A/N: This chapter was revised as of 6/5/2017 - Polished, minor errors and typos fixed.

This chapter was revised as of 2/27/2018 - Polished, minor errors and typos fixed.

This chapter was revised as of 5/17/2019 - Polished, bits re-worded.


When Heroes Fall

By: Selphie Kinneas 175

Chapter 4: Unsteady

.:.

"You've never been out this far, have you?"

Colin's voice snapped the younger Ordonian from his stupor, and all he could muster was a simple shake of his head in reply.

It was true; he had never been this far from his home village, and the open expanse that was Hyrule Field was a sight to behold. The grass was the most vibrant green he had ever seen, the sun seemed to shine brighter as it didn't have a rooftop of trees to filter it, and it was just so utterly vast. The various pools of water sparkled in the sunlight, the cobblestones of the bridge above it shone in those very same rays, and there was a gentle breeze that just ever so slightly rustled his hair and cooled his skin – had he truly been missing this all his life?

Colin chuckled as he spurred his mount forward again after giving Ren a few moments to compose himself, "I take it this isn't exactly what you expected?"

Ren had to actually remind himself to close his slack jaw as he, too, gave his mare a little nudge to get her moving.

"Not at all," he shook his head, still a bit wide-eyed, "It's just so huge! Like… I can't even see the end of it!"

Colin smiled, but said nothing. Even though he had been young, he could vividly remember his first impression of the seemingly-infinite field that lay before the feet of the distantly looming castle and its surrounding town.

"Wait until you see Castle Town."

Ren's mouth hung open involuntarily yet again as he emitted an excited gasp, "I can't wait!"

The young uncle laughed, reminiscing on a time when he had that same kind of enthusiasm, "Well, we've gotta go to Kakariko first."

Ren was silent for a moment, their horses having picked up speed a tad but still allowing the riders to talk. Something crossed his mind that troubled him.

"Do you think everyone is gonna hate me for what happened to my mom?"

Colin looked over at him, and his breath seemed to catch in his throat at the seriousness and unbridled concern in his nephew's tone, "No, Ren, of course they aren't going to hate you."

Ren pursed his lips, "What makes you so sure? I… I hate myself for it… So why wouldn't they? It was my fault."

Colin suddenly pulled hard on the reins, bringing his stallion to a halt and Ren followed suit. He stared his traveling companion down and said sincerely, "I don't know the details and I don't need to. It was not your fault. Everyone knows you loved your mom, Ren. Everyone knows you're a good kid. These are good, understanding people… they would never hate you, could never hate you."

"Then…" Ren began, glancing down at his twiddling thumbs, "Why is it no one ever comes to visit? I always kind of thought it was because they didn't like me because of what happened with my dad leaving all those years ago."

Colin frowned, disheartened that his nephew felt this way, "That's not the case at all. It's just…" he paused, the infrequent visits having truthfully bothered him in the past as well, just not for the same reason.

Colin understood that they didn't come to Ordon often simply because they were busy – Talo with his family and Malo with his business. What upset him was the fact that he had no such thing to keep him busy. He had his mother, father, and sister, but he didn't have a family of his own; no significant other or love interest, and he certainly wasn't a savvy salesman like his youngest brother was. Colin longed for some kind of purpose, anything at all (although the prospect of a beautiful girl to come home to at the end of the day particularly tickled his fancy).

"Everyone's just busy, that's all," he blurted at last.

Ren furrowed his brow, "Why do you look sad all of a sudden?"

He shook his head and put on a fake grin, "I'm good. Let's just hurry and get to the village before the sun starts to set."

Ren knew he wasn't 'good,' but he had seen his beloved uncle get that look on his face far too many times growing up, and he knew that there was no getting it out of him.

The remainder of their trek to the dusty village was a quiet one. Colin kept his eyes trained ahead while Ren took in every visible detail around him. He loved the feeling of riding horseback with the wind in his hair, he only wished he could tell his mother about it at the end of the day.

They arrived in Kakariko Village just as the sun was beginning to paint a beautiful array of colors across the distant sky. Pinks and oranges danced along the horizon, and Ren found himself awestruck once again. The image of the bright colors behind the sprawling mountaintop was a sight he previously thought was only a thing of make-believe. The village was picturesque, nestled at the foot of the volcano like roots to an enormous tree.

It was quaint with few buildings lining a single straight path down the center, but there were, surprisingly, quite a few people out and about.

"I thought you said Kakariko was like a ghost town?" Ren asked, looking to his uncle as they passed by the spirit's spring and slowed their steeds to a walk.

"I'm just as shocked as you," Colin replied sincerely, gazing all around the town he had spent the darkest part of his childhood in.

Honestly, the once-timid lad had been avoiding the western village like the plague. It reminded him of a painful past that he would rather just forget about. Well, all except for the relationships he had formed during that time. Everything else that happened was a blur of worry and doubt. Constant worry for his biggest brother's wellbeing, doubt in ever seeing his parents again, and overall just an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness. Even at the tender age he had been all those years ago, they were memories that stayed with him nearly as clear as those most recent.

