Chapter -15-
Links of Faith

Feshal 2, 2057
23:10
Military Camp Delta,
Skyloft…

Aryll nudged LJ with her elbow and pointed up with her other hand. "Look at that."

LJ squinted in the night sky at the silhouette of a large bird. "What is that thing? It's bigger than a condor."

"What's a condor?"

"Big-ass vulture. But they were only, like, twenty-five pounds before they went extinct. Whatever that thing is, it has a beak like a messed-up pelican, and the thing looks like it's several times the size of a condor, which was considered the biggest bird of prey until recently, when it died out. I remember when they announced its extinction in the news, but you were too young. Birds aren't that large, and it's not a pterodactyl. So, what is it?"

"Uh, I dunno." Aryll fished out her ID as the two approached a guard shack. She rapidly panned her ID card from the guard on the left to the guard on the right. "See, boys? See? …You see it, too? See it?"

"Ms. Aryll, when did you leave the compound? Skyloft is locked down."

Aryll scoffed. "Our Prime Minister was effing assassinated. I went out for intel on Bacon Boy. Man, nobody tells you guys anything, huh?"

The guard on the left said, "That's okay, we know something you don't know. The Great Shoebill, or whatever people are calling them, have returned to Skyloft."

Aryll scrunched her brows. "So that's what those things are called?"

"No one knows what they're called, ma'am. Just that they look like an ancient bird from ancient zoos called a Shoebill, but they're much bigger. They kind of look like the bird statues around the area." The guard cleared his throat and hooked a thumb over his shoulder. "We're locked down because one of the time-travelers disappeared. The one that arrived with your brother, here. And the Acting Deputy Prime Minister wants all time travelers rounded up and sent back to their time, and the gate destroyed because a lot of trouble started once they arrived." The guard cut his gaze to LJ, adding, "No offense."

"None taken," said LJ. "I agree. I'm ready to return to my time. And after my Link had a conversation with your Link, and learned from the royal library, which was accessed by yourLink, my Link said something about being home sick for his time … 1675. He learned he became the father of twins, recorded in the royal family library, and he decided fathering his kids was more important. So, he went to the surface and somehow figured out how to set the Time Gate to return to 1675. Sounds like he figured it out. I guess kids complicated things for him. All I know is that he somehow figured out that the two timelines diverged enough that your Link won't disappear. It's byzantine as hell, and I'm not a quantum physics expert, so … wait, your Link didn't disappear, right?"

"Um … not that I'm aware of, sir. You'd best hurry back … you and Ms. Aryll were also both reported as missing, which is part of the reason we're on lockdown, besides the assassination of Prime Minister Mah-Tah." The guard reached for his radio receiver and spoke into the microphone. "I have Aryll and LJ Kasuto. They're at the surface-teleportation pad entrance."

A few seconds later, a reply came over the radio. "Get them to town square. The ADPM wants them here now. Tell them to double-time it."

The guard hooked a thumb over his shoulder. "Go on, you two. Hurry up."

Aryll walked with purpose, LJ in tow, and headed across Skyloft until they arrived at the center of town. She saw a crowd gathered up ahead, surrounding a large crimson-feathered Shoebill bird with a curled feathery tail at its rump.

The bird stormed away from the middle of the people, causing the group to move out of its way. The giant bird approached Aryll and LJ; it rubbed its face up against LJ, much to his surprise.

LJ fell backwards onto his backside, looking up at the bird with his eyes wide. "What the hell?" He quickly realized the bird was being affectionate, so he held still. "Um. Wait…"

Aryll laughed at the awkward ridiculousness of the situation. "I think he likes you, LJ."

"Well, yeah, I can see that, Ary. What is this thing, and how do you know it's a he?"

Aryll smiled bright. "LJ, that's the first time you've called me by my nickname. You're finally starting to trust me." She reached for his hand and helped him to his feet. "Look at how red his plumage is, LJ. Have you ever seen anything like him?"

"Uh, no." LJ got to his feet. "Good lord, this thing is big enough to ride into battle." He lifted his chin when the bird rubbed its face against his chest again, gently nudging him a step back. "It's looking at me, like, 'why you gotta disrespect, bro?' But it's rubbing up against me like it's saying, 'Can I please borrow twenty rupees?' I don't know what to think."

"He's so beautiful," said Aryll. "I bet he's one of the Guardian Birds from the statues around town. I guess they're not extinct after all!" She turned back to LJ and added, "You know, that's why Zelda was going to name those machines 'the Guardians.' Because the crest of the Royal Family is based on the Triforce protected by the Crimson Guardian Bird with its wings spread."

LJ blinked. "The Guardian Bird on the crest was … mythology from, like, thousands of years ago. There's no way these are Hylia's Birds. Even if the bird statues around this place are the same as the Royal Family crest, these birds haven't been seen in … ever. There's no bones, no nothing."

Aryll reached over and patted her brother's face. "There's no archeological proof Skyloft was real, yet we're floating on it, LJ."

The bird rubbed its beak against LJ's face, churring softly.

LJ swallowed back a tinge of emotion building up in his chest. "Touché, Ary," he said, pronouncing the name 'are-ree.'

"So, uh, according to the old oral traditions, you're supposed to jump on his back and fly him."

LJ blinked. "Oh, hell no. If this thing is here, waiting for me, in 2057, when I get here the old fashion way, and I'm friggin' twenty-nine, then sure. Yeah. I'll ride it. But only afterNohansen is toast. I need to punch his boar-faced avatar in his big flat nose."

