A/N: This chapter was revised as of 7/11/2019 - Polished, enhanced by readers' criticisms.


When Heroes Fall

By: SelphieKinneas 175

Chapter 15: The Spirit of the Sword

.:.

Upon return there were only questions.

He'd felt death, frolicked with it even. It was a dance he never wanted to do again.

He had the queen to thank for his life, but he had not gone to her yet. He wanted to see Emeline. He felt most comfortable with her, most like himself. True that she made him nervous, and he was always afraid to say or do the wrong thing, but underneath the anxiety of his crush on her he felt calm in her presence. He felt as if he could tell her anything and she would not judge or ridicule, but she would understand.

Rusl and Colin eagerly filled in the others on what had transpired beneath the castle. Ren, however, made his way upstairs.

He knew not what his father spoke of when he mentioned a place called the Sacred Grove. Even less so about a being he referred to as the golden wolf. He supposed Emeline would not know much either, never having left Hyrule Castle until they had met, but he thought perhaps she could see an answer.

With a deep breath audibly releasing his excitement to see his dear friend, he lifted his hand to the door to knock. She called to him before his knuckles could graze the wood.

"Hi, Ren," her voice was the sweetest song that he could listen to for hours.

"Hi, Emmy," his voice was low and only the tiniest bit shaky. She smiled when she heard it.

She patted the bed across from her and he sat happily.

"You've been to see your father," she stated simply, only allowing the quickest moment of silence to pass before speaking.

Ren nodded, "Yeah."

"You thought you had died," Emeline said softly.

Ren pursed his lips, "Um, yeah... I thought I did."

The princess reached out for his hand. He reached out and met it.

They were silent before Ren let out an awkward chuckle.

"I had hoped you weren't watching."

Her cheerful demeanor turned sour, "I see even when I do not look," she explained somberly, "I feel even when I do not search. It is always there, I cannot turn it off."

Slowly, she opened her eyes. Ren stared into them, but her gaze was half-lidded and downward. Her gray irises were a quiet pool; glassy and devoid of life on the surface, but vast and immeasurable within. The clouds in her eyes were mere rainstorms in the shallow, but in the deep they were all out squalls. She saw so much and so little at the same time.

Her dark lashes fluttered as she glanced around the room, taking in none of the sights. Her toffee colored brows drew together and she hung her head. Her diamond-blonde hair tumbled into her face but she left it there, not caring since she could not see either way.

"Some days, I am grateful for what I have..." she started strong but then began to tremble, letting go of Ren's hand, "But others, I can only think of what I've lost."

Ren opened his mouth to speak, but he found nothing worth saying. He didn't know how to console her – he had no idea what she was going through, what it felt like.

Her breathing became erratic but she was trying her hardest to control it. She tucked her long, straight hair behind her short, pointed ears and brought her gaze up to Ren's. His heart skipped a beat when she came as close as she could to looking into his eyes. He frowned when he felt her stare right through him, unable to settle upon his face.

She could feel his reaction, and she quickly closed her eyes and hung her head again.

"I'm afraid of forgetting," she whimpered through a jaw tight with refusal to let herself be visibly emotional, "I'm afraid I won't remember what things look like, what people look like. I have been trying so hard to focus on people's faces in my mind, to not let them slip away... But every day they drift farther. One day I will wake up and not know what my mother looks like, my father, my friends, you. I will have forgotten it all."

He still didn't know what to say. Watching her struggle to remain strong in his presence hurt his heart. One thing at last came to mind.

"It's... okay to cry in front of me," Ren said.

"It is not," her response was quick and curt. She sniffed and wiped a hand down her face, collecting herself in an instant, "A princess cannot be seen as sensitive. It insinuates that she will not be a levelheaded queen."

Ren's brow furrowed, "Your dad told you that, didn't he?"

She did not respond.

"He doesn't control you anymore."

"I-I know that," Emeline stammered, only a hint of a repressed quiver on her bowlike lips, "You did not visit me to discuss my feelings."