They strode up to the largest building and the one Colin had spent so much time in as a child. They dismounted their horses and tied them up to the fence just at the base of the stairs. An elderly couple passed by, admiring the boys' horses, and to that Ren smiled.

The older Ordonian stared up at the once-dilapidated structure, noticing how drastically it had changed as well. It was cleaned up from top to bottom; no loose boards or broken windows, no exposed pipes or missing bricks, and no tarps covering up holes or other indecencies. It looked… nice.

"You okay?" Ren asked, grabbing his uncle's attention.

"Yeah," he cleared his throat, snapping out of it, "It just looks so different since I last saw it."

"When was that?"

"When I was nine," he muttered, and he didn't allow time for a response as he made his way up the short steps and turned the handle.

The most delicious aroma reached the pair's noses that would've instantly made anyone hungry. A small family of three was exiting just as they were entering, bright grins across their faces as they passed by. A warm breeze enveloped the two new visitors as the door opened and then closed behind them, and a chipper little voice that Colin hadn't heard in far too long at last reached his round ears.

"Welcome to the Elde Inn! How may I he-…" she halted and her eyes went wide as they came closer to the front counter that the girl stood behind, "Colin?"

He smiled, "Hi, Luda. How've you been?"

She practically sprinted around the counter before grabbing him in for a tight hug, "How wonderful it is to see you after all this time!"

They pulled apart and Colin glanced down at her with a happy chuckle, "I see you and Talo have been busy."

She giggled as she placed a hand on her rather large belly, but before she could get another word out there was suddenly an obnoxiously loud voice from the other room.

"That's not my little brother is it?" the voice called noisily before its owner finally rounded the corner with one little girl following close at his heels.

"HAH!" he finally boomed with the brightest, cheekiest grin Colin had seen in years displayed happily across his still-youthful face, "It is you, you rascal!"

Talo pulled him in hard and clapped him on the back even harder before releasing a few moments later, "If it isn't my favorite brother!"

Colin laughed, "As if Malo was ever any competition."

"Well, wait, does Link count? 'Cause if so, I like him better."

"I guess that's fair," Colin said with another chuckle.

"Speaking of Link…" Talo began as he turned toward Ren, "If you're not his kid then I'm not the toughest guy in this village."

"Pff," Colin laughed out loud.

"Oh gosh, daddy, not even close!" the littlest girl in the room chimed in, "I can beat you up!"

"What!" Talo shouted in mock offense, "No way!"

"Yep!"

"Prove it! Put 'em up!" he yelled, holding up his fists and she was quick to copy.

"Talo, I thought we said we wouldn't let the girls think violence is fun," Luda chastised.

"We're not," he called back to his wife in between fake swipes and dodges, "We're just teaching her how to be brave and tough just like her dad!"

"Letting her win isn't gonna teach her to be brave, daddy," the older little girl spoke up, Ren and Colin having not even noticed her until then as she had been sitting quietly behind the counter, "She's gonna think everything will be easy because she'll expect everyone to let her win all the time."

Talo huffed and turned toward his only-slightly-older daughter, "When did you get so dang smart for your age, Ki - OW! HEY!" he shouted abruptly when his youngest girl kicked him firmly in the shin.

When he turned back toward her to see her cute little face lit up in joyous victory, he played it up for her sake.

He fell to the floor and wailed in mock failure, "No! How could I lose? Noooo…"

She covered her mouth with her tiny hands and giggled gleefully, "Told you I'm tougher, daddy!"

Ren simply watched on in wonderment. He was silent because he had no words, and he truthfully felt somewhat out of place. He had only briefly met Talo, Luda, and their oldest daughter, Kina, when he was very young and Kina was only a baby at the time. It was so long ago that he couldn't remember much, but he did recall greatly enjoying their company. Now he just felt… a bit strange. He supposed it was simply because the three adults had been very close as children and they desperately needed to catch up, but he just couldn't help but feel like he didn't know them well enough to fit in, even though they were family. Or, perhaps, it could have all merely been chalked up to the fact that he was still in a bit of an emotional shock.

Nevertheless, he was glad to get to actually meet everyone at long last. He had been so young before that - even though they were able to remember him clearly - his was a very distant memory. Colin, however, could notice every little nuance that had changed, not only about the people but about the surroundings. The entirety of the inn was upgraded and polished. They had patrons in the kitchen and guests in the rooms upstairs. The walls were spruced up and the floorboards were almost sparkling. Everything looked so drastically different – better, but different. Despite the upgrades and changes, the inn was still very rustic and homey feeling, and for that Colin was happy.

Talo was still quite fit, but he had put on just a bit of weight around his midsection as the years had gone on. He had that same wild, scruffy brown hair messily atop his head and he was wearing an apron over his ivory shirt and blue trousers; Colin suspected that meant that he had been partly to blame for that outrageously delicious smell lingering in the air.

Luda was as beautiful as ever, now glowing as she was pregnant with their third child. She wore a loose, tan colored dress over her petite-yet-growing form along with boots that were quite similar to those she wore as a little girl, and her once-short black hair she'd since let grow out quite long. It reached her hips in length and she kept it tied nicely in a single side braid.