"What if this bird helps you win?"

"Ary, what if I fall off its back, now, before I go back and fix this shit to keep Nohansen from winning? …Hell no. I'm too close to the finish line to do something stupid, now."

"Wow. That was … surprisingly mature. And, normally, I'd champion your maturity … but I've found religion in the past seven years. It's the only thing that has kept me going."

"Um … okay? I don't judge you for that."

"Good. Now, climb on his back and wrap your arms around his neck."

"Not going to happen," said LJ. "I need to get ready to head back."

"You need to take a leap of faith, LJ. Let yourself believe in something for a change."

"I believe in not breaking my neck."

"You!" someone shouted from the other side of the crowd.

LJ furrowed his brows. "Who was that?"

"Arrest those two!" said the voice. "On authority of the acting deputy prime minister of Hyrule, someone seize those two!"

LJ's eyes widened. "Shit, they're talking about us."

"Us?! What did we do?"

"Because it got out that we're trying to break time." LJ was flooded with adrenaline. He lifted Aryll up by her waist and put her atop of the Great Shoebill bird. He reached up and placed a palm beneath the bird's bill and spoke while looking right in the bird's eye. "If you take her to the surface, I'll do whatever you want after this. But she must go back, they won't let her, and I need her to go back. I need you to keep her safe."

"LJ, what the hell?" Aryll exclaimed.

"Just … take a leap of faith. I'm going to believe, okay? For you. But you need to escape, and this thing is your best chance, so … wrap your arms around its neck!" he said, then swatted the giant bird on its rump. "Now, GO!"

"LJ! You crazy idiot, I'm not the hero of time! You are!"

The bird opened its wings wide, causing the entire crowd to back up rather suddenly, which knocked some people down, including guards that were trying to push through from the back of the group.

"I'll see you soon! Just go through and I'll be right behind you!"

"LJ! Goddammit!" Aryll clung to the bird as it swooped upward, rapidly propelling itself into the air with its enormous wings. Aryll peered over the side with a gasp of realization at how high the bird climbed with each flap of its wings. She held close to the bird and clenched her eyes shut. "You're a … a … a fucker!"

"Love you, too!" LJ called to her. "Go through the damned gate! Do not come for me! I'll be right behind you!"

She opened her eyes, looking down from above, just in time to see the Hyrule guards grab LJ and force his hands behind his back, while pushing him onto his knees. She also saw that he was smiling up at her. She held on tight as the bird swooped about, and then screeched as it dove over the side of Skyloft.

The giant bird flew downward, toward the surface. She continued to cling to the Guardian Bird, absolutely sure it would be able to feel her heart beating against the back of its feathery neck.

X

X

Feshal 3, 2057
9 AM
Skyloft…

LJ Kasuto heard a metallic clang and sat up with a start. He looked through the cell bars, facing a man in a necktie. "Whoa. A tie. Didn't know anyone still wore ties up here."

The man arched his brows, then scrunched them a bit.

LJ waited to see if he'd say something, then continued to speak to keep from having an awkward silence. "Didn't know if people stopped making them, or if you guys didn't have time to bring anything from the surface with you. This is the first necktie I've seen in three days, except for the one worn by Daira Mah-Tah. Did he … leave them to you, or something?"

The man cleared his throat. "I'm one of the only two lawyers here, and I'm here to defendyou." He was young, but older than LJ. Maybe thirty-ish, with a three-piece suit, a rather long blue necktie, and a light blue button-up shirt with a black blazer and dark navy-blue pants that were nearly the same color as the blazer.

"Should be an easy case. No one read me any rights. No one told me what I'm being accused of. Total breakdown of jurisprudence protocols. The judge should let me walk due to the negligence of the guards that arrested me on the order of some guy that's acting deputy prime minister and wasn't even voted into the position."

"Mr. Kasuto, you're being held on two counts of sedition."

LJ stood up from his cot, still dressed in the clothes he wore the night before. He approached the bars. "Treason?! Who did I betray?"

"You're trying to break time by taking back several people with you that aren't supposed to leave. You took both Links, and with them went both Master Swords. You took Aryll back with whatever you took from the surface. Then you announced that you were planning to go back to 2050 with her in front of everyone. The Prime Minister told you he gave an order to preserve our society just moments before he was assassinated."

"I'm under orders by the queen of Hyrule."

"Mr. Kasuto, you and she both died in this timeline. Neither of you are in any position to be breaking the orders of the leader that was elected to represent the people."

LJ scoffed. "Are you kidding? You just said I died with Zelda. But I'm standing right here. I mean, yeah, she's dead in this time, but I'm returning to a time where she's alive. Therefore, I'm still acting on her orders, given to me before I came here."

The defender arched his brows again.

"I'm saying I came here under her orders to carry out her orders. Look, everyone left alive on Skyloft has a place in 2050, to help us right the wrongs of the … fates … or whatever."

"That's just it, Mr. Kasuto. What happened … happened. Changing it goes against the fates, the goddesses, and the wind and earth gods. We don't know if your attempts at changing time will ultimately lead to the destruction of our world, but even if it doesn't, you've taken our two best warriors, leaving Skyloft virtually defenseless from an attack by Ganon. No matter how you look at it, you've done irreparable damage to our society."

"I just told you, I'm here on behalf of your queen. Whether you choose to honor her rule, it doesn't matter. Are you religious?"

