remember me. She described memories of doing some things that I remember too, things we did together, but she can't remember who she was with at the time. Ilia even mentioned my house, and said she had no idea who lived there, even though she remembered visiting there often. She knows it was my house because she's put two and two together. That kind of deduction is how she knows that my parents are dead. She even asked me about visiting an unfamiliar grave with someone she can't remember, knowing that it was me there, and the grave had to belong to one of my parents."
Bo uncrossed his arms and blew out a breath, shaking his head. "I don't understand. How can she remember memories that are of only you and her, but not remember you? There's something else to this strange memory loss, isn't there?"
Link frowned and stared at the floor. "There is. When I tell you this next part, let me start out by saying that Ilia is fine most of the time. She's still the same sweet, smart person, and she acts almost exactly the same as she used to whenever she speaks to me. However...there are sometimes things that cause her mind to shut down. Sometimes she faints, sometimes she cries, or starts screaming things in a panic."
He raised his eyes up to look at Bo's face, and saw the worry in the other man's eyes. "It's all right. These episodes are getting better. The thing about them is that they're all tied to me. She fainted the first time she saw me on Epona. I sang that little song to my horse, and she broke down and cried when she heard it. When I let her name slip, it made her panic. She even told me that when she looks me in the eye, she feels afraid. Not of me, but it's something else. Some terrible anxiety, like something bad is going to happen."
"Oh, lad. This must be hard on you." It wasn't out of character for Bo to show concern for him, but he hadn't expected it.
Link shrugged vaguely. "It's no picnic, but I'll endure it until she can remember me. I think I know why she behaves that way around me, and why she gets so anxious." He looked away and out the window, recalling the unpleasant memory. "It was the day Ordon was attacked. I never told you what happened other than she was injured. We both were, and it all happened within less than a minute. She was shot in the back by an arrow, and I was hit in the head a couple of times by the Bulbins. The second time I was knocked out, and I never would have woke up again if I hadn't landed in the Spirit's Spring." And if Ordona hadn't healed him.
Rusl had entered the room at some point without Link noticing, and stood leaning up against the wall, listening. "So you believe that the attack that hurt you both is why her memories of you can't return?"
He nodded. "I believe so, yeah. She doesn't remember what else happened after that, either. She's lost days of time, and only remembers wandering the Lanayru province and helping an injured Zora she found. She had helped the children escape the Bulbins, but she doesn't remember that. Somebody had treated her wound and even stitched it up, but she can't remember anything about that either. I only know about that because I had to check myself, to make sure my own memory wasn't wrong. There were stitches in her back, but she's fully healed."
Rusl put a hand to his chin, thinking. "So let's examine this from a different angle; her mind blocks you out specifically, yet she still acts the same towards you as she used to. It's as if nothing else has changed."
"Yeah. She even told me that she's frustrated that she can't remember me, because she believes me when I tell her that she's my best friend."
His mentor dropped his hand from his chin and looked at him again. "Let me ask you this: have you tried talking to her about what happened when you were attacked?"
"Yes, last night. I had just come back to Kakariko and she wanted to chat for a bit. I checked her back to see if she actually had been injured, and she wanted to know why. When I told her that she had been shot by an arrow and that I had witnessed it, she had an episode. She suddenly started breathing quickly and then...boom. She blacked out." He grew quiet, not liking the memories of her attacks, even though she insisted she was fine afterwards. "She woke up only a few minutes later, and I think it was because I tried talking to her. She asked if it was me talking, and then when I told her yes, she sat up like everything was fine. And then she said this: 'I lost a few minutes'. Her mind had completely erased me telling her that she was shot."
"Then what we need is a way to make her remember the attack, but in a way that doesn't involve the fact that she was shot. What if she remembered the other things that happened at the spring?" Rusl suggested. "Not during the attack, but before?"
Bo tugged at his short mustache, considering it. "Yes...what if she could remember the things leading up to the attack? She got Epona ready for you and took her to the spring, right? Did anything else happen?"
Link tried to remember. It wasn't that long ago, and he normally had a good memory, but his mind had fixated on the attack and not the moments that came before it. "We were talking about Talo. That's right, Talo had gone into the woods to fight off some monkeys, and brought other children with him. Some people were already looking for them, but I had decided to help, even if it meant I had to leave Ordon a bit later." He frowned, and then he remembered her shy behavior and how she had been concealing something beneath her clothes. "Ilia told me that I should come to the spring to talk to her before I left, that she had something important she wanted to talk about. I think she also wanted to talk to me without Colin there. She had something on her that she was hiding from me."
"That was likely her gift for you." Bo looked at him with his small, squinted eyes. "She had spent weeks on it, and actually made a few of them and threw them away before she got it right. It was for your eighteenth birthday, and I think she wanted it to be special. Or maybe she just wanted it to be special because it was for you."
"As much as I don't like spoiling gifts, what was it she made for me?"
"A whistle, sort of like a flute or ocarina. She knows you can't whistle worth squat, so she thought she'd make you a musical instrument that you could use to play your horse's song to call her. Ilia even figured out how to play the song so she could show you." The large man looked thoughtful. "What if the thing that causes her remember was whistle? She was going to give you a gift she made. It's a strong memory because it's important to her, so if you show it to her she'll probably remember it."
