Author's Note: I've broken this fic into chapters to make it easier to read. Nothing else has changed.

Chapter 3: Reunion

Now, as the sun started to rise, the dawn greeting the day, Ruto made out the edge of the Lost Forest. Very little was known about it except that the Kokiri lived there, inside lurked many dangers and few returned from trips into its depths. Ruto made one last check of her equipment before entering. She had a water proof pack that contained the food and supplies she'd need for a several days trip. On her belt, she had a heavy boomerang and a rapier, the weapon her instructor had insisted she learn to use. Queen Rutela had used a rapier in addition to her innate magical talent, so the instructor had a fancy for the weapon. Ruto herself was quite happy with it and perfectly fine with her choice. It was enchanted with scales that allowed it to move normally through water, which was another feature she liked about it.

Ruto took one last look over her shoulder at Hyrule castle in the far-off distance, only it's very highest point visible over the hill. No one came over them hill as a visible pursuer and she childishly felt a little disappointed. Stuffing down the feeling she shouldered her pack and walked into the forest. Now that she was inside she doubted anyone would pursue her or that anyone would be ordered to pursue her. To the outside world she might as well have just forfeited her life. But Ruto knew otherwise, she was going to save a life.

The Zoran Princess walked with determination through the ever-darkening woods. Only the barest of the light from the progressing day managed to make it through to light her way and she created a small ball of blue flame to light her way. It was one of only a handful of spells that she'd learned, and she was glad for it now. Ruto could hear sounds at the edge of her hearing, howls and growls and see the faintest of movements. Shadows seemed to shift constantly, bushes always rustling as if something was about to come out and attack her. She wondered how someone like Link could have come from a place like this. It was the opposite of everything the green clothed boy was, so what had happened?

Ruto fought to ignore her fears, instead concentrating on walking through the woods and thinking about Link. She thought long and hard about everything she knew of him and every moment they had shared. Neither was a lot but she knew that she loved him and wanted to learn more about him. As a princess, she was told that she'd get married to a guy and then learn to love him. With Link Ruto got to choose, and even if she didn't know him too well, she knew him better than anyone else she'd be forced to marry. This wasn't escapism, but a feeling she truly and honestly wanted to pursue. An adventure she wanted to go on. One that would link her life with that of Link's.

Suddenly Ruto emerged into a clearing, the gaps between trees suddenly widening and the sun managing to shine through in several spots. In the center of the clearing she saw a large tree wider around than any three other trees and rising to stand above everything else. She could only marvel in amazement at the sheer size of the tree. It took her a moment to realize that in the side of the tree was a large shadowy opening that led inside the tree. It was like a large doorway, inviting her in. Ruto was drawn to the tree, part of her wanting to get closer, part of her afraid of the tree and a third part feeling that inside was a clue to finding Link. She started to walk through the clearing as confidently as she could manage, fighting an irrational fear that told her to flee, that the tree was bad news.

Halfway through the clearing Ruto heard a howl. Unlike all the others though this one wasn't far away but close, almost next to her. Ruto barely managed to roll out of the way as a large gray furred wolfos charged into the clearing and swiped at where she had been standing. She rolled to her feet, stumbling slightly, the magical flame in her hand extinguished by her lack of concentration. With her light source out it was as if she was standing in a field of a pool of shadows. Jumping among those shadows was the wolfos, growl menacingly at her.

Ruto drew her boomerang and threw it at the wolfos. The beast jumped to the side, dodging the attack. The boomerang curved back to her, going in the opposite direction than the wolfos had went. It returned to her hand as the wolfos charged at her. The sudden attack made her throw the boomerang clumsily. It cut a gash in the wolfos's arm, stopping its assault and making it back away from her. But since she had failed to throw her weapon properly it kept flying and embedded itself in a tree in the edge of the clearing.

The Zoran Princess drew her rapier quickly from her side, settling into a combat stance like she'd been taught. Her heart beat quickly as she anxiously faced down her first real opponent. The wolfos started to circle around her and she adjusted to always keep her foe in her line of sight. She took a deep breath to steady herself, shifting her feet slightly to try to properly stay in the stance. The wolfos, maybe realizing that it wasn't going to get behind her instead gave a loud howl and charged at her. As soon as the wolfos entered her range she stabbed at it with the point of her blade. The wolfos deftly moved to the side and continued at her. It got in close and swung with a sharp claw, its putrid breath blowing on her face. Ruto moved back and to the side, bring her weapon quickly up. She managed to bring her weapon up just in time and blocked the strike, but it forced her to lose her balance, knocking her back and onto her rear.