Their oldest girl, Kina, had been sitting quietly beside her mother behind the counter with her nose buried within a book. Colin could recall the day he learned of the birth of his brother's first child and he knew that she was now the mere age of six, but she was incredibly mature for her years. She was mostly reserved and always very polite, but she had no problem speaking her opinion when she felt the need. She wore a plum colored blouse with a chocolate, ruffled vest, much akin to the one her mother wore as a child, along with a tan skirt and matching sandals. She had pin-straight, chestnut brown hair that reached her shoulders and warm, caramel colored eyes.

Orielle was their youngest, and she was spunky and a handful. Colin could tell in these simple few minutes that he had met his niece that she took after her father in almost every possible way. She was two years younger than her sister at the innocent age of four, and she was just as rambunctious as he remembered Talo being when they were kids. She donned a flowy, ruby colored sundress that reached her knees and she was most often found running around barefoot. She had very short, black hair that was tied up into two side pigtails with brilliant emerald eyes that matched her father's. It was clear that she and Talo had enough energy between the two of them to light up all of Castle Town.

There was one individual, though, that Colin was eager to see who hadn't yet made his presence known.

"Where's Mister Renado?" the blond young man inquired.

"Gramps is in the kitchen. You know old people, they couldn't hear a cucco squawking right beside them. I'll go get him," Talo answered sarcastically.

"You're a jerk," Luda laughed.

Her husband clicked his tongue, "You're right, I should send one of his perfect little granddaughters to get him."

"Ooh! Me! Me! Pick me!" Orielle squealed, jumping up and down with her short arms flailing in the air, "I'll go get Grampy!"

"Good girl, go on then," her father said, motioning toward the kitchen door.

She flew out of the room like a bird from a tree, and Talo couldn't help but chuckle, "Kids. Man, being a parent's great, you should try it, Colin. I'd like to have more nieces and nephews, you know."

"Can't really do that alone," Colin joked.

Talo laughed, changing the subject, "Speaking of nieces and nephews, how's my favorite sister and little Evan?"

Colin glanced around a bit before finding an answer, "She's hanging on, I guess. They've had it rough since her husband died."

Talo frowned, "Yeah… that is rough. Poor kid, right? Growing up without a dad like that… I can't imagine."

Ren felt awkward enough to stare down at his feet, seemingly unable to look elsewhere for fear of embarrassment at what was just said and how it was also his own situation. Colin cleared his throat at his barely-older and much-more-clueless brother.

"O-Oh," Talo coughed, "Uh, sorry, Ren, I wasn't really thinking when I said that."

Ren shook his head and shrugged, "It's okay, don't worry about it."

Talo glanced over at his wife and then back at him, quick to change the subject with a cheesy grin, "Well, what about my actual favorite sister, huh? How's Ilia?"

And it was at that moment one could've heard a pin drop.

The painful moments of bitter silence seemed never ending, when in reality they barely added up to a few seconds. The awkwardness in the room only intensified with the loud opening of the swinging door to the kitchen.

"Here's Grampy, daddy!" Orielle chirped happily, dragging her grandfather by the hand into the main hall with the others.

They all turned to look at the old shaman and his granddaughter, a smile gracing both of their gleeful faces.

"Thank you, Ori," Talo said to his daughter before quietly motioning for her to calm down a bit.

Renado collected himself momentarily before catching sight of the visitors. Colin was happy to see that his old mentor barely looked any different. He still dressed the same, spoke the same, and carried himself the same, maybe if only a tad more slowly and the tiniest bit more wobbly. His once dark hair was starting to gray, but if Renado was to ask him, Colin would tell him it was hardly noticeable.

"Ah, my dear Colin," Renado said with a warm grin as he grabbed the young man in for a hug, "You're no longer that timid little boy from my memories," he pulled back to see Colin beaming, and the old man couldn't contain his laughter as he noticed that there was hardly a height gap between them anymore.

"It's so good to see you, Mister Renado. I've missed you."

"And I, you, my boy, I assure you," he smiled again, just before turning to Ren who stood a ways away beside the door.

"My, my," the wise shaman started in a such a deep, soothing tone that could melt away almost all the worries in the world, "You have really grown since we last met."

Ren simply nodded and gave a forced smile.

"You look so much like your father," he said as he stepped closer to the boy, "But I can see your mother's fire and tenacity behind those eyes."

When Ren's smile once again dissipated, the aged healer could read him like a book.

His thick brow furrowed as he knelt down in front of his downtrodden namesake. Ren avoided the several pairs of glaring eyes that felt like they were penetrating his very flesh from all angles around the room, especially those of the shaman right in front of him. He felt vulnerable and embarrassed, and he knew that the wise man could see it plain as day, he just hoped he couldn't see why he felt that way.

"What happened to your mother, my boy?" Renado asked.

Ren could avoid his gaze no longer; he was shocked that he knew his reaction had to do with his mother, and he was even more shocked at how calm Renado made him feel about it. His tone wasn't condescending or accusatory, his facial expression wasn't demanding or criticizing, his whole demeanor was simply… calm and curious.

Ren felt in that instant more willing to open up than he had in what felt like such a long time.

"She… died."