Link frowned, and then shook his head. "I haven't seen anything like that. There wasn't anything at the spring when I woke up either, other than her shoes. She doesn't have it now, and she would have remembered making it if she did. It's possible that she dropped it somewhere."
"Ah, that's a shame. I thought that perhaps if you brought it to her and asked her about it, it might bring back the things leading up to the attack. If she goes into the memory gradually instead of starting at the worst part, she might remember everything." Bo leaned forward and put a hand on Link's shoulder. "I think that she wanted to talk to you about personal things before you left. Son, I don't know if you've realized it yet, but Ilia has feelings for you...just as sure as you have feelings for her. She never spoke about it to me directly, but I can read her like a book. She would watch you all the time, and sometimes I swear she came up with excuses to be near you." He smiled. "Trust me, I've seen young men and woman awkwardly dance around one another until they get themselves sorted out. You two are no different. I've been watching you two be shy about it for years, but now that you're both grown it's different. I think she was going to make the first move."
Link turned his head to look at the hand on his shoulder, and then flickered his eyes up to Bo's face. "Can I just say that this is a really awkward conversation?" That made the other two men laugh. "But thanks for confirming what I suspected. When I say she's behaving the same as before, I mean she really is...complete with the way she acts shy around me for certain reasons." He rubbed at his face, not wanting to discuss the subject any more. "Right. So I have an idea of how to make her remember. Moving on. I came to see your little girl, Rusl. Petyr told me she was born early."
Rusl stopped leaning against the wall and straightened, his face full of pride. "Come on into the back, then. Uli is there with the baby."
Link followed Rusl into the second large round room that had one point held a sumo ring, years ago. Bo had gotten far too old to wrestle, and had been using the room for storage. It was far more tidy now, with a large bed along one wall and a woven cradle on the floor next to it. He realized that it was Bo's bed, which meant the man must have been sleeping in Ilia's. Uli was seated in the bed, propped up by pillows, nursing her new baby. Her eyes brightened when she saw he had come to visit. She put a finger to her lips, and motioned for him to come closer.
He approached and looked down at the tiny person that was wrapped in blankets. Her little eyes were shut as she suckled, and her skin was still quite pink. She had a full head of pale blonde hair. "What's her name?" he asked in the soft tone that people used around newborns.
Uli smiled down at her daughter. "Angi. It was my grandmother's name."
Link reached out and gently touched the baby's cheek with the back of his index finger. "Hello, Angi. I'm one of your big brothers. Welcome to the world."
The baby made a small sound in response to being touched, but didn't stop feeding. "She's a very hungry little girl. If she wasn't, I'd let you hold her." Uli said.
"I'm sure there will be plenty of time for that in the future. For now I'm just happy that I got to see her. I'm still doing things outside of Ordon, and I can't stay any longer." He saw Uli's disappointed face, and he put a hand on her arm. "I know. If it was up to me, I'd be back home and away from all the trouble. It's all right though, since there are a lot of new people in Ordon for you to meet. You probably haven't met all the Hylians yet, or the Gerudo that are here to protect you. They're led by a friend of mine, and I know she's a good woman."
"You made friends with a Gerudo?" Bo asked, surprised.
"I've done a lot of things that would surprise you." Link said vaguely. He still hadn't told anyone in Ordon that he was the Hero of Hyrule, and wasn't sure how Bo would take it.
Rusl gestured at Link. "Bo, look at the sword on his back. Is there anything familiar about it?"
"Doesn't he have the sword you made?" Bo circled around to examine the sword and its beautiful scabbard that were strapped to Link's back. "Wait...purple hilt? Does it have a white blade?"
Link stepped away from the bedside and drew the Master Sword, and held it in front of his face in a salute so Bo could see it. The older man's eyes went wide when he god a better look at the sword, and then he looked past its crossguard and into Link's eyes. "Link...did you pull this sword? Is this the Sword of Evil's Bane?"
He sheathed the Master Sword and gave a small nod. "I'm not the same person anymore, Bo. I've been told I'm a hero by the Light Spirits, chosen by the gods themselves. That's why I wear these green clothes. They're supposed to be the same as the ancient hero's, and he had the Master Sword too." He couldn't look at Bo as he revealed things, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. For some reason admitting that he was something that didn't belong in Ordon was justifying Bo's caution in regards to him for years. "I've helped the Gorons, the Zoras, the Gerudo, and now the Hylians as well. I've met and befriended the leaders of those races: Darbus of the Gorons, King Ralis of the Zoras, Hida of the Gerudo, and even Princess Zelda. I've fought things on my own, and fought battles with an army."
He raised his eyes back up to look at Bo, who was processing all he was saying with a thunderstruck expression. "I know I've always stuck out like a sore thumb, being the only Hylian here, and with those triangles on the back of my hand too. Fate put me here so I could become who I am now. That's why I can't stay, and why I can't bring Ilia back to you so easily. I need her to stay safe in Kakariko for now, while I go do the things I'm supposed to do." He gave a small sigh, pitying the older man, who looked stunned. "I'm sorry. I know this a lot for you to hear."
