Chapter Nineteen: Amnesia

Midna had left the Zora Armor on the dresser last night and hadn't moved it since. It was possible that she had looked at it while Link was asleep, but when he woke the shadowy imp was reading a book as usual. He glanced at the blue armor sitting on its gray cloth while he stood at the mirror and shaved, Midna sitting nearby to watch as usual, and considered putting it on.

"Are you going to look at it now?" Midna asked, small legs crossed as she sat on the dresser next to the armor. Always near him, always close, always without personal boundaries. Strangely enough, he was beginning to get used to it. "I can't blame you for not wanting to look at it last night."

"I was being an idiot last night." It was true, now that he looked back on it. He was tired, and having been around Ilia all day while she was not herself wore him down. "Although part of that is the dark magic that's messing the two of us up."

"I don't like how it makes me act. All you do is get mad or cry, but I get mean." She sighed and tucked her small hands in front of her crossed legs. "I honestly would rather cry instead of being mean to you all the time. You don't deserve it."

"Neither one of us deserve what the Fused Shadows is doing to us." Link felt that he was right despite her denial. The relic was terrifying, and he planned to treat it with caution and respect. "I know you don't think it was that, but the knight's spirit does. He knows a lot of things about magic and what I'm doing, not to mention this Triforce mark on my hand, and this 'courage' thing I'm supposed to have."

"What, like the concept of courage? Being brave for the greater good, and all that?"

"No, he told me that it's a thing that's inside me. I've used it before, but I have no idea when. I'm not sure how he knows, but I think he's watching me all the time. A guardian spirit, if you will." He splashed water on his face.

Midna waited until he began to towel off his face and neck to speak. "Hold up. He said it's a thing that's inside of you, that you've used it before, and you don't know what it is? Link, don't you understand what he's talking about?"

He froze with the towel to his face and then slowly lowered it to look at his own reflection as he considered what she had just said. His own blue eyes stared back at him, and he watched them widen as it dawned on him what the knight's spirit had been hinting at all this time. "It's the mark on my hand." The three perfect triangles of slightly darker skin stood out on the back of his hand as he held at the towel. "This sacred magic that's related to the Triforce somehow is Courage. It's not a physical thing, and I've been using it the whole time without understanding it."

"Well hey, one mystery solved. I don't know why your sacred power is called Courage, but at least it has a name." She frowned at him when he didn't move. "What?"

Link kept staring at his reflection, his mind moving quickly. He had wanted to ask Lanayru about the mark on his hand, but he couldn't during the vision given to him about the Fused Shadows and the Golden Goddesses. They were the three goddesses of creation, or "the gods" as they were simply called these days. He knew their names, having learned them from his Sheikah mother: Din, Nayru and Farore. Din was the goddess of power, Nayru was the goddess of wisdom, and Farore was the goddess of courage.

Three goddesses to create three golden triangles of sacred magic, each one representing their power: Power. Wisdom. Courage.

"Midna...I know what this is." He set aside the towel and looked at the crest on the back of his hand, in awe of what he had just realized. "I know some things about this subject because of my mother. She was Sheikah, which is a race of people who have both served the royal family for thousands of years, and who have kept the history of Hyrule for all that time too."

"I heard you mention them to Renado. All right, impart upon me this great Sheikah wisdom." Midna threw up her hands and rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Don't be cute, this is serious." He took a deep breath and launched into his explanation. "The gods made me the hero, right? Except they actually are goddesses, and those goddesses made the world that Hyrule is part of. The three goddesses made the Triforce, a powerful magical...thing that was hidden away for a long time. There was a war over it, and at some point the Triforce moved. Think about the name, Midna: Triforce. Three powers. The powers of the goddesses, who are named Din, Nayru and Farore. The goddesses of power, wisdom and courage." He tapped at the mark on his hand. "You were right, the Triforce did go into a person, or at least one of the three parts of it did. The part associated with Farore: Courage."

The little imp reached out and took his hand, and touched at the mark there. "That's quite the explanation, but I was able to follow along with you through that. This mark has been in a lot of places in Hyrule, so if it represents the Triforce then that makes sense. The thing is part of your history." She patted his hand where Courage lay. "The scary thing is you have some of the power left behind by your gods in your body, the same power that caused a war."

"Yeah, that's the scary part. It's an incredible amount of power. All of this explains why Zelda has a similar power. She mentioned that she did when I first met her, which means that she either has the piece of Wisdom or the piece of Power." He draped the wet towel over the back of the chair. "I'm not sure why it's in three pieces instead of the three connected triangles in the crest, but at least I finally know what this thing is." He gave a short laugh. "That doesn't mean I understand how to use it yet."

"I would figure that sacred magic created by the gods is pretty hard to use, but you're using it innately. I've watched when Courage lights up and I'm trying to figure out what you were doing with it." She stood up. "We should ask Zelda about this soon. If she has something similar, she might be able to explain it to you. For now let's check out this armor that Rutela gave you."

Link looked up from where he was putting away his dagger. "Oh, right. I was going to look at it, but first I had to have the jaw-dropping revelation that I'm carrying the power of a god in my hand." He stood and picked up the blue scale armor to examine it. "Are these Zora scales?" he asked, touching the opalescent, silvery scales. They shone like a fish's scales, yet they had base colors beneath that sheen: white, blue, red, green, black. They were the colors of the Zoras he had seen when he freed Zora's Domain. "It looks like a lot of different Zoras gave their scales to make this. Wow."

"No wonder the magic feels strong. I'll bet it's the magic of all the different Zora people who gave their scales to make that." She reached out to touch at the scales. "It's very pretty, too."

"I'm not trying to look pretty, Midna. I'm trying to not drown in Lake Hylia." He pointed a finger at her when she smirked and opened her mouth. "And don't you go telling me that I'm pretty anyway. I had enough of that from Telma yesterday, thanks."

She huffed and sulked a bit. "You're taking away my fun."

"You'll have to find something else to tease me about." He shuffled the chest piece of the armor in his hands and pulled it on. It was a bit of a tight fit, the armor designed to be worn close to the skin, although it felt as if it stretched a bit. He had no idea what kind of fabric it was made out of. "It's kind of tight in the arms and chest. Is it supposed to be that way?"

"You do have a few more muscles than the average young man, but looking at these leggings I'm going to guess it's meant to be snug." She picked up the bottom half of the armor, which were black instead of blue. It had an extra layer of some kind of leather to protect the thighs, something that did not seem like it came from the hide of cattle or sheep. It was somewhat thick and shiny. "Having clothing that drags in the water probably would make it harder to swim."

He took them from her hand and pulled them on, finding that they were just as tight-fitting as the top. "I feel like a kid who's still wearing clothes that are too small for him."

"You don't look that way. The armor actually looks kind of cool." Midna picked up the blue and gold helmet. "There's this part, and then the boots. The boots have fins on them. Oh, and it looks like there's some kind of necklace too. Not sure what that's about, but you should wear it."

After putting the remaining pieces of armor he looked at himself in the mirror, but was only able to see himself from the waist up. The sturdy metal helmet had a long tail on the back side of it, and the boots were designed in a mimicry of a Zora's clawed and webbed feet. The entire set was made to make its wearer look like a blue-scaled Zora, complete with the silver and sapphires that the royal family wore. "It's strange...but now that I have it on, it seems like it fits perfectly, like it was made for me. King Debon made this armor and had it hidden away for the next hero, but I doubt he knew when the next hero would come about. He could have made this a hundred years ago, since Zoras live for centuries. Does that mean that it really was made for me, even though he didn't know who he made it for?"

"Don't ask me. This hero thing seems to come with a lot of unexpected extras." She floated up and over his shoulder to look at the back side of the armor. "Although it's possible. You have a piece of the Triforce in you, after all. Having some king make you the armor you needed long before you were born isn't any less plausible. You are the Hero of Hyrule, which is a pretty important job."

It did seem like some things were convenient coincidences, the Zora Armor being one of them. There was a mask to the armor that hung around his neck, so Link pulled it up over his nose and mouth. It fit tightly. "Is this the part that's supposed to let me breathe underwater? Rhetorical question, Midna. Don't answer."

"Fine. Then let me ask you a question instead. This is a day you plan on hanging out here, right?" She floated over to his chest and touched at the scales again, and smiled. The shadowy creature seemed to really like the armor. "Can I trade back some of the library books to get others?"

"I'm sure it's no problem." He began to take the armor off, and found it was harder to get off than put on. "I need to talk to Renado about Ilia, talk to Ralis, wash the blood from my clothes, and wash me. Your comment about using soap wasn't wrong. I'm sure I smell like horse."

"At least you're aware of it." She watched him remove the boots. "When you plan on doing that, let me know so I can stay here. If your hair is wet and you're not wearing clothes, there are only a few places I could hide, and I quite frankly do not want to be there." She laughed at him when he turned red in the face. "You get flustered so easily."

"Maybe it really is how you say: I'm a good boy." He smiled at his joke, but then remembered how she had kissed his cheek and said that last night. He had earned both that and a hug from Telma, all because of how stupidly upset he was. He normally wouldn't be that way, and it was due to the Fused Shadows...right? It didn't make sense to be that emotional about one person, but he supposed that his usual empathy combined with his feelings for Ilia created the perfect storm for him to turn into a complete wreck when she had her attack. He'd need to work more on controlling himself. There was no point in being a big baby.