Luda covered her mouth with her hands, but was unable to muffle the audible gasp that involuntarily escaped. Her two young daughters looked to their mother longing for an explanation as they didn't quite understand what was happening.

"Why don't we go see how dinner is coming along, girls," Luda hastily said as she rushed the two moaning children out of the room.

"Dead?" Talo reiterated after watching to ensure his little ones were out of earshot.

Colin looked away, folding his arms over his chest and leaning against a nearby wooden table.

Ren was quiet, glancing between the three older men in the room, half expecting to be judged for what he was about to say and half completely unsure of what to expect.

Renado placed a firm hand on the boy's shoulder, giving him that little extra confidence to open up.

The son of the hero opened his mouth to speak, ready to let it all out and come clean with the full story on what exactly happened in that house; that he was the cause of the fire, the explosion, everything… but he choked.

"I was in my dad's house when it caught fire. My mom and Grandpa Rusl came in to save me but she didn't make it out in time."

The inn was eerily silent as Ren looked nervously between each of them. Colin still looked away, but Talo and Renado were staring back at him just the same.

Renado knew there was more to the story that was being left out, but he wouldn't dare pry when it was so visibly disturbing him. Even if he had wanted to, Talo's voice would have halted him.

"Oh, man…" Talo sighed, running his fingers through his shaggy hair, "So Link's treehouse is gone, too?"

Ren nodded.

"Gods, that's…" he huffed, "Gods, I just can't believe it. Poor Ilia. Poor Link. Oh, man," he continued to ramble, "What's Link gonna say? How did the mayor take it? Oh gods… poor Bo. What about Beth and little Evan? Are they okay? Calie and Aunt Uli? Is everyone else okay? Wait… Uncle Rusl? What about him? You said he was in the fire, too, is he okay? Oh, man… Link's house was such a landmark, you know? Gods… I just hope everyone's okay."

Ren was obviously completely overwhelmed at Talo's jumbled response and his incessant slew of questions, so Colin replied.

"Bo's not doing well at all. Beth, Evan, and everyone else are fine. My dad's fine. Link's house, yeah, it's gone, along with everything in it, but homes can be rebuilt, people can't be."

"Y-Yeah, of course, of course," Talo nodded, ruffling through his hair again as a sort of nervous twitch, "Just completely blows my mind all around. I just can't believe it. We all loved your mom, Ren, she was a big sister to all of us. I know you're sad," the brunet man was trying so hard to be consoling as he scratched the back of his head, but it was never his strong suit, "But… if it makes you feel better, I know she's gotta be having a good time with the goddesses, you know?" he forced a weak attempt at a smile, "I'm sure they gave her a nice place, some horses, fields and grass and all that, and I'm sure she's, well… happy."

Even though it wasn't the most eloquent way to put it or the most polished way with words, the point was clear. Even though it didn't come close to erasing the pain, it warmed up the atmosphere of the room just ever so slightly, and for that Ren was grateful.

He gave a miniscule, crooked smile right then that gave everyone the most vivid flashbacks of their hero before saying, "Thanks, Uncle Talo."

"Pff," he scoffed, flinging his hand in the air as if to physically push the words away, "Nah, I-I don't deserve none of that, really, kid, just speakin' my mind. We all loved your mom here, so, uh…" he started to tear up then, but he hid it well, "Just wanted to make sure you knew that but I need to get back to the kitchen now. Hope everyone's hungry!"

And with that he exited the room in a blur.

Renado sighed, "Poor boy has never really learned how to cope with his emotions."

Colin chuckled sadly, "I can see that. At least it doesn't seem like anyone here has changed too much."

"Ah, yes…" Renado grimaced ever so slightly as he stood up and a sharp pain raced down his back.

"You okay, Mister Renado?" Colin questioned.

"Oh, yes, yes, of course, dear boy," he smiled warmly, "I am just growing older and as such, my body ages with me. But we aren't here to talk about these old bones, I need to know now that it's just us... how are you two truly holding up?"

Ren looked away almost instantly. He didn't want to come off as rude or standoffish, but he was just so tired of talking about this, about himself, about anything other than what he decided to leave home to do. He didn't want to talk about what happened with his mother anymore, it only made him hate himself. He didn't want to talk about himself or his feelings with anyone anymore, it only made him sound pathetic and self-pitying.

Colin, however, adored the shaman and was quick to reply with full honesty, "I just feel really confused and lost."

"How so, my son?" the older man asked, turning toward him fully and giving him his undivided attention.

"I'm heartbroken over what happened to Ilia. She was my big sister, and she took care of me during some of the scariest, most downright awful moments in my childhood. Like Link, I looked up to her, just in different ways. I just can't believe she's gone… I feel like I should be better at handling these things by now, but I'm just not."

Renado nodded once slowly as he allowed himself to slip down into a nearby chair, "Yes… Loss is a fickle creature. A person with vast knowledge might say that loss is something that one can train themselves to cope with, that, perhaps, one can even accustom themselves to not feel the pain if it is something that is felt often. Such as swallowing foul medicine, or pricking your finger – these are things that, while unpleasant at first, become easier as they are experienced again and again."

Colin furrowed his brow, listening intently and hanging on the wise man's every word.