Ren sighed, "Emmy, I-"

But she cut him off, returning in a flash to their previous discussion, "I saw your light grow dim. I was afraid. I saw my mother's light fan yours until it could shine on its own again. I am glad you are alright now."

Her words were concise and cold. Ren tried to speak but was again interrupted.

"I-"

"Your father instructed you to do something but you do not know how. I am sorry, but I cannot help you either," she explained.

She clearly did not want to talk about herself anymore, so Ren knew it was best to leave that conversation for another time.

"He mentioned the Sacred Grove and a golden wolf, but I don't know wh-"

"I do not have answers for you," Emeline cut in again, "Ask my mother."

Ren's cobalt eyes darkened with hurt, "Emmy, I'm s-"

"I want to be alone," she declared emphatically before quieting to a whisper, "Please."

Ren sat in mute bewilderment for only a second before getting to his feet. As he turned for the door, Emeline grabbed his hand. He looked back at her, but she did not face him. Her head was down, her pretty face concealed behind a platinum waterfall. No crown sat upon her head, no fancy attire with glistening gold adorned her small frame. She sat as she was, in a simple, cotton nightgown borrowed from her hosts, cross-legged on the bed she rarely left. She wasn't her title or her power. She wasn't born to rule or touched by the goddesses. She was just a girl. She squeezed his hand once and then let go. He smiled, but nothing needed to be said.

As soon as he entered the hallway and closed the princess' door behind him, he heard loud feet stampeding down the stairs. Shortly following was yelling. Ren rushed to the stairwell to see Talo bounding up to the queen with fumes billowing from his red-hot ears.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Your Majesty?" Talo's voice was dark and menacing, a strange and disturbing occurrence for all in the room to behold.

He approached her as calmly as a runaway steam train. His eyes were bloodshot and heavyset bags were planted firmly beneath them. His nose was red, his hair was messier than usual, and it was clear that he had not slept in days. He shoved a calloused finger in Zelda's face to which she did not react.

All the others in the room stood and stared in mute bewilderment. They glanced between the royalty and the emotional father, no idea what was about to transpire.

When all remained silent for far too long, Talo shouted, "Answer me!"

Zelda did not flinch. The company seemed surprised, but she was not. No one save for Renado and Rusl had even seen Talo or Luda in passing since that fated day they lost their little one. Even Kina and Orielle were kept away as much as their grandfather could keep them. No, the queen had very much expected this.

Zelda's stone expression turned to sadness. She stared Talo directly in the eyes and spoke with sincerity, "I am truly, very sorry."

Talo seemed upset at the short response, "You're sorry? That's not gonna bring my kid back! It's not gonna-" he stopped to breathe. He looked away, trying to tell himself his anger was misplaced, but his heart would not listen.

He looked back at her and went on, his mouth forming words before his brain could register them, "I want to know what you have to say for yourself. You're the one who allowed this... monster of a person into our kingdom, into all of our lives! I mean, was he always this crazy? All this time?" his temper continued to rise, tears at his lashes that he held at bay, "And you continued to allow him to set foot near your people? It's your fault Emeline is blind. It's your fault Link is locked up. It's your fault my son is d-"

"That's enough, Talo," Renado spoke strongly.

Talo looked at him, but only briefly. He turned back to the queen who resumed her icy expression, and added quietly, "Everything is your fault."

All fell silent. Zelda and Talo locked gazes. The queen was calm, poised, no emotion erupted onto her porcelain face. The Ordonian was irrational, heated, trembling lips and watering eyes with tense muscles trying so hard to hold it all back and be tough.

At length, the queen spoke.

"I have nothing to say for myself," her voice was regal and steady. She stood with perfect posture and she held her head high, "I felt the king's malignance the day we met. Everyone else saw him as the compassionate leader we needed. I did not trust in myself, I allowed others to dictate my kingdom. The years went on and his behavior, though, at times, questionable, was largely sound. I doubted myself every day. Link's return sparked up that maliciousness in the king I knew I saw all those years ago, and magnified it tenfold."

