She never failed to show up. Every day around sunset, she came to Ordon Spring. She'd kick off her sandals and dig her toes into the sand, unfazed by the vicinity to the Twilight Realm and the portal overhead.

She might have passed for a Gerudo, if Gerudo had black hair and round ears, or went anywhere unarmed. She never brought anything but a small ocarina, and she played it until dusk gave way to the depth of the night. Her tunes were melancholic, though strangely familiar. They took him back to a time of wandering, a time spent fighting battles that weren't his. Back to a childhood lost.

Sometimes, he retreated deeper into the tunnel and shut his sensitive ears. Sometimes, he howled in harmony with her notes, even though she couldn't hear it. But most nights, he simply lay his chin on his paws and closed his eyes, drifting far away from reality.

Waiting for his grandson to escape the Twilight Realm left him with many an hour on his hands. During broad daylight, he often found himself wondering how the girl knew the melodies, and the effort he put into not showing himself increased. She was a puzzle in many ways, and her presence rekindled a spark long forgotten.

The Hero of Time may never have existed. But a curious child named Link had. And Link had been born to solve puzzles.

But he couldn't very well stay away. He might avoid the temptation of freaking the girl out and causing a panic in Ordon Village, but he'd also miss out on his pupil. He wished for neither. He simply needed to endure.

Or not.

He had long since lost count when one night, the girl slipped up. She seemed to have a particular fondness for the New Wave Bossa Nova, and the golden wolf had been playing along in his mind when one of the notes bubbled.

There was no better way to describe it. It sounded like the girl's ocarina had suddenly filled with water. His ears perked and he peered through the underbrush.

The girl was crying. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, clearly visible with the otherwordly light of the spring reflecting on her face. Her ragged breathing produced nonsensical sounds until at last, her teeth unclenched and she pressed the ocarina into the sand. She buried her face in the other hand. Her shoulders shook, and she mumbled words he eventually identified as names from a strange language. All names but one: Link.

The girl returned the following night, but she immediately discarded her belt and kidney warmer. The ocarina remained untouched on the tiny beach while the girl stretched out in the shallow water, staring up at the Twilight Portal until it blurred into the night sky. Then, seemingly invigorated by some thought or another, she sprang into a sitting position and breathed so deeply he could hear it.

"Oh well..." she muttered. "If I'm talking to thin air now, at least no one's around to judge." She shook her head and raised her voice. "I know I'm not the one you're looking for. But if you're around here somewhere, please show yourself..." She hesitated, then heaved another breath. "Fairy Boy."

He closer resembled the statue of a golden wolf now. Had there been any doubt she was talking to him before, they were completely and utterly cleared. And his feelings were a raging hurricane.

Someone knows.

After all these years, someone remembered him. His legacy wasn't as lost as he thought it was. Somehow, this Gerudo girl knew.

The irony.

It was decided: He was not going to pass up on this one. He stepped out of his hiding place. And the girl, instead of screaming and brandishing a pitchfork, kicked her feet in elation, the water splashing around her and illuminating the huge smile on her face.

"I knew it! Link... I mean, the other Link, the wolf Link... Oh, for Farore's sake!" She slapped her forehead, a motion that smoothly segued into pinching the bridge of her nose. "Do you need to be called Link? Like, every last one of you?!"

He couldn't talk in his current form, but even if he did, he would have kept his silence. He was too old, downright ancient. He hadn't been this... wildly expressive even as a child, so he simply sat back on his haunches and waited for the girl to calm down.

Which she eventually did. "I'm sorry." She leaned back on her hands and laughed. "At least someone's gotta preserve their dignity, right? So, are you going to spirit me away into that spirit dimension of yours and change into a Stalfos?"

He responded by doing exactly that, and he instantly felt more at home. He didn't mind his wolf form, but he never felt quite like himself without a sword and a shield. "You have great knowledge, young Gerudo."

She didn't reply at first. She examined him in all his Stalfos glory, eyes wide and mouth agape. Then she stood and walked in a small circle to inspect the Ghostly Ether before returning her attention to him. "Amazing!" she whispered. "So much more amazing than..." She interrupted herself, then remembered her manners and bowed deeply. When she looked back up, her eyes were shining with admiration. "It is such an honor to meet you!" Then her face fell, her lips curled and she sighed. "I only wish the circumstances were more pleasant."

"Indeed."

"My name is Selena, by the way. And I'm not a Gerudo." She dropped to the floor, legs crossed. Her gaze became distant, as if she was looking at something else entirely. "I'm from another world. You know, like Termina. That's why I know so much. If it helps you anything, in the time you left behind, the people do remember the Hero of Time and then some. In fact, I know of an island where they basically worship you, to the point of dressing their boys in green tunics. And you can believe me when I say that Darunia's son isn't the only one who was named after you."

He did not know what to make of the information. He should have been happy. Wasn't his regret about not being remembered what made him crazy enough to venture into the Lost Woods in the first place? The vague hope that Navi would finally return to protect him from turning into a Stalfos? He wanted someone to share in his exploits, and now this girl was here.

Yet he did not feel happy. He felt comforted, in a way, but he realized that his years of wandering alone had dulled the pain to insignificance. He did not ask for worship. He did not care about recognition the way he used to. All he cared about now was passing on his knowledge, so he could do his part in protecting the future of the land and people he loved. The part that had been denied to him in life.

"I see you need some alone time," Selena remarked. She stood and patted non-existent dust from her pants. "Which is convenient, because I need to get into bed." She bowed once again. "Thank you for your time. Would you mind if we met again tomorrow?"

"It would be my pleasure," he said as old habits reasserted themselves. But he found himself meaning it. His curiosity was far from satisfied. Selena was very casual with her vast knowledge. Her attitude didn't fit someone who had a mental breakdown only one night prior. Plus, she had been expecting him. There was no doubt in his mind that she had played her songs - his songs - with the intent of drawing him out.

He was intrigued. Besides, he didn't have much else to do. He had nothing to lose by befriending this strange young lady.

No, I don't have better things to do. Why do you ask? Because I have a trillion other unfinished stories?

Naaaah... 'Sides, I wanted to write about the Hero's Shade since forever, but I was absolutely dry on ideas. Now that has changed, and I'm not going to pass up on it!