He wrapped most of the armor in its cloth and only kept on the tight leggings. It was the only thing he could wear while he washed his normal clothing, even if he probably looked silly wearing them. He gathered up all of his clothing and leather into his cloak, and bundled it together and threw it over his shoulder. "I'm going to wash this stuff and then go get cleaned up. We can talk to Renado about new books for you in a bit. You probably don't want to hitch a ride right now."

"Not really. I don't need to hang out while you take a bath." Midna made a book materialize in her hands. "I'll re-read this one about the races of Hyrule before getting a new one. Go be hygienic." She took the book and sat on the unmade bed.

Link made his way downstairs, cloak bundle over his shoulder. Renado sat at the table with Luda, Beth, Telma, Ilia and Malo, and they were eating what looked like more fried potatoes and sausage with eggs. The usual banging from the other room paired with off-key singing indicated that Barnes was in the kitchen, and there was no sign of Talo or Colin.

"Are you joining us for breakfast?" Renado asked, raising an eyebrow at the odd way Link was dressed. The shaman wasn't wearing his robe today, and wore black leggings and a gray sleeveless shirt.

"Later. I need to wash my clothes and gear." The food that they were eating was appealing, but he figured he'd be able to eat in about another hour or so.

"What the heck are you wearing?" Telma exclaimed once she turned around to look at him. "Or maybe I should say, not wearing?" This comment made Luda and Beth giggle.

"Ha ha, cute. The gods only gave me one change of clothing, so I had to get creative for laundry day." His eyes moved over to Ilia, who looked a bit pink as she was looking at him. Oh. As interesting as that was, it was somewhat embarrassing that she behaved that way in front of the others. It was almost as bad as Telma muttering to herself yesterday morning.

"No really, what are you wearing?" The bartender asked. "Not that I'm complaining about you walking around in tight pants." she added, making the two girls giggle again. Ilia looked down at her plate quickly and concentrated on her food. Renado gave a soft sigh and pinched at the bridge of his nose, clearly uncomfortable.

"The bottom half of Zora Armor." Now Ilia wasn't the only one getting red in the face. Why couldn't Telma keep her comments to herself? "Renado, can you tell me where I can wash this stuff? I need to clean them before the monsters start smelling me from downwind." This got more giggles out of the girls, and Telma laughed too. Normally he'd smile a bit after somebody laughed at one of his jokes, but he was uncomfortable himself.

The shaman pointed over towards the doorway to the kitchen. "There are tubs and soap in there, and there should be brushes and oil. If not, then possibly in the inn's office. The owner of the Eld Inn kept things like that around should travelers need them." His eyes flickered over to Telma and quickly back to Link, and it looked like he was about to say something. Renado gave a short smile and then turned back to his food. Huh, another interesting thing today. Did Renado not like Telma? Or did he not like Telma's comments?

Link turned to walk to the kitchen, but on the way Telma spoke his name. "Link, you know...if you're ever looking for a job when your current one is finished, you can work at my bar. You can dress just like that and the female patrons will shower you with rupees." The two girls giggled again, although that joke may have sailed over their heads. They were laughing at whatever Telma said at this point.

He stopped to glare at the back of her head, since she hadn't even turned around to make that comment. This was a side of her he didn't know about, and he did not like it one bit. He opened his mouth to say something, sick of her comments.

"Telma, stop it." Ilia said something before he could. "You're going a little too far." She was still a bit pink in the face, but now she looked annoyed.

"Oh honey, it's all in fun. I'm not really picking on him or anything. He has a sense of humor, he can take it." She reached for a cup of her tea and glanced over her shoulder at Link with a smirk before drinking it.

"You're making him uncomfortable, and me and Renado too. This isn't the kind of thing to joke about in front of the children either." Ilia's expression was stern, the one she used to have when she knew she was going to get her way. She was defending him. While she might not remember him, she was treating him similar to how she did before her kidnapping.

Telma set down her tea. "I wasn't trying to offend anyone, I was just-" The woman stopped short when Link leaned down close to her ear to speak.

"I do not like it when people comment on my appearance, jokes or not." he said softly. He looked over at Ilia and noticed that she could hear, even if the others could not. That was fine. "I have some personal hangups and I would appreciate you not saying anything else." He straightened, still looking at Ilia, and mouthed the words "thank you" at her. Then he left for the kitchen, leaving Telma behind at the table.

Barnes was not baking corn bread this time; he was baking apple muffins, which sat on the table to cool. Link thought he had heard the bang of the oven door before, and now found the man poking at a log inside of the oven to regulate the temperature. "Hey, Barnes?"

"Oh, good morning Link." The engineer turned and stared at him, and then laughed. "What the hell are you wearing?" Even though the man had laughed at him, his reaction was far less offensive than Telma's. And this was coming from a guy who wore green overalls and bright yellow boots.

"Yeah, yeah. Get in your digs. I have to wash the green hero clothing so all I had to change into was Zora Armor, and these are the leggings. The armor's designed to let you swim well so it's kind of snug." He looked around the room to see if he could figure out where the things for laundry were, and noticed a large wooden tub in the corner behind the pantry shelves. "Renado said the stuff to wash clothes is in here. Can you point me in the right direction?"

"Laundry day even comes for heroes, huh?" He waved a hand at the tins of muffins cooling off, although it wasn't very cool in the kitchen. "I'm done doing things for now, especially if you ain't eating at the moment. There's still a tub outside from when I was using it yesterday. I'll show you everything." He took a chunk of soap and a small knife from beneath the sink, and motioned for Link to follow him.

"I appreciate it." Link said, trailing Barnes back out in the common room. Telma was silent, and Malo was quietly telling Ilia something about his father, although Link couldn't quite hear him. "I'll also need something for leather, if you have anything." he said as Barnes led him out the swinging screen door into the dusty back yard of the Eld Inn.

"Yeah, I think I know where that is." The middle-aged man grabbed a large metal tub from where it was leaning against the outside of the building, and dropped it next to the pump more loudly than necessary. Link had no idea how the man could be so careful when making bombs, yet slam everything else around as he went about his business. "Go ahead and start filling this thing up. I'll go get the leather kit." He turned and went back into the inn, leaving Link alone.

He would be here by himself for a while, and found himself wishing that Midna could be here to talk to. It was strange, but he was so used to having somebody nearby that he felt a bit lonely when she wasn't there. He began to fill the tub with water and glanced up when the door swung out again. It wasn't Barnes, but Malo.

Link could see that the boy was upset as he approached, which was surprising since he usually didn't act that way. It wasn't that Malo didn't express his emotions sometimes; the child could certainly laugh or get angry. Tears were a different matter, and he could see that the boy was trying in vain to not cry as he approached. "Are you all right?" he asked Malo, taking his hand away from the pump.

"It's all wrong, Link." Malo said tearfully, little hands balled into fists at his sides. "Ilia doesn't know who I am, and now I'm crying. I'm not supposed to cry."

He felt a momentary flash of anger for Jaggle and the foolish things that he had taught his sons. Children were supposed to cry, whether they were boys or girls. Kids could get away with it while adults had to regulate their emotions. Or in Link's case, poorly regulate them. "It's all right if you cry. I won't get mad about it."

"You said that everyone cries sometimes, right?" the boy asked, standing in front of Link and the pump. "I saw you do it, and you said that it was okay."

"I did, and it was because I was happy that all of you kids were all right. The kids from Ordon that I love were safe, and I got a little emotional about it." He was about to kneel down on the boy's level when Malo flung himself at him and clung to his legs, sniveling. That was unexpected, but so was this conversation. He gently reached down to touch the boy's head. "It's all right, buddy. Ilia will remember us eventually."

Malo shook his head. "No it's not all right, 'cause now you said you love me and now everything is worse." It was a strange thing to say and could be interpreted as offensive much like most of what Malo said, but there seemed to be something else behind it, since the boy began sobbing.

"Come here." He bent to pick Malo up, something he hadn't done in a few years. When the boy was a toddler he followed his brother around quite a bit, and both Link and Ilia would find themselves carrying him. He held the child with one arm, putting a hand to his back. "Why do you say it's bad when somebody says that they love you? Isn't that a good thing?"

The little boy said something Link couldn't quite hear, and rested his plump cheek on the young man's shoulder and continued to weep. Barnes came back out with a pail that had a few brushes and rags in it, and looked surprised at Link holding Malo.

"Is he okay?" Barnes asked, setting down the metal pail.

"Obviously not." Link said, patting the boy on the back as he cried. "Have any of the kids been like this since they came here?"

"Most of them were when we were trapped by the Shadow Beasts, but since then the only one who gets like this is Beth. Renado says that she saw some terrible things and hasn't recovered from it. I guess Malo hasn't either." Barnes said.

"No, that's not it." Malo blubbered from Link's shoulder. "It's all wrong because Link and Ilia are always so nice to me and my brother. Talo's strong enough and can beat up anybody who gives him trouble, but I'm small." He gave a little sob. "I want Link and Ilia to get married so they can be my new mom and dad. Now Ilia can't remember any of us so that will never happen, and I'll be stuck with my old mom and dad."

Ah, that was it. That was why Malo suggested that Link marry Ilia out of the blue. Many of the children in Ordon had to go spend time with other children or grandparents while their parents worked in the fields, so it wasn't unreasonable for those children to get attached to their babysitters. Malo and Talo were no different, although how much they cared for their own parents was never clear. Link knew that Jaggle wasn't a terribly affectionate father, but he didn't know much about Pergie, other than she looked tired whenever he saw her.