The queen paused, looked into Talo's ragged eyes, and spoke earnestly, "I am the one who allowed this monster into our lives. The fault lies with me and me alone. I will never be able to atone for the things that the king has done, and for that... I am sorry."

The room was quiet again.

Ashei was the one brave enough to break the silence, "But it wasn't your fault."

Everyone turned to the dark-haired woman leaning against the wall.

"It was arranged by a council of idiots who don't deserve their power, yeah? It wasn't your fault."

They all glanced between the former resistance member and the queen, unsure of who would speak, if any. At last, Zelda made her way toward the front door. She passed Ashei on her way, standing briefly beside her with an elegant hand placed on her shoulder. The queen smiled at the woman she would consider her friend, and Ashei gazed at her in understanding, but no words were spoken. Zelda took her leave from the inn and closed the door quietly behind her.

Everyone looked at Talo who clearly felt embarrassed. His anger was at his twisted fate, at the violent king, at the goddesses even, for taking his son from him before he could even meet him. His anger was correctly placed at all of these things, but it did not belong with the queen. She did no wrong. It was not by her hand that life was choked from an infant. It was not by her heart that his should never beat on its own. It was not by her will that his spirit would dance with that of the deities rather than his family. None of it was her fault, yet in his moment of courageous fury he released his emotions onto her. For that, he was ashamed.

His cheeks flushed and he held both hands to his head and slammed his eyes shut. He wanted to disappear, wanted them all to forget what just happened. Renado felt terribly for his children. He felt their pain as his own and he knew Talo would never disrespect the queen intentionally. Emotions were high and nothing save the slow ticking of time took away the pain of a lost loved one.

"Come," the shaman spoke at last, eager to remove his son-in-law from the uncomfortable situation he had created for himself, "Let us fetch something delicious to bring up to Luda and the girls for supper, hm?"

Talo ran his hands down his face with a heavy sigh. He gave a defeated nod and followed Renado to the kitchen. Those remaining in the main hall glanced awkwardly between one another and at whatever patch of empty floor or wall their eyes could rest upon. Ren couldn't take the uneasiness and took it upon himself to follow the queen outside without a word.

He stepped out into the cool air with a deep breath. The sun felt nice, the wind felt nicer still. Zelda stood at the edge of the porch with her hands folded elegantly atop the wooden railing. Ren wasn't sure how to approach her, so, for a while, he simply stood. She knew the hero's son was there but she did not acknowledge him. She knew he had something to say, so she gave him the silence and the freedom to say it.

At length, Ren found his voice and took a tentative step toward the queen.

"Um," he cleared his throat, "Your Majesty?"

She did not say anything. After even more seconds of silence, Ren moved slowly to stand beside her. He looked timidly up at her serene face, eyes blue and deep gazing off at the horizon. They were calm on the surface, an appearance she could maintain for hours, but beneath her thoughts and emotions ran wild. This was the hero's son, not the hero; he could not sense her feelings as his father could. He simply thought she was enjoying some fresh air.

She made him nervous. She was the queen after all. She was royalty, and everyone knew royalty wasn't the same as everyone else – they were to be treated differently, with the utmost respect. Ren lowered his head as the thought crossed his mind, and with eyes fixed on his feet he spoke up.

"I just wanted to say thank you," his voice was quiet, "For saving my life."

The queen still said nothing, still looked straight ahead. The hero would have picked up on the twitch of her brow, but Ren did not.

The boy shrugged, "I don't know how you did it... I don't think I wanna know, but... thank you."

Silence again. Ren did not lift up his gaze. His eyes flicked from his brown sandals to his twiddling fingers to his dirty trousers and back again. After some time, Zelda looked at him.

"The king... He harmed you?"

Ren felt like a lecture was coming. It was his fault, after all. She and Emeline had both tried to warn him. He was too afraid to look up at her, and the words only formed as stutters on his thin lips.

Zelda felt his unease. She placed a delicate finger beneath his chin and lifted his face to meet hers. She did not smile, but she did not frown. She did not look condescending, but, instead, concerned.