Bo turned his head to look at Rusl, and the smith nodded, confirming everything Link had said. The large man rubbed at his face wearily, and spoke in a weak voice. "The hero that these Hylians have spoken about, the one who saved them...that's you?" He suddenly looked tired. "All this time, it was you. I was picturing somebody like a knight, but instead it's the boy I took in when he was twelve." He didn't take the hand from his face. "Does Ilia know?"
"Yeah, and she's fine with it. To her, I'm still Link...even if she doesn't currently remember me." He could have gone into detail of how he needed Ilia to help him stay balanced, but it was time for him to leave. "Now that I've talked to you and met Angi, I need to go to the ruins where I drew the Master Sword to retrieve an important relic. I don't know when I'll come back." He turned to leave and began walking out of the room. It wasn't fair to Bo, and he realized that dropping all of that information in his lap was a bit much, but he couldn't stay any longer. It was already afternoon, and he needed to find that mirror shard.
"Wait." Rusl said, following him. "I'll go with you."
Link stopped and turned back to him. "You have a new baby. A father with a newborn shouldn't be poking around ruins with me."
"I want to see the place you where drew that sword. I've heard stories about it, and I want to see if they were true." The man looked determined, already having made up his mind. "If it takes me away from Uli and Angi for a day or two, so be it. Bo has been helping care for them, so they'll be in good hands. What you're doing is far more important than any of us, and I want to be part of it."
He took a few steps towards his friend and mentor, reading his expression. Rusl really believed that what Link was doing was important, and he was taking it seriously. Brent had called him "the most important person alive". From the look on Rusl's face, Link could see that the man felt the same way. "I'm doing this because you're important, not me. There are people just like you who have had their lives interrupted. People who have been killed, or turned into monsters. You've seen how it is out there. I'm not just doing this because the gods foisted it off on me, I'm doing it because the people who are trying to live their lives deserve to be able to do that. And so I can't drag you away from your life."
"It won't be for long. I need to see where the sword sleeps." He held out his hand imploringly. "Please, Link. Let me do this."
He was taken aback by the request. It was a reversal of their usual roles; normally Rusl would be in charge of things, and Link would be the one asking for permission. It was another sign that he had grown up. "All right. We'll be going into Faron, and through its enchanted forest. I don't know if we'll be fighting anything, but be prepared." He then turned to go outside.
Link stepped outside into the hot sun in front of Bo and Ilia's home, and thought of the cooler forests of Faron. Not only was it a little farther north than Ordon and wouldn't be as humid, but the deep forests had a gloom to them that the sun couldn't permeate.
Midna spoke into his ears. "Why didn't you want him to come? You were fine to bring Ashei to the Queen's Keep."
"I needed her to show me the way. Besides, Ashei doesn't have a newborn baby." He moved back onto Bo's porch to stand in the shade. The clothing gifted to him by the gods was really not made for midsummer weather.
"I can't picture her ever having one, either. Between her disinterest in men and that weird complex she has about not being touched, she'll never become a mother." Midna did have a point, and he had to agree. Picturing Ashei having a child did seem strange. Then again, she was young. There was no way to figure out what kind of woman she would be when she was twenty-five, or thirty.
"Hopefully no one will nag her about it." the Twili continued. "I've been told by certain older women things like 'Oh, you'll change your mind when you're older' or 'You'll think differently when you find the right person', like those things are certain. She might have been told things like that."
"There aren't a lot of women in her life other than Telma, and now you and Ilia. The three of you wouldn't try to tell her what to do with her life, so I doubt she's been told she needs to have children." He paused, considering it. "You were told you needed to, weren't you?"
She let out a little sigh. "Link, I already said I don't like little kids, but at the same time I have an obligation to carry on our lineage. I'm an only child, like you. My parents are dead and gone, like yours." It was just like him. He was likely correct in assuming that Midna was almost like a mirror image of him, for the Twili. Did Twili have heroes? "You mentioned that your bloodline came from the previous hero, so you're probably going to do the right thing and continue that bloodline."
"I have to admit that yes, I think it's important that I do that. But at the same time, you pretty much have to assume what my intentions are with Ilia. After a few years, children are inevitable." Even when standing in the shade, he was sweating. It was probably only a matter of time before she began to complain.
"Yes, well...there's no Ilia in my life, and nobody interests me." Her last statement was a lie and he knew it, but he didn't let on. "Yet I have an important bloodline too, which is why I feel obligated." More information surfaced, but it brought more questions to his mind. He wished she could simply tell him the truth. "Maybe I'll be like the Gerudo and find somebody handsome to be a father and not worry about anything else." she said.
"You have an important bloodline? I guess that makes sense. You're descended from a group of sorcerers, right? Is there a hero or an important figure in your family history?" Midna was silent, and did not respond to his questions. She had given him a peek into her life, but only a minuscule peek. He waited, but she remained quiet. "You're not going to tell me, are you?" he asked. She still didn't respond. Sometimes she could be so frustrating. What was it about her life that she wanted to keep hidden?
At that point, Rusl came out in his leather armor with his sword on his back. He carefully shut the door to the rounded house behind him, and stepped up to where Link waited in the shade. "You're sweating?"