The wolfos reared up over her, swinging once more to take her out. Her mind racing in panic Ruto reacted instinctively, sticking out her free hand and firing a blast of blue fire at the wolfos's face. The fire couldn't burn anything but was bright and sudden enough to surprise and stun the wolfos. Ruto leapt up and stabbed the wolfos through the heart with her rapier. The wolfos whimpered slightly and then combusted into blue flames, leaving behind no remains.

Ruto breathed heavily, her heart racing wildly from the shock and adrenaline of the fight. She looked over to the other side of the clearing where her boomerang was and then looked to the opening in the tree. She heard a far-off howl, possibly a wolfos responding to the earlier howl. Ignoring her boomerang Ruto rushed over to the tree as fast as she could sword drawn and looking around warily. When she made it to the entrance she created another blue flame with her free hand, walking into the now illuminated tree hollow.

Inside the darkness was almost pervasive, practically surrounding and swallowing Ruto and her little flame. She poured more power into it, enlarging it slightly. The shadows barely moved back a centimeter and almost felt like they were trying even harder to crush her. She took a tentative step forward and then another. Her mind was screaming at her to leave but she could feel in her heart that this is where she needed to be. Link was here and she wasn't going to leave him there. Ruto felt like she was walking forever, all sense of time having been lost for her. She never encountered the edge of the tree even though the outside wasn't as large as the distance she had walked. So, it was that she had almost resigned herself to walking through darkness forever that Ruto's light illuminated a tree stump, a green clothed figure sitting, unmoving on it.

"Link!" yelled Ruto excitedly. The figure didn't react but that didn't stop her from sheathing her rapier and running the remaining distance. "Link, are you okay?"

The green clothed figure looked up at her and she saw Link, but it wasn't the Link she'd known. Sure he had the same dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes, but there was something else about him. His shoulders were slumped, his body almost limp with defeat. His hair was disheveled and his eyes were dull and almost lifeless. He had bags under his eyes and looked haunted, his expression that of the sadness she'd seen once before at the castle, but this time it seemed to be his permanent expression.

"They're all gone," muttered Link, his youthful voice dull and lifeless. "Everyone is dead…"

"Link, it's me, Ruto!" said Ruto leaning forward to smile at him and look right in his eyes. His reaction to her finding him was working to wipe away the smile and to kill the joy she had been feeling. She fought it though. This is what she had been waiting for, she'd be damned now if she just gave up or gave in! "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Ruto?" asked Link, finally seeming to notice that it was her who was standing in front of him. He squinted as if trying to make out what she looked like. Horror crept into his face. "It's finally happened…I can't believe it. I had hoped to be long gone before you appeared here. I didn't want to face you in your last moments. I'm too much of a coward…"

"What are you talking about?" asked Ruto, confused and distraught at his reaction. "The last thing you are is a coward! Why wouldn't you want to see me? I….I love you so I came to see you...are you not happy to see me…?"

Tears started to mist up her eyes and roll down her cheeks. Link seemed to notice this and stood up quickly from his stump. He was larger than Ruto remembered but was still shorter than her. Zora's were a tall race and Hylians weren't. He wasn't large of body either, but Ruto could tell he was fit, thin and willowy, a strong warrior. He looked sad to see her tears and reached out to gingerly wipe away her tears.

"Please don't cry," he said despairingly. "I didn't mean that I didn't want to see you, but I didn't want you to see the worthless person I'd become. I didn't want the woman I love to die and come here to death's door to see a coward."

"What are you talking about?" asked Ruto, sniffling through her tears. "I'd not dead, I'm alive! I came to rescue you."

"You're…alive?" asked Link sounding confused. "But how is that possible? The only people who should be able to enter this space are those who died and are on their way to the afterlife."

"But you're here," pointed out Ruto.