"While that person with vast knowledge might equate these things to that of loss, that person may not always be one who has experienced deep, genuine feelings of love. Literature, science, wisdom – they may sound elegant on paper, but in practice the logical and the emotional never quite equal one another. Do you understand?"

Colin glanced down at his sandals only briefly before returning to the warm irises of his mentor-figure, "I think… I think you mean that even though I feel maybe somewhat weak for letting these things affect me so deeply, I shouldn't. Just because it seems like it should get easier, it doesn't mean that it actually does. That even though we've been through so much horrible stuff in our lives… it doesn't get easier. It's not something you figure out. Someone that hasn't experienced the pain of loss might say to toughen up, but until you've lived it you just really have no idea what it's like."

Renado smiled a sad smile and gave the smart lad a nod.

Colin sighed, "I get that, Mister Renado, I really do. But I'll be honest and say I don't think it really makes me feel any better."

"Tell me," the shaman began, "What would make you feel better?"

Colin raised his eyebrows high in curiosity, "What would make me feel better?" he parroted, "Geez, I… I don't actually know. I never really thought about it in such a simple way."

"Well, what would make you feel better?" he asked again.

"I guess-"

"I just want to find my dad," Ren cut in.

Renado and Colin turned to him. He was slowly making his way over to the stairwell, hobbling a bit with one hand on the wall behind him for support. He moved at a snail's pace, hoping that his speed would hide his unsteadiness as he spoke.

"The only thing that would make me feel better at this point would be finding my dad. I need to see him… meet him. I just need to know him."

"That's why the two of you left home," Renado stated, piecing it together at last and glancing between each of them.

Colin nodded, "Yeah."

Ren's muffled groans and struggling grunts that he was trying so hard to mask had not gone unnoticed. Renado stood up and went over to the young man who was slowly lowering himself onto the bottom row of stairs.

"Am I going to have to constantly worry over your wellbeing just like I did with your father?" he smirked.

Ren grimaced, but chuckled through it. Even though being compared to his father should have been annoying to him with how much everyone did so, he loved it.

"I'm okay, my leg's just messed up and I can't stand on it for too long. I just needed to sit down to relieve some of the pressure."

"Ah, yes, exactly like your father already," he laughed wholeheartedly, glancing over his shoulder at Colin who wore the faintest smile as well, "Making light of what should probably be anything but."

There was silence in the room as Renado looked at Ren's left leg. He lifted up the hem of his trousers a bit so that he could see the extent of the damage. It had been some time now since the wound had been inflicted, but it still looked gruesome. The entirety of his calf was covered in deformed burn scars, and it was clear that much of the skin and flesh was still reforming itself over the portion that was blown off.

Ren hardly paid attention to what the older man was doing because his mind was going a mile a minute. This was the man that he'd heard so many stories about, and how he had kept his father alive time and time again. This was the man he was named after, so he must have been one of the most important people in his parents' lives. He just… he had so many questions he wanted to ask but he wasn't sure he had the energy to ask them all.

"Did you really save my dad's life?" Ren finally managed to inquire, eliciting a bit of a somber smile from the old healer.

"I prefer the stories being told that I merely helped your father along, and that he overcame of his own wi-"

"No, no, no. Uh-uh, Mister Renado, don't you do that," Colin interjected, "Yeah, Link's strong and all that, but you saved his life a million and a half times and you better not be discrediting yourself like that."

Renado laughed, "Who would have thought that at my age I would be getting chastised by my children?"

Ren didn't allow the subject to change, "My mom named me after you because she said it was what my dad would've wanted. She said you played a huge part in protecting everyone during the twilight."

Renado tried to shrug it off once again, but Colin was quick to interject, "Yes, he did. He kept all us kids safe when we couldn't get back to our parents. He kept us all hopeful when the kingdom was at war and when the sky went dark, but especially when Link would be gone for months at a time. He kept our spirits high, even though I know now, as an adult, that he probably needed someone to do that for him even more so."

"You children kept my spirits high more than you could possibly ever know," Renado chimed in, "After Luda lost her mother, she and I were mostly alone in this town for many years. You all not only gave her the bonds and companionship she needed, but you gave me the sense of purpose that I so desperately needed."

He could see Colin smile out of the corners of his eyes, and that was when he looked Ren straight on and said, "You see, there are always multiple sides to any one story. From one perspective things may appear one dimensional, but all one needs is to look from a different angle to see how multi-faceted every situation truly is."

Ren's eyes widened a bit. Every single word the shaman said seemed to have a thousand different meanings; he'd never heard someone say so much in so little.

He couldn't help but feel… exhausted. He felt out of place, embarrassed, confused… guilty. He found it draining to be surrounded by people that wanted to talk to him for such an extended amount of time. Since the loss of his mother, he'd made sure to keep mostly to himself, and he adored his alone time. It allowed him to feel comfortable, at peace, almost as if he could hear her voice again if he was quiet enough.

He wanted to be alone.

Ren exaggerated a yawn and a tall stretch as he stood up on the stairwell, forcing Renado to halt in looking over his burnt leg. He grasped the banister a second later before saying, "I'm really tired, can I just go to bed?"