"I don't know if you noticed, but it's hot even in the shade. We are sub-tropical here, after all." And he had left his cloak behind, too. "These clothes weren't made for this hot weather, so I'm cooking in them."
"I think he's trying to cook me too, which is about as unpleasant as being on him when he's sweaty." Her sarcastic tone changed into a more pleasant one. "Hello, Rusl."
"Hello, Midna." He looked at the shadow on the ground, and then at Link's clothing. "I would say it's nice to see you, but I can't tell what shadows you're hiding in."
"If she's complaining that I'm sweaty, she's probably in my hair or something. Let's get going. I'm trying to hurry." He turned to walk back up the road through the town, not waiting to see if Rusl was following him. Link thought about the discussion they had about Ilia's memory, and the theory Bo had about slowly unlocking her memories of him. If he could find some kind of trigger like the gift she made that would make her remember the hours before they were attacked, she would remember wanting to speak to him privately. That conversation was likely going to be a love confession, according to her father. He had to wonder if even if he managed to find the right trigger, would she have another episode? He would have to chance it.
As they walked through town, Rusl fell into stride with him. "Can you give me the specifics of where we're going?"
"Northwest of here...but I don't know the exact location. We'll be going west down the road near Coro's cabin, and follow the road." He made a vague gesture in the direction of Ordona's Spring. "We used Midna's power to get here, so I don't have Epona. We'll be going on foot, but at least we can teleport to Faron's Spring to save time."
"Do you mind if we go up to your house before we go? I need to ask Sumati something before we leave." The man was being polite about it, but the delays were starting to get on Link's nerves. He tried not to let his annoyance show as he walked back up the hill to his house.
Sumati watched as the two men approached, and stood up to speak to them, just as she had before. "Rusl, are you leaving with Link?"
Rusl nodded in response. "For a bit, yes. It will likely take a day. Sumati, would you be willing to go down into town to help Uli with the baby? Bo's been doing it, but he's getting older, and taking care of a little baby is tiring."
The scarred Gerudo warrior gave a smile that reminded Link of a jaguar baring its teeth. "Yes, I know. My two girls were a lot of work. They would howl and keep me up all night."
"I don't know why, but I forgot you mentioning that you had kids." Sumati had mentioned that to him, since most Gerudo were required to have children, but he didn't really picture her as a mother.
"Of course I do. Most of us try to have at least one child, if not more...remember?" She gave him a nudge and a wink. "I'm still in my thirties, so I can have at least one more. Do you want to volunteer to help me? Like I said, you're the best-looking male here, even if you're a bit on the young side."
Link groaned, feeling weary of not just another proposition from a Gerudo, but one from a friend who had respected his boundaries. "Sumati! Not you too." He sighed in disgust and frustration. "I had hoped if there was at least one Gerudo that wouldn't hit on me, it would be you."
"You're my good friend, but you're also fair game since you have all the desirable traits that we look for in mates. We're also no longer in Gerudo lands anymore, so Hida's rules don't apply here." She clapped him hard on the shoulder, as she usually did. He was prepared this time and did not stumble. "You should be flattered! We haven't had a man gain that much interest since Auru came to see us over twenty years ago."
He did not feel flattered. "I formally reject your proposition. No offense, but you're about twice my age. I already have someone too."
"Too bad. Maybe we can spar sometime instead. That gets the blood pumping too." She was so nonchalant about it, just like the other Gerudo. Sumati tucked the book under her arm, clearly intent to bring it with her, and picked up her axe with her other hand. "I'll be sure to help with your little one, Rusl. There are other mothers here that would be happy to help as well, so you need not worry. Go off and do the things you need to do." She then turned and started walking down the hill towards Ordon village proper.
Link watched her go with something of a sour expression. Sumati, of all people. He had assumed she probably wasn't married, but he didn't think she'd ever proposition him like that. He could feel Rusl's eyes on him, and turned to glare at his mentor. "Quiet."
The man's face was calm and patient, but his blue eyes were amused. "I didn't say anything."
It wasn't long before they were on their way to the spring, walking through the cooler shade of the Ordon Forest. "Will you be ready to teleport us, Midna?"
The Twili didn't appear, but spoke so that Rusl could hear her as well. "Sure, it shouldn't be too hard for me. What about you? Are you sure you want to risk puking again? It isn't that long of a walk, if I remember right."
Link gave a sour grunt. He really didn't want to be reminded of the time he vomited after teleporting too much, especially in front of Rusl. Thankfully, the man hadn't said anything, likely understanding that Link would be self-conscious about it. "I think I'll be fine. My stomach isn't a concern if we can shave a few hours off the trip. As it is, it'll probably take about three hours to get there from Faron's spring, maybe even longer. We may have to travel in the dark if the shard in the temple takes more time than expected."
"Link." Midna clicked her tongue. "Did you forget that I teleported you from the Temple of Time after you got the Master Sword? It wouldn't be all that much harder to do with Rusl along. Whenever we're done, I can send us back to this spring."
