Sorry I've taken so long. Still having issues with the sound distortion (any suggestions?), so I haven't played Zelda in over a year. I can't quite remember what happens after Link revives Darbus, so hopefully I don't mess anything up :)

Enjoy :)

By the time they were transported back to Gor Coron, both of them were covered in blood and dirt. They quickly informed them that their patriarch was now curse-free and doing good, but a bit disoriented. After a quick thank you, four of them set off to go find Darbus to lead him back. When they were done and back outside, Midna quickly made another portal and transported them back to Kakariko, in front of the Spirit Spring.

"Heroic Link," Eldin spoke when they materialized, "North of here, across the plain and past the great stone bridge, in the lands guarded by the spirit Lanayru... You shall find one who you seek..."

At that point, Maple tapped on Link's shoulder. Behind them, in front of Renado's house, everyone was gathered, including young Colin.

"Link..." Colin whispered, clearly still weak. He walked forward, and when he stumbled Link ran forward to help him up. "Ilia... You've got to save Ilia! Those monsters left me with the other kids, but they must have taken her somewhere else!"

"I know, I plan on going to save her. But what about you?"

"Whenever I thought I couldn't go on, I would think of you and Ilia and hold on, Link..." Colin lightly brushed Link's hands off of his shoulders and weakly stood. "See? I... I'm fine now. Remember what I told you back in Ordon, Link?"

"Yes; that you were going to grow up and be just like me," Link whispered, humbled.

"So you don't have to worry about me anymore! Go help Ilia!"

Renado walked up to Link then, "Leave the children to me. I will watch over them, I swear it! Don't let their fates trouble you. Go to those who need you. In Hyrule, countless tales are told of the ancient hero...and your deeds bring them all to mind. May the graces of the great goddesses who shaped Hyrule bear you on your way."

Link had to clear his throat to hold himself together when everyone bowed to him.

"Thank you; all of you."

"Now be on your way."

When Link turned around, he was confused to see that Maple was no longer standing where she had been before.

"Where did she go?"

"I believe she went to the graveyard. The entrance to it is over there."

Link didn't bother to inform Renado that he knew where the graveyard was; he didn't know that they had already explored Kakariko when it was covered in Twilight.

When Link entered the graveyard, he was surprised to see Maple standing over a tombstone. He walked over to her trying his best not to disturb her.

The tombstone read: "Leah, a beloved storyteller and friend. Hyrule Castle Town." The dates said that she had been one-hundred when she died.

"My great-grandmother," Maple said, without showing any indication that she had noticed him. "Just thought that I would come say hello."

"I'm sorry," Link said.

"It's alright. I don't mind."

"Do you want to hang out here for awhile? Or come with me back towards town?"

"I'll come. I need to clean off anyways. I'm covered in blood."

That was clearly an understatement. Her dress was no longer white, and was more on the pink side, darker on her shoulders. The blood was still oozing out of her head wound, but slower. He wasn't any cleaner, the last battle having left him with many cuts and scrapes that had just barely quit bleeding.

"Alright. You need to sit in the spring anyways, to help your head."

"I'm not the only one whom the waters heal, you know. Sit in it yourself for a few minutes and your cuts will be healed," Maple said as she grabbed his hand and led him back to the village.

Link was quite surprised to find that she was telling the truth. Once he dipped into the water his cuts started to heal themselves, and Maple looked as if her cuts were doing the same. The water also felt great after being inside that mountain for the last few hours.

They didn't speak, instead using their time to scrub at dirt on various parts of their bodies. By the time they were done, the water near them was considerably darker than it had been before.

They dressed and then Renado approached them.

"Talo has taken guard up at the tallest tower, just in case you were worried."

"Thanks," Link said, wringing out his now clean hat. "We'll go up and say hello."

"Be careful, both of you."

Maple walked over and gave him a hug.

"Don't worry, we will be."

On the way out of town, a Goron stopped us.

"Hey, Barnes re-opened his bomb shop! If you need a lift up there, I can launch you up to that cliff!"

Link looked at me, more out of a way to say that he was going than for permission. I didn't answer, and instead watched as he climbed onto the Goron's back. The Goron shook for a second, and then launched Link up into the air so that he could reach the ledge where the destroyed building was at.