Colin tensed his brow worriedly, "Without dinner?"

"Yeah, I'm not really hungry," he lied, glancing nervously between the two older men and praying they wouldn't catch on.

They did, but Renado let him go, "The room at the end of the hall is open for you. I hope you have pleasant dreams."

Ren gave a crooked smile and made his way up the stairs, down the hall, and into the room before closing the door audibly behind him.

Colin sighed, allowing himself to fall into a nearby stool, "I worry about that kid, Mister Renado."

Renado frowned, "As do I, my boy. But I am sure, with the strength of both of his parents flowing through his veins, that he will be alright in time. His leg, however, is quite damaged."

"Yeah, I know…"

Just then, Talo reentered the room from the kitchen. His eyes were visibly puffy and red and it was obvious that he had been crying.

"Talo…" Colin barely whispered, more so to himself as he could barely contain the shock of seeing his brother-figure so upset – it was an extremely rare sight to see him display such feelings.

"What!" he yelled, anxiously wiping his hands down his face, "I-I was just chopping a TON of onions. Like, you wouldn't believe how many onions I was just chopping up," he stammered, reminding the others that this was, in fact, still the same Talo as ever.

When Renado and Colin simply stared back at him in silence, he murmured, "It-It was seriously a lot of onions."

"We all loved Ilia, my son. There is no shame in displaying your grief. We all feel it just as you," Renado said reassuringly.

"I just-," he huffed, tossing a dish rag he had in his hand atop the front counter and removing his apron, crumpling it, and throwing it just the same, "I feel horrible because Kina was so young when she met Ilia that she doesn't even remember her, and Orielle and the new baby will never get to meet her. I just – I don't know! I'm mad at myself for not going back home often enough."

"Your parents did say they missed you and wanted to see their grandkids. Evan even seems to kind of remember Kina," Colin smiled.

Talo smirked as the image of his nephew and daughter playing together as mere toddlers filled his mind's eye, but he was quick to be overtaken with guilt yet again.

"I know, I know. I – ugh, this is embarrassing," he sighed, running a hand down his face as if to hide his shame.

"What is?" Colin asked.

"I don't like leaving to visit because I'm honestly terrified, okay?" he threw his hands down in defeat, "I picture those stupid fields still being filled with monsters. Every day that I wake up here for a split second I'm almost positive there's some attack or something and hell, I don't know, it just sounds dumb. It all happened so long ago when we were kids, but I'm still just so scared that something's gonna come storming in around that bend and I won't be strong enough to protect my family."

Renado and Colin were silent, for it was a feeling they all shared. Renado wanted to say something to console him, but he knew there really wasn't much to be said. The only thing that had the slimmest chance of curing the post traumatic stresses they all endured was the slow, painful ticking of time – and a lot of it.

Talo could tell that they understood his feelings and that they were at a loss as well, so he continued in order to fill in the awkward silence, "Somethin' else that bothers me damn near every day is Link."

Colin perked up, looking Talo square in his emerald irises.

"What about him? You haven't seen him, have you?" he questioned anxiously.

Talo shook his head, "No, and that's what scares me."

"Ren and I left Ordon to search for him," Colin revealed.

"No way," Talo's smirk was almost mischievous, "Really?"

"Really. We came here first hoping that any of you might have seen him more recently than we have."

"I'm afraid we haven't," Renado answered sadly, "and I'm not so sure I could advise you to continue your search."

"Oh no, not you, too, Mister Renado," Colin huffed agitatedly, "My dad along with nearly everyone back in Ordon has given up on Link and now so have you?"

Renado sighed, "No, child, I have not given up on Link. I assure you that I am well aware of his survivability and his seemingly limitless limits, but it is for that reason that I am unsure if your adventure could be fruitful."

Colin perched an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Gramps here just has a case of the old people pessimism," Talo grumbled.

"Not at all," Renado said, "What I mean is… There are only two different paths Link could have taken after departing. He could have decided to travel as far as Epona was willing, leaving Hyrule in the dust ages behind him, meaning our search for him would be endless in this vast world created by the goddesses. Or, he could have decided to stay right here in our very own kingdom, right under our noses, but kept himself secret enough so as to never be found."

"I don't understand," Colin began, "If he decided to leave Hyrule, then fine, but if he stayed here, why in the world would he not at least visit every so often just to let us know he was alive?"

"He simply does not wish to be found, and that is the option that worries me most."

Colin scratched the back of his head a bit frustratingly, "I know the stuff he went through during the twilight really screwed him up, but-"

Renado raised his hand to halt the young man, "That is but the greatest understatement that could be made. His mental state was… beyond repair. He no longer cared for himself or for many others. He was not the Link we knew and loved at the end of his journey. It changed him immeasurably."

The blond-haired Ordonian hung his head in thought then, just as Talo rested his chin in his propped up hand in nearly the same manner. They were both there at the end, they saw their big brother in the final days leading up to his sudden departure, they knew it was bad, but… perhaps their youth and naivety had clouded the severity of that memory just a bit.

After several moments of silence, Colin looked back up at the shaman, "If he doesn't want to be found… what can we do?"