"I won't make any promises about who I marry, Malo. I'm still young and I have plenty of time to think about that." The boy was getting tears on his shoulder. It was a good thing he planned to go take a bath soon.

"But you're a grown-up." Malo sniffed, starting to sound a bit tired. "Other people get married at eighteen."

"Other people, but I have some important things I need to do. I haven't thought about being married yet." Although now he was thinking about it, and it didn't seem to be too bad of an idea. Eventually.

"Telma says that you're the Hero of Hyrule and you're going to make everything better." The boy sighed tearfully. "I don't know anything about that. You don't seem like a hero. You're Link. You've been stern when I was bad, but you're really nice when I'm not. You do stuff like hug me and Talo and play with us. You're warm, and strong, and good to everyone. I want to be like you when I grow up, not like my dad." The boy patted at Link's bare chest. "Even if my dad's got bigger muscles than you." That line was funny, but he made sure not to laugh at the child.

Link looked over at Barnes, who had been listening nearby and not saying anything. Without context, the whole thing made it sound like Malo's life with his parents was horrible. He'd have to explain afterwards.

"Malo, did you want a muffin?" Barnes asked kindly. "They're probably cool enough to eat now."

"No…" The boy's eyes were half-closed. "I want to go back to bed. I'm in a bed all by myself at night and it makes me wake up a lot."

"Well that explains why he's so sleepy in the morning…" the engineer said, looking at Link. "Here, I can take him up. You said you needed to wash your clothes."

"No, it's all right. I'll be back in a minute." He crossed the dusty yard and pushed the swinging door open with his hip as he entered. Ilia and the children were gone. Telma was clearing away some plates and looked up at him from what she was doing, but didn't say anything. Renado stood when he saw Link carrying Malo, but Link waved the shaman back down. "No, it's fine. He's okay."

He brought the boy upstairs, unsure of which room was his. He knew which room was Colin's, and that Beth's was next to that, but he didn't know where the brothers slept. "Which room is yours, Malo?"

"Next to Colin. It has a toy rabbit on the bed. Luda gave it to me so I won't get scared at night." He was limp in Link's arms, head still rested on his shoulder. Link wasn't sure if the child was afraid due to sleeping alone or due to the things he had seen in Central Hyrule. Perhaps both.

He brought Malo into his room and set the child down on his bed, which had a large yellow stuffed rabbit on it that was almost as big as Malo. The little boy put his arms around the rabbit as he lay down. "Luda says this is Big Bun and he's good at keeping bad dreams away. I told her that's stupid because it's just a stuffed animal, but she made me take it anyway." He sniffled. "Having it does make me feel better." he admitted.

Link knelt at the child's bedside. "You probably never slept by yourself until you came here, huh? I don't think Talo would mind if you two were in the same room again. Want me to talk to him about it?"

The boy nodded. "I'll bet he's scared too. He's different after Ilia helped us get away, but you can't tell because you're not here much. Talo doesn't smile very much anymore. When we saw some soldiers get killed by Bulbins he and Beth screamed a lot. There was a lot of blood." His eyes grew distant in a way that was eerily similar to Ilia's behavior recently.

The thought that these children had seen people being killed hurt Link, who didn't want their innocent minds damaged in such a way. He reached out and put his hand on Malo's forehead. "It's okay. You're all safe now, and I'll make sure you stay that way. Get some rest and we can hang out later if you want." He stood up and went to leave the narrow hotel room. His room on the end seemed to be slightly wider than the others.

"Link?" Malo asked him, and the young man stopped to turn towards him at the doorway. "Will you come to Malo Mart later?"

"What's Malo Mart?" Whatever it was, it sounded cute. Most likely some game they invented.

"We play in the general store and we run the shop there. Um, we don't really run the shop but it's fun to pretend. Will you play with us there?" It was such an innocent, sweet request.

Link smiled at him. "I can do that. You can show me how your shop works, okay?"

"You're always nice to me." Malo said, although that wasn't entirely true. Link did occasionally lose his patience with the boy and his odd habit of saying the most blunt and rudest things possible in a situation. He suspected the behavior was due to being ignored by his parents all the time, and was never corrected. "Thanks." Malo could remember his manner sometimes.

Link nodded and stepped out of the room, closing the door only partially behind him. If Malo was frightened of sleeping alone, he probably would want the door open just a bit so he could hear the other people downstairs. After he was out of the room, he rubbed at his shoulder where the child had been crying and half stuck his tongue out in an expression of disgust. While he was going to take a bath, having somebody else's tears and snot on him was gross.

"Is he all right?" Ilia came up the stairs when he was doing this. Great, she caught him making a face with his tongue out. Paired with the fact that he was still wearing the bottom half of the Zora Armor, he figured he looked fairly ridiculous.

"Yeah, he's tired. I think if he rests he'll be all right." He didn't want to talk about it right outside Malo's door. He knew the boy was listening.

"I didn't mean to make him cry…" She was avoiding looking at him again, although he couldn't tell if it was due to the way he was dressed, or if she was uncomfortable about Malo. "I can't help not remembering him."

"It's not your fault." He was going to go back downstairs, but when he got closer to her he saw that she had tears standing in her eyes. Without her memories, Ilia was vulnerable and unsure of herself. "Please don't be upset." he said quietly, stepping in front of her. Once he got closer, he could smell soap. It was a bit distracting. "Look, we're going to figure this out with Renado. Did you get a chance to talk to him yet?"

"A little." She shook her head. "But there were a lot of people around and I didn't want to."

"All right, then the three of us can work this out together. I'll come talk to you later." When she didn't look at him, he figured he'd try another approach. "If you start crying don't expect me to carry you around and put you to bed, too."

That caught her off guard, and she finally looked at him. She didn't smile, though. "Was that an attempt to make me laugh?"

"A bad one, yeah. Not every joke can land." He wanted to stand around and talk to her, but he couldn't wear the tight leggings all day. After Telma's comments, he was starting to feel a bit self-conscious about it, especially around Ilia. "I have some things I need to do. I plan on being here all day today, so we'll have some time to figure things out. You don't have to smile, but don't go around feeling guilty about things." He smiled and gave her arm a pat. It was a lot easier for him to keep his composure around her when he wasn't tired. She needed somebody to reassure her, and that would be a lot easier for him to do if he was in control. "You're doing pretty well today, so don't feel bad."

"Yes, of course you're right. You were right last night too." She still looked unhappy, but at least didn't wind up in tears over Malo. He moved past her to start down the stairs, but then she said his name. "Link?"

"Hmm?" He stopped on the second step down and looked over his shoulder at her. As much as he liked being with Ilia, he was never going to get that damn laundry done at this rate.

"Um. This might…" She looked like she was trying to find the right words. "After what happened yesterday, can you try saying my name?"

That's right, he hadn't tried saying her name to her today. He turned around to face at her. "Ilia." He didn't expect her to panic like when he had first let it slip, since he had said it a few more times after that without too much of a response. She stood there frowning, eyes distant in thought as she considered something. It was hard to tell what she was thinking. "Do you need me to say it again?"

She shook her head. "No, it's fine. I wanted to see if anything happened to me today. If anything did, you're right here and both Renado and Telma are downstairs." Ilia looked as if she was going to say something else, but then gave him a small smile. Her expression was almost shy. It was adorable. "Sorry for holding you up."

"It's fine." He turned and went down the stairs before something else delayed him. It wasn't that he had huge plans today, it was more that he wanted to wear normal clothing. If the antique-looking green outfit was considered normal. Nobody wore long tunics like that anymore.

Renado watched him go past but didn't say anything. He figured that the man had heard his discussion with Ilia and decided to leave him alone, but after she had come down the stairs right after Link did, the shaman stood up. "Ilia? Would you mind taking a walk with me? I would like to speak with you." Link wanted the three of them to talk through it, but maybe it was best if Renado talked to her first and then him later. The shaman didn't know too much about Ilia, only that she had been wounded and helped the children escape. He'd have to ask how the conversation went later and fill in the details that Renado was missing.

When he made his way back outside he found that Barnes had filled the tub and was flaking off soap with the knife into it. "You were helping the little tyke so I thought I'd at least get this ready for you." he said. "Is he okay? He didn't seem to like his parents very much."

"Yeah, I just realized that too. I never thought of why Malo and his brother were always out of control, but it makes sense to me now." He dug out the green tunic, deciding to start there. "Although it hurts a little to know those kids feel that way. Children are supposed to love their families."

Barnes nodded. "I get that. What's with their parents? Do they smack them around or something?"

"No, I don't think they'd do that. They're neglectful more than anything else. Most of the parents in Ordon have to go work all day, so a lot of older kids take care of the little ones. That's what me and Ilia used to do. We're like their big brother and sister, although she spent more time with them over the past year than I did. My work load suddenly went up once I was seventeen." He knelt, dunked the tunic in the water and began scrubbing. "I'd rather spend time with the kids."

"I hear that. It's strange...but I never really thought about taking care of others before. I've only had to take care of myself so far." Barnes picked up the blood-spattered vambrace and went over to the bench that had the pail of leather-cleaning supplies. He looked like he wanted to help even though he didn't need to. Barnes struck him as the kind of person who was happiest when working. "Now that I'm looking after the kids, it's kind of satisfying. I never pictured myself as a parent or even an uncle, but the days I've spent with the kids have been nice."