"I am, sir."

"Then you believe Zelda is the reincarnation of Hylia, right?"

"I do."

"Then her order should matter to you. Her order, to send me here and retrieve an adult Aryll, was made before your timeline path began, with the intent to use adult Aryll and her seven years of training, to give Hyrule an advantage against Nohansen-Ganon. Or … Ganon-Nohansen. Whatever."

The man tilted his head a bit but remained quiet.

LJ continued. "The entire population of Skyloft is all that remains of the Hyrule leadership and Capital City people who were in range of getting to a transporter in time, back when that son-of-a-bitch set off a nuke. Right?"

"Er, yes, that's an accurate summation of those who made it here."

LJ nodded and continued his explanation. "Okay, so the wealthy elite. The poor are all gone, and all your money means nothing. My point is, I haven't doomed you and your society; I've come to save you. You all need to come back through the gate with me. I'll set the timer on the explosives and follow everyone through. Then, Nohansen will be trapped here in this alternative timeline he conquered, and he can twiddle his thumbs and stare at the tumbleweeds."

The young-ish man in the tie smoothed his hand over the fabric, unsure of what to say.

LJ sighed. "Just take me before the judge."

"This way." The man opened the gate and gestured for LJ to follow. "Are you going to try and escape?"

"You don't have enough guards to take from their posts, do you?"

"No."

LJ sighed softly. "C'mon, I'm not violent. I'm here to save lives, not take them. Just … take me to the judge. I'm not going to be any trouble."

"This way." The public defender with no name turned and walked back the way he'd come.

LJ followed the man through a hallway and into an open room with a table at one end, a man at a desk at the front of the room, and a large group of people in seats at the other end of the room.

LJ walked up to a small desk, facing the man at the desk at the far end of the room. "Your honor…"

"Link Josiah Kasuto," said the judge in a firm masculine tone. "It is your right to be advised that the court has just watched your testimony conversation with your defense lawyer, and we are all aware of what you're going to say to try and convince us."

LJ arched his brows. "What happened to client-attorney privacy privilege?"

"Young man, you're living in a post-apocalyptic world, and what remains of this society, the people of Skyloft, has broken down to the point where the laws that were designed to protect you no longer have the same weight. The procedures in a court of law have been streamlined as it is extremely rare to hold court in a community this small."

"You changed the laws to streamline justice, just to make things easier for yourselves? Wow. And why is that?"

"To find the truth, young man."

"Sometimes, your honor, the pursuit of the truth paves the way to overlook the rights of the accused, which were designed to ensure that there is fairness and that the innocent have an easier time of proving they are not guilty, or, at the very least, culpable of the outcome of what you consider a crime. I've seen what happens when you fight the Feds. They push a narrative and warp the reality of truth, sometimes, when it is in their best interest. They see a criminal and they will make a narrative to set a president, even if the criminal is unduly painted into a corner for something they didn't even do."

"Listen here, young man … we're not witch-hunting for a fall guy or a scapegoat. You are literally talking about ending our way of life, and the people of Hyrule, however few left there are. Everyone here today has the right to hear what you plan to do to our world. So, yes, we've all heard what you said to your defense lawyer, including how you believe your actions in 2057 should somehow reflect the orders of your leadership in 2050. A leadership that no longer represents Hyrule. A leadership that did not have the foresight to act swiftly to better protect her nation from the treachery of her own uncle."

"Yes, your honor," said LJ with a firm nod. "And, like I asked this man, my defense lawyer whose name I still don't know … if you're religious, then you believe Queen Zelda is the reincarnation of Hylia. Now, I have no idea how I wound up marrying her a few years ago. You guys know more about that part of my future than I do. I was some sort of …hero? That's what people called me. They told me that I jammed the Master Sword into Nohansen. If I did? Awesome. If I'm truly considered a hero, I ask you to hear me out."

People at the prosecution table whispered to themselves.

People in the courtroom whispered to one another.

The judge eyed LJ for a moment. Finally, he said, "The court will hear you, Mr. Kasuto."

LJ took a deep breath and turned to face the assembly behind him. "Well, the Queen had the plan to use my thirteen-year-old sister as her fifth-and-final Champion. We just had to go into the future and get her. This world? This timeline where we experienced loss? It was never supposed to happen. We couldn't win without the fifth Champion, but we can with a full house, so to speak. Or, y'know, a Royal Flush, since Zelda is holding all the cards."

No one spoke, no one cracked a smile at his joke.

"Sorry. I'm learning that I either ramble or make jokes in the face of stress. Anyway, my point is, none of you were ever supposed to suffer, and her job of protecting you is still something she wants to do, even in death. So, you're all invited to come back to 2050 with me. Those of you with parents and family that died? Well, you will get to see them again. Those of you who lost spouses, well, I'm sorry … your other selves will be married to your spouse, but … they will be alive, and you get to live, too, so you have other options. It's complicated and it's messy, and the Queen won't expect me to bring all of you back with me because war strategy involving time travel is unprecedented, but here's the thing!"

LJ took a brief pause for effect, just to make sure everyone was listening. He took another slow, deep breath, then announced, "Queen Zelda sent me because she trusts me. She expects me to make hard decisions, like this one, on the fly. So, if you believe in the fates, then youmust believe that I'm here to make things right, because I was fated to come here." He turned back to the judge at the front of the room. "And now my fate, and the fate of everyone here, is in your hands, your honor."