With that, Renado could only give a sigh and a defeated shrug, "I am afraid I do not know, my boy. The only suggestion I can muster for you is to seek out the queen."

"The queen?" Colin repeated, mainly just to hear it out loud and to ensure that he had heard the older man correctly.

"Oh, yeah," Talo perked up, "She and Link always seemed pretty close. Maybe she'd know something? Maybe he's been to see her?"

Renado nodded, "Or, perhaps, at the very least, she can simply shed some light on your situation. She and our hero have quite the… connection, so to speak."

"That's a great idea, Mister Renado! Thanks!" Colin exclaimed as he turned and ran for the staircase.

"Woah, woah, woah! Where do you think you're going?" Talo shouted.

Colin slowed down only momentarily to reply, "Gotta get to bed so we can head out first thing in the morning to find Link!"

"Without DINNER!" the feisty brunet yelled angrily.

Colin halted abruptly, spun around on his heel, grabbed an apple from the bowl on the front counter and with a smile and a nod in both men's directions, he bounded up the stairs and into the first open room he came across.

"Tch," Talo scoffed bitterly, "Good thing no one was staying in that room."

Renado gave a good chuckle before standing and clapping his son-in-law on the shoulder, "Don't worry, son, your little girls and I will make quick work of that delicious meal – and all those supposed onions," he whispered the last bit and Talo couldn't help but smirk in return.

Upstairs, in the room at the end of the hall, Ren had heard everything. None of the banter about him or his father really fazed him, as it was the same old, same old that he felt like he had been hearing his entire life. The possibility of a lead to find his father, though? Now that was exciting. He had an identical reaction to Colin; he leapt into bed, eager to drift off as soon as possible so that morning would come that much quicker. He found it exceptionally difficult to fall asleep, but within the hour, he was in dreamland.

When morning came, Ren was up and ready before the birds could begin their songs just outside his window. Luda prepared a private breakfast of her famous cinnamon oats just for them, no inn guests permitted. Renado mentioned that visiting Telma and the former resistance members in her bar would be the best place to start as it wasn't exactly allowed for people to simply approach the royal family. Even though the queen knew them well (and she alone would likely let them into her castle) the king seemed to hold more power over her these days, and the wise shaman warned them to be cautious - that he believed that King Viscen was not the benevolent leader he made himself out to be.

After the filling meal, Colin and Ren prepared their horses and said their short goodbyes. They assured everyone that they would be back to Kakariko whether they were able to find Link or not – it had become so much more apparent to them all now that visiting loved ones as often as possible was of the utmost importance, because it was never clear when the goddesses would choose to pluck one of their many people to live amongst them in the heavens again.

From the openness of the sprawling, brilliant green field, the destination lay before them clear as day. The castle's many stones and bricks shone in the rising sunlight even from their distance, the beauty and wonderment of the structure seeming to beckon them closer and closer. Ren could barely contain his excitement.

He just hoped it all went according to plan.


15 Years Ago

The night was dark and cold.

The moon was high and the stars were bright, but not as bright as the castle towers.

The town surrounding the outer ramparts and battlements was lively and festive this evening, as this was the start of a new monarchy. The king was just crowned hours earlier, and the civilians were celebrating in his honor.

The queen's brow was tense as she clasped her hands tightly in front of her as she'd been trained to do her whole life. Her eyes were focused, yet distant, as they gazed down into the quiet bailey of the castle courtyard far below her.

She was filled with an uncontrollable anxiety that she hadn't felt since her kingdom was attacked by an otherworldly usurper. She was lost in thought, worry, doubt… and for that reason she couldn't hear someone approaching her.

"You look troubled, princess."

Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest as she whirled around to see the shadowed form of the hero standing on the parapet.

"Link! You frightened me half to death!" she scolded quietly.

The hero hopped down off the low wall to join her on her chamber's balcony. He was silent as she collected herself and slowed both her rapid heartbeat and her breathing. She glanced at where he had been standing, then over the edge of the terrace, before staring back up at him bewildered.

"How on Farore's green earth did you get up here?"

He chuckled, "I can't reveal all my tricks, you know."

She huffed angrily at his playfulness when she was being all too serious, "Link, you really shouldn't be here," she looked around frantically, pushing him back into the dark corner of the balcony and praying no one had seen him, "If you get caught-"

"Aren't you the queen? I thought you had the say-so around here," he said with confusion written clearly upon his handsome face.

She released her grip on him with a defeated sigh, "I still do, it's just-"

"This king…" Link began, gazing off into the bright lights of the bustling town, "You're worried he's not as good as he makes everyone believe."

She simply nodded, "He plays the part well. He says what the people want to hear, he does what the people want to see, and, overall, he fits the mold of the king this land is in such dire need for."

"Well then," he started, moving to stand beside the queen at the railing, leaning his elbows against it as he looked into her concerned eyes, "It sounds like he's the perfect king."

Her light blue irises turned drastically at that moment from anxious, to pure sadness, and for reasons he (on paper, understood, but in practice) simply could not grasp, he understood her every emotion.

"You're concerned this king that has sprung into your kingdom will disrupt everything you've built," he glanced out across her sprawling land, then back to her porcelain face, "You're frightened because he has the love and adoration of your people, and you're terrified of what he could do with that power."