Barnes helped him with his laundry, and the process went a lot faster with the engineer cleaning and seasoning Link's leather gear. Barnes himself wore a flashy pair of yellow-dyed leather boots that had bright orange straps, and they seemed to be in good condition. He likely knew something about taking care of leather. While he might loudly slam things sometimes, the man seemed to be far more careful with Link's things, just as he had been with the bomb chemicals in his shop. Link found himself genuinely liking him. He was a good man, despite his loud voice and penchant to bang things around.

The clothing itself came clean, as did most of the leather. The baldric did not, which confirmed Link's suspicions that the gods had given him clothes that would be easy to care for. Midna was right; it was just as silly as them piercing his ears. Silly or not, it did make this part of things a lot easier. He couldn't imagine sitting there scrubbing blood stains out of his clothes for hours.

"By the way, did the Gorons make the inn bath hot again?" Even if they didn't, he was planning on getting clean. It wouldn't have been the first time Link took a cold bath.

"Sure did. They've pumped in fresh hot water, and brought those big stones they put in the big pool to make the one side hotter." Barnes was putting the brushes and oil back into the pail. "You planning on cleaning up?"

"It's long overdue. I normally don't go this long without bathing." Not counting the time he sat in a spring of one kind of another, it had been weeks. Even though he seemed clean every time one of the Light Spirits purified him to transform him for wolf to human, the idea of not washing for that long bothered him. "Do they have towels and soap up there?"

"Yeah, they should. The rooftop bath is actually a separate business run a group of Gorons. The girls were up there this morning so things are probably good to go. I was thinking I'd make the boys get cleaned up later, so you should get in right now."

"Then I plan on doing that and eating something. Hero's day off." He'd have plenty to do tomorrow, after he spoke to Ralis about the Zora temple. "Oh, that's right. Barnes? Can Malo and Talo share a room? The two of them slept in the same bed back in Ordon, and they could use each other's company." He looked grim. "Malo said something about watching soldiers get slaughtered by Bulbins. I think it's best if they don't sleep alone."

"Oh man, I had no idea. Renado said that they saw some stuff, but didn't go into detail. Poor things. Yeah, I'll take care of it tonight." He pointed to a path behind the yard that was set into the cliff side. It intermittently had stone stairs set into the dusty trail. "That path there will take you to the roof. I know you haven't eaten yet, so come to the kitchen when you're done. I'll save you a muffin."

"Thanks for the help."

"Any time." Barnes began walking into the building, but turned around before he got there. "Oh, before I forget...come find me later. I made you something fun." He gave Link a grin.

"I do seem to recall you saying something about arrows." If the man had figured out how to make arrows that would explode, that certainly would be interesting. Link had no idea how Barnes could make something like that without creating something that would blow up if you tried to shoot it. The excited grin that Barnes had certainly had piqued his interest. "I'll visit your shop in the afternoon."

Link made his way up the trail, glancing over at the window he knew was to his room in the Eld Inn. Midna had closed the curtain, so he couldn't see if she was reading there or not. Considering that the morning sun was shining just over the canyon wall and hitting the building, he couldn't blame her. When he went to talk to Renado later, he'd be sure to bring her along to ask about books.

The rooftop bath was surrounded by a high wooden plank fence, so he couldn't actually see anything. There was a young Goron sitting on a stool in a small wooden booth that was situated at the top of the trail, doodling on a pad of paper with a wax crayon. The Goron looked up when Link approached. "Huh, you're a Hylian. You don't have the green clothes, but you must be the hero, right?" It was not a greeting at all. This kid was the Goron equivalent of Malo.

"Most people say 'hello' when meeting someone." Link told him dryly, crossing his arms. "And yes, I'm Link. I'm not wearing the green clothes because I wanted to come up here to ask about the bath."

"There's nobody in there if you want to use it. It's all nice and hot. We normally charge, but dad said we shouldn't do that right now. Not that he'd want to charge you, Mr. Hero." Link had told the child his name by way of introduction, and he was called "Mr. Hero" for his trouble. "Go on in, the gate's open. There's soap, towels, brushes, all that stuff over on the left once you get in. Make sure you're rinsed good so you don't get soap into the big tub."

"Thanks." He passed the Goron and went over the short wooden bridge that connected the cliffside trail and the fenced-in roof of the Eld Inn. "Mr. Hero" indeed, as if that was his last name.

The young Goron's comments about not getting soap into the tub didn't make much sense until Link came past the shelves for clothing and belongings, and over to a few benches that were half-concealed by privacy screens and yellow-tiled walls. There were wooden buckets set down next to taps, and drains beneath the benches. It looked as if people were meant to wash themselves first, then sit in the big tub if they wanted to. That made sense, although considering how there were other benches in plain view, he couldn't imagine being here when it was busy. While he had heard of public baths before, the idea of being seen naked in front of others bothered him. It was a good thing he was alone.

It didn't take him long to wash and rinse, and as an afterthought he did the same for his underwear, spreading them out in the sun to dry. Having to wear the same green outfit every day was bad enough; having to wear the same undergarment was worse. He couldn't exactly pack for this trip, and he wondered if he could even find a way to bring some other clothes along if he happened to go back to Ordon. He didn't want to ask Midna to stow away a change of clothing for him. It seemed like a weird request.

He thought about Ordon as he sat in the big tiled tub, which looked as if it could hold twenty people easily. The families there had no idea that their children were safe, and many more were still missing loved ones. Ilia could possibly tell him where they were if she remembered, but right now she could recollect nothing. Wherever that village was, he'd need to find it to free the captured Ordonians. It wasn't part of his main quest to help Midna, but it was something important he knew he should do. Rusl had asked him to bring back their people, and he was going to do it no matter what.

It was possible to get to Ordon quickly, now that he thought about it. He hated to use the portals but they made moving from place to place easy, if Midna was willing to use them. Even though it made him sick, he planned to do it anyway. He began to formulate an idea in his head, and decided that after some preparations he would visit Ordon tomorrow. There was no way for the people here to know that he had teleported to get there, and he could use stealth as an excuse to not use Epona. He did have to sneak his way here, after all.

Eventually the hunger in his belly was more important than relaxing in hot water and he got out. After toweling off and putting on his now-dry drawers and the tight black leggings, he exited the bath. The young Goron ignored him as he made his way back down the trail, which was fine. Link didn't want to have another conversation with a rude child.

Barnes had in fact left him two muffins, not just one. The tea was room temperature and the fried potatoes and sausages had been sitting out a couple of hours, but he was so hungry he wasn't picky. He ate both muffins, one plate of potatoes and sausages, and then went back for more sausages since there didn't seem to be any eggs around. Midna would probably nag him about the amount he was eating, if she was here. There was nobody else in the inn, and he didn't mind being by himself and having a bit of solitude. Not having Midna talking to him all the time made the silence feel a bit empty at first, but having a little peace was nice.

The door to the inn opened, and Link raised his eyes to see Prince Ralis walk in. The young Zora still had a faint white line where his injury had been, but his scales were now a vibrant purple and his green eyes bright and alert. The combination of Renado's healing and sleeping in Eldin's Spring had restored the young prince, and he looked healthy. "Good morning." said the prince. "Or what is left of it."

"Good morning. You look much better." Link said, commenting on Ralis' improved condition. "Nothing like the poor young Zora I brought here last night."

"I feel better. After sleeping in Eldin's sacred water and eating a couple of fat greengills, I feel like myself again. I must thank you again, Link. I could very well be dead by now if it was not for you." The prince sat down on the bench opposite of Link, folding his clawed hands neatly on the tabletop in front of him. His purple scales were dry, as if he had walked around for a while in the arid Eldin air.

"I wasn't going to let you die after seeing how bad you were. I had found Ilia again too, so I knew I had to get the two of you here to Renado." He paused to eat more sausage before continuing. "I want to know how you were injured. Did you get attacked in the Domain?"

"No, it was in the underground river that runs between Zora's Domain and the moat surrounding Hyrule Castle. There were black monsters with purple lines on their skin that attacked me as I swam. I did my best to fight them off and killed two, but one of their spears caught me in the side."

"You had weapons?" That was surprising. Ralis was only a boy.

"Yes, but they did not do much good in the end. Renado told me that I should recover for today, but I will be fine to go home tomorrow. I must plan for a way to return to Zora's Domain, since I cannot simply ride a horse like you can. While my people can leave the water for a while, we cannot stay away from it too long. That was partly why my condition had gotten so bad." He watched Link eat. "I do not mean to be rude, but may I ask why you are not wearing clothes? It is my understanding that normally Hylians prefer to cover their skin."

"I had to wash my clothes. I'm not naked, if that's what you thought." It probably looked that way to Ralis when he came in, since he couldn't see Link's legs under the table. He considered speaking to Ralis about the portals, since it would be a quick way for him to return to his people. That would mean introducing him to Midna, but that wouldn't be a problem. Darbus and Renado had no problems with her, and Ralis seemed to be a reasonable young Zora.

Ralis politely waited until Link was finished with the last few bites of food on his plate before speaking again. "I must ask you to tell me of my home. Please, what happened in Zora's Domain? You mentioned that you fought the Shadow Beasts and melted the ice. Is it all melted? Is our river running full again?"

"I was there three days ago, so it's possible that the river is full again. I don't know how long it takes for water to move many miles like that." He ran a hand through his hair, and it felt normal beneath his fingers. It was nice to be clean for once. "I was there with a friend who had magic, and she used it to melt holes in the ice so people could escape. The big pool in the throne room was even warmed up enough for the waterfall to start going again. Most people were fine, if upset." He looked into Ralis' slitted eyes. Now came the difficult part. "Not everyone made it, though. Many guards were killed by the Shadow Beasts. There were eleven monsters there, and I killed them all."