"Interesting outlook, young man. Especially considering that you, as a person, don't believe in Hylia or any of the pantheon for that matter. You never have. You've said so plenty of times in the past. It was printed in media and magazines."

"That was before I went through time and had a life-changing experience."

"Wrong, young man," said the judge. "You came back to your time and lived out your life until you died from radiation poisoning."

"Yes, and now that we know Nohansen attacks earlier than expected, the royal leadership will hyper-focus on every effort to handle the Demon Tribe member that becomes Ganon, or however that works, before any sort of royal wedding business. I know I said I speak for her while I'm here, but I can't speak for all her private thoughts. However … I can make assumptions. My guess is that the queen thought we had time to be people, to live our lives. To breathe for a moment. But now we know that isn't the case. I assume, also, that Nohansen attacked because he saw a moment of weakness – it's likely that I came back from my trip through time and in that timeline, he never attacked, so she felt a false sense of security. Whatever the case, things happened to me on this trip through time, and they have caused me to reanalyze my life choices."

The judge smirked. "Who is to say things will go any different this time? What if you change time by going back to 2050, and everyone is wiped out? Then what?"

"Okay, look … your honor … Link and Aryll have already gone back to 2050. She'll have already found out from Link and Aryll that time is of the essence. As you can see, nothing has changed to this timeline. It's its own path, now. It's time to abandon this ship, because this timeline has no captain at the wheel … for a lack of a better metaphor. If you believe in the fates and the goddesses, then it makes sense to believe I was fated to come here. I was fated to learn of our mistakes. I was fated to go back to 2050 to fix things. And … I'm fated to invite all of you to come with me. You'll be displaced out of time, but you'll have cellular reception again. Internet. Soap and vitamins and fast food. Creature comforts. The royal family can certainly afford to help a few dozen people, financially, until you find your rhythm again. I can't promise anything, except that we will figure out how to make things work to the best of our ability."

The judge stared at LJ in silent contemplation.

No one else spoke, except a small handful of people that whispered amongst themselves.

After several minutes, the judge said, "We don't have a prison here. Being banned from Skyloft is, quite simply, being sent to the surface to live out your life with moblins and other monsters with enough provisions that you can find a community of survivors living on the surface. So, our idea of prison would be … giving you what you want, because you actually want to go to the surface, in order to finish your intended 'quest.'"

"Yes." LJ glanced over his shoulder at the people behind him, then glanced back to the judge. "But I'm asking for everyone to come with me."

"Young man, now that I've met you, I can see you're just a twenty-something boy. Yes, you've written a book; yes you struck down Nohansen in our time – although, we now know that didn't finish the job. My point is, I'm going to tell you something about myself … I used to oversee military tribunals. I've studied at the Royal War College, and I graduated with honors. I've been captain of the guard and then I went on to teach at the Royal War College. So I want you to listen to what I'm about to tell you with the knowledge that my understanding of enemy strategy is not just textbook, but that I have refined that textbook before I started presiding over military tribunals, all right?"

LJ nodded firmly. "Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, take a moment to imagine you are Ganon-Nohansen, and you now know your enemy is on Skyloft. You've already managed to hack into computer systems and access holographic emitters. You've managed to attack the enemy's leadership. All right. Follow me so far?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, consider this strategic opportunity: the moment we leave Skyloft, especially as a group, we become a target. You do not have the Master Sword. You don't have either Master Sword, in fact, because, like the rest of us, you are defenseless against him should you face him in battle. The outcome is even simpler than a four-move checkmate, young man…"

"I understand, sir."

"Do you?" asked the judge. "Let me just spell it out, then. Because I want you to hear it laid out as bluntly as humanly possible. If Ganon kills us all, he will utilize the Time Gate to go anywhere he wants. He is no longer trapped here; he can become victorious in any timeline. He can attack eras that exist shortly after Hylia's Chosen Hero is born, but before said hero is old enough to mount an attack."

LJ frowned.

The judge continued. "Furthermore, Ganon-Nohansen would be able to combine his knowledge of the future to help any past iteration of himself to change history. He could bring his radiation weapons back to the beginning of time, and he could wipe out the royal family bloodline forever. He could do irreparable damage to humanity's very existence; he could assist Demise in the defeat of Hylia and her chosen hero."

"Your honor, there is danger in every course of action. Staying here and resisting him is a danger. There is no way of knowing how any of this goes."

"I've just told you that making the survivors of Hyrule a target as a group is the quickest way to death."

"Sir, Nohansen is not a general. He thinks with his anger. Now, here's the thing, sir … he knows about Skyloft. You've just said so yourself, sir. You mentioned that Nohansen has nuclear weapons; he's already shown a willingness to use them, despite them not being nearly as powerful as they used to be anymore, due to age and a lack of preventative maintenance. Now that Skyloft has shut down all the holographic emitters, he'll have his eye on Skyloft, so you're already a target. The question is … how long before he locks on with his weapons and fires them…?"

People behind LJ started murmuring to one another.

LJ watched the judge's face, then decided to keep moving forward with the momentum of the conversation. "For all we know, he could have his finger … or … hoof, or whatever he has, now, resting on the firing button right this second."

"Young man, how do you see this playing out?"

