-"He Lives in You"-

Zelda and Link wandered through the jungle, fingers interlaced and smiling. Zelda smiled up at him, saying, "It almost seems unreal, being here with you. I can't tell you how long I've dreamt of this."

"Well, I can promise this isn't a dream," Link promised. Zelda smiled, "I know, and I'm so grateful. And not just for me."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, because now you can come back with me, and we can drive out Scar for good," Zelda said enthusiastically. Link's smile faded after she said this, and he looked away ashamed. Zelda turned him back to her, asking concernedly, "What's wrong? You are gonna come back right?"

Link sighed and answered, "It's just not as simple as that…"

"Why not?"

"Well, for one thing, I have a new life here,"

"But Link, you don't belong here. You belong with your people,"

Link sighed, stopping to face Zelda head on as he replied, "These people here need me, I have a responsibility to them, to protect them from Ganondorf."

"I understand that, Link," Zelda insisted, now getting impatient, "But your first and biggest responsibility is to your people. You're a prince!"

"So what? I don't get a say in what I do?" Link argued as Zelda replied, "Link, this isn't about you! You were chosen to rule our people. You can't just turn your back on us!"

"Then the Circle made a mistake!"

"If it did, it would've told us who should rule," Zelda reasoned

"Look, I left for a reason!"

"Whatever reason you left, it can't be enough to not come back now!"

"You don't know that, you don't me…" Link turned away from her. She looked at him, disgusted at his attitude, saying, "You've changed. You're not the person I knew and fell in love with."

"That's right, I'm not," Link confirmed, turning back to her, "And if you don't like it, you can leave."

"Those are the words of a coward who's given up," Zelda said disdained. Link scoffed, "You're starting to sound like my father…"

He turned around and started to walk away as Zelda replied, "Good, at least one of us does!"

Rage rushed to Link's face as he turned, exclaiming, "You think you can show up here after all these years and tell me how to run my life? You don't know what I've been through!"

"I would if you would just tell me!"

"Forget it!" Link stormed off, leaving Zelda alone, frustrated and confused. He marched through the jungle, mumbling to himself as he tried to let off steam. He eventually emerged from the jungle as he realized night had fallen. He paid little attention as he marched onwards, mumbling to himself, "She's wrong. I can't go back. What would it prove anyway? It won't change anything… You can't change the past."

He then looked towards the stars, and cried out to his father, "You said you'd always be there for me!"

He then sighed, looking down and saying, "But you're not… and it's because of me…"

He fell to his knees, hanging his head in shame. He heard a chanting from behind, and looked to see Toadsworth standing there behind him (though Link didn't recognize him) as he looked at him confused, but still depressed, asking, "Look, would you mind leaving me alone?"

"Yes I would mind," Toadsworth smiled at Link, who looked even more puzzled than ever as he asked, "Umm who are you exactly?"

"The question is not who I am, the question is who are you?" Toadsworth asked, pointing at the lion. He sighed, looking down, saying, "I thought I knew…"

"Well I know!" Toadsworth said, "You're Mario's boy!"

Link gasped, looking up at the monkey as he waved, "Goodbye!"

He then took off up a hill. Link jumped up and followed after, shouting, "Hey, wait! Hold on!"

Toadsworth ignored him as he reached the top. Link followed up, panting as he reached the top and found Toadsworth sitting atop a rock, meditating. Breathless, he asked, "You knew my father?"

"Correction, I know your father," Toadsworth corrected him. Link sighed and said, "Sorry to disappoint you, but he died, a long time ago."

"That's not true!" Toadsworth smiled, hopping off the rock, "He is still alive! Follow me!"

He then took off into the jungle. Look stared in awe for a moment, then followed after him. Was it true? Could his father actually be alive? He didn't see how it was possible… When he finally caught up to the monkey, he was standing beside a pool of water, beckoning Link to come over. Link approached cautiously and looked down at the water, not sure what he'd see. He only saw his reflection.

Sighing, he said, "That's not him… It's just me…"

"Look closer," Toadsworth beckoned as he dropped a pebble in the water, causing it to ripple. A choir began to chant upbeatly in the background, "Ingonyama nengw' enamabala…"

Link then saw it in the water: one moment was his confused reflection, then it was the face of his father, bearing a stern and mighty fixture. Link gasped as Toadsworth began singing, "Night… And the spirit of life… Calling (Oh, oh, iyo) Mamela (Oh, oh, iyo). And a voice, with the fear of a child, answers (Oh, oh, iyo) Mamela (Oh, oh, iyo)."

