I don't own anything to do with Zelda.

A week had passed since Nabooru's gloomy question. The castle's defenders had managed to hold out, though their chances of surviving another week were slim. The castle walls had been breached, and the defenders had only a few scant hours of daylight to strengthen their defenses against the ever growing horde outside. The most populous of the undead were the detested Bubbles, the only undead that could attack during the day and use fire. Cackling, they attacked any defender who dared to leave the security of the castle, no matter how suicidal their attack might be.

Morale was low, for there seemed to be no stopping the ravenous attackers. No matter how many were taken down, more replaced them. The castle's defenders had no such luck; no one magically appeared to fill in the ranks, no one broke through the lines of undead to miraculously aid the overwhelmed Hylians and their allies. In essence, they were sunk.

They needed their hero, desperately.

--

Link rapped his fingers in a quick pattern; he was nervous. He wanted to know what was happening in the present day, and yet he did not. This mixed feeling made him feel guilty at times, though he could not help it. Lately though, the guilt had been replaced by nervousness. What was happening? Was Zelda ok? Where did Epona run off to?

The door opened, and a head poked in.

"Impa said she got a message from the Sage of Light." Link jumped up and rushed past a surprised Aedan, who turned, quickly, to follow him.

"Wait up," he hissed. Link stopped and looked at him.

"Sure," he said finally. Aedan rolled his eyes. The two continued on their way.

"Thanks," he said dryly. Link smirked.

"So how did you get to be her messenger boy?" he teased. Aedan glared at him.

"Shut it. It allowed me to avoid those stupid advisors." Link chuckled.

"Better you than me," was all he said.

"What?" Impa asked suddenly, opening the door just as Link reached for it.

"Ummm…" Link paused, and Aedan shrugged. Impa sighed, exasperated at the two, and ushered them in. Kelvin, Izra and Izal were there, waiting for them.

"Rauru contacted me just now," she began. "He was just contacted by the Sage of Time," everyone gave a wry grin at that, "and he is going to meet us where he gave you the horse at tomorrow and take us back to our time." Impa paused, frowning when a thought came to her.

"Well, back to the time we came from," she amended. Link looked down at his feet; Izal had the same look.

We're leaving, he thought desperately, We're leaving. What will happen? Will I see them again? A thousand thoughts ran through Link's head, all despairing at the turn of events. Despite his desire to return to modern Hyrule, he suddenly did not want to leave his new found home, his family.

We have to go Link, A voice said in his mind. He looked up to see Impa staring at him. Time is already strained; we cannot stay much longer.

He nodded; this he knew. The reality of it was one he did not want to face, though he knew he had to.

The joys of being a hero and a Sage, he through wryly. Sighing, he stood and walked over to the window.

"It won't take long to get there," he said softly. "We can leave early tomorrow morning and be there in time to catch the door."

"The what?" Impa asked, confused. Everyone else nodded, equally confused. Link looked at them, suddenly remembering that only he, as Sage of Time, knew about the doors.

"Right… Well, the doors are doors that open from one point in the time stream to another; it's how the older me got here when he's actually in the far, far future," he said as a means of explanation.

"And one of these will take us back?" Impa asked skeptically.

Link nodded, "Yeah. It will open for me. We have to get there sometime before noon tomorrow; otherwise the door will be gone. See, the doors are only there for a limited amount of time; otherwise there would be doors everywhere, and it would be far too confusing."

"Of course," Izra remarked dryly.

Link ignored her, and continued. "Time makes the doors; I have no control over them or where they lead. All I can do is open them and travel their paths."

"So, will you ever be able to come back?" Aedan asked, speaking up for the first time. Izal looked up at Link, hoping. Link sighed, leaning against the wall and looking down at his boots. How was he to answer that? He wanted nothing more than to lie and say, yes, yes I will be back. But he could not. He could not force himself to give them, and himself, that false hope.

"I don't know," he said slowly, "Time controls the doors, and unless she decides that I need to come here, there won't be a door. But," he said quickly as everyone looked at the floor in disappointment, "But, I may be able to get her to make one to come here. I don't know."