"You have nothing to fear. I..." she dropped her hand and returned to the sunset, "I apologize on behalf of the king."

Ren's brow furrowed in sadness, "No... I didn't listen to you, so... I'm sorry."

Again, no words filled the silence between them. Only the sounds of the horses nickering nearby and the quiet rustle of passersby could be heard. Zelda was contemplative. True, that she had feared – and almost anticipated – that Viscen would do something unspeakable, but that didn't stop her from hoping that he wouldn't. She did not have the sight that her daughter had, so she still had questions.

"You made it in..." she nearly whispered, "And he attempted to kill you?"

She didn't look at him, but she could see him nod out of the corners of her vision.

"Y-… Yes."

Her face remained emotionless, but inside she felt everything. Talo was right, the fault did lie with her. She had caused so many a life of turmoil by allowing such a wicked man a seat of power. A small part of her acknowledged that it hadn't been in her control, that the council did her bidding and arranged her marriage to the then-prince of Labrynna in order to rebuild Hyrule after the destruction wrought by Ganondorf. A bigger part of her told her that she should have fought it. The small part told her she did what she had to do to save her kingdom and her people. The big part told her she should have found another way.

Ren felt awkward in the silence. He ran dirty hands down his dirty clothes. He fiddled with the hem of his bloody shirt and wiped fruitlessly at the gunk underneath his nails. Zelda saw him fidgeting and at last turned to look at him again. Her eyes glazed over him head to toe, and he felt nervous beneath her glare.

Her eyes finally landed upon his and she spoke softly, "You should go get a clean change of clothing."

Ren looked down at himself and then back up at his queen.

"I just… I had something I wanted to ask you first," he said bluntly, remembering at the end that he needed to show respect, "If I may…"

She stared at him a moment before simply nodding.

"My dad said I should go to a place called the Sacred Grove and follow something called a golden wolf," he paused to watch her expression, "But I have no idea what any of that means. I was hoping you might know."

Zelda turned to him fully, dropping her hands to her sides. She remembered it well. She saw much through Midna's eyes back then, experienced what she experienced. She remembered the hero's journey through the Sacred Grove. She remembered the child of the forest and she remembered Link following a being invisible to Midna's eyes. She remembered him claiming that a hero of old had shown him the way. As for what appearance the ancient hero took on, she was not aware. However, there were tales of a mystical wolf told through the generations.

"The Sacred Grove lies deep within Faron Woods. A golden wolf…" she closed her eyes briefly, planning her words carefully, "is something I have only heard of in stories; I have never seen it for myself. It is said to be a magical being that few can see… I do not know where or how you would locate such a being."

Ren glanced away, deep in thought. He didn't care if no one knew how to help him, if no one had the answers. At the very least, he had a location, and that was enough to go off of.

"I can figure it out."

Zelda smiled, "I believe that you can."

He reciprocated, and for a moment they simply smiled.

The queen at last said, "See to it that you get that change of clothes before you leave, lest the villagers fear that you were involved in some sort of mess."

Ren chuckled, "Okay, I'll go change," and he headed for the door.

Zelda turned back toward the open sky and the mountain. Something else was on her mind.

Just as he went to grab the handle, the queen spoke up.

"Did you feel pain?"

Ren looked over his shoulder at her but she remained forward. He found her question odd, but he somehow knew that she was referring to his incident with the king. He answered truthfully.

"Yes."

"Do you feel it still?"

He had to think about it. His stomach was still sore, like what he imagined being punched in the gut might feel like, but it wasn't all that bad.

"No," he answered, and all was silent.

Zelda did not speak, she simply gazed. Her mind ran and she closed her eyes, but Ren could only see the back of her head standing tall and straight. When he lingered too long, she spoke one last time.

"That change of clothes…"

Ren flinched at the seriousness in her voice, "Y-Yes, Your Majesty," and he hastened inside.

The others had all managed to resume some menial form of busywork to keep their minds on simpler things. He entered the inn but did not move from the threshold. His interaction with the queen felt off-putting and he wasn't sure what lie in wait for him, for all of them. He wanted to head towards the woods immediately, but he expected his loved ones to advise that he wait.