"That saddens me, but at least they gave their lives to protect us. Yet, only eleven shadow monsters? When the man in the mask came, he had a horde. Hundreds. It was why the people went into the water, to avoid them. Those monsters can transform people by simply touching them, so it was best that the Zoras hid." That meant that the prince saw some of his people turned into Shadow Beasts. He had been chased and wounded by his own transformed people in the underground river, even though his mother tried to get him to safety. Ralis' expression changed to a quizzical one. He could see a change in Link's face, or perhaps his eyes. Like most people, Ralis could sense how he was feeling. "That is not all. You have something important to tell me."

"I have no kind way of putting this...but your mother is dead. She was executed by Zant and his Shadow Beasts before I got there." He took in the Zora Prince's stunned expression, and hoped that the boy wouldn't start crying. He didn't know how to be comforting to someone from the formal Zora race. "I'm sorry."

Ralis' mouth worked as he tried to form words, and then he shut his eyes. "No. I failed…" It did sound like he was close to tears, but then he took a deep breath to steady himself. "It was my duty to seek help, and I was injured and failed."

"No, you didn't. Ralis, she died right after you got away." When the young prince opened his eyes to look at him, Link continued. "I know this will sound strange but I spoke to her spirit. She told me that she was afraid that you were frozen and didn't escape, since the attack on the Domain happened so suddenly after you left. She asked me to find you and protect you. You are the future of your people, and her soul couldn't rest until she knew that you were safe." He kept his voice steady, but telling him was difficult. He didn't want to hurt the boy. "There was nothing you could do, so please don't blame yourself. Your mother wanted me to tell you that she loves you, and that she's proud of you. Her final act was to send you away to safety, so don't feel guilty about her decision."

Ralis lowered his eyes to stare at the table for a moment, not saying anything. "I-" he began, then he stood abruptly. "Thank you for telling me. Excuse me, I must be alone for a while."

"Of course." Link watched as the Zora Prince left the inn and then let out his breath, not realizing that he had been tense. It was almost a relief that he was gone, as horrible as that thought was. While he was able to comfort both Ilia and Malo, he knew them. Ralis was a stranger to him, and consoling a stranger was a difficult thing to do. It was a good thing that he had finished eating; if he hadn't he probably would have lost his appetite.

After taking care of his dishes he checked on his clothes, which had been sitting in the dry Kakariko air for about two hours. His boots were clean and dry and so he put those on, but everything else still felt damp. The wool cloak in particular was still rather wet, as was the nature of wool. He was adjusting the brown cloak on the clothes line when someone came out into the yard behind him. He didn't need to turn around to recognize the shuffling sound of a pair of sandals, and knew that it was Telma.

"Now that it's just you and me, I want to properly apologize." she said. "You seem like a guy who has a good sense of humor, so I didn't think it would be a big deal." When Link turned to her, he saw that she had her arms crossed and was staring at the dusty ground, mouth twisted unhappily. "I don't understand what you told me, though. Normally attractive people are fine with their looks, even confident about it. You don't think you're ugly, do you?"

"No, of course not. I'm tired of people commenting on how I look. A friend of mine told me recently that I should get used to it, but I don't want to. I'm not full of myself like that." He frowned, trying to put it into a way she could understand. "It's not just compliments. I hear things women say behind my back, like they think I can't hear them. Some people are very lewd, and I don't know...it feels kind of disgusting to be looked at that way."

"I think I get what you're saying. I know I'm a bit older and wider than I used to be, but fifteen years ago I was a looker. Some of the things that men said to me made me feel pretty uncomfortable, even if they weren't dangerous." She laughed. "And then I inherited my dad's bar. You learn how to shut up and pretend to be receptive to people's advances if it means you're getting more rupees for your trouble. Even now there are guards who come in to stare at my chest. I don't care as long as they keep spending money."

"I had noticed that you buttoned up your shirt while you're here, but not back in the bar." He sat down on one of the laundry benches and drew the sword to check the blade. It was still in good condition, since Rusl had only made it less than a month ago, and Link had done his best to take care of the blade. He probably would need to get a whetstone at some point, because even good blades can dull. "If it gets you money, good for you. Women talking about my eyes or rear end doesn't get me a single rupee, so I'm still going to hate it."

Telma smirked and looked as if she was going to crack a joke, but didn't. It probably would have been another joke about tight pants. "Do you plan on using that sword to fight more monsters?"

"I'll use it when I need to. I have specific things I have to do, since I'm on a quest that mystical beings sent me on." He closed one eye and looked down the edge of the sword. Rusl certainly had good handiwork.

Telma laughed, but then stopped when he gave her a neutral look. "Oh, you're serious. I won't ask what you're up to specifically, but that can't be the only thing that a hero is good for. You're amazing with that sword. If you have the time, would you consider using it for the people of Hyrule?"

"That's what I'm doing." He sheathed the blade. As long as he continued to care for it, the sword would last him a long time. He technically was supposed to hand it over to the king, but there was little point in that ceremony. Zelda would probably prefer he keep using it.

"I know what you're doing is important, honey." The bartender put her hands on her wide hips. "But there's a sickness in our kingdom. The king is weak, the princess is capable but has no power, the knighthood is mostly disbanded, and what remains are a bunch of do-nothing cowards. Hyrule is suffering."

"Hyrule was headed towards another civil war." And then Zant invaded and brought a different kind of war; the kind of war that only he and Midna he could fight.

"Perhaps. Listen, I have friends among the people who are loyal to the old Hyrule, the Hyrule that used to care for its people. Not the worthless king that let us get invaded." She smiled. "Change is coming and it would help if the hero was on our side."

"As much as I hate Adelbert, I'm not joining a coup." He didn't need to with the king dead, anyway.

Telma laughed. "Weak kings have a way of working their own way out of the system. His mind is feeble, and Zelda has already made plans to take over." He really should tell her that the king was dead and Zelda imprisoned. No shift of government was going to happen now, since there was a complete lack of one. "We want to support her once that happens, and by we I mean all kinds: merchant guilds, nobility, scholars, warriors. We want to use our skills and connections to help protect what is left of Hyrule and rebuild it after we collectively take care of this invasion. You're one guy, Link. I can't imagine you're going to take care of that army south of Castle Town on your own."

"I admit taking on an army is a bit of a tall order for me." He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees. "What you're saying is that you have a group that wants to help me, even if they don't know about me." Not many people knew that the hero had returned yet. "It could be a good place for me to start in regards to the army, even though I had planned on taking out its two leaders myself." Although it seemed like King Bulbin was fairly hard to kill.

"The day that Ilia and Ralis came to my bar, I sent out messages to four of our group to ask them to meet up. One works in the castle and has direct access to Zelda, one has connections to the Gerudo, and two have connections to the knights and soldiers that abandoned Adelbert over the past dozen years. You're a guy who now has connections to the Gorons and Zoras, not to mention that you're a legend in the making." She saw the rueful expression he made in response to that and smiled. "I know you want to be yourself and not the Hero of Hyrule. To people like me and Ilia you will always be Link, but to everyone else you're a hero. That's why I want you to meet with my group so we can put our heads together and figure out what to do next."

He didn't know what he was going to do after they got the final piece of the Fused Shadows and fought Zant. Taking care of the Bulbin army would be something he may need to do, if killing Zant didn't make them leave. "I have one more thing to do before I can take care of the man who lead the invasion, and then I can come to Castle Town to talk with your group. When are they meeting?"

"One is already in Castle Town so he can come whenever I ask, and the other three will probably be there in a few days. That's why I'm going to leave and go back home today." Telma said.

"Did you need an escort again?" King Bulbin likely wouldn't attack her wagon on the way back, but knowing him, the big green monster probably had patrols looking for it.

She shook her head. "You've done more than enough, honey. Stay here with Ilia and the kids a bit longer. I can tell how much you care about them. There's a group of Goron merchants outbound from Death Mountain to the Eldin outpost later today. It'll be a bit slower, but I know I'll be safe. My horses will be happier keeping up with dodongos instead of Epona, too."

"All right. I can't say when I'll come back to your bar, but I think it'll be soon." He stood and went to check the linen gambeson that was hanging on a nearby line. It was still damp around the collar and along the bottom edge, but he was considering putting it on anyway.

"Thanks. You're an incredible fighter, and you have a good head on your shoulders. We could really use you." She watched as he pulled the linen shirt off the line and put it on. "I know you don't like comments, but Ilia's going to be disappointed now that you're hiding those muscles of yours away."

"I think she was more embarrassed for me than anything else earlier." He thought of her pink face and her angry frown as she scolded Telma. It could be interpreted as embarrassment, although he felt that he knew the truth of it.

Telma chuckled at his response, probably thinking that she knew better than him. That was fine. Let her think that he didn't have eyes and a brain; it would be easier for him to avoid the subject. "Have you seen Renado?"

"Not in a while. I haven't left the inn, other than to take a bath."

"That man is impossible…" she huffed, and turned and left. From her frustrated reaction, Telma likely thought Renado was hiding from her. Perhaps he was. He did look uncomfortable as he sat at the breakfast table with her. Link knew that the shaman had gone with Ilia to speak to her alone about her memory, so perhaps that's where he still was.