"Ideally? We would be passing through the time gate, headed to 2050 as a group, with me setting the timed explosives that are already planted on the gate. The lot of us step through, instantly arriving in 2050 with seconds to go on the explosives. At that exact moment, Nohansen would be attacking Skyloft, directly, because if he could shoot it out of the sky, he would have by now, anyway, so, yeah … he and his airborne monsters land on Skyloft, weapons at the ready, only to find it deserted. On the other hand, he could be waiting for us just outside the courthouse, hands on his hips, with an army behind him right now. My point is, we can't live our lives worrying about making a misstep. We must band together and take a stand. We have to fight or die trying. Because he'll kill us the moment we blink. So, we have to fight. Not just fight to live, but we have to fight to give ourselves a better quality of life."

"Young man, you've been here barely a day. What do you know about our quality of life?"

"Sir, in that time, from what I have seen, the only good thing about Skyloft is that it doesn'train twice a day. But we're Hyrulians. It rains. A lot. We all know it. It comes from all the extra water that flooded the world two thousand years ago. Apparently, it didn't rain nearly as much until that point … according to scientists." LJ held his hands up, fingers outstretched. "I'm sorry."

"Excuse me? You're sorry for what?"

"Going off on a tangent. I'll stop. I'm just … ugh. Trying to be sarcastic, I guess. I don't mean to be; levity has become my thing. Look, you guys have lived the last few years without rain, and that's great. I'm happy for you. But I'm going home. I want all of you to come with me. I'm not saying you have to. I'm saying I want to extend an invitation to you."

"Mr. Kasuto, your self-preservation is admirable but…"

"Self-preservation? Your honor, seriously?"

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not here because it sounded like a fun trip to check out the future. I've already said this, and I don't hide it … I'm here by the order of my queen. Your queen. Our queen."

"Yes, you've already tried to argue that, as the goddess Hylia, her orders – past, present, or future, should somehow carry weight to us."

"Sir, with all due respect … and I hate that cliché turn of phrase, but here I am, saying it with my figurative hat in my hand, sir … so … with all due respect, I'm not here because I'm some devout believer in the Goddess Hylia's reincarnation into a woman I have a crush on."

"Oh, you're not? Then, please, enlighten the court, Mr. Kasuto."

"Yes, sir. I'm here because I'm a patriot. I'm patriotic. I'm a red-blooded Hylian. But, more important than that, I'm a red-blooded Hyrulian. We all are. Every-single-one of us. And, as my patriotic duty, I am here for queen and country, sir. We shouldn't be trying to focus on saving this timeline, should we? Humanity lost in this timeline. Let's cut our loses and try again. We should rally together in 2050, and focus on saving our nation. So, execute me for being a patriot or send me on my way, because if you put me behind bars to sit and rot…? I can promise you that I will do my absolute best to find a way home. And if you blow up the gate, I'm going to figure out where the final Gate of Time is hidden beneath the old Lanayru Desert in the Old Realm. I know it's supposed to be a swamp, now that the waters of the Great Ocean have started to recede, but … I'll find it. So, your options are limited in what to do with me. Or…! You can come with me, where we have a fighting chance, good food, and knowledge of when Nohansen will attack, so that we can counter-attack. Or, better yet, arrange a preemptive strike, sir. What's it going to be? I'll wait. I've got all of time. But I'd like to get home while I'm still young if it's all the same to you."

"You and your friends have taken the Master Sword back through time. We have no way to defend ourselves, even if it takes a century or a millennium. We no longer have a Master Sword in this timeline. And that is why you are on trial … you've broken time for this timeline. You forced our hand by making important decisions for us, and you had no right to do that."

"What?" LJ blinked. "Why would you think that?"

"Link from 2050 took his back to 1675. Link that was living with us, here, in this time, went back to 2050 with his. Since you've already made the argument that this timeline has branched into a multiverse, and that any changes cannot collapse this timeline, you have to know that we do not have access to his Master Sword. So, this timeline now exists without a version of the Master Sword, which is Hylia's instrument to help protect us from Evil. Evil with a capital E. You and your friends showing up has irreparably doomed this timeline. This is what your immaturity has brought upon what's left of our world, Mr. Kasuto."

LJ stared at the man for a moment, thinking it out and piecing everything together.

The judge said, "You see? This entire timeline is now defenseless against Ganon and whatever demons possess him each time he is reborn."

LJ tilted his head. "The younger version of Link took his Master Sword back to 1675, sir."

"He did, yes. And it's a separate timeline from this one."

"No, sir. The past is historical. The present, my present … 2050, is where time diverges, and the future is where the paths continue to diverge to the point that two separate distinct timelines have been created."

"Meaning?" the judge tilted his head.

LJ held his arms outward. "Meaning, Link of Calatia was always going to go back to 1675. We just didn't know it until he fulfilled his destiny of returning to his original time. Somewhere on this planet, he left a body … and his Master Sword. Meaning, yesterday, there were three Master Swords on this planet. Now there's only one once again, and humanity just has to find it. If I promise to help you find it before I return to my time, would that be satisfactory to you?"

The judge stood up and addressed the entire courtroom. "I want to see a display of hands for those who would find this satisfactory."

Everyone in the audience raised their hand.

The judge sat down and met LJ's gaze. "Young man, it seems the people are satisfied with your offer. But you are the only one that can wield it. So, you must use it to strike down Ganon. Do you accept?"

"You're asking me to fight this guy with zero help, when Zelda's plan was to overwhelm him with an army and five of my counterparts. We'd be delivering him the Master Sword at that point. He's simply too strong for me to fight on my own, especially since Link spent seven years training my sister how to fight, not me. But…!"

"But?"