He had forgotten. At the time, the Master Sword had been trying to join with his mind and sift through his memories, and he had many places to go that day with far too many distractions. "You can't teleport us right there though, right? Teleporting from a big group of ley lines is one thing, but not possible in the other direction, correct?"
The Twili made a pleased sound. "You remembered that little magic lesson! Yes, which means it's a one-way trip. Since you're in a hurry, any shortcuts will help us."
Rusl had to ask a question that he had probably been wondering about. "Why are you in such a hurry? You should know not to rush into things recklessly. That always got you in trouble in the past." Leave it to Rusl to follow a question with fatherly advice.
"I need to hurry. Castle Town fell days—no, a week ago, and I have no idea what Ganondorf is up to. So far the Bulbins have attacked Faron and Kakariko once, but I don't think anyone will be able to stand up to the Shadow Beasts if he sends them to attack. I doubt he's content to sit there and gloat. What I learned about him from history and the Sages is that he was very ambitious. He had his revenge, but I doubt he's satisfied with that alone. There's Holodrum, Faron and the Bay Zoras, Hamar Tundra, The Free Lands...and then an entire continent across the ocean. He has an army that doesn't need to eat or sleep, and follows orders without question. I need to stop him before he invades anywhere else." He had these thoughts before, when he had ridden to Castle Town before it fell. If Ganondorf was willing to invade Hyrule, he would be willing to invade other places.
Yet he wasn't sure why Ganondorf wanted to invade Hyrule in the first place. Was it to take over green lands and abandon the desert? Simple conquest from a megalomaniac?
He knew of the Sacred Realm, and the Triforce. That is what drew him to Hyrule.
He wondered how the sword would have this information, but then recalled that the Sages had mentioned that Ganondorf wanted to invade the Sacred Realm. He had succeeded at one point, but then what? He had wound up with only Power instead of the whole Triforce. The other two pieces wound up bonding to the Zelda and Link of the time…
Link suddenly stopped walking as it dawned on him. Ganondorf had Zelda's body. That meant that he had two pieces already: Power and Wisdom. That only left one piece, and the Demon King knew exactly who had it. Rusl came to stand next to him. "Is something wrong?"
"It's me." Link breathed, now aware of what Ganondorf was doing. He looked down at his left hand and touched the back of it with his fingertips, where the mark for Courage lay beneath his glove. "Ganondorf is waiting for me. He isn't going to conquer anything until he gets the last piece of the Triforce. He already has Power and Wisdom, so all he has to do is wait for Courage to come to him."
Midna appeared and then put her small hands on his left one, over the crest. "If that's the case, don't you think he'll wait for you?"
"I don't know. He may tear Hyrule apart looking for me." A frightening thought crossed his mind, and he briefly felt panic. "He might come when I'm near the people I care about, and hurt them."
The little imp gently put a hand to his cheek, as she always did when trying to comfort him. "I don't think he's omnipotent like that, Link. If he was able to find you that easily, he would have done so already. He's still just a man, like you."
Link looked into her red eye, wishing he had the same confidence. Ganondorf was still frightening to him, even though he knew that one way or another he would confront and defeat him. He had to. The alternative was far too grim. Yet he had seen Ganondorf die in the memory Rauru shared with him on top of the Arbiter's Grounds. Yes, the Demon King had been revived by Power, but he had died from a sword through the heart, like anyone else would.
Midna was right; the Gerudo was still a man. He didn't have the resources to find where Link was now, any more than he did when he had the Bulbins and Shadow Beasts raiding the countryside weeks ago. And now given little option, the other man sat in Hyrule Castle to wait. It was all he could do for now.
He exhaled a breath and relaxed, calming some. "You're right. He doesn't know where I am right now. He could have transformed the Hylians and commanded his army from anywhere, but he chose to put himself in the castle behind that barrier." He considered that line of thought. "But he wanted me to see that he's there, and not confuse him with Zant. He…" The line of thought became disturbing. "Midna, you say he can't see me everywhere, but he might be able to see what's around the castle. The Shadow Beasts didn't tear down that wall until I had failed to convince General Scot to evacuate. It happened minutes later."
"I don't think he overran Castle Town at that moment just to mess with your head." Midna patted his cheek. "Don't overthink it. He could have had the army attack as soon as you were in the middle of town, if he really wanted to mess with you. He's sitting there on his butt, waiting for you to come to him, because you have Courage."
There is merit to what Midna is saying, Master Link. Ganondorf could be cruel, but he was also a very intelligent and logical man. What happened in Castle Town was coincidence.
"If you and the sword are telling me that he didn't time that just to taunt me, then I'll have to believe it." Except that he didn't. It couldn't have been coincidence, because it was far too perfect timing. It was best to let the subject drop for now. "So he's waiting for me. Let him wait. He can sit there until his rear end gets sore for all I care."
Midna withdrew from where she was next to his face and hovered nearby. "So then, are you still intent on hurrying? Or should we relax just a bit?"
He perked an eyebrow at her. "Are you kidding? After that exchange with Ilia this morning, and the discussion I had with Bo this afternoon, I'm dying to talk to her again." Link shrugged. "And I suppose being the hero and having to rebuild the Mirror of Twilight sooner than later may have something to do with it."