He decided to go back up to Midna now that he was wearing a pair of boots and a shirt. She was sitting in the dark room reading, having drawn the curtains over the window after he left. Only a small amount of light leaked in. It was beginning to get a bit warm on the second floor, but he didn't plan on staying in his room for long anyway.

"Want to go find Renado?" he asked her.

"Please. It might be nice to talk to somebody else for a change. Not that I hate talking to you, but you can imagine that talking to the same guy all the time can get old." The book in her hands disappeared in a quick flash of black squares and she floated up to look him in the eye. "You smell nice now. I think riding around with you will be a lot more pleasant today, even if I plan on sitting in the shadow beneath your feet. You're only wearing one layer and I don't want to go between your shirt and your skin."

"That's appreciated. I probably will do some other things, but they all involve visiting people. I hope you don't mind visiting Malo Mart." He picked up the comb he left on the dresser and used it briefly. His hair had already dried, but he should at least make an effort to take care of it.

"Malo Mart?" Of course she wouldn't know what it was. She probably didn't know about how Malo had cried on him earlier.

"The kids want me to play with them for a bit. I figure it won't hurt." He laughed when he saw her expression. "You don't look thrilled at the idea."

"It doesn't sound fun, but you do your own thing. Did you get a chance to talk to Ralis today?" She took the comb from his hand and floated up behind his head to use it on his hair. He'd been with Midna for almost two weeks, and she still did things that surprised him.

"I did, and I told him that his mother was killed. He's going to need some time to himself." Link stood patiently and endured whatever she was doing to his hair. He wasn't facing the mirror so he couldn't see. "I'm going to try talking to him again later or tomorrow to ask about getting to the temple. He's probably our best bet for getting to the bottom of Lake Hylia."

"Yeah, I agree. I want to introduce myself so we should both talk to him about it. Ugh, how is your hair so thick? No wonder it sticks up all the time." She tugged on it slightly with the comb and then sighed. "I give up. I can now see why it looks like you haven't combed it even after you do." Midna set the comb back down on the dresser and melded with the shadows beneath him. "Let's go."

Link could hear someone in the kitchen that wasn't banging things around, and when he went to investigate he found Renado and Ilia there. The shaman was pointing out the ingredients in the pantry to her, and the two of them turned their heads to look at him when he entered the room.

"Hello, Link." Renado said. "I do not mean to be rude, but I am glad that you put a shirt on. I understand that you were dressed that way for a reason, but it was not appropriate in front of the girls."

"I'm sorry." He glanced over at Ilia and saw that she was no longer pink in the face. Being shirtless was inappropriate around someone else, too. "I admit, I wasn't really thinking of anything beyond 'I need to wear something while my clothes dry'."

"Please do not dress that way in front of my daughter again." Renado's tone wasn't stern or harsh despite him stepping into the role of a protective parent. He was being patient. "If you need clothes, ask. I am sure we can find something for you."

"Would that be possible for me, too?" Ilia asked. "I only have the clothes I'm wearing. I don't know how long I've been wearing them, but if I'm going to be here for a while I'll need to wash them."

Renado smiled at her. "Of course. We can think about that after lunch."

"Did you two get to talk about her memory?" He didn't think they'd have found a solution to it yet, but he at least wanted Ilia to feel comfortable around Renado.

"Yes, we did. I need to speak with you about that, Link. There are many things you know about Ilia that I do not, and you were the one with her last night. Gor Coron was only there for part of it and could not give me enough information." When Ilia lowered her eyes in response, the shaman kindly put a hand on her shoulder. "What happened is not your fault. The mind can be injured just as much as the body. I do not know how it happened, but we will find a way to let you heal."

"I'm afraid that it will happen again. One of the children or Link will say something and I'll lose control." She hugged her arms around herself. "I hate feeling that way. It's another fear piled on top of this other fear I have, where I feel like something will go terribly wrong."

Link came around the prep table in the middle of the room to stand closer to her. He knew that he shouldn't give her another hug unless it was necessary, but standing next to her with Renado would make her feel less alone and afraid. Or so he hoped. "Don't let your fear control you. I understand why you're scared, but you're going to get better sooner or later. I didn't just want to bring Ralis here to get help, I wanted to bring you here too. It's safe here, the Gorons are making sure of that. Renado and Barnes are both gentlemen, and the children are all pretty good kids."

"You're here too." she said, slowly looking up at him. "Being in the same town as you is probably one of the safest places in Hyrule right now."

He gave a small laugh at that, secretly enjoying her praise. "Stop, you'll make me blush. I'm trying hard to not fit the hero mold, and here you are trying to shove me into it." When that made her smile, he gave a small smile back. "You'll be fine, Ilia."

"Link's right. I know of things that can help keep you calm, and I believe that starting a regular routine will help you manage your uncertainty. Did you still want to try to cook today?" Renado waved a hand at the pantry. "There is not too much right now, but we keep finding new ingredients in people's homes."

She nodded. "Yes. I don't know why, but I know that I can cook. I look at the food here and think of some things that I can make. Like that barley." She pointed at it. "I know I can make it as a base for a cucco dish. I get the feeling that I put something else in it, but apples will do. It would be good for breakfast too if we put fruit and honey in it." Ilia stopped, lowering her hand slowly, and then she turned to Link. "That's why you…" Her eyes grew wide and she put her hands to her cheeks. "That's why you asked if I ever had anything like oatmeal before! You were trying to get me to think of the barley dish, weren't you?"

His mouth fell open. Did she just remember that? "I was, and when you didn't I let it be. Did you remember how to cook it?"

"Yes!" Ilia was excited. "I can remember now, it was sweet potatoes! I'd put cucco and sweet potatoes in it. And I can cook other things, so many things. I remember them, like suddenly they were put back into my head." She smiled a genuinely happy smile. It made his heart flutter. "I remembered something and it didn't hurt."

"See? Not all recollections will be painful ones." Renado said with a smile. "Most of them will be like that. You may next remember your favorite flower, or a game you used to play as a child."

"I feel a bit less frightened about the whole thing now. I thought every memory was going to awful." She put her hands on her hips and looked around the kitchen, now confident in herself. "I think I'll be able to make some meals and give poor Barnes a break. But for now, I'm going to make that tea I wanted."

"If you're good on your own, I want to talk to Renado for a few minutes." He wasn't sure he should leave her alone when she was frightened, but now she seemed to be better. Remembering one thing in a positive manner had completely changed things for her.

"I'll be fine. You gentlemen go talk." Ilia opened the door to the iron stove and peered in, already getting involved with the kitchen.

She was finally smiling and acting a bit more like herself, just as she had done while he was fishing yesterday. He really wanted to be near her when she was like this, but he did need to speak to Renado. He motioned to the shaman to follow him and then led the way outside. Once they were out in the shade cast by the Eld Inn by the late morning sun, Link let out a breath in relief. "Finally, she's herself again. Last night really messed her up. I was worried."

"Worried?" Midna said from down near his feet. "That doesn't begin to describe it. You were a mess."

"Quiet." he growled at the ground beneath him.

"Gor Coron told me all that he could last night." Renado said. "I am not only concerned for Ilia, but for you as well."

Link glanced up and down the street. No one was immediately next to them, but farther to the north were a group of Gorons with their dodongos. "Can we go to the Sanctuary to talk? Midna wants to borrow more books from the library anyway."

"I've read them all multiple times." she said from ground level. "I could probably recite whole pages by now."

That made Renado chuckle, and he walked with Link and the hidden shadow being to the Sanctuary. It was far cooler inside, the adobe building keeping the interior far more comfortable than the wooden Eld Inn. Once they were inside and Renado had shut the door, Midna appeared.

"I'm going to put the old books back and pick some new ones." She waved her hand at them while slowly floating over to the library nook. "You two talk about Ilia."

"Right." Link crossed his arms and looked up at Renado. "I wanted to tell you some things about her. I've been with her over the past few days while you haven't. Is there any detail in particular you're looking for?"

"I believe it is best if you tell me how you feel that her personalty has changed. That will give us a good starting point. If Ilia is your girlfriend, then you know her far better than anyone else." Renado said.

"She's not my girlfriend." Link said defensively, a bit more harshly than he intended. "We're just friends."

"Forgive me for assuming that." the shaman said smoothly, picking up on the fact that it was a sore subject for Link. "How was she before?"

He looked up at the large wooden statue of Eldin that dominated the center of the Sanctuary and thought of the Ilia he had lost. "Complex." Link smiled a bit sadly. "She's always been sweet and kind, but she's also strong-willed and determined to get her own way. She's a small person, but she isn't afraid of much. In fact she used to throw herself in the middle of the fights that I picked with other kids, knowing that I wouldn't try to hit them if she was in the way."

"Then the confidence she regained in the kitchen makes sense. That does seem like something that would fit in with what you're describing. How has she been lately?" Renado asked. "I am not only speaking about the panic attack she had last night."

"She's…" Link trailed off, not happy about the changes in her. They were far too wrong to see in Ilia. It made her seem like a different person, not the young woman that he had become enamored with. "Frightened. She told me she feels like something is going to get her. It's made her very timid and nervous. Now she cries, and before Ilia didn't cry much. There was what happened in the stable, and then she looked like she was going to cry over Malo earlier."

"I see." Renado put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "If she did suffer trauma, then the anxiety and tears make sense. There is only so much the human mind can take before it breaks."