"It's all we can ask," Izal said softly, a sad smile on his face. Link nodded softly, wanting nothing more than to replace that sad smile with something happier. He had begun to realize the impact a parent's emotions and feelings had on their child; he now knew why Zelda was so worried about what her father thought; he now knew why Impa was able to guilt trip her otherwise independent children so easily. He had learned what it was like to have a parent, and he was not about to take it for granted, nor was he willing to forget the feeling. Link soon left to get ready, and Kelvin followed him.

"Do you remember that talk we had, weeks ago," he began, "When you talked of two women and a psychopath?" Link winced; he remembered all too well.

"Yeah, though only one of my problems seems to have worked itself out. Though…" he paused, thinking suddenly of where his thoughts had been drifting.

"Though?" Kelvin prodded.

"Though I think another may have begun to unravel."

"The two women?"

"I think so."

"I'm glad to hear it," Kelvin said with a smile, "It will be one less thing to think about tomorrow." With that, he nodded good bye and walked in another direction, leaving Link to his thoughts. While confused as to why his uncle had suddenly brought up the subject, he knew that Kelvin was right; he did not need to be thinking about anything other than fighting Ganon tomorrow. Still, he paused as he thought on the matter for what he hoped would be the last time that night. Was Romani more than just a childhood crush? And had Zelda changed much from who he had once known?

The next day, at dawn, goodbyes were said. As Lugh and Arin stood by, ready to go, their riders said farewell to their new found friends and family. Hugs were exchanged, and tears crept out of eyes, only to be brushed away. Half smiles were everywhere, sad ones that did not quite reach the eyes.

"May we at least learn your name, Sage?" Izal asked softly after clasping hands in the traditional Sheikah gesture of farewell with Impa. She nodded; she trusted them to keep it secret.

"Impa," she told him, "Impa 'a Jaz'win." Izra came forward, clasping hands with the Sage. Tears were in the Sheikah's eyes, though not only from the fact that her new friend was leaving. Her daughter, and Izal's heir, now bore the name 'a Jaz'win.

"Then go and be well, Impa 'a Jaz'win. May the goddesses be with you."

"Stay well," Impa said in return, "Stay well, Izra 'a Kii'han." Izra then turned to her nephew, who had just finished saying good bye to Kelvin and Aedan.

"Go and be well, Link 'al Kii'han," she said, clasping his hand, "Return if that is what is in store for you." Link nodded, his throat too choked to reply. He had been called by his family name, the name that once was terrifying and was now an honour to bear. Izra understood though, and she smiled kindly at him before moving to the side.

"Be well, my son," Izal whispered as he embraced Link.

"Be well, my father," Link replied, returning the embrace. Tears came to his eyes; he did not want to leave. The only time he had felt this way was when Zelda had asked him to hand over the Ocarina of Time, at the end of those other years. He had always been willing to move on, to explore new areas. But now, he felt differently. Something within him urged him to take his family with him and Impa through the door, to present day Hyrule. But he knew that he could not. He could not take them to the future, to the new culture and his old life. Aedan needed to stay; he was to become the Great King in the Hylian histories, and Link would not deprive him of his family. No, they had to stay while he had to leave.

I will return, he thought fiercely as he let go of his father, I will find a way to return.

Then it was over. The goodbyes had been said, and there was nothing more to be done except mount the horses and leave. Waving goodbye one last time, they then turned the horses and were soon galloping away. Link was glad for the speed; the wind would have caused tears to come to his eyes even if they had not been there before.

---

"We have less than half an hour before the sun is obscured," the exhausted general reported to the Hylian King and the Sages. "There's no way to repair the barricade sufficiently in that amount of time. I've told everyone to hunker down and be ready for the undead to come over. There is nothing else we can do." The Sages looked at each other in despair. Where was Link and Impa? What about the Sage of Time?

"Very well," Darunia said, his craggy face one of resignation. "Go back to your soldiers; we will be out there soon." Nodding, the general left.

"This is bad," Ruto hissed as soon as the door shut behind the general. "Where is Link? What about Impa and that damned Sage of Time?"

Damned? I'm so sad to hear you think of me that way Ruto, a voice echoed in their minds, including the king's.

"It's the Sage of Time," Zelda explained to her father, who looked a bit shell shocked at hearing someone talk in his head. The elderly man nodded, and managed to calm himself somewhat.