"Yes, sir. But … I have an idea."

"I'm listening. We all are, Mr. Kasuto."

"I wrote a book on the differences and similarities between technology of the ancients and modern tech. What if I find a way to turn the Master Sword into a modern weapon that you can use to fight this guy?"

The defense lawyer finally spoke. "It's either that, or you have to sire a child before you leave. Someone to carry the genome of Hylia's Chosen Hero. Some people believe his spirit attaches to some random male every century, but there is no denying the fact you are related to Linkle and that Linkle is related to Link of Calatia. So, now can we be sure it isn't some sort of genome marker?"

LJ cringed. "I'm not going to go around and sleep with every single woman living on Skyloft in hopes that someone carries on the possibility of…" LJ trialed off and shook his head. "I can't even tell you how much your idea creeps me out. And there's no guarantee that, even if my offspring carry some sort of gene necessary for Hylia's Hero to reincarnate, that it would actually happen, now that Hylia has died in this timeline without having a Royal legatee or whatever the term is for Hylia's blood to be passed down. Hylia's Hero has always reincarnated in the general vicinity of a version of Zelda. Always."

The defense lawyer frowned.

LJ shook his head at the man. "Take your blue tie and go sit at the prosecution's table." He gestured to himself and to the judge, while keeping his eyes on the lawyer. "The adults are talking."

The lawyer in the necktie glared at LJ and walked away. He sat down at the other table facing the judge's bench.

LJ turned his gaze back to the judge. "Sorry, sir. I'm not going to go around sleeping with all your single, available women. I'm going to offer them to come back to 2050, same as the rest of you; that's it and that's all."

The judge lifted his hand, then brought it back beneath his chin. He appeared to be giving LJ's proposal some thought. After another moment, the judge stood up. "Mr. Kasuto, I would like to have a conversation with my fellow people. The people of 2057, of which you are not a part. Please, step outside."

"I, uh … okay." LJ stepped out from behind the small desk in the middle of the room and made his way for the door. He closed the aged wooden door behind himself.

A woman approached from the right, just down the hallway. "Don't even think about running," as the woman spoke, her voice grew closer.

LJ turned, coming face-to-breast with a Gerudo. He lifted his gaze, then widened it. "Oh, my goddess! Ovona."

She forced a weak smile. "You remembered my name."

"Lance Corporal Ovona Nabumyre, ne Ashdani – Hairulésha."

"Okay, that is impressive, Mr. Kasuto. We didn't know one another very long, and I only told you my name the first time we met, while sitting at a desk at the observatory."

"Yup. I remember. Hey, did Ravio die, or did he go back to Lorule?"

"He was in the vicinity of yourself and Queen Zelda when the nuclear device detonated, killing the three of you and many more."

"Oh. That sucks. He knew so much about them, and died by the same sword that Lorule was apparently fond of using. Frickin' bummer."

Ovona frowned. After a brief pause, she said, "You know, I spoke at your funeral."

"Annnd … this just got awkward."

"I referred to you as 'LJ,' just as you'd have wanted me to, but…" Ovona forced a weak smile. It was quick to fade. "Anyway, I saw everyone die from radiation poisoning after drawn out suffering."

"Yeah, that … must've sucked."

"Zelda, you, Habuta, Dr. Ruto, and Professor Bagu…" She shook her head with a soft sight. "Basically, everyone but Aryll and Link of Calatia. Did you learn of Queen Tetra's fate during your time here?"

"Actually, no. I didn't. What happened to her?"

"Seven years and we still do not know."

"Wait, what? Seriously?"

"Yes, I am quite serious. She was never found or rescued. She simply disappeared. But I understand you and your sister went to discover everything you could learn about Nohansen. I thought maybe you learned of her fate."

"Oh. Uh, no. But there are lots of tapes to go through. Aryll took them back to 2050 with her. So, uh, Tetra's not royal blood, right? She married into the Hyrulian Royal Family?"

"She was the princess of Calatia when Gustaf first started courting her. The royals of Calatia named her after the first iteration of reincarnated Hylia to not take the name 'Zelda,' as a way to honor their Hyrulian neighbors. She's royal blood, but she's not part of the Hyrulian royal family by blood. I mean … that would be … incest, after all."

"Oh, yeah, no, of course." LJ shook his head, nodded, then shook his head again. "I just … wasn't sure why Nohansen would keep her alive unless she had use. I did learn that, at first, he seemed to think she could be useful. But I don't know how she'd be useful if she doesn't have Hyrulian Royal Blood. The Hyrulian Royal Family has nanobots in their blood or something. It gives them access to old tech or something."

"Oh. Well, that explains a lot."

LJ tilted his head. "How so?"

"When a woman is pregnant, her body often adopts some of the genetic material of the father."

"Yeah, from the baby growing inside of her, since that baby is half his."

Ovona nodded. "Correct. But she keeps that genetic material after giving birth to the child. Sometimes for the rest of her life, due to genetic markers being manipulated in her genome."

"I wonder if Nohansen thinks Tetra has Hyrulian royal blood…? I mean, they're in-laws, so he should know what's going on, but what if he just … doesn't know the truth for sure? Isn't that called telegony or something?"

"No, telegony is the concept that past male mates that did not sire a child with a woman could still possibly leave genetic material for the child to pick up during development, thus causing a child of John to have traits of Steve simply because the woman slept with both."

"Oh. Well, then."