From across the room, Colin saw his nephew standing in the entryway deep in thought. Everyone else had separated and retreated to different rooms for the evening. Colin spoke across the empty space.

"Whatcha thinking about?"

Ren snapped out of it and looked at his uncle, taking a moment to form a response, "Just, uh… Zelda gave me a hint to help my dad. Not sure how to go about it."

Colin stood up from his seat, "Oh? And what did Zelda say?"

"It's back home, in Faron Woods," Ren answered.

Colin nodded and adjusted his shirt, "You're wanting to go now, I'm guessing?"

Ren looked at him without a word, and that was all the answer he needed.

"I want to go with you, if you'll have me."

The younger boy gave a bit of a smirk, "You want to come with me now? What happened to all the lectures about being safe?"

Colin smiled, too, "Well, they still stand, but… We started this together. We left home together," he took a few steps toward his nephew, "As much as I love Shad, I don't wanna be like that. I don't wanna be the guy sitting here telling you what not to do. Even if it is safer. I want to help, so let's go."

Ren grinned wide. The excited adrenaline that pumped through him what felt like eons ago when they first decided to leave to find his father found its way through his veins again. A single thought slowed it down, though.

"But, what about the Master Sword? Everyone says we need it," Ren added.

Colin shrugged, "Let's go get it."

"Really?" Ren's face lit up, "You think we can?"

His uncle's brows hiked up in uncertainty, "Honestly, I have no idea. But who's gonna try if not us?"

Ren's heart beat faster as they pieced it together, "But do we even know where it is?"

Colin folded his arms over his chest with narrowed eyes, "Well, last we heard, the king dragged Link back to Zora's Domain, right? Then, next thing we know he's taken captive in the castle dungeon. I would assume that, since we didn't see Link's sword with him, it got left at the waterfall."

Ren nodded with a smile, excited at the prospect of making progress, "Okay… Yeah, okay! Let's go then! We have to at least see if it's there."

Colin reciprocated, but headed for the stairs, "I don't want to worry anyone. I'll let my dad know. He'll understand, and he can let the others know."

Ren nodded before finally remembering what he had come back inside for in the first place, "You wouldn't… happen to have a change of clothes would you? The queen kind of scolded me," he laughed awkwardly with a glance down at himself.

Colin chuckled, "Yeah, I'll bring it down."

Ren watched him go and absentmindedly swung his arms idly at his sides while he waited. His heart was so excited that it blocked his brain from overthinking it. He was just so eager to help. To get his dad free and to be done with it all. He never thought he would feel it, but he was missing home. He missed his grandpa Bo and his grandma Uli. He missed the home cooking and the crow of cuccos at sunrise. He missed the smell of pumpkins and the sound of goats. He missed his dear friend Calie and… he missed his mom.

A quiet sound from just outside caught his attention. He peered out the window to the balcony, and saw that Zelda no longer stood there. He furrowed his brow in confusion, glancing all around the sleepy town. Everyone went about their business as normal, not a thing out of place.

"Here ya go."

Colin's voice startled him and he whirled around. His uncle was extending a pile of clean clothes to him, surprise on his face just the same.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Colin laughed a bit before following Ren's line of site out the window, "What were you looking at?"

Ren shook his head, "Nothing. Thanks for these," then he grabbed the clothes and took off to change.

Confused, Colin looked out the window. Nothing at all looked different or wrong, what had he been looking at?

It didn't take long for Ren to come back in clean clothing. The outfit didn't look too different from his own, but it was a tad too big for him. Colin chuckled at the size difference and clapped his nephew on the shoulder. Ren agitatedly shrugged him off which only made him laugh harder. After getting his fill, Colin let him know that he clued Rusl in on what they were doing, and he reluctantly gave in, just begging for their utmost caution. Ren was happy to hear they could get away without a fuss, and get away they did.