I didn't follow, and instead sat down and waited for his return.

While I waited, I thought about the grave I had looked at. It had been my own, and for some reason I had wanted to go see what exactly they had put on the tombstone, since I had never gotten the chance to see beforehand, or after for that matter. Not even when I had lived in the village for those two years. I had never stopped to visit my grave.

It was sweet, what Telma had decided to engrave. "A beloved storyteller and friend." I hadn't done anything else in that last life to have anything important put on it. But that one sentence meant more than anything else could have possibly meant.

That, and visiting my grave had brought back many sweet memories from that life. It had been the life I had lived after the Hero died. Thinking of it reminded me just how little time had passed since his death. Thinking about it made me sad, but I didn't want to stop thinking about it. Thinking about it seemed to help me cope.

I was oddly jealous of this past life. If I had really, truly died, I would still be resting in the earth, and there was nothing I wanted more then to just rest.

Well, maybe one other thing, but I knew that it wouldn't happen until my sisters allowed it.

What felt like only minutes later, Link dropped back down next to me.

"Sorry I took so long. Bought a bomb bag and went up to say good-bye to Talo."

"No problem. I was thinking, anyways."

"What were you thinking about?"

"My great-grandmother."

"You remember much about her?"

"A lot. She died only seven years ago."

"When you were ten?"

I hesitated. Keeping up with what age I currently was could be slightly confusing, but my hesitation wasn't noticed by Link.

"Yes. That's why I moved to Kakariko. Her death saddened me, and I couldn't take it."

"What about your mother; your grandmother?"

"My great-grandmother had been my only family left."

Link put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." It was strange, how easy it was to lie to him. But I didn't have a choice; not yet anyways.

"What was she like?" He asked after he called for Epona, while we waited.

"Everyone says that she was a lot like me, or I am a lot like her. More wise, though."

"Is that where you got it?"

I looked at him. "Got what?"

"Your wisdom?"

I shrugged. "I guess. She taught me a lot."

Epona appeared at that moment, and we crawled on. I didn't quite feel like riding on my own. Midnight wouldn't mind.

We rode off, riding until it began to get dark again. Finally, just as the sun was setting, we reached the bridge that led toward Hyrule Castle Town. Link had to blast away rock that was blocking the bridge, and after it was gone, Epona refused to go any farther. No matter how much Link tried to coax her across the bridge, she wouldn't budge.

"Guess we have to go on foot from here. It's not far, actually, to the wall of Twilight," I said as I hopped down.

"You think that's what's scaring her?" Link asked.

"No, I don't think so."

"Then what?"

"I don't know. Let's just keep going. I want to make camp once we reach the wall, and I don't know how much longer I can go without sleep."

"Yeah, seems forever since we last rested. Let's go, then."

Epona ran back toward Kakariko as we crossed the bridge.

On the otherside, we understood why she had run off.

Three shadow creatures dropped from the sky once we got to the clearing on the other side. When they appeared, a large portion of the bridge behind us disappeared into the newly made portal above us. Link didn't hesitate and took down the closest beast with a simple slash of his sword. He then waited for the other two to approach, and took them both down with a quick spin attack.

It happened pretty fast, and the result was another portal above our heads.

"Well, there's no going back now," Link stated, after turning to see the half-destroyed bridge.

"Guess not."

Link and I took the rest of the journey on foot, although it wasn't far. When we reached the wall of Twilight, we immediately set up camp, Midna offering to keep watch again. She didn't protest to us stopping to rest, because only someone completely blind wouldn't have been able to see our weariness. Even then, our legs refused to take us much farther, so anyone would have been able to notice that.

We set up our blankets right next to each other, and held each other the entire night.

Thanks for your patience this last year (has it really been that long since I posted a chapter?). I actually just started another Zelda story, based on Maple's adventures with the Hero of Time. It's called Birth of the Fourth Goddess. Check it out if you want to see exactly how Maple fell in love with him and how she found out she is a goddess (remember, she didn't find out until after Link woke from the Sacred Realm) :)