The imp laughed. "Come on, gentlemen. Let's go to Faron."
The walk from Faron's Spring to the clearing at Coro's cabin took about twenty minutes, far less time as the last time he had come through the area. He and Rusl were both in excellent shape and could maintain a brisk walk, and made good time. Rusl took the teleportation well, not alarmed or dizzy in the least, very much how Ralis was. He had smiled after he saw how they had traveled so far in a matter of seconds, but didn't ask any questions about it. The man's reaction to magic was pragmatic; he didn't understand it, but since it existed he accepted it at face value.
As they neared the clearing, Link could hear sounds: the babble of voices, the clink of metal on metal, a spoon scraping on a pot. He could see the collection of tents made of various blankets, tarps and whatnot through the trees, a motley array of temporary dwellings.
It wasn't long before they were walking through the camp with the eyes of the Hylians on them. No, their eyes were on him specifically. The Hylians remembered Rusl as the man who brought them to Faron, but it was the Hero of Hyrule who saved them. He was the one who protected them on their journey, made sure they were fed, gave them instructions, and led them with his lantern held high to provide them with a guiding light in the dark night. He hoped that the Hylians who settled in Faron would start to see him as a person, much like the new residents of Kakariko had, but he hadn't had a chance to spend very much time with them.
"Lively here, isn't it?" Midna said from within his shadows, interrupting his thoughts. "It's a temporary town, but it works for now. At least they have a place to sleep."
He looked around at the camp. These people were behaving normally, no longer in shock or grief. If they were grieving, they weren't showing it. Among the Hylians were some of Petyr's soldiers, and some Gerudo warriors as well. These people were protected, and if things got too dangerous, they could follow the road south to Ordon, or simply melt into the trees of Faron Forest.
"Let's go right to the gate. With any luck, it won't be locked up anymore." he said, not wanting to bother Coro. The man liked to talk, and Link didn't want to take the time to stand around and chat.
As it turned out the archway had the gate swung wide, and tall Gerudo warrior stood idly by the arch, leaning on her spear. She straightened when she saw them approach, and waved at them excitedly. "You're here!" Rennie said when they came up to her. "And look, I'm here too."
Link grinned at her. "I can see that. Auren told me you were down here with Sumati. Are you in charge of the Faron group?"
"I am, along with Sergeant Hanson." She laughed her girlish giggle and leaned in towards him to speak excitedly. "Link, he likes me! And he's as tall as I am, with very lovely blue eyes. After we fought together to defeat the raiders, the two of us hit it off."
"Ah yes, love blooming on the battlefield. It's the thing of fairy tales." He smiled. "Seriously though, I'm happy for you, Rennie. If he's one of Petyr's men, then I'm certain he's a good catch."
"Thank you." She stood up straight again but still somewhat idly, even though she was still technically on duty. "What brings you over here? Did you come to visit me?"
"As much as I like to see you, we came here to go through this gate and into the woods. I know you're guarding the place, but I'm allowed in, right?" He assumed as such, but it was still polite to ask.
Rennie nodded. "Oh, of course. I've only seen some birds and small animals, but Coro said that people shouldn't go into the west woods because it's haunted. What's in there?"
"The place where I found the Master Sword, is what. People are supposed to stay away because there's a curse deeper in the woods to keep people out. You can get lost and wander until you die." He looked over at the camp of Hylians, and then back to the tall Gerudo. "Don't tell anyone that the Master Sword was found near here, okay? If anybody wonders why they're not allowed in these woods, tell them that they're haunted just like Coro says."
The Gerudo nodded, her hoop earrings swinging. Even though he had mentioned that people got lost in the woods, she had already assumed that he would be fine and didn't question it. "All right. Whatever you're doing in there, good luck."
He gave her a small wave and a smile, and then led Rusl through the archway and down the forest path. Rusl followed, eventually falling into step with him. Once they were some distance away from Rennie, he spoke. "You really did earn the respect of the Gerudo, didn't you?"
"I like to think I made friends with them first." Link looked around, waiting for familiar landmarks to pass by. This was the third time he walked through here in the past month. "Rennie was actually my guard. Some women were a bit too aggressive in their pursuit of me, so Chief Hida assigned Rennie to me to make sure nobody would try anything. She's one of their strongest warriors, so the others won't mess with her. It wasn't that I couldn't defend myself, it was more that Hida didn't want a Hylian beating up her warriors."
"Which he was going to do, if I hadn't pretended to be a Gerudo." Midna said in an amused tone. "These two drunk idiots tried breaking down his door, and Link got pretty angry about it. I spoke in Gerudo and told them that they'd better take a hike or I'd break their legs."
Rusl laughed, enjoying the story. "That was some quick thinking on your part, Midna. Although that story makes me wonder what else happened in the Gerudo desert."
"Oh boy, you have no idea what we've been up to." the Twili said, still lingering in Link's shadows despite the cool of the forest. "Maybe I should start at the beginning. I found him locked up in Hyrule Castle, transformed into a wolf. I know that sounds weird, but Courage did that to protect him and prevent him from being trapped as a spirit."
"Which wasn't the most ideal form, because I wasn't able to do much at first." Other than a better sense of smell and better hearing, his first time as a wolf had him feeling helpless.