He stared ever into her eyes that dared not reciprocate, but he could see that he was right.

"This king, this…" he pursed his lips, the name even tingling his spine, "This Viscen… You've had to marry him and you're afraid of the doors you've opened because of it."

She broke down then, and it was something Link had never seen before. She dropped her always composed face into her dainty hands and just bawled. The hero turned her toward him and pulled her in for a tight embrace. He wrapped his strong arms around her tiny frame and simply let her cry. He knew she was never allowed to express her emotions, and he knew just how painful it could be to keep it all bottled up. He wanted to give her the moment to just let it all out, but there was one thing he had to say.

"I don't know about this Viscen guy, but you're the best judge of character I know," he whispered into her ear, still clinging to her tightly, "I know that if this guy does try anything you don't agree with, you won't just let it slide. I know you blame yourself for whatever you think might happen that hasn't even happened yet, but you didn't arrange this marriage, your council did. Sadly, there's nothing you can do about them, but I know that you will stand up for your kingdom no matter what."

"Link…" she sobbed, finally pulling back, "You do not fully understand… As king, I have no power over him," she sniffled, "I get this feeling from him that I cannot describe, but I know he does not have good intentions with my kingdom. His mother and father sent him here to be Hyrule's king even though he is the rightful heir to the throne in his home of Labrynna. Why would they do that? I just know… I know there is some greater plan at work here. I know there is malicious intent, but without evidence, I cannot prove it, and no one would believe me simply on good faith because, to them, he appears perfect."

Link furrowed his brow, "I know I don't know much about how the monarchy works, but… I suppose there's no separation allowed in the castle?"

"No. The king and queen, after coronation, marriage, and consummation, are bound until one either dies, or is excommunicated by the people."

Link cleared his throat awkwardly, "Consummation? And how exactly would the people or the church know if that happened? Couldn't that part be easily avoided?"

"No," the queen shook her head forlornly, "Law in Viscen's kingdom is that when a union is being formed with a foreign monarch, proof of consummation of the marriage must be provided before a coronation can happen, and when two people from differing kingdoms come together, it is voted on by the council which laws should be brought over – as you can guess, that was one of them."

He glanced at the lights in the town behind her, then back at her, "You mean…"

"A doctor must prove consummation happened with pregnancy. The law was created to ensure that the potential marriage was legitimate, that the kingdom was welcoming a new ruler that was serious about not only their position, but the future of the kingdom they are to join – meaning, future generations of rulers."

Link was dumbfounded, and couldn't find his voice for several moments before finally uttering, "That's why the coronation was today."

"I know what you're thinking," she looked at him sternly, "I didn't have a choice in the matter. I did what I had to do."

He was quick to shake his head, "N-No, princess, it's not that at all."

She sighed solemnly, reverting the subject, "The doctor announced it and Viscen was permitted the crown, and for that, the people rejoiced," she looked out over her kingdom, the distant laughter and songs of her overjoyed populace just reaching her long ears, "My people adore him… adore his unborn child."

"They adore you, too, princess. They've always adored you."

"Will they still when I stand up against him? Will they still when, despite his pretty words and his empty promises, I raise my voice against him?"

He was silent.

"That is my concern, hero. I fear that, in their desperation for a time of everlasting peace and harmony throughout the entirety of their homeland, my people will believe anything their king says. He will tell them whatever they want to hear, even if it is not feasible. He promises them things that cannot be done, and I refuse to lie to my people, and raise their hopes to unnatural heights only to inevitably let them down."

Link hung his head, completely at a loss for what to say.

Zelda sighed, "I apologize. You did not risk your life breaking into the castle and scaling its walls just to listen to me sob. What is it that brought you here tonight?"

Link feigned offense with a mock expression of hurt, "Breaking is a bit of a strong word, princess. I assure you I have not broken any laws."

"Mm-hmm," she placed her hands on her hips, "Just being here right now is against the law, you do know that?"

"Oh, come on," he shrugged, "Don't I get any leniency for being the hero or something?"

She covered her upturned lips with her gloved hand as she giggled.

"And, please, don't worry about the 'sobbing,'" he changed to that of a serious tone then, "I know the terrible feeling that you can't let your emotions out to anyone around you, that you have to mask whatever vulnerabilities you may be feeling in order to appear strong to others. I get that, and I'm glad to be an outlet for you – everyone needs one, even a princess."

She smiled playfully, "You know, you really cannot keep calling me princess seeing as I'm now a queen."

"I'll work on it," he smirked.

She laughed for the slightest second, but was quick to return to the conversation at hand, "You came here for something, hero, at least let me help you with whatever you need."

"Well," he began with a click of his tongue, "Just hoping I can still hold you to your promise to help me get back to her."

The queen smiled mischievously before turning towards the grand, double glass doors that led into her ornate chambers, "Turns out, I have something that may help you."


Even the people that appear the strongest still lose their balance.


A big thank you to the following for helping me get this chapter out there!

Melissa T., Lord Zant, Lee Glerum, Eve79, Gabby-J, Debora, Daniel Kirkerud

You guys are amazing!