Their faithful horses waited outside hitched to a nearby post. Ren glanced around, still seeing no sight of the queen. He found it odd, but something told him not to worry, and he listened.

Mila and Ilari greeted their masters with mostly happy whinnies, though Mila was a tad temperamental as usual. Ren gave her the affection he'd subconsciously learned from his mother – and an oatcake, her favorite – and they were off.

Zora's Domain was far, but not too far. It took time to get there, but not too much time. They spoke along the way about their plan. What they should do if the sword was there, and what they should do if it wasn't. What they should do once they reach Faron Woods, and what they thought about the Sacred Grove. They stopped a couple times on their trek to stretch, but otherwise made it to the beautiful clearing without any problems.

The sun rose for the second time since they left. The domain was quiet and eerie, and both young men were on their guard. The waters were still devoid of zoras, not a single aquatic creature in sight. Ren and Colin both watched all around them before dismounting their steeds and leaving them at the base of the pool.

Down here - where the water from above crashed loudly into the water below - it was much too loud to speak, so they didn't. They made their way up the winding staircase, careful to still keep one eye forward and one behind. The lack of life and noise was creepy, and they were well aware that anything could go wrong at any moment.

Slowly, they ascended, and at last, they were at the top. There, lying still and untouched in the shallow water, was the Master Sword. Ren approached it in wonderment. Colin stood behind and watched nervously in all directions. There was no one in the throne room, no one down below, and no one around them. Once he was convinced they were safe and alone, Colin joined his nephew.

Ren simply eyed the blade for a long time. The light arrow and the twilight crystal sat beside it. The pull of the water tugged on the lighter objects, but the hilt of the Master Sword kept them in place. Ren just stared, almost hoping the blade would reach out to him of its own accord. Of course, it never did, and so Colin took the initiative.

Colin's footsteps splashed in the water. He didn't hesitate, worried somehow that the sword would sense his uncertainty. He reached down, wrapped a firm grip around the hilt, and pulled. The Master Sword did not move.

He sighed and stood up tall again, dropping his arms at his sides. His shoulders visibly slumped as the defeated disappointment set in.

"Guess it doesn't like me anymore," Colin mumbled, but Ren paid no attention to his words.

Ren still stared. He was afraid the blade would reject him and foil their plans. He was afraid he couldn't live up to what he wanted to be. He was afraid he would let everyone down. More than all of that though, he was afraid of not at least trying.

He took slow steps towards the water, his hand reaching out towards the lavish weapon. His mind ran but his eyes focused. His fingers wrapped tightly around the hilt, he breathed in deep, and pulled.

The Master Sword did not move.

Colin saw it, sighing silently and dropping his gaze to the grass. He knew Ren would feel like he had failed, part of him did, too, but not as much as he knew his nephew would.

Ren didn't immediately let go. He stared at the steel, pleading in his mind for its approval. He tugged again, and again, and one last time with all his might. It did not budge. He stood up tall with a huff of frustration.

"What do we do now?"

Colin looked at him in uncertainty, "I guess we head back, see if someone else can lift it."

Ren sighed, "Let's at least wait here a little bit. I'm kinda tired from riding."

Colin nodded with a sigh of his own and found the nearest grassy mound to sit down on.

Ren stared at the sword for a long time. He'd failed. He couldn't lift it, couldn't open the portal, couldn't save his father. He couldn't do any of it; he was a failure.

Ren plopped down on the damp grass beside the running waters and his mind began wandering. If he couldn't save his father, who could? He didn't want anyone else to do it, didn't want someone else to deprive him of the honor. He needed to be the one to do it, for his own sanity, for his own measure of worth in himself.

The overwhelming rush of shame made him think of his mother.

He thought of her much more often than he let on. He pushed the thoughts aside much more often than he realized. She was always there, when he wanted her and even more when he did not. He saw that day in his nightmares. He had been so stupid. It was his fault his mother was gone, and it would be his fault his father would leave him too. He couldn't bear the guilt.