"He really couldn't." Midna said. "He was chained to the floor, crying. It was so strange to see an animal cry like a human, that I had to go investigate."
"Do you really have to mention the crying part?" Link said, slightly pained. He knew that Rusl wouldn't think any less of him, but the fact that he had been so emotional for the past month was still frustrating.
"I do, because that's the reason why I approached you in the first place. When I saw your eyes I realized you were like me, a human stuck in a different form." She then addressed Rusl, even though she wasn't physically looking at him. "I didn't trust Link at first, and he didn't trust me either, so we didn't have a good start together. Over time we learned that we can rely on one another, and that eventually led us to where we are now." The Twili paused. "Rusl, we haven't told anyone about what we did in the Twilight. I think you ought to be the guy we share the tale with."
Midna then began telling Rusl of what the Twilight was, how it imprisoned people and animals as spirits, and how she and Link recovered the fragments of the Light Spirits to restore their power in order to drive back the Twilight. The two of them took turns, covering everything from Death Mountain up until retrieving the Master Sword. Then Link explained how things went in the desert and how he had quickly earned the trust of the Gerudo. Even though he had already told the man part of what happened in the Arbiter's Grounds, he hadn't mentioned the undead. This time he told him of how he had to destroy them with the Master Sword to free their souls, and mentioned that seeing them somehow tricked his mind into believing he was trapped in Kasuto.
Rusl listened, asking many questions. As the three of them talked, Link began to notice movement along the bases of trees or in the underbrush. Now that he knew what to look for, he could see the little tree creatures following them. Midna and Rusl were talking about the Lanmola and how he recovered when he saw a creature with an aspen leaf for a face.
"I see you, Penni." He remembered the names of two of them, at least: Penni and Fil.
"How does he see us?!" came a harsh whisper from the woods to his right.
Midna appeared then, looking around. "Are they following us again? I admit I wasn't looking when I was telling the story."
"They are and have been for about a half an hour-" he began, but then suddenly there was a bunch of voices talking at once.
"Look, it's her! It's the friend!"
"She was riding on the wolf's back, right?" Fil's voice said. "Wait, does that mean he's the wolf?"
"He's wearing green! The hero!"
"Hero! Hey hero!"
"Mr. Pretty Wolf Man!" Fil said. He never figured out that Link did not like that name.
"I was the wolf, and now look at what's on my back. I have the sword now." He endured another round of excited babbling. "I know this forest is supposed to be protected, but this man with me is a good friend and would never cause trouble here." He figured he should explain why Rusl was along.
Fil appeared, hovering in the air as he clung to his rapidly-rotating leaf. He kicked his spindly little branch-legs. "Mr. Pretty Wolf Man-"
"Please don't call me that." he interrupted the creature, and then smirked at Rusl. "These are the little creatures that escorted me through here when I needed to get the Master Sword."
Rusl's expression was one of wary confusion. He stared at the young man, every once in a while blinking in surprise. "...Link? There's nothing there."
Link stopped walking, which caused his mentor to stop as well. "You can't see them?"
"No?" The smith looked around the forest that extended into gloom around them. "Is there something here?"
"Normal people can't see us, Mr. Pretty Human Man." said Fil. His new nickname for Link wasn't any better than the old one. "Only people with the right kind of magic can. Grandpa made it that way so we'd stay safe."
"I'm a little disappointed. These little guys are cute, and I think Rusl would like them." Midna shrugged. "Oh well. It's nice to see you all again, at least...even if our friend is unable to see you."
A group of the little creatures crowded around Link's legs, looking up at him through their leaf masks with their little black eyes. "Oh. Well I'm going to hope he believes me." he said, eyeing the forest spirits that clustered around him.
Penni stood on the ground to his right. "I can make it easy so he knows we're here." He waddled to the edge of the trail and picked up a mossy stick. Then he boldly walked up to Rusl and prodded the man in the leg with it.
Rusl recoiled from the stick like it was a snake.
"It's all right, he's not going to hurt you." Midna assured him. "But do you at least see what he's doing, even if you can't see him?"
"I…" The smith wearily rubbed at his eyes. "Yes, I do. It wasn't that I doubted you two, it's simply that I know next to nothing of magic. Whenever it happens, I'm clueless."
Penni tugged on the hem of Link's green tunic. "Mr. Hero, can you please tell your friend that we can see he isn't a bad guy, so he's safe as long as he's with you. But he can't wander off the path or away from you, otherwise he'll get lost and turn into a Stalfos."
He dutifully repeated what the creature said, and Rusl assumed a worried expression. "I could turn into a monster? That's horrible. I thought people got lost and died here." The man assumed a pragmatic expression. "Well then, let's continue on. I promise I'll stay close." That last statement seemed like it was for the little creatures.
"Okay, Friend." Fil said, hovering in the air next to Midna. "Can you keep telling the story about the big bug that tried to eat him?"
They continued on, but now with an escort. Midna found it was difficult to tell the story because the little creatures kept interrupting her, and she began to lose her patience. They were ascending the familiar hill that led to the ruins ahead when Midna made a frustrated sound. "Do you want to hear this story or not?"