"It's beyond outdated and I believe the study stems from men who wanted an excuse to find a virgin. It's puritanical BS. What you're talking about is microchimerism … when a mother becomes a chimera because she inherits some of her child's genetic material that came from the father. The child is half the father and half the mother, but a child can pick up traits from the mother that were dormant and unused, like red hair from the mother's fourth great grandfather, and the child then has red hair, even though neither of his parents, grandparents, nor great-grandparents have red hair. So, the mother might find a red eyelash, or a red nose hair, or a red eyebrow hair that grows in during her pregnancy, or shortly thereafter. At least in theory. We Gerudo study this because we are a mostly-female society and, well, finding the proper sire for a child is extremely important in our culture."

LJ snapped his fingers. "Oh! That reminds me!" He cleared his throat and lowered his tone a bit. "Something else you should know … being Gerudo and all."

Ovona tilted her head. "Go on."

"Nohansen claimed in his audio logs that he had a fraction of Gerudo blood in him. But every Gerudo is half Hylian or half human in some way, so … I don't know why he'd claim that, although he did have a tan that made him stand out from his brother a little."

"There's only two ways that could happen. His grandfather or his father was a Gerudo male, or … his grandmother was a Gerudo female, and his mother or father was a mostly-Hylian chimera … you know … where the Gerudo genetics didn't quite manifest properly, so he was born male, but not a Gerudo male. But chimerism is even rarer than the centennial male Gerudo … and the only male Gerudo alive around the time you're talking about … was far too young to be Nohansen's grandfather. But theoretically could have been a young father to Nohansen … but they would have been about fourteen or fifteen."

"That means they're alive now, middle aged?"

"No. Most Hylians don't know about that man, since they don't follow the births of Gerudo men, but…"

"He … died?"

"Yes. He died in a car accident many years ago. The next male Gerudo hasn't been born yet. The only other possibility is that Nohansen was born as a twin, and his brother or sister was full Gerudo, and he was Hylian with, how you say, a tan."

"Huh. Maybe the king simply looked down on his brother for having female Gerudo family on one side, and Nohansen's tan comes from playing outdoors as a kid, and he simply spends more time out in the sun than his half-brother, who stayed inside studying to become king. And, as it just so happens, Nohansen is the taller of the two."

"Mm. Also possible."

As an afterthought, LJ added, "I'm sorry for your loss."

"My … loss?"

"The male Gerudo that died in a car accident. I know you may not have known the guy personally, but he was important to the Gerudo race. And for a minority race like the Gerudo, that's a big deal, because your people hold heritage and culture in high regard. And … you lost him in a car accident … not a good way to go. I'm sorry for your loss."

Ovona eyed him for a moment. A very weak smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Mm." She nodded. "I … accept your … sympathy. You caught me off guard."

"Oh, sorry for that."

"It's just…" She reached a hand up and touched a finger between two braided sections of hair, using a fingernail to target the itch. She lowered her hand, using the padding of her fingertip to pat the itch until it stopped, so as not to ruin the braids. "This is the first time anyone has ever said such a thing, so pardon me for being surprised." She reached down and rested her palms upon her belt.

LJ looked down, seeing the shiny gold-plated belt buckle, which, he quickly noted, was oddly large. "I, uh … gotta ask. What's with the enormous belt buckle?"

"It's not decoration. It's functional. It's for climbing."

"I hate to have changed the subject, it's just … it looks like something a hillbilly would wear. Why have something that big?"

"It's for climbing," she repeated. "The queen and I had a conversation about climbing hours before her death. After her passing, I began to do a lot of climbing. You know where the castle used to be?"

"Yeah, I saw that it was just … gone."

"Yes. Nohansen sold every brick to rich survivors at the far ends of Hyrule. He touted it was so they could have a piece of Hyrule history … then he used the money to fund his operation. 'Own a piece of reincarnated Hylia for a small price.' Well, that many bricks made him quite wealthy, not to mention all the gold and treasure in the castle coffers. Anyway, the empty moat around the castle … it's surprisingly deep. Basically, it's a ravine – several stories deep. I parasail to the bottom and climb my way up, or a climb down, and then I camp for the night before climbing back out."

"Why?"

"It's surprisingly therapeutic. Adrenaline and serotonin come from my climbs. It balances my mood. This belt buckle has a hook and a wire inside, which I can clip to a piton or spike."

"Does the buckle seriously have to look like an enormous Triforce cluster?"

"It belonged to the royal family. You see, I rescued a handful of treasures when the queen died. Nohansen set his sights on the castle, and I grabbed everything I could before he pillaged and exploited it for profit. Now that the castle is gone, I climb where the castle used to be. I do it simply to feel … closer to it. More connected to it."

"If you say so. Climbing something that's a sheer vertical drop can't be easy."

"If it wasn't a challenge, it wouldn't be fun. If it wasn't fun, it wouldn't create the endorphins that make climbing such a … healing thing to me. You know, I debated on telling you this earlier, but…"

"But?"

"But … you are the reason we found Skyloft."

LJ blinked. "I am?"

"Yes, Mr. Kasuto."

"I told you to call me LJ."

"Yes, I remember. And I did … at your funeral."

"Oh, ha-freaking-ha."

She feigned a slight smile, but it faded quickly. "You died from the radiation, not the blast. It took a little time. But after suffering the radiation poisoning…" She cleared her throat and glanced away for a moment.

"You okay?"