His eyes began to water, but he turned just slightly so that his uncle could not see it. In the loneliness, in the silence, the pain always resurfaced. It was why he tried so hard to avoid being alone and in the quiet. He could smell the fire, could feel the heat melting the flesh on his leg, could hear the ringing in his ears.

He liked to tell himself it was all a dream, that none of it really happened. He liked to pretend that, while they were away from home, she was there simply awaiting his return. It was easy when the distance was great and the time flew by like birds set free, but when he was forced to sit with his thoughts, he was reminded that it was all real. He would return to a home without a mother, no comforting presence, no soothing touch, no calming words. He would never see her again.

The tears grew stronger than him and he sniffled. Colin heard it.

"You okay?"

"Yes," Ren blurted in annoyance, trying so hard to sound strong but his voice trembled despite him.

Colin heard that, too, "Don't lie to me," he spoke playfully, "You've never been very good at it."

Ren didn't look at him. He was too embarrassed.

"Come on, now," Colin eased, "What is it?"

He allowed the silence to pass, knowing that if he was given the freedom to speak on his own that he eventually would.

At last, Ren replied, still turned away, "I just… miss my mom, okay?"

Colin was a bit taken aback. Ren had not spoken about his mother since the day they left home in search of Link, and even then it was sparsely. Clearly it was something he always kept bottled up, and the thought of him containing such a hurt pained Colin just the same.

Colin sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He didn't know what to say. He understood there was an agony there, but to say he could relate would be a lie. He was lucky enough to have both his mother and his father, and even a sister who at times drove him crazy. He could, however, imagine the heartache were one of them suddenly taken from him. It was that place of relating that he drew from.

"It's not something you have to try and hide, Ren," Colin said at last, after a length of silence, "It's not something anyone expects you to get over, or to be strong despite of."

"I get that," Ren blurted, "I don't want to talk about it."

Colin sighed again, but this time only inwardly. If not talking about it was easier, he would talk about something else to take his mind off of it.

"A lot sure has changed since we left, huh?"

Ren didn't say anything, his back still to his uncle.

But Colin knew he could coax him out of his funk.

"You've grown up a lot, ya know," he smirked, "We got our own horses, met the royal family, got swords – and for Din's sake do you like just like your dad with yours," he had to pause to chuckle to himself.

Ren's sniffles quieted but he was not ready to turn around yet.

"We found your dad!" Colin exclaimed, "Ren, you have to realize what a big deal that part is just by itself. He was gone for so long. Just about everyone back home had given up on him, thought he was dead even. But we found him. We changed the fate of so many people because of it."

"Yeah, maybe we made everything worse because of it," Ren mumbled.

Colin huffed, "I wouldn't say that. Some stuff hasn't… had the best outcome, but I wouldn't trade anything that's happened for knowing your dad's still alive, for having him in my life again."

There was a long silence then. One that Colin could feel was full of contemplation, so he let him have that time. Contemplate he did, and Ren's voice was small when he spoke up again.

"I don't get what the big deal is," he muttered, the slightest edge of anger in his tone, "My dad's barely been a hero since he came back. Has everyone just been making up all those stories about him? Just… remembering what everyone's told me and then meeting him… it doesn't add up."

Colin sat up straight again, his brow furrowed and a deep breath hanging in his chest before he finally released with a slow exhale. He could understand his nephew's confusion; Link had hardly been the selfless, steadfast hero of old in his age, but he knew it was still there.

"Well, no one's made up a single story about your dad, kid, that much is for sure. In fact, you probably haven't even heard the half of it," Colin smiled as he thought back. His expression went serious again when he recalled how much his brother had had to go through.

"Ren, your dad literally sacrificed everything to save us, to save all of Hyrule. He gave so much even when he was totally and utterly spent. We all saw him practically die over and over and over again, only to get up and go at it the next day. He's everything you've heard about all your life and more," he shrugged, "So he's messed up a few times. He's the hero and all that but he's human… he isn't perfect."