"I figured it was something like that. I went through some things a few years ago, so I get it." Calling it "a few things" was putting it mildly. "There's something else. She's had problems when it comes to things related to me. That attack in the barn happened because I started singing the song for my horse. Then I let her name slip and that's when she started crying." Link put a hand to his face, frustrated with himself. He knew it was his fault that Ilia had that attack, and it was because he wasn't careful. "It was so stupid of me. I was tired and…" And what? How long would he have been able to not say her name, or not do something that could make her react? The song in itself causing her to panic was surprising, so it meant that anything else could potentially make it happen.

He shook his head, putting his hand down again. "It doesn't matter. The point is I'm the one who triggered her. She kept telling me not to say her name, or sing the song. The last time I saw her cry that hard, it was when her mother died." He stopped there, not wanting to talk about how he held onto her just as much for himself as Ilia. He didn't think about it at the time, but he was trying to comfort both of them. Renado said that he was concerned for Link, but that didn't mean he wanted anyone's concern or help.

"It could be any reminder of both you and herself, not you specifically, Link." Midna said from where she was looking through books. "Both of you were hurt at the spring when you were attacked."

"You did mention that before." Renado said. "I know that the memory is upsetting for you, but can you please go into more detail?"

He gave a small nod, not wanting to discuss it, but he knew that he needed to. "Ilia and Colin were at Ordona's Spring with Epona. Ilia was mad that I had to leave town for a few days, so she stole my horse to delay me. When I finally found her, she said she had something important to tell me, probably about my birthday. That's when the Bulbins came in. Epona ran off when Ilia screamed next to her, and one of the Bulbins hit me on the head." Link looked down at the wooden planks of the floor, not wanting to put the scene to words. Thinking about it was one thing, but vocalizing it was something else entirely. "I hate this. I hate talking about it."

"I'm sorry." Renado apologized, his voice kind.

Link took a deep breath and blew it out. "It can't be helped." He continued, knowing that as much as recalling that moment bothered him, Renado might notice some detail he hadn't. "She grabbed Colin and tried to run into the woods, and that's when a Bulbin shot her...here." He reached over the back of his head with his left arm to touch his right shoulder, just above the shoulder blade. "I saw that she was bleeding and I...I kind of lost it. I became unreasonably angry, just like I did when they took Colin from here. I tried to fight and they hit me on the head again, and this time I could swear that they cracked my skull. They were trying to kill me but I fell into the water of the spring. I couldn't tell you how long I was laying there, but it was long enough for me to heal. They were gone when I woke up."

"Where did you get hit on the head? Show me." Renado stepped up to look down at the top of Link's head. It wasn't hard for him to do; the man was over half a foot taller than Link.

"Uh, here." He touched at the back of his head. "I know I heard a crunch before I blacked out. Can you hear your own skull get smashed, Renado?"

"I imagine so, but surviving it is another matter." The shaman prodded the back of Link's head and made a thoughtful sound. "There is no bump, no scarring, nothing. I believe that Ordona healed you, not the spring. A fatal wound cannot be healed by the waters, and if you were hit hard enough that they broke your skull, you would have died."

"I suspected that I would be dead. I didn't realize that the Light Spirit healed me. I guess they didn't want their precious hero dying when I have a kingdom to save." Having Renado poke the back of his head was far better than getting poked in the side. He wasn't ticklish on his head. "Did you need to know anything else?"

"Yes. Coron told me about how you reacted after Ilia had recovered from her attack and left the stable. Are you all right?" Renado asked the question Link wanted to avoid. As kind as he was, there was little he could do about Link's current situation.

"Damn that Coron." Link muttered. "I'm fine, Renado. I know I was a mess last night, but I've been under a lot of stress. I'm managing the best that I can."

"He really is." Midna said from where she sat on the floor in the library. "We've been doing a lot of difficult things that we can't tell anyone about. They would probably make an ordinary person crack, and Link has been taking it all in stride. Not only that but he goes on day after day without resting. Eldin told him to cut that out, but he's still doing it."

"I'm resting today." He knew that he needed to spend more time recovering after things, but time was not a luxury that he had.

"You're resting today because you wanted to make sure that Ralis and Ilia are all right, and you needed to wash. Your own mental needs had nothing to do with it." She snapped a book shut and looked over at Renado. "I'm trying to take care of him the best that I can, but he's so stubborn."

"Please continue to care for him and be his friend. That is all that you can do." He crossed his tattooed arms and looked back at Link. "I understand that you are managing things so far, but know your limits. If you are not careful, you will have a nervous breakdown. Since Ilia and the children are important to you, I suggest you stop here to see them when you can. Being with people you care about can help with your stress."

"I thought I would stay away, actually. If I'm the one causing Ilia's problems, I can't be near her." He kept his voice level, but the look Renado gave him meant that he wasn't fooled. The man could tell that Link did not want to stay away from her.

"She will be fine. I imagine she was under a lot of stress yesterday, much like you were. Her next reaction will not be that strong. Please do not avoid her; you will only make the two of you unhappy. She needs you, Link. You are a connection to her past, and I have seen how your presence reassures her." He smiled and uncrossed his arms. "She likes you, even though she cannot remember you. She told me so."

He was about to protest, but Renado was right. He couldn't avoid her, even if he knew that he could trigger something. It would be better for both of them if they could talk sometimes, or even if he was simply in the same room as her. "If you think it would be better that I come back here sometimes, then I will. I want to do what's best for her, no matter what it is." He realized how that sentence sounded, and turned a little red. He coughed awkwardly. "Anyway, did you need to know anything else?"

"No. I believe I will ask Colin a few questions, since he is able to recall what happened in Central Hyrule. Thank you for speaking to me about this. If I can think of anything else, I will be sure to ask you when you are in Kakariko." Renado turned to Midna. "Did you choose your books?"

"Yes, I'm taking seven this time if you don't mind." She waved a hand at the pile to make it vanish, and floated up. "Thank you for letting me borrow more books. Now if you'll excuse us, Link and I have to go visit Malo Mart." She smirked, and then melted into the shadow beneath Link's feet.


The children were thrilled that an adult was able to play with them, since both Barnes and Renado had their hands full caring for the various animals that were around Kakariko. While Renado and Luda handled the livestock, Barnes had been feeding the cats and dogs that people had kept as pets. This meant that the children were left to their own devices, which wasn't too different than how things were back in Ordon. Doing something familiar like playing with the kids was somehow soothing, a bit of Link's old routine that made him feel more like his old self. He certainly hadn't been feeling that way recently. He needed to visit the children just as much as Ilia. Renado was right about that too.

He went in to check on Epona after lunch. He knew that Luda had already cared for her in the morning, but he wasn't going to completely ignore the mare now that he was in the same place as her. His satchel still held the old apples he had taken from Kakariko days ago, and he had no intention of eating them at this point unless he absolutely had to. It was far better to give them to his horse.

Ilia was there in the stable when he came in, patting Epona on her nose as the mare leaned her head over the stall door and against the young woman's chest. She was humming the horse's song, and Epona was responding in a similar fashion as she did to Link. Ilia didn't notice him until he was nearly next to her, his footsteps quiet as he approached. He was in awe of her singing the song when she had never done so before, and hadn't wanted her to stop. Something about hearing her hum his family's song brought a warmth to his chest. She had somehow remembered something personal and important to him, even if she didn't remember Link himself.

When she stopped humming, she looked over at him and gave a smile. "Oh, hello again. Your horse is a real sweetheart."

"You can sing that song…" How could she sing it? Not only did it make her panic last night, but if she remembered nothing about him, she shouldn't be able to remember it as well. He certainly hadn't hummed enough of it last night for her to remember it all. "But...I don't understand?"

"I wanted to try singing it for myself to see if I would be okay, just like when I asked you to say my name earlier. When I came out here to see the horses, I remembered it when looking at Epona." The horse exhaled when hearing her name and Ilia laughed a little.

"You remembered the song even though it's what set you off?" If she remembered the song that he sang, perhaps it wasn't necessarily him that had set her off, like Midna suggested. It had to be a combination of things. It was also an aspect of himself that she actually remembered, even though she probably had no memory of who was singing the song, only that she knew it.

"I know it made my head hurt last night, just like you saying my name did." She continued to smile at him, taking in his guilty expression before continuing. "It's okay. I know you didn't mean to upset me like that. Looking back on it, you looked unhappy. I don't blame you or anything, so don't feel bad."

Link shook his head. "No, that's not it. Okay, maybe I did feel a bit guilty about it. Nobody wants to make somebody else cry, you know? I was unhappy because it was specifically you who was crying. You might have picked up on it by now, but the two of us and the kids from Ordon are all close."

"Are we? You said you knew me." She rested her hand on Epona's head, and her smile changed into a quizzical expression. "How do you know me?"

He stood next to her as she gently touched the mare's face, hesitating. He could tell her what he had wanted to tell her for years, the things that he held in his heart, and finally get it off his chest. He could, but he wouldn't. She didn't need to be confused by what he told her. If she was going to return his feelings, she should do it on her own and not have him influence her. So far she had believed everything he had told her, so this was not a time for confessions. He looked into her green eyes as he considered it, and after a moment she lowered them and looked away. Again, avoiding eye contact. It was strange.

"We're friends." he said simply. "We've been friends for years, and we've spent a lot of time together since we're close in age."

"How old am I?" she asked, focusing her eyes somewhere on the floor of the stable. Her smile was gone as she absorbed the information.