The background choir continued to chant, "Ubukhosi bo khokho…We ndodana ye sizwe sonke…"

Link sighed and turned around to walk away when Toadsworth sang out, "Wait!"

Link stopped, slowly turning around as he continued, "There's no mountain too great (Oh, oh, iyo), hear the words and have faith (Oh, oh, iyo), have faith!"

Link sighed, standing there as Toadsworth continued, "He lives in you! He lives in me! He watches over, everything we see. Into the water, into the truth, in your reflection. He lives in you!"

"You're wrong," Link said sadly as the choir continued chanting, "I'm not anything like my father. Not even close."

"Are you not, really?" Toadsworth inquired. Link then thought about it, comparing himself to his father. He remembered saving Yoshi and Toad just earlier that day, much like his father had saved him and Zelda when they were cubs. He remembered the look of awe on their faces, the same look he and Zelda had. He remembered being a child, unsure of how he'd grow up to be as physically imposing as his father. Looking at his muscular and matured body now, he realized he was probably about as big as his father in his prime. He remembered how people in the Pride Lands talked of his father's legendary skills with a blade, and how amazed the inhabitants of the jungle were at how he could handle a blade. Toadsworth saw all this coming to Link's mind as he sang, "He lives in you! He lives in me! He watches over, everything we see! Into the water, into the truth, in your reflection. He lives in you!"

Toadsworth then began to make his way over to Link, singing, "He lives in you."

The background choir continued to sing soothingly as Toadsworth reached the lion, putting his hand on his shoulder reassuringly, singing, "So wait. There's no mountain too great. Hear the words and have faith. Have faith."

The choir began to sing with much enthusiasm as Toadsworth pulled away and danced about, singing, "He lives in you! He lives in me! He watches over, everything we see! Into the water, into the truth, in your reflection. He lives in you! He lives in you! He lives in me! He watches over, everything we see! Into the water, into the truth, in your reflection. He lives in you!"

The choir then began to die down as Toadsworth sang one last time quietly, "He lives in you…"

Once the music ceased, Link looked at Toad, saying, "Maybe I am like my father… but I'm still not as great as he was."

"Neither was he at your age," Toadsworth said, "Remember young one, greatness is for those who do great deeds, not the other way around."

Link nodded and said, "I need to think."

He then walked out of the jungle and stood in the grass, looking towards the sky. Then, a marvelous then happened. The clouds began to shift and reshape, and formed a vortex of clouds in the sky opening before the lion. Towards the top of the vortex shone a glowing figure. After adjusting his eyes, Link realized it was his father, King Mario. He gasped, "Father…"

"My son, you have forgotten me," Mario said sadly.

"No!" Link exclaimed, "How could I have?"

"You have forgotten who you are, and as such have forgotten me," Mario answered, "You must take your place in the circle of life."

"How can I?" Link asked, "I'm not the same person I once was."

"But you are," Mario said, "You are my son, and thus the rightful king. Look deep inside, you will see you and only you can succeed me. Remember who you are…"

The vortex then began to dissipate as Link ran forward, calling out, "Father, no! Don't leave me!"

Then he was gone. And Link was left there alone, as his father's voice echoed, "Remember…"

Toadsworth came up behind him, exclaiming happily, "What was that?! The weather, very peculiar eh?"

"Yeah," Link said, deep in thought, "The winds are changing."

"Yes, change is good," Toadsworth said optimistically.

"But it's not always easy," Link said, "Going back means I'll have to face my past. I've been running from it for so long, I don't know if I can…Ow!"

Link was cut off by Toadsworth smacking him in the head with his staff. Link rubbed his head as he asked, irritated, "Geez, what was that for?"

"It doesn't matter, it's in the past!"

"Yeah, but it still hurts," Link groaned as Toadsworth said sympathetically, "Ah yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it!"

Toadsworth swung again at Link, who ducked this time and dodged it. Toadsworth smiled at Link, who smiled himself. He thought for a moment, and beamed as he got an idea. Toadsworth noticed this and inquired, "So, what are you going to do now?"

"Well, first I'm gonna take your staff," Link smiled mischievously, taking his staff and throwing it away, "And then I'm gonna go show I've learnt from the past!"

He then ran off the way he came from, towards the jungle as Toadsworth cried out triumphantly, "Yes! Go!"

Sorry for the delay in update, but been reading a lot this weekend. Anways, next chapter will have a rematch that's been building up to for 8 years (story years lol), and after that, Link will return home to face his past and battle for his rightful place as king.