"I am." She cleared her throat again. "Seasonal allergies. Anyhow, you were dying in Aryll's arms, and you told the both of us, 'I learned something from the Royal Library. It told of a place in the sky, protected by the Royal Family. I destroyed the book so that Nohansen won't be able to reach you there. Take as many people as you can find, citizens … Hyrule's lifeblood … and get them to Skyloft. Access can be achieved from an ancient teleportation pad inside the castle. When you've saved fifty or a hundred people, or however many you can find, destroy the castle access pad.' Aryll didn't want to leave anyone behind, but she feared Nohansen finding the location … so she learned how to rig explosives with a timer. She and I were the last ones to use the teleporter before the timed explosive destroyed it. She also rigged up the Gate of Time with timed explosives, but she didn't destroy it yet. But it's rigged to blow just as soon as it's time to set them off."

LJ nodded. "Yeah. I remember seeing the explosives mounted to that thing when I first arrived. I think that's why we came through early – it was going to be blown up, and when we came through, the thing spit us out a day or two before it blows up."

"That would mean we successfully blow it up before Nohansen can use it. That's good. You need to get those people through that thing. Convince them any way possible. More importantly, you need to get through it, go back to 2050, and destroy Nohansen before he's too strong."

"What do you mean before he's too strong? He's going to get stronger than he was when I left 2050?"

"Yes, much stronger. After Zelda's assassination, he somehow manages to get hold of her body and he extracts the Triforce of Wisdom from her. Fooling him has proven difficult over the last few years. He now has two out of three Triforce sections … Power and Wisdom. He couldn't get Courage from your death."

"Wait, I have the Triforce of Courage?"

"It's somehow attached to your spirit or your soul. Not sure how that works, but that mark on your hand is proof. When you died from radiation poisoning, your sister became the inheritor. Somehow it passed to her when you died in her arms. I was there. The mark appeared on her hand as it faded from yours."

"Holy crap, it did?"

"Yes. That's why I helped your sister escape, earlier."

"You did?"

"Of course. No one wants Nohansen to have all three. He could not take the final Triforce from your remains, but he is wife enough to try and take it from hers. But that is now impossible, unless he goes through time and takes it from another hero in the timeline."

"You are as clever as the Lokomo, I swear."

Ovona scoffed. "I appreciate your compliment, but the Lokomo were never real," she said with a shrug.

"You don't think so? What about the Anouki markers that are documented out in the hills of Hyrule?"

"There is no remaining tangible proof of their existence because they never existed. Some artist made a few 'cool-looking' markers because they really believed in it, or they were a 'troll.' Furthermore, there's no remaining tracks to prove those were real either."

"But the tracks disappeared. That's why they were called spirit tracks."

"LJ…"

"I've heard Nohansen's tapes. He's found proof and used it to…"

Ovona lifted her hand to interrupt LJ. "No, Mr. Kasuto. He's found something that people later attributed to the Lokomo. Something we don't understand yet, because it hasn't been researched well enough to be fully understood. The Lokomo never existed. I respect all beliefs, but that is a bit of a stretch to me. The truth of the three Hylian-derived religions is that life is, mm, how you say … va mamar, és kwítut."

LJ lifted his hands. "Okay. Life is based on a path you choose, and that's cool. But you're still clever."

She feigned a smile. "Sarqso."

"So'vasaaq."

"If you're going to speak 'Va Ehenihv,' you can't use 'welcome' as 'you're welcome.' You're not one of those silly white boys trying to become a Movok, are you?"

LJ shook his head. "I would never disrespect your culture like that."

"Okay. Just making sure. I've seen Hylian boys trying to act Gerudo. It all started with Hylian kids getting into Gerudo music a few decades ago, and now…? Suddenly, Hylian kids are trying to act or dress Gerudo."

"No, ma'am. After a brief pause, LJ added, "Although, um … your belt buckle is pretty cool; only a king or a Gerudo could pull off looking that cool."

"I know, right?" She quickly cleared her throat and a professional demeanor returned. "However, I shouldn't wear it in a moving vehicle. I wouldn't want to be in an accident wearing something with sharp corners."

"No, you're right … that's smart, and, uh…"

The doorway opened and someone stepped from the courtroom. The bailiff offered a nod of respect to Ovona. "Captain."

Ovona replied with a firm nod. "Bailiff Kherson."

LJ glanced back at Ovona. "You're captain of the guard, now?"

"Surprise," she said with a hint of a smile tugging at the right corner of her mouth.

The bailiff announced, "LJ Kasuto. Come with me, sir."

LJ waved to Ovona. "Take care of yourself. Make your next climb memorable. Something amazing."

"I will. Sarqso."

"I've got to go and get judged. Wish me luck."

"You're going to need it," she said with a wry grin. "Kidding, Mr. Kasuto. You'll be fine. People know you were chosen by Hylia's reincarnated form. As the hero of the people at your birth and as her mate during life. Just keep your chin up, your back straight, and your head high."

"I'll try and remember those three things. Also, this is not 'sav'orq,' okay? So, you know, I'm not going to say it."

"You just did, now get going."

Bailiff Kherson stepped back into the courtroom. "This way, sir."

LJ stopped in the doorway, glanced back at Ovona's large Triforce belt buckle again, and chuckled with amusement. "Oh, and that buckle really is ridiculous."

"Oh, go and get judged, Kasuto!" She gave him a gentle shove through the doorway and closed it behind him.

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Author's Note: Is anyone even still reading this thing? xD