"You turned seventeen three months ago." He watched her face carefully to make sure anything he said wasn't setting her off.

"How old are you, then? I'm guessing not younger than me."

"I just turned eighteen a few days ago." He reached up to pat Epona's neck, and she turned her head towards him. The mare probably expected him to hum, even though Ilia had just been singing.

Ilia took a deep breath and slowly let it out, shutting her eyes. Link watched her, unsure if she was going to react negatively due to the information he gave her. She smiled and opened her eyes. "Malo said that we were all friends. I didn't know if that was a child simplifying things, so I had to ask you." She glanced at him through her long eyelashes, and he was struck by how beautiful she was. "That explains why you were upset, if we're friends. No wonder you gave me a hug."

He realized he was holding his breath, and let it out. She seemed fine, even if she had looked away from him again. "I don't make a habit of giving hugs out to strangers. In fact there are only a few things I do hug: dogs, children, and crying friends." He ticked them off his fingers, and gave a little smile when she gave a small laugh.

"I'm sorry for being a stranger so far. I want to remember you, but so far I've only remembered how to cook and the song for Epona." She wanted to remember him. That could be interpreted in so many ways, but it was probably innocent.

"It's all right. We can become friends all over again." He gave her what he thought was a pleasant smile, even though he was still hung up on what she had said: I want to remember you.

She returned his smile, and watched as he held out one of the apples on his open palm to give to Epona. As the horse crunched she looked at the second apple in his hand. "Can I give her one? I saw you do it, and remembered that's what you do so they don't bite your fingers."

He wordlessly offered her the apple and she reached for it, then stopped while looking down at his hand. "What's that? Link, can I see the back of your hand?"

"Oh, this?" Still gripping the bruised apple, he tilted his left hand so the back side of it was up. Courage stood out, three darker triangles on his light-colored skin. "You probably haven't seen it yet because I normally wear gloves." Except that she had seen it before, only she couldn't remember.

"It's the same as that crest on your shield. I saw it on the fountain in Castle Town too." She reached out and touched her fingertips to it. "It's not a tattoo, is it?" Her gentle touch gave him goose bumps. Link had rolled up the sleeves of his linen gambeson, so she had a good view of the hairs on his arm when they stood on end. "Oh, I'm sorry." she said, yanking her hand back.

He gave an awkward laugh, heart thumping from her touch. "I'm a little bit ticklish, sorry." That wasn't it at all, but it hopefully would be a good enough lie. So far his lies had been working on her. "It isn't a tattoo; it appeared there when I was ten years old. It's something to do with being the hero." That wasn't a lie, although he still wasn't sure why the Triforce of Courage would be in the hand on the current hero. He didn't want to seem like her fingertips on the back of his hand thrilled him like it did, so he took her hand, tilted it up and deposited the apple in it. It wasn't an intimate touch, unlike what she just unknowingly did. "Give this to my poor horse. She's been staring at it the whole time."

"Poor Epona. Here you go." Ilia held her hand out and the mare chomped down on the apple. "Are you going to sing to her again?"

Link felt himself turn a little red at that. He still didn't know why it bothered him. He crossed his arms on the stall door, leaning on it as he watched Epona enjoy her treat. "I don't like to do that in front of others. You've heard me do it before but…" He shrugged. "I'm a bit shy about singing around others now that I'm grown up."

She laughed at him. "You are? But you did it last night." Still smiling, she looked past him.

There was somebody approaching on the edge of his peripheral vision, and when he turned his head to see who, he found a pair of ample breasts right at his eye level. He quickly darted his eyes up to Telma's face, but she had noticed.

"Eyes up here." she said, pointing to her face.

He stood up straight and scowled at her, grumpy at the fact that he had no choice in what had just happened. It was completely by accident. "It wasn't like I was trying to look. They were right at eye level." Behind him, Ilia laughed again and he felt even more grumpy about the whole thing.

"Then grow taller." Oh, come on. That wasn't fair of her. He was leaning on something, and most certainly was not that short. Normally her chin was at about the same level as his eyes.

"I wasn't standing up straight. They're not at eye level now." His scowl deepened. "I'm still growing too. If I'm like my father then I'll grow until I'm twenty."

"Now there you go messing up that pretty face of yours again." Telma leaned forward and patted his cheek, making him growl in offense. "If me picking on you is all that it takes to make Ilia laugh, I'm going to bully you all the time."

Link swatted her hand away. "She was laughing before you started bullying me, thank you very much."

"If it makes you feel any better, I can bully Telma while you laugh." Ilia offered, her voice mirthful.

That did make him laugh. "I like how you think. See? This is why we're friends."

"He told me that we were friends, Telma. Back in Ordon, the two of us and all these children were close." She seemed quite pleased with the idea, that she wasn't alone and there were people who cared about her nearby.

"You two certainly do get along well, but I'm not here to talk about rekindled friendships. I'm here to get Sam and Stephen." Sam and Stephen? Is that really what Telma named her horses? "The Goron caravan is leaving in a bit and I need to get ready."

"I'll help you." Ilia offered. "I like horses."

"My clothes are probably dry, and I need to talk with Barnes about something he made for me, but I'll be sure to see you off." He wasn't avoiding helping Telma, but he did want to speak with Barnes about what he assumed were arrows. It was also time to get out of the skin-tight pants; they made his legs sweaty.

"More explosives? You do like blowing things up, don't you?" Telma perked a brow at him.

"Only Bulbins in heavy armor. Barnes mentioned something about exploding arrows, which as dangerous as that sounds, has still captured my interest." He gave Ilia a warm smile, happy that she not only was content to be his friend, but was laughing again too. "I'm looking forward to that dinner you're making. I missed your cooking." She avoided his eyes again and gave a shy smile. It was so cute that he chuckled as he left the stable. Ilia didn't realize it, but she was acting so much like her old self. The fearful girl that he didn't recognize was being replaced by the strong one he adored.

Telma said something as he made his way around the stable and towards the back yard of the inn, and then he heard Ilia's voice more clearly. "I know he has to leave soon." He slowed, his footfalls quiet on the dusty path that was behind the stable, and stopped to listen. They were talking about him. Midna probably would have something to say if she was up near his ears, but she was beneath his feet at the moment. He'd probably get an earful about eavesdropping later.

He couldn't quite hear Telma's deeper voice, so he moved a quiet step closer. "I don't know." Ilia said. "I don't understand my own self yet."

"I think I understood your reaction to his smile better than you did, honey." He could make out Telma's words now.

"That's why I don't understand myself. I'm only starting to remember things, but not him. He's been nothing but friendly even though I can't remember a single thing about him, other than his horse." She said something else, or perhaps made a sound of frustration. "But still…when he smiles at me there's this warmth. There's some kind of connection there. I can't explain it. When he smiles..." She paused. "...he's beautiful. That's what he told me when I asked what I looked like, but that's what I think when I look at him." He had figured out that she was attracted to him, but to hear her admit it like that filled his stomach with butterflies and made him catch his breath. "That's why I want to look at this face. But if I look at his eyes, it scares me."

"He scares you? Did you see him fight?" Telma sounded a bit confused.

"I saw him fight and I understand that's part of who he is. No, I'm not afraid of him. It's the opposite; I feel safer when he's around." She paused again, and he heard her breath catch. She was beginning to cry. "It's something else. It's this horrible anxiety, this fear that I've felt for myself...I've started to feel it for him. Something happened, something terrible. Whenever I reach for it…" She gave a small sob. "It hurts." Ilia's voice became muffled, as if she was holding her face in her hands.

Hearing her weep like that made him want to rush back in there to her, but then they'd realize that he had been listening in to their conversation. It was a private conversation about him that Ilia would not have wanted him to hear. She had been avoiding his eyes, but the reason made sense now. Looking at him reminded her of what had happened at the spring, even if she didn't realize it. That had to be why. Then perhaps it was better that he kept his distance. A lump formed in his throat at the thought; he didn't want to be away from her, not after finding her again.

"That fear that you feel will go away one day." Telma said quietly, so quietly he almost couldn't hear her. "He's part of your past, and a lifeline to who you used to be. Hold onto that. If he tells you anything else, believe him. Link wouldn't lie." Hearing that stung, only because he knew he had to lie even if he hated doing it. "Here now, no tears. I liked it better when you were laughing with that handsome young man a minute ago. It makes me wish I had a nice handsome man to laugh with too."

He heard Ilia give a small, tearful laugh and decided he had heard enough. Link carefully moved away and down the path so they wouldn't hear his steps, although they very well could have heard his pounding heart. She was right, he did feel something warm in his chest when he looked at her, but also when she laughed, when she smiled, and when he knew she was safe. He knew what it was, but he didn't pursue that thought. He wouldn't give it words, not yet. She had been in his thoughts every day since she was taken from Ordona's Spring, even though he knew his mind needed to be focused on other things. What he had overheard her say gave him a tenuous hope that perhaps in spite of her memory loss, Ilia may have the same thoughts about him.


Author's note: I know King Zora's official name is King Zora De Bon or DeBon, but I portmanteau'd it to make it seem less like "king zora the good" is his name. There are a few little changes like that to make the names of things less silly.

And as far as tight pants go...have you ever seen a man in tight pants, say stretchpants? Use your imagination. There was a reason Renado said "do not dress that way around my daughter". Link has no idea why they reacted that way, either. He thought it was due to him being shirtless, or maybe they were looking at his butt. Ignorance is bliss, I guess?