Ren breathed slowly and hung on his uncle's every word. He knew it was all true. He saw a hero in his dad the day he saved Zelda and Emeline from the waterfall, and the day he did his best to protect him from Viscen. As easy as those instances were to remember, it was easier still to recall when he turned them away at the desert. When he lied to him and used him to get the twilight crystal. The simple fact that he could barely speak to him or look at him without tucking tail. He just… wished he could ask his mother for guidance.

"There's just so much I wish I could talk to my mom about," Ren started sniffling again, "I want to ask her if I'm doing the right thing… I want to know if she would be proud of me…"

Colin smiled sadly, "I know she would be proud of you, Ren. Your mom was just as much a hero as your dad, just the less flashy, more ordinary type of hero."

Ren smiled at that, too, but quickly frowned again, "I just still can't believe she's gone. I just... live each day wanting nothing more than to make better on my mistakes. It's my fault she's gone, I wanted to at least do this one thing right…" he cried a bit harder, the words becoming difficult to form, "I just wanted to do this one thing right… I wanted to pick this stupid sword up and help my dad but I can't even do that. I mess up everything!"

Colin stayed quiet – there was no need to say anything. He let Ren cry on his own for a moment without interrupting. Then, Ren spoke again.

"I just want to make my family proud… that's all I want."

Ren heard something then, a twinkling almost. He looked over at the Master Sword. Colin saw the glimmer in his eyes but had not heard or felt anything. Ren heard the bells almost like words. There was a beckoning, a calling. Something in his heart told him to try again, so he stood up.

He wiped clammy hands down his wet face. He rubbed the back of his hand against his snotty nose and his puffy eyes blinked away the stray tears. He was determined to make things right, to not dwell on what he couldn't, and to pick up the damn sword.

He laced his fingers around the hilt, closing his eyes for a long moment. His emotions grew tenfold and all he could think about was making up for the loss of his mother, and about saving his father. He thought not of his selfish journey to find self-worth or his place in the sprawling world – he thought only of his parents, and how desperately he wanted to do right by them. His intentions were noble. He felt something surge within him and he felt a confidence he had never felt before. When he gained the courage, he focused his strength…

And the sword yielded.

Ren opened his eyes wide and hefted the blade higher in astonishment. He quickly rushed his other hand to the hilt as it was too heavy for just one. He held the sword up, jaw on the floor and eyes like saucers. The weapon chimed a quiet, melancholy whisper. Ren could not understand it, for his ears were not tuned to the voice of the sword, but it somehow felt like it pleaded for its master. At the same time, it sounded like a warning, as if it wanted to make clear that he was on borrowed time. It trusted him, and he knew he had to make good on that trust.

Despite the immense nerves he felt, excitement trumped it. He yelped out his joy at his uncle who had gotten to his feet.

"I did it, Uncle Colin! Look! Look!"

Colin simply stood there with a surprised grin on his face, taking a moment to find the words before finally saying, "You did it!"

Ren looked down at the sharp point, then over at Colin with a look of pure happiness. They stood in their excitable shock for barely a moment before Ren exclaimed, "Let's go then!"

Colin couldn't help but chuckle at Ren's display of elation – it was at a level he hadn't seen in quite a long time, and it made him happy just the same.

Colin smiled and gave a nod, "Let's go then."

They gathered the pieces of light and twilight and were gone in a flash, not keen on wasting a single second.

A figure watched from the shadows. Silent, unnoticed, unmoving, it stood.

It made not a sound. It gave no disturbance, no feeling. Its presence was not of the same world as their own.

It protected the sword in its abandonment. It was drawn to it, for it had once wielded it as its own.

With four legs and glistening fur it observed. Its red eye watched and its bushy tail swayed back and forth.

It, too, heard the bells in the weapon older than time.

The sword gave instructions.

The wolf left to obey them.


Can you hear the voice inside the sword?


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

SonadowKokoro100, Debora, Chloe Rose, Claudia, Gabby-J, Jessie, Mandelbrot, Sabine Ranger, Yami no Nokutan, Rob Walters, Lotus Eater, Ivalee, Lee Glerum, Jacob Peachey, Big Jake

You guys are amazing!