"I'm as good as dead," replied Link sadly. "I wandered here after witnessing the death of a world. I spent so much time trying to save it, so many weeks spent in just three days, over and over and over again. It was only as I left that I realized what the true meaning of Termina was. It's the end, the place where the dead go. I didn't save the living, I just saved the dead and nothing can save them again."

"I don't understand," said Ruto, trying to figure out desperately what he was saying.

Like gave a sigh of exasperation. "Skull kid, Tatl and Tayl all made it out alive, they didn't belong there. But Anju, Kafei, Cremea, and Romani, they all belonged there because they were long dead. I was unable to stop Mikau, Darmani or the butler's son from being killed for good… I led Epona to her death on my stupid quest. Majora was right all along…"

"Majora?"

"A demon," explained Link offhandedly. "When I was fighting it, it called me the villain of the story and it was right."

"You're not a villain!" yelled Ruto. Link just smiled sadly at her.

"But I was. I abused the power of time to save the world. I went around solving everyone's problems by wearing masks of their dead loved ones. I deceived the Gorons into thinking they were saved by Darmani. I played music with the Zora's who were none the wiser that they weren't playing with Mikau. And I dragged up painful memories for the Deku princess and her butler, making them think of the butler's dead son who they had both loved. How is hurting people like that, and doing it constantly over several different timelines heroic?!"

"Because you saved them!" yelled Ruto. "Because like you saved Hyrule from Ganondorf you saved them all from whatever Majora was going to do to them! It doesn't matter if they're already dead, you still saved them! I know you did!"

"Ruto…" said Link sadly. Tears started to form in his eyes. "I'm sorry that I keep hurting you…"

"Why didn't you just tell me about Ganondorf or that you were planning to find Navi? I would have helped you!"

"I didn't want you to know," replied Link. "I didn't want you to know that I'd failed you once before."

"Failed me?" asked Ruto, confused. "What do you mean?"

"When I fought Ganondorf I had to find the sages before I could make it to his castle," explained Link. "One of those sages was the sage of water. I was unable to save her from her destiny. To become a sage she had to depart from the physical world. The woman I love had to leave everything behind to help me. You had to leave me…"

"Link…" said Ruto, shocked at what she was hearing.

"I didn't know it until it happened, but I'd fallen in love. Zelda gave me a chance to return home to this time to relive my childhood. I knew I'd never be able to regain the time I'd missed, I'd seen too much to become the same kid again. I knew it would give me another chance to be with you, but you were a kid in body and in heart, and I couldn't deal with the reminders. Princess Zelda and the leaders all knew about what happened but they hadn't lived it like I had. Only Navi had and without her I didn't have anyone who could advise or help me. I really did enjoy spending time with you but I couldn't just forget about Navi. So, I went to find her. We got ambushed by Majora, Epona got killed and I realized that Navi can never return to my side…"

"Link, I'm here for you now, you don't need to be alone," said Ruto. She reached over and drew him into a hug, her blue flame licking harmlessly at his back as she did so. He stiffened up slightly but then relaxed, hugging her back. "I might not be the same Ruto as before, but that's okay. You're not the same Link I knew but I know that I won't love you any less. I'll love you more because of who you are and I want you to be able to love me just as much. And if you can't that's fine. I want to at least bring you out of here; to bring you home. Hyrule is your home. Princess Zelda is waiting for you at the castle, Malon would love to see you once more at Lon Lon Ranch and Darunia won't shut up about how proud he is of his son, little Link. We're all your home, so please, come home to us."

Link was silent for a few moments, just breathing into her shoulder. She felt tears occasionally dripping onto her and Link just sobbed. Then, she heard a faint voice. "Okay. Let's go home."

Ruto separated and gave Link a large smile, which he managed to return with a small smile of his own. She looked around, trying to figure out which way she had come. "How do we get out of here?"

"With this," replied Link, rummaging around in his pouch. He pulled out a blue ocarina with the symbol of the royal family on it. He put it to his lips and played a simple melody. Yellow light surrounded the two of them and carried them away. The next thing Ruto knew she was standing in the Temple of Time in Hyrule Castle Town.

Link smiled wearily at her and held out his hand. "Could you help me make it to the castle?" He said, shakily.

"I'd love to," replied Ruto with a smile, taking Links hand and leading him out of the Temple.