"Well, maybe if you got yourself here a little sooner we wouldn't be referring to you in such a matter," Nabooru growled. A chuckle echoed in their minds, not improving the moods of Nabooru or Ruto.

Understandable. However, the door that would allow me to come back to this time did not open until today. And I have to get there, and then get the Master Sword. I'll be at the battle, don't worry. This did not reassure them very much, though some of his words made Zelda think harder on the matter of his identity. The fact that he had to return to this time made her pause, and her talk with Dir'ath the previous week returned to her mind.

"No, I can not think of anyone, well, besides the Hero of Time that is. Maybe someone related to him? I do not think that Link would be both Sage and Hero."

"Enzaman!" She called out suddenly, before the presence left. "Enzaman, are you Link?" A chuckle was all that greeted her question, and the Sage left. Her companions looked at her in askance, until Darunia spoke up.

"It makes sense," he said slowly. "It is much more efficient for the Hero of Time to also be the Sage; then there are not two people who have command of Time."

"But why did he not awaken when we did?" Ruto demanded. Darunia shrugged.

"Because he did not need to," Nabooru hazarded. "We had seven Sages, for Ruto was still around. Also, the Sages were the ones who sealed Ganondorf, but only after Link had defeated him. We needed a hero, one who could fight."

"It's all moot now though," Ruto said sadly, "Neither of them is here, so we can't be sure. And," she looked out of the room's sole window, "And, daytime is almost over. We need to get outside and help the fighters."

"Let's go then," Nabooru stated as she stood, "Nothing will come to be by us sitting here discussing matters. Let us go and fight and we will trust in that damned Sage's words. It's all we can do." The rest of the Sages and the king stood as well.

"Let us go then," the king said, opening the door. The five of them left, going to either death or victory. Which, they did not know. But they still went.

When night fell, disaster fell too. The undead came in greater swarms than ever before, as if sensing the weakness of the defenders. While the presence of the king and the Sages bolstered the morale, it was still not enough.

The Hylian king was where the majority of the Hylian knights were. Dir'ath stood slightly behind and to the side of the king, while his daughter, Jaeh, stood on the other side. Johen, his son and Impa's heir, was with the main contingent of Sheikah, leading them until his mother returned. While his daughter fought with the short weord favoured by the Sheikah, Dir'ath fought with a longer ranged weapon. He had, over the years since his accident, managed to perfect the art of the sh'jise, the tiny, boomerang shaped weapons that some Sheikah used. They served the same purpose as the throwing stars, but these returned to the thrower, which was perfect for a fighter who, like Dir'ath, could not fight with a sword due to injuries.

His bad leg though, had been a source of contention just a few moments before they took their places besides the king. Jaeh had tried everyway she knew to keep her father in the castle, with the select group of fighters who were under orders to get the women and children to safety should the undead begin to win. She even tried to threaten him with the specter of her mother, who would be furious to know that he had joined the fight. Not to mention her mother would be furious with her if anything happened to Dir'ath. It did not work. Her father had just smiled, chuckled, and took his place on the king's left side. Jaeh could do nothing but sigh and glare at him. Her brother was already out, busy with getting the Sheikah and those fighting in their ranks into position. Her father was her headache. Once the undead had reached them though, the headache quickly disappeared. She forgot about her father, she forgot about her own safety as she protected the king.

"When the battle comes, we have only one purpose," her mother had told her, "And that is to protect those we swore to protect, even if it means giving our lives."

She had sworn to protect the king, as had her father, and that is what they would do.

-----

A/N: Everybody cheer, Word likes me again:D

Anywho, sorry about the length, but this was the best ending point I could think of.

Note on Sheikah last names: To denote that the person is male, you have an 'al before the last name. For females, you have an 'a before the last name. The general trend is for a woman to take her husband's name, but men will take their wife's name sometimes (like Dir'ath and Impa).

Justin Time: It was amusing to think of Link without a voice. Hehe.

The Fiercesomest Dragon Ever: Hope your computer is being nice now, and thanks.

Oni-Kaiser: Thank you!

Tizamiki: Thanks a bunch. Hopefully I'll be able to update quicker now.

Parselmaster: Thanks a bunch!