"Oh no, Friend is mad!" one of the creatures squeaked.
"She's not mad, but if you want to hear a story, you need to be quiet and listen." Link told the creatures gently, as if he was speaking to small children. Which he felt that he was, in a way. "I can't tell this part of the story because I wasn't awake. Be good and listen to Midna when she's talking, all right?"
The story continued without interruptions, until they reached the tumbled-down walls that marked the border of the ancient city. Rusl looked at them and made no comment, having been quiet for this leg of the journey. The mossy flagstones of the ruined road stretched on ahead into the verdant gloom of the enchanted woods. Once Midna stopped telling her story, he spoke. "This looks like a town. I don't know what this place is. Do you?"
"From what I know of history, it's the old Castle Town. It was destroyed in the Gerudo War." Link stopped when he realized the little creatures weren't following them into the ruined city. "Are you not coming along again?"
"No. This time there was a mean guy here instead of the one cursed by the forest, and he's so much more scary. We don't want to go in there in case he's still around." Penni waved his little stick arm. "It's been nice seeing you, Mr. Hero and Friend!"
There was a swirl of leaves that kicked up in a breeze, and the little creatures were gone, disappearing abruptly just as they had the previous time. They also had left before he could ask them what they meant about a mean guy. "A mean guy? Last time it was that little creature, but they said it's not him this time. Something else is here, so we should be careful." Link continued on his way, following the path through the dead city. "Anyway, as I was saying...this place was destroyed two hundred and fifty years ago, but luckily King Nathaniel and Princess Zelda escaped. Many people did not."
"And then they simply let the woods of Faron creep north to bury it all?" Rusl shook his head. "How sad. All that remains here are ruins."
"And the Temple of Time. It's had to remain, if it's where the Master Sword belongs." He walked around the ruined fountain in what was once the center of the city, its bowl-shaped base still holding a bit of rainwater. "It doesn't feel right for this sword to sit here in these ruins. It has a soul, you know. It talks to me, tells me important things, and even has shown me little bits of its memories. I don't like the idea of it being left here alone."
If you are concerned for me, then I must assure you that I am not lonely. I do not feel emotions as you do, Master. the sword informed him. I sleep when I am not needed, as my revised programming was designed to do. Whether I sleep in a building or out in the open does not matter, as only one soul is ever worthy of drawing me. I cannot be destroyed, so I am in no danger.
Rusl looked at the hilt of the legendary weapon. "Was the sword speaking to you just now? I thought I saw the gem on it shine with just a bit of light right now."
"Yes. Other people have noticed that too, so I figured there was some kind of visual indication of when it's talking. It was telling me to not worry about leaving it here one day, since nobody can destroy it, and only the hero can draw it. If anyone else tries to pull it out, they'll die." He frowned, remembering when he pulled the sword. "Now that I think about it, it felt as if something was taken from me when I drew it. I felt tired, but I figured that it was due to me recovering from Zant's curse and everything that happened at the bottom of Lake Hylia before that. I guess I was actually tired from the sword itself. It's like it used me to fuel it to wake up, or something." It was an educated guess.
Not quite, Master, but close. I drain the life energy of all who attempt to pull me, including you. The only difference is your soul is pure, and thus is strong enough to withstand it. You felt fatigue because of what I had taken from you, but I did not need your energy to awaken. I hope this information does not upset you. It is not my intention to harm you.
Link considered what the sword told him. It drained his energy too? He hadn't noticed, but that explained why he slept so deeply that night, with only the sword in his mind instead of dreams. He considered how many times things had drained his energy: Courage protecting him from the Twilight, drawing the Master Sword, using it to dispel evil in the Arbiter's grounds, and using it and Courage together to stop Sumati's transformation. He continued to use magic without actively thinking about it, his body reacting in order to do what he needed to accomplish, just like his physical abilities had increased for the same reason. Could he tap into that power within himself on his own? Could he use it to bolster his own strength when facing Ganondorf?
His thoughts were interrupted by Rusl, who stopped in front of the ruined Temple. "This building is amazing. Look, you can still see a little of the stained glass left here and there. I have to wonder what happened to the roof, if it didn't collapse inside." The man started to walk up the steps leading into the Temple, but then stopped at the top of them in surprise.
A large bird stood in the ruined doorway of the Temple of Time. Link thought it to be a gold pheasant at first, but he could see how bizarre it was once he got closer. It had a human head. A bald, earless, human head with a bird's round red eyes, marked with fine mottled green and red feathers along the sides of its scalp in place of hair. The creature was about the size of a cucco, perhaps a bit larger, but its feathers were nothing like one at all. Most of its body was covered in sleek golden feathers, but its neck and chest were bare pale skin, much like its head. It had a pair of bare breasts, which was a strange thing for a bird to have considering what breasts were for, and the nipples were covered by patches of green feathers.
It looked at Rusl with its red eyes, blinking them once with a nictitating membrane instead of its regular eyelids before fixing its gaze on Link. Then it spoke with a woman's voice in perfect Hylian. "So that's what happened to the Master Sword! I had been concerned when I found it missing, but here you are! Young man, are you the current hero?"
